Electrolux Home Products, Inc.

White Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Pepsico, Inc.

Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.v.

Brian Douglas Ripley

Michael Paul Ricklefs

Steven John Joerger

Robin Alan Hultman

Reynaldo Aramis Nadolny

Melissa Michael Reim

Renato H Honfi

Lee Allen Roose

Charles Matthew Fischels

John M Jergens

Daniele Favaro

Emad Jafa

Xuejun Li

Chris H Hill

Brian D Clark

Brian L Ness

Douglas C Norman

Jason Schott

Sean Florian Myers

Victor Jon Fageroos

Brian James Kierzek

Ian Tomas Fitzgerald

Michael Chiugu

William M Monson

Chad Rorabaugh

Joshua Drake

Dean Minar

Bradley Steven Hoogendoorn

Michael D Clapper

Steven Dean Larson

Dale L Barglof

Edward G Luehrmann

James L Boston

A modular vending machine is provided. The modular vending machine can include a central module having a pickup area and one or more product storage cabinets.

Modular vending machine

A mixing laundry dryer vane has a general profile which is scooped or 'saddle' shaped. The mixing dryer vane has two relatively tall end portions and a reduced height central portion. The mixing dryer vane may have an upper surface that extends arcuately from one taller end portion to the other taller end portion. The arcuate shape may define along the length of the vane a relatively deep concavity which defines the reduced height central portion. The mixing dryer vane's taller end portions may be configured and positioned to cause 'wiping' of clothes off and away from an exhaust duct grill within the dryer. The taller end portions of the vane may have a generally propeller-like twist that directs clothes towards the scooped central portion of the vane. The scooped mixing vane in combination with other non-scooped dryer vanes can reduce or eliminate the tendency of harmonic tumbling of a load.

Dryer drum vane and vane set

An electric household appliance () having an outer box casing (), in turn having, on the front face (), an opening () for access to the inside of the appliance; and a door () fixed to the box casing () by a hinge () located close to the peripheral edge () of the opening () and designed to allow the door () to rotate to and from a closed position, in which the body of the door () rests on the front face () of the box casing (), thus closing the opening (); the hinge () of the door () is designed to selectively and alternatively fit to the box casing () firmly, but in easily removable manner, in two distinct positions on opposite sides of the front opening () of said household appliance ().

Electric household appliance

A laundry dryer includes a rotatable drum and an air delivery system. The air delivery system can include a reversible blower that provides air at a first flow rate when operated in a first direction and provides air at a second lower flow rate when operated in an opposite second direction. The drum can be a reversibly rotatable drum that is rotatable in a first and an opposite second direction, and the dryer can include a drive motor that both rotates the drum and operates the blower. Drum and blower reversal may be controlled to optimize drying efficiency and also reduce stress on the drive system. A moisture delivery system can provide moisture (e.g., water mist or steam) into the drum while air is being provided at the lower second flow rate, and during drum rotation (tumbling).

Laundry dryer providing drum rotation reversals and associated altered airflows

A laundry appliance door frame provides an integrated, flame resistant and aesthetic alternative to conventional laundry appliance door frame assemblies, with the benefits of both plastic and metal. The laundry appliance door frame assembly includes a first frame member forming a first peripheral portion of a laundry appliance door about a window pane and a second frame member forming a second peripheral portion of a laundry appliance door about the window pane. The frame members provide a seat to support the window pane on one side and interlocks with reversible hinge and latch components that become part of the frame. Each frame member includes an elongated metal bracket which is at least partially encapsulated within a casing formed of plastic material over-molded onto the metal bracket. The metal brackets form a capture mechanism that provides flame resistant structural support to the side of the window pane opposite the seat.

Laundry appliance over-molded metal porthole door frame

An electronics enclosure and associated components form a self-contained, unitized assembly including control buttons and illuminated indicator elements, that can be mated as a single piece with an outer user interface control panel fascia. A front panel of the electronics enclosure provides a mounting location for various buttons and lighted indicators that will show through mating apertures provided in the control panel fascia. This may include light pipe collars and integral spring levers. Specially configured cup structures may be integrally molded at the ends of the spring levers to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. A mount of planar spring button pieces on the front enclosure panel, over the associated spring levers, results in an assembly incorporating two springs serving to bias the associated button to its return position, and eliminating any rattle or looseness of the parts.

Unitized appliance control panel assembly and components of the assembly

A laundry dryer includes a rotatable drum, an air delivery system selectively operable to provide air into the drum at a first flow rate and a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, and a moisture delivery system operable to provide moisture (e.g., water mist or steam) into the drum while air is being provided at the lower second flow rate, and during drum rotation (tumbling), to thus enhance dispersion of the moisture into the fabrics of the load, and the attendant dewrinkling/refresh benefits. The air delivery system can include a reversible blower that provides air at the first flow rate when operated in a first direction and provides air at the second flow rate when operated in an opposite second direction. The drum can be a reversibly rotatable drum that is rotatable in a first and an opposite second direction, and the dryer can include a drive motor that both rotates the drum and operates the blower. The moisture delivery system can include a nozzle to provide moisture directly into the drum.

Laundry dryer providing moisture application during tumbling and reduced airflow

A dryer has complex angled surfaces and a plurality of grip elements thereon. The angled surfaces have varying angles of inclination relative to a base of the dryer vane and the characteristics of the grip elements vary in relation to the angle of inclination of the surface portions upon which they are disposed. The grip elements may protrude from the vane surfaces and the height of the grip elements may vary in relation to the varying angle of inclination of the surfaces. Taller grip elements may be provided on the less inclined surfaces and shorter grip elements may be provided on the more inclined surfaces.

Dryer drum vane

A push-push appliance door, e.g., for a front-load automatic laundry washer, includes a peripheral frame having a first cut-out configured to receive a push-position indicator member that designates a push-position for opening the door. The frame may include a second cut-out located on an opposite side of the frame from the first cut-out. The door may further include a cut-out filler piece. The first and second cut-outs may be configured to interchangeably and interlockingly receive the indicator member and the cut-out filler piece, to thereby allow the indicator member to be properly positioned in relation to a selection of a hinge/latch location.

Push-position indicator for appliance door

A laundry dryer includes a cylindrical drum shell mounted for rotation on front and rear stationary bulkheads of the dryer. A drive system is configured to rotate the drum in first and second opposite directions. Three rollers are arranged about a lower portion of the drum circumference, on the rear bulkhead, to stably support the rotatable drum during rotation in the first and second directions. The arrangement can also avoid potential flexing and distortion of a cylindrical drum shell of relatively large diameter. In addition, a reversing idler assembly is provided for maintaining proper tension on a drive belt during drum rotation in the two directions. The assembly provides a biased mount for two pulleys on a pair of arms integrally formed with a spring as a single piece, in lieu of separate articulated mounting arms and a separate biasing spring.

Laundry dryer having three roller drum support system and reversing idler assembly

A flow enhancing air grill for a laundry dryer includes a plurality of apertures through which air flows from a rotatable drum to an air duct. The air grill is positioned over the air duct and extends beyond the air duct. In addition, a primary surface of the air grill is positioned in spaced overlying relationship to a front bulkhead surface so as to form a gap between the primary air grill surface and the underlying front bulkhead surface. The air grill may extend arcuately in conformance to the circular shape of an access port of the dryer in which it is positioned, up inclined wall surfaces of the access port. The arrangement reduces airflow obstruction by allowing adequate air flow in the event the portion of the air grill directly overlying the air duct inlet becomes covered by items of the laundry load.

Flow enhancing air duct and grill for laundry dryer

Portion of a laundry appliance

A switch package mounting bracket is provided which securely mounts a switch package to a control console of a domestic appliance. The mounting bracket provides a tripod support which laterally stabilizes the switch package, in addition to preventing inward or outward movement thereof relative to the control console. The switch mounting bracket provides, at one end, a first mounting tab and, at an opposite end, a pair of second mounting tabs. The first mounting tab is generally in-line with the longitudinal center line of the mounting bracket while each of the second mounting tabs are equidistantly spaced outboard of the mounting bracket center line. The second mounting tabs are located inwardly from a terminal edge of the switch package, allowing the overall length of the mounting bracket, and the control console hole necessary to accommodate it, to be reduced. The present invention improves upon known mounting brackets which provide mounting tabs which are relatively outwardly spaced from the ends of the switch package and thereby increase the overall length of the hole required to accommodate the mounting bracket.

Snap-in bracket

The present invention relates to a snap fit end cap for a control console positioned within a domestic appliance, particularly a washing or drying machine. Each of the end caps include mounting pins which extend through and support the control console. A stop surface is provided adjacent the mounting pins to limit the penetration of the pins into the control console and to prevent inward movement of the end cap relative to the control console. Resilient fastening devices are also provided by the end caps. The fastening devices extend through apertures provided by the control console, a shoulder surface of the fastening devices engaging an inner surface of the control console to prevent removal of the fastening device once installed therein as well as to prevent outward movement of the end cap relative to the control console. The distance between the shoulder surface and the stop surface is generally equal to the thickness of the control console, trapping the console therebetween and preventing the end cap from moving relatively towards or away from the control console. The end caps of the present invention eliminate or otherwise greatly reduce the amount of labor and hardware necessary to attach the end caps to the control console of the appliance.

Growing community of inventors

Webster City, IA, United States of America

Brian Douglas Ripley