Patents Examined by Spencer E Bell
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Patent number: 11643052Abstract: A sensor-cleaning apparatus includes an upper piece, a lower piece fixed to the upper piece, a plurality of inserts inserted into the upper piece, and a plurality of nozzles. The upper piece and the lower piece form a tubular segment that is elongated along an arc of a circle and encloses a chamber. Each nozzle is formed of the upper piece and one of the inserts. Each nozzle includes a deflection surface and a tunnel from the chamber to the deflection surface, and each tunnel is partially formed of the upper piece and partially formed of the respective insert.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2020Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Valeo North America, Inc.Inventors: Andre Sykula, Kunal Singh, Venkatesh Krishnan, Raghuraman Surineedi, Yoann Dolle, William Terrasse, Denis Thebault, Veeramanikandan Gopal, Gowtham Ilanthirayan, Michael Whitney
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Patent number: 11633082Abstract: A rinsing container for a household dishwashing machine includes a bottom plate, a rear wall, and a U-shaped rinsing container jacket which is arranged on the bottom plate and fixedly connected thereto via a folded joint. Integrally formed on the bottom plate and on the rinsing container jacket is a fastening flange for fastening the rear wall to the bottom plate and to the rinsing container jacket, with the fastening flange configured to form a part of the folded joint. A folding sealing means is provided in the folded joint and formed as a sealing bead, with the sealing bead having in the folding-joint-forming part of the fastening flange a first cross-sectional surface which is greater than a cross-sectional surface in a central region of the folded joint.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2018Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: BSH Hausgeräte GmbHInventors: Armin Klaiber, Manfred Herb, Helmut Rössle, Johann Schabert, Dieter Hotz
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Patent number: 11634853Abstract: A method of monitoring drainage of a washing appliance such as a dishwasher or washing machine having a pump for draining a washing chamber is disclosed. The method includes receiving a time series of power consumption data relating to the operation of the washing appliance over a monitored period of operation including pumped draining of the washing chamber. A measure of the duration of a portion of the monitored period comprising said pumped draining is derived from the time series of power consumption data. The measure of duration is then compared to a reference value and an indicator of a drainage condition is determined based on the comparison. The method may be used to detect scaling or blockages in drainage flow paths.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Centrica PLCInventors: Nicholas O'Malley, Sean Stephenson
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Patent number: 11627859Abstract: A wash monitoring system including a water flow meter that transmits water flow readings of flow through a water line, chemical conduits with color sensors on the chemical conduits and configured to transmit color readings of a chemical within the chemical conduits, and chemical flow meters on the chemical conduits that transmit chemical flow readings of flow through the chemical conduits. The system includes a memory containing processor-executable instructions that cause processors to compare the water flow readings with a range of water flow readings, compare the chemical flow readings with a range of chemical flow readings, compare the color readings with a range of color readings associated with each of the one or more chemical conduits, and initiate an alarm if one of the water flow readings, the chemical flow readings, or the color readings are not within the respective ranges of readings.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2020Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: WASHGUARD LLCInventors: Andrew Kaner, Gary Estes, Daniel Devore, Alan Seiler
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Patent number: 11629448Abstract: A wash drum apparatus and method of adjusting the wash capacity for a laundry washing machine. The wash drum may include one or more rear cover inserts that may adjust the wash capacity of the wash drum. The rear cover insert may include one or more impellers. The wash drum may include a rear cover.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2017Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.Inventors: Christopher G. Hoppe, Phillip C. Hombroek, Bryan T. Snook
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Patent number: 11622666Abstract: A dishwasher may include a sump configured to store water, a main arm disposed at the sump and configured to supply water from the sump, an auxiliary arm rotatably disposed at the main arm and configured to spray water, and an auxiliary arm connection member disposed at the main arm and configured to rotatably support the auxiliary arm, where the auxiliary arm may include an auxiliary flow passage configured to allow water flow through the auxiliary arm, where the main arm may include a transfer flow passage in fluid communication with the auxiliary flow passage, where the auxiliary arm connection member may include a flow tube disposed at the main arm in fluid communication with the transfer flow passage and the auxiliary flow passage.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2021Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Seyoung Woo, Joonho Pyo, Daegyu Kim, Taehee Lee
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Patent number: 11618989Abstract: A laundry appliance system includes a cabinet operable between a lowered position and a plurality of raised positions. A first lift assembly is coupled to a first side of the cabinet. A second lift assembly is coupled to a second side of the cabinet. The first and second lift assemblies operate concurrently to adjust the cabinet between the lowered position and the plurality of raised positions. A user-interface assembly is operably coupled to the cabinet. The user-interface assembly is configured to receive a user input corresponding with a selected raised position of the plurality of raised positions. A controller is configured to operate the first and second lift assemblies to the selected raised position in response to the user input.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2020Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Brent M. Burgess, Scott E. Carpenter
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Patent number: 11610790Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Jun Sawashima, Yuta Nishimura, Akito Hatano, Motoyuki Shimai, Toyohide Hayashi
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Patent number: 11603618Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling a laundry treating apparatus comprising a tub configured to hold wash water, a drum mounted in the tub, a pulsator mounted in the drum, a sub-drum coupled to the drum, the sub-drum being configured to hold wash water, and a drive unit configured to rotate the drum and the pulsator. The method comprises a water current forming step comprising performing a basket motion and a pulsate motion and a cooling step comprising lowering the temperature of the drive unit. The basket motion is configured to form water current in the wash water held in the tub and in the sub-drum simultaneously. The pulsate motion is configured to form water current in wash water held in the drum while the pulsator is driven. A performance timing of the cooling step is preset in at least one of the wash cycle or the rinse cycle.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2018Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Oshin Kwon, Keunjoo Kim, Byunghyun Moon, Dongsoo Lee, Jaeyong Jeong, Aekyung Chae
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Patent number: 11596984Abstract: A cleaning vehicle generally has a grey water reservoir having a pre-filter; an aspiration conduit leading into the grey water reservoir upstream from the pre-filter and a vacuum pump adapted to create a vacuum inside the grey water reservoir to draw grey water; a vortex separation subsystem connected downstream from the pre-filter; a filtration bag subsystem connected downstream from the vortex separation subsystem; a filtrate reservoir connected downstream from the filtration bag subsystem; a high pressure hose having an end connected downstream from the filtrate reservoir and another end having a high pressure spray nozzle; a filtrate path extending from the grey water reservoir to the high pressure spray nozzle via the pre-filter, the vortex separation subsystem, the filtration bag subsystem and the high pressure hose; and at least one pump adapted to entrain a flow of fluid along the filtrate path.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2017Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: OMEGA LIQUID WASTE SOLUTIONS INCInventors: Tony Vachon, Henri Jean Bourgeois
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Patent number: 11591738Abstract: A method of operating a washing machine appliance is provided. The washing machine appliance includes a rotatable basket and a motor configured to drive the rotatable basket. The method includes sensing an attribute of articles in the basket. The method also includes determining a pause duration for an agitation operation based at least in part on the sensed attribute of the articles in the basket. The method further includes performing the agitation operation for a period of time. The agitation operation includes activating a motor of the washing machine appliance to agitate the articles within the basket for an agitation duration and deactivating the motor of the washing machine appliance for the pause duration. The period of time is equal to the sum of the agitation duration and the pause duration.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Stephen Edward Hettinger, Ryan Ellis Leonard
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Patent number: 11585036Abstract: 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 laundry washing machine has a control unit configured to convey a first amount of water to the compartment to wet the unit dose package, pause, then convey a second amount of water to the compartment for breaking the water-soluble pouch of the unit dose package.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Inventors: Marco Mariuzzo, Michela Gasparollo
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Patent number: 11576415Abstract: A produce wash system, method, and short-term wash treatment are provided. For example, the produce wash system includes a produce line including a short-term wash device followed by a wash device, a short-term wash treatment that is applied by the short-term wash device to a product, wherein the short-term wash treatment is applied using a spray device that creates micrometer sized droplets, and wherein the short-term wash treatment remains on the product for a pretreatment time that lasts until the product reaches the wash device, and a wash treatment that is applied by the wash device to the product, wherein the wash treatment rinses the short-term wash treatment from the product defining the end of the pretreatment time. The pretreatment time is set at or below a damage threshold time beyond which the short-term wash treatment damages the product beyond a damage threshold.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2016Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS, LLCInventors: James M. Brennan, Danny Elmer Lindstrom, Christopher Michael McGinnis, Eric Child Wilhelmsen
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Patent number: 11578453Abstract: A washing machine appliance includes a sump for collecting wash fluid, a water supply valve for supplying the wash fluid during a fill cycle, and a water level detection system including a pressure sensor for measuring sump pressures/fill levels. A controller is configured for operating the supply valve to fill the sump until a target volume is reached and obtaining a fill volume using the water level detection system. The controller determines that a fault condition exists based on a difference between the target volume and the fill volume, e.g., such as when the difference exceeds a predetermined fault threshold, and initiates a fault abatement process in response to determining that the fault condition exists.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Ryan Ellis Leonard, Stephen Edward Hettinger
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Patent number: 11572648Abstract: A method of operating and a laundry treating appliance, including a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber into which laundry may be placed for treatment according to a cycle of operation, a processor programmed to at least as the laundry is being placed in the treating chamber, at least one of measure, sense, analytically determine, estimate, or receive as an input used to determined a load size. A laundry fill indicator indicates information related to the determined load size.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Barbara A. Balinski, Jason L. Barr, Andrew Leitert, Karl David McAllister, James A. Oskins, Matthew J. Quock, Jamal O. Wilson
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Patent number: 11564554Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher having a heat pump, including a dishwasher body provided with a tub configured with a washing space therein and a sump provided at a bottom of the tub to temporarily accommodate washing water; a heat pump having a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion apparatus, and a sump condenser provided inside the sump to exchange heat with washing water inside the sump; and a controller that controls the heat pump to be driven so as to increase the temperature of the washing water inside the sump. As a result, a heating time of washing water may be shortened, thereby suppressing washing time from being prolonged.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Sangheon Yoon, Changyoon Jung
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Patent number: 11560661Abstract: Disclosed herein is a washing machine and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a technology capable of controlling washing modes in various manners by manipulating a control panel of the washing machine. The washing machine includes a display configured to display a washing mode, an inputter configured to receive a washing mode select command, a storage configured to store a selected washing mode, and a controller configured to allow a washing mode, which has the largest number of times selected during a predetermined number of times of washings, to be displayed on a first screen of the display, and in response to the number of the washing mode having the largest number of selection times being plural, configured to allow a washing mode, which is the last selected among the plurality of washing modes, to be displayed on the first screen of the display.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Bobin Kim, Haeyoon Park, Hansaem Kim, Joonho Lee, Kyoungae Lim, Dongmin Lee, Hyeokjin Choi, Romon Son
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Patent number: 11548480Abstract: Described herein are sensor assembly cleaning apparatuses and methods of operation thereof that utilize a fluid such as pressurized air to cause dispersion of debris, rain droplets/water droplets from other sources, condensation, or any other environmental contaminant that may obscure a transparent surface such as a glass window of a camera housing from the glass window. In this manner, the pressurized air acts to clean the transparent surface, and as a result, improve the clarity of the field-of-view provided through that transparent surface to a camera housed in the camera housing. In addition, sensor assembly cleaning apparatuses described herein can include a water nozzle that is adapted to eject high pressure water onto the transparent surface as well as towards an air nozzle or an air vent that is adapted to eject the pressurized air. The water nozzle can thus be used to remove debris form the air nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Pony AI Inc.Inventor: Anatolii Vitanov
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Patent number: 11540694Abstract: A method for setting a time of a release of a cleaning agent during a cleaning cycle in a household appliance includes obtaining an evolution over time of a local parameter inside the appliance, the local parameter comprising an acceleration induced by the cycle or a temperature inside the appliance; obtaining reference patterns of evolutions of the local parameter during a cycle comprising different cleaning steps including a step adapted for releasing the cleaning agent at a predetermined adapted time; comparing the evolution of the local parameter to the reference patterns and identifying a cleaning step within the cycle when a similarity between a reference pattern and the evolution is above a predetermined threshold, and setting the release of the agent at the predetermined adapted time within the identified cleaning step when the identified step corresponds to a step adapted for releasing the agent.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2019Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: HENKEL AG & CO. KGAAInventors: Arnd Kessler, Thomas Juckel, Rayko Enz, Volker Hoppe, Lars Zuechner, Robert Ruiz Hernandez, Wolfgang Wick, Ingo Hardacker
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Patent number: 11542649Abstract: Disclosed are a washing machine and a control method thereof, capable of preventing occurrence of an accident related to a child or a pet being inside a washing tub. A washing machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a concentration sensing part configured to a sense a concentration of a specific component in air measured inside or outside the washing tub, a controller configured to switch the door and the washing tub to a safe mode based on the concentration of the specific component sensed by the concentration sensing part, and a release signal detector configured to detect a release signal for switching the door and the washing tub, which have been switched to the safe mode by the controller, back to a normal mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventor: Jain Koo