Patents Examined by Andrew M Roersma
  • Drawer release
    Patent number: 11013327
    Abstract: A drawer release is described. The drawer release includes a handle portion pivotally or rotatably engaged to a fixed portion, and the fixed portion is attached to or connected to a drawer. The handle portion includes at least one engaging member that engages a lever or actuator of a drawer-slide of the drawer to open or release the drawer. The drawer release provides for the one-handed opening of the drawer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Austin Hardware & Supply, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Steven Jeffries, Norman Allen Smith
  • Drawer slide and locking mechanism
    Patent number: 11013321
    Abstract: A drawer slide with lock mechanism has an elongated outer slide member extendably coupled to an inner slide member. A latch arm or pin is fixed to the inner slide member for latching by a lock mechanism fixed to the outer slide member. The lock mechanism uses a latch receiver that rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is in a travel path of the latch arm. A lever arm rotates with respect to the lock mechanism and is positionable to block rotation of the latch receiver in a locked position to retain the latch arm. A motor drives a cam to position the lever arm to free the latch receiver from the locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Accuride International Inc.
    Inventors: Darush David Hashemi, Xiaoping Zhou, Xiwen Wang
  • Side wall attachment system for extractable wine shelves
    Patent number: 11002480
    Abstract: A shelving system for an appliance may include a sidewall adapter coupled to a side of a cabinet liner. The sidewall adapter may include a body defining at least one ledge and a base plate coupled to the at least one ledge. The base plate may define at least one aperture configured to receive a tab on a glide assembly. At least two adjustable fasteners may be coupled to the cabinet liner and may be configured to mount the sidewall adapter to the cabinet liner. A shelf may be coupled to the glide assemblies such that the shelf is slideable within the cabinet liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kamil El Sayed, Karol Michał Kostka
  • Vacuum-insulated cooler
    Patent number: 11000133
    Abstract: A vacuum-insulated cooler for storing products. The cooler includes a housing and a storage compartment enclosed by the housing for storing products. The storage compartment includes a lower wall, an upper wall, and sidewalls extending from the lower wall to the upper wall that include vacuum-insulated glass. The storage compartment further includes a door for providing access to the products within the storage compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: PepsiCo, Inc.
    Inventors: Emad Jafa, Xuejun Li, Cheuk Chi Lau, Drishti Masand, Priscila Lazarini
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10995536
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a door opening apparatus capable of preventing degradation of appearance quality of a door because an additional switch is not provided, and a refrigerator including the same. The refrigerator may include a main body including a storage compartment, a door provided to open or close the storage compartment, and a door opening apparatus provided to detect a moving amount of the door and open the door when the door is pushed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Il Song, Ii Sung Bae, Jae Koog An, Kwan Yeol Lee, Joo Yong Lee
  • Mullion hinge assembly
    Patent number: 10995977
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for a mullion assembly includes a first hinge element having a first cam member with a cammed upper surface having a first portion and a second portion with an angled intermediate portion disposed therebetween. The first portion of the cammed upper surface of the first hinge element is vertically spaced-apart a distance from the second portion. A second hinge element is rotatably coupled to the first hinge element between first and second positions and includes a second cam member having a cammed lower surface that includes an engagement point that is engaged with the cammed upper surface of the first hinge element. The second hinge element is driven upwardly by the engagement of the engagement point and the cammed upper surface of the first hinge element as the second hinge element is rotated from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kapil Ayyawar, Eric Larson
  • Food shield pivot connection
    Patent number: 10986943
    Abstract: A food shield pivot connection providing for adjustment of the angular orientation of a support arm, and any attached panel, relative to a food shield stand. A representative pivot connection includes a threaded shaft extending from the stand clamp, an opening extending through the panel support arm defining a pivot axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the threaded shaft, and a plate positioned to selectively engage and disengage with the panel support arm. In this embodiment, a knob is threaded onto the threaded shaft, such that rotating the knob in a first direction drives the plate into engagement with the support arm, and rotating the pivot knob in the opposite direction allows a spring or similar mechanism positioned around the threaded shaft to bias the plate away from the support arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Brass Smith Innovation, LLC
    Inventor: Geoffrey R. Quinter
  • Sliding rail structure for drawer of layered frame
    Patent number: 10980344
    Abstract: A sliding rail structure for drawer of layered frame is mainly designed for being used to satisfying a requirement of allowing a bracket drawer to be disposed in a layered frame, and a sliding rail plate is buckled between horizontal rods arranged at two sides of the layered frame. The sliding rail plate is formed through a single metal piece being punched for formation, so that a main body thereof is formed as a U-like slot rack, two predetermined locations at a front end and a rear end of a top edge defined at a sealed side of the slot rack are punched for forming a pair of buckle hooks, buckle slots of each of the buckle hooks are designed in various specifications and statuses with respect to the specification and the status of the horizontal rod, thereby being in a non-arched polygonal status. Accordingly, the whole production cost can be lowered and better economic benefits can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MATTHEW COMFORT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chieh-Hung Yang
  • Method for installing a drawer element and construction kit for the displaceable mounting of a drawer element, a piece of furniture, and a domestic appliance
    Patent number: 10959519
    Abstract: A method for installing a drawer and a construction kit for the displaceable mounting of a drawer element having a first and a second pullout guide, which are installable on opposing side walls, and a preinstalled device for synchronizing the movement of the movable rails of the two pullout guides using a cable pull. The side walls are preferably the side walls of furniture bodies or household appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thorsten Kloth, Ulrich Ratsch, Michael Lehmkuhl, Eduard Arnst, Peter Jaehrling, Sebastian Bastkowski
  • Storage assembly with a drawer having a drawer pull assembly and a method for locking a drawer
    Patent number: 10954696
    Abstract: A storage assembly 10 having a drawer 12 and a drawer pull assembly 14 including a door handle 16 which allows the drawer 12 to selectively locked and unlocked as the drawer handle 16 is selectively pivoted about the drawer 12, and a method for locking and unlocking a drawer 12 by the selective articulation or pivoting of the drawer handle 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Inventors: Larry Mitchell Grela, Edwin Dizon Manalang, Qiang Chen, Kai Kai Zhao
  • Device for connecting a push element to a guide rail, guidance system and piece of furniture or household appliance
    Patent number: 10945523
    Abstract: A device for connecting a movable push element of a piece of furniture or a household appliance to a guide rail. According to the present invention, the device comprises a locking arm with a locking member, wherein in the mounted condition of the device the locking member is designed to be coupled with a locking element, wherein the elongated locking arm is connected by two spaced-apart elastic attachment members to the remainder of the device, which attachment members engage with the locking arm transversely to a longitudinal extension of the locking arm, so that the locking arm is movable in the region of the locking member in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of the locking arm and in the direction of the attachment members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Grass GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Albrecht, Gabriel Auer
  • Piece of furniture in which a washing machine can be placed and method for manufacture thereof
    Patent number: 10947659
    Abstract: A piece of furniture in which a washing machine can be placed, comprising two substantially vertical side walls, a substantially horizontal bottom wall, a substantially horizontal top wall and a substantially horizontal carrier placed between the bottom wall and the top wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: BFA Verburg B.V.
    Inventor: Theodorus Jacobus Verburg
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10934752
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body. A guide block is provided on the door, a rotation shaft is provided on the hinge body, and rotation shaft grooves are provided on the guide block. With the structure of the hinge body, the gravity of the door and the friction force may be shared onto the first and second plate bodies of the hinge body, thereby reducing abrasion and prolonging the service life of the door of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao Zhang, Enpin Xia, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Indexing cooler
    Patent number: 10932592
    Abstract: The present application provides an indexing cooler for a number of products. The indexing cooler may include an outer shell, a number of rotating product zones, and an indexing drive motor. The indexing drive motor rotates one of the rotating product zones into an exposed zone for a first predetermined length of a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventor: Vinayak Godbole
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10935306
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a storage chamber, an upper door that is configured to open and close an upper portion of the storage chamber by being drawn in and out, a lower door that is positioned below the upper door and that is configured to open and close a lower portion of the storage chamber by being drawn in and out, an upper door restriction unit that is configured to selectively restrict the upper door from being opened, and a lower door restriction unit that is configured to selectively restrict the lower door from being opened. The upper door restriction unit is configured, based on the lower door being opened, to restrict the upper door from opening, and the lower door restriction unit is configured, based on the upper door being opened, to restrict the lower door from opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jeheon Cho
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10934755
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body, wherein a positioning shaft and a guiding shaft are provided on the hinge body, and a positioning groove and a guiding groove are provided on the door; the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention may be moved by a distance in a direction away from a pivoting side when being opened, thereby avoiding inconvenience of opening the door due to the protrusion of the side wall of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Enpin Xia, Hao Zhang, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10934754
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body. A guide block is fixedly provided on the door, a positioning shaft and a guiding shaft are provided on the hinge body, and a positioning groove and a guiding groove are provided on the guide block; the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention may be moved by a distance in a direction away from a pivoting side when being opened, thereby avoiding inconvenience of opening the door due to the protrusion of the side wall of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao Zhang, Enpin Xia, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10934756
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body, wherein a positioning shaft and a guiding shaft are provided on the hinge body, and a positioning groove and a guiding groove are provided on the door; the door of the refrigerator according to the present invention may be moved by a distance in a direction away from a pivoting side when being opened, thereby avoiding inconvenience of opening the door due to the protrusion of the side wall of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hao Zhang, Enpin Xia, Chun Yang, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Refrigerator
    Patent number: 10934753
    Abstract: The present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising a cabinet, a door and a hinge body. A guide block is provided on the door, a rotation shaft is provided on the hinge body, and rotation shaft grooves are provided on the guide block. With the structure of the hinge body, the gravity of the door and the friction force may be shared onto the first and second plate bodies of the hinge body, thereby reducing abrasion and prolonging the service life of the door of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Enpin Xia, Hao Zhang, Xiaobing Zhu
  • Support assembly for appliance
    Patent number: 10921050
    Abstract: A vacuum insulated appliance includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner. A ladder rack is coupled to the inner liner. The ladder rack includes first and second sidewalls coupled together by a connecting wall that defines a plurality of apertures. An adapter member includes a hook configured to extend through an aperture of the plurality of apertures when coupled to the ladder rack. The adapter member is coupled with a locking member that engages inner surface of first and second sidewalls of the ladder rack. A cantilever support is coupled to the adapter member and extends outward from the ladder rack. A rail assembly is coupled to an upper surface of the cantilever support. A spacer is coupled to an end of the cantilever support and abuts an inner liner surface. A storage feature is coupled to the rail assembly and is operable between stowed and deployed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kamil El-Sayed, Abhay Naik, Chad Rotter, Bartosz Stawczyk, Karol Michal Kostka