Patents by Inventor Ralph Feria

Ralph Feria 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: 12203678
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20240247847
    Abstract: A heated suction line accumulator may include a tank extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first interior cavity and a refrigerant input orifice extending through a sidewall of the tank that is configured to receive input refrigerant. An intermediate tube extending in the longitudinal direction may be disposed in the first interior cavity. At least one aperture may extend through a sidewall of the intermediate tube for allowing input refrigerant to flow therethrough. At least one heating line may be disposed inside of the tank and including a first plurality of coils that are wound around the intermediate tube. The heating line may be configured to receive a heated fluid for heating the input refrigerant. An inner tube may be disposed inside of the intermediate tube and be configured to convey the heated input refrigerant outside of the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 11953245
    Abstract: A heated suction line accumulator may include a tank extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first interior cavity and a refrigerant input orifice extending through a sidewall of the tank that is configured to receive input refrigerant. An intermediate tube extending in the longitudinal direction may be disposed in the first interior cavity. At least one aperture may extend through a sidewall of the intermediate tube for allowing input refrigerant to flow therethrough. At least one heating line may be disposed inside of the tank and including a first plurality of coils that are wound around the intermediate tube. The heating line may be configured to receive a heated fluid for heating the input refrigerant. An inner tube may be disposed inside of the intermediate tube and be configured to convey the heated input refrigerant outside of the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20230332811
    Abstract: A heated suction line accumulator may include a tank extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first interior cavity and a refrigerant input orifice extending through a sidewall of the tank that is configured to receive input refrigerant. An intermediate tube extending in the longitudinal direction may be disposed in the first interior cavity. At least one aperture may extend through a sidewall of the intermediate tube for allowing input refrigerant to flow therethrough. At least one heating line may be disposed inside of the tank and including a first plurality of coils that are wound around the intermediate tube. The heating line may be configured to receive a heated fluid for heating the input refrigerant. An inner tube may be disposed inside of the intermediate tube and be configured to convey the heated input refrigerant outside of the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20230228430
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 11608995
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 11566823
    Abstract: Heating and cooling optimization systems are disclosed. Such systems may include a superheater and desuperheater are disclosed. An example superheater may include a combined suction line accumulator and heat exchanger configured to receive a heated fluid from an external source. An example desuperheater may comprise an accumulation tank and a heat exchanger configured to receive a relatively cool fluid from an external source. Various external sources may be a solar thermal source, a wood chip boiler, a ground loop, a geothermal source, an attic space, a garage, and/or a chemical heat source. Disclosed heating and cooling systems may include a controller sub-system for selectively modulating a flow rate of heated fluid through the superheater and for selectively modulating a flow rate of cooled fluid through the desuperheater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20220275951
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 11333370
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 11067317
    Abstract: A heat source optimization system capable of alternating configurations between an air exchange system and a geothermal system and/or earth loop systems depending on an instantaneous need and/or desire for taking in or discharging heat, while simultaneously remaining operational and without reversing valving or changing the rotational direction of a refrigerant compressor. The system manages refrigerant, and, via a processor and/or controller system, determines where to obtain refrigerant and also the quantity of refrigerant to be obtained. Additionally, the system, via a processor and/or controller system, both determines the optimal location or locations from which to take in heat or to which heat is to be rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20200292207
    Abstract: A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20190301776
    Abstract: A heat source optimization system capable of alternating configurations between an air exchange system and a geothermal system and/or earth loop systems depending on an instantaneous need and/or desire for taking in or discharging heat, while simultaneously remaining operational and without reversing valving or changing the rotational direction of a refrigerant compressor. The system manages refrigerant, and, via a processor and/or controller system, determines where to obtain refrigerant and also the quantity of refrigerant to be obtained. Additionally, the system, via a processor and/or controller system, both determines the optimal location or locations from which to take in heat or to which heat is to be rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20180187931
    Abstract: A heat source optimization system capable of alternating configurations between an air exchange system and a geothermal system and/or earth loop systems depending on an instantaneous need and/or desire for taking in or discharging heat, while simultaneously remaining operational and without reversing valving or changing the rotational direction of a refrigerant compressor. The system manages refrigerant, and, via a processor and/or controller system, determines where to obtain refrigerant and also the quantity of refrigerant to be obtained. Additionally, the system, via a processor and/or controller system, both determines the optimal location or locations from which to take in heat or to which heat is to be rejected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Patent number: 9915436
    Abstract: A heat source optimization system capable of alternating configurations between an air exchange system and a geothermal system and/or earth loop systems depending on an instantaneous need and/or desire for taking in or discharging heat, while simultaneously remaining operational and without reversing valving or changing the rotational direction of a refrigerant compressor. The system manages refrigerant, and, via a processor and/or controller system, determines where to obtain refrigerant and also the quantity of refrigerant to be obtained. Additionally, the system, via a processor and/or controller system, both determines the optimal location or locations from which to take in heat or to which heat is to be rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Inventor: Ralph Feria
  • Publication number: 20060112954
    Abstract: A system for heating water which is primarily used for swimming pools, spas or other recreational purposes comprising a heater assembly having a heating element mounted within a housing in heat exchanging relation to water passing there through, wherein the heating element is formed of a titanium material and is structurally configured to maximize heat exchange by incorporating a substantially twisted orientation of the heating element relative to a central longitudinal axis thereof. The system further contemplates the heating element containing heat exchange fluid passing there through, wherein the heating element is remotely spaced from a compressor assembly which processes the heat exchange fluid to accomplish a rise in temperature of the water being heated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventor: Ralph Feria