Whirlpool Corporation

Ronald Wayne Guess

Joseph M Szynal

Keith Allen Snyder

Donald E Janke

Greg A Bradley

Melissa Marie Bippus

Dennis J Staley

Stephen G Williams

Lori A Cook

John A Laine

Li Y Situ

Dale A Beard

Douglas David Leclear

Andrew Michael Tenbarge

Andrew David Litch

Anderson Bortoletto

Patrick J Glotzbach

Michael Edward Stagg

Randell Lee Jeffery

Frank Weston Maglinger

Matthew J Nibbelink

Vincent P Anderson

Ralph Tate, Jr

Dennis G Schenk

Martin Rodney Busche

Beth A Maddix

Andrew M Oltman

Jill C Moeller

Paul B Chestnut

Patrick S Streeter

Quynh Hoang

Lori Ann Hagemeyer Cook

Stoney Q McGowan

Rex P Mowery

Patrick J Gotzbach

John Ricard Wisnoski

Rodrigo Alexandre Sigwalt

Randall L Carnal

Vincent Paul Anderson

Michael E Stagg

Randell L Jeffery

A refrigeration system includes a water circulation system and a replaceable water filter. The refrigerator includes a sensor that determines if a water filter is present, and a user interface that prompts a user to purge a water filter upon installation of a new water filter in the refrigerator. The water filter may include a memory storage device that stores information concerning the allowable life of the water filter, the remaining life of the water filter, and other information. Information concerning the remaining life of the water filter and other information can be displayed or otherwise communicated to a user by the user interface.

Water filter purge indication

Water filtration purge indication

According to one embodiment, a filter may comprise a housing, a filter medium positioned within the housing, the filter medium having an operational life related to an amount of fluid passed through the filter medium, and a one-bit memory element coupled to the housing, the one-bit memory having a first state that indicates that the operational life of the filter medium has not expired and having a second state that indicates that the operational life of the filter medium has expired. The one-bit memory element may be illustratively embodied as a fusible link.

Smart filter

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 plug-in power supply for a refrigerator used to charge portable electronic devices includes an auxiliary power supply mounted in an auxiliary power supply compartment, and a removable module, having an electrical connector, mounted in an electrical connector cup. A portable electronic device is charged by placing the device in the connector cup and coupling the device to the electrical connector. Power is then supplied from the auxiliary power supply to the portable electronic device.

Refrigerator with plug-in power supply

A low cost method and apparatus for indicating when to replace a water filter in a water and ice delivery system for a refrigerator. The invention uses a low cost microprocessor and senses the operational condition of an ice maker water valve, a water dispenser valve to monitor and track water usage. The microprocessor has a built-in memory to retain water usage and other data during a power outage. The invention also senses the status of a door switch to permit user input of a reset message indicating that the filter has been changed as well as an input indicating a different type of filter has been installed. The microprocessor controls a tri-color light emitting diode to display the status of the filter as &ldquo;good&rdquo;, &ldquo;order&rdquo; or &ldquo;change&rdquo; which is determined based on the selection of the type of filter system, the amount of time since the last filter change, and the amount of water usage since the last filter change.

Water filter monitoring and indicating system

A low cost method and apparatus for indicating when to replace a water filter in a water and ice delivery system for a refrigerator. The invention uses a low cost microprocessor and senses the operational condition of an ice maker water valve, a water dispenser valve to monitor and track water usage. The microprocessor has a built-in memory to retain water usage and other data during a power outage, The invention also senses the status of a door switch to permit user input of a reset message indicating that the filter has been changed as well as an input indicating a different type of filter has been installed. The microprocessor controls a tri-color light emitting diode to display the status of the filter as &ldquo;good&rdquo;, &ldquo;order&rdquo; or &ldquo;change&rdquo; which is determined based on the selection of the type of filter system, the amount of time since the last filter change, and the amount of water usage since the last filter change.

An ice maker for use in a refrigeration apparatus as well as a method of optimizing ice production in an ice maker. The ice maker has a mold and a fan selectively operable to direct moving cold air past the mold during the ice formation process. In the preferred embodiment, the fan does not operate during the harvest portion of the cycle. A fan assembly consisting of a fan or blower, a motor, a switch in series with the motor and leads for electrically interconnecting the motor and in switch with the icemaker power supply is preferably assembled as a module removably interconnectable with the icemaker as an optional feature. The icemaker has an increased the rate of ice production due to the increased rate of convective heat transfer.

Method and apparatus for rapid ice production

A modular lighting assembly is provided for a refrigerator which has a molded base plate carrying a light bulb, a light switch and electrical connectors between the light switch and light bulb. The light switch may be either a plunger type switch or other types of switch such as a magnetic switch. The light is positioned adjacent to the switch so as to avoid the necessity of having a wire harness extend within the refrigerator cabinet between those two components.

Modular assembly and method for a refrigerator

A blind connector is provided on an access panel. The access panel covers an access opening in a wall of an apparatus. The wall separates an access area from a connective element such as a harness on the other side of the wall. The blind connector holds the connective element by a connector on the connective element. The blind connector makes the connective element readily available when the access panel is removed. This improved access panel provides easy access to an ice maker harness in the freezer portion of a refrigerator-freezer for the later connection of an ice maker kit.

Access panel with blind connector

A low cost, flexible lighting apparatus and method is provided. A light source and at least one extruded optical fiber having a first end and a second end are provided. The first end is arranged so that light from the light source enters the first end and is transmitted through the optical fiber so that it exits the second end. The second end is arranged so as to illuminate an indicator with light transmitted from the light source via the extruded optical fiber. This arrangement is advantageously used in an appliance such as a refrigerator to illuminate the control panel dials with the optical fibers in a high quality, cost effective method.

Low cost flexible lighting method for appliances

A defrost cycle controller for a system, comprising a circuit operatively configured to control operation of a compressor and a defrost heater including a timer module that can be used either as a variable timer controller, a real time controller, or a cumulative run time controller, by selective connection of feedback signals provided to the plug-in module from the compressor and the defrost heater.

Refrigeration system configuration

A defrost cycle controller for modifying the total length of time a compressor operates before a defrost cycle is initiated, wherein the time the compressor is on between defrost cycles is referred to herein as a frost accumulation period. A microprocessor includes means for deenergizing the compressor and coupling the defrost heater to a power supply when a continuous compressor run time exceeds a predetermined demand defrost time. The microprocessor further includes means for determining the time required to actually defrost the evaporator during a defrost operation, referred to herein as a defrost time, and means for modifying the frost accumulation period in response to the time to complete the defrost operation. The present invention further provides a method for determining the time required to actually defrost the evaporator during a first defrost operation, referred to herein as a first defrost time, and for determining the time required to actually defrost the unit during a second defrost operation, referred to herein as a second defrost time, wherein the second defrost operation is immediately subsequent to the first defrost operation. An inference is made as to whether the frost accumulating period should be modified before initiating the next defrost operation in response to the first defrost time and the second defrost time are provided and the frost accumulating period is modified if required.

Fuzzy logic adaptive defrost control

A refrigerator having a cabinet defining a first compartment and a second compartment separated from each other by a divider wall wherein the divider wall has an air passage for communicating between the first and second compartments. A baffle is positioned within the air passage and is positionable in an open or closed position for selectively opening and closing the air passage. A motor drives a cam which is coupled to the baffle such that rotation of the cam operates to selectively move the baffle to the open or closed position. A thermostat senses temperature within the fresh food compartment. First and second switches selectively energize the motor such that the baffle may be opened when the thermostat indicates the fresh food compartment requires cooling and closed when the thermostat indicates the fresh food compartment does not require cooling, respectively. The baffle of the present invention further includes a first plate having an aperture therethrough defining an opening through which refrigerated air may pass, and a second plate movable relative to the first plate and including an aperture therethrough defining an opening through which refrigerated air may pass. Both the second plate and first plate aperture includes chamfered edges for forming a sharp edge periphery on the facing plate surfaces such that frost build up on the baffle may be removed by the chamfered edges provided on the periphery of the apertures.

Air baffle for a refrigerator

Growing community of inventors

Evansville, IN, United States of America

Ronald Wayne Guess