IP Library Granted Patent US 11,565,575
Granted Patent B2
US 11,565,575 · App. 16/917,351 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Air management system for climate control unit of a transport climate control system

Inventors: David J. Renken (Prior Lake, MN); Tony Spetz (Afton, MN)
Assignee: Thermo King LLC
B60H1/3225B60H1/00664B60H1/00828B60H1/00835B60H1/3227B60H2001/3277B60H2001/3282
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,565,575
App. No.
16/917,351
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Technologies are provided for preventing a working fluid leak from pooling and thus diluting any leaked working fluid from air within a condenser and/or evaporator compartment of the CCU. This can include a computer-readable medium that stores executable instructions that, upon execution, prevent a working fluid leak from pooling within a climate-control unit (CCU) of a transport climate control system. This also includes detecting fulfillment of activation threshold conditions in connection with the CCU. Also, this includes activating a fan in at least one of a condenser unit and an evaporator unit included in the CCU to dilute leaked working fluid from air within the CCU. Further, this includes detecting fulfillment of de-activation threshold conditions and de-activation of an activated fan.

Claims (28)

1. A computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, upon execution, prevent a working fluid from pooling within a climate-control unit (CCU) of a transport climate control system configured to provide climate control to an internal space of a transport unit by performing functions comprising:

detect fulfillment of a single activation threshold condition from a plurality of activation threshold conditions, wherein one of the plurality of activation threshold conditions is a passage of a predetermined amount of time since a primary power source for the transport unit was turned off;

activate, in response to fulfillment of the single activation threshold condition, at least one of a damper or a blower to stir working fluid from within the CCU;

detect fulfillment of a single de-activation threshold condition from a plurality of de-activation threshold conditions, wherein one of the plurality of de-activation threshold conditions is a passage of a predetermined amount of time since at least one of the damper or the blower was activated; and

de-activate at least the activated damper or blower.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of activation threshold conditions includes passage of a predetermined amount of time since activation of the at least one of the damper or blower in at least one of the condenser unit or the evaporator unit.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined amount of time includes a predetermined number of hours since the damper or the blower in at least one of the condenser unit or the evaporator unit has been previously activated.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined amount of time includes a predetermined number of hours since the primary power source for the transport unit was turned off.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the working fluid includes A2L.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the function to activate at least one of the damper or the blower includes at least one of activating the damper to open to exhaust air within either of a condenser unit or evaporation unit or activating the blower to circulate air.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the function to de-activate at least one of the damper or the blower includes at least one of closing the damper or de-activating the blower.

8. A controller having a corresponding computer-readable medium that stores executable instructions that, upon execution, cause a working fluid to be diluted from air within a climate-control unit (CCU) of a transport unit, the controller having components comprising:

an activation detector to detect fulfillment of a single activation threshold condition from a plurality of activation threshold conditions, wherein one of the plurality of activation threshold conditions is a passage of a predetermined amount of time since a primary power source for the transport unit was turned off;

an air controller to:

activate, in response to fulfillment of the single activation threshold condition, at least at least one of a damper or a blower to circulate working fluid from the air in at least one of the condenser unit or the evaporator unit; and

a deactivation detector to:

detect fulfillment of a single de-activation threshold condition from a plurality of de-activation threshold conditions, wherein one of the plurality of de-activation threshold conditions is a passage of a predetermined amount of time since at least one of the damper or the blower was activated, and

deactivate the at least one activated damper or blower.

9. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of activation threshold conditions includes passage of a predetermined amount of time since activation of the at least one of the damper or blower in at least one of the condenser unit or the evaporator unit.

10. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined amount of time includes a predetermined number of hours since the damper or the blower in at least one of the condenser unit or the evaporator unit has been previously activated.

11. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined amount of time includes a predetermined number of hours since the primary power source for the transport unit was turned off.

12. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the working fluid includes A2L.

13. The controller of claim 8 , wherein the air controller is configured to de-activate the at least activated damper or blower by closing the damper or de-activating the blower.

14. A computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, upon execution, prevent a working fluid from pooling within a climate-control unit (CCU) of a transport climate control system configured to provide climate control to an internal space of a transport unit by performing functions comprising:

detect a passage of a predetermined amount of time since at least one of a damper or blower corresponding to the CCU has been activated, which is an activation threshold condition;

activate at least one of the damper or the blower to stir working fluid from within the CCU;

detect a passage of a predetermined amount of time since at least one of the damper or the blower was activated, which is a de-activation threshold condition; and

de-activate at least the activated damper or blower.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 17, 2022
From: THERMO KING CORPORATION
To: THERMO KING LLC
Reel/Frame 061956/0252 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 25, 2022
From: THERMO KING CORPORATION
To: THERMO KING LLC
Reel/Frame 061766/0755 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2020
From: RENKEN, DAVID J.; SPETZ, TONY
To: THERMO KING CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053100/0529 →
Continuity (1)
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