Maytag Corporation

Manitowoc Foodservice Companies, Inc.

Whirlpool Corporation

John Phillip Myers

Curt R Cayemberg

Mark Paul Giebel

Sheldon Wayne Mandel

Jose G Avendano

Steve David Herning

Paula Forseth Dick

Douglas A Pohl

Marty J Lafond

Richard D Smith, Jr

Dean M Petersen

Robert A Christenson

Scott Robert Voll

Edward Everett Crompton, Iii

Richard James Miller

John C Rue, Sr

Michael A Mohrfeld

Robert M Riley

Robert L Wetekamp

Alvin V Miller

Lee G Mueller

William E Olson, Jr

Richard T Miller

Cary J Pierskalla

Daryl Gregory Erbs

Kenneth E Davis

Kyle B VanMeter

Gerald L Wolanin

Joseph H Ryner

Brian A Ebelt

Michael Scot Carden

Edward E Crompton

Larry Corbin

Brian Gerald Polly

Christopher Greicar

Marty James LaFond

Daniel Lee Short

Philip J Baranowski

There is provided a method that includes (a) controlling a vibrator to produce an acoustic wave in accordance with a signal that includes (i) an on-time during which a packet of pulses is generated, followed by (ii) an off-time during which no pulses are generated, and thus includes (iii) a frequency component, (b) receiving an electrical representation of the acoustic wave that has been detected from a body of water that is being frozen on a structure, (c) extracting, from the electrical representation, (i) the frequency component, and (ii) a magnitude of the frequency component, (d) recognizing that the magnitude of the frequency component exceeds a threshold value, thus yielding a recognition, and (e) issuing a command to remove the body of water from the structure, in response to the recognition. There is also provided a system that employs the method, and a storage device containing instructions for the method.

Ice-making machine that utilizes closed-loop harvest control with vibrational feedback

A connection assembly is disclosed for an ice maker that includes a base having a rail and a cabinet assembly having a glide. The glide slides onto the rail to removably connect the base and the cabinet assembly while aligning the cabinet assembly vertically and horizontally relative to the base. Preferably, the rail and glide have complementary geometries wherein the base and rail fit together such that the complementary geometries limit the relative vertical and horizontal movement of the rail and the glide to each other. In alternative configurations, the base may have a glide and the cabinet may have a rail. The connection assembly may also include a stop limiting the relative linear movement between the rail and the glide, further assuring proper alignment of the cabinet and the base. The connection assembly may also include a locking mechanism limiting relative linear movement of the base and the cabinet.

Connection assembly for a base and a cabinet assembly of an ice maker

An ice making system includes a flavored liquid, an ice machine and a refrigerated storage bin. The ice making system continuously produces flavored ice pieces for storage in an ice storage bin. A refrigeration system cools the ice storage bin.

Method and system for the continuous or semi-continuous production of flavored ice

Ice machine interface

Ice machine

An ice barrier and an ice making machine having an ice barrier is provided in some embodiments, wherein the ice barrier is movable between a first orientation in which liquid water from an ice-forming surface is directed into the liquid receptacle, and a second orientation in which the ice barrier blocks access of ice from the ice-forming surface to locations in which ice is trapped between the ice barrier and an adjacent surface. Also, a method of producing ice in an ice making machine is provided in some embodiments, wherein a barrier diverts a flow of liquid water received from the ice-forming surface away from an ice collection bin, and wherein the barrier is moved to an orientation in which the barrier diverts ice toward the ice collection bin and also blocks access of ice to positions trapped between the barrier and an adjacent surface.

Ice making machine and method

A glass panel assembly for kitchen appliances includes a glass panel and a plurality of spacers. The spacers are mounted to an outer surface of the appliance and an inner surface of the glass panel. Preferably, the spacers are adhesively secured to the glass panel and are not visible when viewing the kitchen appliance from the front. Trim pieces fit between the glass panel and the appliance door to cover and further hide the spacers from view. The glass panel can be mounted to any outer surface of the appliance such as an appliance door, side walls or even a top wall. The particular construction of the spacers, in combination with the trim pieces creates an illusion that glass panel appears to float relative to the appliance.

Kitchen appliance having a floating glass panel

A refrigerator cabinet includes a shell having first and second laterally spaced, upstanding side walls that are interconnected by a top wall, each of the walls includes an in-turned front edge portion defining a liner receiving cavity. The shell further includes a mullion bar, which partitions the shell into first and second liner cavities, and a base member. Both the mullion bar and base member have respective liner receiving portions. With this arrangement, first and second liners are adapted to be inserted into their respective cavities and flexed such that three sides are inserted into the liner receiving cavities, while the remaining side is positioned against a land of the mullion bar or base member. Once in place, the liners are secured through a mullion bar cover and a base member cover. This construction combines the benefits of a front-load process with that of a flex-load process, lowering assembly time without the need to reinforce the liner.

Refrigerator cabinet assembly

An in-turned annular flange of a refrigerator door panel is interconnected to an out-turned flange of a door liner through the use of individual seal and liner retainer elements which enable the liner to be snap connected to the door panel. More specifically, with one of the retainer elements initially attached to the door panel and the remaining elements are attached to respective side portion of the liner. One side of the liner is initially attached to the door panel and then the liner is pivoted until the remaining sides of the liner are snap-connected to the door panel. After the door panel, liner and retainer assembly are foamed during an insulation procedure, all the components are securely held in place. Finally, a door seal, which includes primary and secondary seal elements, is interengaged with first and second seal connecting structure defined by the retainer elements.

Push-in refrigerator door seal and retainer system

A refrigerator, having freezer and fresh food compartments, includes a temperature sensor arranged to sense an average temperature in the fresh food compartment, a multi-position damper interposed in an intake duct leading from the freezer compartment, and a fresh food compartment stirring fan. The stirring fan receives a flow of air from each of the intake duct and a plurality of recirculation ducts exposed to different portions of the fresh food compartment. A control system regulates the stirring fan and the opening of the damper based on the sensed temperature in order to minimize temperature stratification within the fresh food compartment, while maintaining an energy efficient and noise reducing operation.

Temperature control system for a refrigerated compartment

To allow for easier opening of a refrigerator door, a pressure relief system is provided to relieve a pressure differential or vacuum that develops due to operation and use of the refrigerator. The pressure relief system includes a check valve having an orifice with a flexible membrane. An insulation portion of the pressure relief valve, which is foamed into the cabinet, spans from the fresh food compartment to a top of the cabinet and directs air towards the rear cabinet liner for moisture condensing measures. The pressure relief assembly also includes an adapter which mounts to the cabinet top and provides a mounting surface for an air return assembly.

Pressure relief system for a refrigerator

A plastic kickface, that consolidates a conventional metal face plate and a plastic kickplate, extends across a lowermost frontal portion of a shell of a refrigerator cabinet assembly. At least one lower door hinge bracket is secured to reinforcement structure of the cabinet shell by fasteners that extend through tubular spacers located in holes formed in the plastic kickface. Provisions are made for creating a seal along a lower section of a door of the refrigerator cabinet assembly by interconnecting the kickface with a sealing strip that is adapted to be engaged by a section of an annular gasket attached to the door of the refrigerator cabinet assembly. When the door incorporates a magnetic sealing gasket, a metal strip is provided, with the strip being integrated into a face portion of the kickface in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention while, in accordance with another embodiment, the strip is first attached to the cabinet shell and then the kickface is interconnected to both the strip and the reinforcement structure.

Refrigerator cabinet incorporating a plastic kickface

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a shell formed by opposed, upright side walls and a top wall, all of which have in-turned front and rear face portions with each of the front face portions terminating in a return flange defining a liner receiving cavity opening forwardly of the shell. Each liner receiving cavity is spaced inwardly of a respective side and top wall such that a channel, which is readily accessible from within the shell, is defined. A rear wall is interconnected to the side and top walls by being arranged between and forced to intimately contact a pair of spaced layers defining the rear face portions of each of these walls. A plurality of reinforcement members, including a pair of upper corner plates and a pair of side reinforcement bars adapted to be arranged in the channel, as well as upper and lower crossbars in one preferred embodiment that interconnect the side reinforcement members, are attached to the shell, along with a mullion plate and a faceplate. Since the return flanges open forwardly of the shell, a liner can be front loaded therein in a quick and easy fashion with an inwardly extending flange provided on the liner projecting into the liner receiving cavity. The side reinforcement members and their associated brackets are provided with structure defining hinge locations for both refrigerator door hinges, as well as one hinge for a freezer compartment, to assure proper alignment and spacing of the hinges.

Refrigerator cabinet and method of assembling the same

Growing community of inventors

Manitowoc, WI, United States of America

John Phillip Myers