Whirlpool Corporation

John Joseph Vonderhaar

Steven John Kuehl

Nihat O Cur

Lorenzo Bianchi

Diego Barone

James William Kendall

Alan Stevenson Lucas

Guolian Wu

Paul B Allard

Douglas David Leclear

Andrew Michael Tenbarge

Robert Bradley

Enrica Monticelli

Keith Allen Snyder

James Charles Leslie Guarino

Vikas Malhotra

Frank Huangtso Lin

A connection system includes a feature module that supplies various functionalities, a portable countertop stand having an upright section that selectively receives the feature module and an umbilical connecting the portable stand to an external appliance to deliver utilities to the portable countertop stand. A utility port selectively delivers at least one utility to the feature module when engaged with the upright section. A utility receiver removably engages the utility port by hand without the use of tools and selectively receives a predetermined set of utilities when the feature module engages the upright surface. A connection interface detects when the feature module is engaged with the upright section and the predetermined utility set required by the engaged feature module. After the feature module is engaged, the connection interface prompts the utility port to release the predetermined utility set to the feature module.

Refrigerator module utilities enabled via connection

A method of making an appliance door includes inserting a door pan into a fixture having first and second forming molds, which are pressed together. An inner door liner is placed over the door pan and secured thereto to form a base door. A mold cavity is formed between the door pan and the inner door liner. An insulative material is injected into the mold cavity defined by the space between the door pan and the inner door liner. A removable decorative exterior skin is extended over the base door. A support frame and a plurality of utility lines are provided. An insulative material contacts the support frame. A base door is formed by an inner door liner secured to the insulative material and the support frame.

Method of making an appliance door

A distributed refrigeration appliance system in a residential kitchen and other locations in a dwelling including multiple separate refrigeration appliance modules, a central cooling system and a cooling circuit. The system can also include one or more satellite stations having a heat exchanger and arranged for supplying chilled air to one or more refrigeration appliance modules. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can include a thermal cascade cooling device to cool the module to lower temperatures than the cooling circuit can attain. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can be refrigeration/storage modules that can provide refrigerated, unconditioned or heated storage space. The central cooling system can be a vapor compression system having a refrigerant circuit connecting the modules. Alternately, the central cooling system can cool a secondary cooling medium circuit. The refrigeration system can also have more than one refrigeration machine providing cooling to the secondary refrigeration loop.

Distributed refrigeration system with optional storage module and controller

A distributed refrigeration appliance system for use in a residential kitchen and other locations in a dwelling and includes multiple separate refrigeration appliance modules, a central cooling system and a cooling circuit. The system can also include one or more satellite stations having a heat exchanger and arranged for supplying chilled air to one or more refrigeration appliance modules. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can include a thermal cascade cooling device to cool the module to lower temperatures than the cooling circuit can attain. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can be refrigeration/storage modules that can provide refrigerated, unconditioned or heated storage space. The central cooling system can be a vapor compression system having a refrigerant circuit connecting the modules. Alternately, the central cooling system can cool a secondary cooling medium circuit. The refrigeration system can also have more than one refrigeration machine providing cooling to the secondary refrigeration loop.

Utilities grid for distributed refrigeration system

Refrigeration appliance with optional storage module

Temporary refrigerator storage modules

Growing community of inventors

Saint Joseph, MI, United States of America

John Joseph Vonderhaar