Whirlpool Corporation

Jason P Kachorek

David J Gushwa

Everett Sidney Kettle

David John Kmet

Christopher J Woerdehoff

David M Williams

Wayne W Conard

Mark C Schmidt

Jason W Parker

A soft start circuit for a mixer is provided that includes an input for receiving an analog voltage representing a raw target speed; a current mirror for causing a speed target to change at a constant rate when the raw target speed represents a change from a current speed; and a comparator for receiving and comparing the raw target speed and an output from the current mirror and restricting the output from exceeding the raw target speed in order to restrict a soft start to only impede the speed target change when the raw target speed is increasing while not impeding the speed target change when the raw target speed is decreasing. The output of the soft start circuit is an analog representation of a soft start modified desired target speed.

Method and circuit for soft starting a mixer

A blender collar assembly including a plunger moveable between a lower position where a blade assembly is prevented from coupling with a motor, and an upper position where the blade assembly is able to couple with the motor. The plunger includes an arm extending upward and having a u-shaped feature, and a protrusion associated with the u-shaped feature. The assembly further includes a concentric interlock ring rotating responsive to rotation of a blender jar. The interlock ring including a first portion engaging the u-shaped feature preventing the plunger from moving upward, a second gap portion not engaging the u-shaped feature enabling the plunger to move upward and downward within the collar, and a key engaging a protrusion of the blender jar as the plunger moves upward preventing the interlock ring from rotating while the second portion is rotationally aligned with the u-shaped feature.

Blender jar collars and interlocks

A method of determining a voltage and phase across an electric heating element in a laundry treating appliance, such as a clothes dryer.

Laundry treating appliance with voltage detection

Growing community of inventors

St. Joseph, MI, United States of America

Jason P Kachorek