Maytag Corporation

Werner Co.

Other

Whirlpool Corporation

Troy A Johnson

Curtis J Tremel

Joseph M Keeler

Michael C Roberts

Joel L Herr

John Ellwood Thomas

Stephen D Schober

Joseph C Dangrow

Stephen D Ostdiek

Derek Bibler

Christopher Ruppen

Dean L Schaffran

Greg K Harmelink

Chris P Lickiss

Evan R Vande Haar

Gary B Jackovin

Ted L Hansen

Lisa J Hood

Paul E Maass

Frank S Nekic

William R White

William A Jensen

Julie M Bundy

Bette McCombs Guzman

Jeffrey D Rupe

Evan R VandeHaar

Russell L VanNorden

Burton R Vander Schel

Dale D Vander Heiden

Louis R Smothers

Gary D Bestell

Lee R Birch

Theodore R Van Drimmelen

Kevin W Shipley

David L Ringgenberg

A ladder having a plane having a periphery. The plane having a body opening to receive a body of an impact driver and a trigger recess extending from the body opening to receive a trigger of the impact driver. The body opening conforming to a shape of the body and the trigger recess conforming to the shape of the trigger. The body opening and the trigger recess holding the impact driver when the impact driver is placed on the top. A ladder top. A method for using an impact driver with a ladder.

Ladder with top for holding an impact driver and method

Ladder top

A cabinet dryer door includes a truss attached to the door to establish seal compression for adequate sealing of the door against the drying cabinet. The inner door has spacers molded into the inner door. The truss cooperates with the spacers to bias the door against the seal. The drying cabinet may utilize a pair of doors with at least one having a truss that establishes a seal compression in both of the doors. The truss is joined to the inner door by a screw located in the center of the truss. The method has the step securing a truss member to the door and curving the door to create a biasing force.

Cabinet dryer door with truss and method of use

Wheelchair brake handle

A clothes drying cabinet is provided with a shaker assembly including a bar suspended in the cabinet for supporting clothes hangers. A motor is mounted adjacent the bar and has a drive shaft. A drive weight is eccentrically mounted to the drive shaft of the motor so that upon actuation of the motor, the drive weight imparts a shaking motion to the bar so as to facilitate removal of wrinkles from the clothing on the hangers. A ballast weight may also be provided in the shaker assembly so as to evenly distribute the energy from the eccentric weight regardless of the weight of the clothes hanging on the bar.

Drying cabinet shaker mechanism

An appliance with an internal working space has a door to provide access to the working space. A control panel is operatively mounted on the appliance. A seal mounted on the door sealingly engages with an upright wall on the control panel when the door is closed to prevent migration of moisture toward the components of the control panel. The door also includes a sloped inner wall terminating in a lip, which directs moisture away from the seal and control panel components

Clothes dryer with control panel seal

A combination tumble and cabinet dryer appliance includes a housing with a tumble dryer and a cabinet dryer therein. The tumble dryer and cabinet dryer are operable independently of one another. Separate sources of hot air are provided to each of the tumble and cabinet dryers. The cabinet dryer extends over and along one side of the tumble dryer. A portion of the cabinet dryer extends substantially along the height of the housing so as to receive long hanging clothes, such as a dress. Removable shelves are provided in the cabinet dryer for drying sweaters and the like.

Combination tumble and cabinet dryer

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet, a drying chamber, a door assembly, a blower assembly and an air passage for directing an airflow to the drying chamber. A media holder is removably positioned in the air passage to suspend a volatilizable media in the path of the airflow. The media holder includes a main body having rear wall formed from a latticework frame, an interior for receiving the volatilizable material, and a door member. The door member is also formed from a latticework frame. With this arrangement, both the rear wall and door member include a plurality of openings to allow an airflow to carry a fragrance or other substance from the volatilizable material through the air passage to treat clothes placed in the drying chamber.

Volatilizable media holder for a laundry dryer

Dryer control panel

A control device for a laundry appliance includes a member which need only be manually shifted through a limited range of travel, from a neutral position to which the control member is biased, in either of first and second opposing directions, to establish a desired cycle and to adjust an operational time for the cycle. The control member is provided with numerous movable contacts which are interposed between fixed contacts. Shifting of the control member a limited amount in either direction will function to engage a single pair of the contacts, while shifting the control member a further amount in the same direction causes another pair of the contacts to become engaged. In this manner, the contacts are paired to slowly increase or decrease the operational time and to also select either the next or previous operational cycle. User feedback of the selected setting is preferably provided through the use of a illuminated indicator that shifts around a track adjacent operational indicia.

Laundry appliance with versatile programming control device

The air pressure sensor of the present invention functions to control the water level in a washing machine tub and to vary the fill volume relative to the clothes load. The sensor or switch is mounted on the drain pump on the base of the washing machine cabinet, so as to be independent from the washing machine tub. An air dome extends between the switch and the water inlet line of the pump. The switch is set to be actuated at a predetermined pressure. As the water level increases in the tub, the air pressure within the air dome increases, until eventually the switch is actuated. The switch is mounted directly to the air dome in an angular orientation, thereby minimizing or eliminating condensation problems in the switch. The switch will also be activated by water pressure, in the event of an air leak in the air dome, so as to preclude water overflow of the tub.

Drain pump mounted pressure switch for a washing machine

A hose retainer is provided to maintain a hose in a gooseneck shape. The retainer includes opposite rings which retentively engage portions of the hose adjacent the gooseneck. The retainer is molded or stamped from plastic so as to have a flat one-piece construction. A tab is provided on the retainer and is adapted to be received in a slot on the back of a washing machine to hold the hose close to the machine during shipping and storage.

Hose retainer

A pump mount of the present invention is adapted to removably mount a pump to a washing machine without requiring access to the bottom of the washing machine. The pump includes a mount having a pair of feet which are adapted to be secured to the base of the washing machine using a twist lock. The feet can be inserted into holes formed in the washing machine base and the pump twisted to lock the pump in place. The wash tub outlet hose and drain hose are then attached to the pump. The hoses attached to the pump secure the pump in the locked position preventing the pump from twisting to the unlocked position.

Method and apparatus for mounting a pump to a washing machine

According to a method and apparatus for balancing a container using a closed system fluid balance ring for high rotational speed washing machines, the transfer of fluid is pulsed, allowing for a variable overall mass transfer rate while computation of the imbalance continues. Mass transfer continues until any significant imbalance is eliminated. The quasi-constant nature of this method allows for the resulting imbalance tolerances to be significantly lower. As the imbalance decreases, the mass transfer rate is varied accordingly.

Method and apparatus for operating an automatic balancing system

A sealing device is provided to bridge a gap defined between open frontal portions of inner and outer tubs of a horizontal axis washing machine in order to prevent foreign objects from getting into the outer tub from the inner tub through the gap and potentially clogging a pumping system of the machine. In the preferred form of the invention, the sealing device includes a first seal portion fixedly secured to a lower, inner wall portion of a cover attached to the outer tub and a flexible, second seal portion which extends toward and preferably slidably contacts a balance ring provided about the open frontal portion of the inner tub. In accordance with one embodiment, the sealing device is constituted by a brush member, with the second seal portion being defined by bristles of the brush member. In another embodiment, the sealing device is constituted by a plastic film having one longitudinal side secured to the outer tub cover and another longitudinal side in sliding contact with the balance ring.

Seal arrangement between inner and outer tubs of a horizontal axis

Growing community of inventors

Newton, IA, United States of America

Troy A Johnson