Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8024161 | Method and system for model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks A method and system for optimal model-based multivariable balancing for distributed hydronic networks based on global differential pressure/flow rate information. A simplified mathematical model of a hydronic system can be determined utilizing an analogy between hyd... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7140551 | HVAC controller An HVAC controller with a simplified and/or lower cost user interface. In one illustrative embodiment, the HVAC controller includes two switches, a movable member, and a plurality of detents. The detents are configured to cause the two switches to be switched in a s... | 11/28/2006 |
| D531526 | Thermostat housing | 11/07/2006 |
| 7123020 | System and method of fault detection in a warm air furnace A fault detection system and method for a warm air furnace is provided. A sensing circuit connected to an AC power source measures a level of current consumption during several points in the warm air furnace operating sequence. The measured level of current consumpt... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7114554 | Controller interface with multiple day programming A controller equipped with a user interface having multiple-day programming capabilities, including methods of programming such devices, are disclosed. The user interface may include one or more menus or screens that can be used to program a schedule for one or more... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7106020 | Method of operating a brushless DC motor Methods and devices for brushless DC motor operation. An example method may include using previously sensed Hall effect sensor transitions to predict a future Hall effect transition, and dividing a time between a most recent Hall effect sensor transition and the pre... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7089958 | Damper vane A damper unit for an air circulation system. The damper unit includes a frame defining an air flow opening, a damper vane for opening and closing the air flow opening, and a drive mechanism for turning the damper vane between the open and closed positions. The vane ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7090713 | Deep filter element suitable for replacing a shallow filter element and having a support frame made from thin stock A deep format filter element has a peripheral frame with outwardly protruding mounting flanges. The mounting flanges simulate the periphery of a shallow format filter element to allow the deep format filter element to replace the shallow format filter element in man... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7083109 | Thermostat having modulated and non-modulated provisions A thermostat providing modulated or analog control of valves or dampers of an air management system. This permits operating a single cooling or heating stage with partially open valves or dampers as needed, since one full stage that is either fully on or off may not... | 08/01/2006 |
| D525541 | Thermostat housing | 07/25/2006 |
| 7074054 | SMT terminal block Terminal blocks adapted for placement on a printed circuit board using SMT techniques are disclosed herein. A terminal block in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can include a main body, a terminal block header including a number of... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7076373 | Leak detection system for a water heater A method for determining the presence of a leak in a water heater unit comprising a storage tank is presented. The present invention involves mounting one heating sensor on the lower half of the tank and another heating sensor on the upper half of the tank. Readings... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7073524 | Fail safe drive for control of multiple solenoid coils A fail-safe apparatus for controlling fluid flow through a series arrangement of first and second solenoid-controlled valves is provided. The fail-safe apparatus includes fail-safe circuitry for controlling the operation of the first and second solenoid-controlled v... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7066452 | Humidifier with reverse osmosis filter A filtering system for use with a reservoir. The filter system includes a filter assembly capable of filtering particles sized 1.0 micrometers and larger and may, include a flow control device positioned to selectively provide fluid flow to the filter assembly. The ... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7055759 | PDA configuration of thermostats A device and method that may be used at nearly any place to set and adjust a control system such as a thermostat, controller or computer having numerous parameters and options that may be selected for desired operation of an air management system. One may remotely, ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7044397 | Fresh air ventilation control methods and systems Methods and systems are disclosed for meeting a fresh air ventilation threshold in a controlled space. In particular, and in some embodiments, a minimum ventilation threshold is met by using normal air handler fan cycles to minimize the energy cost of supplying the ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7044627 | Display retainer and backlight Backlighting devices and methods for supporting and illuminating a display panel are disclosed. A display retainer and backlight device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention may comprise one or more light pipes operatively coupled to... | 05/16/2006 |
| D520885 | Thermostat housing | 05/16/2006 |
| 7045916 | Electronic fuel selection switch system Devices and methods for providing a switch for selecting which of a number of fuel valves receives power. The switch preferably provides a delay between the powering down of a first fuel valve and the powering up of a second fuel valve. Also included are systems and... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7026898 | Magnetic actuation of a switching device A control device including a switch with a ferromagnetic armature moving between a first position and a second position. The armature actuates a plunger that causes the switch to snap from an open position to a closed position. An energy-storing member may be positi... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7026727 | Power supply with multiple transformer current sharing Devices and methods for using multiple transformers to provide a power supply to a device or system. Included are systems for using multiple transformers and multiple fuses or circuit breakers to provide a power supply. In one embodiment two transformers and two fus... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7025672 | Bi-directional connections for daisy-chained dampers A damper unit for an air circulation system. The damper unit includes an air flow opening, a damper vane for opening and closing the air flow opening, and a motor for moving the damper vane between the open and closed positions. The damper also includes at least two... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7021072 | Current control loop for actuator and method Systems and methods for providing a current control loop for an actuator. A typical system includes a current command controller setting a command current, the current command controller being coupled to a drive circuit used to drive the actuator and a sampling modu... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7012927 | High level message priority assignment by a plurality of message-sending nodes sharing a signal bus A system has a plurality of nodes communicating with each other on a serial data path using dominant and recessive signal levels. A dominant signal level sent on the data path by any of the nodes creates a dominant signal level on the data path irrespective of the n... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7009829 | System, apparatus, and method for controlling lamp operation when subject to thermal cycling A system, apparatus, and method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps. A monitor circuit is provided to monitor for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism. Such monitoring may include monitoring of the ballast's t... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6995518 | System, apparatus, and method for driving light emitting diodes in low voltage circuits A system, apparatus, and method for allowing LED operation in circuits operating with power supply levels that are below the forward voltage limits of the LED. A first level of a modulated voltage signal is applied to charge a voltage increasing component in a first... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6979965 | Spring return actuator for a damper An actuator including an electric motor driven by a drive circuit powered by a power source, and a load coupled to the electric motor. The actuator further includes a spring biasing the load to a first position, and a microcontroller coupled to the electric motor to... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6959876 | Method and apparatus for safety switch A circuit in accordance with the invention includes a safety switch device coupled with, and between, a thermally activated voltage source and a primary switch. The circuit also includes a safety switch control circuit coupled with the safety switch device and a con... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6954044 | Electric motor with speed control An actuator is provided having an electric motor that generates a back emf. The actuator also includes a control system for controlling the speed of the electric motor. The control system includes a controller and circuitry for allowing the controller to sample the ... | 10/11/2005 |
| D509151 | Thermostat housing | 09/06/2005 |
| 6923204 | Diaphragm-operated fluid flow control valve providing a plurality of flow levels A fluid flow control valve uses a servo valve to control the pressure in a main diaphragm chamber defined by a main diaphragm. The main diaphragm carries a main valve element that assumes either a low flow or a high flow position relative to a valve seat depending o... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6914532 | Method and apparatus for alarm verification in a ventilation system Method and apparatus for testing the operation of an alarm for a ventilated enclosure, such as a fume hood or bio-safety cabinet. Flow of gas being exhausted from the enclosure may be adjusted to a known value below or above a threshold value at which the alarm prov... | 07/05/2005 |
| D506687 | Thermostat housing | 06/28/2005 |
| D506689 | Thermostat | 06/28/2005 |
| 6910496 | Gas conversion assembly A gas conversion assembly generally has a gas inlet and a gas outlet. The assembly includes a control mechanism for regulating the flow of gas from the inlet to the outlet. The control mechanism is constructed and arranged to adjust from regulating the flow of a fir... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6881055 | Temperature controlled burner apparatus A system for controlling temperature in an enclosure operates in a low heat or a high heat mode with flame always present. The presently intended use is for providing a cooking grill with a controlled temperature cooking space. An electrically controlled valve havin... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6877462 | Sensorless flammable vapor protection and method A water heater control system that prevents the accumulation and accidental ignition of dangerous quantities of unwanted flammable vapors. The system intermittently generates a spark at a predetermined interval such that if unwanted flammable vapors are present, the... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6874693 | Method and apparatus for controlling a multi-source heating system The present invention is directed at methods and apparatus for controlling multi-source heating systems. The multi-source heating systems of the present invention may include two or more heat sources such as a heat pump, a furnace, an electric heating strip, or any ... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6875250 | Deep filter element suitable for replacing a shallow filter element and having a support frame made from thin stock A deep format filter element has a peripheral frame with outwardly protruding mounting flanges. The mounting flanges simulate the periphery of a shallow format filter element to allow the deep format filter element to replace the shallow format filter element in man... | 04/05/2005 |
