Patents by Inventor William Eric SHEPHERD

William Eric SHEPHERD 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: 12516829
    Abstract: An evaporator unit for an air conditioning system (1), the unit comprising an evaporator coil (7), a sensor (12) in to detect the liquid level in a reservoir and a pump for pumping condensate from the housing. At least one UV LED (6,8) is arranged to radiate light onto the evaporator coil (7) and/or the sensor (12). An LED driver (13) supplies electrical power to the LEDs. A single electrical power connection (14) is connectable to a mains power source to supply mains power to the pump; wherein the LED driver (13) is connected to the electrical power connection supplying power to the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2026
    Assignee: CHARLES AUSTEN PUMPS LTD.
    Inventors: William Eric Shepherd, Andrew Green
  • Publication number: 20240060660
    Abstract: An evaporator unit for an air conditioning system (1), the unit comprising an evaporator coil (7), a sensor (12) in to detect the liquid level in a reservoir and a pump for pumping condensate from the housing. At least one UV LED (6,8) is arranged to radiate light onto the evaporator coil (7) and/or the sensor (12). An LED driver (13) supplies electrical power to the LEDs. A single electrical power connection (14) is connectable to a mains power source to supply mains power to the pump; wherein the LED driver (13) is connected to the electrical power connection supplying power to the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: William Eric SHEPHERD, Andrew GREEN
  • Patent number: 11598335
    Abstract: A rotary pump comprising a housing (1) defining an annular chamber with inlet and outlet ports (12;11), a flexible annular diaphragm (3) forming one side of the chamber spaced opposite an annular wall of the housing (1), and a partition (13) extending across the chamber. The diaphragm (3) comprises an outer surface which engages the annular wall of the housing (1), and an inner surface opposite the first surface, wherein the outer surface is configured to be pressed progressively against the opposite wall of the housing (1), by a rotating means, to force fluid around the chamber. The rotary pump also comprises a reinforcement ring (4) surrounding the rotating means, and which comprises an embedded portion (30) embedded in an inner portion of a central region of the diaphragm (3), and a support portion (34) having a radially outwardly facing surface (35) which faces and supports the inner surface of the diaphragm (3) adjacent to the reinforcement ring (4) during operation of the rotary pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Charles Austen Pumps Ltd.
    Inventors: William Eric Shepherd, Robert William Stokes
  • Patent number: 11499551
    Abstract: A rotary pump comprising a housing (1) defining an annular chamber with inlet and outlet ports (12;11) spaced apart around the chamber, a flexible annular diaphragm (3) forming one side of the chamber spaced opposite an annular wall of the housing (1), the diaphragm (3) being sealed at its edges to the housing (1), a partition (13) extending across the chamber from a location between the inlet and outlet ports (12;11) to the diaphragm (3). The diaphragm (3) is configured to be pressed progressively against the opposite wall of the housing (1) to force fluid drawn in at the inlet port (12) on one side of the partition (13) around the chamber and to expel it at the outlet port (11) at the other side of the partition (13). The outer face of the annular diaphragm (3) has a trough (40) at the part of the diaphragm (3) which faces the inlet port (12) and/or at the part of the diaphragm 3 which faces the outlet port (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CHARLES AUSTEN PUMPS LTD.
    Inventors: William Eric Shepherd, Robert William Stokes
  • Publication number: 20200362858
    Abstract: A rotary pump comprising a housing (1) defining an annular chamber with inlet and outlet ports (12;11), a flexible annular diaphragm (3) forming one side of the chamber spaced opposite an annular wall of the housing (1), and a partition (13) extending across the chamber. The diaphragm (3) comprises an outer surface which engages the annular wall of the housing (1), and an inner surface opposite the first surface, wherein the outer surface is configured to be pressed progressively against the opposite wall of the housing (1), by a rotating means, to force fluid around the chamber. The rotary pump also comprises a reinforcement ring (4) surrounding the rotating means, and which comprises an embedded portion (30) embedded in an inner portion of a central region of the diaphragm (3), and a support portion (34) having a radially outwardly facing surface (35) which faces and supports the inner surface of the diaphragm (3) adjacent to the reinforcement ring (4) during operation of the rotary pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Charles Austen Pumps Ltd.
    Inventors: William Eric SHEPHERD, Robert William STOKES
  • Publication number: 20200166028
    Abstract: A rotary pump comprising a housing (1) defining an annular chamber with inlet and outlet ports (12;11) spaced apart around the chamber, a flexible annular diaphragm (3) forming one side of the chamber spaced opposite an annular wall of the housing (1), the diaphragm (3) being sealed at its edges to the housing (1), a partition (13) extending across the chamber from a location between the inlet and outlet ports (12;11) to the diaphragm (3). The diaphragm (3) is configured to be pressed progressively against the opposite wall of the housing (1) to force fluid drawn in at the inlet port (12) on one side of the partition (13) around the chamber and to expel it at the outlet port (11) at the other side of the partition (13). The outer face of the annular diaphragm (3) has a trough (40) at the part of the diaphragm (3) which faces the inlet port (12) and/or at the part of the diaphragm 3 which faces the outlet port (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: William Eric SHEPHERD, Robert William STOKES
  • Patent number: 10371138
    Abstract: A rotary pump in a housing which defines an annular chamber with an inlet and outlet port which are located on either side of a partition which extends across the chamber. A flexible annular diaphragm forms one side of the chamber and faces a wall on the housing which forms the second side of the chamber. The diaphragm is sealed at its innermost and outermost edges to the housing and has legs extending away azimuthally around and integral with the diaphragm. A swashplate is connected to the legs of the diaphragm such that in use, movement of the swashplate causes the diaphragm to press precessively against the wall of the housing to force fluid drawn in at the inlet on one side of the partition around the chamber and to expel the fluid at the outlet at the other side of the partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: CHARLES AUSTEN PUMPS LTD.
    Inventors: James Andrew Golding, William Eric Shepherd
  • Patent number: 10260770
    Abstract: A condensate collection tank (1) for an air conditioning system is provided. The tank (1) comprises a body (20) for storing condensate liquid, a lid (10) releasably connectable to the body (20) to form the tank (1) and a mounting bracket (112) for fixing the lid (10) to a mounting surface. The tank (1) further includes an inlet port (50, 90) for condensate liquid from the air conditioning system, an outlet port (40, 80) for condensate liquid from the tank (1), a sensor (104) for determining whether an amount of condensate liquid in the tank (1) exceeds a threshold value, and a controller for controlling removal of the condensate liquid from the tank (1) via the outlet port (40, 80) when the sensor (104) determines that the threshold value has been exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: CHARLES AUSTEN PUMPS LIMITED
    Inventors: Jon Constable, William Eric Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20170363317
    Abstract: A condensate collection tank (1) for an air conditioning system is provided. The tank (1) comprises a body (20) for storing condensate liquid, a lid (10) releasably connectable to the body (20) to form the tank (1) and a mounting bracket (112) for fixing the lid (10) to a mounting surface. The tank (1) further includes an inlet port (50, 90) for condensate liquid from the air conditioning system, an outlet port (40, 80) for condensate liquid from the tank (1), a sensor (104) for determining whether an amount of condensate liquid in the tank (1) exceeds a threshold value, and a controller for controlling removal of the condensate liquid from the tank (1) via the outlet port (40, 80) when the sensor (104) determines that the threshold value has been exceeded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Jon CONSTABLE, William Eric SHEPHERD
  • Publication number: 20170198686
    Abstract: A rotary pump in a housing which defines an annular chamber with an inlet and outlet port which are located on either side of a partition which extends across the chamber. A flexible annular diaphragm forms one side of the chamber and faces a wall on the housing which forms the second side of the chamber. The diaphragm is sealed at its innermost and outermost edges to the housing and has legs extending away azimuthally around and integral with the diaphragm. A swashplate is connected to the legs of the diaphragm such that in use, movement of the swashplate causes the diaphragm to press precessively against the wall of the housing to force fluid drawn in at the inlet on one side of the partition around the chamber and to expel the fluid at the outlet at the other side of the partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: Charles Austen Pumps Ltd.
    Inventors: James Andrew GOLDING, William Eric SHEPHERD