Patents by Inventor David Steen

David Steen 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).

  • Patent number: 12474073
    Abstract: A safety system for a heat pump system includes a plurality of valve units each having refrigerant pipe portions with control valves, a refrigerant leakage detector, and a casing accommodating the valves and the refrigerant leakage detector and formed with first and second openings. The safety system further includes a connection structure connecting the internal spaces of the casings via the first and second openings, and a discharge structure connected to the connection structure or one of the casings and configured to discharge air from the internal space of the casing in which a refrigerant leakage has occurred. The casing has first and second lateral faces facing different directions, and the first opening is formed in the first lateral face and the second opening is formed in the second lateral face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2025
    Assignees: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: David Steen, Kevin Cornelis, Arne Degrande, Yuusuke Nakagawa, Harshit Tanwar
  • Patent number: 12467670
    Abstract: A heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit includes: a valve configured to maintain an opening degree during non-energization; a valve drive circuit configured to cause operation of the valve; a valve controller configured to control the valve drive circuit; and a power source circuit configured to supply a power source to the valve drive circuit. The power source circuit includes: a first power source circuit unit configured to receive power source supply from outside to generate a DC voltage; and a second power source circuit unit for backup. The second power source circuit unit receives power source supply from the outside to store power in a capacitor, and connects the capacitor in parallel to a first output electric path of the first power source circuit unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Assignees: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Fujimoto, Ryuuichi Toyota, Kentaroh Taoka, Atsushi Ohtani, Kevin Cornelis, David Steen
  • Patent number: 12379119
    Abstract: A valve unit for a heat-pump system, includes: a liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas refrigerant pipe portion; a liquid control valve disposed in the liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas control valve disposed in the gas refrigerant pipe portion; a casing accommodating the liquid control valve and the gas control valve; and an air-discharge mechanism that discharges air in an internal space of the casing to an external space outside the casing in response to a refrigerant leakage in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignees: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: David Steen, Kevin Cornelis, Arne Degrande
  • Publication number: 20250180241
    Abstract: The current invention relates to a Method for determining shutoff valve and refrigerant leakage sensor interlinking for an air-conditioning system. The method comprises the steps of preparing a floorplan of a building with multiple rooms, mapping indoor units of the air-conditioning system and shutoff valves on the floorplan, mapping pipes between the shutoff valves and the indoor units on the floorplan, identifying each room having at least one indoor unit and/or refrigerant carrying piping, identifying each refrigerant leakage sensor installed in each room having at least one indoor unit and/or refrigerant carrying piping. This information is then used to determine correspondence relationships between each refrigerant leakage sensor and each room, between each valve and each pipe and between each pipe and each room through which said pipe passes and/or enters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Inventors: Gennaro SCOTTO DI LUZIO, David STEEN
  • Publication number: 20250172307
    Abstract: The current invention relates to an Air conditioning system comprising compressor unit connected to a plurality of indoor by means of a plurality of pipes: a switching unit between the outdoor unit and each indoor unit, said switching unit comprising a plurality of shutoff valves; a plurality of leak detection sensors; and a controller configured to control the plurality shutoff valves and have information of associating each of the shutoff valves to at least one sensor. In order to safely and efficiently manage refrigerant leaks, the shutoff valves are operated based on information from their associated sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Publication date: May 29, 2025
    Inventors: Gennaro SCOTTO DI LUZIO, David STEEN
  • Patent number: 12123633
    Abstract: The present invention aims to alleviate the risk of leakage of refrigerant from a refrigerant circuit and particularly at the utilization side of the refrigerant circuit without the need to provide a dedicated bypass for refrigerant leakage prevention. A refrigerant system is configured such that, when a refrigerant leakage detection sensor detects refrigerant leakage, a controller is configured to adjust a opening degree of a bypass expansion valve independently of a pressure and/or temperature value detected by a sensor. A method of controlling a refrigerant system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignees: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawano, David Steen, Kevin Cornelis
  • Publication number: 20240011661
    Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a compressor unit including a compressor, a heat exchanger unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor unit, and a valve unit including a liquid control valve and a gas control valve. The heat exchanger unit is installed in a first space, while the compressor unit and the valve unit are installed in a second space. The system further includes a first leakage detector disposed in the second space, and a ventilation control structure that is configured to switch the state of the second space from a first state to a second state when the detected concentration of the first refrigerant is equal to or greater than a first detection value threshold, in the second state a ventilation of the second space being promoted more than in the first state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: David STEEN, Kevin CORNELIS, Arne DEGRANDE, Yuusuke NAKAGAWA, Gennaro SCOTTO DI LUZIO
  • Publication number: 20230221024
    Abstract: A safety system for a heat pump system includes a plurality of valve units each having refrigerant pipe portions with control valves, a refrigerant leakage detector, and a casing accommodating the valves and the refrigerant leakage detector and formed with first and second openings. The safety system further includes a connection structure connecting the internal spaces of the casings via the first and second openings, and a discharge structure connected to the connection structure or one of the casings and configured to discharge air from the internal space of the casing in which a refrigerant leakage has occurred. The casing has first and second lateral faces facing different directions, and the first opening is formed in the first lateral face and the second opening is formed in the second lateral face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicants: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: David STEEN, Kevin CORNELIS, Arne DEGRANDE, Yuusuke NAKAGAWA, Harshit TANWAR
  • Publication number: 20230003404
    Abstract: A valve unit for a heat-pump system, includes: a liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas refrigerant pipe portion; a liquid control valve disposed in the liquid refrigerant pipe portion; a gas control valve disposed in the gas refrigerant pipe portion; a casing accommodating the liquid control valve and the gas control valve; and an air-discharge mechanism that discharges air in an internal space of the casing to an external space outside the casing in response to a refrigerant leakage in the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicants: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: David Steen, Kevin Cornelis, Arne Degrande
  • Publication number: 20220390160
    Abstract: A heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit includes: a valve configured to maintain an opening degree during non-energization; a valve drive circuit configured to cause operation of the valve; a valve controller configured to control the valve drive circuit; and a power source circuit configured to supply a power source to the valve drive circuit. The power source circuit includes: a first power source circuit unit configured to receive power source supply from outside to generate a DC: voltage; and a second power source circuit unit for backup. The second power source circuit unit receives power source supply from the outside to store power in a capacitor, and connects the capacitor in parallel to a first output electric path of the first power source circuit unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicants: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: Yuusuke FUJIMOTO, Ryuuichi TOYOTA, Kentaroh TAOKA, Atsushi OHTANI, Kevin CORNELIS, David STEEN
  • Publication number: 20220275983
    Abstract: The present invention aims to alleviate the risk of leakage of refrigerant from a refrigerant circuit and particularly at the utilization side of the refrigerant circuit without the need to provide a dedicated bypass for refrigerant leakage prevention. A refrigerant system is configured such that, when a refrigerant leakage detection sensor detects refrigerant leakage, a controller is configured to adjust a opening degree of a bypass expansion valve independently of a pressure and/or temperature value detected by a sensor. A method of controlling a refrigerant system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicants: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD., DAIKIN EUROPE N.V.
    Inventors: Satoshi KAWANO, David STEEN, Kevin CORNELIS
  • Publication number: 20060123329
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for computer-assisted document composition are described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: David Steen, Jeannette Barnes
  • Patent number: 6766913
    Abstract: A supporting device is provided for supporting a saddle on a truck having a truck box with a plurality of stake pockets formed along respective sides of the box. The supporting device comprises a post arranged to be slidably mounted within one of the stake pockets of the truck and a support frame extending laterally outwardly from one side of the post which is suitably arranged to support the saddle thereon. The slidable mounting of the saddle supporting device within one of the stake pockets provides a support for supporting a saddle thereon regardless of where the saddle is being used. The device is thus portable with the truck to provide a suitable supporting surface for a saddle even when away from the stable or related area where the horses upon which the saddle is to be used are normally kept. A suitable bracket may also be provided for supporting the post on a wall or other related supporting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Inventors: Irwin Steen, David Steen
  • Publication number: 20020130097
    Abstract: A supporting device is provided for supporting a saddle on a truck having a truck box with a plurality of stake pockets formed along respective sides of the box. The supporting device comprises a post arranged to be slidably mounted within one of the stake pockets of the truck and a support frame extending laterally outwardly from one side of the post which is suitably arranged to support the saddle thereon. The slidable mounting of the saddle supporting device within one of the stake pockets provides a support for supporting a saddle thereon regardless of where the saddle is being used. The device is thus portable with the truck to provide a suitable supporting surface for a saddle even when away from the stable or related area where the horses upon which the saddle is to be used are normally kept. A suitable bracket may also be provided for supporting the post on a wall or other related supporting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: Irwin Steen
    Inventors: Irwin Steen, David Steen