Maytag Corporation

Magic Chef, Inc.

The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Other

Sheldon Wayne Mandel

Xiaoyong Fu

Ronald K Anderson

Robert Stephen Mercille

John Phillip Myers

Edward Everett Crompton, Iii

Jose G Avendano

William James Vestal

Steven G Tirrell

Gerald L Wolanin

Oliver W Durrant

Robert A Christenson

Chandrasekhara R Kakarala

William J Vestal, Ii

Robert C Zimmerman

Richard James Miller

Scott Robert Voll

Kenneth E Davis

Chinmoy Banerjee

John C Rue, Sr

Michael A Mohrfeld

Robert M Riley

Robert L Wetekamp

Alvin V Miller

Thomas Carl Anell

Douglas A Heims

Kyle B VanMeter

James E deBeers

David Brown

Mark P Slaven

Behrooz Mohebbi

Robert Katz

Scott T Tunzi

Vernon A Mellentin

Charles R Horton

Paul V Sikir

A sheet of plastic to be thermoformed into an appliance liner is brought to a substantially uniform temperature, preferably to a temperature differential of less than 5&#xb0; F. throughout, by directing a fluid medium upon opposing side surfaces of the sheet. In the most preferred form of the invention, the fluid medium is constituted by air which is heated, impinged upon the opposing surfaces and recirculated, with the temperature and flow rate of the air being controlled based on sensed operating parameters.

Method for creating a substantially uniform temperature across a plastic sheet for delivery to an appliance liner thermoforming device

A refrigerator storage arrangement includes a plurality of vertically spaced shelves and a contents viewing system used in connection with enhancing the viewing of food items stored on a rear portion of a lower shelf of the storage arrangement. In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the contents viewing system is constituted by a mirror member mounted underneath an upper refrigerator shelf for the purpose of viewing objects located on the lower shelf. The mirror member can take various configurations and may be adjusted through a specified angle range to further enhance the overall viewing arrangement.

Refrigerator contents viewing system

A plastic terminal end section of a refrigerator handle is secured to an upper in-turned portion of a refrigerator door by forming the end section with a lower channel defined, at least in part, by in-turned, tie-down flanges. The overall mounting assembly also incorporates a metal plate which slips into the channel and receives mechanical fasteners such that the fasteners extend into the terminal end section of the handle, through the metal plate, and into the door. With this arrangement, the metal plate functions to clamp down the tie-down flanges to the door when the fasteners are tightened, thereby securing the terminal end section of the handle to the door.

Refrigerator door handle

A food storage system mounted in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator includes an enclosure, as well as a food receptacle slidably positioned in the enclosure. A thermoelectric (TE) device is employed to establish a flow of temperature controlled air for establishing a desired temperature in the food receptacle. In accordance with one embodiment, the thermoelectric device is positioned in a chamber defined behind the food receptacle. In another embodiment, the thermoelectric device comprises a module located atop the enclosure.

Thermoelectric temperature controlled refrigerator food storage compartment

A temperature controlled drawer assembly incorporates a thermoelectric device and a control system to selectively heat or cool the contents of a drawer which is selectively movable into and out of a cabinet designed to be part of an end table, such as a nightstand, or other cabinet remote from a household kitchen. In a cooling mode of operation, a fan, disposed in the cabinet, draws air from inside the drawer and blows the air over a cold side of a heat sink to cool the air. The treated air is blown through plenums, back into the drawer. At the same time, heat is drawn away from the cold side and directed out of the cabinet. The current through the heat sink may be reversed to flip the cold and hot sides of the heat sink to enable the contents of the drawer to be heated.

Thermoelectric temperature controlled drawer assembly

A food storage system mounted in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator includes an enclosure defined by inner and outer housings, as well as a food receptacle slidably positioned in the inner housing. The inner and outer housings are spaced so as to define a zone therebetween within which air is forced to flow in order to cool the contents of the receptacle. Inlet vents are provided in the inner housing to permit a portion of the cooling air to flow directly into the food receptacle, while the remainder of the air flow is directed about the inner housing for indirect cooling of the contents in the food receptacle.

Refrigerator food storage compartment with quick chill feature

A sheet of plastic to be thermoformed into an appliance liner is brought to a substantially uniform temperature, preferably to a temperature differential of less than 5&deg; F. throughout, by directing a fluid medium upon opposing side surfaces of the sheet. In the most preferred form of the invention, the fluid medium is constituted by air which is heated, impinged upon the opposing surfaces and recirculated, with the temperature and flow rate of the air being controlled based on sensed operating parameters.

Apparatus for creating a substantially uniform temperature across a plastic sheet for delivery to an appliance liner thermoforming device

A refrigeration appliance includes a large capacity refrigeration system for developing a flow of cold air that is impinged, preferably through top and side nozzles, upon food items placed within an internal cavity of the appliance to quickly freeze or chill the food items. An additional small capacity refrigeration system is provided to maintain a desired temperature within the cavity when the rapid cooling is not needed. Preferably, an impingement air diffuser arrangement is provided to direct the air flow and includes partition members to divide the internal cavity into subspaces for different food packages, with varying cooling rates being permissible between the various sub-spaces. A vertically adjustable shelf is provided which cooperates with blocking plates which move up and down with the shelf and function to block air flow through nozzles arranged below the shelf such that all of the developed air flow is used for direct impingement on the food product.

Refrigeration appliance with impingement cooling system

A food storage system mounted in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator includes an enclosure defined by inner and outer housings, as well as a food receptacle slidably positioned in the inner housing. The inner and outer housings are spaced so as to define a zone therebetween within which air is forced to flow in order to cool the contents of the receptacle. A temperature sensor is mounted within the inner housing, with signals from the sensor being sent to a control unit used to regulate the operation of a damper for controlling the flow of cooling air into the food storage system and a fan for distributing the cooling air within the food storage system. The control system also operates the damper and fan based on signals indicative of the opening and closing of the receptacle, the opening and closing of a door associated with the fresh food compartment and also the overall operation of the refrigerator. The food storage system preferably includes a control panel for selecting a desired operating temperature within the food receptacle, with the control panel preferably including a display that provides operational information for the food storage system.

Refrigerator food storage temperature control system

A refrigerator crisper system includes an enclosure defined by inner and outer housings, as well as a food receptacle slidably positioned in the inner housing. The inner and outer housings are spaced so as to define a zone therebetween within which air, generated by a fan mounted entirely within the enclosure, is forced to flow in order to cool the contents of the receptacle. The enclosure is formed with various vanes that direct the cooling air flow above, adjacent the sides and below the receptacle. In the most preferred form of the invention, a temperature sensor and a moisture permeable film are provided to further regulate the food storage environment established in the receptacle.

High performance food storage system for a refrigerator

An adjustable shelf is able to be initially attached to support structure within a storage area of a cabinet at any one of a multitude of vertical heights and then can be readily, mechanically adjusted to reposition the shelf as desired. In one embodiment, the shelf includes a pair of sprockets which are interengaged with mating slots formed in a pair of similarly constructed and laterally spaced support rails positioned within the cabinet. The drive arrangement for the sprockets can be manually, electrically or otherwise driven to provide infinite adjustments for the vertical shelf. When an electrical power motor is utilized as the drive source, the motor is preferably mounted upon a frame of the shelf and electrical power is transmitted to the motor through, at least in part, the support rail structure. In addition, the adjustable shelf carries at least one shift limiting member that can be positioned in either an in-use position, wherein the shift limiting member assures that the sprockets are maintained in engagement with the support rails, or in a release position, wherein the shelf can be either removed from or mounted upon the rails. In addition, the support rails are preferably constructed to accommodate various types of shelves in order to present a more universal, overall shelving assembly.

Vertically adjustable shelf and support rail arrangement for use in a

A refrigerator cabinet assembly includes a cabinet shell having opposed side walls that are interconnected by a top wall and a shell bottom. Each of the side and top walls of the shell lead to front face portions which are integrally formed with return flanges for use in mounting one or more liners within the cabinet shell in a manner known in the art. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the shell bottom is spaced rearwardly of the return flanges such that a receiving slot is defined therebetween. The cabinet assembly further includes an integrated, structural reinforcing frame mounted within the cabinet shell by sliding the frame within the receiving slot and securing the frame to the return flanges. After mounting a yoder tube, a mullion bar and the liners within the cabinet shell, a plastic toe plate is attached to the reinforcing frame. The toe plate is provided with side flanges which extend about the side walls of the cabinet shell. The reinforcing frame is provided, prior to positioning within the cabinet shell, with various attachment structure enabling door hinges, cabinet levelers and wheel assemblies to be readily secured to the overall cabinet assembly. In addition, gaps are created between side portions of the reinforcing frame and the cabinet shell to enable foam insulation to flow therebetween to further increase the overall structural integrity and thermal performance of the cabinet.

Refrigerator cabinet and method of assembling the same

A plastic kickface, that consolidates a conventional metal face plate and a plastic kickplate, extends across a lowermost frontal portion of a shell of a refrigerator cabinet assembly. At least one lower door hinge bracket is secured to reinforcement structure of the cabinet shell by fasteners that extend through tubular spacers located in holes formed in the plastic kickface. Provisions are made for creating a seal along a lower section of a door of the refrigerator cabinet assembly by interconnecting the kickface with a sealing strip that is adapted to be engaged by a section of an annular gasket attached to the door of the refrigerator cabinet assembly. When the door incorporates a magnetic sealing gasket, a metal strip is provided, with the strip being integrated into a face portion of the kickface in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention while, in accordance with another embodiment, the strip is first attached to the cabinet shell and then the kickface is interconnected to both the strip and the reinforcement structure.

Refrigerator cabinet incorporating a plastic kickface

A vertically adjustable wheel assembly for movably supporting an appliance cabinet or the like upon a supporting surface includes a housing, a supporting bracket, a wheel unit, an adjusting rod, an adjusting screw and various elongated mounting members. The wheel unit is defined by a pair of spaced rollers that are interconnected by a reduced diametric portion. The wheel unit is rotatably attached to the support bracket by an axle member, while the adjusting rod is also mounted for rotary movement by the support bracket. The support bracket is pivotally mounted to the housing, with both the wheel unit and the adjusting rod being permitted to rotate relative thereto. The adjusting screw extends through a frontal portion of the housing and it is threadably connected to the adjusting rod such that rotation of the screw causes pivoting of the support bracket relative to the housing and movement of the wheel assembly between fully extended and fully retracted positions. With the rollers of the wheel unit being laterally spaced, the adjusting screw is permitted to extend between the rollers when the adjustable wheel assembly assumes the retracted position. The arrangement represents an extremely compact vertically adjustable wheel assembly that can be advantageously preassembled and attached to a refrigerator cabinet or the like as a unit.

Vertically adjustable wheel assembly

An air flow system for the freezer compartment of a refrigerator includes air inlets located at an upper rear portion of the freezer compartment which direct a supply of cooling air forward and against both top and side walls of the compartment. The air then flows along an upper portion of the compartment toward a front thereof where it is re-directed downward and rearward. The bottom wall of the freezer compartment is provided with a plurality of upstanding, laterally spaced ribs upon which food items can be supported. Since the ribs are spaced, numerous channels are formed which extend from the front portion of the compartment to adjacent the rear wall. A gap is preferably created between the rear wall and the ends of the ribs such that air is permitted to flow laterally along a lower rear portion of the compartment. Air outlets or returns are also provided in the lower rear portion of the compartment for recycling of the air. With this arrangement, an effectively distributed and enhanced circulating flow of cooling air is created to efficiently maintain stored food items at a desired temperature.

Growing community of inventors

East Galesburg, IL, United States of America

Sheldon Wayne Mandel