Patents Represented by Attorney McGarry Bair PC
  • Patent number: 7979951
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a recovery tank. The surface cleaning apparatus can further include a base, and the recovery tank can have side rails to facilitate alignment of the recovery tank with the base. The recovery tank can include a float assembly with a pivotable closure member. The recovery tank can have a lid with a handle and latch to secure the lid to the recovery tank. Further, the recovery tank can comprise a lid with a working air conduit mounted to the lid and removable from the recovery tank with the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Lenkiewicz, Alan J. Krebs
  • Patent number: 7980260
    Abstract: An automatic dishwasher having a tub defining a wash chamber for receiving utensils to be washed and including a rotatable spray arm located within the wash chamber and a liquid recirculation system for selectively supplying liquid to the rotatable spray arm and where the rotatable spray arm is driven with a power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Roger James Bertsch, Jordan Robert Fountain
  • Patent number: 7979955
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a recovery tank. The surface cleaning apparatus can further include a base, and the recovery tank can have side rails to facilitate alignment of the recovery tank with the base. The recovery tank can include a float assembly with a pivotable closure member. The recovery tank can have a lid with a handle and latch to secure the lid to the recovery tank. Further, the recovery tank can comprise a lid with a working air conduit mounted to the lid and removable from the recovery tank with the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Lenkiewicz, Alan J. Krebs
  • Patent number: 7980395
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for filtering working fluid in an appliance with a cross-flow filter located within a recirculation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis L. Kehl
  • Patent number: 7980798
    Abstract: An organization and storage assembly movably coupled with a track having a partially enclosed polygonal channelway, and a base, a mounting lug, a lock actuator, and a first organization and storage accessory. The base is at least partially enclosable in, and slidably translatable along, a polygonal channelway. The mounting lug is mounted to the base to extend exteriorly of the channelway when the base is within the channelway. The lock actuator is movably coupled with the base, for engagement and disengagement of the lock actuator under the influence of a biasing element. A first organization and storage accessory is resiliently coupled with the mounting lug, and can be selectively uncoupled from the mounting lug when the base is at least partially enclosed in a polygonal channelway to enable coupling of a second organization and storage accessory with the mounting lug without uncoupling the organization and storage assembly from a track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: ADAC Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley T. Kuehn, Jerry Cummins, Andrew P. Higgins, Richard J. VandeKopple
  • Patent number: 7967220
    Abstract: A manual spray dispenser for dispensing a mixture of two compositions comprises a container having a first and second chamber and a single dispensing spray outlet for dispensing controlled amounts of liquids from each of the first and second chambers. At least one of the chambers has a separator in the form of a pouch for physically separating the contents of the container from an interior surface of the chamber. The first chamber can contain a first composition and the second chamber can contain a second composition having a reactive component that reacts with at least one compound upon contact or mixing. The dispenser further contains a dispensing system for simultaneously dispensing the first composition and the second composition from their respective first and second chambers, mixing the two compositions together, and dispensing a mixture of the two compositions from the container under pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Hansen, Kevin Haley, Jesse J. Williams, Herbert J. VanderBilt, Michael R. Foote, Donald J. Mahaffy
  • Patent number: 7967131
    Abstract: An endless conveyor belt has teeth with drive faces raked away from the direction of travel. The belt can be driven by a drive pulley having sheaves with drive faces raked toward the direction of travel. The drive faces on the sheaves engage the drive faces on the teeth to move the belt and the raked angle tends to pull the belt inwardly. A stationary foot assists removing a driven tooth from its corresponding sheave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Thermodrive LLC
    Inventor: Michael DeGroot
  • Patent number: 7966690
    Abstract: A surface cleaning apparatus with a recovery tank that has side rails to facilitate alignment of the recovery tank with the base. The recovery tank can include a float assembly with a pivotable closure member. The recovery tank can have a lid with a handle and latch to secure the lid to the recovery tank. Further, the recovery tank can include a lid with a working air conduit mounted to the lid and removable from the recovery tank with the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth M. Lenkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7966683
    Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of a steam generator in a fabric treatment appliance may include setting an operational temperature for the steam generator based on calcification of the steam generator. A change in the calcification of the steam generator may be determined by behavior of the actual temperature of the steam generator in response to changing a flow rate of water supplied to the steam generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Christoph Herkle, Thomas Benne, Robert Pöettger, Markus Beck
  • Patent number: 7958585
    Abstract: A method of determining static and dynamic imbalance conditions in a horizontal axis washing machine utilizes a number of dynamic algorithms to automatically determine the total load size, the magnitude of any static load imbalance, and the magnitude of any dynamic load imbalance for any given load in a given washing machine based on power measurements from the washing machine motor obtained in predetermined speed profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Zheng Zhang, Tao Xie, Gregory M. Garstecki, Mark M. Xie, Scott D. Slabbekoorn, Ali R. Buendia
  • Patent number: 7959744
    Abstract: An automatic dishwasher comprises a housing defining a wash chamber for holding utensils to be washed, a movable sprayer fluidly coupled with a source of liquid and having at least one directionally-controllable outlet for controllably spraying liquid into the wash chamber, and a controller operably coupled to the movable sprayer to control the direction of the directionally-controllable outlet to spray liquid in at least one preselected location within the wash chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Sathish Andrea Sundaram, Joseph Karl Sharkey, Luis Fernando Welin, Roger James Bertsch, Donald J. Wilson
  • Patent number: 7960851
    Abstract: A power generator for use in a unidirectional flowing fluid has a fixed part and a movable part, the movable part is mounted on the fixed part for reciprocal movement with respect to the fixed part between first and second positions. A valve element on the movable part is adapted to move between open and closed positions for relatively unimpeded and impeded flow. A valve actuation mechanism is connected to the valve element to move the valve element to the closed position when the movable element reaches the first position and to move the valve element to the open position when the movable element reaches the second position. An electrical generator is coupled to the fixed part and the moveable part and is adapted to generate electrical energy when the movable part moves between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: Phillip L. Van Huffel
  • Patent number: 7958652
    Abstract: A portable cleaning apparatus comprises a base module for movement along a surface and a plenum. The base module comprises a base housing enclosing a fan for moving air through the housing from the interior of the housing to the exterior of the housing through an exhaust outlet in the housing. The plenum fluidly communicates at one end with the exhaust outlet and at another end with at least one plenum outlet opening adjacent the surface to direct air exhausted from the housing interior along the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare Inc.
    Inventors: Eric C. Huffman, Kenneth M. Lenkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7958399
    Abstract: The invention relates to a data processing system comprising a central processing unit, a first memory coupled to the central processing unit for storing variable data values, an eventing engine coupled to the central processing, a debug module coupled to the central processing unit and to the eventing engine for receiving the variable data values by way of the eventing engine in real time and configured to trigger breakpoints; and an interface to connect to an external device. Both event-based variable watching and debugging can occur contemporaneously by a user using an external device connected to the interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Eugene Glotzbach, Matthew Peter Ebrom, Richard A. McCoy
  • Patent number: 7950442
    Abstract: A method for designing the location, surface temperature, flow rate, length and type of cooling lines within a mold for a casting process. The method allows the user to optimize each value for each individual cooling line of the mold. The method can utilize one or more parameters of the casting process and the heat load to be carried by each of the cooling lines in designing the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Die Therm Engineering LLC
    Inventor: J. Scott Kirkman
  • Patent number: 7950086
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the degree of engagement between a clothes mover and fabric items during a wash process, and a method for setting the liquid level in the automatic washer based on the degree of engagement between a clothes mover and the fabric items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Farhad Ashrafzadeh, Kalyanakrishnan Vadakkeveedu, Raveendran Vaidhyanathan
  • Patent number: 7947132
    Abstract: A dishwasher having multiple wash zones has an interior tub configured to provide an interior wash chamber for washing dishes and a dish rack located within the wash chamber. The dishwasher also has a spray arm assembly configured to spray a first flow of wash liquid toward the dish rack, thereby providing a first wash zone. A spray manifold provided within the wash chamber is configured to provide a second flow of wash liquid toward the dish rack, thereby providing a second wash zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Chad T. Vanderroest, Jay C. Landsiedel, Christopher J. Carlson, Vincent P. Gurubatham, Edward L. Thies
  • Patent number: 7946879
    Abstract: A modified insulation displacement connector block (10) has an array (11) of insulation displacement connectors (12). Each insulation displacement connector (12) is adapted to receive an insulated wire conductor (16) constituting one part of a twisted pair cable (24). The insulation displacement connector block (10) is provided with guide means (17) spaced relative to the connector array (11) so as to define a gap (21) therebetween. The guide means (17) is adapted for aligning each insulated wire conductor (16) with a selected insulation displacement connector (12), and further adapted to receive a length of each insulated wire conductor (16) extending from its selected insulation displacement connector (12) to a corresponding location on the guide means (17). In use, the said length of insulated wire conductor (16) bridges the gap (21), thereby to be presented for subsequent removal by a wire manipulation tool (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologists Europe Limited
    Inventors: Frank Gerwin Kaufhold, Ian Albert Edward Swann, John Richard Willoughby, George William Francis
  • Patent number: D639005
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Luyckx
  • Patent number: D641035
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Inventor: Greg Opatik