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).

  • Publication number: 20200003483
    Abstract: A system for measuring and monitoring the closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance includes a controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of the appliance. The system includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the compartment to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Mark W. Wilson, Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190383496
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of a folding door for a cooking appliance. The folding door includes two or more segments hingedly connected. The folding door may vertically fold towards the bottom of the appliance. The outer surface of the folding door may face interiorly towards the one or more cooking compartments of the cooking appliance when in the folded configuration. The cooking appliance may also include one or more tracks guiding the folding door to the folded configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Patent number: 10480503
    Abstract: A portable foodstuff container and method of dispensing foodstuff from the portable container are disclosed herein. Such a portable foodstuff may include a portable body with a reservoir configured to contain a foodstuff and a dispenser configured to dispense the foodstuff contained in the reservoir, a pump disposed within the body and configured to convey the foodstuff from the reservoir to the dispenser when activated to dispense the foodstuff through the dispenser, and a controller disposed in the body and coupled to the pump. The controller may be configured to activate the pump to dispense a user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Robert M. Digman, Paul Staun
  • Patent number: 10422571
    Abstract: An appliance having at least a freezer compartment. The appliance may include a pair of freezer doors accessing the freezer compartment. The freezer compartment may include one or more freezer shelves. A mullion may include a movable portion and a fixed portion for sealing the pair of freezer doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190204001
    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: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190186809
    Abstract: An appliance, e.g., a refrigerator, and method utilize a transitioning handle that is usable in both a recessed and an extended position. As an example, a refrigerator may include a housing that defines at least a food compartment, a door attached to the housing that provides access to the food compartment and includes an exterior surface and a handle recess extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the door, and a handle attached to the at least one door and movably mounted within the handle recess between a recessed position and an extended position, where the handle is manually grippable in both the recessed position and the extended position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Phillip C. Hombroek
  • Publication number: 20190178552
    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: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190178556
    Abstract: A refrigerator utilizes a center console in a fresh food compartment that extends only a portion of the height of the fresh food compartment and separated from each of the side walls of the fresh food compartment. In some instances, the center console may be insulated and house an icemaker, as well as provide an ability to support fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins within the fresh food compartment. In some instances, the fully extendible sliding shelves, baskets and/or storage bins may be supported by a top of the center console, while in other instances, they may be supported along the sides of the center console.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190170421
    Abstract: A refrigerator and method utilize a door-mounted icemaking system including an icemaking mold, an ice storage bin and a cold wall evaporator disposed proximate the ice storage bin along an interior wall of the door to provide cooling proximate the ice storage bin. In some instances, the cold wall evaporator may be in addition to an icemaking evaporator that provides direct cooling of the icemaking mold, and furthermore, in some instances, the cold wall and icemaking evaporators may be separately controllable to optimize cooling within the door-mounted icemaking system. In addition, in some instances, a hot wall condenser may be used in a door-mounted icemaking system to dissipate heat generated by a refrigeration circuit through an exterior wall of a door. Further, in some instances a reversible refrigeration circuit may be used in connection with an icemaking evaporator to assist in ejecting ice from an icemaking mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190145698
    Abstract: An appliance having at least a freezer compartment. The appliance may include a pair of freezer doors accessing the freezer compartment. The freezer compartment may include one or more freezer shelves. A mullion may include a movable portion and a fixed portion for sealing the pair of freezer doors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventor: Eric Scalf
  • Publication number: 20190101112
    Abstract: A portable foodstuff container and method of dispensing foodstuff from the portable container are disclosed herein. Such a portable foodstuff may include a portable body with a reservoir configured to contain a foodstuff and a dispenser configured to dispense the foodstuff contained in the reservoir, a pump disposed within the body and configured to convey the foodstuff from the reservoir to the dispenser when activated to dispense the foodstuff through the dispenser, and a controller disposed in the body and coupled to the pump. The controller may be configured to activate the pump to dispense a user-selected amount of foodstuff from the dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Robert M. Digman, Paul Staun
  • Publication number: 20190099057
    Abstract: A retracting rack for an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. The rack may be positionable between a stowed position and a deployed position. A spring may drive the rack towards the stowed position. A locking mechanism may be used to secure the rack in one or more positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Robert Digman
  • Publication number: 20190093942
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance having a quick fill dispenser to rapidly fill a container. The refrigerator may include a water storage receptacle. The water storage receptacle may be in fluid communication with a water filter. The water storage receptacle may dispense water at a flow rate greater than the flow rate entering the water storage receptacle. A valve may be downstream of the water storage receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Robert Digman, Paul Staun
  • Publication number: 20190003758
    Abstract: A refrigerator and method utilize a pair of tandem evaporators to provide cooling for both a compartment and an ice making system of a refrigerator. An upstream evaporator in the pair of tandem evaporators provides cooling for a compartment such as a freezer, fresh food, flexible cooling, or quick cooling compartment, while a downstream evaporator is in fluid communication with the upstream evaporator to receive a portion of the air cooled by the upstream evaporator and further cool the received portion for use in cooling one or more components of the ice making system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Eric Scalf, Mark W. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20090127425
    Abstract: A display device of an appliance having a graphic user interface and a structure for positioning the display device within a recess of a surface of the appliance between a substantially flush position with respect to the surface and a tilted position in which the display device has been moved away from the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Daniel S. FRAZER, Anthony A. Cooper, Joshua Paul Kopecky, Eric Scalf, Krzysztof Struminski, Joseph A. Tobbe, Mary Wayne Wilson