Patents by Inventor Stephen Bernard Froelicher

Stephen Bernard Froelicher 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: 20170055535
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes a baking stone positioned within a housing at a bottom portion of a cooking chamber. A baffle is positioned within the housing below a lower heating element array. The baffle includes an upper plate and a lower plate. Holes of the upper plate are offset from holes of the lower plate. The holes of the lower plate are contiguous with a regulating air duct of the housing such that a flow of air enters the baffle through the holes of the lower plate. Regulating air exits the holes of the upper plate and is impinged onto a bottom surface of the baking stone in a pattern to regulate baking stone temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Christopher James Adelmann, James Lee Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20170059182
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes a baking stone positioned within a housing at a bottom portion of a cooking chamber. An entrance of a venting channel is positioned over an opening of the housing, and an exit of the venting channel is positioned above the entrance of the venting channel. The exit of the venting channel is also positioned such that the exit of the venting channel is exposed to interior room ambient atmosphere about the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Christopher James Adelmann, James Lee Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20170059181
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes a baking stone positioned within a housing at a bottom portion of a cooking chamber. An inlet of an air duct is positioned at a front portion of the housing, and an outlet of the air duct is positioned at a rear portion of the housing and is contiguous with ambient air about the housing. An air handler is configured for urging the ambient air about the housing through the air duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Christopher James Adelmann, James Lee Armstrong
  • Patent number: 9581383
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance including a refrigerated chamber defined by a liner positioned within a cabinet is provided. At least one track extends generally along a vertical direction of the refrigerator appliance attached to or positioned adjacent to the liner. Additionally, a shelf assembly is configured to attach to the track. An electrical bar extends at least partially within the track and a probe of the shelf assembly is configured to extend into the track and press against the electrical bar along a transverse direction. The probe may accordingly make an electrical connection with electrical bar when the shelf assembly is attached the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Tyler Brown, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Peter Hans Bensel
  • Publication number: 20170017248
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preparing food items are provided. A method includes obtaining a cooking profile for the food item from a plurality of cooking profiles stored on a remote server. Each of the plurality of cooking profiles includes a food item style and a plurality of cooking factors associated with the food item style. The method further includes configuring an oven appliance for cooking based on each of the plurality of cooking factors of the obtained cooking profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Christopher James Adelmann
  • Patent number: 9541295
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes features for permitting movement of a door of the oven appliance relative to a cabinet of the oven appliance. The oven appliance also includes a hinge assembly that couples the door to at least one of the first and second slide assemblies such that the door is pivotable. The hinge assembly includes a bearing disposed within one of a series of detents. A related double oven range appliance is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Haier U.S. Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Adelmann, Cecil Clay Clements, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Patent number: 9533894
    Abstract: A filtering system is provided that includes at least one temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of a filter cartridge. The temperature measurements can used to determine whether the filter cartridge is at an increased risk of suffering a leak due to a crack of other material failure caused by exposure to certain temperatures. More than one temperature sensor may be used. The temperature measurements can also be used to determine whether one or more corrective actions should be taken such as e.g., providing a notification to a user and/or shutting of a flow of fluid to the filter cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Andrew Reinhard Krause, Mariano Pablo Filippa
  • Patent number: 9521708
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides an oven range appliance. The oven range appliance includes a cabinet. The cabinet defines a width. A cooktop is positioned at a top portion of the cabinet. The cooktop includes a ceramic panel. The ceramic panel defines a width. The width of the ceramic panel is about equal to the width of the cabinet. Thus, the ceramic panel can extend across the width of the cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher James Adelmann, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Kevin Scott Laundroche
  • Publication number: 20160348958
    Abstract: Refrigerator casings and joint members therefor are provided. A joint member includes a body extending between a first end and a second end generally along a lateral direction. The body further includes a forward face and an aft face spaced apart from the forward face along a transverse direction, and further includes a top surface and a bottom surface spaced apart from the top surface along a vertical direction. The joint member further includes a plurality of barrier channels defined in the body, each of the plurality of barrier channels extending generally along the lateral direction between the first end and the second end. The joint member further includes a plurality of tube channels defined in the body, each of the plurality of tube channels extending generally along the vertical direction between the top surface and the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Fernandez, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Krishnamurthi Seeni
  • Publication number: 20160341470
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance including a refrigerated chamber defined by a liner positioned within a cabinet is provided. At least one track extends generally along a vertical direction of the refrigerator appliance attached to or positioned adjacent to the liner. Additionally, a shelf assembly is configured to attach to the track. An electrical bar extends at least partially within the track and a probe of the shelf assembly is configured to extend into the track and press against the electrical bar along a transverse direction. The probe may accordingly make an electrical connection with electrical bar when the shelf assembly is attached the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Justin Tyler Brown, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Peter Hans Bensel
  • Publication number: 20160334112
    Abstract: A measurement device for determining heating parameters of an oven may generally include a support plate and at least one sensor cup coupled to the support plate. The sensor cup may define a liquid well for receiving a volume of liquid and may include a bottom wall defining a floor of the liquid well. In addition, the measurement device may include a temperature sensor positioned adjacent to the floor of the liquid well such that the temperature sensor is configured to be in fluid contact with at least a portion of the volume of the liquid received within the liquid well. The temperature sensor may be configured to monitor a temperature of the liquid as the liquid is heated and evaporates from the sensor cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Joshua Stephen Wiseman, James Lee Armstrong, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Patent number: 9420800
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes a baking stone positioned within a housing at a bottom portion of a cooking chamber. A controller is in operative communication with an upper heating element array, a lower heating element array, a pair of upper temperature sensors and a pair lower temperature sensors. The controller is configured for independently operating each of a first zone of the upper heating element array, a second zone of the upper heating element array, a first zone of the lower heating element array and a second zone of the lower heating element array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Christopher James Adelmann
  • Publication number: 20160195279
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes a slide assembly that couples a door to a cabinet such that the door is movable along a transverse direction relative to the cabinet. A support assembly includes a block mounted to the cabinet and a leveling leg threaded to the block. The block extends from the cabinet along the transverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher Nils Naber, Christopher James Adelmann, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Publication number: 20160195280
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes features for permitting movement of a door of the oven appliance relative to a cabinet of the oven appliance. The oven appliance also includes a hinge assembly that couples the door to at least one of the first and second slide assemblies such that the door is pivotable. The hinge assembly is coupled to a front panel of the door and extends through a liner of the door. A related double oven range appliance is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher James Adelmann, Cecil Clay Clements, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Patent number: 9335055
    Abstract: An oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a pair of doors. Each door of the pair of doors includes an outer door panel and an inner door panel. The outer and inner door panels are spaced apart from each other along at least one edge of the door such that the inner and outer door panels define a thermal break therebetween. The thermal break can assist with limiting or hindering heat transfer between the inner and outer door panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Mark Chilton, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Scott Thomas Kershner, Joshua Stephen Wiseman, John Adam Yantis
  • Patent number: 9328445
    Abstract: A clutch positioning assembly for a washing machine appliance is provided. The assembly uses a cam that can be rotated so as to position the clutch between different positions that provide for engaging or disengaging a motor from a wash basket. A leaf spring, configured as a yoke in one exemplary embodiment, provides a force to urge the clutch into a position that e.g., disengages the wash basket from the motor during e.g., wash modes while also allowing the clutch to be moved into a position that engages the wash basket with the motor during spin modes. The clutch positioning assembly can be provided as a modular unit that is connected with the appliance during manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Simeon Chupka, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Publication number: 20160075566
    Abstract: A water filter assembly having one or more electrical connections with a removable filter cartridge is provided. The electrical connections can be used to provide power to, and/or communication with, one or more electrical components incorporated into the filter cartridge. Wire form contacts are used to provide the electrical connections. The wire form contacts can be incorporated into a variety of different water filter assembly configurations having a removable filter cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Natarajan Venkatakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9243807
    Abstract: An oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance includes a pair of doors and a pair of flanges. Each flange of the pair of flanges is mounted to a respective one of the pair of doors. The flanges engage and overlap each other when the pair of doors is in a closed position and include features for limiting wear between the flanges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Mark Chilton, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Scott Thomas Kershner, Joshua Stephen Wiseman, John Adam Yantis
  • Publication number: 20150354829
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes features for permitting movement of a door of the oven appliance relative to a cabinet of the oven appliance and also includes features for permitting pivoting of the. The oven appliance also includes a frame with a tray removably mounted to the frame and a rack disposed on the tray. A related double oven range appliance is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher James Adelmann, Cecil Clay Clements, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Publication number: 20150354830
    Abstract: An oven appliance includes features for permitting movement of a door of the oven appliance relative to a cabinet of the oven appliance. The oven appliance also includes features for permitting the door to pivot between a vertical position and a peak position. A related double oven range appliance is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher James Adelmann, Cecil Clay Clements, Stephen Bernard Froelicher