Patents by Inventor Craig R. Kersten

Craig R. Kersten has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Dual thermochromic liquid crystal temperature sensing for refrigerant charge indication
    Patent number: 7552596
    Abstract: The sufficiency of refrigerant charge in an air conditioning system is determined by a comparison of two sensed temperatures in the system, one being the liquid line temperature and the other being either the outdoor temperature or the condenser coil temperature. In one embodiment the two sensed temperatures are displayed on respective thermochromic strips which are so calibrated and juxtaposed as to provide a visual indication, by the relative positions of the two displayed sensed temperatures, as to whether the refrigerant charge is adequate. In another embodiment, the sensed liquid line temperature is displayed by way of a plurality of LEDs and the other temperature is displayed by way of a marker on a temperature scale. If the two displayed temperatures are aligned, then the refrigerant charge is optimized, and if they are not aligned, the system is undercharged or overcharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy P. Galante, Sivakumar Gopalnarayanan, Don Alan Schuster, Craig R. Kersten, Larry Burns