Patents by Inventor Alvaro Vallejo Noriega

Alvaro Vallejo Noriega has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9833120
    Abstract: A dishwasher has a liquid supply system with a first conduit portion through which the liquid passes, and an air supply system with a second conduit portion through which the air passes. The first conduit portion at least partially forms the second conduit portion to define a thermal transfer interface. A heating system includes a heating element provided on the thermal transfer interface. Activation of the heating element provides heat to both the liquid supply system and the air supply system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Publication number: 20170290489
    Abstract: A dish treating appliance for treating dishes according to a cycle of operation can comprise a tub defining a treating chamber. The treating chamber can fluidly couple to condenser having an inlet, an outlet, and a condensing passage. The condenser can further comprise multiple ambient air inlets to mix humid air drawn from the treating chamber with ambient air within the condenser. The condenser can further integrate a water inlet with a condenser outlet, such that a water supply and condensed liquid can be provided to the treating chamber through the same opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Subhash N. Varvate, Patrick J. Duffy, Gautam P. Kamat, Thomas M. DeLellis
  • Publication number: 20170280963
    Abstract: A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving the dishes, at least one sprayer, a liquid recirculation system, a liquid filtering system including a housing defining and a filter located within the interior and a heater configured to heat liquid that has passed through the inlet opening of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Patent number: 9732957
    Abstract: A fabric treatment appliance according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a receptacle defining a fabric treatment chamber for receiving laundry, a steam generator having an inlet for receiving water from a water supply and an outlet for supplying steam to the fabric treatment chamber, and a liquid trap upstream from the steam generation chamber blocking backflow of steam from the steam generation chamber to the water supply conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Markus Beck, Robert J. Pinkowski, Raveedran Vaidhyanathan, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Nyik S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9713413
    Abstract: A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving the dishes, at least one sprayer, a liquid recirculation system, a liquid filtering system including a housing defining and a filter located within the interior and a heater configured to heat liquid that has passed through the inlet opening of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Publication number: 20170172370
    Abstract: A spray arm assembly for a dishwasher having a spray arm having a spray arm inlet, a bearing assembly having a bearing body defining a through passage with a bearing inlet and a bearing outlet fluidly coupled to the spray arm inlet; and a liquid supply conduit having a supply outlet fluidly coupled to the bearing inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: MARK S. FEDDEMA, BLAIR D. MIKKELSEN, JOHN A. MILLER, KEVIN MILLER, ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA, ANTONY M. RAPPETTE, FREDERICK T. RODERICK, PRITISH ROY
  • Patent number: 9668636
    Abstract: A dishwasher with multiple physically separate treating chambers includes an air supply system selectively supplying drying air to the treating chambers, and a drying air exhaust system selectively removing drying air from the treating chambers. A method for operating a dishwasher selectively supplies heated drying air to and exhausts drying air from at least one treating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Barry E. Tuller, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Patent number: 9587856
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to detect impurities in flow-through water heaters are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a flow-through water heater having a conduit to conduct a fluid flowing therethrough, a heating element extending around at least a portion of the conduit, and first and second temperature measuring elements to determine respective first and second temperatures at different locations on the conduit; and a computing unit to at least detect an impurity deposit in the conduit based on a difference between the first and second temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Saadat Hussain, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Publication number: 20170055799
    Abstract: A method of washing dishes in an automated dishwasher utilizing a high velocity sprayer and high velocity spray phase for forcibly spraying water from concavities on washed dishes or utensils in which liquid can puddle in the cavities of the dishes or utensils during previous washing or rinsing cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Harsh R. Mondkar, Kevin Green
  • Patent number: 9297553
    Abstract: A pump assembly includes a motor and a pump, with the motor having an output shaft that extends into a volute chamber defined by a housing of the pump. An impeller may be mounted to the end of the output shaft. A heating element maybe located within a projection formed in an end of the housing and defines a heat transfer area confronting the volute chamber, wherein heat generated by the heating element may be conducted into the volute chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Alvaro Vallejo Noriega, Rodney M. Welch
  • Publication number: 20160022115
    Abstract: A dishwasher may include a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, an airflow conduit, and a blower assembly fluidly coupled to the airflow conduit. The blower assembly may include a first impeller effecting a flow of ambient air to the treating chamber and a second impeller effecting a flow of mixed air from the treating chamber exhausting the mixed air from the treating chamber. Additionally, at least one of the first and second impellers may effect a flow of ambient air that bypasses the tub and combines with the mixed air before being exhausted from the dishwasher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA
  • Publication number: 20160022116
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a tub having an air outlet, an airflow conduit fluidly coupling the tub air outlet to ambient air, a blower assembly forcing air to flow from the tub and through the tub air outlet into the airflow conduit, a first reservoir associated with the airflow conduit and collecting liquid condensed from the air forced through the airflow conduit, the first reservoir fluidly coupled to the tub for draining the collected liquid into the tub, and a second reservoir associated with the airflow conduit downstream of the first reservoir and collecting liquid condensed from the air prior to the exhaustion of the air to the ambient air, wherein any liquid not collected by the first reservoir is collected by the second reservoir for evaporation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: THOMAS M. DELELLIS, MARK S. FEDDEMA, ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA
  • Publication number: 20150003818
    Abstract: A pump assembly includes a motor and a pump, with the motor having an output shaft that extends into a volute chamber defined by a housing of the pump. An impeller may be mounted to the end of the output shaft. A heating element maybe located within a projection formed in an end of the housing and defines a heat transfer area confronting the volute chamber, wherein heat generated by the heating element may be conducted into the volute chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA, RODNEY M. WELCH
  • Publication number: 20150000713
    Abstract: A dishwasher for treating dishes according to at least one cycle of operation including a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving the dishes, at least one sprayer, a liquid recirculation system, a liquid filtering system including a housing defining and a filter located within the interior and a heater configured to heat liquid that has passed through the inlet opening of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA, RODNEY M. WELCH
  • Patent number: 8915972
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable treating chamber for holding laundry and a motor for rotating the treating chamber based on a monitored torque signal from the motor of the laundry treating appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Marcelo Campos Silva, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega
  • Publication number: 20140369672
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to detect impurities in flow-through water heaters are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a flow-through water heater having a conduit to conduct a fluid flowing therethrough, a heating element extending around at least a portion of the conduit, and first and second temperature measuring elements to determine respective first and second temperatures at different locations on the conduit; and a computing unit to at least detect an impurity deposit in the conduit based on a difference between the first and second temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: SAADAT HUSSAIN, ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA, RODNEY M. WELCH
  • Publication number: 20140331413
    Abstract: A cycle of operation for a laundry treating appliance having a rotatable treating chamber for receiving a laundry load including a washing phase having an application of a treating chemistry to the laundry load to separate soils from the laundry load, an extracting phase having a centrifugal extraction of at least some of the treating chemistry from the laundry load, and a rinsing phase having a spraying of an amount of rinse water onto the laundry load to evenly wet the laundry load to form a wetted laundry load and an applying of a bleach solution to the wetted laundry load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: SARAH IHNE, ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA
  • Patent number: 8875721
    Abstract: A dishwasher with a closed loop condenser having a moist air conduit, a dry air conduit having a portion in overlying relationship with a portion of the moist air conduit, wherein the overlying portions of the moist air conduit and the dry air conduit form a heat exchanger, and a controllable gate for selectively introducing, exhausting, or redirecting air relative to the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Roger J. Bertsch, Keeley M. Kabala, Rafael C. Melo, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega
  • Patent number: 8713737
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance and method for dispensing treating chemistry, where the laundry treating appliance includes a treating chamber, a single use dispenser and a bulk dispenser. Water may be supplied to the single use dispenser through a first water flow path, which directs a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the single use dispenser into the treating chamber. Water may be supplied to the bulk dispenser through a second water flow path, which is configured to spray a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the bulk dispenser into the treating chamber. The laundry treating appliance may determine the presence of treating chemistry within at least one of the single use dispenser and the bulk dispenser, and, based on this determination, supply water to the flow path associated with the dispenser which contains treating chemistry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah E. Ihne, Alvaro Vallejo Noriega
  • Publication number: 20140059880
    Abstract: A method of drying dishes in a dishwasher having a condensation system for extracting liquid from air within a treating chamber of the dishwasher to control the dry cycle of the dishes in the treating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: ROGER J. BERTSCH, KEELEY M. KABALA, RAFAEL C. MELO, ALVARO VALLEJO NORIEGA