General Electric Company

Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

John Joseph Roetker

Michael F Finch

Natarajan Venkatakrishnan

John Keith Besore

Jeff Donald Drake

Brian Michael Schork

Eric Kent Watson

Steven Keith Root

Toby Whitaker

Pavan Kumar Madeti

Alexander Boris Leibman

Mark Wayne Wilson

James Quentin Pollett

Ronald Scott Tarr

Carl T Whitaker

Jonathan D Nelson

Derek Lee Watkins

Martin Mitchell Zentner

Michael Thomas Beyerle

Matthew William Davis

Jonathan Charles Crosby

Jay Pareshbhai Shinde

Darin Franks

Bryan James Beckley

Steve Bernard Froelicher

Gregory Michael Thomas

Brice Alan Bowley

Jeffrey Lynn Jessie

Sanjana Tuniki

Sasikumar Durairaj

Jeffery Wayne Borden

Mahesh Natarajan

Joseph Murphy Miller

Umakant Suresh Katu

Solomon Muthumani

Ryan Persaud

Peter Brand

Mark Anthony Copelli

Virginia Lee Castillo

William Stanley Garrett

Suresh Palanki

Amit Kurhekar

Jawahar Gopalan

Michael Francis Finch

John K Besore

Eric K Watson

Gregory M Thomas

A washing machine appliance includes a cabinet comprising a front panel defining a chamber opening and a top panel, a wash tub positioned within the cabinet and defining a wash chamber, a wash basket rotatably mounted within the wash tub for receiving a load of clothes, and a detergent drawer assembly slidably mounted within the cabinet for receiving a wash additive and directing the wash additive to the wash chamber during operation of the washing machine appliance. The detergent drawer assembly includes a detergent drawer slidably mounted to the cabinet and defining a cartridge chamber, a hinged plate mounted to the detergent drawer and being rotatable between an open position and a closed position, and a cartridge defining a chamber. The cartridge is slidably mounted to the hinged plate when the hinged plate is in the open position.

Detergent drawer assembly for a washing machine appliance

A method of operating a laundry treatment includes receiving an input for a selected washing operation for a laundry load; determining a filtration requirement of the laundry load of the selected washing operation; implementing a responsive action in response to determining the filtration requirement of the laundry load, the responsive action including an activation state of a selector input on a user interface; and performing the selected washing operation according to a determined set of operating parameters.

Method of controlling a filtration system in a laundry treatment appliance

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet, a tub, and a pump for recirculating wash fluid from the tub to a filter container. The filter container includes a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the pump and fluid outlet in fluid communication with the tub. The filter container also includes a filter housing for directing wash fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. A self-clearing filter assembly is provided within the filter housing. The self-clearing filter includes side walls and a filter base having at least one inclined surface. The self-clearing filter is situated such that the inclined surface is below the fluid inlet. The self-clearing filter prevents microfibers and other debris from passing through to the outlet of the filter container. Simultaneously, the force of the wash fluid on the inclined surface forces the microfibers and other debris to a trough, where it can be collected and disposed of.

Microfiber filtration system

A washing machine appliance may include a cabinet, a tub, a lid, and a filter assembly. The cabinet may define an opening. The tub may be disposed within the cabinet for the receipt of articles therein. The lid may be movably mounted to the cabinet to selectively cover the opening and restrict access to the tub. The filter assembly may be mounted to the lid to move therewith. The filter assembly may include an assembly box defining a box compartment and an assembly outlet upstream from the tub to direct liquid thereto. The assembly box may be movable relative to the lid. The filter assembly may further include a filter cartridge selectively received within the box compartment to filter liquid upstream from the assembly outlet.

Washing machine appliance and filtration assembly

A washing appliance having an article movement mechanism including an impeller and agitator post. An impeller is positioned in the wash drum and is rotational about a vertical axis and is configured for imparting motion to the articles during washing. An agitator post is positioned adjacent to the impeller and is also rotational about the vertical axis. The agitator post includes a plurality of vane sets spaced apart along the vertical axis with each vane set including at least one helical vane.

Washer appliance article movement mechanism

A washing machine appliance or agitator may include an impeller base and an extended post. The impeller base may define a rotation axis and include one or more impeller fins and a mating collar. The mating collar may be disposed radially inward from the impeller fins and extend along the rotation axis. The extended post may be removably attached to the impeller base to rotate therewith. The extended post may include a base body, an auger fin, an overmolded bottom bracket, and a connector bolt. The base body may extend between a bottom end proximal to the impeller base and a top end distal to the impeller base. The auger fin may extend radially from the base body. The overmolded bottom bracket may be disposed on the base body. The connector bolt may attach the extended post to the impeller base.

Washing machine appliance and an agitator therefor

A washing machine appliance includes a wash basket rotatably mounted within a wash tub for receiving of a load of articles for washing. A motor assembly is operably coupled to the wash basket and an agitation element for selectively rotating the wash basket and the agitation element and includes a drive motor having a motor shaft defining an axial direction, a transmission assembly operably coupled to the wash basket for transmitting torque from the motor shaft to the wash basket and the agitation element and the agitation element, and a cooling fan mechanically coupled to the motor shaft for urging a flow of air as the drive motor rotates the motor shaft, the cooling fan comprising a plurality of blades, wherein the plurality of blades have a geometry that varies along the axial direction to follow a contour of an external surface of the drive motor.

Motor assembly for a washing machine appliance

A washing machine appliance includes a wash basket rotatably mounted within a wash tub for receiving of a load of articles for washing and a drive motor having a motor shaft for selectively rotating the wash basket and an agitation element. A cooling fan is mechanically coupled to the motor shaft for urging a flow of air as the drive motor rotates the motor shaft and a fan cover is positioned over the cooling fan. The fan cover includes an endcap positioned opposite the cooling fan relative to the drive motor along an axial direction, a peripheral portion defining a plurality of ventilation openings spaced apart along a circumferential direction, and a plurality of louvers positioned over the plurality of ventilation openings for directing the flow of air away from the drive motor.

A washing machine appliance has a drum positioned within a tub. The drum defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing and sanitizing. A method of operating the washing machine appliance includes, in a rinse cycle, filling the tub with a cold water rinse volume to a predetermined fill level, adding a volume of sanitizing additive to the tub, and performing an agitation cycle for a predetermined time period. The first cold water rinse volume and the sanitizing additive are mixed during the first agitation cycle to form a sanitizing liquor. The rinse cycle further includes draining the sanitizing liquor from the tub after performing the agitation cycle and performing an extraction cycle after draining the sanitizing liquor from the tub. As a result, the washing machine appliance and articles therein are sanitized.

Cold temperature sanitizing rinse in a washing machine appliance

An additive dispenser for a washing machine appliance is provided. The additive dispenser includes sidewalls and a bottom wall defining an additive reservoir. A first siphon and a second siphon are positioned within the additive reservoir. The first siphon defines a first peak and a first inlet. The second siphon defines a second peak and a second inlet. The first peak is defined at a lower vertical height than the second peak, and the first inlet is defined at a greater vertical height than the second inlet. Also provided are methods for operating a washing machine appliance having an additive dispenser, where the additive dispenser includes sidewalls and a bottom wall defining an additive reservoir, a first siphon defining a first inlet, and a second siphon defining a second inlet. The methods include opening and closing one or more valves to flow water to the additive reservoir of the dispenser.

Multi-stage fluid additive dispenser

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for connecting to an auxiliary power source and operating a water heater. One exemplary aspect is directed to a water heater configured to heat a volume of water. The water heater can include a first heating system configured to operate at a first power and a second heating system configured to operate at a second power. The second power can be less than the first power. The water heater can further include a first AC connection configured to receive externally supplied AC power at a first voltage and a second AC connection configured to receive externally supplied AC power at a second voltage. The second voltage can be less than the first voltage. The water heater can use only the second heating system when the second AC connection receives the externally supplied AC power at the second voltage.

System and method for operating a water heater using an auxiliary power source

A water heater is provided having a sorption based reactor that is integrated into a water tank. The water heater is operated between an adsorption cycle and a desorption cycle. During the endothermic desorption cycle, a primary heat exchanger is used to transfer heat from a condensing primary fluid that was vaporized from the sorbate to water in the tank. A charging heat transfer system supplies heat for the vaporization during endothermic desorption cycle. During the exothermic adsorption cycle, a secondary heat exchanger is used along with a secondary fluid to transfer heat generated by adsorption of the primary fluid to water in the tank. An evaporator provides for vaporization of the primary fluid during the adsorption cycle. Substantial improvements in energy efficiency can be achieved.

Water heater with integrated sorption reactor

A water heater that can be operated with improved efficiency is provided. The water heater uses a thermally activated sorption heat pump to heat water stored in a tank. A sorbate is endothermically desorbed from a refrigerant, which in turn is released as a gas or vapor. The latent heat of condensing this refrigerant vapor to a liquid is transferred directly to the water in the tank. Ambient air is then used to vaporize the refrigerant liquid. The vapor refrigerant is then exothermically absorbed by the sorbate. The heat released by this absorption is transferred to the water in the tank using a heat transfer fluid. The cycle can then be repeated by desorbing the sorbate again to release the refrigerant as vapor. A heat source is used to provide heat energy to endothermically desorb the sorbate.

Sorption heat pump water heater

An appliance for conditioning air of a room comprises one or more power consuming features/functions including a temperature controlling element for one of heating and cooling air. A controller is operatively connected to the one or more power consuming features/functions. The controller is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of a utility state. The controller operates the appliance in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. The controller is configured to at least one of selectively adjust and deactivate at least one of the one or more power consuming features/functions to reduce power consumption of the appliance in the energy savings mode.

Energy management of household appliances

A refrigerator includes a main body defining a storage space therein and a door for opening and closing the storage space. The refrigerator comprises a water conduit for directing water supplied from an external water source to the main body of the refrigerator. An inlet valve distributes the water supplied from the water conduit into a hot water conduit and a separate cold water conduit. A cold water tank is mounted to one of the main body and the door for cooling the water supplied through the cold water conduit and then storing the cooled water therein. A hot water tube is mounted to one of the main body and the door for receiving the water supplied through the hot water conduit. The hot water tube includes a heater operably installed within the hot water tube and in direct contact with the water therein. The heater generates heat through the application of electric power thereto to heat the water within the hot water tube to a predetermined temperature. The hot water tube heats water on demand so that no separate hot water tank for storing hot water therein is required. A dispenser is installed on the door for dispensing the hot and cold water supplied from the hot water tube and cold water tank to the outside of the refrigerator.

Instant hot water dispenser for refrigerator

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

John Joseph Roetker