Individual Flow Controllers And Sensors Patents (Class 62/200)
  • Patent number: 4811568
    Abstract: A sub-cooler for a refrigeration system is located between the condenser and the expansion device for the evaporator. The sub-cooler has a sealed cylindrical housing with a main inlet coupled to the outlet of the condenser. This inlet is connected to a spray bar located along the length of the housing near its top, and spray apertures are distributed along the length of the spray bar to spray the refrigerant into the interior of the sub-cooler housing. The temperature controlled expansion valve supplies a tapped off portion of the refrigerant from the condenser to a distributor located within the housing. Three to six separate cooling coils, having multiple turns, extend from the distributor throughout the interior of the housing. The other ends of the cooling coils are coupled with a collector in the housing, and the outlet from the collector is injected into the main suction line coupled to the inlet of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1989
    Assignee: RAM Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas R. Horan, Kyle E. Hart
  • Patent number: 4754609
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for making, cooling and dispensing carbonated water or beverage wherein the method has the steps of providing a single supply of condensed refrigerant, discretely routing a first portion of the refrigerant to a precooler and precooling the water only to an intermediate moderate temperature of about 40 degrees F. (5 degrees C.) with the first refrigerant portion, carbonating the water before or after precooling, transferring the precooled and carbonated water to a final cooler of the ice bank type and final cooling the carbonated water and syrup to as close to 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C.) as is possible, and discretely routing a second portion of refrigerant to the ice bank. The discrete flow of refrigerant to the precooler and the discrete flow of refrigerant to the ice bank final cooler are each discretely controlled and portioned and routed, with this method and apparatus having extremely high efficiency and making very cold carbonated water reliably and without freeze ups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1988
    Assignee: The Cornelius Company
    Inventor: William J. Black
  • Patent number: 4748831
    Abstract: A refrigeration type plant comprises a rotary, positive displacement machine which as at least one rotor provided with spiral lobes and intervening grooves. The plant further comprises a condenser communicating with an outlet port (60) of the compressor through a high pressure channel (14), an evaporator communicating with an inlet port (58) of the compressor through a low pressure channel (18), a vessel for an intermediate pressure communicating with an intermediate port (38) of the compressor through an intermediate pressure channel (36), the intermediate port (38) being spaced from the inlet port (58) as well as from the outlet port (60), and a pressure reducer for decreasing the high pressure in the condenser to the intermediate pressure in the vessel and to the low pressure in the evaporator, respectively. A selectively adjustable valve (40) is provided for forming a communication between the intermediate channel (36) and the low pressure channel (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Svenska Rotor Maskiner AB
    Inventor: David N. Shaw
  • Patent number: 4738117
    Abstract: An insulating apparatus for individually managing the temperatures of small containers to be delivered or stocked has containers and cooling units. The cooling unit has a rack for placing the container and cooling elements inserted into the containers. The cooling elements are operated by pressing selectively operable pressors of the container side by a remote switch of the cooling unit side. The cooling elements are independent at the respective containers to individually control the temperatures of the containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Colpo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Takasugi
  • Patent number: 4718245
    Abstract: The refrigeration system includes a refrigerant reservoir, a condenser bypass valve of the gas pressure diaphragm type and a diaphragm-type hot gas bypass valve for supplying hot gaseous refrigerant directly from the compressor or refrigerant receiver to the evaporator, bypassing the expansion valve. The bypass valves may be hermetically housed in the refrigerant reservor. The system is useful in a refrigerated gas separation apparatus such as a refrigerated dryer for compressed air, which includes a conditioner in the form of a shell and tube heat exchanger which cools incoming hot moist compressed air and warms outgoing cold dry air. The cooled moist gas is refrigerated by contact with a refrigeration system evaporator, in the form of a finned baffled coil, and the condensed moisture is removed in a moisture separator including a central conical baffle and peripheral longitudinal hooked scraper bars or baffles defining channels for collecting moisture and directing the liquid to a sump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Inventor: Leon R. Van Steenburgh, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4712383
    Abstract: A compartmentalized transport refrigeration system, and method of operating same, in which a host refrigeration unit controls the temperature of the air in a front compartment of a trailer, and a remote evaporator unit controls the temperature of the air in a rear compartment. In order to increase the heating capacity of the remote evaporator, the host's hot gas line is selectively controlled to enable all of the hot gas from the compressor to be directed to the remote evaporator when the host unit is in null. The host unit can only heat when the remote unit is in null. In order to increase the cooling capacity of the remote unit, the host's liquid line in selectively controlled to enable the liquid from the receiver to be all directed to the remote evaporator unit when the host unit is in null.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Leland L. Howland, Jayaram Seshadri
  • Patent number: 4711095
    Abstract: A compartmentalized transport refrigeration system, and method of operating same, in which a host refrigeration unit controls the temperature of the air in a front compartment of a trailer, and a remote evaporator unit controls the temperature of the air in a rear compartment. In order to increase the heating and cooling capacity of the remote evaporator, the host unit is prevented from going into a heating mode in response to predetermined conditions, and more, or all in certain instances, of the discharge gas from the host compressor is made available for the remote evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Assignee: Thermo King Corporation
    Inventors: Leland L. Howland, Jayaram Seshadri
  • Patent number: 4702086
    Abstract: A refrigeration system is disclosed having greatly improved efficiency. The system includes a pre-cooler heat exchanger for sub-cooling the refrigerant hot gas from the compressor before entering the condenser to render the entire evaporator more effective for refrigeration purposes. The heat exchanger for pre-cooling the hot gas has one passage through which the hot gas flows and another passage, in heat exchange relation therewith, which is connected to receive a small flow of liquid refrigerant bled off from the main stream of the liquid refrigerant which refrigerant passes through an expansion valve or capillary tube to vaporize so that the refrigerant hot gas is sub-cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the vaporizing refrigerant. This heat exchanger is located between the compressor and the condenser. The flow of the vaporized refrigerant used for cooling in the heat exchanger is connected to the return flow of vaporized refrigerant flowing from the evaporator to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: Turbo Coils Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Nunn, Sr., John O. Nunn, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4696168
    Abstract: An air conditioning or refrigeration system having a subcooler (18) for subcooling liquid or hot gaseous refrigerant before the refrigerant is supplied to a heat exchanger, such as an evaporator (24) or a condenser (14). The refrigerant subcooler or precooler (18, 18A, 18B) utilized in the method and apparatus of the refrigeration system has an inner cylindrical housing (38, 38A) positioned in concentric relation to an outer cylindrical housing (48, 48A) and forming an annulus (53, 53A) therebetween. A small portion of refrigerant is diverted from the main body of refrigerant at the subcooler (18, 18A) and is passed through an expanison valve (32, 32A) for vaporizing upon entering the subcooler (18, 18A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Roger Rasbach
    Inventors: Donald R. Woods, Helga S. Woods
  • Patent number: 4685306
    Abstract: A compartmentalized transport refrigeration system, and method of operating same, in which a host refrigeration unit controls the temperature of the air in a front compartment of a trailer, and a remote evaporator unit controls the temperature of the air in a rear compartment. In order to increase the heating capacity of the remote evaporator, the host's hot gas line is selectively controlled to enable all of the hot gas from the compressor to be directed to the remote evaporator when the host unit is in null. The host unit can only heat when the remote unit is in null. In order to increase the cooling capacity of the remote unit, the host's liquid line in selectively controlled to enable the liquid from the receiver to be all directed to the remote evaporator unit when the host unit is in null.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Leland L. Howland, Jayaram Seshadri
  • Patent number: 4655050
    Abstract: A circuit for the control of a refrigeration circuit for at least two refrigeration areas such as the carbonated water supply and beverage concentrate chamber of a beverage dispenser. Priority cooling of one area is achieved by use of a combinational logic circuit in conjunction with refrigeration-requirement sensors so that the CO.sub.2 water supply will be cooled first regardless of a requirement for the cooling of the concentrate chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignees: The Coca-Cola Co., Bosch-Siemens Hausgerate GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Aschberger, Karlheinz Farber, Anton Deininger
  • Patent number: 4644756
    Abstract: A multi-room type air-conditioner includes an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units connected thereto and is capable of providing cooling and hearing by change-over of a 4-way valve. A plurality of motorized valves are provided on each liquid line of the outdoor unit, respectively in order to control superheat of low pressure gaseous refrigerant at the use-side heat exchanger outlet of each indoor unit in cooling and also to control sub-cool of high pressure liquid refrigerant at the heat exchanger outlet in heating. The motorized valve is completely closed in cooling mode for the non-operating indoor unit and the motorized valve for the non-operating indoor unit is controlled in the heating mode to have a small opening so that no liquid refrigerant accumulation takes place in the non-operating indoor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Sugimoto, Yoshiyuki Okuzawa, Nobuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4637220
    Abstract: A refrigeration system having two evaporators to function as both an air conditioner and refrigerator of a vehicle is disclosed. The two evaporators are connected parallel with one another, with one of the two evaporators being disposed in the duct portion of the air conditioner and other being disposed in the refrigerator. An electrical expansion valve is serially connected with the inlet side of the air conditioner evaporator for controlling the flow of refrigerant to it. A shutoff valve for controlling the opening and closing of the line, and an expansion device, are serially connected ahead of the inlet side of the refrigerator evaporator. When the shutoff valve is closed, the operation of the electrical expansion valve is controlled by the change in temperature of refrigerant through the air conditioner evaporator; and when the shutoff valve is open, the operation of the expansion valve is controlled by the temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerator evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Riichi Sakano
  • Patent number: 4628700
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling compressor operation in conjunction with sensing the lowest temperature operating evaporator coil, or area serviced thereby, of a commonly-piped cooling system. A thermoelectric sensor voltage output is compared with a set-point voltage by an integrator, the output of which is applied to control the pressure for the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Inventor: Richard H. Alsenz
  • Patent number: 4622828
    Abstract: An air-conditioning and refrigerating system has a single vane-type rotary compressor, a single condenser, an air-conditioning evaporator and a refrigerating evaporator parallel to the air-conditioning evaporator. The compressor has main and auxiliary suction ports connected through air conditioning and refrigerating refrigerant return passages to the air-conditioning evaporator and to the refrigerating evaporator, respectively. The compressor is constructed such that the refrigerating refrigerant returned through the auxiliary suction port into a working chamber is mixed in the working chamber with the air-conditioning refrigerant returned through the main suction port into the working chamber before the refrigerating refrigerant is compressed in the working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1986
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Fujiwara, Eiichi Hasada, Hikaru Sugi
  • Patent number: 4598556
    Abstract: A refrigeration/cooling system including a compressor (12, 14, 16, 18) having an inlet (54) and an outlet (20), a countercurrent condenser (24) connected to the compressor outlet (20) and an countercurrent evaporator (30) connected to the compressor inlet (54). A heat exchanger (36) interconnects the condensor (24) and the evaporator (30). A first throttling valve (34) is interposed between the heat exchanger (36) and the evaporator (30) and a second throttling valve (64) is located in the system downstream of the condenser (24) and upstream of the evaporator (30) for providing an at least partially expanded refrigerant to the heat exchanger (36). A refrigerant return (50) interconnects the heat exchanger (36) and a portion of the compressor (16) for returning the partially expanded refrigerant to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Raghunath G. Mokadam
  • Patent number: 4577468
    Abstract: A refrigeration system is disclosed having greatly improved efficiency. The system includes a pre-cooler heat exchanger for sub-cooling the liquid refrigerant from the condenser to render the entire evaporator more effective for refrigeration purposes. The heat exchanger for pre-cooling the liquid refrigerant has one passage through which the hot liquid refrigerant flows and another passage, in heat exchange relation therewith, which is connected to receive a small flow of liquid refrigerant bled off from the main stream of the liquid refrigerant which refrigerant passes through an expansion valve or capillary tube to vaporize so that the liquid refrigerant is sub-cooled by the latent heat of vaporization of the vaporizing refrigerant. This heat exchanger is located between the condenser and the receiver or between the condenser and the evaporator in systems not having a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Inventors: John O. Nunn, Jr., John O. Nunn, Sr.
  • Patent number: 4565072
    Abstract: An air-conditioning and refrigerating system has a single compressor, a single condenser, an air-conditioning evaporator and a refrigerating evaporator parallel to the air-conditioning evaporator. The compressor has main and auxiliary suction ports connected through air conditioning and refrigerating refrigerant return passages to the air-conditioning evaporator and to the refrigerating evaporator, respectively. The compressor is constructed such that the refrigerating refrigerant returned through the auxiliary suction port into a working chamber is mixed in the working chamber with the air-conditioning refrigerant returned through the main suction port into the working chamber before the refrigerating refrigerant is compressed in the working chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1986
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Fujiwara, Eiichi Hasada, Hikaru Sugi
  • Patent number: 4510767
    Abstract: A cold storage and refrigeration system includes a single refrigerator, a plurality of cold storage and refrigeration units having evaporators, respectively, connected to the refrigerator for passage therethrough of a refrigerant when the refrigerator is in operation, a plurality of temperature sensors installed respectively in the cold storage and refrigeration units for detecting first and second levels of temperature respectively therein, and a control unit responsive to signals supplied from the temperature sensors for controlling the refrigerator in order to energize the latter in response to the detection of the first temperature level by one of the temperature sensors when the refrigerator is de-energized, whereby the refrigerant can flow through the evaporators simultaneously. With this arrangement, the refrigerator can remain de-energized for an increased interval of time during operation of the system, and hence consumes a reduced amount of electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1985
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumiaki Komatsu, Kazuyuki Saegusa, Yu Seshimo, Norio Yamashita
  • Patent number: 4483151
    Abstract: This invention provides a freezer/refrigerator system which has a compressor driven by an engine of a vehicle to equally supply a refrigerant under pressure to a cooler unit and a freezer/refrigerator unit. An electromagnetic valve is disposed in a refrigerant inlet pipe of the cooler unit, while a constant-pressure expansion valve which is opened at a given pressure corresponding to a proper vaporizing temperature of the refrigerant is disposed at the refrigerant inlet pipe of the freezer/refrigerator unit. A control circuit supplies a control signal to the electromagnetic valve which is opened for 1 minute and closed for 15 seconds. The refrigerant is alternately supplied to the cooler unit and the freezer/refrigerator unit upon opening/closing of the constant-pressure expansion valve in accordance with changes in the pressure of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1984
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Fujioka, Takayuki Morita, Kenichi Fujiwara, Kouji Ito
  • Patent number: 4439998
    Abstract: The present refrigeration apparatus includes a single condenser and compressor, two evaporators, and more particularly an electronically controlled valve system that delivers refrigerant to one evaporator in preference to the other, but will cause the valve system to deliver refrigerant to the other evaporator after a predetermined amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1984
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Julius B. Horvay, Luis E. Prada
  • Patent number: 4389855
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dual air-conditioner for cars comprising an electromagnetic valve disposed in a refrigerant passage immediately downstream an outlet of an auxiliary evaporator for controlling the cross-sectional area of the passage, and an internal pressure balancing type expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant passage immediately upstream an inlet of the auxiliary evaporator. The passage cross-sectional area is controlled by the electromagnetic valve to control the pressure prevailing in the refrigerant passage between the expansion valve and electromagnetic valve so that the opening of the expansion valve is varied to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the auxiliary evaporator to thereby control the temperature of blow-off cooled air from the auxiliary evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Ueda, Akira Tezuka, Seiichi Wakairo, Moriyuki Sakuma, Masashi Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 4373353
    Abstract: A refrigerant control, for a room air conditioner, operates to reduce the load on the compressor by throttling the flow of refrigerant to a predetermined number of circuits in the condensor, while allowing the flow of refrigerant to the remaining circuits to be unaffected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1983
    Assignee: Fedders Corporation
    Inventor: Carmen J. Anzalone
  • Patent number: 4316366
    Abstract: A flash subcooler is provided to meter a portion of the refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator to an intermediate heat exchanger to subcool refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator. This diverted refrigerant is flashed to provide subcooling and is then redirected to the compressor as is the flow of refrigerant from the evaporator. Both the refrigeration system and and subassemblies for accomplishing the above are disclosed as well as methods of operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: John D. Manning
  • Patent number: 4287722
    Abstract: A combination heat reclaim and air conditioning coil for use in a refrigeration system having standard compressor means, a compressor discharge header connected to the discharge of the compressor means, first condensing means, a condenser supply line operatively connecting said compressor discharge header to said first condenser means, evaporator means, evaporator supply means for operatively connecting said first condenser means to the evaporator means, and a compressor suction header connecting the evaporator means to the suction of the compressor means for receiving the discharge of the evaporator means, wherein said combined heat reclaim and air conditioning coil is selectively connected to the compressor discharge header for condensing refrigerant gas or to the evaporator supply means for service as an air conditioning coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Inventor: Douglas C. Scott
  • Patent number: 4242880
    Abstract: A refrigerating apparatus having two evaporators which are mounted respectively in the refrigeratory food compartment and the frozen food compartment, and wherein the refrigerant gas flow in the evaporator of the refrigeratory food compartment is controlled by both temperatures of the refrigeratory food compartment and the frozen food compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1981
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Niida
  • Patent number: 4178771
    Abstract: The invention relates to controls for a refrigeration assembly of the type having freezer and utility compartments with the freezer compartment having the greater cold requirement. The compartment evaporators are in parallel fluid flow lines with an electrically operated blocking device such as a PTC resistor being in the utility compartment line. Thermostats in the two compartments control the flow of refrigerant to the two compartments in a manner such that at the beginning and end of a cycle both compartments are supplied with refrigerant fluid while during the middle part of the cycle only the freezer compartment is supplied with refrigerant fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1979
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventor: Bent Karll
  • Patent number: 4083196
    Abstract: The invention relates to a temperature control system for refrigeration unit. In this system a capillary tube extends between the condenser and the evaporator and a chamber upstream from at least a section of the capillary tube contains a PTC resistor. The PTC resistor is supplied with current in response to a thermostatic sensing of a predetermined low temperature in the room or compartment which contains the evaporator. In response thereto the PTC resistor generates enough heat to produce a vapor plug which throttles of stops the flow of refrigerant in the capillary section but not enough heat to cause coking of the refrigerant oil which would permanently plug the capillary tube. The downstream capillary section is so dimensioned that it is permeable to liquid refrigerant but is substantially impermeable to the refrigerant vapor generated in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1978
    Assignee: Danfoss A/S
    Inventor: Bent Karll