Patents by Inventor Rodney H. Volk

Rodney H. Volk 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: 9868336
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling condenser/radiator airflow in a TRS are provided. In particular, methods and systems are provided to control a fan speed of condenser fan(s) of a TRS based on a condenser/radiator performance parameter, a traveling speed of a refrigerated transport unit, and/or a compressor discharge pressure a compressor of the TRS. The fan speed of the condenser fan(s) can be increased when necessary to limit a negative impact on TRS performance caused by a static pressure at an outlet of the condenser fan(s) or under high ambient temperature conditions. The fan speed of the condenser fan(s) can be reduced to reduce noise levels generated by the TRS when the static pressure at the outlet of the condenser fan(s) does not negatively impact the performance of the TRS or when the refrigerated transport unit is not located in an area with a high ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: THERMO KING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Herman H. Viegas, Rodney H. Volk
  • Publication number: 20160089956
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling condenser/radiator airflow in a TRS are provided. In particular, methods and systems are provided to control a fan speed of condenser fan(s) of a TRS based on a condenser/radiator performance parameter, a traveling speed of a refrigerated transport unit, and/or a compressor discharge pressure a compressor of the TRS. The fan speed of the condenser fan(s) can be increased when necessary to limit a negative impact on TRS performance caused by a static pressure at an outlet of the condenser fan(s) or under high ambient temperature conditions. The fan speed of the condenser fan(s) can be reduced to reduce noise levels generated by the TRS when the static pressure at the outlet of the condenser fan(s) does not negatively impact the performance of the TRS or when the refrigerated transport unit is not located in an area with a high ambient temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Herman H. Viegas, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: 5927090
    Abstract: A refrigerated mobile trailer is provided that includes a trailer body having an opening present in both its front wall and roof for receiving a transportable refrigeration unit. The refrigeration unit includes a housing having a roof panel and a side panel, a condenser assembly disposed within the housing that includes a condenser coil, an air inlet located in the side panel of the unit housing for receiving ambient air for circulation over the condenser coil and at least one air outlet for discharging circulated air to remove waste heat from the coil. The condenser coil is located adjacent to the roof panel of the refrigeration unit, and all air outlets for removing waste heat from the coil are advantageously located in the unit roof panel directly above the coil. The fact that all of the waste heat air outlets are located in the roof panel advantageously prevents air discharged from these outlets from recirculating back into the condenser air inlet when the mobile trailer is in a stationary position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald J. Ladendorf, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: 5123257
    Abstract: A transport refrigeration system having a frame which supports a refrigerant compressor, a prime mover for the compressor, condenser and evaporator coils, and an air delivery assembly for moving air through the condenser and evaporator coils. The air delivery assembly includes a single shaft having first and second condenser blowers mounted adjacent the ends of the shaft, and an evaporator blower mounted on the shaft between the first and second condenser blowers. A drive arrangement for the air delivery assembly includes a jack shaft between the shaft of the air delivery assembly and the prime mover, with the prime mover being linked to drive the jack shaft, and with the jack shaft being linked to drive the shaft of the air delivery assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Rodney H. Volk, Herman H. Viegas
  • Patent number: 4736597
    Abstract: A transport refrigeration system suitable for narrow post highway trailers in which the refrigeration system intrudes into the trailer cargo space only to the extent necessary to direct trailer air into an evaporator. The evaporator is completely serviceable external to the trailer, with its inlet surface being substantially co-planar with the inside surface of the front wall of the trailer. An air delivery unit is manufactured as an integral assembly and mounted in a main support frame of the transport refrigeration system without requiring further adjustment. Mounting of the air delivery unit completes a plenum chamber for the evaporator, placing an axially narrow blower into an air flow path in which the blower draws trailer air through the evaporator and forces conditioned air back into the trailer. Mounting of the air delivery unit also places a fan into an air flow path in which outside air is directed upwardly through a condenser, and laterally through an engine radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: 4551986
    Abstract: The transport refrigeration unit (FIG. 5) includes a generally planar main frame 20, 22, 24 which supports a base frame 34 for carrying the compressor 54 and engine 56, and with an evaporator plenum 58 and a condenser plenum 60 in side-by-side, but spaced apart relation to provide a channel 62 therebetween. A heavy intermediate upper support member including wall 44 supports a bearing and support housing 68 which carries the shaft upon which is mounted, in cantilevered relation, both the evaporator blower 72 and the condenser blower 74. The plate fins 66 of the condenser are in planes parallel to the plane of the main frame with the air for the condenser entering the condenser plenum 60 from the side, rather than the front. With the arrangement as shown, all of the shafts carrying pulleys for the drive train to the blowers are parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: 4182134
    Abstract: A component and structural arrangement of a transport refrigeration unit for the front wall of a trailer and which utilizes a generally planar frame attached to the front wall to provide a support arrangement in which the load of the components is transferred back to the planar frame, and which includes an airflow plenum through which trailer air is passed for conditioning which is disposed relative to the plane of the frame with a material part of the front-to-rear depth of the plenum being forwardly of the plane to significantly reduce the projection of the plenum into the trailer cargo space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1980
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Herman H. Viegas, Bruce D. Johnson, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: 4134275
    Abstract: An air conditioning unit having a housing providing support structure for supporting the unit on a relatively thin sheet metal roof of a bus or the like. The housing includes two opposed upright side panels which provide the support for the air conditioning components housed therein and which also in turn are supported on the bus roof, generally adjacent the sidewalls of the bus to utilize the greater load bearing capability of the roof in this vicinity. The housing is separated into an evaporator compartment and a condenser compartment by an internal bulkhead extending between and supported by the side panels. The unit includes a single condenser fan motor and a single evaporator fan motor which are each cantilevered from the bulkhead in their respective compartments to generally counterbalance one another while transferring their weight through the bulkhead to the sidewalls of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1979
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Erickson, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D250661
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1978
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Ronald W. Seipp, William A. Forsty, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D258233
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: David H. Taylor, Herman H. Viegas, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D258234
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, William F. Arendt, Clarence F. Graser, Herman H. Viegas, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D266870
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Peter B. Allard, William F. Arendt, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D287619
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Peter B. Allard, Lowell M. Anderson, Rodney H. Volk
  • Patent number: D309345
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 17, 1990
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Ambrose Tao, Rodney H. Volk, Peter B. Allard, Clarence F. Graser
  • Patent number: D343894
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 1, 1994
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Lowell M. Anderson, Rodney H. Volk, Gary L. Zebell, Peter B. Allard