Whirlpool Corporation

Mark H Nelson

Jim J Pastryk

Donald E Janke

Daryl Lee Harmon

Gregory Gene Hortin

Andrew M Oltman

Gregory J Markert

Daniel Henry Quinlan

Victor W Cuthbert

Johnny W Zimmerle

Larry J Manson

John I Smith

Devinder Singh

Jeffrey Ray Taylor

Steven Edward Tolliver

Kenneth Todd Shelley

Sandra C Steward

James R Peterson

Patrick J Clark

Edward T Swanson

Rodney S Goodrich

Robert E Smith

Donald L Bishop

Husein Allgayer

Anthony J Sajdak

Mark R Jaske

Raymond M Goodman

Kevin M Herreman

Casey Brian Arthur Beck

A dishwasher rack which includes a basket supporting a plurality of fences rotatably about a common axis. The basket has a plurality of wires forming a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a front and back wall. The bottom wall has a plurality of upwardly oriented tines connected to and extending from the bottom wall in a first area and further has an open area without upwardly oriented tines. A first fence is provided having an axle wire and a plurality of support wires. The axle wire is rotatably supported adjacent the bottom wall such that the first fence may be rotated between a front position and a back position. A second fence is provided having a connection wire and a plurality of support wires. The connection wire is rotatably connected to axle wire such that the second fence may rotate about the axle wire between a front position and a back position. The first fence and second fence may be rotated to the first position such that the support wires of the first fence and the support wires of the second fence form an upstanding array for supporting dishes. Alternatively, one or both of the first fence and second fence may be rotated to the back position.

Dishwasher rack with pivotable fences

Removable ice bucket for an ice maker

A system for protecting optical elements from moisture and/or ice build up when used in freezing environment, such as a freezer compartment of a refrigerator. The system includes a hood or sleeve which can be assembled to an optical element such as a light emitting or receiving elements used in a freezer compartment. The sleeve acts to trap air about the optic element such that warm humid air does not readily move into contact with the optic element. Moreover, the warm, humid air that does flow toward the optic element may be cooled by the sleeve such that moisture condenses out of the air and onto the sleeve. A heater may be provided adjacent the sleeve for heating the sleeve if the optic element is impaired due to ice or moisture build up.

Optic level sensing system for use in a refrigerator

The present invention is directed toward a control system for an ice making system. The ice making system includes an ice maker, and an ice storage bin for receiving ice pieces formed by the ice maker. The control system controls the ice maker and includes optic elements for emitting and receiving a beam of light directed across the upper portion of the bin. The control system senses when the ice maker is ready to harvest ice pieces and then directs a beam of light or light signal from a first side of the ice storage bin, across the bin toward a second side of the ice storage bin. The control system senses for the light signal at the second side of the ice storage bin and if ice pieces block the path of the light signal, the control system prevents ice harvesting from the ice maker. The optic elements of the control system include a light emitting element and a light receiving element. If the status of the light receiving element indicates that the optic elements are impaired due to ice or moisture build up, the optic elements are heated.

Refrigerator having an ice maker and a control system therefor

An ice level sensing system for use on a refrigerator including a freezer compartment having top wall, opposite side walls and an access opening. A door is provided for closing the access opening. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment adjacent the top wall for forming ice pieces. An ice storage bin is removably mounted to the door below the ice maker for receiving ice pieces from the ice maker. An emitter element, supported on a side wall of the freezer, emits a beam of light across the upper portion of the bin. A receiver element, supported on a freezer side wall opposite the emitter element, receives the beam of light wherein beam of light travels between the emitter element and the receiver element along a line of sight path. A paddle is rotatably supported on a freezer side wall for blocking the line of sight when the door is open. In addition, a movable member may be provided, supported on a freezer side wall opposite the paddle, which may be selectively movable between an ON position and an OFF position wherein in the OFF position the movable member blocks the line of sight.

Ice level sensing system for an ice maker

A refrigerator having a cabinet forming a freezer compartment having an access opening. A closure member is hingedly connected to the cabinet for closing the access opening and an ice maker is mounted on the closure member. An ice bucket or storage receptacle is mounted to the closure member below the ice maker. A support rail is provided along the inner surface of the closure member wherein the ice maker is vertically movable along the support rail. The ice maker has an ice level sensor and the amount of ice supplied to the ice bucket is controlled by the vertical position of the ice maker. The ice bucket is pivotably mounted to the closure member and can be pivoted between an orientation wherein the ice bucket is positioned adjacent the closure member substantially under the ice maker and an orientation wherein the ice bucket is pivoted away from the closure member. The ice bucket is a pitcher-like receptacle having a handle and is removable from the closure member.

Ice making system for a refrigerator

A refrigerator having a cabinet defining a freezer compartment having an access opening and a closure member for closing the access opening. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces and an ice storage bin is removably mounted to the closure member below the ice maker for receiving ice from the ice maker. The ice storage bin has an upper portion which is transparent and has a bottom opening. An ice discharge chute extends through the closure member below the bottom opening of the ice storage bin. A motor is mounted on the closure member. An auger is vertically disposed within the ice storage bin and is drivingly connected to the motor. Upon energization of the motor, the auger moves ice pieces from the ice storage bin through the bottom opening to the ice discharge chute for dispensing ice pieces from the ice storage bin.

Ice delivery system for a refrigerator

A refrigerator having a cabinet which defines a freezer compartment having an access opening and a closure member for closing the access opening. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces. An ice storage bin is mounted to the closure member below the ice maker for receiving ice from the ice maker. An ice level sensing finger extends from the ice maker into the ice storage bin for sensing the level of ice within the storage bin. A lever is pivotably connected to the ice maker and biased toward the closure member for lifting the ice level sensing finger out of the ice storage bin when the closure member is opened. The lever further operates to prevent the dispensing of ice pieces when the closure member is open.

Ice making and storage system for a refrigerator

An improved lint handling system for a household laundry dryer is provided. The lint handling system for a laundry dryer has a dryer drum with an exit grill. The lint handling system provides a blower speed increaser to increase airflow in the dryer. The lint handling system also has a lint container and a foreign objects trap connected to the exit grill. Also a lint separator to separate lint from the airflow in the dryer is provided. The lint separator has an input connected to the foreign objects trap and an output connected to the lint container. A laundry dryer having a lint handling system as described is also provided. The lint handling system of the invention also provides a scroll-shaped centrifugal blower housing having a cylindrical base to accept airflow tangentially, a cutoff and a throat region to produce high velocity airflow. The blower housing further has a Helmholtz resonator located in the throat to reduce the acoustic emissions at a blade passage frequency. The lint handling system of the present invention also provides an eyebrow extension of the lint separator to produce a low pressure airflow region.

Lint handling system

Growing community of inventors

Berrien Springs, MI, United States of America

Mark H Nelson