Patents Examined by Spencer E Bell
  • Patent number: 11091870
    Abstract: A method for operating a laundry washing machine equipped with a treating agents dispenser comprising a drawer having a compartment suitable to receive a unit dose package comprising a pre-measured amount of treating agent incorporated into a water-soluble, pouch. The method comprises conveying a first amount of water to the compartment to wet the unit dose package, making a pause, and conveying a second amount of water to the compartment for breaking the water-soluble pouch of the unit dose package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: ELECTROLUX APPLIANCES AKTIEBOLAG
    Inventors: Marco Mariuzzo, Michela Gasparollo
  • Patent number: 11085141
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising an outer tub containing water, and an inner tub disposed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry and rotated about a horizontal axis. The washing machine includes: a motor for providing rotational force; an outer shaft that has a first hollow, and rotates the inner tub; an inner shaft disposed in the first hollow and rotated by the motor; a pulsator disposed in the inner tub and coupled with the inner shaft; a planetary gear train for transmitting rotational force of the motor; a carrier mover which has an outer circumferential surface that is spline-coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft, and an inner circumferential surface that is screwed with an outer circumferential surface of the clutch carrier; and a stopper restricting movement of the carrier mover, thereby achieving various washing modes with a simple mechanism by rotating the inner tub and the pulsator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeonguk Lee, Joonho Pyo, Taehee Lee
  • Patent number: 11075095
    Abstract: A supply flow passage branches into a plurality of upstream flow passages. The plurality of upstream flow passages include a branching upstream flow passage that branches into a plurality of downstream flow passages. A plurality of discharge ports are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions differing in distance from a rotational axis and discharge processing liquids, supplied via the plurality of upstream flow passages, toward an upper surface of a substrate held by a substrate holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Jun Sawashima, Yuta Nishimura, Akito Hatano, Motoyuki Shimai, Toyohide Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11071437
    Abstract: A dishwashing appliance having a vibration-reducing mounting assembly is provided herein. The dishwashing appliance may include a tub defining a wash chamber, a sump, and a fluid pump. The sump may be positioned at a bottom portion of the tub along a vertical direction. The sump may include a bottom wall defining a recessed chamber. The fluid pump may be in fluid communication with the recessed chamber of the bottom wall. The fluid pump may include a fluid impeller, an electric motor, and a volute cover. The fluid impeller may be rotatably positioned within the recessed chamber. The electric motor may be in mechanical communication with the fluid impeller to motivate rotation thereof. The electric motor may be positioned above the fluid impeller. The volute cover may be positioned between the electric motor and the fluid impeller along an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: John Edward Dries
  • Patent number: 11071438
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a dishwashing compartment having a front side with a charging opening for allowing the dishwashing compartment to be charged with washware. The dishwashing compartment includes a U-shaped metal shroud to define a right-hand side wall, a ceiling and a left-hand side wall, a hollowed metal floor produced from a deep-drawn part, and a metal rear wall fitted to a rear side of the metal shroud and of the hollowed metal floor. The right-hand and left-hand side walls of the metal shroud are connected along their respectively lower wall edges to the hollowed metal floor via external interfaces, with each of the external interfaces having a form-fitting connection. A compartment door is provided to close the charging opening, at least temporarily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH
    Inventors: Andrzej Budzynski, Dieter Hotz, Armin Klaiber, Cengiz Kücük, Johann Schabert
  • Patent number: 11066771
    Abstract: A washing machine has a drum, a sump underneath the drum, a water circulation including an extractible drawer for introducing detergent or additives, the water circulation being in fluid connection to detecting means for detecting microfibers or contamination in the water and a circulation pump and pipes for circulating water. A method for its operation comprises the steps of branching off an amount of water circulating in the circulation and transporting it to the detecting means for being analyzed and analyzing the water in the detecting means. Depending on the result of this analysis, a filtering process with filtering means for filtering out the microfibers from the water is activated. The microfibers that have been filtered out can be collected and then removed easily from the washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Carmelo Zarcone, Wolfgang Thimm, Kay Schmidt, Uwe Schaumann, Michael Riffel, Juergen Eiselt
  • Patent number: 11066776
    Abstract: A washing machine capable of automatically supplying detergents to a detergent mixing tub uses a detergent dispenser removably mounted to an upper portion of the washing machine. A washing machine capable of automatically supplying softening agents to a softening agent mixing tub uses a softening agent dispenser removably mounted to an upper portion of the washing machine. A washing machine capable of automatically supplying detergents to a washing tub uses a pump coupled to a detergent dispenser mounted to an upper portion of the washing machine and the pump is operated by using a driving force of a motor coupled to a door. A washing machine capable of automatically supplying softening agents to a washing tub uses a pump coupled to a softening agent dispenser mounted to an upper portion of the washing machine and operated by using a driving force of a motor coupled to a door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gi Hoon Ko, Youn Young Gwak, Han Na Yoo, Kang Kyung Lee, Seok Geun Jang
  • Patent number: 11066772
    Abstract: A laundry washing machine equipped with a treating agents dispenser comprising compartments adapted to be filled with at least one treating agent and a control panel comprising input devices allowing the user to select or set washing programs and/or parameters of the machine and comprising output devices for giving information to the user of features of said machine and/or a feedback to the user related to the settings/status of the machine. At least one output device of said the devices and at least one compartment of the compartments comprise a common visual identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Giancarlo Bockos, Vittorio Cascianelli
  • Patent number: 11058280
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is useful as a stored object detector and a method of detecting stored objects configured to capture an image a movable storage portion, and objects stored in the storage portion, and configured to acquire storage information including at least one of position, size and quantity of the stored object based on the captured image. In addition, disclosed herein is a dishwasher configured to identify at least storage area of dish stored in a dish storage basket. It is possible to estimate a position of a basket, although the number of feature points is small. Therefore, when installing a detection indicator corresponding to the feature point, which is separated from the general configuration, to the basket, it is not required to install a large number of detection indicator, and thus it is possible to improve the appearance of the dishwasher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Morio Yoshimoto, Katsunori Araki, Hisashi Kawasaki, Toshihiro Kamii, Kazuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11053631
    Abstract: Provided is a garment processing apparatus for compactly optimizing the arrangement space of a heat pump system. A heat pump module is modularized by integrally mounting a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator in an integrated housing and is disposed at an upper portion of a tub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Myoungjong Kim, Seongwoo An, Sangho Cho
  • Patent number: 11034337
    Abstract: The invention provides an air and fluid cleaning system for propelling a cleaning fluid and air onto a vehicle vision device such as a vehicle camera system. The cleaning system comprises at least one fluid nozzle aimed at the camera; at least one cleaning fluid pump fluidly connected to both a fluid supply conduit and a cleaning fluid source; at least one air nozzle aimed at the vehicle camera; and at least one telescopic air jet fluidly connected to the air nozzle, hydraulically connected to the fluid supply conduit, and operated by the fluid pressure provided by the cleaning fluid pump; such that during a first operation time interval only cleaning fluid is propelled onto the vehicle camera and during a second operation time interval only an air jet burst is propelled onto the vehicle camera. The invention further includes a method for cleaning a vehicle camera exposed to ambient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: KAUTEX TEXTRON GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Chris Davies, Aaron Williams
  • Patent number: 11035066
    Abstract: A clothes treating apparatus includes a case including a treatment chamber for holding clothes, a steam unit for supplying steam to the treatment chamber, a tank module storing water to be supplied to the steam unit, a valve unit disposed in a flow channel connecting the tank module and the steam unit, a water supply pump for generating driving power to transmit water stored in the tank module to the steam unit, and a control unit controlling the steam unit and the water supply pump, wherein the valve unit opens or closes the flow channel by at least one of water and steam flowing in the flow channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Wansik Nam
  • Patent number: 11027315
    Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaning system comprises a cleaning tank containing a cleaning liquid, a moving and holding device configured to move a carrier into the cleaning tank and hold the carrier in the cleaning tank, and an ultrasonic wave generator mounted in the cleaning tank. A plurality of fiber optic ferrules are mounted on the carrier and are immersed in the cleaning liquid when the moving and holding device holds the carrier in the cleaning tank. The ultrasonic wave generator is adapted to emit an ultrasonic wave into the cleaning liquid to clean the fiber optical ferrules immersed in the cleaning liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., TE Connectivity Corporation, Innogetic Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Liming Xin, Yun Liu, Lvhai Hu, Dandan Zhang, Roberto Francisco-Yi Lu, Lei Zhou, Kok Wai Wong
  • Patent number: 11028523
    Abstract: Provided is a laundry treating apparatus having a cleaning nozzle and a method for controlling the cleaning nozzle. The laundry treating apparatus may include a main body having a tub, and a circulation path formed outside the tub to circulate air from the tub along the circulation path outside the tub. A cleaning nozzle may be provided at the circulation path, and configured to inject water. A water supply passage may be provided having one side connected to a water supply source and another side connected to the cleaning nozzle. A water supply valve may be provided to open and close the water supply passage. A controller may control the water supply valve to supply water to the cleaning nozzle. The controller may control the water supply valve to supply water to the cleaning nozzle during a drain course among a plurality of drain courses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Taewan Kim, Hyunchul Choi, Wonjong Kim
  • Patent number: 11019980
    Abstract: A conveyor dishwashing machine (1) has at least one washing zone (7), and at least one final rinse zone (8) which is connected downstream (as viewed in the transport direction (T) of the wash items) of the at least one washing zone (7). The conveyor dishwashing machine (1) has a transport apparatus for transporting the wash items through the treatment zones (6, 7) of the conveyor dishwashing machine (1) so that the wash items are situated at least in regions in a washing plane (5) which runs horizontally. The washing plane (5) is configured as a main washing plane, and there is at least one additional washing plane (6) in at least one of the treatment zones (7, 8) of the conveyor dishwashing machine (1), in which additional washing plane (6) wash items can be treated at the same time as wash items in the main washing plane (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Harald Disch, Beatrix Buchert, Martin Schrempp, Don E. Iles
  • Patent number: 11004706
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a treating section for treating substrates, and an interface section disposed adjacent the treating section and adjacent an exposing machine provided separately from the apparatus. The interface section has a first treating-section-side transport mechanism, a second treating-section-side transport mechanism, and an exposing-machine-side transport mechanism. Each of the first and second treating-section-side transport mechanisms is arranged to receive the substrates from the treating section, pass the substrates to the exposing-machine-side transport mechanism, receive the substrates from the exposing-machine-side transport mechanism and pass the substrates to the treating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventor: Koji Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 10994311
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for cleaning electronic components and/or circuits. The cleaning device comprises a first vessel containing a liquid, a support for holding the electronic components and/or circuits, a fluid injection system including nozzles allowing the projection of jets of fluid to sweep the surface of the components, and a fluid mixer including a first inlet suitable for receiving a pressurised liquid, a second inlet suitable for receiving a pressurised gas, and an outlet designed to supply the injection system with two-phase fluid. The first inlet is coupled to the outlet by an inner duct, the second inlet is coupled to a pressurised gas supply and to an injector for injecting the gas into the inner duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventor: Michel Bourdat
  • Patent number: 10995446
    Abstract: The present invention relates to steam generator and a washing machine having the same which can minimize remained water in the steam generator, and can prevent the water stored in the steam generator from leaking and the water in the steam generator from being supplied to the clothes together with the steam due to a spray pressure of the steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sang Heon Lee, Woo Young Kim
  • Patent number: 10988882
    Abstract: A laundry treatment appliance, program product and method utilize a slider-based user interface to facilitate user selection of settings for a laundry treatment cycle. A slider-based user interface, for example, may include a fabric slider control that receives user input that selects from among a plurality of fabric selections and a cycle modifier slider control that receives user input that selects from among a plurality of cycle modifier selections capable of increasing and/or decreasing various default settings associated with various fabric selections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Christopher G. Hoppe, Bryan T. Snook
  • Patent number: 10991602
    Abstract: A substrate washing device includes a substrate holding mechanism 70 that holds a substrate W, a substrate rotating mechanism 72 that rotates the substrate W held by the substrate holding mechanism 70, and a two-fluid nozzle 46 that ejects a two-fluid jet toward a surface of the rotating substrate W. The two-fluid nozzle 46 is formed of a conductive material. Accordingly, the electrification amount of droplets ejected as the two-fluid jet from the two-fluid nozzle 46 can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Fukaya, Tomoatsu Ishibashi, Hisajiro Nakano