Abstract: A ventilation system for electrical food-cooking appliances comprising a cooking hob and an oven with a fan positioned in a compartment between the two in order to generate air flow for cooling electronic components controlling the oven operation, in which the fan is of variable speed, its speed being gauged on the basis of the appliance use.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a cabinet defining a freezer compartment having an access opening and a closure member for closing the access opening. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces and an ice storage bin is removably mounted to the closure member below the ice maker for receiving ice from the ice maker. The ice storage bin has an upper portion which is transparent and has a bottom opening. An ice discharge chute extends through the closure member below the bottom opening of the ice storage bin. A motor is mounted on the closure member. An auger is vertically disposed within the ice storage bin and is drivingly connected to the motor. Upon energization of the motor, the auger moves ice pieces from the ice storage bin through the bottom opening to the ice discharge chute for dispensing ice pieces from the ice storage bin.

Abstract: A latch mechanism for use with an oven having a door, the latch mechanism including a base plate which pivotably supports a latch member about a pivot point. The latch member is rotatable between a latched and unlatched position and includes a drive surface offset from the pivot point. An actuator pin is supported by the base plate for rectilinear movement wherein the actuator pin has an outer end extending beyond the base plate for engaging the oven door upon closure and an inner end drivingly engaging the drive surface for rotating the latch member into a latched position against a spring bias. The base plate is a molded plastic member having a boss including snap connection means for rotatably supporting the latch member and a sleeve for slidingly supporting the actuator pin for rectilinear movement. A solenoid is mounted to the base plate and has a locking pin selectably movable between an extended position and a retracted position.

Abstract: A motor controller for a single phase induction motor (SPIM), wherein the SPIM is driven by two windings, a line winding connected to the ac line and a control winding driven by the controller. The SPIM torque and hence the speed and direction is controlled by the voltage output of the controller for all speeds below the synchronous speed (set by ac line frequency). The controller adjusts the amplitude, the phase angle relative to the line winding, and the frequency of the voltage for the desired SPIM responses. The controller can also selectively switch power to the line winding for a different operating mode with both windings at below synchronous speed. Or, the controller can open the connection to the line winding after starting, and operate the SPIM via the control winding at any speed by adjusting the amplitude and frequency of the controller voltage.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a cabinet which defines a freezer compartment having an access opening and a closure member for closing the access opening. An ice maker is disposed within the freezer compartment for forming ice pieces. An ice storage bin is mounted to the closure member below the ice maker for receiving ice from the ice maker. An ice level sensing finger extends from the ice maker into the ice storage bin for sensing the level of ice within the storage bin. A lever is pivotably connected to the ice maker and biased toward the closure member for lifting the ice level sensing finger out of the ice storage bin when the closure member is opened. The lever further operates to prevent the dispensing of ice pieces when the closure member is open.

Abstract: A cooking appliance or an electronic control for a cooking appliance and method of controlling the same including a remote control unit which has a built-in temperature sensor, positional switch and low-battery detection circuit is in two-way intermittent wireless communication with the appliance control unit of the present invention. The appliance control unit includes a switch means for controlling the heating elements of the cooking appliance wherein the switch means for each heating element includes two power switches connected in series and coupled with a redundancy detection circuit for the detection of a failure of one of the two power switches. Two-way communication between the two control units of the present invention is constantly monitored to ensure proper operation of the cooking appliance and to provide a mechanism to report errors to the user or to shut down the cooking appliance, as appropriate, soon after an error is detected.

Abstract: A container sensing system for controlling the heating in a microwave oven of a container carrying control information which may be read by an optical reading device. The optical reading device includes a light transmitter and a light receiver for sensing a reflectance of a sensor. The sensor includes a first and second region. The first region is provided for establishing a start and non-start condition while the second region is provided for reading temperature information. To avoid the surface reflected portion of incident light to gain an accurate reading, the axes of transmission and reception are offset in the same angular direction to a perpendicular of a sensor surface wherein the transmitter directs an inclined reading light beam onto a region of the sensor and the receiver receives the scattered light therefrom depending on the reflection properties of the sensor region.

Abstract: A low noise hood is provided having a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet. A first modular device in the form of an intake muffler with a first air duct passage extending therethrough is mounted within the housing near the air inlet. A second modular device in the form of a discharge muffler with a second air duct passage extending therethrough is mounted within the housing near the air outlet. The second air duct passage is shaped to prevent a straight unobstructed passage for air flow through the second passage. A third device comprising an air moving device is secured by a mounting arrangement within the housing. A first vibration isolator such as a plastic saddle is provided in the mounting arrangement for the air moving device for absorbing vibrations and a second vibration isolator in the form of a flexible connector is positioned between the air moving device and the second air duct passage. A third vibration isolator in a mounting arrangement for the discharge muffler may also be used.

Abstract: A blind connector is provided on an access panel. The access panel covers an access opening in a wall of an apparatus. The wall separates an access area from a connective element such as a harness on the other side of the wall. The blind connector holds the connective element by a connector on the connective element. The blind connector makes the connective element readily available when the access panel is removed. This improved access panel provides easy access to an ice maker harness in the freezer portion of a refrigerator-freezer for the later connection of an ice maker kit.

Abstract: An atmospheric burner is associated with a flame presence sensor and an electrical-discharge ignition device. It is fed via a flow rate control device. Both the ignition device and the flow rate control device are controlled by a microcontroller. A user interface enables the user to select the desired power by sending to the microcontroller a request for altering the flow rate and hence for altering the minimum power deliverable by the burner.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A dishwasher pump and automatic purge system which includes a wash impeller supported for rotation within a pump chamber wherein the pump chamber has a main outlet and a sample outlet port. Wash liquid pumped out through the main outlet is recirculated throughout the dishwasher interior wash chamber. A soil collector receives wash liquid through the sample outlet port. The soil collector includes a filter screen for returning filtered wash liquid back into the sump such that soils are retained in the soil collector. Pressure within the soil collector is sensed by a pressure sensor. The soil collector is purged by a drain pump when the pressure within the soil accumulator exceeds a predetermined limit level such that soils are cleared from the collector and the filter screen. When the pressure within the soil accumulator is reduced to below the predetermined limit level, the drain pump is deenergized.

Abstract: A room dehumidifier includes a closed refrigerant cycle apparatus with an evaporator coil inclined at 20 from vertical on an air inlet side of the dehumidifier, which also includes openings in the cabinetry to allow a substantial portion of inlet air to bypass the evaporator coil, a fan and orifice plate arranged downstream of the evaporator coil, bypass openings to draw air through the cabinet, and a condenser coil arranged vertically on an outlet side of said fan. The fan blows air through the condenser coil and out back side louvers of the cabinet. A drip bucket is located beneath the evaporator coils and a compressor is located beneath the condenser coils.

Abstract: A refrigerator having a middle fresh food compartment and a relatively large bottom freezer compartment arranged below the fresh food compartment and a relatively small freezer compartment arranged above the fresh food compartment. The bottom freezer compartment preferably supports a drawer including a frame and a removable bin. Cool air can be supplied to the compartments of the refrigerator by employing a two fan control system such that no electromechanical baffles are required. Alternatively, cool air can be directed to the compartments of the refrigerator by use of a baffle which requires only a single electromechanical device to control air flow into three different compartments. The baffle includes a main rotary damper which can be positioned to provide proportional amounts of chilled air to the three separate compartments based on the degree of cooling required.

Abstract: A thermal input system is provided for a dishwasher having an interior wash chamber receiving soiled dishes and wash liquid. A heater is disposed in a sump region of the wash chamber along with a wash pump which operates to recirculate wash liquid through out the wash chamber. A soil collection chamber receives a portion of recirculating wash liquid from the wash pump wherein soils entrained in the wash liquid are captured within the soil collection chamber. A pressure sensor senses fluid pressure within the soil collection chamber. Control means are provided for energizing the heater during a thermal hold period in response to the pressure within the soil collector exceeding a predetermined limit pressure. In particular, the control means operates to sequence the dishwasher through a predetermined period of operation but bypasses the thermal hold cycle when the pressure within the soil collector does not exceed the predetermined limit pressure.

Abstract: The invention concerns a microwave oven having an oven cavity which is split into a movable cavity part (4) integrated into the oven door (2) and a stationary cavity part (5), sectioning the cavity when the oven door (2) is opened. The oven comprises a load carrier (6) supporting a food stuff or beverage being heated in the oven the load carrier (6) is provided in either of said cavity parts such that it protrudes from the same. Thereby access to a foodstuff or beverage in the oven is facilitated without requiring a displacement of the same.

Abstract: Method and microwave oven for controlled boiling of a foodpiece. The foodpiece is heated rapidly into reliable boiling by a supply of maximum microwave power, thereafter a desirable degree of boiling (H.sub.eb) is carried out during a predetermined boiling time (T.sub.b) while controlling the supplied microwave power level dependent on feed-back information (HUM) from a sensor. The boiling procedure is carried out fully automatically with consequently increased user security, decreased energy consumption and improved boiling quality.

Abstract: The invention is a dehumidifier comprising an adjustable float with a variable height cam surface that is in contact with the actuator of an interlock switch, which controls the supply of power to the refrigeration system of the dehumidifier. The float is rotatably mounted to the collection bucket of the dehumidifier and rotates as the bucket fills with liquid. At a sufficient amount of rotation, the cam surface will no longer be in contact with the actuator of the interlock switch, resulting in the removal of power from the refrigeration system. The float can be laterally adjusted so that a variable height cam surface is aligned with the actuator of the interlock switch to permit the user to vary the liquid level at which the interlock switch is activated to cut off power to the refrigeration system.

Abstract: A plate and tube condenser for a refrigerating apparatus, the plate sized to encompass the entire bottom region of a refrigerating cabinet to structurally stiffen the cabinet, the plate serving as an extended heat transfer surface for a serpentine tube applied thereto either by fixation thereto. An air flow baffle is arranged to divide the plate into inlet air and outlet air sections both opening to a front of the cabinet behind the air grill. Perforations are applied through the plate on the inlet section to allow incoming air to pass both below and above the plate.

Abstract: A structure insulated for example by expanded polyurethane or the like, such as a refrigerator cabinet or freezer cabinet, comprises a plurality of compartments separated from each other by an interspace, the insulating material injected into said structure enclosing said compartments on all sides except the access side and positioning itself in the interspace. At opposing ends of said interspace there are positioned separator means openable in the manner of an envelope and arranged to separate, during its injection into the structure, the insulating material directed around the compartments from that directed into the interspace, said separator means comprising a flat portion parallel to the sides of the insulated structure.