Whirlpool Corporation

David L Benefiel

Alan Joseph Mitchell

Kevin R Leatherwood

Gene A Sparks

Franklin G Katje

Lisa J Culter

David E Elsner

Roger L Merkel

David M Lewis

Louis R Kessler

Phillip C Evans

James A Weinzapfel Jr

An appliance is provided having a panel formed of a magnetizable material and a polyester lamination film adhered to an outer surface of the panel, wherein the polyester lamination film provides a stainless steel appearance to the panel. The polyester lamination film may be a polyester film layer with a backside brushed, a vacuum metallized aluminum layer deposited on the backside of the polyester film layer, and a tinted coating layer provided on a front side of the polyester film layer. The tinted coating layer may be colored to provide a correct color rendition of the metallized aluminum layer as stainless steel, as seen through said polyester lamination film. A strippable film layer may be applied over the polyester lamination film to protect the panel during manufacture. The magnetizable material of the panel may be rolled steel. The panel may have bends in its surface.

Appliance panel with stainless steel look

An active moisture control barrier is provided which comprises a layer of shape memory polymer and a heating arrangement associated with the layer of shape memory polymer. The barrier may be used to provide an active humidity controlled space having an enclosure with walls to separate an interior of the enclosure from an environment surrounding the enclosure. An opening in one of the walls allows communication between the interior of the enclosure with the environment. A layer of shape memory polymer is provided at the opening to isolate the interior of the enclosure from the environment. A control may be provided for the heating arrangement to allow for a heating of the layer to a level as controlled or set by a user. An air passage conduit may extend from the interior of the enclosure through a zone of relatively higher water vapor pressure. The air passage conduit may be formed, at least in part, of shape memory polymer to allow water vapor to migrate from the zone of relatively higher water vapor pressure into the interior of the enclosure thereby adding moisture into the enclosure.

Active moisture control barrier and active humidity controlled space

A shipping package for household appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, compact ice makers and air conditioners for movement by clamp lift trucks. The appliance can be mounted on recycled high density polyethylene skids attached to the bottom of the appliance. The shipping package can include four elongated expanded polystyrene blocks positioned at the corners of the appliance extending vertically from the skids to the top of the appliance. The shipping package can include expanded polystyrene top pads on the top of the appliance and can include a fiberboard top cap covering the top pads and the top the appliance. Shrink wrap film can enclose the top cap, elongated blocks and engage the skids for holding the elongated blocks and top cap securely in position on the appliance.

Appliance shipping package

A system and a method are provided for analyzing a small sample in a test chamber using infrared spectrophotometry. The invention is particularly applicable to analyzing a liquid sample in a test chamber by subjecting the liquid sample to infrared spectrophotometry and analyzing the infrared spectra of the subjected liquid sample. An evaporator is provided to cool the sample to sub-zero temperatures by forcing a refrigerant through the evaporator to cool the sample prior to testing.

Subambient temperature controlled cell for infrared spectroscopic

Growing community of inventors

Oakland City, IN, United States of America

David L Benefiel