General Electric Company

Credo Technology Corporation

William Newton

John Keith Besore

Jeff Donald Drake

Michael F Finch

Timothy Dale Worthington

Richard DeVos

Darin Franks

Ronald Gary Foster

Kristen Kamath

Natarajan Venkatakrishnan

Eric Kent Watson

Steven Keith Root

Gregory A Phillips

Timothy Allen Hamel

Kyran Patricia Hoff

Russell James Fallon

Lucas Bryant Spicer

Arthur Wilson Scrivener

W Miles Hale

Carlos A Herrera

Sanjeev Kumar Singh

Preston Howard

Art W Scrivener

An energy management system for altering power consuming functions on an electrical device during specified periods of time, e.g., peak energy demand periods. The system includes an electrical device having one or more power consuming functions, a memory for storing power consuming function profiles corresponding to the one or more power consuming functions associated with the electrical device, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is programmed to access the power consuming function profiles associated with the electrical device, identify the one or more power consuming functions configured to be changed during a specified period of time, output the identified one or more power consuming functions, receive a request to not change at least one of the identified one or more power consuming functions, and prevent the requested one or more power consuming functions from being changed.

System and method for overriding demand system management enabled functions

A controller which receives a signal from an external associated energy utility indicative of a forthcoming rate increase period, and controls the rate of temperature change of a refrigerator from a user selected setpoint to a first targeted setpoint below the user selected setpoint. During the rate increase the controller establishes a second target setpoint above the user selected setpoint. After the rate increase period the controller reduces the temperature to the user selected setpoint at a constant rate defined by a number of degrees per minute.

Refrigeration demand response recovery

An energy management system and method for one or more appliances includes a controller for managing power consumption within a household. The controller is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of one or more energy parameters of an associated energy supplying utility, including at least a peak demand period or an off-peak demand period. The controller is configured to at least one of communicate to, control and operate one or more appliances in one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode in response to the received signal. The one or more appliances operate in the normal operating mode during the off-peak demand period and operate in the energy savings mode during the peak demand period. The controller is configured to control the return of the one or more appliances to the normal operating mode after the peak demand period is over to prevent an energy surge for the associated energy supplying utility.

Appliance demand response randomization after demand response event

Method and apparatus for ice maker systems are disclosed. One exemplary method comprises the steps of: heating an ice mold body to separate ice formed in the ice mold body from the ice mold body; releasing the separated ice from the ice mold body; and contacting at least a portion of the ice mold body with a heat transfer fluid to cool the ice mold body.

Method and apparatus for harvesting ice in an ice maker system

A refrigerator comprises a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment and one or more power consuming features/functions including a refrigeration system for cooling the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A controller is operatively connected to the one or more power consuming features/functions. The controller is configured to receive and process a signal indicative of current state of an associated energy supplying utility. The controller operates the refrigerator in one of plurality of operating modes, including at least a normal operating mode and an energy savings mode, in response to the received signal. The controller is configured to at least one of selectively schedule, delay, adjust and deactivate at least one of the one or more power consuming features/functions to reduce power consumption of the refrigerator in the energy savings mode.

Energy management of household appliances

A flow controlling assembly configured to permit air flow between a first chamber and a second chamber. A frame member includes a damper contacting surface at least partially surrounding a frame opening configured to permit the air flow therethrough. A damper plate includes a frame contacting surface configured to contact the damper contacting surface when the damper plate is in a closed position. A hinge assembly is disposed between the frame member and the damper plate. The hinge assembly is configured to permit the damper plate to rotate on a rotational axis relative to the frame member and to permit the rotational axis to translate relative to the frame member.

Flow controlling assembly and method

A refrigerator includes a housing defining a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment, a fan configured to provide airflow through the compartments, and a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes an airflow passage configured to allow cold air to flow from the freezer compartment to the fresh food compartment, a damper configured to be in an open position under the pressure of airflow flowing through the airflow passage and in a closed position due to a weight of the damper when cold air is flowing through the fresh food compartment. The damper assembly also includes a solenoid element configured to maintain the damper in the closed position regardless of airflow.

Damper assembly and methods for a refrigeration device

One embodiment of a drill press table accessory has a work surface with an opening therethrough for passing at least a portion of a drill bit. A vacuum channel communicates with the opening and with a vacuum port for connection to a vacuum source. In operation, a pressure differential may be communicated from the vacuum source to the opening to remove dust and debris as a work piece is operated on. An additional drill press table embodiment has upper and lower tables hingedly attached whereby the upper table may be oriented at an angle to the lower table so that a work piece can be operated on at an angle.

Drill press table accessory

Growing community of inventors

Brooks, KY, United States of America

William Newton