Whirlpool Corporation

Bruno A Boehringer

Darci Cavali

Kevin Lee Noel

Douglas A Pohl

Daniel J Lesko

Mahalingappa Chudamani Mulimani

Benjamin G Jimenez

Derek Lehman

Abhay Naik

Marcos Heinzle

Antonio Sanchez

E Calvin Pickles

Dakota E Kosek

Amit A Avhale

Yan Zhang

Vijaykumar Sathyamurthi

Taylor Clark

Murilo P Almeida

Chao-Yi Chen

Lihan Xu

Omid Madani

Roberto H Pereira

Navya Mastanaiah

Mrunal Shaldar

Pravan Karan

A water valve system for a refrigerator appliance includes a bracket and a first set of one or more valves. The bracket is configured secure one or more valves to the refrigerator. The bracket has locating and fastening features configured to locate and secure the one or more valves on and to the bracket in a plurality of configurations. The first set of the one or more valves is arranged in a first of the plurality of configurations and engages at least a portion of the locating and fastening features to locate and secure the first set of the one or more valves on and to the bracket.

Refrigerator and corresponding valve system

A refrigerator includes a fresh food compartment and a mullion adjacent the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment defining an exterior and an interior and containing an evaporator. The refrigerator also includes a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with a second end adjacent an opening of the fresh food compartment. The duct has a first portion thereof that extends downwardly from the first end and a second portion extending through the mullion.

Augmented door bin cooling using a dedicated air duct in a dual-evaporator refrigerator configuration

A refrigerating appliance includes an evaporator for providing cooled air to a refrigerating compartment. An air tower defines an air channel for directing the cooled air from the evaporator to the refrigerating compartment. A plurality of air-directing guide vanes is positioned within the air tower and proximate a top of the air channel. The air directing guide vanes direct the cooled air from the air channel to define redirected air that is delivered in a direction toward an upper cool-air slot defined within the air tower. The redirected air from the air-directing guide vanes travels through the upper cool-air slot at substantially the same velocity as the cooled air entering the air-directing guide vanes. The redirected air is directed through the upper cool-air slot and toward at least one upper corner of the refrigerating compartment.

Concealed upstream air tower guide vanes

A refrigeration appliance includes an insulated cabinet having a side wall and a machine compartment positioned adjacent the side wall. An aperture is provided through the first side wall to allow air to flow into the machine compartment. An air vent is provided at the exterior surface of the side wall so as to cover the aperture. The air vent having a first set of louvers. A sound barrier is provided at the interior surface of the side wall at the aperture. The sound barrier has a second set of louvers, where the second set of louvers are positioned with respect to the first set of louvers such that there is no mechanical access to components in the machine compartment through the air vent, and such that sounds from within the machine compartment are dampened while still allowing air to flow through the air vent.

Refrigeration appliance having side air intake vent with sound dampening

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a refrigerated compartment and a machine compartment. A compressor is disposed within the machine compartment and is adapted to compress a refrigerant within a refrigerant line. A micro-channel condenser is positioned in communication with the compressor and adapted to selectively reject heat from the refrigerant into the machine compartment. A condenser fan is positioned within the machine compartment between the condenser and compressor. The fan is adapted to draw heated air through the condenser and also draw fresh air from an area adjacent the machine compartment and beneath the refrigerated compartment. The heated air and fresh air combine to define mixed air that is directed toward the compressor for cooling the compressor.

Heat rejection system for a condenser of a refrigerant loop within an appliance

A dedicated, hermetically sealed ice maker is provided. The ice maker includes a compartment including an ice tray and an ice bin disposed at least partially in the compartment. A dedicated ice maker circuit is disposed at least partially within the compartment and includes a microcompressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporated. The dedicated circuit is used to cool air inside the ice maker compartment for forming ice in the ice tray in the compartment and for preventing melting of formed ice cubes in the ice bin. The ice maker may be used within or outside of a refrigerator. When used within the refrigerator, the ice maker will have its own dedicated hermetically sealed unit, including the plurality of thermally insulated walls. The ice maker may also be connected to a dispenser of a refrigerator for dispensing the formed ice.

Ice maker for french door bottom mount refrigerator

Growing community of inventors

Saint Joseph, MI, United States of America

Bruno A Boehringer