Patents Examined by Frankie L. Stinson
  • Patent number: 8387421
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided. The drum type washing machine may include a cabinet, a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged in the tub, and a driving motor positioned at a rear side of the drum for generating a driving force that rotates the drum. The washing machine may also include a supporting plate to rotatably support a rotational shaft extending between the motor and the drum, and a plurality of supporters connected between the supporting plate and the cabinet. Such an arrangement may increase washing capacity by increasing a diameter of the drum without increasing an external size of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jae-Won Chang
  • Patent number: 8387422
    Abstract: A pulsator wash system includes a cabinet, a wash tub supported within the cabinet, a wash basket supported within the wash tub, and a drive system for rotating the wash basket. A pulsator is disposed adjacent a bottom of the wash basket and drivingly connected to the drive system. The pulsator includes a base portion, a central hub extending upward from the base portion, and a plurality of radially extending vanes extending upward from the base portion. Each of the plurality of radially extending vanes extends radially from about a peripheral radial edge of the base portion to a location spaced apart from the central hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hettinger, James Quentin Pollett
  • Patent number: 8387632
    Abstract: A camera apparatus (1) includes: a CCD (2) serving as an imaging device; a cleaning member (3) for performing cleaning of the front face of the CCD (2); and a cleaning controller (13) for controlling the movement of the cleaning member (3). Cleaning control is carried out so that when the cleaning of the CCD (2) is started, the cleaning member (3) is moved to a cleaning position located in front of and in proximity to the CCD (2), and when the cleaning of the CCD (2) is finished, the cleaning member (3) is moved to a retracted position retracted from the cleaning position. The camera apparatus itself is provided with the function of cleaning the imaging device, thereby enabling reduction in time and effort for a cleaning operation performed on the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Saito, Hajime Matsumoto, Tetsurou Kajino, Haruo Kogane, Jyouji Wada
  • Patent number: 8388765
    Abstract: Disclosed is a portable and self contained washing and sanitizing apparatus. The apparatus finds particular application in washing small baby items such as bottles, nipples, teething rings or toys. The apparatus includes three primary components: a container for housing the items to be washed; a water reservoir for storing and collecting wash water; and a housing for interconnecting the container and reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Inventor: Ellen Semans
  • Patent number: 8387634
    Abstract: An assisted-movement system is provided for an appliance, such as a dishwasher including a tub portion defining a forward opening, a door pivotally engaged therewith for selectively engaging the forward opening, and a rack movable into and out of the tub portion through the forward opening. A biasing device is operably engaged between the tub portion and one of the door, via a hinge mechanism, and the rack. The biasing device is extendable between contracted and extended positions. A position control device is operably engaged between the tub portion and one of the door, the rack, and the biasing device, and is configured to cooperate with the one of the door, the rack, and the biasing device to at least one of maintain the door in a closed position and maintain the rack within the tub portion, with the biasing device in the contracted position. Associated dishwashers are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Troy Dalsing
  • Patent number: 8375964
    Abstract: A template cleaning method for cleaning a template for nanoimprint, according to an embodiment of the present invention includes placing a wafer on a stage provided in a chamber, cleaning the wafer placed on the stage, inspecting the wafer for particles after the cleaning of the wafer, placing the template on the stage after the inspection of the wafer, and cleaning the template placed on the stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Hisashi Okuchi, Minako Inukai
  • Patent number: 8365334
    Abstract: A washing machine and a method of controlling the washing machine are provided. According to the washing machine and method of controlling the washing machine, the drum is operated at a first speed so that part of laundry within the drum tumbles and another part of the laundry adheres to the drum. When an unbalance amount of the drum operating at the first speed is a first specific value or less, the speed of the drum is increased to a second speed so that all of the laundry adheres to the drum. When an unbalance amount of the drum detected during the increasing to the second speed is a second specific value or more, the rotation of the drum is decelerated. Accordingly, at a time of a dehydration cycle, stability of the washing machine and laundry balancing can be ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sun Cheol Bae, Kyung Hoon Kim, Han Su Jung, Jae Hyeok Choi, Ja In Koo
  • Patent number: 8361241
    Abstract: In a washing apparatus for washing a head portion of a depilation apparatus, it enables to increase design freedom of pipe arrangement from an overflow prevention unit to a washing fluid tank and to downsize the apparatus by effectively utilizing a space below the overflow prevention unit. A tray for holding a head portion of the electric shaver and an overflow preventing unit to maintain fluid level of the washing fluid in the tray at a predetermined level are integrally formed to adjoin each other via a partition wall in an anteroposterior direction of the washing apparatus. A bottom face of the overflow prevention unit is inclined downward in a widthwise direction of the washing apparatus, and an outlet is provided on a side wall in the widthwise direction in a deepest portion of the overflow prevention unit. A second exhausting path for exhausting the washing fluid from the outlet of the overflow preventing unit is arranged along a side wall of the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Sone, Fumio Taniguchi, Yasuhide Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8356610
    Abstract: A dishwasher, in particular a domestic dishwasher having a detergent-solution pump for pumping dirty washing liquid out of a washing compartment; a discharge line connected to the detergent-solution pump on a pressure side thereof; a venting shaft located above the topmost liquid level of the washing compartment in fluid communication with the discharge line; and a first valve operationally disposed within the venting shaft, with the first valve being closed when the detergent-solution pump is operating and open when the detergent-solution pump is not operating, the dishwasher comprising a bypass line for operationally connecting the detergent-solution pump and discharge line, with the bypass line operationally venting the detergent-solution pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Harlacher, Bruno Reiter, Erika Ulrike Ertle, Marion Ertle, Lisa Marie Ertle, Marco Andreas Ertle
  • Patent number: 8357244
    Abstract: A method of removing photoresist beneath an overlayer includes estimating a rapid temperature change for a photoresist layer to produce cracking in the overlayer. The temperature chance is estimated so that the cracking of the overlayer is sufficient to allow a liftoff solution to penetrate below the overlayer during a liftoff step. The method further includes baking the photoresist layer and chilling the photoresist layer after baking to produce the rapid temperature change. The method then includes lifting off the photoresist layer using the liftoff solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Western Digital (Fremont), LLC
    Inventors: Lijie Zhao, Wei Zhang, Hongping Yuan
  • Patent number: 8356497
    Abstract: A water-conducting domestic appliance having a connector, a neck, and a connecting element that has at least one section formed by elastic material and an insertion end, wherein the connecting element connects the connector to the neck. A supporting ring is arranged at the insertion end, and the connecting element has an insertion region with an insertion rounding on the insertion end, wherein the insertion rounding runs tangentially into a sealing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Büsing, Werner Enderle, Peter Geissler, Cengiz Kücük, Pedro Sancho
  • Patent number: 8347902
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub, a door coupled to the tub, and a hand lever coupled to the door. The tub has an access opening that permits access to a washing chamber defined therein. The door has a closed position in which access to the washing chamber is prevented. When the door is positioned in the closed position, the rotation of the lever in a first direction about a laterally extending axis advances the lever into contact with the tub such that the door is urged away from the tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Mark W. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 8341983
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided. The drum type washing machine may include a cabinet, a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged in the tub, and a driving motor positioned at a rear side of the drum for generating a driving force that rotates the drum. The washing machine may also include a supporting plate to rotatably support a rotational shaft extending between the motor and the drum, and a plurality of supporters connected between the supporting plate and the cabinet. Such an arrangement may increase washing capacity by increasing a diameter of the drum without increasing an external size of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jae-Won Chang
  • Patent number: 8337635
    Abstract: A beverage preparation machine comprises a fluid circuit (2) comprising a water reservoir (4), a water pump (5), a heating means (7), and a beverage producing module (9), which are fluidically connected for circulating water from the reservoir to the beverage producing module. An in-line descaling system (3) is provided in the fluid circuit (2) comprising a dedicated compartment (15) intended for receiving a predetermined dose of a water soluble/dispersible descaling agent (19). The invention also relates to a method for automatically descaling and rinsing the fluid circuit (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventor: Christophe S. Boussemart
  • Patent number: 8336565
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a drawer dishwasher (1), comprising an extractable washing tub (2) for receiving objects that are to be washed, and a lid (9), for sealing engagement with the washing tub (2). The lid (9) is movable between an engagement position (A), wherein it is in sealing engagement (10) with an upper edge (6) of the washing tub (2), and an opening position (B), wherein it is spaced from the upper edge (6) of the washing tub (2). The drawer dishwasher (1) has a sealing device (10) arranged to press the lid (9), when it is in the engagement position (A), towards the upper edge (6) of the washing tub (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Stellan Wrangberth, Arne Hagelin, Mats Svensson
  • Patent number: 8336340
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided. The drum type washing machine may include a cabinet, a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged in the tub, and a driving motor positioned at a rear side of the drum for generating a driving force that rotates the drum. The washing machine may also include a supporting plate to rotatably support a rotational shaft extending between the motor and the drum, and a plurality of supporters connected between the supporting plate and the cabinet. Such an arrangement may increase washing capacity by increasing a diameter of the drum without increasing an external size of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jae-Won Chang
  • Patent number: 8336161
    Abstract: The air wiping device includes a housing having an internal elongated tubular passage through which the elongated product extends and including opposite one and other ends with the housing tubular passage having an inlet end and an outlet end for respectively receiving and passing the elongated product; a first set of nozzles mounted at the one end of the housing for communicating a compressed gas stream to the internal elongated tubular passage and second set of nozzles mounted at the other end of the housing for communicating a compressed gas to the internal elongated tubular passage. A ceramic insert is disposed in the internal tubular passage of the housing and through which the elongated product passes. The ceramic insert includes a tapered input through which the elongated product is received and an output through which the elongated product passes from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Huestis Machine Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen Bettencourt
  • Patent number: RE44028
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided, in which vibration is efficiently attenuated, by a maximum capacity within a size-fixed cabinet is provided, and by which a user does not bend over or sit down to load laundry into the washing machine. The drum type washing machine includes a cabinet forming an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a tub fixed within the cabinet, the tub having a laundry loading entrance at an outer circumference of the tub, a drum rotatably provided within the tub, the drum having an opening on a lateral side of the drum to communicate with the laundry loading entrance of the tub, a motor assembly provided next to one side of the drum to rotate the drum, and a suspension assembly provided to support a weight of the drum and attenuate vibration of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Na Eun Kim, Jin Woong Kim, Young Hwan Park, Jae Won Chang
  • Patent number: RE44511
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided, in which vibration is efficiently attenuated, by a maximum capacity within a size-fixed cabinet is provided, and by which a user does not bend over or sit down to load laundry into the washing machine. The drum type washing machine includes a cabinet forming an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a tub fixed within the cabinet, the tub having a laundry loading entrance at an outer circumference of the tub, a drum rotatably provided within the tub, the drum having an opening on a lateral side of the drum to communicate with the laundry loading entrance of the tub, a motor assembly provided next to one side of the drum to rotate the drum, and a suspension assembly provided to support a weight of the drum and attenuate vibration of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Na Eun Kim, Jin Woong Kim, Young Hwan Park, Jae Won Chang
  • Patent number: RE44674
    Abstract: A drum type washing machine is provided, in which vibration is efficiently attenuated, by a maximum capacity within a size-fixed cabinet is provided, and by which a user does not bend over or sit down to load laundry into the washing machine. The drum type washing machine includes a cabinet forming an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a tub fixed within the cabinet, the tub having a laundry loading entrance at an outer circumference of the tub, a drum rotatably provided within the tub, the drum having an opening on a lateral side of the drum to communicate with the laundry loading entrance of the tub, a motor assembly provided next to one side of the drum to rotate the drum, and a suspension assembly provided to support a weight of the drum and attenuate vibration of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Na Eun Kim, Jin Woong Kim, Young Hwan Park, Jae Won Chang