Patents by Inventor Andrew M. Tenbarge
Andrew M. Tenbarge has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11293679Abstract: Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventor: Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 11073320Abstract: A method of making clear ice including filling an ice piece forming tray having an axis of rotation, a distal end, a motor engaging end, and plurality of ice piece making compartments with water. Freezing the water into ice by providing heat sinks disposed on and thermally connected to a bottom side of the ice piece forming tray. Removing heat from the plurality of heat sinks. Removing defrost water from the heat sinks by providing at least one defrost water channel along the axis of rotation, providing at least one defrost water channel along one of the distal end and the motor engaging end and connected to the defrost water channel along the axis of rotation. And delivering defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at one of the distal end and the motor engaging end.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Mohamed Alshourbagy, Arivazhagan Chandrashekaran, Kylie M. McCollum, Nicholas L. Pohl, Vijaykumar Sathyamurthi, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 11022359Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed to an ice making appliance that includes: an ice making compartment and an ice maker including an ice mold having a total water capacity. The ice mold includes a plurality of ice wells and is configured to release the ice cubes without the use of a heater and by twisting the ice mold. The ice wells are typically no more than about 12.2 mm in depth from a top surface of the ice mold and have a volume of about 20 mL or less. The ice maker is capable of producing at least about 3.5 lbs. of ice or more in a 24 hour span.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Arivazhagan Chandrashekaran, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 10921035Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed to an ice making appliance that includes: an ice making compartment and an ice maker including an ice mold having a total water capacity. The ice mold includes a plurality of ice wells and is configured to release the ice cubes without the use of a heater and by twisting the ice mold. The ice wells are typically no more than about 12.2 mm in depth from a top surface of the ice mold and have a volume of about 20 mL or less. The ice maker is capable of producing at least about 3.5 lbs. of ice or more in a 24 hour span.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Arivazhagan Chandrashekaran, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Publication number: 20200208895Abstract: Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2020Publication date: July 2, 2020Inventor: ANDREW M. TENBARGE
-
Patent number: 10619904Abstract: Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2017Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventor: Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Publication number: 20190195545Abstract: A method of making clear ice including filling an ice piece forming tray having an axis of rotation, a distal end, a motor engaging end, and plurality of ice piece making compartments with water. Freezing the water into ice by providing heat sinks disposed on and thermally connected to a bottom side of the ice piece forming tray. Removing heat from the plurality of heat sinks. Removing defrost water from the heat sinks by providing at least one defrost water channel along the axis of rotation, providing at least one defrost water channel along one of the distal end and the motor engaging end and connected to the defrost water channel along the axis of rotation. And delivering defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at one of the distal end and the motor engaging end.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Mohamed Alshourbagy, Arivazhagan Chandrashekaran, Kylie M. Mccollum, Nicholas L. Pohl, Vijaykumar Sathyamurthi, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Publication number: 20190178549Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed to an ice making appliance that includes: an ice making compartment and an ice maker including an ice mold having a total water capacity. The ice mold includes a plurality of ice wells and is configured to release the ice cubes without the use of a heater and by twisting the ice mold. The ice wells are typically no more than about 12.2 mm in depth from a top surface of the ice mold and have a volume of about 20 mL or less. The ice maker is capable of producing at least about 3.5 lbs. of ice or more in a 24 hour span.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2017Publication date: June 13, 2019Inventors: Arivazhagan CHANDRASHEKARAN, Andrew M. TENBARGE
-
Publication number: 20190128583Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed to an ice making appliance that includes: an ice making compartment and an ice maker including an ice mold having a total water capacity. The ice mold includes a plurality of ice wells and is configured to release the ice cubes without the use of a heater and by twisting the ice mold. The ice wells are typically no more than about 12.2 mm in depth from a top surface of the ice mold and have a volume of about 20 mL or less. The ice maker is capable of producing at least about 3.5 lbs. of ice or more in a 24 hour span.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Applicant: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Arivazhagan CHANDRASHEKARAN, Andrew M. TENBARGE
-
Publication number: 20190128584Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is generally directed to an ice making appliance that includes: an ice making compartment and an ice maker including an ice mold having a total water capacity. The ice mold includes a plurality of ice wells and is configured to release the ice cubes without the use of a heater and by twisting the ice mold. The ice wells are typically no more than about 12.2 mm in depth from a top surface of the ice mold and have a volume of about 20 mL or less. The ice maker is capable of producing at least about 3.5 lbs. of ice or more in a 24 hour span.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2017Publication date: May 2, 2019Inventors: Arivazhagan CHANDRASHEKARAN, Andrew M. TENBARGE
-
Patent number: 10260789Abstract: An ice piece making assembly and a refrigeration appliance containing the ice piece making assembly is disclosed. The ice making assembly produces ice pieces by directional freezing and includes: an ice piece forming tray having a motor engaging end, a distal end, a first side, a second side and a bottom surface, a plurality of ice piece making compartments divided by divider walls, and a plurality of heat sinks engaged to the bottom surface of the ice making compartments and deliver defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at at least one of the distal end and the motor engaging end; and an ice piece forming tray canopy spaced a distance above the ice piece forming tray wherein the ice piece forming tray canopy comprises a heater and a temperature sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2016Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Mohamed Alshourbagy, Arivazhagan Chandrashekaran, Kylie M. McCollum, Nicholas L. Pohl, Vijaykumar Sathyamurthi, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 10184716Abstract: A door ajar detection system is provided. The door ajar detection system may be incorporated in a refrigerator to provide a warning when a door is left in an open position, or to prevent a false door-closed detection. The system utilizes like magnetic poles of magnets positioned opposite to each other to push one or more doors in a refrigerator into a full open position such that a door ajar detection assembly may provide an accurate reading. A latch assembly may be provided to hold the one or more doors in a closed position against the force of the like magnetic poles.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2017Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Ryan M. Post, Michael S. Richards, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Publication number: 20190017742Abstract: A door ajar detection system is provided. The door ajar detection system may be incorporated in a refrigerator to provide a warning when a door is left in an open position, or to prevent a false door-closed detection. The system utilizes like magnetic poles of magnets positioned opposite to each other to push one or more doors in a refrigerator into a full open position such that a door ajar detection assembly may provide an accurate reading. A latch assembly may be provided to hold the one or more doors in a closed position against the force of the like magnetic poles.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2017Publication date: January 17, 2019Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Ryan M. Post, Michael S. Richards, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 10030901Abstract: An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2016Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Kevin J. Cox, Gregory Gene Hortin, Yen-Hsi Lin, Clayton A. Maas, Xi Shan, Cristian Soto, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 9991683Abstract: A connection system includes a feature module that supplies various functionalities, a portable countertop stand having an upright section that selectively receives the feature module and an umbilical connecting the portable stand to an external appliance to deliver utilities to the portable countertop stand. A utility port selectively delivers at least one utility to the feature module when engaged with the upright section. A utility receiver removably engages the utility port by hand without the use of tools and selectively receives a predetermined set of utilities when the feature module engages the upright surface. A connection interface detects when the feature module is engaged with the upright section and the predetermined utility set required by the engaged feature module. After the feature module is engaged, the connection interface prompts the utility port to release the predetermined utility set to the feature module.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Paul B. Allard, Robert Ryan Bradley, James W. Kendall, Steven J. Kuehl, Douglas D. Leclear, Alan S. Lucas, Andrew M. Tenbarge, John J. VonderHaar, Guolian Wu
-
Publication number: 20180128531Abstract: An ice maker includes, among other things, an ice cube mold, an ice cube remover and a force sensor comprising a piezo dielectric elastomer (PDE). The ice cube mold has at least one cavity for receiving liquid. The ice cube remover is configured to apply a removal force to either the mold or an ice cube. The force sensor is provided on either the mold or the remover and provides an output indicative of the removal force. Upon the removal of an ice cube from the cavity, the ice cube remover applies a removal force to the mold or the ice cube to effect the removal of the ice cube from the cavity and the force sensor outputs a signal indicative of the removal force.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2018Publication date: May 10, 2018Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: ALBERTO R. GOMES, YEN-HSI LIN, ANDREW M. TENBARGE
-
Publication number: 20180094845Abstract: Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventor: Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 9890991Abstract: A domestic appliance such as a refrigerator, washing machine, and dryer is disclosed. The appliance may include a piezoelectric device. The piezoelectric device may be configured to supply electrical power to various electrically-powered elements in the appliance, such as a light source, a drive status sensor, and active balancing components.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Alberto R. Gomes, Yen-Hsi Lin, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 9863684Abstract: An ice maker includes, among other things, an ice cube mold, an ice cube remover and a force sensor comprising a piezo dielectric elastomer (PDE). The ice cube mold has at least one cavity for receiving liquid. The ice cube remover is configured to apply a removal force to either the mold or an ice cube. The force sensor is provided on either the mold or the remover and provides an output indicative of the removal force. Upon the removal of an ice cube from the cavity, the ice cube remover applies a removal force to the mold or the ice cube to effect the removal of the ice cube from the cavity and the force sensor outputs a signal indicative of the removal force.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2014Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Alberto R. Gomes, Yen-Hsi Lin, Andrew M. Tenbarge
-
Patent number: 9851137Abstract: Utility routing for door-mounted operations are disclosed. An appliance may include a cabinet and one or more doors connected to the cabinet. An apparatus may have a mounted position on the door. An operation apparatus may be enabled, supported, or otherwise made operable in part by closed-looped conveyance of one or more operating mediums. The apparatus has an unmounted position wherein the apparatus is separated from the door while maintaining the closed-loop conveyance of the one or more operating mediums.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2013Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Inventor: Andrew M. Tenbarge