Whirlpool Corporation

International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC

Envolve Engineering, LLC

International Truck and Engine Corporation

Envolve Intellectual Property LLC

Michael Edward Stagg

Martin Shawn Egan

Li Yi Situ

Gregory Gene Hortin

Richard R Rowan

Thasin A Sayeed

Nihat O Cur

Patrick J Boarman

Kevin Michael Chase

Andrew David Litch

Donald E Janke

Travis Michael Perkins

Joseph Stork Smith

Ronald Wayne Guess

Tiemen T Van Dillen

Anderson Bortoletto

Randell Lee Jeffery

John Richard Wisnoski

Burnell L Bender

Matthew J Nibbelink

Anthony D Sutton

Vincent P Anderson

Steven W Fuller

Gregory S Didier

Jill C Moeller

Susan Ridgley Keil

Rodrigo Alexandre Sigwalt

Rhonda K Hendrickson-Orman

Kyle Carter Edmondson

Mark J Braun

Dale L Kuhn

Brandi L Grimm

An icemaker control circuit may include an icemaker module and a DC motor. The icemaker module may include a control board that receives an AC power signal directly from an AC source that is external to the icemaker control circuit. The module may also include self-contained electronics and controls that allows icemaker operation without a need to interface to any signals other than AC power signal. The DC motor is provided for moving an output drive and is controlled by a DC output of the control circuit of the icemaker module in response to applying the AC signal to the icemaker module.

Control circuit

A liner for an appliance is formed by a plastic sheet formed into a three dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of a compartment of the appliance. A plurality of electrically conductive ink pathways are applied on a surface of the plastic sheet, and a sealer material is applied to the plastic sheet to cover said pathways.

Liner with electrical pathways

A system comprising a gear having at least one slot, wherein the gear is connected to an icetray and a motor so that when the motor rotates the gear, the icetray twists, and an optical sensor that detects when the gear has rotated the slot over the optical sensor. The icetray twists while the gear is rotated in a first direction away from a home position to a reverse twist position. The rotation of gear then reverses to twist the icetray to a harvest position in a second direction that is opposite of the first direction until ice in the icetray is dislodged.

Systems and methods for harvesting ice from an icemaker tray

A circuit allows an energy efficient DC design to drop in to an AC application and interface directly with the AC signals in a cost effective manner. The circuit is implemented without any use of mechanically switched contacts. All switching of current is done through solid state devices. Positional feedback and speed of the motor is provided through an optically encoded output gear eliminating the need for mechanical position switches to determine motor rotational position.

An appliance includes a dispenser for dispensing a mixture of a diluent and a consumable. The mixture may be a beverage wherein the diluent is water and the consumable is a flavorant. The dispenser includes a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the diluent at the inlet. The rate at which the consumable is added to the diluent is dependent upon the pressure of the diluent at the inlet. The consumable may be provided in a single container, or a user may specify a particular type of consumable from a plurality of containers provided on a rotation carousel.

Beverage dispenser with multi-chambered carousel and automatic coordination of flavorant flow rate

A liner for an appliance is formed by a plastic sheet formed into a three dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of a compartment of the appliance. A plurality of electrically conductive ink pathways are applied on a surface of the plastic sheet, and a sealer material is applied to the plastic sheet to cover said pathways

Method of forming a liner for an appliance

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, and a battery. There is at least one fan disposed within the refrigerator cabinet and electrically connected to the battery. The battery powers the at least one fan during a power outage to thereby circulate air from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment. The at least one fan may be a direct current operated fan. The refrigerator may also include an inverter and the at least one fan may then be an alternating current operated fan electrically connected to the inverter. The battery may be disposed within the refrigerator cabinet or may be external to the refrigerator cabinet.

Extended cold (battery backup) refrigerator

A control for raising and lowering a lift axle ( ) on a motor vehicle ( ) having an ignition switch ( ) for turning the motor on and off. The control has a circuit ( ) that is fed through the ignition switch when the ignition switch is on but not when the ignition switch is off and that has a first switch device ( F) that requires actuation to enable the lift axle to be lowered and a second switch device ( D) that, once the first switch device has been actuated to enable the lift axle to be lowered, is effective upon being actuated to cause the lift axle to be lowered. Placement of the vehicle transmission in reverse automatically raises the lift axle if it has been lowered.

Lift axle control

The invention provides a bushing for insertion into a cylindrical aperture defined by a mounting bracket. The bushing further provides for retention of a cylindrical sensor housing which is enveloped around its circumference by the bushing and positioned adjacent a rotating flux focusing element. The bushing is formed from a sheet of spring metal and shaped into a cylinder. A pair of outwardly projecting retaining brackets extend from a first end of the sheet and are positioned at one end of the cylinder. In addition, a pair of outwardly projecting dimples are formed in the sheet near the edge of the sheet opposite the first edge, the dimples being sized to allow insertion of the bushing into a cylindrical aperture but function to resist extraction for the bushing after passing completely through the cylindrical aperture.

High retention force anti-lock brake sensor clip

A liquid dispenser and self-filling container system, including a liquid supply line, a liquid container, a liquid dispenser positioned to deliver a supply of liquid to the container from the liquid supply line, a valve positioned in the liquid supply line to selectively deliver liquid to the liquid dispenser, an optical sensor positioned relative to the liquid container to detect the presence of the container and a level of liquid in the container, and a control circuit connecting the optical sensor and the valve to open the valve when the sensor detects the presence of the container and a level of liquid below a maximum desired liquid level in the container and to close the valve when the sensor detects at least one of the absence of the container and a maximum desired liquid level in said container. Such a liquid dispenser may be a water dispenser in a refrigerator.

Liquid dispenser with self-filling container

A backshell for an electrical connector gives the electrical connector handedness to force a particular orientation of the connector with respect to a device in order to limit the choice of devices to which the electrical connector can be attached. The backshell fits around the connector and a portion of a cable connected to the connector. The cable is forced into a right angle turn in the interior of the backshell to give the device handedness.

Backshell with forced electrical connector orientation

Growing community of inventors

Evansville, IN, United States of America

Michael Edward Stagg