Patents by Inventor Craig Bienick

Craig Bienick 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: 7188917
    Abstract: A shelf for a refrigerator compartment includes a tempered glass panel to front and rear edges of which are injection molded or adhesively bonded front and rear border members. Side edges of the tempered glass panel are thereby exposed enhancing conductivity within the refrigerator compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Patent number: 7171794
    Abstract: A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Bob Herrmann, Howard Daley
  • Patent number: 7163305
    Abstract: An illuminated shelf includes a tempered transparent glass panel having edges each housed in a slot of a housing defining a chamber through which and/or in which light is generated to illuminate the transparent panel. Each housing is preferably snap-secured together to access the chamber interior for purposes of replacement and/or repair. Each housing can be totally or partially encapsulated and the encapsulation includes conductors which are operative in any position of vertical adjustment or sliding adjustment of the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Patent number: 7147293
    Abstract: The shelf as defined by a shelf grating formed of a plurality of first and second groups of wires disposed normal to each other and having ends thereof encapsulated by an injection molded, continuous open encapsulation, rim or border. Preferably, each of four border portions of the border each encapsulate substantially the entirety of one of the wires of the two groups to afford rigidity to the wire shelf. The border includes a Class “A” upper surface between peripheral outboard and inboard parting lines or lines of flash which provides a high degree of aesthetics to the shelf when viewed from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Bob Herrmann, Ole Carl Buesing
  • Publication number: 20060213849
    Abstract: A shelf is defined by a tempered glass panel bonded to opposing flanges of a pair of metal shelf brackets carrying hooks for connection to and adjustment along vertical trackways in refrigerator compartments. Adhesive constitutes the sole means for maintaining the shelf substantially rigidly united. Each shelf bracket includes at least one abutment surface for engaging an edge of the shelf panel or a handgrip member carried thereby to assure perfect alignment between the components during curing of the adhesive. Each shelf bracket is defined by a shelf arm and a flange with the flanges having pockets housing the adhesive. The shelf arms may additionally include uppermost projections for engaging side edges of the shelf panel and/or at least one additional flange, such that side edge portions of the shelf panel can be housed between the pair of vertically spaced longitudinally offset flanges of each shelf bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Patent number: 7101002
    Abstract: A shelf for a refrigerator compartment includes a tempered glass panel to front and rear edges of which are injection molded or adhesively bonded front and rear border members. Side edges of the tempered glass panel are thereby exposed enhancing conductivity within the refrigerator compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Publication number: 20060191225
    Abstract: A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Bob Herrmann, Howard Daley
  • Publication number: 20060186777
    Abstract: A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Bob Herrmann, Howard Daley
  • Publication number: 20060168895
    Abstract: A washer door or lid as defined by a tempered glass panel bordered by an open frame-like encapsulation of one-piece injection molded polymeric/copolymeric synthetic plastic material. The latter material is preferably acrylonitrile/styrene/acrylate polymer blended with mica glass beads at a ratio of substantially 70%-30% to 90%-10% by weight, but preferably 80%-20% by weight. Further specifics of the washer lid include a relatively thick inner periphery of the encapsulation which securely grips and reinforces an outer peripheral edge of the tempered glass panel, a rigid outer peripheral skirt, an indiscrete handle, a reinforced hand corder for a switch actuator and opposite rear corners carrying hinges for securing the washer lid to an associated washer opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Howard Daley
  • Patent number: 7062889
    Abstract: A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Bob Herrmann, Howard Daley
  • Patent number: 7032350
    Abstract: A washer door or lid as defined by a tempered glass panel bordered by an open frame-like encapsulation of one-piece injection molded polymeric/copolymeric synthetic plastic material. The latter material is preferably acrylonitrile/styrene/acrylate polymer blended with mica glass beads at a ratio of substantially 70%–30% to 90%–10% by weight, but preferably 80%–20% by weight. Further specifics of the washer lid include a relatively thick inner periphery of the encapsulation which securely grips and reinforces an outer peripheral edge of the tempered glass panel, a rigid outer peripheral skirt, an indiscrete handle, a reinforced hand corder for a switch actuator and opposite rear corners carrying hinges for securing the washer lid to an associated washer opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Howard Daley
  • Publication number: 20050274299
    Abstract: A shelf assembly includes a pair of shelf adapter brackets each defined by first and second shelf bracket members, one of which includes vertically disposed opposing slideways into which open a plurality of vertically spaced slots and the other of which includes a plurality of supporting projections which move in the slideways and seat in the slots to effect selectively vertical adjustment of an associated shelf. The shelf may include shelf brackets having hooks for engaging in slots of one of the bracket members or can be integrally formed to define one of the first and second bracket members. Another embodiment includes a shelf having an injection molded rim with hooks at rear corners thereof for engaging one of the shelf support members. All embodiments of the invention prevent inadvertent/accidental disengagement of an associated shelf from the adapter brackets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Vincent Ramik
  • Patent number: 6966267
    Abstract: A shelf assembly includes a pair of shelf brackets secured to a rim which carries a planar support. The shelf brackets include oppositely directed pins spaced a predetermined distance from each other which correspond to a plurality of slots in a pair of mirror image adapter brackets each having a vertical slideway associated with the slots. The adapter brackets have hooks for engaging slots in vertical shelf tracks of a refrigerator compartment to effect “coarse” vertical adjustment of the shelf assembly. However, the shelf can be “fine tuned” vertically adjusted by moving the pins of the shelf brackets along the sideways and into selected pairs of the adapter bracket slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Patent number: 6962116
    Abstract: A shelf assembly includes a pair of shelf adapter brackets each defined by first and second shelf bracket members, one of which includes vertically disposed opposing slideways into which open a plurality of vertically spaced slots and the other of which includes a plurality of supporting projections which move in the slideways and seat in the slots to effect selectively vertical adjustment of an associated shelf. The shelf may include shelf brackets having hooks for engaging in slots of one of the bracket members or can be integrally formed to define one of the first and second bracket members. Another embodiment includes a shelf having an injection molded rim with hooks at rear corners thereof for engaging one of the shelf support members. Each shelf assembly prevents inadvertent/accidental disengagement of an associated shelf from the adapter brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Gemtron Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Vincent L. Ramik
  • Publication number: 20050204966
    Abstract: A shelf assembly includes a shelf adapter bracket defined by a U-shaped shelf bracket member in legs of which are vertically disposed opposing slideways into which open a plurality of vertically spaced slots. A shelf includes a pair of shelf support brackets each having a pin which move in the slideways and seats in the slots to effect selective vertical adjustment of an associated shelf. The shelf adapter bracket has hooks for engaging in slots of conventional refrigerator trackways. The shelf includes lateral stabilizing ribs, a lubricity block, and a stop nose which engages a stop in a bight wall of the shelf bracket member to prevent inadvertent/accidental downward shelf movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Vincent Ramik
  • Publication number: 20050162055
    Abstract: An adjustable shelf assembly includes a shelf adjustable along a pair of trackway brackets of a generally U-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration defined by a pair of legs and a bight wall. The bight wall includes spaced inwardly projecting protrusions and spaced outwardly directed hooks to respectively prevent inadvertent/accidental downward shelf movement and for securing the trackway brackets in vertically aligned pairs of slots in conventional refrigerator compartment trackways. Each trackway bracket also includes bottom stop flanges which prevent the shelf from being disassembled therefrom through the bottom of the bracket trackways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Vincent Ramik
  • Publication number: 20050161421
    Abstract: An adjustable shelf assembly includes a shelf formed by a panel of tempered glass, at least one metal shelf bracket, and a rim securing the panel to the shelf bracket. The shelf bracket includes a pin vertically movable in a trackway which extends substantially the entire distance between top and bottom walls of a refrigerator compartment. Slots in lateral walls of the trackway define a transverse/normal path of travel by way of which the shelf can be assembled to or disassembled from the trackway, particularly contiguous the top wall of the refrigerator compartment. The shelf bracket includes at least one stabilization member for preventing lateral instability during assembly, disassembly and use of the shelf assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Vincent Ramik
  • Publication number: 20050127806
    Abstract: A shelf for a refrigerator compartment includes a tempered glass panel to front and rear edges of which are injection molded or adhesively bonded front and rear border members. Side edges of the tempered glass panel are thereby exposed enhancing conductivity within the refrigerator compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Publication number: 20050127805
    Abstract: A shelf for a refrigerator compartment includes a tempered glass panel to front and rear edges of which are injection molded or adhesively bonded front and rear border members. Side edges of the tempered glass panel are thereby exposed enhancing conductivity within the refrigerator compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Inventor: Craig Bienick
  • Publication number: 20050034486
    Abstract: A structural panel, such as an appliance door, includes first and second frame members each having inner and outer peripheral edges with the inner peripheral edges each defining an opening. At least one of the frames is constructed from synthetic polymeric/copolymeric material. A glass panel has an outer peripheral edge in sandwiched relationship with at least one annular member inner peripheral edge thereby closing the opening thereof, and the two frames are secured together. A second glass panel can be associated with the other frame to close the opening therein, and the glass panels can be in spaced parallel relationship to each other. Alternatively, one of the glass panels can be of a concavo/convex relationship, particularly when the structural panel is a washing machine door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Craig Bienick, Howard Daley