The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 08, 2014
Filed:
Jun. 14, 2012
Justin Daniel Berger, Louisville, KY (US);
Andrew Reinhard Krause, LaGrange, KY (US);
Justin Daniel Berger, Louisville, KY (US);
Andrew Reinhard Krause, LaGrange, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
An ice dispensing assembly in an appliance and a method of controlling a duct door in an ice dispensing assembly is provided. A duct door is actuated to dispense ice using a motor. The motor can be variably driven using an electrical signal having a plurality of different levels or slopes during the actuation of the duct door. The electrical signal can have an increasing slope when the duct door is actuated into an open position. When the duct door is held in the open position, a constant electrical signal can be applied to the motor. The constant value can be lower than a peak value of the increasing slope of the electrical signal. To return the duct door to a closed position, an electrical signal having a decreasing slope can be applied to the duct door motor.