Patents Examined by James O. Hansen
  • Patent number: 10676976
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ejection device for ejecting a movable furniture part from a closed position into an open position along an opening path, comprising a support and a coupling device for coupling the ejection device to the movable furniture part. The coupling device has a coupling piece which can be moved relative to the support and a coupling counter piece which is arranged on the movable furniture part or on a furniture body. The coupling device has a coupling position and a decoupling position, and the ejection device can be coupled to the movable furniture part via the coupling device in the coupling position. The ejection device also comprises a controller, by means of which the coupling device can be switched depending on the opening path, and the coupling device reaches the decoupling position from the coupling position in the event of a specified opening path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
    Inventor: Fredi Dubach
  • Patent number: 10677519
    Abstract: A refrigerator has a storage member which can be drawn out from a space in which a refrigerated object is stored. The refrigerator comprises: a cabinet having a storage space; a door over the storage space; support members; a storage member pushed in or drawn out along the support member, and having an opening in the top surface so that food maybe inserted therethrough; a shielding member, provided above the storage member and a rear portion of the opening; a cover member over a front portion of the opening, and is moved, when the storage member being pushed in or drawn out, in the opposite direction to the storage member, and is moved rearward between the shielding member and the storage member when the storage member is drawn out; and a driving unit connecting the storage member and the cover member so as to move together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jungil Shin, Yoomin Park, Changwoan Yang
  • Patent number: 10667608
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pull-out guide, in particular for a domestic appliance or a piece of furniture, comprising a stationary guide rail and a running rail which is movably mounted on the guide rail. A damping device comprising a fluid damper which acts on one side is provided on the guide rail, said fluid damper having a damper housing and a piston rod which can be pushed into and drawn out of the damper housing. A first activator acts on the damping device shortly before reaching a closed position during a closing movement of the running rail in order to brake the movement of the running rail. A second activator acts on the damping device shortly before reaching the maximum open position during an opening movement of the running rail in order to brake the movement of the running rail. The pull-out guide is preferably used in a domestic appliance, in particular in a dishwasher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: PAUL HETTICH GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Daniel Rehage, Michael Lehmkuhl, Andreas Löh
  • Patent number: 10653240
    Abstract: A furniture drive includes an entrainment member for retracting a movable furniture part into a closed position, and the entrainment member is displaceably mounted in sections along a linear travel path and can be detachably coupled to the movable furniture part. A spring device applies force to the entrainment member in a retraction direction, and a damping device damps movement of the entrainment member in the retraction direction. The damping device includes a fluid chamber and a ram which is displaceably mounted relative to the fluid chamber. A holding device is arranged between the ram and the entrainment member, and the holding device holds the ram relative to the entrainment member. The ram is movable through an opening of the holding device when a force acting upon the entrainment member in the retraction direction is exceeded, whereby the entrainment member can be decoupled from the ram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: JULIUS BLUM GMBH
    Inventor: Christof Goetz
  • Patent number: 10641328
    Abstract: A supporting device for a rail member includes a first supporting frame and a second supporting frame. The first supporting frame has a first supporting means including an upper element and a lower element. The upper element includes a first supporting part. The lower element includes a second supporting part. A supporting passage is defined by the upper element and the lower element. The second supporting frame has a second supporting means including a third supporting part, a fourth supporting part and a second side wall extendedly connected to the third supporting part and the fourth supporting part. The first supporting means and the second supporting means are configured to support each other. The upper element is spaced from and not directly connected to the lower element, and the upper element and the lower element are formed as two independent parts of the first supporting frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignees: KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD., KING SLIDE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken-Ching Chen, Shun-Ho Yang, Chien-Li Huang, Chun-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10627155
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ultra-low temperature freezer comprising a seal. The seal member has: hollow first and second air layer forming portions which are aligned in a row in a second direction between a first and second peripheral edges when a door is closed; and a first connection portion which is connected between the first and second air layer forming portions so as to form an air layer. The first connection portion has a shape that would overlap part of the first and second air layer forming portions if moved in parallel to the second direction. The outer peripheral surface of the first connection portion and the outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second air layer forming portions form first and second recessed portions extending in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Okada
  • Patent number: 10624524
    Abstract: A shock absorber and a dishwasher including the same are disclosed. The dishwasher includes a tub having a dish introduction port formed in a front surface thereof, a door for opening and closing the dish introduction port and a rack having moving casters so as to be drawn out of and introduced into the tub, dishes being placed on the rack, and the shock absorber is disposed between the tub of the dishwasher and the rack and includes a body, a receiving groove formed in one side surface of the body so as to receive a portion of the rack, and a pressing portion provided on a remaining surface of the body so as to press and support a portion of the tub to thus press the body downwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Daehee Kim, Myungwon Ko
  • Patent number: 10612837
    Abstract: There is provided an airtight box, comprising a box body and a cover covering the box body to close the box body tightly. The box body is provided with a receiving chamber with an opening which opens upwards and two side walls respectively located on both sides of the receiving chamber. A sliding groove extending longitudinally is provided on an outer side of each side wall. The airtight box is further provided with an opening and locking mechanism slidably connecting the cover and the box body. The opening and locking mechanism is provided with a pushing member slidably fixed in the sliding groove and a connecting rod rotatably fixed on the pushing member and mounted inside the cover. The connecting rod, under an action of the pushing member, presses upwards and drives the cover backwards to expose the receiving chamber to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER JOINT STOCK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bin Fei, Riyong Lu, Jinlin Liu, Xiaodong Zhou
  • Patent number: 10595633
    Abstract: An enclosure for the storage of shoes includes a pair of spaced-apart, generally opposing end walls. A projection is carried by each of the end walls, each projection is dimensioned and configured to be inserted into the interior of one of a pair of shoes to temporarily secure the shoe in a fixed position relative to the end wall. A bottom extends between the end walls, and includes a removable tray to catch debris falling from the shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Inventor: Sam Allen
  • Patent number: 10590987
    Abstract: A supporting device for a rail member includes a first supporting frame and a second supporting frame. The first supporting frame has a first supporting means including a first supporting part and a second supporting part. A supporting passage is defined by the first supporting part and the second supporting part. The second supporting frame has a second supporting means including a third supporting part and a fourth supporting part. The first supporting means and the second supporting means are configured to support each other. A rail member is configured to be connected to one of the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame, the first supporting part is configured to support the third supporting part, and the second supporting part is configured to support the fourth supporting part. The first supporting part is spaced from and not directly connected to the second supporting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD., KING SLIDE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken-Ching Chen, Shun-Ho Yang, Chien-Li Huang, Chun-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10590692
    Abstract: A furniture drive system includes a mechanical control unit having a pivotably mounted control arm for moving a movable furniture part, a spring device for applying force to the control arm, and a movably mounted control part having a transmission opening for transmitting a force from the spring device to the control arm. An electrical drive unit has an electric motor for moving the movable furniture part, and a driver to be driven by the electric motor for transmitting a torque of the electric motor to the mechanical control unit. The driver can be inserted into the transmission opening, and the electrical drive unit and the mechanical control unit are designed as separate assemblies and can be fastened to each other. A contact surface for the driver is arranged laterally adjacent to the transmission opening and the driver is preloaded toward the contact surface by a force store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Bohle
  • Patent number: 10588459
    Abstract: An outdoor structure includes a plurality of vertically extending walls joined together to form a standing structure surrounding an interior volume. Each of the walls includes a structural polymer panel and a veneer directly adhered to the structural polymer panel. The standing structure can be frameless and supportless. The standing structure can bear at least 90% of a load of the standing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Oldcastle Architectural, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Browning
  • Patent number: 10591203
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a storage container configured to slide into and out of a storage compartment and a rail unit configured to guide movement of the storage container and a support member disposed in the storage compartment to support the rail unit and coupled to a bottom side of an inner case. Guide bars that guide movement of the storage containers are installed at lower ends of the storage container. Roller units are installed at the bottom surface of the storage compartment by using the foam insulation material blown into the space between the inner case and the outer case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byeong Kook Kang, Jong Sun Park, Byoung-Jae Cho
  • Patent number: 10582771
    Abstract: A synchronic drawer slide rail system with a mute springback function includes: two slide rail units, wherein two external faces of a drawer are connected to two internal faces of a cabinet in a relative sliding form through the slide rail units which are symmetrically arranged; the two slide rail units are synchronically connected to each other through a synchronizing mechanism; wherein a shell unit is fixed on each of the two internal faces of the cabinet; a linear groove extending along a relative sliding direction of the drawer and the cabinet is provided on a side face, which faces the drawer, of the shell unit; each of the slide rail units is installed in the linear groove; a horizontal board extending towards the drawer is arranged at a bottom face of the shell unit, and a rack is provided on an inner end of the horizontal board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: WUXI HAIDAER PRECISION SLIDES CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xinglong Xu, Haiwen Zhang, Guangda Zhu, Qiang Ji
  • Patent number: 10582829
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, at least one dish rack in the treating chamber, and a rack height adjustment assembly. The rack height adjustment assembly includes an adjuster plate slidably coupled to the at least one dish rack and fixed vertically relative to the tub, the adjuster plate including at least one adjuster detent, a locking lever having a catch end that is biased to engage the adjuster detent to hold the dish rack in place in either a lowered or raised position, the locking lever being pivotally movable relative to the at least one dish rack between an engaging position where the catch end engages the adjuster detent and a release position where the catch end does not engage the adjuster detent and the dish rack is vertically movable between the lowered and raised positions, and an actuator configured to move the locking lever to the release position when the actuator is moved from an undepressed position to a depressed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Martin Kenneth Hansen, Ronald M. Nowell, Jr., Richard Lawrence Kretz, Kapil Gupta, Darryl C. Bodine, Jerry M. Visin, Ameresh B. Viswanathan
  • Patent number: 10578154
    Abstract: A supporting device for a rail member includes a first supporting frame and a second supporting frame. The first supporting frame has a first supporting means including a first supporting part and a second supporting part. A supporting passage is defined by the first supporting part and the second supporting part The second supporting frame has a second supporting means including a third supporting part and a fourth supporting part. The first supporting means and the second supporting means are configured to support each other. A rail member is configured to be connected to one of the first supporting frame and the second supporting frame. The first supporting part is configured to support the third supporting part, and the second supporting part is configured to support the fourth supporting part. The first supporting frame and the second supporting frame cooperatively define an enclosed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignees: KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD., KING SLIDE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken-Ching Chen, Shun-Ho Yang, Chien-Li Huang, Chun-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10578155
    Abstract: A supporting device includes a first supporting frame having a first supporting means including a first and a second supporting part, and a second supporting frame having a second supporting means including a third and a fourth supporting part. A supporting passage is defined by the first and the second supporting part. The first and the second supporting means are to support each other. A rail member is to be connected to one of the first and the second supporting frame. The first and the second supporting part are to support the third and the fourth supporting part, respectively. The first supporting frame further includes a first side wall connected to the first and the second supporting part. The first supporting part has a first portion extended from a first end of the first side wall to form a first angle therebetween. The first angle is a non-right angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignees: KING SLIDE WORKS CO., LTD., KING SLIDE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken-Ching Chen, Shun-Ho Yang, Chien-Li Huang, Chun-Chiang Wang
  • Patent number: 10561256
    Abstract: A locker assembly having a backlit indicia includes a pair of sidewalls and a horizontal top defining a locker enclosure. At least one shelf extends at least partially between the sidewalls and defines a storage space in the locker enclosure. An illuminated panel extending at least partially between the sidewalls includes: an at least partially translucent sheet, a plurality of powered lighting elements disposed under the sheet, and a lighting enclosure cooperating with the panel to enclose the lighting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Inventor: Sam Allen
  • Patent number: 10555625
    Abstract: The invention relates to a glass panel element (1) with a fastening element (2) for using in a container (6), in particular for using in a showcase. The fastening element (2) has a profiled edge strip (3) for fixing to the container (6) in a form-fitting manner. Said fastening element (2) is adhesively connected with a lateral surface (4) of the glass panel element (1). A thickness (D1) of the fastening element (2) corresponds to a thickness (D2) of the glass panel element (1). A fastening element (2) is arranged on each facing side of the glass panel element (1) and adhesively connected with said glass panel element (1). The profiled edge strip (3) and the glass panel element (1) close in a flush manner. The fastening element (2) is made of aluminium. The invention also relates to a glass showcase comprising at least one glass panel element (1) according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Inventors: Wolfgang Frank, Thomas Matthias Kurz
  • Patent number: 10550606
    Abstract: An ejection device for a movable furniture part includes an ejection element that can rotate about a rotational axis and ejects the movable furniture part from a closed position into an open position, an ejection force storage element which applies a force to the ejection element, and a locking device for locking the ejection element in a locking position. The line of application of the ejection force storage element runs through the axis of rotation when in the locking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Julius Blum GmbH
    Inventor: Andre Hammerer