Mercury Plastics, Inc.

Masco Corporation

Delta Faucet Company

Masco Corporation of Indiana

Earl Christian, Jr

Scott Raymond Gardner

William Blue

William Shane Hochstetler

William W Rowley

Donald Currey

Richard F Seman

Robert Yunk

Kurt Judson Thomas

Derek Allen Brown

Brian Alan Enlow

Timothy J Sailors

Grandin Rushlander

DeWayne A Davis

Matthew Lee Kemp

Brock Elsea

Robert E Yunk, Jr

Dewayne Davis

Examples herein relate generally to reservoirs for use in water distribution systems within an appliance. The reservoir herein allows for the combination of various components prepared by separate manufacturing processes and for reducing waste of those manufacturing components. Specifically, the reservoir herein provides a daisy-chain structure for forming a ganged reservoir system.

Ganged reservoir system

Examples herein relate generally to reservoirs for use in water distribution systems within an appliance. The reservoir herein allows for the combination of various components prepared by separate manufacturing processes and for reducing waste of those manufacturing components. Specifically, the reservoir herein provides a stopper separable from and for use with a container and a cap.

Reservoir with stopper

An apparatus and process by which a leak-proof connection with a polymeric tube is described herein. Particular embodiments of the present invention include a leak-proof connection fitting inserted into a bore of a overmolded attachment piece wherein the overmolded attachment piece is overmolded onto the polymeric tube. The leak-proof connection fitting includes multiple surfaces in various configurations. The multiple surfaces include barb(s), raised surface(s), reduced surface(s), and channel(s). O-rings may be further added to the leak-proof connection fitting. In some embodiments, the overmolded attachment piece or the tube itself is secured to the fitting by shape memory.

Leak-proof connection fitting

A quick-connect fitting includes a polymeric first connector in fluid communication with a first component, and a polymeric second connector in fluid communication with a second component. The first connector is either a male fitting or a female fitting, and the other of the male fitting and female fitting is the second connector. The female fitting includes a longitudinal cylindrical cavity having therein a retaining ring retaining an o-ring, and the male fitting includes a cylindrical body and a tubular sealing element extending longitudinally therefrom positionable within the polymeric female fitting and o-ring in sealing engagement. The quick connect fitting includes a clip pivotably connected to the second connector moving between a first position connecting the female fitting to the male fitting when the male fitting is positioned within the female fitting and a second position in which the male fitting is removable from the female fitting.

Quick-connect tube coupling

A process for providing an overmolded waterway comprising inserting a shaft portion of a sacrificial core into an end of a tube, the shaft portion having a first opening therein, the sacrificial core having a second portion comprising a second opening and a contact surface about the second opening, the second opening in fluid communication with the first opening and the inside of the tube, in a mold cavity inserting a core pin transverse to the tube end, the sacrificial core contact surface engaging a mating surface of the core pin closing the second opening, injection overmolding over a portion of the tube end and core pin forming an overmolded waterway having an outlet portion in fluid communication with the second opening and the inside of the tube, and removing the core pin from the second opening through the outlet portion and removing the overmolded waterway from the mold cavity.

Method of making an overmolded waterway connection

A nut and ferrule assembly including a nut having an internal-threaded bore along a nut axis and a nut sealing surface, the threads of the internal-threaded bore having a nut thread pitch and a nut thread minor diameter, a ferrule having an annular body forming an axial bore and a ferrule sealing surface, the ferrule sealing surface corresponding to the nut sealing surface, the ferrule further having a protrusion extending outwardly from the body around at least a portion of the body, the outside diameter of the protrusion being greater than the nut thread minor diameter, and the ferrule positioned within the internal-threaded bore.

Tube connection nut and ferrule assembly

A molded waterway assembly for a centerset faucet including a hot water inlet tube, a cold water inlet tube, and a central body of a coupler overmolded within hot and cold water bodies of the coupler.

Centerset faucet body and method of making same

A process for making a reservoir including steps of positioning a hollow extrudate at an elevated temperature in a mold cavity, inserting a fitting into an end of the extrudate, sealing an outer surface of the fitting with an interior surface of the extrudate using latent heat within the extrudate, and forming at least a portion of the extrudate against the mold cavity forming a reservoir with the fitting sealed into the reservoir.

Method for making a reservoir

The invention described herein relates to method by which a leak-proof connection may be made to a refrigeration device using shape memory characteristics of crosslinking and overmolding to affect the leak-proof connection.

Barbed metal insert overmolding using crosslinked polymers

A flow regulated quick-connect fitting has a polymeric first connector and a polymeric second connector, the first connector being either a male fitting or a female fitting, and the other of the male fitting or the female fitting being the second connector. The female fitting has a longitudinal cylindrical cavity therein, and the male fitting has a generally cylindrical body having an end opening. The cylindrical body of the male fitting is positionable within the cylindrical cavity of the female fitting forming the connection. A clip is pivotably connected to the second connector moving between a first position connecting the female fitting to the male fitting when the male fitting is positioned within the female fitting and a second position in which the male fitting is removable from the female fitting. A replaceable flow regulator in the male fitting end opening regulates flow through the quick-connect fitting.

The invention described herein relates to a method by which a reservoir having desired end connection profiles may be made using shape memory characteristics of crosslinking to compressively seal the connection profiles into the reservoir.

A process is described which uses overmolding to create an all plastic waterway within a faucet leading up to an inlet port for a spout. The waterway connector has at least two arms and a central connector and wherein the process includes the steps of: at least partially inserting one end of a tube into a first split mold; inserting at least two pins at least partially into the mold, a first pin inserted into the at least one end of the tube and a second pin inserted essentially normal to the direction of insertion of the first pin; injection overmolding a first geometry onto the one end of said tube and forming a profile for fluid transfer with the second pin and associated mold surfaces, the profile having a terminal lip; at least partially inserting two of the profiles with terminal lips into a second split mold, each of the profiles being a mirror image of the other, onto a core having a mating profile for each lip, the mating profile on said core comprising opposing grooves; and injection overmolding a second geometry about the lips to form a leak-proof upwardly extending connector. The process optionally contains the step of crosslinking the waterway connector.

Growing community of inventors

Warren, OH, United States of America

Earl Christian, Jr