| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090288435 | Refrigerant Expansion Assembly with Pressure Relief - A refrigerant expansion assembly, and method of operation, for use in a vehicle air conditioning system is disclosed. The assembly has a main body including an orifice inlet port, an orifice outlet port, an orifice channel extending between the orifice inlet and outlet ports and including a fixed orifice, an upstream bypass channel extending from the orifice channel between the orifice inlet port and the fixed orifice and including a valve seat, and a downstream bypass channel extending from the orifice channel between the fixed orifice and the orifice outlet port. A bypass valve flange extends from the main body, forming a bypass chamber connected to the upstream bypass channel and the downstream bypass channel, with the ball valve seat adjacent to the bypass chamber. A check ball mounts in the bypass chamber adjacent to the valve seat, and a spring biases the check ball into the valve seat. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090288436 | Variable Refrigerant Expansion Device with Pressure Relief - A refrigerant expansion assembly, and method of operation, for use in a vehicle air conditioning system is disclosed. An orifice channel connects an orifice inlet port to an orifice outlet port and includes a valve seat. A variable orifice assembly is mounted in the orifice channel and includes a fixed orifice passage extending axially through a variable orifice body having a sealing flange that can seal against a valve seat via an orifice spring. An orifice bypass valve includes a check ball biased against a ball seat by a bypass spring and selectively allows some of the refrigerant to bypass the variable orifice assembly. The refrigerant expansion assembly may also include a burst disk downstream of the variable orifice assembly. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090293521 | HVAC System Control for Improved Vehicle Fuel Economy - A method of operating a HVAC system in a vehicle having an engine that operates in a high efficiency mode and a less efficient mode is disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of: operating a refrigerant compressor to cool a passenger compartment and charge a cold thermal storage apparatus; determining if a cold charge in the storage apparatus has exceeded a threshold; enabling compressor cycling if the cold charge in the storage apparatus has exceeded the threshold; detecting if the engine is operating in the high efficiency mode; determining an amount of HVAC loads on the engine; determining a proximity of the engine operation to a switching point from the high efficiency mode to the less efficient mode; and conducting a HVAC load shed if the HVAC load reduction allows the engine to stay below the switching point and the compressor cycling is enabled. | 12-03-2009 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100087266 | Golf putting practice device and methods of practicing putting thereof - A golf putting practice device/simulator and ball return with no moving parts, and method for a golfer to practice putting a golf ball in which the device is located in close proximity to the golfer and the intended target can be of any normal putting distance allowing one to practice golf putts indoors of greater length than indoor spaces normally allow. The device accomplishes this by detecting the speed and the position of the golf ball as it approaches the device. The device is programmed and configured in such a way to accurately approximate the distance and to display the direction the golf ball would have traveled had the path of the ball not be interrupted by device. The practice device can be configured to account for a coefficient of resistance commonly know as the Stimp of the green in its calculations. The device receives and returns the ball to the user then evaluates the putt data. The results are then displayed on the digital display. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100229586 | Mist Dispersal System for Air Conditioners - An apparatus for increasing the efficiency of air conditioning units, and methods of improving the efficiency of the air cooling function in air conditioners is disclosed by dispersing a water or vapor mist onto the heat transfer coils of a condenser used in an air cooling unit to effectively and efficiently reduce the use of power by the condenser and reduce the time the condenser must run. The apparatus includes fluid lines and a filter, the function of which is to remove particulate matter from the fluid, prevent scale formation, and provide a coating on the surface of certain parts of the condenser. The filter is configured to stop the flow of fluid when the filter can no longer provide these functions. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100261546 | Golf Putter Apparatus With Floating Face Weighted Head - The present invention is directed to a novel golf putter having a novel head, which is made up of a strike plate, a body, and at least one connecting element. The connecting element is positioned with a spacing element so that the strike plate does not make direct contact with the body when the putter is used to strike a golf ball. As such, during the striking of the golf ball with the strike plate of the novel putter, kinetic energy is transferred from the strike plate to the body via the connecting element and the spacing element, and the energy is transferred in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the plane of the face of the strike plate. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100285903 | Apparatus for Measuring the Stimp and Other Characteristics of a Putting Green - An apparatus for measuring the rolling resistance and other characteristics of a golf course putting green is disclosed herein. The present invention can be incorporated into a golf ball housing and used by golfers, greens keepers, and other persons to measure the green speed or stimp, and other characteristics, of a putting green on a golf course. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110080284 | Illuminated Furniture Utilizing Solar or Wind Energy - The present invention is a furniture apparatus that uses an indicator, such as a light, to provide a signal to a user. Power can be provided to the indicator by energy acquisition elements and energy storage elements. The energy acquisition elements and energy storage elements can be combined along with the necessary sensors and switches to allow the user to control the acquisition of energy and whether or not the indicator is activated. For convenience purposes, a carriage housing the energy acquisition elements and energy storage element can be removed from the furniture for acquiring energy in a remote location from the furniture. | 04-07-2011 |