Whirlpool Corporation

Steffens Enterprises, Inc.

Lynne F Hunter

Abhay Naik

Alberto Regio Gomes

Paul B Allard

Sanjesh Kumar Pathak

Gustavo Frattini

Sanket Vivek Phalak

Eric J Dherde

Giulia Marinello

Lakshya J Deka

Jerry M Visin

Daniel Lottinville

Dustin Michael Miller

Karen J Querfurth

Arunkumar Harikrishnasamy

Aaron Michael Stewart

Sai B Krishna

Manjunathraddi Navalgund

Mohamed Alshourbagy

Narendra Ashok Kapure

Lorraine Joan Westlake

Hua Liu

Rafael Dutra Nunes

Michael A Fiori

Raffaella Gropallo

Sunil S Ekshinge

Jeffrey P Beckner

Eric J Vasko

Joseph M Keres

Subrata Shannigrahi

Koteswara Rao Gochika

Rahul Subhash Chhajed

Jacob Charles Ickes

Kevin J Cox

Mandar Gopalkrushna Kulkarni

Vishal B Chauhan

Mansi Katkar

Gregory Edward Bauman

Arpit Vijay

Deepak Gajanan Mankar

Ryan Daniel Kannegieter

Anup R Shedage

Julia B Burke

Daniel Chow

Charles J Steffens

Kamil El Sayed

Jackson Felipe Karl

Abinash Sarma

Omkar Sunil Mithari

Berhanu Allo

Marcel Bögger Lessa

An appliance includes a metallic outer wrapper having sidewalls, a wrapper backwall and a machine wall. At least one metallic inner liner has liner walls and a liner backwall, wherein the metallic outer wrapper and the at least one metallic inner liner are coupled together at a trim breaker to define a structural cabinet having a hermetically sealed interior cavity defined between the metallic outer wrapper and the at least one metallic inner liner. The trim breaker defines a front face of the structural cabinet. At least one trim breaker conduit extends through the wrapper and liner backwalls wherein the trim breaker conduit defines a conduit through the structural cabinet, and wherein the structural cabinet is hermetically sealed at the trim breaker conduit.

Structural cabinet for an appliance incorporating unitary metallic boxes

An appliance includes an outer wrapper, an inner liner, a trim breaker having a wrapper channel that receives a wrapper edge of the outer wrapper and a liner channel that receives a liner edge of the inner liner, and an insulation material disposed within an insulating cavity defined therebetween. A multi-component thermal encapsulation material defines pre-mix, application and sealing states. The pre-mix state is defined by the distinct components of the thermal encapsulation material being separated from one another, the application state defined by the distinct components combined together into an uncured state of the thermal encapsulation material, and the sealing state defined by the thermal encapsulation material disposed within the wrapper and liner channels and surrounding the wrapper and liner edges, respectively, in the sealing state that defines a hermetic seal between the trim breaker and the outer wrapper and the inner liner.

Encapsulation system for a thermal bridge breaker-to-metal liner

An appliance mounting device is provided herein. The appliance includes a vacuum insulated structure having a liner positioned within a wrapper, wherein the liner and wrapper cooperate to define an interior cavity. The appliance further includes an insulating material positioned within the interior cavity and a hanger coupled to an adapter plate and a support member. The support member is configured to couple to an interior surface of the vacuum insulated structure while maintaining a vacuum in the interior cavity and a holding member is coupled to a first side of the adapter plate and configured to receive a positioning member.

Appliance mounting system

A refrigerator includes a wall covering assembly having a top wall spaced-apart from a top wall of a liner, and a rear wall spaced-apart from a rear wall of the liner. The wall covering assembly includes a pattern of ports for providing outwardly directed cooled air to the refrigerator cabinet from a duct assembly. The duct assembly is configured to deliver cooled air through the ventilated portion of the wall covering assembly and also deliver cooled air to a front portion of the refrigerator cabinet via a downwardly directed air curtain. The air curtain disrupts the outward flow of air from the ventilated portion of the wall covering assembly before the cooled air reaches a gasket assembly disposed around the refrigerator doors. Angled venting slots disposed on the wall covering assembly direct air towards inner surfaces of the doors without disruption from the air curtain.

Wall covering assembly with ventilation pattern and air curtain system

A method of forming a refrigerator cabinet includes a step where an external wrapper that defines a rear surface is provided. The rear surface of the external wrapper is deep-drawn to form a machine compartment that defines a top wall, a bottom wall, and an interior wall. An inner liner is positioned within the external wrapper such that a gap is defined between the inner liner and the interior wall of the machine compartment. A vacuum is drawn within the gap.

Machine compartment for a vacuum insulated structure

A refrigeration unit includes a cabinet and a first evaporator assembly. The first evaporator assembly is operable between an uninstalled condition and an installed condition. In the uninstalled condition, the first evaporator assembly is not assembled with the cabinet. In the installed condition, the first evaporator assembly is assembled with the cabinet. The first evaporator assembly includes a first evaporator, a first suction line connected to the first evaporator at a first suction line joint, and a first capillary tube connected to the first evaporator at a first capillary tube joint. The first suction line joint and the first capillary tube joint of the first evaporator assembly are leak testable in the uninstalled condition of the first evaporator assembly.

Refrigeration unit and method of assembling

A vacuum-insulated door comprises a door skin having a perimeter defined by a top edge, a pair of side edges, and a bottom edge spaced from the top edge by the pair of side edges. A vacuum-insulated cell is located in the vacuum-insulated door. A frame assembly includes a top bracket coupled to the top edge, a bottom bracket coupled to the bottom edge, and at least one top hinge pin connected to the top bracket and at least one bottom hinge pin connected to the bottom bracket. The at least one top hinge pin and the at least one bottom hinge pin are configured to connect to a hinge assembly of a cooling appliance.

Vis door reinforcement bracket design

A connector assembly includes a base plate that defines a fill opening and an aperture. A fill tube is coupled to a first side of the base plate. The fill tube is aligned with the fill opening. A radial flange is coupled to a second side of the base plate. The radial flange extends around the fill opening. A toggle magnet is coupled to the first side of the base plate proximate to the aperture. The toggle magnet is operable between an activated state and a deactivated state.

Connector assembly for vacuum insulated structures

A refrigerating appliance includes a cabinet including an outer wrapper defining opposing first and second sidewalls, a rear wall coupling the first and second sidewalls, and an inner liner. An insulating cavity that is under vacuum is defined between the outer wrapper and inner liner. A trim breaker forms a seal between the outer wrapper and the inner liner. A mullion extends across an access opening. A mullion bracket extends across the access opening where the mullion bracket includes first and second ends having engagement portions coupled with an exterior surface of the outer wrapper. A pair of recesses on the exterior surface of the outer wrapper provide corresponding gaps between the first and second ends of the mullion bracket and the first and second sidewalls, respectively.

Cabinet reinforcing assembly

A method for manufacturing an insulation member for a vacuum insulated structure includes the steps of forming a bag that has an opening using a single layer porous fabric, filling the bag with insulation materials via the opening, sealing the opening of the bag, and vibrating the bag to evenly distribute, de-aerate, and densify the insulation material to form a pillow. The method further includes the steps of compressing the pillow within a mold to define a compressed insulation member, and evacuating the compressed insulation member within an insulated structure to define a vacuum insulated structure.

Method for manufacturing a compressed insulation panel for a vacuum insulated structure

An appliance includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner placed within the outer wrapper and spaced apart from the outer wrapper to define an insulating space. A trim breaker extends between the inner liner and the outer wrapper to define a structural cabinet. The trim breaker defines a front face of the cabinet. The trim breaker defines a gas conduit disposed within a wall of the structural cabinet proximate the insulating space. The gas conduit is adapted to define selective communication between the insulating space and an exterior of the structural cabinet. An insulating material is disposed within the insulating space, wherein the gas conduit is substantially free of the insulating material.

Vacuum generating system for an appliance incorporating a vacuum insulated structure

An insulated structure includes a door that has a liner and a wrapper. The liner defines at least one channel. At least one attachment feature is disposed within the at least one channel defined by the liner and coupled to the door. The at least one attachment feature includes a body that has a plurality of apertures that are defined along a length of the body. A bin is operably coupled to the door via the at least one attachment feature. The bin includes a coupling feature that extends through at least one of the plurality of apertures that are defined by the body.

Attachment assembly for an insulated door

A refrigerator includes a wrapper having an opening with a front edge. A liner includes an opening and a front edge. A thermal bridge interconnects the wrapper and the liner to form a vacuum insulated cavity therebetween. The thermal bridge includes an outwardly opening channel and first and second inwardly opening channels. The front edge of wrapper is received in the first inwardly opening channel, and the front edge of the liner is received in the second inwardly opening channel. The second inwardly opening channel is inset relative to the first inwardly opening channel on the thermal bridge. A conduit is disposed within the outwardly opening channel and is configured to circulate a heated medium. The wrapper and liner are contemplated to be comprised of conductive materials, such sheet metal, while the thermal bridge is comprised of a thermally resistant material, such as a polymeric material.

Vacuum insulated structure with thermal bridge breaker with heat loop

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Dorr, MI, United States of America

Lynne F Hunter