Comair Rotron Inc.

Rotron, Inc.

Other

Gentherm Automotive Systems (china) Ltd.

Mdr Arcom LLC

W.e.t. Automotive (china) Ltd.

Conair Rotron, Inc.

Fred A Brown

Philip J Bowen

Alan F Grouse

Kenneth Hoffman

Jeffrey E From

Phillip Bowen

Wharton McDaniel

Donald Thompson

Pasquale DeMarco

Francisco Jauregui

Octavio Gorrino

A fan comprising: (a) an impeller, (b) a motor connected to the impeller so that during operation the motor drives the impeller to move a fluid; (c) an instrumentation assembly that includes one or more components for controlling one or more operations of the fan; (d) an interface in communication with the instrumentation assembly; wherein the interface is configured so that one or more programs, one or more signals, or both can be input into the fan after a final assembly of the fan so that the fan can be configured to perform a desired function at the time of installation into a final product, reconfigured for a different purpose than originally programmed, or both.

Externally programmable fan

A method of controlling a fan in a vehicle comprising: measuring a control input signal; measuring a continuous applied voltage to the fan; comparing the continuous applied voltage to a look up table; and activating the fan when the control input signal is open and the continuous applied voltage is greater than a system voltage by about 0.5 volts.

Method of controlling a fan

A motor has a stator, a rotor having a shaft, and a sleeve bearing in contact with the rotor shaft. The sleeve bearing also is fixedly secured to the stator. Additionally, the motor also has a movable support member axially supporting the shaft. The movable support member illustratively is movable relative to the shaft. The rotor center of gravity coincides approximately with the opening in the bearing-shaft interface.

Motor with raised rotor

A magnetizing fixture is provided for connection to an electrical power supply. Electrically conductive elements fit within channels connecting top and bottom surfaces of an electrically conductive core. One end of each electrically conductive element connects to a power supply and the other end to an electrically conductive top. An electrically insulating layer coating the channels and top and bottom surfaces of the electrically conductive core electrically isolates the electrically conductive elements from the electrically conductive core.

Magnetizing fixture with insulated core

An apparatus and a method of manufacture of a DC electric motor operable over a range of voltage by virtue of a DC-DC regulator having an inductance provided by one or more windings on the stator of the motor. A conductor is wound about an interpole of the stator and coupled, as an inductance, to a voltage regulator circuit, allowing operation of the DC motor over a substantial range of input voltage.

Electric motor with integral regulator inductance

A draft inducer is disclosed. The draft inducer includes an impeller having one or more backward curved blades. The impeller is coupled to a motor which is preferably a DC motor. The DC motor resides at the center of the impeller and is housed within the impeller structure. The draft inducer may be mounted on a hot water heater between the hot and cold water pipes such that the impeller spins about a vertical axis.

Draft inducer having a backward curved impeller

A motor has a controller that controls the amount of power drawn by motor drive circuitry as a function of the light conversion panels in the system. To that end, the motor also has an input (operatively coupled with the controller) that is couplable with a set of light conversion panels (the set may range from no panels to a plurality of panels). The controller is configured to 1) determine the total number of light conversion panels in the set and 2) control the amount of power drawn by the drive circuitry as a function of the number of light conversion panels in the set.

Apparatus and method of driving a light powered system

A condensation removal apparatus is disclosed. The condensation removal apparatus is used with a hot water heater wherein the hot water heater produces a fuel exhaust. The fuel exhaust from the hot water heater is provided to a draft inducer through an inlet which includes a thermally conductive plate having a hole through which the fuel exhaust flows. The draft inducer mixes ambient air with the fuel exhaust and reduces the temperature of the mixture as compared to the fuel exhaust. The mixture is directed to an outlet of the draft inducer and through piping into another environment. As the mixture cools, condensation forms within the piping. The condensation drips back down through the draft inducer. The condensation is then directed onto the thermally conductive plate. Since the thermally conductive plate maintains a high temperature, the condensation is turned from a liquid form into a gaseous form and is directed back through the draft inducer to the outlet.

Condensation removal for use with a draft inducer

A fan controller for controlling the rotation of a rotor (with a fan blade) has a current limiting element to control current flow to a capacitive storage apparatus. More specifically, the fan controller has an input for receiving an input voltage, the noted capacitive storage in electrical communication with both rotor circuitry (that controls rotor rotation) and the input, and the noted current limiting element coupled between the input and the capacitive storage. The rotor circuitry is energizable by the input voltage, while, in a similar manner, the capacitive storage is capable of charging by receiving current from the input. The current limiting element at least in part controls current flow from the input to the capacitive storage.

Energy store circuit for controlling rotor rotation

An apparatus and method of starting an electric motor (having a rotor that rotates in a given direction during steady state operation from the at rest position) generates a preliminary signal that causes the rotor to rotate in an opposite direction to that of the given direction. The method and apparatus also begin rotation of the rotor in the given direction after the rotor rotates in the opposite direction.

Apparatus and method for starting an electric motor

A draft inducer system has a voltage reducer capable of converting an input AC voltage to a reduced voltage, and an inducer unit capable of being coupled with the voltage reducer. The voltage reducer includes a reducer housing, a set of prongs extending from the reducer housing, and an output interface capable of delivering the reduced voltage. The set of prongs is capable of plugging into an AC outlet. The inducer unit has a unit housing, an air moving device within the unit housing, and a mixing chamber formed by the unit housing. The mixing chamber has an exhaust input to receive exhaust from a burning fuel, and an ambient air input for receiving ambient air. The ambient air mixes with the exhaust in the mixing chamber to produce mixed air. Accordingly, the mixing chamber also has a mix output capable of directing the mixed air from the mixing chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Coronado, CA, United States of America

Fred A Brown