Electrolux Home Products, Inc.

Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin

Trailer Aerodynamics LLC

Michelin North America, Inc.

Justin Kane Morgan

Nilton Carlos Bertolini

Thomas W McCollough

Calvin Rhett Bradley

Jorge Carlos Montalvo Sanchez

Parker Baxter

Travis McMahan

Chinglin Pan

Charles Andrew McPillan

Dennis Carl Hansen

Caleb Gossens

Cory Dale Simpson

Paul Dubina

Jeremy A Van Hill

John Spooner

Charles Andrew Mcpillan

Aerodynamic skirt bending member

Embodiments of the disclosure include a mud flap for a vehicle having a mounting section and a barrier section. The barrier section is configured to deflect matter discharged from a tire during vehicle operation. The width of the mounting section is greater than the width of the barrier section. The mounting section optionally includes a first set of mounting features, each of the mounting features forming a recess or aperture. One mounting feature of the first set of mounting features is arranged at and/or beyond a widthwise extent of the barrier section width. The one mounting feature is also arranged at least partially within a portion of the mounting section width extending outwardly from a widthwise extent of the barrier section width. Further embodiments include mounting a single wide mud flap on a vehicle configured to receive a dual wide mud flap.

Mud flap with adaptable mounting section

Embodiments include a mud flap having a barrier section configured to intercept and deflect matter discharged from the tire when rotating during vehicle operation. The barrier section including a plurality of horizontal louvers, each horizontal louver forming an elongate member having a length extending primarily in a direction of the mud flap width, where the plurality of horizontal louvers are spaced apart in the direction of the mud flap height in the form of an array, where the plurality of horizontal louvers are configured to intercept and deflect matter of a minimum size traveling along any linear trajectory path from the outer circumference of the tire/wheel assembly towards the front side of the mud flap while substantially maximizing the spacing between adjacent louvers to minimize aerodynamic drag. Other embodiments provide a method of using the mud flap.

Aerodynamic mud flap

An apparatus for a trailer is provided that has a top fairing configured for being mounted to a top surface of the trailer at a location closer to the back of the trailer than the front of the trailer. The trailer has a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a vertical direction. A side fairing is also present and is configured for being mounted to a side surface of the trailer. The top fairing engages the side fairing.

Trailer fairing and system for improved aerodynamic performance

An apparatus for a trailer is provided that has a top fairing configured for being mounted to a top surface of the trailer. The trailer has a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a vertical direction. A side fairing is present and is configured for being mounted to a side surface of the trailer. A corner at the side fairing and the top fairing has an outer surface with a first location and a second location. The first location is located forward of the second location in the longitudinal direction, and the first location has a radius of curvature that is smaller than a radius of curvature of the second location. The top and side fairings are configured for being mounted at locations closer to the back of the trailer than to the front of the trailer.

Trailer fairing corner for improved aerodynamic performance

A dispensing unit is operatively associated with a refrigeration appliance for selectively dispensing water and ice at a dispensing station. The dispensing unit includes an actuator that is movable to selected positions in order to support the dispensing of the water and ice. The dispensing unit can include a passageway through which ice is dispensed, and an ice door can be provided for selectively opening and closing the passageway to the dispensing of ice. In one aspect, the ice door can be opened and closed mechanically and in another aspect, the ice door can be opened and closed electromechanically. The dispensing unit also can provide for the position of a water-dispensing nozzle to be adjusted for the purpose of dispensing water to receptacles outside a recessed area at which the nozzle is located and to provide for the activation of illuminating devices to indicate operating conditions at the refrigeration appliance.

Single paddle ice and water dispenser

A refrigeration appliance includes a freezer compartment for storing food items. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment and includes a removable ice bin having an internal cavity. A front cover closes a front open end of the ice bin. The front cover includes a front face oriented toward a front of the freezer compartment, a rear face, and a recess formed in the rear face. The rear face of the front cover is disposed adjacent to a horizontal edge portion of the ice maker when the removable ice bin is disposed within the ice maker wherein the recess defines a gap between the front cover and the horizontal edge portion that fluidly communicates with the internal cavity of the removable ice bin. A plurality of ribs is disposed within the gap for directing air exiting the internal cavity of the removable ice bin into a predetermined direction.

Ice maker air flow ribs

A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and an ice maker within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. In one example, a rotatable auger drives the ice pieces out of a removable ice bin via a driving force applied in a first direction. A latch is configured to apply a resisting force to the ice bin along a second direction. In another example, an air mover is disposed within the ice maker for delivering cooled air from an ice maker evaporator to a region adjacent to the ice bin. At least one air channel is formed into an inside surface of the ice maker chamber. In another example, a method of making ice in the refrigeration appliance is provided. The method includes the steps of operating the air mover and a defrost heating of the ice maker evaporator.

Ice maker for a refrigeration appliance

A refrigerator/freezer ice bucket is provided. The ice bucket may include a dispenser interface configured to deliver ice cubes to an ice dispenser upon a request by a user for the ice cubes. The dispenser interface may include a back wall. The ice bucket may further include storage configured to, with the back wall of the dispenser interface, store the ice cubes until the user request. The storage includes a fixed portion and a hinged outer wall. The hinged outer wall is configured to pivot from a position that is parallel to an opposite wall of the fixed portion to a position in which one or more portions of the hinged outer wall are fixed to be slanted upwardly away from the opposite wall of the fixed portion, thereby expanding a capacity of the storage.

Growing community of inventors

Anderson, SC, United States of America

Justin Kane Morgan