Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm John W. Morrison
  • Patent number: 8048510
    Abstract: A liner for an appliance is formed by a plastic sheet formed into a three dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of a compartment of the appliance. A plurality of electrically conductive ink pathways are applied on a surface of the plastic sheet, and a sealer material is applied to the plastic sheet to cover said pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Shawn Egan, Michael E. Stagg, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8042355
    Abstract: A distributed refrigeration appliance system for use in a residential kitchen and other locations in a dwelling and includes multiple separate refrigeration appliance modules, a central cooling system and a cooling circuit. The system can also include one or more satellite stations having a heat exchanger and arranged for supplying chilled air to one or more refrigeration appliance modules. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can include a thermal cascade cooling device to cool the module to lower temperatures than the cooling circuit can attain. One or more refrigeration appliance modules can be refrigeration/storage modules that can provide refrigerated, unconditioned or heated storage space. The central cooling system can be a vapor compression system having a refrigerant circuit connecting the modules. Alternately, the central cooling system can cool a secondary cooling medium circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Nihat O. Cur, Steven John Kuehl, John Joseph Vonderhaar, Diego Barone, Lorenzo Bianchi
  • Patent number: 7980093
    Abstract: A compressor for a refrigerant is integrally contained in a housing with a positive displacement pump for a secondary coolant. Both the compressor and pump are driven by a common motor. In one embodiment, a linear compressor includes a reciprocating piston rod coupled at one end to a refrigerant compressor and at an opposite end to a positive displacement liquid pump. The pump circulates a secondary coolant through a thermal storage unit and heat exchanger associated with an evaporator. The evaporator is coupled to a condenser, in turn, coupled to the compressor. A conventional rotary compressor may also have a positive displacement pump coupled to the motor to provide circulation for a secondary coolant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Kuehl, Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 7946125
    Abstract: A refrigerator freezer having an ice maker positioned on a refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment door. The ice maker is arranged to prevent or manage spills from the ice maker in the event the door on which the ice maker is mounted is opened or closed when unfrozen water is present in the ice maker. Spill management embodiments for a number of fixed and movable tray ice makers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry M. Visin, Guolian Wu, Marcus R. Fischer, Michele E. Wilcox, Martin D. Lewis, Kevin M. Chase
  • Patent number: 7913510
    Abstract: A refrigerator freezer having an ice maker positioned on a refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment door. The ice maker is arranged to prevent or manage spills from the ice maker in the event the door on which the ice maker is mounted is opened or closed when unfrozen water is present in the ice maker. Spill management embodiments for a number of fixed and movable tray ice makers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry M. Visin, Guolian Wu, Marcus R. Fischer, Michele E. Wilcox, Martin D. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7913514
    Abstract: A refrigerator freezer having an ice maker positioned on a refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment door. The ice maker is arranged to prevent or manage spills from the ice maker in the event the door on which the ice maker is mounted is opened or closed when unfrozen water is present in the ice maker. Spill management embodiments for a number of fixed and movable tray ice makers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry M. Visin, Guolian Wu, Marcus R. Fischer, Michele E. Wilcox, Martin D. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7849707
    Abstract: A refrigerator freezer having an ice maker positioned on a refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment door. The ice maker is arranged to prevent or manage spills from the ice maker in the event the door on which the ice maker is mounted is opened or closed when unfrozen water is present in the ice maker. Spill management embodiments for a number of fixed and movable tray ice makers are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 6746059
    Abstract: A latch assembly for a removable dirt separation system is disclosed. The latch assembly includes an actuator having an latch opening defined therethrough pivotally mounted to a lid of the dirt separation system. The latch assembly further includes a latch positioned beneath the actuator and having a latching surface which is operable to engage a catch on a vacuum cleaner housing. A latching surface of the latch extends through the latch opening. Moving the actuator in a first direction causes the actuator to disengage the latching surface of the latch from the catch and place the latch assembly in a disengaged position. Moving the latch in the first direction causes the latching surface of the latch to pass through a latch opening defined in the actuator to place the latch assembly in a return position. A method of operating a latch assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventor: Leron R. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6485110
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the amount of lubricant within a housing is disclosed. The apparatus includes a shaft driving the housing about an axis, a number of interior components positioned within the housing, and an opening defined in the housing and centered on the axis. The distance between the a lower edge of the opening and the lowest portion of the housing is proportional to the amount of lubricant displaced by the components. The level of the lubricant within the housing determined relative to the lower edge. A work machine and method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpiller Inc
    Inventors: Rick T. Lasko, Frank Moeller
  • Patent number: 6457382
    Abstract: A transmission assembly having a variable displacement hydraulic device which controls a ratio of an input speed to an output speed of the hydrostatic transmission is disclosed. The transmission assembly further includes a torque reversing mechanical transmission coupled to the hydrostatic transmission and having a first range and a second range. The transmission assembly further includes an output shaft driven by one or more of the hydrostatic transmission and the mechanical transmission which causes a work machine to move at a travel speed and a controller. The controller is operable to determine a transmission load and an equal displacement travel speed ratio based on the transmission load. A shift from the first gear range to the second gear range is based on the equal displacement travel speed ratio. A method of operating a transmission assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Cronin, Brian D. Kuras
  • Patent number: 6447423
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a continuously variable transmission is disclosed. The apparatus includes (i) an input shaft driven by an engine, (ii) an output shaft, (iii) an operator input for generating speed commands, and (iv) a controller operable to receive said speed commands and generate transmission ratio commands which control a ratio of a speed of the output shaft to a speed of the input shaft. An upper transmission ratio limit is defined by first engine speed and a lower transmission ratio limit is defined by a second engine speed. When the speed command requires a transmission ratio command greater than the upper transmission ratio limit, the controller adjusts the transmission ratio command to the upper transmission ratio limit, whereas when the speed command requires a transmission ratio command less than the lower transmission ratio limit the controller adjusts the transmission ratio command to the lower transmission ratio limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Howard N. Cannon, Larry E. Kendrick
  • Patent number: 6409628
    Abstract: A transmission assembly is disclosed. The transmission assembly includes a continuously variable transmission driven by an input shaft at an input speed, a mechanical transmission coupled to the continuously variable transmission for selecting a first gear range and a second gear range, an output shaft driven by the mechanical transmission at an output speed, and controller operable to receive a speed command and generate a transmission ratio is command which control a ratio of the output speed to the input speed, and generate a shift command which causes the mechanical transmission to shift from the first gear range to the second gear range. An upper transmission ratio limit defined by an engine lug limit. A lower transmission ratio limit is defined by an engine overspeed limit. The controller causes the transmission to execute a shift from the first gear range to the second gear range which causes an instantaneous change in output speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Brian D. Kuras
  • Patent number: 6402660
    Abstract: A transmission assembly driven by an engine is disclosed. The transmission assembly includes a hydrostatic transmission having a variable displacement hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor, a mechanical transmission coupled to the hydrostatic transmission for selecting a first gear range and a second gear range, and a controller for receiving operator inputs and generating a displacement command operable to control a displacement of the variable displacement pump. The controller determines the actual displacement. The controller determines a displacement shift level from the actual displacement. The controller executes a shift from the first gear range to the second gear range when the actual displacement reaches displacement shift level. A method of controlling a transmission assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Cronin, Brian D. Kuras
  • Patent number: D473983
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Stephens, Matthew J. Archer, Shai Abramson, Shalom Levin, Oded Davidovitch, Yoav Tikochinksy
  • Patent number: D473984
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Stephens, Matthew J. Archer, Shai Abramson, Shalom Levin, Oded Davidovitch, Yoav Tikochinksy
  • Patent number: D473986
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Richard S. Parr, William G. Alford, Darwin T. McKnight, Matthew J. Archer
  • Patent number: D474312
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Stephens, Matthew J. Archer, Shai Abramson, Shalom Levin, Oded Davidovitch, Yoav Tikochinsky
  • Patent number: D474868
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Ronald J. Stephens, Matthew J. Archer, Shai Abramson, Shalom Levin, Oded Davidovitch, Yoav Tikochinksy
  • Patent number: D485028
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Richard S. Parr, William G. Alford, Darwin T. McKnight
  • Patent number: D497694
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Wareham, Peter Ho Ka Nam