Patents by Inventor Eric Scalf

Eric Scalf 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: 11131492
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a dual direction ice maker capable of overlapping multiple ice production cycles in time to accelerate ice production and/or routing ice to multiple storage bins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20210293470
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance having one or more sliding shelves. The sliding shelf may slide along one or more tracks. The sliding shelf may include one or more shelf plates. The one or more tracks may be adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Vinayak Naik
  • Publication number: 20210289938
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance having one or more sliding shelves. The sliding shelf may slide along one or more tracks. The sliding shelf may include one or more shelf plates. The one or more tracks may be adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Vinayak Naik, Kirk Lemmen
  • Publication number: 20210231357
    Abstract: A variable ice dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of ice dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control includes a variable control actuator that is movable between a range of positions including a home position, and movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense cubed ice while movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense crushed ice. Further, in some instances, the variable control may also selectively activate the ice dispenser such that the variable control actuator controls the ice dispensing rate while the variable ice dispenser is activated. In addition, in some instances, a variable control may also include a secondary control that switches between ice and water dispensing modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20210215416
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance having one or more adjustable bins. The refrigerator door may include the one or more adjustable bins. The adjustable bin may move along one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include one or more actuators engaging the one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include one or more bushings slidably engaging the one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include a storage bin removable from a carriage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Vinayak Naik
  • Patent number: 11060782
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes an ice dispenser closure that is actuated in response to separation of a separable portion of a passageway that communicates ice from an ice dispensing mechanism to a dispenser outlet to restrict external access to the ice dispensing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20210190414
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a quick fill dispenser that incorporates a fluid storage receptacle that is easily removable for cleaning and/or dispensing independently of the refrigerator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20210180848
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a dual direction ice maker capable of overlapping multiple ice production cycles in time to accelerate ice production and/or routing ice to multiple storage bins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 11009278
    Abstract: A variable ice dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of ice dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control includes a variable control actuator that is movable between a range of positions including a home position, and movement of the variable control actuator in a first direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense cubed ice while movement of the variable control actuator in a second direction from the home position causes the variable ice dispenser to dispense crushed ice. Further, in some instances, the variable control may also selectively activate the ice dispenser such that the variable control actuator controls the ice dispensing rate while the variable ice dispenser is activated. In addition, in some instances, a variable control may also include a secondary control that switches between ice and water dispensing modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 10962279
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance having one or more adjustable bins. The refrigerator door may include the one or more adjustable bins. The adjustable bin may move along one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include one or more actuators engaging the one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include one or more bushings slidably engaging the one or more rails. The adjustable bin may include a storage bin removable from a carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Vinayak Naik
  • Patent number: 10955187
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a quick fill dispenser that incorporates a fluid storage receptacle that is easily removable for cleaning and/or dispensing independently of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20210071944
    Abstract: A variable fluid dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of fluid dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control may include a rotary control actuator that varies the fluid dispensing rate of the variable dispenser, and in some instances, the variable control may include a variable control actuator movable between a range of positions that includes a home position at which the variable dispenser is deactivated. In such instances, movement of the variable control actuator away from the home position both activates the variable dispenser to dispense fluid and increases the fluid dispensing rate of the variable dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Mark W. Wilson, Paul Staun
  • Patent number: 10941978
    Abstract: A refrigerator and method utilize first and second sensors to determine a volume of fluid dispensed by a fluid dispenser that incorporates a fluid storage receptacle. The first sensor is disposed in upstream fluid communication with the fluid storage receptacle to generate a first signal representative of a volume of fluid entering the fluid storage receptacle and the second sensor is disposed downstream of the first sensor to generate a second signal representative of a volume of fluid exiting the fluid storage receptacle, and a controller determines the volume of fluid dispensed using the first and second signals output by the first and second sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Robert M. Digman
  • Publication number: 20210063071
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes in some instances an icemaker having a tandem arrangement of storage bins. A first storage bin receives ice produced by an icemaker and includes a reversible ice mover that when operated in a first direction feeds an ice dispenser, and when operated in a second direction feeds a second storage bin disposed below the first storage bin. A refrigerator may also in another aspect include an externally-accessible ice dispenser having a dispenser recess portion that is removable from the refrigerator when the doors of the refrigerator are closed, e.g., for the purpose of accessing an ice storage bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 10906796
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a dispenser control with a multi-function control paddle to perform multiple dispenser functions in response to different types of actuation of the control paddle. The control paddle may be positioned below one or more dispenser openings and pivotable in multiple directions about one or more axes such that placement of a container below the one or more dispenser openings and against different actuation regions of the control paddle will initiate different dispenser functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Vinayak Naik, Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20200408451
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes an ice dispenser closure that is actuated in response to separation of a separable portion of a passageway that communicates ice from an ice dispensing mechanism to a dispenser outlet to restrict external access to the ice dispensing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20200393185
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes an ice dispensing system incorporating multiple ice movers, e.g., multiple ice augers, that are arranged adjacent to one another and operable to move ice in opposite directions. Doing so may enable, for example, the multiple ice movers to be operated concurrently with one another to circulate ice in a storage bin and thereby break apart clumped ice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20200377357
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a dispenser control with a multi-function control paddle to perform multiple dispenser functions in response to different types of actuation of the control paddle. The control paddle may be positioned below one or more dispenser openings and pivotable in multiple directions about one or more axes such that placement of a container below the one or more dispenser openings and against different actuation regions of the control paddle will initiate different dispenser functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Vinayak Naik, Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 10852046
    Abstract: A refrigerator combines an externally-accessible door-mounted fluid or water dispenser outlet with an externally-accessible case-mounted ice dispenser outlet and/or an externally-accessible case-mounted fluid dispenser control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 10845117
    Abstract: A variable fluid dispenser for a refrigerator utilizes a variable control suitable for varying the rate of fluid dispensing by the dispenser. In some instances, the variable control may include a rotary control actuator that varies the fluid dispensing rate of the variable dispenser, and in some instances, the variable control may include a variable control actuator movable between a range of positions that includes a home position at which the variable dispenser is deactivated. In such instances, movement of the variable control actuator away from the home position both activates the variable dispenser to dispense fluid and increases the fluid dispensing rate of the variable dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Mark W. Wilson, Paul Staun