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:
Nov. 10, 2015
Filed:
Oct. 04, 2007
Brian Keith Culley, Mount Vernon, IN (US);
Patrick J. Boarman, Evansville, IN (US);
Ronald L. Voglewede, Saint Joseph, MI (US);
Randell L. Jeffery, Stevensville, MI (US);
Brian Keith Culley, Mount Vernon, IN (US);
Patrick J. Boarman, Evansville, IN (US);
Ronald L. Voglewede, Saint Joseph, MI (US);
Randell L. Jeffery, Stevensville, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus, method, and system for automatically turning off an electrically powered actuator in a refrigeration mechanism upon detection of an unwanted condition. In one aspect of the invention, the electrically powered actuator can be the motor of an ice maker/dispenser. The detection can be accomplished by sensing the presence of an object along or near an ice dispensing pathway from the ice maker/dispenser. The unwanted condition could be the presence of the object for more than a preset time period. This would allow to distinguish between an unwanted object such as silverware or clogged ice versus a wanted object such as flowing ice cubes, crushed ice, or shaved ice.