Abstract: A power switching arrangement for a self-cleaning oven appliance incorporating a unique arrangement of two double throw relays in the oven power control circuit. The two relays are operatively interconnected to selectively couple the oven bake and broil elements to the three wire power supply to switch the bake element across L1 and L2 and the broil element across L1 and N when operating in the bake mode, and switch the bake element out of the circuit and the broil element across L1 and L2, when operating in the broil mode. The interconnection is accomplished in a manner which prevents both heating elements from being simultaneously energized at full power regardless of the failure mode of the switching circuitry, thereby eliminating the need for a thermal limit switch to guard against excessive temperatures in the oven resulting from worst case switching circuit failures.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet includes a storage compartment defined by encased walls including inner metal panels and corresponding breaker panels forming a peripheral edge surface surrounding the access opening. A door is hingedly mounted adjacent one edge and includes a resilient sealing gasket to seal the opening. A resilient flap is formed on the breaker panel so that an auxiliary seal is formed separate from the gasket against the liner panel of the door upon closing. An extended dead air space is provided between the flap, gasket and the opposed panels so that heat transfer from the area of the gasket into the compartment is substantially eliminated. The elongated body of the flap is approximately 70 Shore A Durometer hardness of a suitable plastic, such as polyvinylchloride. In the preferred embodiment, the cross-section of the body takes the form of a spike in cross-section with a convergent 5.degree. angle from the base. The flaps extend at included angles of approximately 45.degree. to the panels.

Abstract: The utility conduits (electric conductors and water conduit) of a door mounted dispenser are conducted from below the cabinet to the inside of the door through an inflexible tube. One section of tube rests on a shelf under the refrigerator cabinet and a second section of the tube projects into the bottom of the door in free-standing relationship to the door. The lengths of the tube sections assure that the second section stays in the door without the need of any mechanical connection between the tube and door.

Abstract: A reversible clothes dryer door mounting arrangement in which the hinge assembly attaching the door to the dryer cabinet includes at least one and preferably two leaf hinges, each having a fixed hinge leaf attached to the door and a detachable hinge leaf attached to the cabinet. Each detachable leaf has a pair of vertically disposed keyhole shaped screw holes. The reduced portion of the upper keyhole extends upwardly from the enlarged portion. The reduced portion of the lower keyhole extends downwardly from the enlarged portion. Mounting holes are provided in the cabinet front wall on both sides of the access opening, aligned to be in register with the reduced portions of the upper and lower keyhole openings. The door is mounted by partially inserting a mounting screw in the uppermost mounting hole on the selected side of the cabinet. The enlarged portion of the upper keyhole opening in the leaf is passed over the head of the mounting screw and dropped down.

Abstract: A mechanism for securing items in a dishwasher rack includes a support member mounted on the rack, and a U-shaped contact member with the distal ends of the contact member rotatably connected to the support member. A spring is mounted on the support member and engages the ends of the contact member to urge the contact member into engagement with items in the dishwasher rack.

Abstract: A refrigerator has a compartment to be refrigerated and a refrigerant evaporator normally operable at frost producing temperatures to refrigerate the compartment. The evaporator includes an elongated tube to receive refrigerant with an elongated spine fin ribbon of heat exchange material including an elongated base wound in an open spiral about and in intimate heat exchange contact with the tube. A continuous series of fingers project outwardly of the tube along each edge of the base and the distal ends of the fingers are bent to extend generally perpendicular to the root portions of the fingers.

Abstract: A refrigerator has a compartment to be refrigerated and a refrigerant evaporator normally operable at frost producing temperatures to refrigerate the compartment. The evaporator includes an elongated tube to receive refrigerant with an elongated spine fin ribbon of heat exchange material including an elongated base wound in an open spiral about and in intimate heat exchange contact with the tube. A continuous series of fingers project outwardly of the tube along each edge of the base and the distal ends of the fingers are bent to extend generally perpendicular to the root portions of the fingers.

Abstract: An assembly for introducing electric conductors into the interior of a refrigerator through the liner. The liner is formed with a circular opening and a plurality of notches extending outwardly of the opening. A grommet has a central body portion with a circular cross-section encompassing the conductors. An annular flange and a plurality of mounting lugs project outward from the body. Each lug includes a locking portion spaced from the flange slightly more than the thickness of the liner and a connecting section joined to the flange. The grommet is mounted with its central body portion received in the opening in the liner and with the grommets received through the notches and rotated to capture a portion of the liner between the locking portion of the lugs and the flange.

Abstract: A household refrigerator shelf assembly includes an unitary support structure having a rear and spaced apart side walls with a horizontally oriented channel extending around the periphery of the structure. A high tempered, high strength sheet is mounted in the channel with adhesive positioned between the sheet and the support structure. The side walls extend along only the rear portion of sides of the glass sheet and bosses are formed in the channel to assure room for an effective amount of adhesive.

Abstract: The biasing mechanism of a refrigerator includes a spring connected to provide biasing force in the desired directions at the appropriate degrees of door opening and an arm and roller arrangement which compliments the action of the spring. Within about 30 degrees or so of its closed position the door is biased toward its closed position. From about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees of door opening the biasing mechanism slightly biases the door toward its open position. At about 90 degrees the door is stable and beyond about 90 degrees the mechanism provides an addition stable position.

Abstract: A range with a lift-up cooktop is provided with an integrally formed non-metallic combination cooktop locator and support rod race member to position the cooktop relative to the rang body when the lift-up cooktop is in its lowered position and to provide a non-metallic bearing surface for the support rod to slide against when the lift-up cooktop is raised and lowered.

Abstract: A side by side refrigerator has a vertical evaporator formed from an elongated tube wrapped with a ribbon of material having spine fins extending substantially perpendicular from the elongated tube. The elongated tube has elongated straight runs joined by return bent ends to define a vertically extending evaporator having a generally oval spiral or configuration. In one embodiment, the elongated straight runs are spaced from each other throughout the vertical length of the evaporator to provide a space of constant area for air flow.

Abstract: A spine fin refrigerator evaporator is formed of lower and upper sections of elongated straight runs, which have fins thereon and have their ends connected to each other by return bent ends. The lower section is formed with two rows of the elongated straight runs in an A shape to provide a passage therebetween through which air initially flows through the evaporator so that frost can be gathered without blocking air flow therethrough. The upper section has three rows of the elongated straight runs with the fins of adjacent rows overlapping each other to provide an efficient heat transfer from the refrigerant in the elongated straight runs to the air whereby the lower and upper sections combine to provide a practical and efficient evaporator. If desired, the upper and lower sections can be vertically spaced from each other to have a defrost heater disposed therebetween.

Abstract: The valve assembly for a rotary compressor includes an elongated valve member which rests on pads on each side of the valve seat and includes an intermediate sealing section normally sealing against the valve seat. An elongated valve spring biases the sealing section toward engagement with the valve seat. An elongated spring backer sits on one end of the valve spring and the other end of the valve member. One end of each of the valve member, valve spring and spring backer are bolted to the compressor end plate. The other end of the spring backer permits the corresponding end of the valve member to slide along the end plate as the valve member moves between its open and closed positions, while restraining the end of the valve member from moving away from the end plate. A backer support, positioned between the spring backer and the head of the bolt, spreads the clamping force and defines a line about which the valve member and valve spring flex.

Abstract: A refrigerator includes a fresh food compartment with a rear wall, an evaporator refrigerating air and an air passageway directing a stream of refrigerated air to flow down the rear wall. An adjustable storage assembly includes a frame mounted adjacent the rear wall, a storage pan slideably mounted to the frame, a shroud surrounding the pan and an air deflector extending upwardly and upwardly of the rear of the shroud. An user operable handle mounted to the frame and connected to the shroud for adjusting the position of the shroud and the deflector relative to the stream of air.

Abstract: A fabric washing machine has a container for fabrics and fluid to wash the fabrics. A switched reluctance motor is connected to the container. The motor is operated at a constant torque and the time needed to accelerate the container and a load of fabrics from one speed to a higher speed is measured. The measurement may be repeated with a different torque input. The inertia of the system, and thus the size of the fabric load, is calculated from the time measurement. The load size information, whether calculated or inputted, is used to calculate the blend of fabrics in the load. Water is added to the container in predetermined increments, and the container is oscillated a predetermined number of strokes and the required torque is measured after each addition of water. The required torque is used to calculate the blend of fabrics as the torque value varies with load size (already known) and the percentage of cotton in the load.

Abstract: An improvement to conventional atmospheric gas burners particularly advantageously applied to the type used as surface heating units in gas cooking appliances such as ranges and cooktops, which typically comprise a burner head having a plurality of primary burner ports formed at port locations equally spaced about the periphery of the burner head. Improvement is realized by not forming primary burner ports at selected ones of the equally spaced port locations. The unused port locations are selected so as to separate the primary ports into groups. The reduction in the number of ports reduces the total port area thereby reducing the amount of primary air entrained in the air/gas mixture delivered to the burner. In addition the resulting spacing of the groups of ports has the effect of reducing the amount of secondary air per port relative to that which would be entrained by the same number of ports, if equally distributed about the periphery.