Patents Examined by James O. Hansen
  • Patent number: 11262120
    Abstract: A door body for a refrigeration appliance includes a main part and a frame surrounding the main part. The frame includes a housing with a cavity. The cavity is filled with an insulation material in contact with the main part. A door seal is mounted on a rear side of the housing and a seal strip is located between the housing and the main part. A refrigeration appliance including the door body is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Ping Lv, Xun Wang, Nanwei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11253085
    Abstract: A kit forms a display case or a part of a display case. The kit has at least one frameless side panel with a panel front side, a panel back side, a panel edge extending between the panel front side and the panel back side and four panel corners, and at least one profile strip, which extends along the panel edge from a first of the side corners to a second of the side corners. The profile strip has a fixation section covering either the panel edge and the panel back side in an edge region, or only the panel back side in an edge region, or only the panel edge, and a holding section being subsequent to the fixation section holding a cover or bottom plate. By the kit the display case can be assembled solidly and is easily disassembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Bernd Schreiber
  • Patent number: 11248835
    Abstract: A drawer assembly for an appliance includes a drawer front including a retainer post extending from the drawer front, a handle including an indicator assembly, an attachment assembly for removably attaching the handle to the drawer front, and an electrical connection assembly passing through the attachment assembly to provide electrical power to the indicator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Bart Andrew Nuss, Jonathan Charles Crosby
  • Patent number: 11246411
    Abstract: A drawer side wall has an outer wall which has an exterior viewing surface and a rear side facing away from the exterior viewing surface, and has a cover which has a fastener, by which the cover can be fastened to the rear side of the outer wall. A rear side of a viewing section of the cover is configured to bear against the outer wall, and two separate recesses are spaced apart from each other on the rear side of the outer wall. The fastener includes two separate elastic clamping lugs, each of which is configured to engage in an associated recess in order to fasten the cover in position to the drawer side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: JULIUS BLUM GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Kampl
  • Patent number: 11241091
    Abstract: A pull-out guide for drawers or the like comprising a fixed guide part fastenable to the body of a piece of furniture, a movable guide part fixable to a drawer or the like, an intermediate guide part between the fixed guide part and the movable guide part, wherein at least one first sliding carriage is interposed between the fixed guide part and the intermediate guide part and at least one second carriage is interposed between the movable guide part and the intermediate guide part; means of synchronizing the pull-out guide is further provided which comprise at least one synchronization element arranged on the intermediate guide part and contoured to functionally connect the fixed guide part and the movable guide part to each other during the pull-out or retraction movement of the pull-out guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: ARTURO SALICE S.P.A.
    Inventor: Sergio Salice
  • Patent number: 11241784
    Abstract: A workbench has a frame disposed on a set of wheels with a plurality of storage solutions, such as drawers, disposed within the frame. The workbench can include a work surface on a top surface of the frame and one or more handles permitting movement of the workbench as desired. The workbench can include a pegboard that is pivotable between a deployed configuration, where the pegboard extends upward from a back surface of the workbench, and a stowed configuration, where the pegboard is stored adjacent the back surface of the workbench. Typically, in the stowed configuration, the pegboard does not extend beyond either a plane defined by the work surface or a plane defined by a bottom surface, opposite the work surface, of the workbench frame. The workbench may be packaged and shipped in the stowed configuration, allowing the user to easily fully assembly the workbench assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TRINITY INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jerry Chiao, Yuan-Luen Chuang, Cze-Chao Tam
  • Patent number: 11234513
    Abstract: A fixing device for a cabinet, and the cabinet with such fixing device, hold vulnerable components steadily in place at all times. The cabinet includes a door panel, internal components, and at least one fixing device. The door panel defines at least one locking hole and supports at least one component. Each fixing device includes a telescopic portion and an operation portion and each telescopic portion is aligned with one locking hole. The operation portion is rotatable one way to extend the telescopic portion to abut and hold the component in place, and rotatable in the reverse direction to unlock and release the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: HONGFUJIN PRECISION ELECTRONICS (TIANJIN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ti-An Tsai, Hung-Liang Chung, Hsueh-Chin Lu
  • Patent number: 11231223
    Abstract: An appliance includes an outer wrapper and an inner liner placed within the outer wrapper and spaced apart from the outer wrapper to define an insulating space. A trim breaker extends between the inner liner and the outer wrapper to define a structural cabinet. The trim breaker defines a front face of the cabinet. The trim breaker defines a gas conduit disposed within a wall of the structural cabinet proximate the insulating space. The gas conduit is adapted to define selective communication between the insulating space and an exterior of the structural cabinet. An insulating material is disposed within the insulating space, wherein the gas conduit is substantially free of the insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alberto R. Gomes, Lynne F. Hunter, Abhay Naik, Lorraine J. Westlake
  • Patent number: 11219310
    Abstract: An appliance pedestal system having: a cabinet defining an enclosure having a front face and an opening through the front face; a drawer comprising an open-topped container movably mounted to the cabinet and configured to slide between a closed position in which a drawer front at a front end of the drawer is adjacent the front face of the cabinet and an open position in which the drawer front is spaced from the front the face of the cabinet; and a trim piece configured to be selectively connected to a bottom of the drawer at a location below the drawer front, or to the front face of the cabinet at a location below the drawer front when the drawer is in the closed position. The drawer may comprise other types of closure, such as a door. A method for installing the pedestal system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventor: Giancarlo Bockos
  • Patent number: 11213122
    Abstract: A storage cabinet assembly for outdoor storage of wine and related accessories includes a housing having a plurality of divider panels engaged thereto in an interior space thereof defining a plurality of compartments. The plurality of compartments comprises first, second, and third compartments. The first compartment is configured to position one of a refrigerator and a wine rack. The second compartment has a plurality of upper slats positioned therein to define a plurality of slots, which allow for insertion of bases of stemware to stow stemware within the second compartment. The third compartment opens into the second compartment and is used to stow utensils. The housing has positioned therein a first and second openings to allow access to the first and second compartments, respectively. A first door and a second door are hingedly engaged to the housing and are configured to selectively close the first and second openings, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Inventor: Eduardo Z Hernandez
  • Patent number: 11209207
    Abstract: An engagement assembly, a drawer, and a refrigerator having same. The engagement assembly comprises a first engagement part matching the drawer and a second engagement part matching a refrigerator body; one of the first and second engagement parts is a gear, and the other one is a rack; the rack has a tooth surface that allows the gear to travel; the rack comprises a main rack and an extension rack; when the drawer is in a closed state, the tooth surface has a first stroke length; when the drawer is in an opening process, the extension rack moves to a travel path of the gear so that the tooth surface has a second stroke length; when the drawer is in a closing process, the extension rack is reset the first stroke length is smaller than the second stroke length. The length of the tooth surface increases in the opening process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: QINGDAO HAIER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jing Wang, Bin Fei, Xiaobing Zhu, Xueli Cheng
  • Patent number: 11206922
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods, and apparatus related to a storage system. The storage system may include one or more cabinets having shelves including a foldable panel. The storage system may include one or more cabinets having shelves including a fixed portion and a sliding portion configured to slide relative to the fixed portion. A modular storage system may be provided including a plurality of cabinet units that may fixedly attach to each other. A locking mechanism including a locking foot and locking element may be provided for connecting multiple cabinets in a modular cabinet assembly. Some embodiments may include a drawer and secondary work surface assembly for a shelf capable of use in a cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Great Star Industrial USA, LLC
    Inventors: John A. Hermann, Jay Fording, Bob Hardison, Mike Webb
  • Patent number: 11203833
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating a door provided at a laundry treating apparatus, the method including: mounting a front glass to a front glass mounting jig, and mounting a door frame to a door frame mounting jig; applying an adhesive to the door frame; lifting the front glass by absorption, and then mounting onto the door frame; moving the door frame mounting jig to a compression jig; attaching the front glass to the door frame by using the compression jig; separating the door frame mounting jig from the compression jig, and moving to an initial position; and separating an assembly of the front glass attached to the door frame, from the door frame mounting jig, wherein in the applying of the adhesive to the door frame, the adhesive is applied along an adhesive filling groove formed to enclose an opening of the door frame, plural times in a divided manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jungsang You, Yongwoo Kwon, Minsoo Seo
  • Patent number: 11197545
    Abstract: A cabinet (1) with a containment space (2), shelves (9) contained in the containment space (2), an access opening (3) to the containment space (2) and a moving mechanism (4) for moving the shelves (9) through the opening (3); wherein the moving mechanism (4) comprises a first arm (5) and a second arm (6), which are sustained by the cabinet (1), cantilever-style, inside the containment space (2), and rotatably about a vertical line (V), said first arm (5) and second arm (6) in turn sustaining a related shelf (9) in a condition rotatable with a turning motion about at least one vertical line (V). At least the second arm (6) of said arms (5, 6) is provided with two component segments (10, 11), converging at an interposed articulated joint (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventors: Roberto Trombettoni, Emanuele Silvi
  • Patent number: 11185160
    Abstract: A corner-cabinet arrangement having two corpus areas which are rectangular in plan view and each of which has a front with a door, the fronts running together at right angles in an inside corner such that the two corpus areas enclose between them a corner space that is rectangular in plan view, the arrangement including a shelf which extends in a first one of the corpus areas and in a part of the corner space and, when the door is open, can be pivoted out of the door opening of the corpus-area, the second corpus area also having a shelf that extends in this corpus area and in another part of the corner space, and, when the door is open, can be pivoted out of the door opening of the corpus area, wherein pivotal axes of the two shelves are different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ninkaplast GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Uffmann
  • Patent number: 11178981
    Abstract: A case frame and mullion assembly includes a case frame including a frame member defining a mullion pocket, a first electrical connector coupled to the frame member within the mullion pocket, a mullion defined by an elongated body, a second electrical connector coupled to the frame member within the mullion pocket, and an attachment mechanism coupled to one or both of the case frame and the mullion, the attachment mechanism positioned between the frame member and the mullion to attach the mullion to the frame member, the attachment mechanism aligns and couples the first electrical connector relative to the second electrical connector upon attachment of the mullion to the frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Hussmann Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond P. Twohy, Delanie M. Parmenter, Daniel E. Schnur
  • Patent number: 11178966
    Abstract: A furniture apparatus including a frame, a movable facade configured to transition between an open state and a closed state; and a hidden container configured to rest on a set of support ledges attached to one or more of the frame and an unhidden container optionally associated with the furniture apparatus such that the hidden container is configured to be visible when the movable facade is in the open state, and the hidden container is configured to be hidden from view when the hidden container is installed in the furniture apparatus and the movable facade is in the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: NIGHT AND DAY FURNITURE, LLC
    Inventors: Joel Grossman, Howard Porter
  • Patent number: 11178968
    Abstract: A furniture assembly comprises two or more drawers and a plurality of pouches disposed at a rear lower portion of the furniture assembly. The plurality of pouches are filled with water, sand, or dirt. The water may contain a plurality drops of bleach. A minimum weight of the plurality of pouches is determined from torque balance of forces and weights. In one example, the plurality of pouches are disposed at a rear portion of a lower drawer. A rear wall of the plurality of pouches directly contacts a rear wall of the lower drawer. A top surface of each of the plurality of pouches and a top surface of a rear wall of the lower drawer are coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Orsini
  • Patent number: 11178965
    Abstract: A slide rail assembly includes an inner rail, a middle rail slidably coupled to the inner rail, and an outer rail slidably coupled to the middle rail. The inner rail includes a first body and a latching member. The latching member extends from the first body to the middle rail. The middle rail includes a second body and a locking device. The locking device is fixedly coupled to the second body. The locking device defines a latching hole configured to receive the latching member so that the middle rail moves together with the inner rail relative to the outer rail to extend to a designated position and length of the slide rail assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: HONGFUJIN PRECISION ELECTRONICS (TIANJIN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chang-Ju Wu, Chen-Sheng Tang
  • Patent number: 11168436
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating a door provided at a laundry treating apparatus, the method including: mounting a front glass to a front glass mounting jig, and mounting a door frame to a door frame mounting jig; applying an adhesive to the door frame; lifting the front glass by absorption, and then mounting onto the door frame; moving the door frame mounting jig to a compression jig; attaching the front glass to the door frame by using the compression jig; separating the door frame mounting jig from the compression jig, and moving to an initial position; and separating an assembly of the front glass attached to the door frame, from the door frame mounting jig, wherein in the applying of the adhesive to the door frame, the adhesive is applied along an adhesive filling groove formed to enclose an opening of the door frame, plural times in a divided manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jungsang You, Yongwoo Kwon, Minsoo Seo