Patents Examined by Cristi Tate-Sims
  • Patent number: 9347164
    Abstract: A washing machine comprises a casing; a tub disposed inside the casing; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, for accommodating laundry therein; and a spiral nozzle for rotating supplied water in a predetermined direction and then spraying the water into the drum through discharge hole, wherein the spiral nozzle comprises an impingement surface formed in front of the discharge hole so that the water discharged from the discharge hole is distributed by impinging on the impingement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Myong Hun Im, Sung Min Lee, Won Hyuk Jang
  • Patent number: 9347165
    Abstract: The washing machine includes a tub containing wash water, a drum, a lifter, and a partition. The drum rotates inside the tub and has at least one inlet to introduce wash water contained in the tub. The lifter forms a chamber holding wash water introduced through the inlet together with the drum and discharges wash water into the drum through a plurality of discharge holes arranged from a front side to a rear side inside the chamber during the rotation of the drum. The partition divides the chamber into a front chamber and a rear chamber along a longitudinal direction of the drum and forms an angle inclined with respect to a circumference of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Chihyun Kim, Dahye Kim, Sungyong Eom
  • Patent number: 9347169
    Abstract: Provided are an additive injection apparatus and a laundry treatment machine including the same. The additive injection apparatus includes a main body, and additive container, a nozzle, and a floater. The main body is disposed on a path along which a solvent flows and includes an inlet and an outlet for receiving and discharging the solvent, respectively. The additive container holds an additive. The nozzle has a communicating hole for communicating between the main body and the additive container. The floater is disposed in the main body, and rises and falls according to the flow of the solvent to open and close the communicating hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyukjin Ahn, Minji Kim, Sungmin Ye
  • Patent number: 9339852
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning items includes a container having a bottom wall, an open top, and an item-supporting screen formed in the bottom wall. A cleaning station has an open top and slideably receives the container. The container and cleaning station are in fluid communication with a remote vacuum source. A jet nozzle positioned inside the container is in fluid communication with a remote source of clean water and sprays clean water on the item upon activation of a pump. Ambient air for drying the item after cleaning is drawn into the container through an opening formed in a container lid and follows a path of travel that envelopes the item and dries the item when the remote source of vacuum is activated. The rate of flow of ambient air as well as the breadth of the flow is controlled by the size of the opening in the container lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Inventor: Keith S. Campbell
  • Patent number: 9320408
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus has a steam distribution manifold located along the leading edge of a foot assembly and configured to apply steam to a surface to be cleaned, in front of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad trailing the manifold can absorb soil, stains and residual moisture from the cleaning process as the steam appliance is moved across the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning pad can comprise a superabsorbent material. In another embodiment, the cleaning pad can comprise a melamine foam with abrasive particles interspersed therein and configured to agitate the surface to be cleaned in conjunction with steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Hansen, Kevin Haley, Jay M. Kellis
  • Patent number: 9320411
    Abstract: A table top dishwasher comprises: (a) a tub (10) for accommodating articles to be cleaned; and (b) a cover member (12) forming a water-tight hood over said tub (10), said hood comprising a fixed hood portion (14) and a door (16), the door comprising a central region (30) and two lateral side portions (32) rotatably connected to the fixed hood portion, the door (16) being rotatable between a closed position in which the central region forms part of the hood, and an opened position in which the door is positioned within the fixed hood portion, wherein said side portions (32) each comprise at least one aperture (38, 40, 42, 44, 45) which increases the accessibility for water to flow in between the fixed hood portion and the side portions (32) during operation of the dishwater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Mats Lundberg, Luigi Salerno
  • Patent number: 9314145
    Abstract: A dishwasher appliance and a vent for coupling a filter and a sump together are provided. The dishwasher appliance includes a cabinet defining a wash chamber for the receipt of articles for washing, and a sump for collection of a fluid from the wash chamber. The sump includes a base wall and a collar extending from the base wall. The dishwasher appliance further includes a filter for filtering the fluid from the wash chamber. The dishwasher appliance further includes a vent coupling the filter and the sump together, the vent comprising a shaft, the shaft including at least one sidewall. The at least one sidewall defines a main shaft passage therein. The shaft further defines a shaft access passage extending through the sidewall and in fluid communication with the main shaft passage. A collar access passage defined in the collar and the main shaft passage are in fluid communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kyle Edward Durham, John Edward Dries
  • Patent number: 9307886
    Abstract: A passive diverter is provided that does not require a dedicated motor to switch between multiple outlet ports. The diverter uses a flow of fluid provided by a pump to switch between different outlet ports. In a dishwashing appliance, fluid from the pump that supplies one or more spray assemblies can be used to cause the diverter to switch between different fluid outlets and e.g., different spray assemblies. A separate motor to power the diverter is not required, which allows a savings in costs and space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kyle Edward Durham, Craig Curtis
  • Patent number: 9295368
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber and a spraying system having a sprayer supplying liquid to the treating chamber. The sprayer may include a liquid passage and at least one spray outlet to emit a spray to wash the dishes and at least one drive outlet to emit a spray to rotate the sprayer. A valve body may adjust the amount of liquid emitted from the at least one drive outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Mark S. Feddema
  • Patent number: 9287145
    Abstract: In a coating and developing treatment system including a treatment station and an interface station, the interface station has: a cleaning unit cleaning a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting whether the cleaned wafer is in an exposable state; and a wafer transfer mechanism including an arm transferring the wafer between the cleaning unit and the inspection unit. Each of the cleaning unit and the inspection unit is provided at multiple tiers in an up and down direction on the front side in the interface station, and the wafer transfer mechanism is provided in a region adjacent to the cleaning units and the inspection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakaharada, Yoji Sakata, Akira Miyata, Shinichi Hayashi, Suguru Enokida, Tsunenaga Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9272310
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit and an elevating member provided to ascend/descend with respect to the substrate holding unit. The substrate holding unit includes a holding base, and a first engagement member and a second engagement member which are provided to be movable in the holding base, and moved between an engaging position where the member is engaged with the peripheral edge of the substrate and a releasing position where the member releases the substrate. When the first contact unit connected to the first engagement member is in contact with a first portion to be contacted, the first engagement member is located at the engaging position. When the second contact unit connected to the second engagement member is in contact with a second portion to be contacted at a lower position than the first portion, the second engagement member is located at the engaging position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Koji Egashira
  • Patent number: 9259137
    Abstract: A dishwasher appliance includes a mid-level spray arm assembly and a diverter disposed in a conduit of the assembly. The diverter includes a disk positioned within a chamber and rotatable about an axis, the disk defining an aperture for selectively controlling fluid flow from the chamber into outlet channels, the disk movable along the axial direction between a first position and a second position, the disk defining a channel and a plurality of cams projecting into the channel. The diverter further includes a biasing element configured to urge the disk into the first position, and a boss extending from the housing into the channel of the disk, the boss defining a plurality of guide elements. The guide elements and cams are configured to interact so that movement of the disk along the axial direction between the first position and the second position causes the disk to rotate about the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joel Charles Boyer, Kyle Edward Durham, Daniel Jason Bentley
  • Patent number: 9204779
    Abstract: A water-bearing domestic appliance, in particular a home dish washer or a home laundry machine, includes a supply hose for the supply with fresh water from a domestic water pipe arranged outside of the water-bearing domestic appliance into the water-bearing domestic appliance, wherein the supply hose has a connection device on its hose terminus for detachable connection with the domestic water pipe, and wherein the supply hose is guided through a wall in particular a back wall of the water-bearing domestic appliance into the interior of the water-bearing domestic appliance. At least in the region of the connection device, at least some regions of the supply hose are permanently received in at least one holding element, in particular at least partially form fittingly, wherein the at least one holding element can be arranged on the wall, in particular on the back wall of the water-bearing domestic appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Haltmayer, David Hite, Peter Martin
  • Patent number: 9173541
    Abstract: A dishwashing machine includes a lower arm disposed at a lower side of a lower rack to spray wash water to the lower rack, a rack fixing unit provided at the lower rack, and a tower nozzle fixed to the rack fixing unit to spray wash water to an upper rack. The dishwashing machine also includes a tower connection unit provided in the lower arm such that at least a portion of the tower connection unit is configured to move from the lower arm. The tower connection unit being connected to the tower nozzle to supply wash water to the tower nozzle based on the tower connection unit moving from the lower arm. The rack fixing unit includes a guide configured to guide movement of the tower connection unit withdrawn from the lower arm to the tower nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Shinwoo Han, Joonho Pyo, Younghwan Park, Daegyu Kim, Byeonghyeon Ju
  • Patent number: 9163346
    Abstract: A washing machine system comprising an outer tub with a basket rotatably supported within the outer tub. The basket receives launderable items and wash water. The washing machine includes a drive motor that rotates the basket during the wash operation, and a balance ring associated with the basket containing counterweights that move within the balance ring to compensate for an imbalanced mass in the basket. The washing machine includes a controller communicating with the motor. The controller sends signals to the motor to rotate the basket at selective rotational speeds, and receives electronic signals indicating the power used to rotate the basket at selective speeds. The controller compensates for the imbalanced mass by preventing the drive motor from rotating the basket at a substantially constant speed between a predetermined minimum resonance speed and a predetermined maximum resonance speed for more than a predetermined maximum dwell time during the wash operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Alliance Laundry Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bonlender, Andrew Huerth, Andrew Kegler
  • Patent number: 9150996
    Abstract: The bicycle-driven clothes washing machine includes a bicycle frame, a drive mechanism, and a washing machine drum assembly adjacent the bicycle frame. The drum assembly includes an outer drum having at least a portion thereof at least transparent or partially transparent, the outer drum selectively filled with a washing liquid. An inner drum having a plurality of perforations is rotatably positioned inside the outer drum and mounted to the drive mechanism to be driven thereby via pedal action, the inner drum holding contents to be washed. Both the outer drum and the inner drum can be provided with respective covers to secure contents within the respective drums. An inlet line for introducing washing liquid and an outlet line for draining are attached to the outer drum. Each inlet and outlet line is provided with a valve system selectively operable to supply washing liquid for washing and draining the washing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Inventor: Fawzi Behbehani
  • Patent number: 9145633
    Abstract: A small size pulsator-type automatic washing machine comprises a housing, a control panel seat mounted on the top of the housing, a pedestal mounted at the bottom of the housing, an outer tub and an inner tub mounted inside the housing. A direct driving motor and a bearing block are mounted at the bottom of the outer tub. The motor is mounted on the outer tub by fixing elements, and a motor shaft is coupled with a pulsator shaft inside the bearing block. A fastener strap fixes the motor and the bearing block together onto the outer tub of the washing machine, thus reducing occupied space of the washing machine while improving a variety of installation mechanism of conventional washing machine. An insulation unit is disposed in the joint between the motor shaft and the tub shaft, such that the two parts cannot be in direct contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignees: HAIER GROUP CORPORATION, QINGDAO HAIER WASHING MACHINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peishi Lv, Sheng Xu, Jie Liu, Xiaojie Pi, Yuling Chen