Maytag Corporation

Deere & Company

Kurt C Senner

Robert L Wetekamp

Jose G Avendano

Douglas G Temple

Robert Stephen Mercille

Daniel J Cox

Michael Scot Carden

Thomas M Campen

Douglas A Nimrick

David A Carlson

Ronald E Benton

An auger assembly for transporting material for an agricultural work vehicle formed by an auger and a housing arrangement having an interior that houses the auger such that rotation of the auger within the housing arrangement is configured to transport the material through the housing arrangement. The housing arrangement includes a series of tube portions including at least a first and a second tube portion, each respective tube portion of the series of tube portions having a first and second end, an inner and outer surface, and a thickness between the inner and outer surfaces; and at least one mounting flange structure, including a first mounting flange structure secured to the outer surface of the first tube portion by a first laser weld extending from the inner surface of the first tube portion, through the thickness of the first tube portion, and into the first mounting flange structure.

Auger assembly for harvesting machine

A refrigerator includes a cabinet within which is arranged an upper fresh food compartment and a lower freezer compartment. A freezer basket is slidingly supported in the freezer compartment, preferably for concurrent movement with a freezer door. The freezer basket is coupled to a lifting mechanism that selectively shifts the freezer basket from a first or lowered position to a second or raised position in order to facilitate removal of items from the freezer basket. The lifting mechanism can be formed by a mechanical, electrical or pneumatic system.

Bottom mount refrigerator having an elevating freezer basket

An integrated door closing and leveling assembly for a refrigerator includes a spring biased door closure and an adjustable support integrated into a housing. The door closure includes an arm attached to the housing for relative sliding and pivoting movement, while being biased to a retracted position by a spring having an associated noise dampening element. The interaction between the spring and the arm is such that the spring provides a small degree of resistance to any opening force and also serves to maintain the door fully open once the door is opened beyond a critical point. The support structure houses both front and rear wheels for maneuvering the refrigerator, and feet for leveling and supporting purposes.

Integrated refrigerator cabinet leveling and door closing assembly

An ice maker assembly, including at least one support arm, a shelf arranged atop the support arm, a bin slidably mounted to the support arm beneath the shelf, and an ice maker unit adapted to develop ice to be stored in the bin, is adapted to be selectively, vertically adjustable within a freezer compartment of a refrigerator. The entire ice maker assembly is preferably suspended from a pair of spaced, vertically extending support rails arranged on the back wall of the freezer compartment. The shelf preferably includes a transparent platform which visually exposes the bin.

Ice maker assembly for a refrigerator

A water filtering system for a refrigerator determines a need for a filter change by timing the period of actuation of at least one valve used to regulate the flow of filtered water to both a water dispenser and an ice maker. Based on a known flow rate, a volume of filtered water associated with the duration of valve actuation is calculated. A summing device determines an accumulated, filtered water volume. When the accumulated, filtered water volume reaches or exceeds a threshold value, an indicator is used to signal that the water filter needs to be replaced. As water filtering system of the invention is capable of being operated without a water filter in place, a switch assembly is incorporated to sense the presence of the water filter and the system only senses the valve actuation time when the filter is in place. In addition, provisions are made to reset the accumulated, filtered water volume upon replacement of the water filter.

Water filter cartridge replacement system for a refrigerator

An assembly for sensing a level of ice stored in a bin of an automatic ice maker includes a bale arm and a sensing member. The sensing member is rotatably attached to the bale arm for movement between multiple, varying height positions. The sensing member includes first, second and third portions, with the first portion including a first pair of spaced leg elements, the second portion of the sensing member including a second pair of spaced leg elements, and the third portion of the sensing member being constituted by a vortex leg portion which interconnects the second pair of spaced leg elements. The first leg elements include connecting portions which are snap-fittingly attached to the bale arm, while being biased into engagement with portions of the bale arm. At least one of the connecting portions is formed with detents into which a segment of bale arm projects in order to establish a selected one of the varying height positions.

Ice level sensing assembly

A water filtering system for a refrigerator includes a mounting head preferably arranged under a temperature control housing in a fresh food compartment. A replaceable filter cartridge is adapted to be selectively attached to the mounting head in order to complete a fluid circuit from a water supply source to at least one of a water dispenser and an ice maker. The filter cartridge and the mounting head have cooperating camming structure which axially draws a stem portion of the cartridge into a port of the mounting head upon rotation of the cartridge relative to the mounting head during installation of the cartridge. Furthermore, camming structure is also provided to at least partially, axially withdraw the stem portion from the port upon rotation of the cartridge a predetermined amount in an opposing direction. Also provided as part of the water filtering system is a plug which can be used to complete the fluid circuit in the absence of a filter cartridge. A switching assembly is incorporated to electrically signal the presence of one of the water filter cartridge or plug in order to permit the flow of water through the system.

Water filtering system with replaceable cartridge for a refrigerator

Ice level sensing member

A water filtering system for a refrigerator includes a mounting head preferably arranged under a temperature control housing in a fresh food compartment. A replaceable filter cartridge is adapted to be selectively attached to the mounting head in order to complete a fluid circuit from a water supply source to at least one of a water dispenser and an ice maker. The filter cartridge and the mounting head have cooperating camming structure which axially draws a stem portion of the cartridge into a port of the mounting head upon rotation of the cartridge relative to the mounting head during installation of the cartridge. Furthermore, camming structure is also provided to at least partially, axially withdraw the stem portion from the port upon rotation of the cartridge a predetermined amount in an opposing direction. Also provided as part of the water filtering system is a plug which can be used to complete the fluid circuit in the absence of a filter cartridge.

A water tank having a body portion that slopes away, in multiple directions, from an outlet thereof is adapted to be mounted within a refrigerator cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane. The water tank is preferably integrally molded with multiple, parallel-arranged flow paths and with a plurality of upstanding tabs for use in mounting the water tank horizontally in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet. The inlet and outlet areas of the tank are designed to minimize the potential for trapping air within the tank. In addition, the tank is formed with integrally molded clips for use in attaching a water tube to the tank. When used in a top mount refrigerator, the tank is particularly adapted to be mounted at a rear underside portion of a fresh food liner that forms part of a mullion divider assembly so as to be generally out of visual sight of the consumer, while being in direct heat exchange relationship with cooling air within the compartment.

Refrigerator water tank

A liquid dispensing assembly for a refrigerator includes a liquid supply line that extends into an ejection spout located above a fill chamber, closely adjacent the inner surface of a refrigerator door. The ejection spout defines a nozzle that is angled downwardly and rearwardly to direct the discharge path of the spout into a container placed in the fill chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Galesburg, IL, United States of America

Kurt C Senner