Patents by Inventor Brian K. Culley
Brian K. Culley 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).
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Patent number: 9677808Abstract: An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2016Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Publication number: 20170146275Abstract: An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2017Publication date: May 25, 2017Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Patent number: 9651290Abstract: An ice maker has a mold with a first piece and a second piece. A cavity within the mold includes a first reservoir in the first piece and a second reservoir in the second piece that align to substantially enclose the cavity. A fluid intake aperture in the first piece extends to the cavity for injecting water therein. A thermoelectric device has a cold side thermally coupled to the exterior surface of the second piece. The thermoelectric device transfers heat from the cold side to a hot side to provide a first temperature to the mold. A removable cooling source is thermally coupled to the hot side of the thermoelectric device. The cooling source is configured to reduce the temperature of the hot side to allow the cold side to provide a second temperature that is cooler than the first temperature to freeze the water in the cavity.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2015Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9599388Abstract: A clear ice maker assembly for an appliance includes an ice tray rotatably coupled with a housing and horizontally suspended within an interior volume of the housing. The ice tray includes a metallic ice forming plate with a bottom surface, a substantially planar top surface and an edge portion. A containment wall extends upward from the top surface along the edge portion. A grid having at least one dividing wall extends across the top surface between the containment walls. A fluid line extends into the housing and supplies water to the top surface of the ice tray to be retained by the containment wall and the grid. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The containment wall and the grid have a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the ice forming plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9593870Abstract: An apparatus that has a housing with an icemaker disposed within the housing is disclosed. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided having a warm side and an opposite cold side. The cold side is thermally coupled to the icemaker. A flow pathway is configured in communication with the warm side of the thermoelectric device. A heat carrier is communicated through the flow pathway. The heat carrier transfers heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device to support operations of the apparatus. The apparatus may be configured as a refrigerator wherein the refrigerator is configured to transfer the heat carrier from the warm side of the thermoelectric device to a compartment of the refrigerator.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2012Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
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Patent number: 9568231Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a pump fluidly connected to the ice maker and configured for pumping cooling media to the ice maker, and a motor operatively connected to the ice maker and configured to provide oscillating movement to the ice maker. The pump is operatively connected to the motor such that driving of the motor results in the pumping of the cooling media with the pump.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2014Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory Gene Hortin
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Publication number: 20170030624Abstract: An ice maker is provided herein that includes an evaporator plate. A first side of the evaporator plate is adapted to form a first clear ice sheet and a second side of the evaporator plate is adapted to form a second clear ice sheet. A staging area is arranged downstream from the evaporator plate and adapted to receive the first and second clear ice sheets after formation. The first and second clear ice sheets are fused in the staging area to form a unitary ice sheet. A first mold assembly having a first mold form and a second mold assembly having a second mold form are positioned within the staging area on opposite sides of the unitary ice sheet when the unitary ice sheet is received in the staging area. A mold cavity is adapted to shape the unitary clear ice sheet to form one or more clear ice structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2016Publication date: February 2, 2017Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin
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Publication number: 20170016663Abstract: A method of releasing ice from a mold apparatus is disclosed which includes the steps of: providing a mold apparatus having a first mold portion including a concave depression and a liquid circulating manifold and a second mold portion having a concave depression; pivotally coupling to the first mold portion to the second mold portion such that the mold apparatus is operable between an ice forming position and an ice harvesting position; assembling the mold apparatus to the ice forming position such that the concave depressions abut to from a mold cavity; injecting water into the mold cavity; cooling the mold apparatus; forming at least one ice structure within the mold cavity; circulating a warm liquid medium in the liquid circulating manifold to warm the mold apparatus; disassembling the mold apparatus to the ice harvesting position; and releasing the at least one ice structure from the mold apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2016Publication date: January 19, 2017Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Publication number: 20160377335Abstract: Provided is a method of making an ice structure including the steps of: providing a mold having at least two mold portions; extending two supporting rods between the at least two mold portions; extending a drive rod from each of the at least to mold portions; chilling the at least two mold portions using at least one cooling source; delivering a flow of water such that water flows over the at least two mold portions; forming ice structure segments within the at least two mold portions; and contacting the ice structure segments to fuse them together to form the ice structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2016Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9518770Abstract: A unitary clear ice sheet is formed from a plurality of individual clear ice sheets which are fused together to give the unitary ice sheet a predetermined thickness. The fused unitary ice sheet is a clear unitary ice sheet due to the formation of the plurality of individual clear ice sheets by running water over a cold plate apparatus or evaporator mechanism to form the ice sheets in a gradual layer-by-layer process. The fused unitary clear ice sheet is used to mold or shape clear ice structure therefrom, such as clear ice spheres in a mold apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory Gene Hortin
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Publication number: 20160305699Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice forming plate and a cooling source thermally engaged to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling source is configured to freeze water coming into contact with a top surface of the ice forming plate. A containment wall surrounds the top surface of the ice forming plate to define an ice tray that is configured to retain water. An electrical drive body is rotatably coupled to the ice tray and is configured to oscillate the ice-forming plate in a rocking cycle about a transverse axis of the ice tray. A median wall divides the ice tray along the transverse axis into a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The rocking cycle causes water to repeatedly move over the median wall to form layers of an ice piece within each reservoir of the ice tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Andrew D. Litch, Mark E. Thomas
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Patent number: 9470448Abstract: An ice producing mold has a first mold portion having a top surface and a second mold portion having a bottom surface. When the mold is in a closed position, a bottom surface of the first mold portion abuts a top surface of the second mold portion and when the mold is in an open position, the bottom surface of the first mold portion is separated from the top surface of the second mold portion. Each mold portion also includes a concave depression such that when the mold is in the closed position, the concave depression on the bottom surface of the first mold portion and the concave depression on the top surface of the second mold portion form a cavity adapted to form an ice structure. The depression is warmed by flowing warm water into a cavity located adjacent to the concave depression and the ice is released.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Patent number: 9459034Abstract: A method of making an ice structure comprising the steps of: providing a mold with at least two mold portions where the at least two mold portions come together to form a cavity that defines a shape of an ice structure; placing the at least two mold portions in thermal communication with at least one cooling source; chilling the at least two mold portions using the at least one cooling source; orienting the at least two mold portions in spaced apart relation; delivering a flow of water such that the flow of water passes along the surface of the at least two mold portions with the mold segments such that water flows (by capillary/wicking action) over the mold segment and forms an ice structure segment; ceasing the flow of water when the ice structure segments are formed; and fusing the ice structure segments together to form the ice structure.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9410723Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice forming plate and a cooling source thermally engaged to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling source is configured to freeze water coming into contact with a top surface of the ice forming plate. A containment wall surrounds the top surface of the ice forming plate to define an ice tray that is configured to retain water. An electrical drive body is rotatably coupled to the ice tray and is configured to oscillate the ice-forming plate in a rocking cycle about a transverse axis of the ice tray. A median wall divides the ice tray along the transverse axis into a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The rocking cycle causes water to repeatedly move over the median wall to form layers of an ice piece within each reservoir of the ice tray.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Andrew D. Ltich, Mark E. Thomas
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Publication number: 20160187053Abstract: An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Publication number: 20160138844Abstract: An ice maker has an ice mold that includes a metallic piece and an insulated piece. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the metallic piece. A cavity is within the ice mold and has a first reservoir in the metallic piece and a second reservoir in the insulated piece. The first and second reservoirs align to substantially enclose the cavity. An intake aperture in the insulated piece extends to the cavity for receiving water. A drive body rotatably coupled to the ice mold that operates in an ice-making cycle, wherein the drive body repeatedly rotates the mold from an injection position to a tilted position. The cavity receives an incremental amount of water in the injection position and moves to the tilted position to freeze at least a portion of the incremental amount of water over a side surface of the cavity to make an ice piece.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2016Publication date: May 19, 2016Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: PATRICK J. BOARMAN, BRIAN K. CULLEY
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Patent number: 9310116Abstract: An ice support and storage tray includes one or more cavities having upwardly facing spherical surface portions that support spherical pieces of ice. The tray is preferably made of a material having a low thermal conductivity to reduce melting of the spherical pieces of ice. The spherical support surfaces minimize melting points that could otherwise cause the spherical pieces of ice to melt and develop irregular surface shapes. The ice tray may be used in a freezer having an ice maker that transports spheres of ice to the ice support cavities. The ice storage tray may be configured to permit removal of spheres of ice without tipping the tray upside down and/or twisting/deforming the tray.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2012Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Brian K. Culley, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
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Publication number: 20160084558Abstract: An ice maker has a mold with a first piece and a second piece. A cavity within the mold includes a first reservoir in the first piece and a second reservoir in the second piece that align to substantially enclose the cavity. A fluid intake aperture in the first piece extends to the cavity for injecting water therein. A thermoelectric device has a cold side thermally coupled to the exterior surface of the second piece. The thermoelectric device transfers heat from the cold side to a hot side to provide a first temperature to the mold. A removable cooling source is thermally coupled to the hot side of the thermoelectric device. The cooling source is configured to reduce the temperature of the hot side to allow the cold side to provide a second temperature that is cooler than the first temperature to freeze the water in the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Applicant: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Patent number: 9273891Abstract: An ice maker has an ice mold that includes a metallic piece and an insulated piece. A cooling source is thermally coupled to the metallic piece. A cavity is within the ice mold and has a first reservoir in the metallic piece and a second reservoir in the insulated piece. The first and second reservoirs align to substantially enclose the cavity. An intake aperture in the insulated piece extends to the cavity for receiving water. A drive body rotatably coupled to the ice mold that operates in an ice-making cycle, wherein the drive body repeatedly rotates the mold from an injection position to a tilted position. The cavity receives an incremental amount of water in the injection position and moves to the tilted position to freeze at least a portion of the incremental amount of water over a side surface of the cavity to make an ice piece.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley
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Publication number: 20160033187Abstract: An ice making device includes heating and cooling elements that control the formation of ice within a cavity. The ice making device may include one or more fluid inlets that supply liquid water to the cavity, and one or more fluid outlets that drain water from the cavity after formation of ice having a desired shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Applicant: Whirlpool CorporationInventor: Brian K. Culley