Air Controller Or Director Patents (Class 62/186)
  • Patent number: 10739066
    Abstract: A control method and control system of a refrigerator with an inverter compressor. The control method includes: calculating the total cooling amount needed by a compartment to be cooled within a unit time; taking the total cooling amount as a first power of the inverter compressor and calculating a first frequency of the inverter compressor operating at the first power; and controlling the inverter compressor to operate at the first frequency. The present invention effectively controls the power consumption amount while satisfying the refrigerator cooling condition by calculating the total cooling amount needed by a refrigerator compartment within a unit time and adjusting the frequency of the inverter compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lisheng Ji, Jianru Liu, Xiaobing Zhu, Feifei Qi, Shufeng Zhang, Caiyun Zhao
  • Patent number: 10731899
    Abstract: A variable refrigerant package air conditioner is shown that is easy to install in new construction with a unique base that causes collected mixture that overflows to drain outside the building. A control system is shown that has motors and compressor that are pulse width modulated so the air conditioner is infinitely variable while maintaining the highest possible power factor. Dehumidification of outside air occurs as it is mixed with inside air. By gradually approaching a temperature set point and even reheating after dehumidification, moisture is removed from the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Friedrich Air Conditioning, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Eicher, George C. Cagle, Eduardo J. Guerrero, Bascom Clayton Cotner
  • Patent number: 10724771
    Abstract: An ejector refrigeration circuit comprises a high pressure ejector circuit comprising in the direction of flow of a circulating refrigerant: a heat rejecting heat exchanger/gas cooler having an inlet side and an outlet side; at least two variable ejectors (6, 7) with different capacities connected in parallel, each of the variable ejectors comprising a primary high pressure input port, a secondary low pressure input port and an output port; wherein the primary high pressure input ports of the at least two variable ejectors are fluidly connected to the outlet side of the heat rejecting heat exchanger/gas cooler; a receiver, having an inlet, a liquid outlet, and a gas outlet, wherein the inlet is fluidly connected to the output ports of the at least two variable ejectors; at least one compressor having an inlet side and an outlet side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sascha Hellmann, Christoph Kren
  • Patent number: 10712030
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes two or more air-conditioning devices A, each of which in turn includes a fan adapted to adjust a volume of air blown out into a space to be air-conditioned, an airflow direction adjuster adapted to adjust an airflow direction of outlet air blown out by the fan, a human detection sensor adapted to detect human presence, an inlet air temperature sensor adapted to detect temperature of inlet air sucked in by the fan, a position setting device used to set an installation location of each of the air-conditioning devices, and a controller, in which a positional relationship with an adjacent air-conditioning device is calculated based on data from the position setting device and furthermore a human detection area overlap with the adjacent air-conditioning device is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Keiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10698457
    Abstract: An Information Handling System (IHS) and method provide for a thermal controller receiving from a temperature sensor a current operating temperature of the at least one functional device. The thermal controller determines a first rate of an air mover based at least in part on the current operating temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and the instantaneous component maximum temperature. The first rate prevents the at least one functional component from exceeding the instantaneous component maximum temperature. The thermal controller determines a second rate of the air mover based at least in part on lifetime average temperature and the long-term average temperature target that is selected for the reliability level. The thermal controller controls the air mover to operate at a higher one of the first and second rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Dominick A. Lovicott, Clinton A. Powell
  • Patent number: 10670317
    Abstract: An ice making apparatus for an appliance includes a housing that has an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended across the interior volume that is configured to retain water. The ice making apparatus also includes a heat pump thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice tray. The heat pump is configured to freeze water in the ice tray and expel heat. A heat transfer device is configured to move heat expelled by the heat pump to an upper portion of the interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 10670324
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance is provided having a fresh food chamber, a convertible chamber, and a freezer chamber. A fan urges a flow of cooled air from an evaporator chamber into a freezer supply duct and a secondary supply duct. A damper housing defines an inlet in fluid communication with the secondary supply duct, a first outlet in fluid communication with the convertible chamber, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fresh food chamber. A rotary damper is mounted within the damper housing and is selectively rotated to block the flow of cooling air or to supply the flow of cooling air to one or both of the convertible chamber and the fresh food chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: John Keith Besore, Brian Michael Schork, Brent Alden Junge, Christopher Edward O'Malley
  • Patent number: 10663197
    Abstract: A variable refrigerant package air conditioner is shown that is easy to install in new construction with a unique base that causes collected mixture that overflows to drain outside the building. A control system is shown that has motors and compressor that are pulse width modulated so the air conditioner is infinitely variable while maintaining the highest possible power factor. Dehumidification of outside air occurs as it is mixed with inside air. By gradually approaching a temperature set point and even reheating after dehumidification, moisture is removed from the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin L. Eicher, George C. Cagle, Eduardo J. Guerrero, Bascom Clayton Cotner
  • Patent number: 10663188
    Abstract: A method for operating a packaged terminal air conditioner includes activating a compressor of the packaged terminal air conditioner such that refrigerant flows through an interior coil of the packaged terminal air conditioner, and, while the compressor is active, periodically cycling a fan of the packaged terminal air conditioner between a low speed active operating state and an inactive operating state. The fan runs at a modulated speed limit of the fan in the low speed active operating state, and the fan is unpowered in the inactive operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Scott Shaffer
  • Patent number: 10629043
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to detect and issue warning signal when an occupant(s) inside a dangerous vehicle. An exemplary system and method may include operations and/or instructions comprising measuring temperature at multiple zones; calculating temperature gradients versus time and space; calculating distances among temperatures and among temperature gradients; analyzing temperatures, temperature gradients, distances and their histories to detecting an occupant(s) inside a vehicle; and giving out warning alarms when an occupant(s) inside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Inventors: Changhai Chen, Daniel Chen, Michael Chen
  • Patent number: 10620016
    Abstract: A sensing apparatus may include a printed circuit board (PCB) having a processing unit, a positioning sensor, an environmental sensor and one or more inductive elements positioned within a region at an edge of the PCB. The one or more inductive elements may be configured to generate electrical energy for the processing unit by passing through a magnetic field. The apparatus may also include a spindle implemented through the PCB, such that the spindle protrudes through a substantially central location relative to one plane of the PCB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dmitry Obukhov, Muthukumar Karuppiah, Khurram Ismail
  • Patent number: 10612980
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a first circuitry to receive a measurement of a first temperature of a section of a computing device during a first loading condition of the computing device, and to receive a measurement of a second temperature of the section of the computing device during a second loading condition of the computing device; and a second circuitry to detect a potential fault in a cooling system to cool the computing device, based at least in part on the first temperature and the second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Janusz P. Jurski, Tozer J. Bandorawalla, Ramkumar Nagappan, Mariusz Oriol, Piotr Sawicki, Robin A. Steinbrecher, Shankar Krishnan
  • Patent number: 10598422
    Abstract: A refrigerator including a housing attached to a rear surface of a door to define a storage space of food, a basket disposed inside the housing, and a fan assembly installed at a top surface part of the housing, wherein the fan assembly supplies cold air from a storage compartment toward the basket, and wherein the fan assembly includes a blowing fan generating a blowing force, and a shroud guiding the flow of cold air passing through the blowing fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yoomin Park, Jihyun Im, Heonjae Jang
  • Patent number: 10562369
    Abstract: A system includes a power source, a sensor to detect data, and a HVAC system having a compressor to compress vapor refrigerant and a fan to blow conditioned air into a cabin of the vehicle, the compressor and the fan both designed to operate using a portion of the power generated by the power source. The system further includes an ECU to predict that the vehicle will accelerate or decelerate based on the data, to decrease power provided to the compressor and increase power provided to the fan when the ECU predicts the acceleration in order to reduce total power provided to the HVAC system and to reduce variance in total noise and vibration generated by the HVAC system, and to increase power to the compressor when the ECU predicts that the vehicle will decelerate in order to increase the total power provided to the HVAC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin M. Geller, Joshua D. Payne, Shannon Alicia Wrobel
  • Patent number: 10495339
    Abstract: A method of providing ventilation for an enclosed space includes detecting, by a controller including one or more processing devices, an operation of a door to the enclosed space in response to receiving a first signal indicative of an electrical characteristic of a motor that operates the door to the enclosed space. The method further includes generating, by the controller responsive to detecting the operation of the door, a control signal configured to operate a ventilation system to exhaust air from within the enclosed space to an environment outside of the enclosed space. The method also includes transmitting the control signal to cause an activation of the ventilation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Tuckernuck Technology, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Jason Wolfson
  • Patent number: 10488083
    Abstract: A variable refrigerant package air conditioner is shown that is easy to install in new construction with a unique base that causes collected mixture that overflows to drain outside the building. A control system is shown that has motors and compressor that are pulse width modulated so the air conditioner is infinitely variable while maintaining the highest possible power factor. Dehumidification of outside air occurs as it is mixed with inside air. By gradually approaching a temperature set point and even reheating after dehumidification, moisture is removed from the room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Inventors: Kevin L. Eicher, George C. Cagle, Eduardo J. Guerrero, Bascom C. Cotner
  • Patent number: 10480849
    Abstract: A cold appliance comprising a cooling module (102) and a cabinet (101) comprising cabinet panels including two opposite pre-foamed side wall panels (1), a pre-foamed rear wall panel (4), a top part (2), and a bottom part (103); and a door (6). The cooling module comprises an air outlet (43) delivering cooled air to a cold compartment (104) of the cabinet, and an air inlet (44) receiving air from the cold compartment. The cold appliance further comprises a rear wall lining (50), which is arranged at the inside of the pre-foamed rear wall panel, and which forms a space between the rear wall lining and the rear wall panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
    Inventors: Anders Selin, Marko Tapio Jokila, Sven Blomberg, Klas Andersson, Bernt Andersson
  • Patent number: 10461381
    Abstract: A battery cooling apparatus includes a case for housing battery cells and a fan device disposed in the case for blowing air through a circulation passage to cool the battery cells. The case includes a discharge passage which makes communication between inside and outside of the case to allow part of the air circulating through the circulation passage to leak to outside the case. The fan device includes a first inflow passage and a second inflow passage. The first inflow passage, which is part of the circulation passage, is provided to allow the air having cooled the battery cells to be sucked into the fan device. The second inflow passage makes communication between the outside of the case and the fan device to allow air outside the case to be sucked into the circulation passage by suction force of the fan device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshimitsu Inoue
  • Patent number: 10434881
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack having a structure in which a plurality of unit cells constitutes a battery module, two or more of the battery modules are vertically arranged from a coolant introduction direction of a coolant inlet port to constitute a pair of battery module groups, a coolant introduction part extending from the coolant inlet port to each battery module group is provided at a middle of a pack case wherein the coolant introduction part is located between respective battery module groups, coolant discharge parts extending from respective battery module groups to coolant outlet ports are provided at an upper and lower part of the pack, and a coolant flow channel defined between the coolant introduction part and the coolant discharge parts is configured such that a coolant, introduced through the coolant introduction part, passes by each unit cell, and is discharged through the respective coolant discharge parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Chae Ho Chung, JiYoung Choi, JaeHun Yang, SangYoon Jeong, WonChan Park, YongSeok Choi, YoungHo Lee
  • Patent number: 10422568
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a partition wall provided between first and second storage chambers and having a partition wall insulator, an evaporator case arranged in the partition wall and communicating with the first and second storage chambers, an evaporator installed inside the evaporator case, a grill cover provided on a rear side of the evaporator case and configured to accommodate a blower fan, and support guides provided in the grill cover and supporting a rear portion of the evaporator, such that an internal storage space of the refrigerator is increased, and a withdrawal distance of a drawer provided in the refrigerator is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Junsoo Han, Younseok Lee, Dongseok Kim
  • Patent number: 10414240
    Abstract: A method for air conditioning an electric or hybrid vehicle includes preconditioning a high voltage accumulator of the electric or hybrid vehicle. The electric or hybrid vehicle has an interior and the high voltage accumulator is air conditioned with an air-conditioning unit having a determined cooling potential. The high voltage accumulator has a current HVS temperature. The interior has a current interior temperature. During the preconditioning, the high voltage accumulator is supercooled in a preconditioning mode with the air-conditioning unit to an HVS temperature that is below an HVS operating temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marc-Thomas Eisele, Christian Kulp, Nicolas Flahaut, Karsten Berg, Martin Knott
  • Patent number: 10403942
    Abstract: A cooling system for cooling a main battery 10 includes a cooling fan 40 and a temperature sensor 61 configured to detect a battery temperature TB. The cooling system performs constant control in which the cooling fan 40 is driven at a constant command value when the battery temperature TB reaches or exceeds a first temperature T0 after startup of the electrically powered vehicle. Additionally, the cooling system detects whether or not a malfunction occurs in the cooling fan 40, based on an actual rpm of the cooling fan 40 obtained during the constant control. The cooling system performs the constant control in a situation in which charging of the main battery 10 is continued for a predetermined period of time or longer after the startup of the vehicle, regardless of whether the battery temperature TB is below the first temperature T0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junta Izumi, Kiyohito Machida, Masakazu Habu, Kiyoe Ochiai
  • Patent number: 10393408
    Abstract: The outdoor heat exchanger includes, on each of the three or more heat exchange sections, a liquid-side header pipe, a gas-side header pipe, and a plurality of heat exchange pipes, the three or more heat exchange sections are connected in parallel to one another, a plurality of the liquid-side header pipes are connected to a liquid-side collecting pipe through an intermediation of a branch section and at least one flow control section, each of the plurality of the liquid-side header pipes includes a perforated pipe, the refrigeration circuit further includes a bypass pipe for connecting a discharge side of the compressor and the liquid-side collecting pipe, and the bypass pipe includes an on-off valve to be closed during cooling and heating, and to be opened during defrosting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10388998
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules, each having a battery cell or a unit module (unit cell) that can be charged and discharged, mounted in a pack case, wherein two or more unit cells constitute one battery module, two or more battery modules are arranged in a length direction of the battery pack to constitute one battery module group, two battery module groups are arranged in a width direction of the battery pack in a state in which the battery module groups are spaced apart from each other such that a coolant discharge part is defined between the battery module groups, a coolant inlet port is independently formed at a region of the pack case corresponding to each of the battery modules located at a position opposite to the coolant discharge part, and a coolant outlet port is formed at a front or a rear of the pack case in the length direction of the battery pack such that coolant introduced through the respective coolant inlet ports cools the unit cells of the respect
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Young Choi, Bum Hyun Lee, Chae Ho Chung, Yong Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 10390465
    Abstract: A knee retainer for a vehicle includes at least one dissipating device configured to dissipate air, which has been tempered by an electronic element of the vehicle and is conducted on to the knee retainer. The at least one dissipating device is configured to dissipate the tempered air in such a manner that the tempered air is conducted past a region of the vehicle to be protected against temperature effects caused by the tempered air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Thomas Bruening, Oliver Mayer, Christoph Stockert, Bernt Wallrabe
  • Patent number: 10380276
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores an analysis model adjustment program. The analysis model adjustment program makes a computer execute the following processes. The computer compares a first attribute value that indicates an operating point of a fan in a first analysis model that represents an apparatus that includes the fan with a second attribute value that indicates an operating point of the fan in a second analysis model that is more simplified than the first analysis model. Next, the computer changes an aperture ratio of the second analysis model according to a result of the comparing the first attribute value with the second attribute value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Furuya, Akihiro Otsuka, Akira Ueda, Atsushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10329081
    Abstract: A laundry treating apparatus is disclosed. The laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet configured to define a receiving space for receiving laundry, the cabinet having an open surface, a door hingedly provided at the cabinet for opening and closing the open surface of the cabinet, a laundry support unit provided in the receiving space for supporting laundry, and a machinery compartment provided in the cabinet for defining a space that is separate from the receiving space, the machinery compartment being provided therein with an air supply unit for dehumidifying or heating air in the receiving space and supplying the dehumidified or heated air into the receiving space. The air supply unit dehumidifies air in a room that communicates with the receiving space in the state in which the door is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Wansik Nam, Donghyun Kim, Jumin Park
  • Patent number: 10288303
    Abstract: A room air conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor units and a controller. Each of the plurality of indoor units includes: an air conditioner main body having a plurality of blow-off openings formed therein; a plurality of flaps rotatably that are disposed in the respective blow-off openings and that can independently change vertical angles of airflows; and a human body sensor that detects whether a person is present below a corresponding one of the plurality of indoor units. When at least one of the human body sensors in the plurality of indoor units detects the absence of a person in a state of selecting the airflow control, the controller causes a corresponding one of the indoor units that detects the absence to perform the temperature evenness control. This room air conditioning system successfully reduces unevenness of room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yaegashi, Shigemitsu Kamata
  • Patent number: 10288310
    Abstract: A ceiling-embedded air conditioner includes: a decorative panel; a turbo fan; a heat exchanger; an air suction path; air blowoff paths; an air suction opening and air blowoff openings that are provided in the decorative panel; corner panels disposed at corner portions between the adjacent air blowoff openings; a human sensor that is provided on a specific corner panel; a wind guide path that flows conditioned air blown from the air blowoff openings; and windbreak ribs that are erected from the specific corner panel to suppress direct strike, on the human sensor, of the conditioned air flowing from the wind guide path to the specific corner panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU GENERAL LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuta Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10234193
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a refrigerator (1) comprising a body (2) wherein foodstuffs and beverages are placed; a protector plate (3) placed into the body (2); at least one drawer (4) that is placed under the protector plate (3), wherein fruits and vegetables are placed; a separator plate (6) that is disposed over the protector plate (3) and that has more than one hole (5) enabling the air delivered to the protector plate (3) to at least partially reach the drawer (4); a shelf (7) that is situated above the protector plate (3) so that there is a distance between the protector plate (6) and the shelf (7); and at least one air blowing opening (122) that is arranged on the body (2) and that enables cold air to be blown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: ARCELIK ANONIM SIRKETI
    Inventors: Nihat Gunduz, Feyzi Alper Soysal, Isil Uslu, Serdar Kocaturk, Samet Akan, Levent Akdag
  • Patent number: 10197457
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a control temperature to control a function of an electronic device by using an atmospheric temperature when controlling a temperature of the electronic device, and for controlling the function of the electronic device according to a control step of the determined control temperature are provided. A method of operating an electronic device includes measuring an atmospheric temperature, determining at least one control temperature corresponding to the measured atmospheric temperature, measuring an internal temperature of the electronic device, and controlling a function in accordance with the measured internal temperature of the electronic device and the determined at least one control temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-Youn Jang, Min-Su Kim, Kun-Tak Kim, Chi-Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 10184708
    Abstract: An ice making apparatus for an appliance includes a housing that has an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended across the interior volume that is configured to retain water. The ice making apparatus also includes a heat pump thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice tray. The heat pump is configured to freeze water in the ice tray and expel heat. A heat transfer device is configured to move heat expelled by the heat pump to an upper portion of the interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 10174987
    Abstract: A refrigerator including a housing mounted at a rear surface of a door to define a storage space of food, a basket disposed inside the housing, a duct extending to the housing from one side of an evaporator to supply cold air generated by the evaporator into the storage space of the housing, and a fan assembly coupled to the duct to allow the cold air to be forcibly supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jihyun Im, Yoomin Park, Jindong Kim
  • Patent number: 10150347
    Abstract: In a vehicular air conditioning device, a heater core is disposed on a circulation passage for cooling water for cooling a motor, and an inverter configured to control an output of the motor by changing a carrier frequency, and heats conditioning air. An air conditioning controller sets a required calorific value of the motor and the inverter according to a vehicle compartment temperature requested by a passenger. A carrier frequency changing unit sets a carrier frequency at which a calorific value of the motor and the inverter is made equal to the required calorific value, out of carrier frequencies capable of implementing a target output of the motor to be set depending on a traveling state of a vehicle. An electric power conversion device converts direct-current power of a battery into alternating-current power at the set carrier frequency, and supplies the alternating-current power to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuo Hirano, Takahiko Miura
  • Patent number: 10145607
    Abstract: A method for operating a refrigeration system in order to perform temperature control of a closed volume is disclosed. The refrigeration system comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator connected in series in a refrigerant flow path. The refrigeration system further comprises one or more fans arranged to cause a flow of air across the evaporator. The compressor is controlled by switching the compressor on or off in accordance with a measured temperature, Tsup, of air which has passed across the evaporator and is being supplied to the closed volume, and in order to achieve a set point temperature, Tset, in the closed volume. During this a compressor switching pattern is determined. Temperature fluctuations inside the closed volume are minimized, and energy is conserved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Maersk Container Industry AS
    Inventors: Lars Mou Jessen, Poul Kim Madsen
  • Patent number: 10076055
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the system includes one or more electrical components associated with turbomachinery, and the one or more electrical components are disposed within two or more interior compartments of an electrical enclosure. The system also includes a cooling system coupled to the electrical enclosure. The cooling system includes one or more air ducts configured to direct a cooling air to each interior compartment of the two or more interior compartments. The cooling system also includes a controller configured to route cooling air to each interior compartment via the one or more air ducts. The controller is configured to independently regulate a thermal environment for each interior compartment of the two or more interior compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Quoc Hoai Nguyen, Nam Tran, Justin Benden
  • Patent number: 10054128
    Abstract: A blower and an air conditioner that can generate airflow simulating that in the natural world are provided. The blower and the air conditioner each include: a fan configured to generate blowing air; a pair of vertical airflow direction vanes separated from each other as a left side and a right side on a front side of the fan, the pair of vertical airflow direction vanes causing the blowing air generated by the fan to be let out upward or downward; and a control section configured to drive the pair of vertical airflow direction vanes separately while varying a rotation frequency of the fan. Such configuration of the blower and the air conditioner enables generation of airflow simulating that in the natural world.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Furuhashi, Takashi Matsumoto, Yuki Ugajin, Miho Ishikawa, Mitsuhiro Shirota
  • Patent number: 10024331
    Abstract: A blower and an air conditioner that can generate airflow simulating that in the natural world are provided. The blower and the air conditioner each include: a fan configured to generate blowing air; a pair of vertical airflow direction vanes separated from each other as a left side and a right side on a front side of the fan, the pair of vertical airflow direction vanes causing the blowing air generated by the fan to be let out upward or downward; and a control section configured to drive the pair of vertical airflow direction vanes separately while varying a rotation frequency of the fan. Such configuration of the blower and the air conditioner enables generation of airflow simulating that in the natural world.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takuya Furuhashi, Takashi Matsumoto, Yuki Ugajin, Miho Ishikawa, Mitsuhiro Shirota
  • Patent number: 9972873
    Abstract: A battery pack including battery cells or unit modules (unit cells), configured to have a structure including a battery module group including one or more battery modules each having the unit cells mounted in a pack case in a state in which the unit cells are uprightly arranged in a width direction of the pack such that the unit cells are spaced apart by a spacing distance for coolant flow, a coolant introduction part continuously defined in a space between a bottom of the pack case and the battery module group, a coolant discharge part defined between a top of the pack case and the battery module group, an electronic member located at one side of the module group, the electronic member being mounted in an inner space defined by the coolant discharge part, and a coolant flow channel defined between the coolant introduction part and the coolant discharge part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Chae Ho Chung, JiYoung Choi, JaeHun Yang, SangYoon Jeong, WonChan Park, YongSeok Choi, YoungHo Lee
  • Patent number: 9958190
    Abstract: A system for maximizing the measured efficiency of an HVAC&R system including two pressure sensors, two temperature sensors, a flow sensor, a power voltage sensor, a power current sensor, and a controller. Each pressure sensor may be adapted to measure different refrigerant pressures and generate respective pressure signals. Each temperature sensor may be adapted to measure different refrigerant temperatures and generate respective temperature signals. The flow sensor may be adapted to measure a refrigerant flow rate and to generate a flow signal. The power voltage sensor may be configured to measure an electrical voltage input and generate a power voltage signal. The power current sensor configured to measure an electrical current input and to generate a power current signal. The controller may be adapted to receive the signals, calculate a measured efficiency, and output a first voltage output signal having a value dependent upon the measured efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Advantek Consulting Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Kenneth West
  • Patent number: 9950588
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a high voltage equipment-accommodation portion, a cooling mechanism, and a discharge passage. The high voltage equipment-accommodation portion is provided behind a seat and includes a high voltage equipment. The cooling mechanism cools the high voltage equipment with cooling air introduced from an outside of the high voltage equipment-accommodation portion and diffuses in the high voltage equipment-accommodation portion the cooling air which has cooled the high voltage equipment. The discharge passage connects a lower end part of the high voltage equipment-accommodation portion and a vicinity of a floor surface in the vehicle interior. The cooling mechanism is configured to discharge the cooling air in the high voltage equipment-accommodation portion downwardly to the vehicle interior via the discharge passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Mitani, Koichi Takahashi, Kazuya Nakano
  • Patent number: 9915459
    Abstract: An ice making apparatus for an appliance includes a housing that has an interior volume and an ice tray horizontally suspended across the interior volume that is configured to retain water. The ice making apparatus also includes a heat pump thermally coupled to a bottom surface of the ice tray. The heat pump is configured to freeze water in the ice tray and expel heat. A heat transfer device is configured to move heat expelled by the heat pump to an upper portion of the interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 9871419
    Abstract: A rotor of a permanent-magnet embedded motor includes a rotor core having magnet insertion holes along a circumferential direction and a magnet inserted into each of the holes, wherein a gap is formed at opposite ends of a hole at a time of inserting the magnet therein, an outer peripheral face of the core is formed by a first curved surface formed from a magnetic pole center to between poles, with a radial distance from a shaft center of the core being largest at the pole center on the peripheral face, and a second curved surface formed from an interpolar portion toward the pole center to intersect with the first curved surface, with the radial distance from the shaft center being smallest in the interpolar portion on the peripheral face, and wherein a length of the first curved surface is larger than a length of the second curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Yabe, Kazuhiko Baba
  • Patent number: 9855822
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning apparatus is provided that can prevent temperature variations of the air after the heat exchange in a radiator to reliably control the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle interior. During the heating operation and the heating and dehumidifying operation, target degree of supercooling SCt when target air-blowing temperature TAO is a predetermined temperature or higher is set to SCt1 that is greater than SCt2 when the target air-blowing temperature TAO is lower than the predetermined temperature. When amount of air Ga supplied from indoor fan 12 is lower than a predetermined value, the target degree of supercooling SCt is corrected, which is set such that the degree of supercooling is lower than target degree of supercooling corrected when the amount of air Ga supplied from the indoor fan 12 is a predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Suzuki, Atsuo Inoue, Hidenori Takei
  • Patent number: 9849752
    Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning apparatus is provided that can prevent temperature variations of the air after the heat exchange in a radiator to reliably control the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle interior. During the heating operation and the heating and dehumidifying operation, target degree of supercooling SCt when target air-blowing temperature TAO is a predetermined temperature or higher is set to SCt1 that is greater than SCt2 when the target air-blowing temperature TAO is lower than the predetermined temperature. When amount of air Ga supplied from indoor fan 12 is lower than a predetermined value, the target degree of supercooling SCt is corrected, which is set such that the degree of supercooling is lower than target degree of supercooling corrected when the amount of air Ga supplied from the indoor fan 12 is a predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SANDEN HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Suzuki, Atsuo Inoue, Hidenori Takei
  • Patent number: 9829235
    Abstract: An ice maker for a refrigerating appliance includes an ice tray having ice-forming compartments. Each ice-forming compartment includes sidewalls and a base defining an internal freezing chamber. The ice maker also includes an air flow diverter having an outer frame and a plurality of internal diverting fins that define tuned duct flutes for receiving a stream of intake air from an air handling system and distributing the stream of intake air through the plurality of tuned duct flutes as streams of cooling air directed toward the ice-forming compartments. The internal diverting fins include a predetermined spacing pattern that individually tunes each of the tuned duct flutes. The predetermined spacing pattern evenly distributes the stream of intake air among the plurality of tuned duct flutes such that each of the plurality of streams of cooling air include substantially equal air flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Jerry M. Visin
  • Patent number: 9823636
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include a first feedback controller, a second feedback controller, and logic. The first feedback controller may be configured to calculate a first intermediate air mover speed based on a measured temperature. The second feedback controller may be configured to calculate a second intermediate air mover speed based on the measured temperature. The logic may be configured to select a maximum of the first intermediate air mover speed and the second intermediate air mover speed as a selected air mover speed and generate a control signal indicative of the selected air mover speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Hasnain Shabbir, Dominick A. Lovicott, Hsiang-Jung Chin
  • Patent number: 9661788
    Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, relating to an air module and control thereof. An air module can include a controller, an air intake module configured to receive first air from a first air source and to receive second air from a second air source, an evaporative cooling module in fluid communication with the air intake module, and a mechanical cooling module in fluid communication with the evaporative cooling module. The controller can be configured to cause the intake module to mix the first air and the second air to form intake air, and selectively cool the intake air to form supply air by at least one of causing the evaporative cooling module to selectively cool the intake air, and causing the mechanical cooling module to selectively cool the intake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: BASELAYER TECHNOLOGY, LLC
    Inventors: William Slessman, Steve Durand, Rose Gilbert, Andreas Zoll
  • Patent number: 9623741
    Abstract: An exhaust structure includes a first exhaust path and a second exhaust path. The first exhaust path includes a box outlet and at least an exhaust duct that includes a duct inlet arranged below a rear seat and configured to open toward a battery A. The second exhaust path is communicated with the box outlet. A deck board is disposed in a luggage room. The second exhaust path includes space defined by a front end portion of the deck board closer to a front of a vehicle and at least a portion of the backrest of the rear seat and a gap defined by a front surface of the front end portion of the deck board and a portion of a back surface of the backrest opposite the front surface. Gas used for cooling down the battery is released from the gap to the luggage room via a duct exhaust conduit, a box exhaust conduit, a first interspace exhaust conduit, and a second interspace exhaust conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Honda, Takashi Suzuki, Hiromi Takase, Makoto Inoue, Fumiaki Matsuura
  • Patent number: 9581351
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes a control device that controls a swing action of flaps of an air conditioning apparatus. The flaps are swung up and down. The control device includes an operation mode determining section, a swing pattern storage area and a control command generator. The operation mode determining section determines at least an air-cooling operation mode and an air-warming operation mode that are operation modes of the air conditioning apparatus. The swing pattern storage area stores a plurality of swing patterns that include information pertaining to the swing action. The control command generator generates a control command of the air conditioning apparatus on the basis of a swing pattern corresponding to the mode determined by the operation mode determining section from among the plurality of swing patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Gen Kumamoto, Satoshi Hashimoto