Patents by Inventor Robert T. Mills

Robert T. Mills 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: 11774136
    Abstract: An air conditioning appliance includes a housing, a drain pan positioned below the housing, and a plenum which is attached to the housing and to the drain pan. The drain pan includes an upper surface in contact with the housing and a socket configured to receive a leg. The housing of the air conditioning appliance rests on the upper surface of the drain pan, such that the drain pan defines a platform which structurally supports the housing of the air conditioning appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen D. Hatcher, Logan Chayse Dunaway, Richard Michael Phillips, Christopher Raymond Geisen, Robert T. Mills, Cody Ewing
  • Patent number: 11578878
    Abstract: A symmetric pair of mounting brackets for mounting one of a plurality of air filters to a mounting plate of an air conditioner unit are provided. The mounting brackets each define a plurality of mounting surfaces with equidistantly space mounting holes. The mounting surfaces are spaced apart from a plurality of retention surfaces, with the distance between each respective mounting surface and retention surface varying to accommodate a different filter size such that the air conditioner may operate using different filter sizes by simply changing the installation orientation of the mounting brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Isaac D'Souza, Robert T. Mills
  • Publication number: 20220146145
    Abstract: An air conditioning appliance includes a housing, a drain pan positioned below the housing, and a plenum which is attached to the housing and to the drain pan. The drain pan includes an upper surface in contact with the housing and a socket configured to receive a leg. The housing of the air conditioning appliance rests on the upper surface of the drain pan, such that the drain pan defines a platform which structurally supports the housing of the air conditioning appliance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen D. Hatcher, Logan Chayse Dunaway, Richard Michael Phillips, Christopher Raymond Geisen, Robert T. Mills, Cody Ewing
  • Patent number: 11226115
    Abstract: An air conditioning appliance may have a telescoping plenum attached to a housing of the air conditioning appliance. The telescoping plenum may be receivable within a wall channel defined by a structure wall along an axial direction. The telescoping plenum may include an interior portion and an exterior portion. The interior portion may include a duct wall and an outer flange extending radially outward from the duct wall. The interior portion may sealingly engage the housing along the axial direction in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Michael Phillips, Christopher Raymond Geisen, Stephen D. Hatcher, Robert T. Mills
  • Patent number: 11118794
    Abstract: An air conditioner unit, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, a compressor, a heater bank array, and a controller. The compressor may be in fluid communication with the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger to circulate a refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger. The heater bank array may include a plurality of heater banks mounted within the indoor portion. The controller may be in operative communication with the compressor and the heater bank array. The controller may be configured to initiate a heating operation. The heating operation may include detecting objectionable heating unit performance of the heater bank array, reducing an electric power load of the heater bank array in response to detecting objectionable heating unit performance, and directing a modified heat cycle based on detecting objectionable heating unit performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua Duane Longenecker, Robert T. Mills
  • Publication number: 20210140652
    Abstract: A symmetric pair of mounting brackets for mounting one of a plurality of air filters to a mounting plate of an air conditioner unit are provided. The mounting brackets each define a plurality of mounting surfaces with equidistantly space mounting holes. The mounting surfaces are spaced apart from a plurality of retention surfaces, with the distance between each respective mounting surface and retention surface varying to accommodate a different filter size such that the air conditioner may operate using different filter sizes by simply changing the installation orientation of the mounting brackets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Bryan Isaac D'Souza, Robert T. Mills
  • Publication number: 20210063027
    Abstract: An air conditioning appliance may have a telescoping plenum attached to a housing of the air conditioning appliance. The telescoping plenum may be receivable within a wall channel defined by a structure wall along an axial direction. The telescoping plenum may include an interior portion and an exterior portion. The interior portion may include a duct wall and an outer flange extending radially outward from the duct wall. The interior portion may sealingly engage the housing along the axial direction in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Richard Michael Phillips, Christopher Raymond Geisen, Stephen D. Hatcher, Robert T. Mills
  • Patent number: 10921046
    Abstract: A method for defrosting an evaporator of a sealed system includes determining that a defrost cycle is needed to remove frost from the evaporator and initiating such a defrost cycle. The method further includes determining that the defrost cycle failed to defrost the evaporator and repeating the defrost cycle until the defrost cycle is successful or until a predetermined number of defrost cycles have been performed. After a predetermined number of successive failed defrost cycles, the method includes preventing further operation of the sealed system, e.g., by locking out compressor, until the frost and/or ice build-up is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert T. Mills, Joshua Duane Longenecker, Alan George Constance
  • Publication number: 20200096248
    Abstract: A method for defrosting an evaporator of a sealed system includes determining that a defrost cycle is needed to remove frost from the evaporator and initiating such a defrost cycle. The method further includes determining that the defrost cycle failed to defrost the evaporator and repeating the defrost cycle until the defrost cycle is successful or until a predetermined number of defrost cycles have been performed. After a predetermined number of successive failed defrost cycles, the method includes preventing further operation of the sealed system, e.g., by locking out compressor, until the frost and/or ice build-up is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Robert T. Mills, Joshua Duane Longenecker, Alan George Constance
  • Patent number: 10274213
    Abstract: An air conditioning system and a method of operating the same are provided. The air conditioning system includes a refrigeration loop having a variable speed compressor for circulating a refrigerant through an outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a hybrid heat exchanger, a second expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioning system is operated in one of four modes depending on the indoor temperature and humidity relative to target values. The modes include an air conditioning mode, a dehumidification mode, an idle mode, and a reheat mode in which the first expansion device is fully opened and the second expansion device throttles the refrigerant to achieve a target temperature difference across the hybrid heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Dustin Henderson, Thomas James Stutts, Robert T. Mills
  • Publication number: 20180313554
    Abstract: An air conditioning system and a method of operating the same are provided. The air conditioning system includes a refrigeration loop having a variable speed compressor for circulating a refrigerant through an outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a hybrid heat exchanger, a second expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioning system is operated in one of four modes depending on the indoor temperature and humidity relative to target values. The modes include an air conditioning mode, a dehumidification mode, an idle mode, and a reheat mode in which the first expansion device is fully opened and the second expansion device throttles the refrigerant to achieve a target temperature difference across the hybrid heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Richard Dustin Henderson, Thomas James Stutts, Robert T. Mills
  • Patent number: 7698911
    Abstract: A control system for a clothes treating apparatus includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensors. The apparatus includes a cabinet, a wash tub mounted within the cabinet and configured to receive clothes therein, a dehumidifying assembly, and a fan configured to draw air from the wash tub to the dehumidifying assembly and channel the air from the dehumidifying assembly back to the wash tub. The first temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the air entering the dehumidifying assembly. The second sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the air exiting the dehumidifying assembly. The controller is configured to determine a dryness level of the clothes contained in the wash tub based on the detected air temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert T. Mills, Timothy D. Worthington
  • Patent number: 5385032
    Abstract: A mechanism to control air flow between the freezer and fresh food compartments of a refrigerator includes an elongated air flow tube and a flow control housing with mating planar surfaces angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the air flow tube. A mating gasket is positioned between the planar surfaces and joined to each with adhesive. An electrical conductor extends through the air flow passageway in the tube and housing and includes a plug of material around the conductor's protective cover. A recess in the housing mounts the plug with an angled surface of the plug filling a matching interruption in the housing's planar surface to prevent air leaks around the conductor. The housing and plug include cooperating dimples which receive a capillary tube extending through the air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jerry C. Martin, Martin M. Zentner, Robert T. Mills