Patents Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20240133560
    Abstract: A divider assembly for dividing a cooking cavity of an appliance includes a housing portion. The housing portion includes front and rear walls spaced-apart from one another, upper and lower walls spaced-apart from one another, and first and second end walls spaced-apart from one another to define an interior cavity. The housing portion further includes an access slot opening into the interior cavity of the housing portion. A roller is positioned within the housing portion for rotation therein. A deployable divider includes a flexible body portion having first and second ends. The deployable divider is coupled to the roller at the second end of the body portion. The deployable divider is operable between a deployed position, wherein a portion of the deployable divider is positioned outside of the housing portion, and a retracted position, wherein the deployable divider is housed within the interior cavity of the housing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Margherita Basso, Fabio Bianchi, Marialaura Borriello, Stefania Fraccon
  • Publication number: 20240133613
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit includes a cabinet and a first evaporator assembly. The first evaporator assembly is operable between an uninstalled condition and an installed condition. In the uninstalled condition, the first evaporator assembly is not assembled with the cabinet. In the installed condition, the first evaporator assembly is assembled with the cabinet. The first evaporator assembly includes a first evaporator, a first suction line connected to the first evaporator at a first suction line joint, and a first capillary tube connected to the first evaporator at a first capillary tube joint. The first suction line joint and the first capillary tube joint of the first evaporator assembly are leak testable in the uninstalled condition of the first evaporator assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Vishal B. Chauhan, Rahul Subhash Chhajed, Koteswara Rao Gochika, Alberto Regio Gomes, Lynne F. Hunter, Jacob Charles Ickes, Narendra Ashok Kapure, Mansi Katkar, Mandar G. Kulkarni, Dustin Michael Miller, Abhay Naik, Manjunathraddi Navalgund, Rafael D. Nunes, Sanjesh Kumar Pathak, Sanket Vivek Phalak, Anup R. Shedage, Arpit Vijay, Giulia Marinello
  • Publication number: 20240133615
    Abstract: An insulation panel assembly for a refrigeration unit includes a first panel, a second panel coupled to the first panel, an evacuation hub defining an evacuation port that extends from an inlet to an outlet and a groove that extends around the inlet, and a conduit engaged with the evacuation hub. The second panel defines an aperture and includes a protruding surround that extends around the aperture. The evacuation hub is positioned such that the inlet is aligned with the aperture defined by the second panel and the groove receives the protruding surround of the second panel therein. Further, the conduit extends into the evacuation port via the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Bennett Allard, Chad Eric McCray, Dustin Michael Miller, Jeffrey P. Beckner
  • Publication number: 20240133113
    Abstract: A drying appliance includes a cabinet with a processing chamber operably disposed therein. A blower delivers process air through an airflow path. The airflow path includes the processing chamber. A condensing airflow path has an inlet positioned within a front panel of the cabinet and an outlet positioned within a bottom panel of the cabinet. A condensing blower moves condensing air from the inlet to the outlet. An airflow seal extends downward from a front edge of the cabinet. The airflow seal separates a low-pressure region proximate the inlet from a high-pressure region proximate the outlet to block convection between the outlet and the inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew E. Borgerson, Justin Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20240131775
    Abstract: A method of forming a vacuum insulated structure includes providing a structural envelope an insulating cavity defined within the structural envelope. An expanding device is attached to opposing outer walls of the structural envelope and the interior cavity is expanded by pulling the opposing outer walls away from one another to define an expanded state. An insulating material is disposed within the insulating cavity to occupy substantially all of the insulating cavity in the expanded state. Gas is expressed from the insulating cavity to collapse the structural envelope to a final state and a final interior volume that is less than the expanded interior volume. The final state of the structural envelope defines a densified state of the insulating material within the insulating cavity. The vacuum port is then closed to hermetically seal the insulating cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric J. Dherde, Gustavo Frattini, Abhay Naik
  • Patent number: 11965280
    Abstract: An appliance includes an outer cabinet having a front aperture for accessing a processing space. A door selectively engages the front aperture in a closed position to enclose the processing space. A hinge includes a cabinet mount attached to the outer cabinet and having a stop that defines an open position of the door. A hinge pin extends through the cabinet mount to define a rotational axis of the hinge. A sheet metal flange is press fit onto the hinge pin and is fixedly attached to the door. The sheet metal flange is wrapped around the hinge pin and is attached to the door via fasteners. The pin includes a protrusion that selectively engages the stop of the cabinet mount in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Ethan Harbrecht, Arunkumar Harikrishnasamy, Tushar S. Jadhav, Ravindra B. Salunkhe
  • Patent number: 11965771
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining an exterior configured for resting on a surface and an interior and a plurality of feet coupled with the cabinet along a bottom surface thereof. The refrigerator also includes a plurality of load transducers disposed between and in opposing contact with the cabinet and respective ones of the feet. The refrigerator further includes electronic circuitry including a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to receive a signal corresponding with a gross weight of the cabinet from the plurality of load transducers and to determine the quantity of articles retained within the interior of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eduardo Maldaun Barreto, Vinicius Bianchezzi, Rafael Bolzan, Neomar Giacomini, Veronica Marin, Jucemar Medeiros, Wendel O. Rossi, Rafael Kiemo Pfau Santos, Marcos Aurelio de Souza, Gustavo Racy
  • Publication number: 20240122409
    Abstract: An implement attachment holder for a hand mixer includes a body defining opposed first and second surfaces and first and second mounting projections coupled with the body and extending away from the first surface of the body at respective first and second locations spaced apart at a first distance along a first direction. The attachment holder further includes a device retention projection extending away from the second surface of the body and partially along the first surface to at least partially overlie the first and second locations from which the first and second mounting projections extend. The device retention projection further defines a plurality of attachment channels extending in a second direction normal to the first direction at spaced-apart locations along the device retention projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher J. Eaton, Patrick David Feltman, Jon Patrick Morris, Nicholas Hill Schutte
  • Patent number: 11959696
    Abstract: A method of measuring pressure includes the steps of (1) providing a vacuum cabinet with a storage compartment and an insulating space, and three temperature sensors; (2) sensing a first temperature level of an interior wall of the storage compartment; (3) sensing an ambient temperature level within the storage compartment; (4) sensing a second temperature level of an exterior wall of the storage compartment; (5) calculating an overall heat transfer coefficient (Q) using the ambient temperature level, the first temperature level, and a convective heat transfer coefficient for the interior wall of the storage compartment; (6) calculating a temperature differential between the second and first temperature levels; (7) determining a conductivity level (K) using the temperature differential, the overall heat transfer coefficient (Q) and a thickness of the insulating space; and (8) determining a pressure level (P) within the insulating space using the conductivity level (K).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Paul B. Allard, Sunil S. Ekshinge, Alberto Regio Gomes, Abhay Naik, Sanjesh Kumar Pathak
  • Patent number: 11959220
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance includes a cabinet defining an interior, a drum located within the interior and defining a treating chamber, and a door assembly coupled to the cabinet to selectively open and close the treating chamber and at least partially defining the treating chamber when the door assembly is in a closed condition. The door assembly includes an intermediate door defining an opening, a user interface, a door window, a door cover adjacent the front surface of the intermediate door, a rear door, and a trim element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Snehal S. Bhandare, Yogesh Dhanabalan Chandrasekaran, Jose Aldo Ramirez, Scott T. Thalls
  • Publication number: 20240118011
    Abstract: An appliance ice-making compartment includes a housing which defines an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture. A first ice tray is disposed at a first height within the housing. A second ice tray is disposed at a second height within the housing where the first height is closer to a top of the housing compared to the second height. The second ice tray is closer to the inlet aperture compared to the first ice tray. An inlet duct is in fluid communication with the inlet aperture and configured to direct air toward the first ice tray and the second ice tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sarah M. Galea, Jacob C. Ickes, Vikas C. Mruthyunjaya
  • Publication number: 20240117560
    Abstract: A laundry appliance includes a blower for delivering process air through an airflow path that includes a rotating drum. A condensation system has a heat exchanger that dehumidifies process air within a condensing portion of the airflow path to produce a condensate. A residual condensing area of the airflow path is positioned upstream of the heat exchanger. The residual condensing area produces secondary condensate. A primary flow path delivers the condensate from the condensing portion to a sump. A secondary flow path delivers the secondary condensate from the residual condensing area to the sump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel A. Schurr
  • Publication number: 20240118019
    Abstract: A trim breaker for sealing an outer wrapper of an appliance with an inner liner to form an insulation space therebetween is provided. The trim breaker includes a body including a rear wall, a first leg extending from the rear wall, and a second leg extending from the rear wall. The trim breaker also includes a front wall coupled with the body opposite the rear wall, wherein the front wall includes a channel extending inward toward the rear wall, and a chamber defined at least in part between the front wall and the rear wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Abhishek S. Awachat, Luca Distaso, Andrea Gasparoni, Pushpendra Prakash Mahajan, Vishal Shankar Marathe, Pushkal Singh, Nelson Rene Garcia-Polanco
  • Publication number: 20240115066
    Abstract: A cooking adjustment system for a cooking appliance includes a body that defines a cooking cavity. A steam generator system is coupled to the body. The steam generator system is configured to inject steam into the cooking cavity. An air temperature sensor is disposed within the cooking cavity and configured to sense a dry bulb temperature. A food probe has multiple food temperature sensors. At least one of the food temperature sensors is configured to sense a surface temperature of a food item. A controller is communicatively coupled to the steam generator system, the air temperature sensor, and the food probe. The controller is configured to determine a wet bulb temperature utilizing the surface temperature of the food. The controller is configured to adjust relative humidity within the cooking cavity in response to at least one of the wet bulb temperature and the dry bulb temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrea Barbieri, Riccardo Loner
  • Patent number: 11953249
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a freezer compartment and a machine compartment positioned proximate the freezer compartment. An icemaker assembly is positioned within the freezer compartment. A fill tube extends from the machine compartment into the icemaker assembly. A first solenoid valve is coupled to the fill tube. A second solenoid valve is coupled to the fill tube, wherein the first and second solenoid valves are positioned within the machine compartment. A controller is configured to independently open and close the first and second solenoid valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Vishal B. Chauhan, Giulia Marinello, Vikas C. Mruthyunjaya, Kevin Y. Zhang
  • Patent number: D1021510
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: XinFeng Huang, Yu Liu, Kyle A. Walters, XunCai Zhang, Bin Huang
  • Patent number: D1021512
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: XinFeng Huang, XiaoJun Guo, Yu Liu, Kyle A. Walters, Hui Wu, XunCai Zhang
  • Patent number: D1022359
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Seth E. Bixby, Samuel B. Breneman, Richard K. Gresens, John W. McConnell, Patrick J. Schiavone
  • Patent number: D1023670
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Eric Heater, Naveen Jayabalan, John W. McConnell, Brandon Tyler Mock, Nicholas Hill Schutte, Rohit Ranjan Singh
  • Patent number: D1023673
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Prabhjee Anand, John W. McConnell, Brandon Tyler Mock, John Jay Myers, Nicholas Hill Schutte, Ben C. Shao, Katie Remaly