Patents Examined by Cassey D Bauer
  • Patent number: 12139388
    Abstract: An ice-making mechanism and a water dispenser with the mechanism include an ice-making box configured to make ice cubes, the ice-making box is in communication with a water source, so that the water source supplies water to the ice-making box, an evaporator sleeved on the ice-making box, the evaporator is configured to cool the water in the ice-making box to make the ice cubes, an ice storage basket configured for storing the ice cubes, the ice storage basket is located on a side of the ice-making box away from the ground and is in communication with the ice-making box, and a cold water tank configured for storing cold water, the cold water tank is in communication with the ice storage basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: NINGBO AQUART ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO., LTD
    Inventors: Chunyun Zhang, Jinlong Pan, Shenggui Long, Zhaoxi Feng
  • Patent number: 12130069
    Abstract: A system for temperature-controlled transport of food on a vehicle includes food carts including an opening for ingress of air and an opening for egress of air and a refrigeration system including air ducts configured to convey pressurized air from the refrigeration unit to the food carts, including air outlets configured to interface with the food carts, air ducts configured to convey air from the food carts to the refrigeration unit, including air inlets configured to interface with the food carts, wherein the air outlets and air inlets include a spring-loaded valve configured for automatically opening when a food cart rests against the valve, and for automatically closing when said food cart no longer rests against the valve, one or more fans configured for circulating air within the air ducts, and, an ultraviolet (UV) light sterilization system located within the air ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Inventors: Peter Berkeley, Derek Bartlett
  • Patent number: 12130070
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an air duct shielding device and an air-cooled refrigerator; the air duct shielding device includes: a fan base having a plurality of air outlets; a first adjusting part having a rotary disc portion and a plurality of first shielding sheets arranged at intervals, the first adjusting part being configured to controllably rotate around an axis of the rotary disc portion; and a second adjusting part provided between the first adjusting part and the fan base, the second adjusting part having a plurality of second shielding sheets arranged at intervals; wherein when the first adjusting part rotates around the axis of the rotary disc portion, the second adjusting part is driven to rotate, such that the first shielding sheet and/or the second shielding sheet completely shield(s), partially shield(s) or completely expose(s) each air outlet, thereby adjusting an air outlet area of each of the plural air outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignees: QINGDAO HAIER REFRIGERATOR CO., LTD., HAIER SMART HOME CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yancheng Zhao, Huan Zhang, Falin Yang, Baolong Mao
  • Patent number: 12123613
    Abstract: An air-conditioning indoor unit and an air conditioner are provided. The indoor unit has a frame, a chassis and a sealing member. The frame has an accommodating cavity. The frame is provided on the chassis, and the chassis is located in the accommodating cavity. The chassis and the frame cooperate to form an outlet communicating with the accommodating cavity. The chassis is provided with an accommodating slot adjacent to the outlet. The accommodating slot contains a driving device. The sealing member can seal the accommodating slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignees: GD MIDEA AIR-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongliang Yuan, Weidong Zhang, Fenghua Jiang, Zheyuan Zhang, Biao Huang
  • Patent number: 12123638
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a filter, a receiver, a manifold, and a cam. The filter has a handle extending therefrom. The receiver defines a cavity configured to receive the filter. The manifold is configured to engage an opposing end of the filter relative to the handle via axial rotation of the filter. The manifold is configured to pivot upward to transition the filter to an activated position. The manifold is configured to pivot downward to transition the filter to a deactivated position. The cam is configured to interfere with the handle in response to partial axial rotation of the filter to prevent the filter from pivoting upward to the activated position. The cam is configured to provide clearance for the handle in response to full axial rotation of the filter to facilitate the filter pivoting upward to the activated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: David Cooper, Mark Graff, James Guarino, Deepak Mankar, Gowardhan Parikshit, Ranjit Pandurang Patil, Rohit Tendulkar
  • Patent number: 12117226
    Abstract: A refrigerator according to the present disclosure includes a storage chamber configured to store food, a cooler configured to supply cold to the storage chamber, a first temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature in the storage chamber, a first tray configured to form a portion of an ice making cell that is a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold, a second tray configured to form another portion of the ice making cell, a water supply part configured to supply water to the ice making cell, a second temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice making cell, a heater configured to be positioned adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray, and a controller configured to control the heater, in which the controller controls the degree of supercooling of water to be reduced in at least one or more of a first section from the completion of a preparation step for water supply until the start of the water supply, a second section f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 12117227
    Abstract: A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber configured to store food, a cold air supply part configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, a tray configured to form an ice making cell being a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air, a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice making cell, a heater configured to provide heat to the tray, and a controller configured to control the heater, in which the controller controls the heater to be turned on so that ice can be easily separated from the tray when the ice making is completed, and the controller controls the heater to be turned off when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a first turn-off reference temperature greater than zero after a first reference time elapses in a state in which the heater is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 12117231
    Abstract: An ice maker (126) including an ice maker frame having an air inlet provided at a first end thereof. An ice tray (144) is rotatably secured to the ice maker frame and configured to form ice pieces therein. An air handler (142) includes an outlet diffuser having a central body defined by a first wall—and a radially spaced apart second wall, wherein a plurality of radially extending fins are disposed between the first and second walls. Each of the fins is spaced apart, one from the other, along an outer peripheral surface of the first wall. In an installed position, the outlet diffuser is disposed directly adjacent the air inlet at the first end of the ice maker frame. A method is provided for synchronizing an ice making cycle of an ice making unit and a defrost cycle of an evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Carlos Trejo Olvera, Thomas W. McCollough, Raony Barrios
  • Patent number: 12110044
    Abstract: A passenger transport vehicle contains an air conditioner which has a refrigerant circuit operated using a refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit has a condenser with a fan for conveying cooling air and an evaporator for controlling the temperature of supply air conveyed by a supply fan into a passenger compartment. Flow ducts for the cooling air and for the supply air are fluidically separated from one another inside the air conditioner by a partition wall. The partition wall has a degassing device being switched between a closed state for normal operation of the air conditioner and an open state for emergency operation of the air conditioner, in which emergency operation the degassing device fluidically connects the flow duct for the cooling air and the flow duct for the supply air to one another. A refrigerant detector is provided and when it detects the refrigerant, it triggers actuation of the degassing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
    Inventors: Irfan Kasap, Alexander Hildebrandt
  • Patent number: 12104847
    Abstract: A shipping protector for bottles and the like has a coolant receiving bay defined therein, adapted to allow placement of cooling elements therein when the protector is in a shipping carton. The bay is open to the top and bottom such that the cooling element can be inserted therein in a separate operation from the packing of the bottles or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Western Pulp Products Co.
    Inventors: Richard B. Hurley, Dustin S. Law, Tom J. Taylor, Robert J. Herbert, Kaleb M. Stinger
  • Patent number: 12078414
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the transport of products in a desired conservation temperature range, comprising: a box (2) made of insulating material delimiting a compartment opened upwards having a volume less than 150 liters and able to contain products, the box (2) having a determined heat dissipation value; a cover (4) made of insulating material adaptable on the box (2) to seal the compartment; a diffusing divider wall (5) interposed between the box (2) and the cover (4) to delimit with the cover (4), a chamber with a surface (7) for receiving at least one refrigerated load (6) emitting a heat value, the cover (4) and the divider wall (5) comprising complementary means for locking/unlocking (9) with one another; characterized in that the heat energy emitted by the refrigerated load (6) and the thermal diffusion coefficient of the divider wall (5) are adjusted such that, at determined transport and conservation temperatures and for a desired duration after receiving the refrigerated load (6) and e
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: Olivo, Messer SE & Co KGaA
    Inventors: Hélène Françoise Olivo Danse, Jean-Claude Claeys, Emir Tebib, Johanna Schrimacher Mroch
  • Patent number: 12072138
    Abstract: A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber configured to store food, a cold air supply part configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, a tray configured to form an ice making cell being a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air, a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice making cell, a heater configured to provide heat to the tray, and a controller configured to control the heater, in which the controller controls the heater to be turned on so that ice can be easily separated from the tray when the ice making is completed, and the controller controls the heater to be turned off when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a first turn-off reference temperature greater than zero after a first reference time elapses in a state in which the heater is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 12072133
    Abstract: The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a storage compartment where food is stored; a cold air supply means for supplying cold air to the storage compartment; a first tray forming a part of an ice making cell which is a space where water phase-changes into ice by the cold air; a second tray which forms another part of the ice making cell and which can be brought into contact with the first tray during an ice making process, and which is connected to a driving unit so as to be spaced apart from the first tray during an ice separating process; a heater positioned adjacent to at least one of the first tray and the second tray; an ice bin for storing ice dropped from the ice making cell; a full ice level sensing means for sensing a full ice level of the ice bin; and a control unit for controlling the heater and the driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Donghoon Lee, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park
  • Patent number: 12072132
    Abstract: An ice maker of a refrigerator includes an upper assembly having an upper tray that defines upper portions of a plurality of ice making chambers as well as a lower assembly located vertically below the upper assembly that is configured to rotate relative to the upper assembly. The lower assembly includes a lower tray that defines lower portions of the plurality of ice making chambers. Each of the plurality of ice making chambers is configured to receive water when the lower assembly rotates relative to the upper assembly and generate an ice piece within when the upper and lower portions of the ice making chambers are joined. The lower tray includes a deformable portion that is configured to, based on an outward expansion of the ice piece within the ice making chamber during ice generation, change from a first shape to a second shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jinil Hong, Yonghyun Kim
  • Patent number: 12072141
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an apparatus for producing dairy products. The refrigerator includes an outer cabinet, an inner cabinet provided inside the outer cabinet and including a refrigerator compartment to formed therein, and an dairy product maker provided inside the refrigerator compartment. The dairy product maker includes a case including a suction port and a discharge port to allow cool air to flow in and out, respectively, a container to store the produced dairy product therein, a heater to apply heat to the container to produce the dairy product in the container, ribs protruding from an inner surface of the case to form a cooling flow channel with the inner surface and provided between the suction port and the discharge port to cool the container, and a guide slit to guide the produced dairy product overflowing into the cooling flow channel, to a bottom surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seokjun Yoon, Juno Kwon, Sangmin Park, Hyekyoung An, Jin Jeong
  • Patent number: 12072134
    Abstract: Described herein are methods for making clear ice. In one embodiment, a method for making clear ice includes providing a mold of any of the embodiments described herein, optionally inserting a skewer through the mold, the skewer being coupled to an item; circulating, using fluid inlet and outlet valves, a fluid in a mold cavity defined by the mold; varying overtime one or both of: a temperature of the cooling apparatus or a fluid flow rate, through the fluid inlet valve, as a percentage of max flow; and optionally retracting the skewer when the ice formation encases at least a portion of the item. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes a period of flow reversal, such that the fluid inlet valve becomes the fluid outlet valve and the fluid outlet valve becomes the fluid inlet valve. In some embodiments, the method optionally includes releasing the ice from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Abstract Ice, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Stevenson, Bryce Peterson, Michael Schaller, David Perez
  • Patent number: 12066237
    Abstract: A refrigerator include: an inner case having a storage chamber; a thermoelectric module including a thermoelectric element and a cooling sink; a fan configured to circulate air, to the storage chamber; a fan cover configured to cover the fan and having an upper discharge hole, a lower discharge hole, and an inner suction hole formed between the upper discharge hole and the lower discharge hole; a first receiving member disposed in the storage chamber; and a second receiving member disposed over the first receiving member to be spaced apart from the first receiving member. At least a portion of each of the inner suction hole and the lower discharge hole faces a portion between the first receiving member and the second receiving member, and at least a portion of the upper discharge hole faces a portion between a top surface of the storage chamber and the second receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Minkyu Oh, Heayoun Sul, Hyoungkeun Lim, Jeehoon Choi
  • Patent number: 12050053
    Abstract: Dry ice cooling systems and methods of making dry ice cooling systems are disclosed. According to embodiments, dry ice cooling systems include a compression container including compressed liquid carbon dioxide. The dry ice cooling systems include a dry ice container coupled to the compression container to receive the liquid carbon dioxide and house dry ice as it forms. The dry ice container includes a liquid coolant. Further, the dry ice cooling system includes a heat exchanger to couple a heat-generating source to the dry ice container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Gamalski, Jaime Robledo, Brendon R. Holt
  • Patent number: 12038219
    Abstract: In a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a control unit intermittently turns on a temperature sensor on a predetermined cycle when a deep-freezing chamber mode is turned off, so that the temperature sensor senses the internal temperature of a deep-freezing chamber for a first set time, and the sensed internal temperature of the deep-freezing chamber is transmitted to the control unit so as to minimize power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seokjun Yun, Hyoungkeun Lim, Junghun Lee, Hoyoun Lee
  • Patent number: 12031765
    Abstract: A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber configured to store food, a cold air supply part configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber, a tray configured to form an ice making cell being a space in which water is phase-changed into ice by the cold air, a temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of water or ice in the ice making cell, a heater configured to provide heat to the tray, and a controller configured to control the heater, in which the controller controls the heater to be turned on so that ice can be easily separated from the tray when the ice making is completed, and the controller controls the heater to be turned off when a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a first turn-off reference temperature greater than zero after a first reference time elapses in a state in which the heater is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Donghoon Lee, Donghoon Lee, Wookyong Lee, Seungseob Yeom, Yongjun Bae, Sunggyun Son, Chongyoung Park