Patents by Inventor Ronald T. Burns

Ronald T. Burns 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: 9873306
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) module for a vehicle includes a base, a cover, and a clamp. The base is configured to define a post protruding from a wall of the base. The cover is configured to define a hole that cooperates with the post to couple the cover to the base to form a housing of the module. The base is further configured to define the clamp which is coupled to the wall by a hinge. The clamp is operable between an open position where the hole can be placed around the post and a closed position where the clamp retains the hole around the post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: MAHLE International GmbH
    Inventors: Ronald T. Burns, Steven R. Fraser, David M. Chatt
  • Publication number: 20160137026
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) module for a vehicle includes a base, a cover, and a clamp. The base is configured to define a post protruding from a wall of the base. The cover is configured to define a hole that cooperates with the post to couple the cover to the base to form a housing of the module. The base is further configured to define the clamp which is coupled to the wall by a hinge. The clamp is operable between an open position where the hole can be placed around the post and a closed position where the clamp retains the hole around the post.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: RONALD T. BURNS, STEVEN R. FRASER, DAVID M. CHATT
  • Patent number: 5399120
    Abstract: A combined mode and temperature control valve for an HVAC housing includes a cylindrical sleeve rotatable within a stationary barrel. Hot or cold air enters lengthwise inlet slots in one side of the barrel located below or above a stationary dividing baffle in the housing. Air entering the barrel can exit to either a heater outlet, defroster outlet, or A/C outlet. The sleeve includes slots and openings which, when rotated continuously through a predetermined increment, open and close the hot and cold inlets in complementary fashion to allow in a full temperature range of hot or cold air, which mixes inside the hollow cylinder. The sleeve opens only one outlet at a time, blocking the other two, over the increment of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald T. Burns, William D. Wright, Gary C. Victor