Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8099970 | Refrigerator door opening device and control method thereof A refrigerator including a door opening device to easily open a door and a control method thereof are disclosed. The device opens doors using rotation of a driving motor, returns to an initial state without rotating the driving motor in reverse after opening doors, ... | 01/24/2012 |
| 7874170 | Intelligent lighting supply A method and a control unit (4) for controlling a supply of power to an electrical circuit comprising a switch (3). An output voltage of a first power source (5), which is connected to the circuit, is measured and compared to a predefined thresh... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7617690 | Blood products freezer with event log A freezer for the storage of blood plasma and other blood products includes a user interface device which permits a user to adjust operating parameters of the freezer. The user interface device is operable to display the current status of the freezer. A defrost icon... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7506518 | Refrigeration device and method for detecting refrigerant amount of refrigeration device In a refrigeration device including a refrigeration circuit having a compressor and a receiver, the present invention will improve the ability of a liquid level detection circuit to accurately determine whether or not liquid refrigerant is stored up to a predetermin... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7469547 | Arrangement for detecting the position of a damper blade using a wireless communication sensor A damper assembly includes a damper frame, at least one damper blade, an actuator and a sensor module. The damper blade(s) is/are movably attached to the damper frame to at least partially regulate air flow proximate the damper frame. The actuator is configured to c... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7360370 | Method of verifying proper installation of a zoned HVAC system A method and control is provided wherein the sensors in a plurality of zones are properly associated with the dampers associated for each of the zones after installation. A technician goes to each zone and sends a signal from the sensor, and the control then makes a... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7331163 | Refrigerator with integral vacuum sealer The present invention is a vacuum packaging system that is comprised of a very convenient vacuum pump and canister-sealing device that is an integral component of a refrigerator. The device is comprised of: 1) one or more external vacuum hose input ports or retracta... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7261358 | Windscreen apparatus To provide a windscreen apparatus which can provide a good screening effect from traveling wind from the front of a driver while suppressing the height of the screen. The windscreen apparatus includes a front cowl having a screen mounted to a vehicle body. An upward... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7163048 | Automatic monitoring system for thermal energy storage plants An automatic monitoring system for thermal energy storage (TES) plants wherein a pilot ice tank (11) uses Archimedes' principle to determine the ice inventory level by measuring the resultant force (28) of the algebraic addition of the weight of the ic... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7155924 | Portable air conditioner An apparatus and method for cooling air that utilizes a removable reservoir that may be filled with a consumable beverage or other cooled liquid or solid material. The bottom of the reservoir is made of a thermally conductive material that is placed within an air du... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7152415 | Refrigerated compartment with controller to place refrigeration system in sleep-mode A refrigeration system is employed to cool a refrigerated compartment in a kitchen or restaurant. An electronic refrigeration controller controls various aspects of the refrigerated compartment, including temperature. When a push button is pressed, a “sleep-modeâ€... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7121675 | Low temperature LED lighting system A lighting system for low temperature environments includes a plurality of light emitting diodes attached to a support member mounted within a refrigeration unit or the like for illuminating contents thereof. A reflector is disclosed adjacent to the light emitting d... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7096936 | Refrigerator with quick chill and thaw system A quick chill and thaw system includes an air handler mounted in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator and drawing air from a freezer compartment for rapid chilling of items inside a slide-out pan. The air handler produces convective airflow at temperatures wit... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7093452 | Air conditioner The invention is an air conditioning unit 10 consisting of a housing 11 having at least one air inlet 21 for receiving air to be conditioned and at least one outlet 19 for discharging conditioned air, at least one fan 24 for moving... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7093453 | Refrigerator with cold air circulation A refrigerating appliance has a heat-insulating housing, at least one door, and an interior cooling chamber enclosed by the housing and the door. The chamber is cooled by the circulation of cooling air. A flow channel for the cooling air is mounted at the door. The ... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7076971 | Method and installation for producing, in gaseous form and under high pressure, at least one fluid chosen from oxygen, argon and nitrogen by cryogenic distillation of air A process and apparatus for highly efficient production of industrial gases by the cryogenic distillation of air, wherein a feed stream of compressed air, is supercharged to high pressure, cooled, and mixed with various recycle streams of supercharged air, to regula... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7079967 | Apparatus and method for detecting faults and providing diagnostics in vapor compression cycle equipment An apparatus and method for detecting faults and providing diagnostic information in a refrigeration system comprising a microprocessor, a means for inputting information to the microprocessor, a means for outputting information from the microprocessor, and five sen... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7073345 | Refrigerator having a heatable interior space A refrigeration device has an interior that is surrounded by a thermally insulating housing and provided with a heating device for heating the interior. The housing contains an inner chamber and a thermal insulation layer that surrounds the chamber. The inner chambe... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7031144 | Reversible display apparatus and method for appliances An apparatus and method for displaying interaction or an appliance, such as an incubator, provides a display module having a display face angled relative to the vertical plane. The display face can be angled upwardly or downwardly to face the line of sight of a user... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7021074 | Work vehicle A work vehicle includes a cabin, a driver's seat provided in the cabin, a step disposed downwardly of the cabin for providing access for a driver to the driver's seat and an air conditioner for conditioning air inside the cabin, the air conditioner having an air con... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6981383 | Zone damper fault detection in an HVAC system A zoned HVAC system is provided with a series of dampers. A control for the dampers causes the dampers to each move between open and closed positions while monitoring a system condition. The system condition is selected to be one that should change as the damper mov... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6973793 | Estimating evaporator airflow in vapor compression cycle cooling equipment A method for determining airflow through an evaporator coil in a vapor compression cycle by measuring the moist air conditions entering and leaving the coil, and various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerant of the vapor compression cycle. The mass airflow r... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6964173 | Expansion device with low refrigerant charge monitoring An air conditioning or refrigeration system includes an expansion device that has a plurality of operating positions. When the expansion device is in a fully open position, the expansion device provides an indication to a system controller regarding that position. T... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6952930 | Methods and apparatus for controlling refrigerators A refrigerator includes a refrigeration compartment having an upper region and a lower region, a first evaporator positioned in the upper region, a second evaporator, positioned in the lower region, and a fan disposed between the first and second evaporators. The fa... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6951402 | Refrigeration appliance interior lighting system A refrigeration appliance interior lighting system for sensing the exterior light level and adjusting the light level accordingly within the interior of the home appliance. The refrigeration appliance interior lighting system includes a control unit in electrical co... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6910749 | Device for opening and closing a movable part of a piece of furniture A device for opening and closing a movable furniture part, in particular a drawer, door or shutter includes two trigger and drive units which each have a trigger member controllable by the action of an external force and a drive member coupled to the trigger member ... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6910341 | Temperature control apparatus and method of operating the same A temperature control unit and a method of operating a temperature control unit. The temperature control unit including a refrigeration circuit enclosing a refrigerant and having a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator coil. The method including providing a fir... | 06/28/2005 |
| 6877328 | Compressor operation following sensor failure A compressor is controlled by generating and storing a compressor operation log. In addition, a compressor operation is selected from the compressor operation log in response to a sensor failure. Furthermore, the compressor is modulated according to the selected com... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6840052 | Air conditioning system An air conditioning system cools air within an area. An air conditioner controller defines information based on input data from door and window open status sensors and a return air monitor sensing the dry bulb temperature and the wet bulb temperature or relative hum... | 01/11/2005 |
| 6751966 | Hybrid temperature control system A method of operating a hybrid temperature control system. The method provides an evaporator, which has a discharge line, a supply line, and a evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is in fluid communication with the discharge line and the supply line. The method also... | 06/22/2004 |
| 6745581 | Systems and methods for temperature control in refrigeration systems and heating systems The present invention provides systems and methods for temperature control in refrigeration systems, such as beverage coolers, and heating systems, such as coffee dispensers. In an embodiment of the present invention, a control unit of a refrigeration system in acco... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6729147 | Apparatus and method for controlling operation of compressor in refrigerator An apparatus and a method for controlling operation of a compressor in a refrigerator, which are able to prevent an explosion of refrigerant caused by leakage of the refrigerant by supplying or blocking power source to electric devices in the refrigerator after dete... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6722142 | Refrigerated enclosure A refrigerated enclosure, for example a household refrigerator, having improved appearance and functionality by including a view panel, for example a glass window in a door of the refrigerated enclosure, a door switch, a controller, and an intermittent fan for remov... | 04/20/2004 |
| 6698216 | Method for controlling a refrigeration unit for evaporator maintenance A refrigeration system for cooling a logic module includes an evaporator housing including an evaporator block in thermal communication with the logic module. The evaporator housing includes a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity within the evaporator... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6672085 | Hierarchical control method for a motor vehicle HVAC system A control method for a motor vehicle HVAC system categorizes potentially conflicting override commands for at least one control parameter in order to assign a priority of control. Override commands are categorized as being related to occupant safety, vehi... | 01/06/2004 |
| 6658878 | Multi-compartment type refrigerator and method for controlling the same Disclosed herein is a multi-compartment type refrigerator and method for controlling the same. The refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments. A plurality of evaporators are each positioned in each of the storage compartments, respectively.... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6647734 | Air circulation system of refrigerator The present invention relates to an air circulation system of a refrigerator in a side-by-side refrigerator. The air circulation system ejects a cold air into a refrigerator compartment asymmetrically from right and left side walls to form a vortex thereb... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6606869 | Refrigerator A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator comprises an ultraviolet discharging lamp, for irradiating ultraviolet rays to an air duct inside the refrigerator, and irradiating a visible light to a cold storage compartment of the refrigerator; a light cat... | 08/19/2003 |
| 6546741 | Power-saving apparatus and method for display portion of refrigerator The present invention relates to a power-saving apparatus and method for a display portion of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a power-saving apparatus and method for a display portion of a refrigerator in which brightness of the display portion ... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6481224 | Vacuum fluorescent iconographic display for a low temperature refrigeration unit A vacuum fluorescent iconographic display (10) operable to communicate the operating conditions of a low temperature refrigeration unit (5), with the display (10) using only intuitively recognizable pictorial iconic elements (12), numeric elements (14), a... | 11/19/2002 |
