Branched Flow Patents (Class 165/100)
  • Patent number: 4913223
    Abstract: A defrosting apparatus comprises a housing defining therein a frozen food storage space. Within the housing, air is heated and supplied to the storage space through a hot-air entrance passage formed between a side wall of the housing and one of paired shelf receiving members which cooperate to define the storage space. The hot-air entrance passage incorporates a guide plate having a communication aperture provided at a lower end. The guide plate cooperates with the side wall of the housing and one of the shelf receiving members to force the hot air fed from a ventilating fan to flow first downwardly along the hot-air inlet passage. The hot-air flow is then changed in the flow direction upon passing through the communication aperture so as to flow upwardly. In the course of flowing upwardly, the hot air is fed into the storage space successively through a plurality of inlet ports formed in one of the shelf receiving members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Mizuno, Yuji Wakatuki, Nobuya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4802405
    Abstract: An automotive air-conditioner has a motor-driven centrifugal fan and a casing accommodating the fan and having first and second wall portions adjacent to axially opposite open ends of the fan, respectively. A fresh-air inlet and a first recirculated-air inlet are formed in the first wall portion, while a second recirculated-air inlet is formed in the second wall portion to increase flow of recirculated-air sucked into the fan during a recirculation mode of air-conditioner operation. The fresh-air inlet and the first recirculated-air inlet are selectively opened and closed by a servo-actuated damper, while the second recirculated-air inlet is closed and opened by another servo-actuated damper operatively linked to the first-mentioned damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1989
    Assignees: Nippondenso Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ichitani, Masayoshi Imaeda, Yoshimasa Ikeda, Yoji Nishimura, Kiyokazu Seikou
  • Patent number: 4621678
    Abstract: Disclosed is heat exchange apparatus for controlling the temperature of a resin after leaving an extruder and prior to extrusion through a die in an extrusion process, comprising a heat exchanger having an inlet and outlet for an extruded heat-plastified resin and an inlet and an outlet for a heat exchange medium to be circulated in heat exchanging relationship with the extruded resin; a selective heater for receiving the heat exchange medium from the heat exchanger, the heater heating the heat exchange medium to a predetermined temperature during a start-up phase of the heat exchange device; a cooler adapted for receiving a portion of the heat exchange medium from the heater, the cooler including an inlet and an outlet for the heat exchange medium and an inlet and an outlet for a cooling medium to be circulated in heat exchanging relationship with the heat exchange medium; control means interposed between the heater and the cooler for selectively directing a portion of the heat exchange medium to said cooler
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: Cosden Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Granville J. Hahn, Raleigh N. Rutledge, Alonzo H. Searl, Walter E. Sommerman
  • Patent number: 4620588
    Abstract: A three fluid heat exchanger in which first and second fluids are in a normally flowing heat transfer relation, with flow of a third fluid being dependent on a changing condition of one of the first or second fluids. Tubular heat exchanger cores are comprised in a unitary body with one being perpendicular to the other for space conservation and to simplify fluid flow patterns. The described one core is in the path of flow of one of the first or second fluids and provides a flow path for the third fluid. A valve influenced by a changing condition of one of the first and second fluids controls flow of the third fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: United Aircraft Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Pfouts, John E. Wunder, William Nostadt, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4602672
    Abstract: Waste water of above ambient temperature in a commercial laundry is directed through a self-cleaning plate and frame heat exchanger to heat incoming fresh water. Some of the fresh water heated to a first temperature is directed to a cold water storage tank to raise the water therein above ambient temperature which results in substantially lessened downstream requirements for heat input with commensurate cost reductions. The remainder of the fresh water is heated to a higher second temperature and is directed to a hot water storage tank. A system of valves regulates the temperature of the water flowing into each of the hot and cold water storage tanks to maintain a preset temperature in each of the storage tanks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1986
    Assignee: Thermal Engineering of Arizona, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard O. Kaufmann
  • Patent number: 4482009
    Abstract: An automobile air-conditioning system in which a single ventilation unit for supplying the conditioned air to a compartment is divided into two parts, and the air passing through each part is adapted to be controlled respectively. The compartment is divided into at least three air-conditioning zones of the front right, front left and rear seat zones so that a plurality of air outlets may supply air to the respective air-conditioning zones. The air respectively temperature-controlled is selectively supplied to each of the air outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Nishimura, Masami Mori, Yasuhito Kai
  • Patent number: 4440214
    Abstract: A means and method for attaining desired temperature conditions at not only the major extent of the heat transfer surface of a rotary heat transfer roll but also at the edges of the roll. Temperature conditioning fluid is introduced and distributed in part directly into a first end of an annular passage between an inner and an outer roll shell and in part into the annular passage adjacently downstream relative to the first end. Spent conditioning fluid is evacuated from the second end of the passage in part directly from the second end of the annular passage and in part through the inner shell adjacently upstream relative to the second end. While the roll is continuously rotating, the relative temperature conditioning effect of the conditioning fluid is adapted to be selectively controlled in respect to either or both ends of the temperature fluid circulating annular passage in the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: Beloit Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory L. Wedel
  • Patent number: 4304259
    Abstract: The change-over means employs two three-way valves and two non-return valves for affecting a switch over in the sequence of flow through the four flow elements. Each three-way valve is constructed with a closure member which may only close one of the inlets of a pair of inlets of the valve or one of the outlets of a pair of outlets of the valve. The valves are arranged so as to switch the flow from a sequence of A-B-C-D to a sequence of A-C-B-D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1981
    Assignee: Sulzer Brothers Limited
    Inventor: Alfred Brunner
  • Patent number: 3952794
    Abstract: A food service tray which allows selective heating and/or cooling of meal components carried thereby. A base member of a thermally insulating material has a plurality of compartments divided into serially connected flow chambers having inlet and outlet openings. Food receptacles made of a thermally conductive material carry the meal components and are inserted into the compartments. Thermally insulating lids then cover the food receptacles. A refrigerated fluid under pressure may be passed through all or part of the flow chambers to thereby maintain the contents of the food receptacles therein in a chilled condition. A heated fluid under pressure can then be passed through selected flow chambers to thereby rethermalize or heat the contents of the food receptacles in the heated flow chambers to a proper serving temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1976
    Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis Spanoudis
  • Patent number: 3933196
    Abstract: Movable shutting up elements are provided for eliminating the diminishing effect of the wind on cooling equipment erected in open air. The movable openings shutting up elements are adjusted by a control or regulating device according to actual wind conditions, to effect a damming of pressure in the path of the streaming air in front of the heat exchanging surface, enabling the wind energy to be used to aid in increasing the cooling effect. The opening and closing of elements rotatable around a vertical axis may be used to utilize to a greater extent the wind energy in addition to their wind reflecting effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1973
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1976
    Assignee: Transelektro Magyar Villamossagi
    Inventors: Laszlo Heller, Laszlo Forgo, Gyorgy Bergmann, Gyorgy Palfalvi