Patents by Inventor Paul D. McKim
Paul D. McKim 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).
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Patent number: 10845106Abstract: An accumulator and oil separator device includes a housing having a cavity, an oil separator unit disposed in the cavity and designed to separate oil from a refrigerant and oil mix received from a compressor and to output the oil into the cavity. The accumulator and oil separator device further includes an accumulator inlet tube to carry a received refrigerant into the cavity. The accumulator and oil separator device also includes an accumulator outlet tube to output the received refrigerant and the oil from the cavity.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventor: Paul D. McKim
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Publication number: 20190178543Abstract: An accumulator and oil separator device includes a housing having a cavity, an oil separator unit disposed in the cavity and designed to separate oil from a refrigerant and oil mix received from a compressor and to output the oil into the cavity. The accumulator and oil separator device further includes an accumulator inlet tube to carry a received refrigerant into the cavity. The accumulator and oil separator device also includes an accumulator outlet tube to output the received refrigerant and the oil from the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2017Publication date: June 13, 2019Inventor: Paul D. McKim
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Patent number: 9341384Abstract: An endothermic heat pump water heater has a water tank supported atop a hollow base, a heat pump circuit operable to provide primary heat to water in the tank, and an electric resistance heating element operable to provide secondary heat to the water. The heat pump circuit includes refrigerant tubing in which a compressor disposed within the base, a condenser in heat exchange external contact with the tank, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator disposed within the base are connected in series. A vertical duct, external to the tank, has an inlet adjacent the upper tank end, and a fan is operative to sequentially flow air inwardly through the inlet, downwardly through the duct into the base, across the compressor, across the evaporator, and then outwardly from the base.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2015Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Jeremy Lee Babb, Paul D. McKim
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Publication number: 20150300658Abstract: An endothermic heat pump water heater has a water tank supported atop a hollow base, a heat pump circuit operable to provide primary heat to water in the tank, and an electric resistance heating element operable to provide secondary heat to the water. The heat pump circuit includes refrigerant tubing in which a compressor disposed within the base, a condenser in heat exchange external contact with the tank, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator disposed within the base are connected in series. A vertical duct, external to the tank, has an inlet adjacent the upper tank end, and a fan is operative to sequentially flow air inwardly through the inlet, downwardly through the duct into the base, across the compressor, across the evaporator, and then outwardly from the base.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Jeremy Lee Babb, Paul D. McKim
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Patent number: 9157655Abstract: An endothermic heat pump water heater has a water tank supported atop a hollow base, a heat pump circuit operable to provide primary heat to water in the tank, and an electric resistance heating element operable to provide secondary heat to the water. The heat pump circuit includes refrigerant tubing in which a compressor disposed within the base, a condenser in heat exchange external contact with the tank, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator disposed within the base are connected in series. A vertical duct, external to the tank, has an inlet adjacent the upper tank end, and a fan is operative to sequentially flow air inwardly through the inlet, downwardly through the duct into the base, across the compressor, across the evaporator, and then outwardly from the base.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2013Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Jeremy Lee Babb, Paul D. McKim
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Patent number: 9046286Abstract: In a heat pump pool heater, undesirable compressor-created pressure spikes resulting from start-up of the heater after extended idle periods thereof are substantially eliminated by the incorporation in the heat pump refrigerant circuit of a specially designed pressure spike eliminator structure. The spike eliminator structure includes an enclosed hollow wall structure extending around a first refrigerant tubing portion disposed between the heat pump circuit compressor and condenser and forming a cavity around the first refrigerant tubing portion, and a transfer tube directly connected to a second refrigerant tubing portion disposed between the condenser and expansion valve and intercommunicating the interiors of the cavity and the second refrigerant tubing portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2012Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Timothy B. Hawkins, Paul D. McKim
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Publication number: 20130287373Abstract: An endothermic heat pump water heater has a water tank supported atop a hollow base, a heat pump circuit operable to provide primary heat to water in the tank, and an electric resistance heating element operable to provide secondary heat to the water. The heat pump circuit includes refrigerant tubing in which a compressor disposed within the base, a condenser in heat exchange external contact with the tank, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator disposed within the base are connected in series. A vertical duct, external to the tank, has an inlet adjacent the upper tank end, and a fan is operative to sequentially flow air inwardly through the inlet, downwardly through the duct into the base, across the compressor, across the evaporator, and then outwardly from the base.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Jeremy Lee Babb, Paul D. McKim
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Publication number: 20120247142Abstract: In a heat pump pool heater, undesirable compressor-created pressure spikes resulting from start-up of the heater after extended idle periods thereof are substantially eliminated by the incorporation in the heat pump refrigerant circuit of a specially designed pressure spike eliminator structure. The spike eliminator structure includes an enclosed hollow wall structure extending around a first refrigerant tubing portion disposed between the heat pump circuit compressor and condenser and forming a cavity around the first refrigerant tubing portion, and a transfer tube directly connected to a second refrigerant tubing portion disposed between the condenser and expansion valve and intercommunicating the interiors of the cavity and the second refrigerant tubing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANYInventors: Timothy B. Hawkins, Paul D. McKim
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Patent number: 5119966Abstract: A cover plate is operatively secured to the body of a housing structure, over an access opening therein, by a pair of button clinch joints which interlock two tab portions of the cover plate with two wall portions of the housing body positioned on opposite sides of the access opening. The button clinch joints function as hinges which permit the cover plate to be pivoted between closed and open positions to respectively block and unblock the access opening. In addition to other manufacturing and operational advantages, the use of button clinch joints as hinge structures provides for very rapid and economical joining of the housing body and cover plate, and eliminates the necessity for welding or in any manner puncturing the cover plate or housing body to effect the cover plate attachment.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 1991Date of Patent: June 9, 1992Assignee: Rheem Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Paul D. McKim, Konrad G. Chmielewski