Refrigeration inventions 02/08

20080047278 - Thermoelectric cooler with inrush current control: Systems and methods for controlling a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) in an optical transceiver. A TEC system includes a processor that interacts with a power supply and a TEC controller to prevent inrush current. The power supply is switched by the processor and turned on only at a particular time. The... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080047279 - Self-cooling package: A self-cooling package comprises a first cavity (10) containing a product to be cooled, a second cavity (20) forming a heat exchanger and containing a coolant liquid suitable for evaporating under the effect of a depression and a third cavity (30) containing an adsorbent (31) suitable for trapping the coolant... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080047283 - Flash tank design and control for heat pumps: A heat pump operable in a heating mode and in a cooling mode includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. A compressor is in fluid communication with each of the first and second heat exchangers and includes a vapor injection port. A third heat exchanger is in... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080047284 - Flash tank design and control for heat pumps: A heat pump system of the type which re-circulates refrigerant through a fluid circuit between a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger includes a compressor coupled to the fluid circuit and a vapor injection system including a vessel fluidly coupled to the first and second heat exchangers and... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080047288 - Indoor unit of air conditioner: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a casing body and a front panel. The casing body includes a blowout opening through which air blown out into a room passes and a first suction opening through which air taken in from the room passes. The front panel opens and... Agent: GlobalIPCounselors, LLP

20080047292 - Flash tank design and control for heat pumps: A method includes operating a compressor with a vapor injection system and selectively supplying vapor to the compressor during compressor operation through actuation of a first control valve. The method further includes closing the first control valve to prevent vapor from entering the compressor for a first predetermined time period... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080047293 - Apparatus for cooling fluids: A cold plate unit includes a coolant system and a fluid system in heat exchange relationship, and a metallic unit. The coolant system has inlet and outlet manifolds and a plurality of coolant lines each including a plurality of loops. The fluid system includes at least one fluid line preferably... Agent: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione Utah Office

20080047294 - Refrigerator: A refrigerator (1) having a temperature switchable compartment (3) whose interior temperature can be switched among more than one alternatives is provided with: a cooling device (17) for producing cold air; a blower (14) for sending out the cold air produced by the cooling device (17) into the temperature switchable... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080047295 - Food refrigerator: The present invention relates to a food refrigerator including a refrigerator compartment for storing therein kimchi, fruit, vegetables, greens, drinking water, wine, beer, etc, and an accessory storage compartment for storing therein a variety of accessories related to the use of the food stored in the refrigerator unit.... Agent: Lucas & Mercanti, LLP

20080047298 - Process and apparatus for generating a pressurized product by low-temperature air fractionation: The process serves for generating a pressurized product by low-temperature air fractionation. Feed air (1) is compressed (2), purified (4), cooled (9) and fed to a distillation column system (12) for nitrogen-oxygen separation (11, 23). A liquid product stream (13) is taken off from the distillation column system (12) for... Agent: Millen, White, Zelano & Branigan, P.C.

20080041069 - Cryostat having separate cooling circuits for cooling the chamber and a sample holder: According to an aspect of the present invention, a cryostat includes two separate cooling means, one for reducing the temperature in a cooling chamber (2) and the other arranged to cool a freezing plate (8). In one embodiment, there may be a single cooling circuit, with e.g. a single reservoir... Agent: Stites & Harbison PLLC

20080041070 - Alcohol infused ice cube apparatus and methods: An ice cube machine that generates ice cubes having an alcohol content of at least 2-5%. The ice cube machine operates at temperatures of no greater than 0° F., and typically at least 0° F. or colder. An ice dispensing system monitors the amount of ice cubes dispensed from the... Agent: Merchant & Gould PC

20080041071 - Heat pump cycle device: A heat pump cycle device includes a compressor for drawing and compressing refrigerant, a first high-pressure heat exchanger located for heating a first fluid circulating in a first fluid circuit using high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a second high-pressure heat exchanger for heating a second fluid circulating in a... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080041072 - Heat pump with accumulator at boost compressor output: A heat pump system is disclosed that utilizes an accumulator fluidly connected between a boost compressor output and a primary compressor input. The accumulator is multifunctional in that it allows the refrigerant from the boost compressor to be cooled with refrigerant from other parts of the system if necessary. The... Agent: Dowell Baker, P.C.

20080041075 - Variable speed, electronically controlled, room air conditioner: An air handling system for cooling and/or heating a room includes a sleep mode. The system includes a fan assembly to transport air from the system into the room. A user interface transmits a sleep mode signal upon activation of the sleep mode by a user. A control unit controls... Agent: Pearne & Gordon LLP

20080041082 - Climate control system for vehicle berths and cabs: A climate control system (10) for a cab/berth of a vehicle, comprises a climate control circuit (12) in which a first refrigerant circulates between at least an energy accumulator (20) in which an accumulator refrigerant is in heat exchange with the first refrigerant, a radiator (22) in the cab/berth to... Agent: Ogilvy Renault LLP

20080041085 - Domestic refrigerating appliance with an evacuatable storage compartment: A domestic refrigerating appliance comprising a heat-insulated inner area, a refrigerating machine using a thermodynamic cycle for refrigerating the inner area, a vacuum pump and a first compartment which is separated from the inner area and which can be evacuated by means of the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump produces... Agent: Bsh Home Appliances Corporation Intellectual Property Department

20080041088 - Refrigerator and airflow passage for ice making compartment of the same: A refrigerator is provided with an airflow passage for an ice making compartment of the refrigerator. In the refrigerator, a main body has an opened side, and a door selectively closes the opened side of the main body. An ice making compartment is formed in the door, the ice making... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080041089 - Ice tray assembly and refrigerator having same: An ice tray assembly for a refrigerator is provided. The ice tray assembly is installed in a door of a refrigerator. The ice tray assembly allows water to be supplied from a water container to an ice tray only when the door is closed. To this end, the ice tray... Agent: Ked & Associates, LLP

20080041091 - Cryogenic fuel tank and use thereof in a motor vehicle: A cryogenic fluid tank comprising an outer envelope (2) and an inner envelope (1), wherein the space between said envelopes is occupied by a multilayered insulation structure (3) wherein the inner envelope (1) is supported on a point of articulation (A) formed by a support structure (6) coupled to the... Agent: Air Liquide Intellectual Property

20080041092 - Multi-channel flat-tube heat exchanger: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of flattened, multi-channel heat exchange tubes of generally J-shape extending between an inlet header and an outlet header. Each heat exchange tube has a base bend that extends horizontally between the vertically extending relatively shorter leg, which is in fluid flow communication with the... Agent: Marjama Muldoon Blasiak & Sullivan LLP

20080041094 - Supercritical pressure regulation of economized refrigeration system by use of an interstage accumulator: Refrigerant is circulated through an economized refrigeration system including a compressor, a gas cooler, a main expansion device, an economizer heat exchanger and an evaporator. After cooling, the refrigerant splits into an economizer flow path and a main flow path. Refrigerant in the economizer flow path is expanded to a... Agent: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds, P.C.

20080041096 - Flooded evaporator: A flooded evaporator is provided which can remove floating mist more exactly resulting in that the refrigerant mist is prevented from being sucked into the compressor, and with which heat transfer between the medium to be cooled and refrigerant liquid is improved. The evaporator is composed such that; a tubular... Agent: Rossi, Kimms & Mcdowell LLP.

20080041095 - Heat exchanger: An evaporator includes a refrigerant inlet header section having a refrigerant inlet at a first end portion thereof and plural heat exchange tubes disposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the refrigerant inlet header section and connected at respective first end portions thereof to the refrigerant inlet header... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080041097 - Refrigerant distribution device: The present invention aims to provide a refrigerant distribution device which eliminates a need for maintaining a certain length of a straight portion at an inflow tube to a distributor, and for adjusting lengths of capillary tubes to send a refrigerant to each flow path of the refrigerant of a... Agent: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

20080034761 - Method, apparatus and composition for making ice: the present invention relates to a method, apparatus and composition for making ice. Water is first filtered to a commercially pratical level of purity and then an additive is mixed with the water until a desired degree of total alkalinity, hardness, and/or turbidity is achieved. Water so processed has been... Agent: Perkins Coie LLP Patent-sea

20080034765 - Refrigeration system: In a refrigeration system, a first non-inverter compressor (2B) backs up one of an inverter compressor (2A) and a second non-inverter compressor (2C) by switching of a third four-way selector valve (3C). The refrigeration system includes: a suction pressure detection section (81) for detecting the suction pressure of the first... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080034768 - Refrigeration control system in combined refrigeration appliances: A refrigeration control system in combined refrigeration appliances of the type comprising: a refrigerating compartment; a freezing compartment; a compressor; an evaporator; a refrigerating compartment fan and a freezing compartment fan; and a control means to activate and deactivate the compressor and both the refrigerating compartment fan and the freezing... Agent: Darby & Darby P.C.

20080034771 - Evaporator pressure regulator control and diagnostics: A method includes cycling an electronic evaporator pressure regulator valve fluidly coupled to a refrigeration circuit to regulate flow through the electronic evaporator pressure regulator valve and sensing a current drawn by the electronic evaporator pressure regulator valve during cycling of the electronic evaporator pressure regulator valve. The method further... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080034774 - Active thermal insulation system utilizing phase change material and a cool air source: An active thermal insulation system is disclosed. The system utilizes a cool air source or ambient air below a threshold temperature in conjunction with a phase change material and/or conventional insulation. In a controlled manner, the cooled air or ambient air facilitates the transition of the phase change material from... Agent: Greenberg Traurig

20080034775 - Air conditioner: An air conditioner may be provided having a housing and a fan provided within the housing. In this regard, the fan may be configured to draw air into the housing and direct the air radially outward. Additionally, a heat exchanger may be provided within the housing. The heat exchanger may... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20080034783 - Compressor: A compressor, such as an air-conditioning compressor for motor vehicles, particularly with a drive which has an adjustable swept volume, for the intake and compression of a refrigerant and a lubricant separator, which separates lubricant from the refrigerant, in particular, in the discharge pressure region of the compressor. The lubricant... Agent: Davidson, Davidson & Kappel, LLC

20080034785 - Regenerative adsorption system: The invention discloses a regenerative adsorption system (50). The system includes at least two reactors (60, 70) capable of operating in an adsorption mode and a desorption mode and two liquid atomisation units (62, 72) respectively in fluid communication with the reactors (60, 70). The liquid atomisation units (62, 72)... Agent: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

20080034789 - Integrated acid gas and sour gas reinjection process: A method for hydrocarbon processing is provided. In one or more embodiments, the method includes splitting a hydrocarbon stream comprising natural gas and acid gas into a first stream and a second stream. Alternatively, the first stream and second stream may be provided from other sources. The first stream is... Agent: Adam P. Brown Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

20080028772 - Defrosting method of drum-type washing machine: A defrosting method of a drum-type washing machine is provided. The defrosting method includes performing a warm water supply operation upon receiving a defrost command from a user; performing a water discharge operation; performing a heating operation if a water level has not yet decreased; and performing an additional water... Agent: Ked & Associates, LLP

20080028776 - Enhanced performance dehumidifier: A dehumidifier includes an air flow path with first, second and third segments in series from upstream to downstream and passing ambient air respectively to an evaporator coil then to a condenser coil and then discharging same. The air flow path has a fourth segment passing ambient air to the... Agent: Michael E. Taken Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall

20080028777 - Novel pairs of working substances for absorption heat pumps, absorption refrigeration machines and heat transformers: A working substance pairing comprising a working substance and an ionic liquid, its use in absorption heat pumps, absorption refrigeration machines and heat transformers and also corresponding apparatuses.... Agent: Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz LLP

20080028783 - Cooling device: A cooling device, in particular for a switchgear cabinet with a housing, in which a refrigeration cycle system is housed, wherein the refrigeration cycle system has vibration-generating elements, namely a compressor and at least one fan. The fan and the compressor are supported in the housing via vibration dampers. For... Agent: Pauley Peterson & Erickson

20080028784 - Indoor unit of an air conditioner: An indoor unit of an air conditioner includes a cross flow fan and an indoor heat exchanger. The cross flow fan generates a flow of air. The heat exchanger has a two row part and a one row part. The one row part has an area that is smaller than... Agent: GlobalIPCounselors, LLP

20080028786 - Absorption cooling system for a motor vehicle: The invention concerns an absorption cooling system for a motor vehicle using water as coolant and an absorbent. Said system comprises a circuit designed to ensure circulation of the coolant, when the engine is stopped, from the evaporator (3) to the absorber (4) passing through the electromagnetic valve (10) through... Agent: Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

20080028788 - Heat exchanger: An evaporator including a heat exchange core of tube groups in plural parallel rows in a front-rear direction, each including plural heat exchange tubes in a left-right direction at a spacing, and a tank at the heat exchange core lower end and having headers in the front-rear direction. The heat... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080028790 - Natural gas liquefaction: A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with producing a liquid stream containing predominantly hydrocarbons heavier than methane is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is partially cooled, expanded to an intermediate pressure, and supplied to a distillation column. The bottom product from this... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto