Patents Examined by Irina Graf
  • Patent number: 10080478
    Abstract: A rack assembly and a dishwasher having the same, the rack assembly includes a basket in which a plurality of holes are formed; and a loading plate that is disposed to be separable from the basket and to be deformable so that loading plate and the materials to be washed placed thereon are removable from the basket. Through this configuration, loading and unloading of the materials to be washed can be easily performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Heon Ho Jeong, Jae-Moon Lee, Jae Jun Kim, Ji-Young Shin
  • Patent number: 10077524
    Abstract: A suspension assembly for suspending a tub in a washing machine appliance includes a damper assembly. The damper assembly includes a capsule, the capsule including a body extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal axis and defining an interior, the first end defining an opening of the interior. The damper assembly further includes a cap connectable to the capsule at the first end of the capsule. The cap includes a body which defines a central bore hole extending along the longitudinal axis and a cavity surrounding the central bore hole. The cap further includes a tapered ridge extending from a surface defining the cavity, the tapered ridge tapering towards and bordering the central bore hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Haler US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Owen Davis
  • Patent number: 10058228
    Abstract: A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system supplying a spray of liquid to the treating chamber, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system having a rotating filter. A chopping system is included to macerate foreign objects within the recirculation flow path and includes a blade mounted to the rotating filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Todd M. Jozwiak
  • Patent number: 10036113
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry according to a cycle of operation, includes a container rotatable about a rotational axis and having a peripheral wall, a plurality of arranged embossments, and a plurality of arranged holes, wherein the plurality of embossments may be oriented at an angle to both of the rotational axis and the plurality of arranged holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Gregg P. Fitzgerald, John M. Hunnell, John W. McConnell, Stephen D. Ostdiek, Dean L. Tietz
  • Patent number: 9999471
    Abstract: A cleaning device for a medical implement having a male protrusion. The cleaning device including a housing defining an inner cavity by and having an inner wall that encloses the inner cavity and an opening. The inner wall has a recess near the opening to the housing. The recess has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the opening. The cap further includes a movable piston having a forward end and rearward end surrounded by a flexible flange that extends outward to abut the inner wall near the recess of the housing. The rearward end of the movable piston configured to contact couple with a distal end of the male protrusion to move the piston toward a distal end of the housing opposite the opening of the housing to provide a portion of the cleaning solution to the male protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Bobby E. Rogers, Gino Kang, John Detloff, Liam Igoe
  • Patent number: 9968237
    Abstract: A dish washing machine includes a main body, a washing tub provided in the main body, a basket provided in the washing tub to store a dish, a stationary nozzle fixed to one side of the washing tub to spray washing water, and a plurality of vanes which change a direction of the washing water sprayed from the stationary nozzle toward the basket. At least one of the plurality of vanes are rotatably provided and operate so that the washing water sprayed from the stationary nozzle is reflected toward the basket. Through such a configuration, a dead region in which the dish is not washed may be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chang Wook Lee, Chan Young Park
  • Patent number: 9966282
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes a first liquid supplier, a second liquid supplier, and a controller. The first liquid supplier supplies a substrate with a sulfuric acid solution having a first temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide water. The second liquid supplier supplies a surface to be treated of the substrate with a mixture of sulfuric acid solution and hydrogen peroxide water having a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The controller controls the first liquid supplier to supply the sulfuric acid solution so as to heat the substrate to the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide water or higher. When the temperature of the substrate becomes equal to or higher than the second temperature, the controller controls the first liquid supplier to stop supplying the sulfuric acid solution and controls the second liquid supplier to supply the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro Miyazaki, Kenji Minami, Yuji Nagashima, Konosuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9955849
    Abstract: A dishwasher comprises a basket (10) for accommodating articles to be cleaned, said basket comprising a basket floor and a plurality of holding spikes (30) projecting upwardly from the basket floor, and a rotatable spray arm (12) located below the basket, the spray arm comprising a plurality of spray nozzles (20) oriented to direct water jets towards the basket. In accordance with the present invention the basket (10) comprises at least one fixed holding spike (30) or a fixture (90) for a removable holding spike (92) the placement of which coincides with the path of movement of one of the spray nozzles (20), said fixed holding spike or fixture for a removable holding spike comprising means (36) to optically differentiate the holding spike from the remaining holding spikes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.
    Inventors: Horst Godehardt, Gerhard Haider, Claudia Hofpeter
  • Patent number: 9945064
    Abstract: A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet and a drawer retractably provided in the cabinet. An accommodation unit is provided at the drawer and defines a space configured to receive washing water. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a guider. The guider includes a first body rotatably coupled to the cabinet, and a second body rotatably coupled to the first body and the drawer and configured to connect the first body to the drawer. A supply unit is connected to a water supply source. A water supply channel is provided along the guider and is configured to supply water between the supply unit and the accommodation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jihong Lee, Kwangchul Heo
  • Patent number: 9927342
    Abstract: Disclosed is a two station system for a flow cytometer that includes a sample station and a wash station. During washing, the user has access to the sample station to insert a new sample. This increases the efficiency of the workflow process. Rotary clamps are used to automatically clamp the sample station and wash station to the system. A low volume pressurized cavity is used to bring the pressure of the sample to a desired pressure, which further increases productivity of the system. A transparent body is provided in the sample station so a user can view the sample during the sampling process. A backwash process is used to clean the sample injection tube and the sample uptake tube. In addition, the wash station is designed to rinse the outer surface of the sample uptake tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Michael Gaskill-Fox, Daniel N. Fox, Rodney C. Harris
  • Patent number: 9927760
    Abstract: A slit nozzle is moved by a nozzle lifting/lowering mechanism and a nozzle sliding mechanism relative to substrates held in a substantially horizontal attitude by spin chucks. A development liquid is discharged on each substrate from a discharge port of the slit nozzle such that development processing for the substrate is performed. After the development liquid is discharged, the slit nozzle is moved to a waiting position excluding positions over the substrates held by the spin chucks. In waiting pods provided at the waiting positions, cleaning processing for the slit nozzle is performed by a cleaning liquid with gas bubbles mixed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sugiyama, Mitsuru Asano, Fumiya Okazaki
  • Patent number: 9896792
    Abstract: A washing machine may include a static wash tub, a rotatable vertical axis wash basket in the static wash tub, and a drive motor for rotating the wash basket. A closure may direct wash liquid from the wash basket to a catch basin. A flange may be attached to the closure so that an unattached edge ends within the catch basin. The unattached edge may end below the surface of a first volume of wash liquid to minimize migration of wash liquid and/or vapor from the washing machine. The unattached edge may end above the surface of a second volume of wash liquid less than the first volume to minimize agitation of wash liquid in the catch basin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Erickson, Brenner M. Sharp
  • Patent number: 9885136
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance includes a cabinet, a treating chamber, and a treating chemistry dispenser provided with the cabinet and fluidly coupled to the treating chamber. The dispenser includes a dispenser container having multiple dispenser pockets configured to receive a dose of treating chemistry and a water inlet duct configured to supply water to one of the dispenser pockets to flush treating chemistry from the pocket. The water inlet duct can be slidingly coupled with the dispenser container and can project into an interior of the pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: James J. Beaudreault, Gaurav Bhardwaj, Adam Brown, Pushkar P. Gijare, Eamon C. Lyons, Thibaut Viguier
  • Patent number: 9873969
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance configured to treat laundry according to a treating cycle of operation includes a chassis that defines an interior and a tub statically mounted to the chassis, and at least one suspension opening in a side of the tub. An exoskeleton is located within the liquid chamber and has a front support, a rear support, and stringers extending between and connecting the front and rear supports. An electric motor is mounted to the rear support and has a rotating output shaft. A drum is connected to the output shaft and is rotatbly mounted to the exoskeleton. A suspension system is located within the interior and has at least one suspension component extending from the interior and into the liquid chamber through the suspension opening and is operably coupled to the exoskeleton. The suspension system provides suspension directly to the exoskeleton to indirectly provide suspension for the drum and electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Erickson, George W. Malheiros, Christoph J. Miller
  • Patent number: 9867519
    Abstract: A dishwasher is disclosed that includes a tub, an upper rack and a lower rack arranged in the tub and configured to receive objects a lower arm, a water supply pump configured to supply water to the lower arm chamber, a tower nozzle included in the lower rack and configured to inject water to the upper rack, a tower connection part detachable from the detachable pipe chamber and configured to connect and supply water to the tower nozzle based on being detached from the detachable pipe chamber, and a channel change unit provided in the lower arm chamber configured to alternately open (i) the chamber communication hole and (ii) an arm channel communication hole based on water pressure inside the lower arm chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Daegyu Kim, Byeonghyeon Ju, Shinwoo Han, Joonho Pyo, Younghwan Park
  • Patent number: 9845560
    Abstract: The washing machine includes an outer tub, an inner tub rotatably provided in the outer tub, a pulsator rotatably provided in the inner tub, a power transmission shaft rotating the pulsator, a buoyancy clutch that moves up and down by buoyancy created by wash water and transfers, when the buoyancy clutch is in a lower position, rotational force from the power transmission shaft to the inner tub to allow the pulsator and the inner tub to rotate integrally with each other, a circulation passage that is provided on an outer portion of the outer tub to allow the wash water drained out of the outer tub to be returned into the outer tub, a pump provided on the circulation passage and a drain guide unit that directs the wash water under the buoyancy clutch to a drain hole of the outer tub so that the buoyancy clutch moves downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jae Won Chang, Kyu Bum Lee, Young Jong Kim, Ae Kyung Chae
  • Patent number: 9834881
    Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a soiled substrate using solid particulate material having a cleaning volume; a collecting volume; a pumping device having a pump inlet; and a circulation pathway by which solid particulate material and a transporting fluid can be transferred from the collecting volume to the cleaning volume via said pumping device. The apparatus further includes a flow regulating device disposed in the collecting volume and comprising a flow through enclosure defined by at least one wall, an enclosure outlet in communication with the pump inlet, at least one particle inlet orifice disposed at an underside of the flow through enclosure and configured to admit both solid particulate material and transporting fluid to the enclosure. The apparatus can further include at least one relatively smaller fluid inlet orifice configured only to admit transporting fluid to the flow through enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Xeros Limited
    Inventors: Michael David Sawford, Wayne Robert Szymczyk, Gareth Evan Lyn Jones
  • Patent number: 9833123
    Abstract: A dishwasher appliance and a method for mounting a slide rail within a dishwasher appliance are provided. A rack assembly of the dishwasher appliance includes a bracket with a post. A slide rail is mounted to the bracket, and the slide rail and the bracket are positioned within a wash chamber of the dishwasher appliance. The post extends through the tub, and a sleeve is positioned opposite the bracket on the tub and engages the post. The sleeve hinders retraction of the post through the tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Joseph Shaffer, Eugenio Gomez, A. Vinodh Magimai Raj, Benjamin Carl Maddux, Brian David Sanzone
  • Patent number: 9828714
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance having a cabinet, a static wash tub fixed in position relative to the cabinet, a wash basket mounted within the wash tub for rotation about a vertical axis and having at least one drain hole, a drive motor within the cabinet for rotating the wash basket, a catch basin fixed to the wash tub and spaced from the drive motor, a recirculation pump, and a closure between the drive motor and the catch basin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Erickson, John M. Hunnell, Lauren M. Lalonde, Kenneth L. McConnell, Bradley D. Morrow, David Scharich, III, Brenner M. Sharp, Christine L. Strain, Dean L. Tietz
  • Patent number: 9809917
    Abstract: Provided is a laundry treating apparatus including a drum, a circular guide, and a panel. The drum holds laundry, has a front side and a rear side opened, and has a cross-section of a noncircular looped curve in which a distance from a rotation center is not uniform. The circular guide rotatably supports a portion of the drum in which a section curvature is uniform. The panel is provided on a front side or a rear side of the drum and supports the circular guide such that the circular guide is rotatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sogkie Hong, Jongseok Kim, Sungmin Kim, Daeyun Park, Sungryong Kim