Patents by Inventor Douglas M. Bates

Douglas M. Bates 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: 11466910
    Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods of reducing frost accumulation on a heat pump evaporator coil. The disclosed technology can include a heat pump assembly having an evaporator coil, a fan configured to direct air across the evaporator coil, a temperature sensor, and a controller configured to energize the fan to direct air across the evaporator coil when the temperature of the evaporator coil is below a threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
    Inventors: Douglas M. Bates, Christopher M. Puranen
  • Publication number: 20210348817
    Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods of reducing frost accumulation on a heat pump evaporator coil. The disclosed technology can include a heat pump assembly having an evaporator coil, a fan configured to direct air across the evaporator coil, a temperature sensor, and a controller configured to energize the fan to direct air across the evaporator coil when the temperature of the evaporator coil is below a threshold temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Douglas M. Bates, Christopher M. Puranen
  • Publication number: 20200200440
    Abstract: An electronic reversing valve for use in heat pump systems includes a housing having multiple ports and a slider positioned in a cavity of the housing, where the slider has multiple channels. The multiple ports and the multiple channels define refrigerant flow paths depending on a position of the slider in the cavity of the housing. The electronic reversing valve also includes a rotor positioned in the cavity of the housing and a stator positioned outside of the housing. The slider is moveable laterally within the cavity of the housing in response to a rotation of the rotor, where the rotor is designed to rotate in response to a magnetic force generated by the stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventor: Douglas M. Bates