Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Joel Van Winkle
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Patent number: 6454872Abstract: The present invention provides a dishwasher having a wash chamber including a sump. A pump having a rotating element is supported within a pump housing wherein the pump is adapted to draw liquid from the sump through an inlet area and then pump liquid to the wash chamber. A particle chopping assembly is supported in the inlet area upstream of the rotating element, the particle sizing assembly including a particle screen rotatably supporting drive shaft which drivingly supports a chopping blade adjacent the particle screen. The drive shaft has a coupling end which detachably couples to the rotating element. The coupling between the chopping blade and the rotating element is capable of accommodating axial tolerance with regard to the axial position of the rotating element.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2000Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Claude W. Miller, Geoffrey L. Dingler, Todd M. Jozwiak, John A. Miller, Nicholas J. Cottrell
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Patent number: 6092922Abstract: A blade is provided for use in a blender wherein the blade is to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation. The blade is formed with a central hub portion defining a horizontal plane, and in a preferred arrangement, has four tines extending outwardly from said hub portion with each tine angularly spaced at 90.degree. to two adjacent tines to form two opposed pairs of tines, however, with the tines being arranged asymmetrical to one another. In order to reduce vibration and torque occasioned by the asymmetrical arrangement of the tines, each tine in an opposed pair is formed to be balanced to the other tine with respect to a first product of its mass times a distance of its center of mass from the center of rotation and with respect to a further product of its mass times a distance of its center of mass from the axis of rotation and times a distance of its center of mass from the horizontal plane.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1999Date of Patent: July 25, 2000Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: David J. Kett, Barry Chaffin, deceased, by Donald L. Bleich, legal representative
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Patent number: 5918474Abstract: A refrigeration appliance and control system for efficiently operating the evaporator and condenser fan motors of the refrigeration appliance to reduce the total energy consumed by the appliance are disclosed. The control system operates to turn the evaporator fan motor on only after the evaporator has cooled to its operating temperature to avoid premature and inefficient use of the evaporator fan motor. The control system also permits the evaporator fan motor to continue running after the compressor is turned off to utilize the residual cooling capacity of the evaporator. In an embodiment, a secondary control system also operates to turn a condenser fan motor on only after the condenser reaches its operating temperature and operates to turn the condenser fan motor off only after the compressor is turned off and the condenser cools to a shutoff temperature below its operating temperature.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1997Date of Patent: July 6, 1999Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Jatin C. Khanpara, Ernest C. Pickles
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Patent number: 5711325Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for carrying out the method for rinsing in a dish washer with a rinse water circuit, in which the rinse water is evacuated from the sump of the wash chamber by means of a circulating pump and, passing through a filter, is supplied to the spray devices in the wash chamber, the filter being cleaned in counterflow to the rinse water by means of introduced cleaning water. During the entire rinsing procedure the filter is cleaned in counterflow, the dirt particles in the filter being kept in suspension. The cleaning water is supplied to the rinse water circuit and preferably removed therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1995Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Whirlpool Europe B.V.Inventors: Gerd Kloss, Christa Maurer, Ludwin Rauber, Reinold Rheia
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Patent number: 5319942Abstract: An automatic control for an air conditioner having a compressor motor and a fan motor and a method for its operation are provided. While the control operates both motors to cool an enclosed space, a temperature indicative of the air temperature in the space is sensed and compared with a first preselected temperature value. When the sensed temperature is no longer greater than the preselected temperature, operation of the compressor motor is terminated. Thereafter the fan motor is operated for a first preselected time period. During the first time period, a currently sensed temperature indicative of the air temperature in the space is compared with a second preselected temperature value. When the sensed temperature is no longer less than the second preselected temperature during the first time period, operation of the compressor motor is resumed and the process described above with respect to cooling the space is repeated.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 1993Date of Patent: June 14, 1994Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: John K. Paustian, Patrick J. Glotzbach, Larry J. Manson
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Patent number: D381140Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1994Date of Patent: July 15, 1997Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Robert J. Pinkowski, Raymond A. Kaczmarek