Abstract: A microwave oven uses a full wave full bridge inverter for supplying energy to a cooking magnetron by way of a power transformer. The inverter is controlled by a microprocessor which acts upon a control circuit having an oscillator. The control circuit provides gating pulses which are used to switch on FET switches in the inverter. The microprocessor stops and starts the gating pulses. The microprocessor may adjust the power of magnetron by turning the control circuit on and off for variable time intervals. Alternately, the microprocessor may control the power of the magnetron by changing the switching frequency of the inverter. The microprocessor is used in a filament standby mode to monitor the current in the magnetron's filament. In the filament standby mode, the inverter is operated at a lower than normal voltage such that the magnetron is not generating microwave power, but its filament is receiving sufficient current to warm it up, the current flowing through a filament winding of a power transformer.

Abstract: A refrigerator cabinet includes an outer housing having substantially parallel, spaced apart side walls connected by a top wall. A front face extends along the top and side walls and includes a peripheral groove open to the front of the cabinet. The groove has spaced apart, substantially flat lateral walls perpendicular to the front of the cabinet. A first cross-member extends between the side walls below the top wall to divide the cabinet into upper and lower sections. The first cross-member includes an upper groove open to the front of the cabinet and having spaced apart, substantially flat lateral walls perpendicular to the front of the cabinet. The upper groove connects with the peripheral groove at each side of the cabinet to form a first continuous channel encompassing the upper section. The first cross-member also includes a lower groove open to the front of the cabinet and having spaced apart, substantially flat lateral walls perpendicular to the front of the cabinet.

Abstract: A method of assembling a refrigerator having a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment separated by a mullion partition, the refrigerator having an outer metal casing with side walls, an inner liner and foamed-in-place thermal insulation between the metal casing and liner wherein the insulation has a void cavity adjacent the mullion partition. The metal casing is formed to have a vertical front face perpendicular to the side walls and a reinforcing nut strip is placed in the front face. The front face and nut strip aligned screw receiving apertures. A nozzle is inserted through the aligned apertures into the insulation void cavity and foamable hot melt material is forced through the nozzle into the insulation void cavity to fill the cavity. The nozzle is then withdrawn from the aligned apertures and a fastener is secured through the aligned apertures.

Abstract: A fabric dryer support structure serves multiple functions and facilitates dryer assembly. The dryer includes a drum, a panel supporting the open front end of the drum and a housing having front panel spaced from the open end of the drum. A unitary intermediate member bridges between the front panel and the drum, with an opening in the intermediate member in register with an access opening in the front panel and the open front end of the drum. A rim on the intermediate member is closely aligned with the front edge of the drum. The intermediate member also supports a filter in alignment with part of the drum opening.

Abstract: A fabric dryer includes an improved blower assembly, incorporating a tangential blower wheel and a blower housing formed by parts which serve additional functions in the dryer housing. The blower wheel is mounted forward of and the blower motor is mounted rearward of the panel supporting the front of the dryer drum. A member bridging between the front wall of the dryer housing and the front of the drum includes an elongated wall extending between and engaging the drum support panel and the housing front wall to form the blower housing and exit conduit for air leaving the blower housing.

Abstract: A shelf assembly including a panel forming a shelf with a back wall, bottom wall and side walls and having an elongated front shelf member and an end cap holding the shelf front member to each side wall of the shelf. The end cap has a base wall with perpendicular integrally formed rear, side and front flanges and the base wall has at the front thereof projections for securing thereto one end of the shelf front member. The end cap has a latching assembly secured to the rear flange and projecting rearwardly and receivable in an aperture in the panel side wall and includes two support legs each having a width slightly less than the distance between opposite edges of the side wall aperture. A spring member is located between the legs and attached to both support legs at one end away from the rear flange and the distal end of the spring member is free. The spring member has an inclined ramp portion extending from the attached end toward the rear flange and extends outside the diameter of the aperture in the panel.

Abstract: An improved power control system for a household cooking appliance of the type having a glass ceramic cooking surface and at least one radiant heating unit disposed beneath the cooking surface operable at a plurality of user selectable power settings. At least one of the power settings has associated with it predetermined maximum and minimum reference temperatures defining a temperature band representative of the steady state temperature range for the glass ceramic support surface proximate the heating unit when heating normal loads at that power setting.

Abstract: A refrigerant system for a household refrigerator has its operability tested after assembly of the refrigerant system with a refrigerator cabinet. A rotary compressor of the refrigerant system is preheated, preferably by applying heat to its stator through a low AC voltage, for a predetermined period of time prior to activation of the rotary compressor. After the rotary compressor is activated, the temperature of one of the serially connected coils of the evaporator remote from the first coil is determined. If the coil temperature is within a predetermined range, this indicates the proper operability of the refrigerant system. Power consumption can be measured in conjuction with the temperature so that a significant increase or decrease in power consumption would indicate a defective refrigerant system notwithstanding the coil temperature being satisfactory.

Abstract: A temperature sensor assembly for an automatic solid disk surface unit includes a temperature sensor enclosed in a metallic hermetically sealed generally cylindrical housing. Upper and lower centrally apertured annular disks formed of a porcelain ceramic material thermally isolate the sensor housing from the surrounding surface unit. A protective metallic skirt conforming to the outer contour of the insulating disks holds the assembly together. A layer of glaze material covers the exposed upper surface of the upper disk in the gap between the skirt and the housing to prevent the absorption of food soils.

Abstract: A cabinet corner cap and method of assembly comprising forming metal sheet into a cabinet corner having an elongated space at the junction of two panels of the metal sheet forming the corner. A corner cap is molded from suitable plastic material and has an elongated horizontal top wall with a central longitudinal axis and a vertical wall projecting downwardly from the central longitudinal axis of the top wall and extending a major portion of the length of the horizontal top wall. The vertical wall includes a series of spaced apart ribs perpendicular to and on each side of the vertical wall and diverging away from the vertical wall in the direction of the top wall and joining the horizontal top wall.

Abstract: Insulating panels are formed from compressed particulate material impregnated with insulating gases, the combination being held in a gas tight pouch. These pouches can be placed in the insulation space of a structure where insulation is to be provided and, if desired, encapsulated in a foamed insulating material. Among the possible particulate materials is precipitated silica, while various Freon gases can be employed as the insulating gas.

Abstract: A compartment assembly for a refrigerator comprising a panel on the inside of a refrigerator door, the panel having a recess area with a rear wall, a top wall and at least two spaced apart vertical dikes directed outwardly from the rear wall. The recess area has at the bottom an inwardly directed lip and the dikes have a side wall and a front face with the front face having a slot. There is a tray having a bottom wall, an integrally formed rear wall, front wall, and side walls, with the side walls each having a flange projecting outwardly perpendicular to the side walls and each of the flanges have a rearwardly projecting hook shaped element parallel to the side walls. The tray has a length such that the hook shaped elements cooperate with the slots in the vertical dikes for engagement and a horizontal depth such that the front wall projects outwardly from the dikes and the rear wall extends to the rear wall of the recess and rests on the projecting lip.

Abstract: A refrigeration system comprising in closed series-flow relationship, a condenser, a capillary tube flow restrictor, and an evaporator including means connecting the outlet end of the restrictor to the evaporator inlet for reducing the noise generated by refrigerant flowing from the restrictor.

Abstract: A container and ice cube tray assembly to store a plurality of relatively small similarly shaped items with easy user manual access. The container has a corrugated bottom wall and two spaced apart side walls integrally connected to the bottom wall and terminating at the top thereof in an outwardly directed flange. Located near the junction of the side walls and outwardly directed flanges is a longitudinal groove extending therealong. The container has two spaced apart end walls, said end walls integrally connected to the bottom and side walls and extend up the side walls a substantial distance and each has a terminal end extending in a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom wall the full width of the container to allow user manual access from either end of the container to the small items stored in the container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the operability of an overload protection device for an induction motor, rapidly and without the need to mechanically load the motor output shaft. A rectifier circuit converts a standard AC input power signal to an unfiltered full wave rectified output power signal which is applied to the input terminals of the motor under test to rapidly heat the overload device to its trip temperature. The output power signal is periodically interrupted for brief periods of sufficient duration to extinguish any arcing occasioned by the opening of the overload device contacts. The period between successive interrupt periods is selected to be short enough to extinguish any such arcing before the contacts are damaged. If the contacts of the protection device fail to open within a predetermined time period, a signal is generated to indicate that the overload device has failed to operate properly.

Abstract: A power control switching arrangement for controlling energization of a load in response to an external controller, in which a first semiconductor switch is connected in parallel with the series combination of a first normally open thermally actuated switch and a second normally closed thermally actuated switch, to couple the power signal to the load. A first heater for the first thermal switch is connected in parallel with the load. A second heater for the second thermal switch is connected in series with a second semiconductor switch, across the power supply. The second semiconductor switch, when switched into conduction by the controller, enables energization of the second heater. To energize the load, the controller switches the first semiconductor switch into conduction enabling energization of the load and the first heater. Energization of the first heater closes the first thermally actuated switch, thereby shunting the first semiconductor switch.

Abstract: A refrigerator door assembly comprising an outer metal rectangular shaped shell having a base panel, four upwardly turned side panels on each side and perpendicular to the base panel, and two sets of two opposite facing inturned flanges, each flange being perpendicular to each of the side panels and having free terminal edges. Two cross braces, each having two legs with each of the legs having at one end a U-shaped channel section having an offset portion terminating with a flat tab, an intermediate section and a flat section at the end opposite the channel section. The flat sections of two legs are rigidly secured to each other to accommodate the desired brace length to diagonally span the door such that the cross braces form an X and the flat tabs of each brace are secured to one set of opposite facing flanges.

Abstract: Apparatus for holding and spinning a plastic part during a friction welding operation to join the plastic part to work piece. There is included in the apparatus a driver to impact rotational movement, a vacuum chamber, and a rotatable part driver assembly. The part driver assembly is connected to the driver for rotational movement and has air ports in air flow communication with the vacuum chamber. The part driver assembly rotates the plastic part to be friction welded to a work piece. The part driver assembly also includes a vacuum head member with a hollow body rotatable independent of the part driver assembly, one end of the vacuum head member being adapted to receive a plastic part for friction welding to a work piece and the other end of the vacuum head being in air flow communication with the air ports in the part driver assembly to hold the plastic part on the vacuum head member by vacuum pressure during the friction welding operation.

Abstract: An improved temperature sensor failure detection arrangement for a temperature controlled heating device of the type having a heater, an electronic controller for controlling the power level applied to the heater, and a temperature sensor. The controller includes an internal heater energy counter, which is incremented and decremented at rates determined as a function of the power level applied to the heater such that the count of the heater energy counter approximately tracks the temperature of the heater. The controller periodically compares temperature information from the temperature sensor with the count of the heater energy counter to check for abnormal operating condition of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An improved electric cooking appliance with a plurality of heating units arranged in two groups, a first group adapted for energization by a first AC power signal and a second group adapted for energization by a second AC power signal, 180.degree. out of phase relative to the first power signal. The heating units of the first and second groups are each connected to a common neutral power line.