Patents Examined by Rita Adhlakha
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Patent number: 9758916Abstract: An apparatus and method of sensing a motor characteristic signal in a laundry treating appliance having a drum rotated by a motor about a rotational axis, sampling the motor characteristic signal, filtering the motor characteristic signal, and evaluating the filtered motor characteristic signal for the presence of a predetermined condition corresponding to the motor characteristic signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2014Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Alexander J. Halbleib, Michael J. Hand, III, Brian P. Janke, Joseph M. Keres, Stephen L. Keres
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Patent number: 9745685Abstract: Disclosed are a laundry treatment machine and a method of operating the same. The method of operating the laundry treatment machine that processes laundry via rotation of a wash tub includes accelerating a rotational velocity of the tub during an accelerated rotating section, rotating the tub at a constant velocity during a constant velocity rotating section, and determining an amount of laundry in the tub based on a first output current flowing through a motor that is used to rotate the tub during the accelerated rotating section and a second output current flowing through the motor during the constant velocity rotating section. This ensures efficient sensing of amount of laundry.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: August 29, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Minho Jang, Kyunghoon Kim, Hoonbong Lee
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Patent number: 9732461Abstract: A liquid detergent mixer includes a main body, a detergent inlet pipe, a wash water inlet pipe, and a wash water dispersing unit. The main body defines a mixing space in which wash water and liquid detergent are mixed. The detergent inlet pipe allows liquid detergent to flow into the mixing space. The wash water inlet pipe has one end protruding from the other side surface of the main body to the mixing space to allow wash water to flow into the mixing space.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2013Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Dongsoo Lee, Jaehyuk Jang, Youngho Kim
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Patent number: 9730570Abstract: A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a washing chamber, a liquid spraying system, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a rotating filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid and a flow diverter wherein liquid passing through a gap between the flow diverter and the rotating filter applies a greater shear force on the surface than liquid in an absence of the flow diverter.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2014Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventor: Jacquelyn R. Geda
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Patent number: 9717393Abstract: A household appliance, such as dishwasher, includes a bulk unit-dose dispenser configured to hold multiple unit doses of treating chemistry and dispense the treating chemistry at the appropriate time in a cycle of operation. The bulk unit-dose dispenser can include a multiple compartments moveable along a track, and the compartments can be sequentially moved into registry with a dispensing opening of the appliance.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2015Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Kristopher L. Delgado, Michael I Hirsh, Nathan W. Kryglowski, Rafael G. Reyes, Michael S. Seeley, Barry E. Tuller, Chad T. Vanderroest
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Patent number: 9708744Abstract: The laundry treatment machine includes an inverter to convert direct current (DC) voltage into alternating current (AC) voltage and to output the AC voltage to a motor. The laundry treatment machine includes an inverter controller to control the inverter to supply current corresponding to a direction opposite to back electromotive force generated from the motor to the motor so as to align the motor during a starting operation of the motor. It is feasible to rapidly align a rotor of the motor during the starting operation of the motor.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Hansu Jung, Jain Koo, Soongkeun Lee
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Patent number: 9708742Abstract: A dynamic balancer device for mounting to and balancing a rotatable drum in a laundry treating appliance comprises an enclosed non-metal annular housing having a radial circumferential wall, an annular metal race within the non-metal annular housing disposed against the radial circumferential wall, and a mass disposed in the annular race and movable therein.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Donald E. Erickson, Mark R. Haslanger, Stephen D. Ostdiek, Jaime E. Rodriguez
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Patent number: 9708746Abstract: A laundry treatment machine includes a drum, a motor to rotate the drum, and a driving unit to drive the motor, wherein the driving unit includes an inverter to convert direct current (DC) voltage into alternating current (AC) voltage and to output the AC voltage to the motor and an inverter controller to control the inverter to supply an alignment current to the motor so as to align the motor during a starting operation of the motor and to supply a torque current for rotating the motor to the motor together with the alignment current after the motor is aligned. Such a laundry treatment apparatus prevents a reverse rotation phenomenon of the drum due to load.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Minho Jang, Hoonbong Lee, Hansu Jung
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Patent number: 9708745Abstract: The laundry treatment machine; absent a position sensor to sense a rotor position, includes a driving unit having a DC/AC inverter, an output voltage detection unit to detect output voltage applied to the motor, and an inverter controller to control the inverter to drive the motor based on the output voltage. The output voltage detection unit includes a plurality of resistors electrically connected between the inverter and the motor and a comparator to compare voltage detected by some of the resistors with reference voltage and to detect pulse width modulation (PWM)-based output voltage. Based on the PWM-based output voltage at least one switching device of the inverter is turned on. The output voltage detection unit outputs voltage detected by other some of the resistors to the inverter controller in a second mode in which all switching devices of the inverter are turned off.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Hansu Jung, Soongkeun Lee, Minho Jang
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Patent number: 9695540Abstract: A fluid additive dispenser for a washing machine appliance is provided. The dispenser includes a housing, a dispenser drawer, and a plate. The housing and the plate form a seal to prevent water introduced into the dispenser from prematurely entering a compartment and to prevent a fluid additive in one compartment of the dispenser drawer from entering another compartment.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2014Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Boris Leibman, Taranjeet Singh
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Patent number: 9695538Abstract: A balance ring for an appliance, such as e.g., a washing machine, is provided. The balance ring can reduce or eliminate features such as sink marks that might otherwise impede the movement of counterweights in the balance ring. The counterweights are used to stabilize a rotating element of the appliance.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2012Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Nils Naber, Gary M. Barr
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Patent number: 9689102Abstract: A washing machine is disclosed. The washing machine includes a casing, and a state sensing unit for sensing tilt of a predetermined angle or more of the casing or vibration of a predetermined magnitude or more applied to the casing. The state sensing unit includes a switching conductive element configured to move according to the tilt or the vibration, a contact electrode, and a guide electrode configured to guide movement of the switching conductive element and to be electrically connected to the contact electrode through the switching conductive element when the switching conductive element contacts the contact electrode.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2014Date of Patent: June 27, 2017Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: San Choi, Kichul Cho, Jongchul Bang
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Patent number: 9666455Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus cleans a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and dries the substrate. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate conveying unit configured to hold a substrate horizontally with its upper surface facing upwardly and to convey the substrate in one direction, and a cleaning unit configured to clean the surface of the substrate in non-contact state by supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate which is moving in the process chamber. The substrate apparatus has an inert gas blowing unit configured to blow an inert gas toward the front and reverse surfaces of the substrate which has been cleaned in the cleaning unit to produce an inert gas atmosphere in the process chamber while drying the substrate with the inert gas.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2013Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventor: Masayoshi Imai
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Equipment for cold-cleaning of welding torches, and the corresponding cooling-flow dispensing device
Patent number: 9662737Abstract: An equipment for cleaning welding torches having a reserve of a pressurized fluid and a dispensing device designed to dispense a flow of dry ice at low temperature onto a welding torch in order to clean it of welding slag, wherein the dispensing device comprises a manual needle regulation valve, a dispensing nozzle to dispense dry ice and an adapter sleeve designed to receive the outer shroud or body of welding torch, wherein the dispensing device is designed to be coupled to welding torch to be cleaned by means of a male-female coupling, with adapter sleeve acting as the female part and the tip of supply nozzle as the male part, so that dispensing device can be adapted to the usual dimensions of welding torches.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2012Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignees: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY INC., SOCIETA′ ITALIANA ACETILENE E DERIVATI S.I.A.D. S.P.A. IN ABBREVIATED FORM S.I.A.D.S.P.A.Inventors: Alfredo Malomo, Gianluca Porto -
Patent number: 9655495Abstract: A foreign object protection system for a dishwasher for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation includes a tub, a sump,a recirculation pump;and a foreign object protection system comprising a grate, wherein liquid in the tub collects in the sump and is recirculated by the recirculation pump such that the liquid is drawn through the foreign object grate.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2013Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventor: Mark S. Feddema
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Patent number: 9649011Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing an interior of a shoe which generates ultrasonic wind of a whirlwind type in the interior of the shoe to remove foreign substances from the interior of the shoe and which injects ultra fine particles of solution into the interior of the shoe to sterilize the interior of the shoe. The apparatus includes a housing opened or closed with a door; a shoe supporting member mounted on a top end of a support pillar having a predetermined length and vertically installed in an inner space of the housing, wherein the show supporting member is configured to be inside the shoe and support the shoe by hanging the shoe thereto; a vibration guide pipe fixed to an inside of the shoe supporting member; and a nozzle tube movably installed in the vibration guide pipe.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2014Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignees: DUREMAEUL CO., LTD.Inventor: Young-Do Kim
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Patent number: 9637852Abstract: Disclosed are a laundry treatment machine and a method of operating the same. The method of operating a laundry treatment machine includes rotating a drum at a first velocity, forcibly vibrating the drum using a forced vibration generation signal during a first velocity rotating section, and determining whether to accelerate or decelerate the drum after forced vibration. Through this method, laundry position may be determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Hamin Song, Hansu Jung, Hoonbong Lee
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Patent number: 9623449Abstract: A dielectric window cleaning apparatus may be used for cleaning a dielectric window of a plasma processing device. The dielectric window cleaning apparatus may comprise a window support base, a fluid containing enclosure, a window rotating mechanism, a spray arm, and multiple fluid spraying nozzles. The fluid containing enclosure may include at least one overflow containment sidewall and may be located at least partially under and at least partially around a portion of the window support base. The window rotating mechanism may be operatively connected to the window support base and may rotate the window support base. The spray arm may be in fluid communication with a fluid source and may include a fluid flow channel. The multiple fluid spraying nozzles may each expel fluid from the fluid flow channel in a window cleansing spray.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2012Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Armen Avoyan, Hong Shih, Cliff LaCroix, John Daugherty
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Patent number: 9598809Abstract: A washing machine appliance is provided. The washing machine appliance includes a cabinet and a tub disposed within the cabinet. The washing machine appliance also includes features for variably damping motion of the tub relative to the cabinet, such as a damper with a first, rigid piston and a second, compliant piston slidably received within a cylinder of the damper.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2014Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Paul Owen Davis
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Patent number: 9593439Abstract: A freeze protection method for a washing machine includes: determining, by a control unit, whether or not laundry items exist after a washing process, when a freeze protection course is selected; determining, by the control unit, whether a freeze protection operation condition is satisfied or not, when no laundry items exist; and operating, by the control unit, a water supply device to supply water and operating a drain device to discharge water, when the freeze protection operation condition is satisfied; and returning to the determining of whether the freeze protection operation condition is satisfied or not, when a preset standby time passes after the water supply device and the drain device are operated.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2013Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: DONGBU DAEWOO ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: Ji Woo Kim