Patents by Inventor Charles Benjamin Miller

Charles Benjamin Miller 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).

  • Publication number: 20160025399
    Abstract: Refrigerator appliances are provided. A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber, and a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the fresh food chamber. The door further defines an ice box. The refrigerator appliance further includes an ice maker disposed within the ice box, and a container defining a storage volume for receipt of ice produced by the ice maker. The refrigerator appliance further includes a drain assembly for draining melt water from the container. The drain assembly includes a male connector mounted to the door for flowing melt water therethrough, and a first duct providing fluid communication between the container and the male connector. The drain assembly further includes a female connector mounted within the fresh food chamber for flowing melt water therethrough from the male connector, and a second duct providing fluid communication from the female connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Publication number: 20150330695
    Abstract: An ice making appliance is provided. The ice making appliance includes a first ice maker and a second ice maker. The first and second ice makers generate different types of ice. The ice making appliance also includes supply ducts for receiving chilled air from an evaporator and directing the chilled air to the first and second ice makers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20150135758
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance and an ice making assembly for the same are provided. The ice making assembly includes an ice formation panel, a chilled air duct and a water distribution manifold. The ice formation panel may be cooled by chilled air passing through the chilled air duct, and the water distribution panel may direct liquid water over the ice formation panel. Ice cubes can be formed on the ice formation panel from the liquid water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 9032744
    Abstract: An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same are provided. The ice maker includes a mold body that is rotatable relative to an ejector. The ejector is configured for selective receipt within the mold body to assist with removal of ice from the mold body. The ice maker also includes at least two sensors for monitoring rotational motion of the mold body. Utilizing the at least two sensors, the ice maker can monitor ice removal from the mold body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20150128633
    Abstract: An ice making assembly and an ice bucket are provided. The ice bucket includes a sidewall that defines a storage volume and an auger disposed within the storage volume. A motor is configured for rotating the auger within the storage volume. The motor is positioned above the storage volume along a vertical direction. The position of the motor relative to the storage volume can assist with limiting or preventing damage to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Charles Benjamin Miller, Bart Andrew Nuss, Ansuraj Seenivasan
  • Publication number: 20150108886
    Abstract: Refrigerator appliances are provided. A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a fresh food chamber and a freezer chamber and including a mullion extending between and defining the fresh food chamber and freezer chamber. The refrigerator appliance further includes a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet for accessing the fresh food chamber, the door including an inner surface and an outer surface, the door further including an ice container mounted thereon. The refrigerator appliance further includes a hinge connecting the mullion and the door, and a freezer door connected to the cabinet for accessing the freezer chamber. The refrigerator appliance further includes a drain assembly for draining a liquid from the ice container, the drain assembly providing a flow path through the hinge and the mullion to an exhaust location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Benjamin Miller, Alan Joseph Mitchell, Stephen Michael Bischoff
  • Publication number: 20140196479
    Abstract: An ice maker for a refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same are provided. The ice maker includes a mold body that is rotatable relative to an ejector. The ejector is configured for selective receipt within the mold body to assist with removal of ice from the mold body. The ice maker also includes at least two sensors for monitoring rotational motion of the mold body. Utilizing the at least two sensors, the ice maker can monitor ice removal from the mold body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20130276472
    Abstract: A system for making ice comprises an auger-driven ice formation portion configured for mounting in a fresh food compartment of a refrigerator appliance, and at least one inlet duct positioned proximate to the auger-driven ice formation portion and configured for receiving and passing ambient air from a freezer compartment of the refrigerator appliance into the auger-driven ice formation portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Charles Benjamin Miller, Bart Andrew Nuss
  • Patent number: 8397532
    Abstract: A direct-cooled ice making assembly for a refrigeration appliance is disclosed. A refrigeration system includes a refrigerant circuit having an ice maker cooling portion for cooling an ice maker mold body. A cooling plate houses the ice maker cooling portion which creates ice within compartments of the mold body by cooling the mold body via the cooling plate. The ice maker is configured to be removably attached to the cooling plate so as to be replaceable without removing the ice maker cooling portion of the refrigerant circuit within the cooling plate or the cooling plate. Related refrigeration appliances are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Patent number: 8341968
    Abstract: A method of cooling multiple beverage components involves: providing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of sheets of heat transfer material and at least first and second flow channels defined by surfaces made at least in part by the sheets of heat transfer material; directing a first and second fluid respectively through the first and second flow channels, each of the first and second fluids being selected from the group consisting of non-carbonated water, carbonated water, beverage concentrates and non-concentrated beverages; placing ice in contact with at least one of the sheets of heat transfer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Manitowoc Foodservice Companies, LLC
    Inventors: Jerry L. Landers, Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20120291473
    Abstract: In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an ice maker assembly for a refrigerator freezer compartment having a wall with a capturing element is described. The ice maker assembly has a body that includes an ice mold for receiving water and freezing water to ice. The ice mold has a first side surface, a second side surface, and a bottom surface interposed between the first side surface and the second side surface. The ice maker assembly further includes a mounting feature, the mounting feature being present on the body and being configured to be seated on the corresponding refrigerator freezer compartment capturing element. The ice maker assembly also includes a fastening feature and a fastener being located either generally planar with the ice mold or below the ice mold, the fastening feature and fastener being configured to attach the body to the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew Reinhard Krause, Alan Joseph Mitchell, Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20120090346
    Abstract: A direct-cooled ice making assembly for a refrigeration appliance is disclosed. A refrigeration system includes a refrigerant circuit having an ice maker cooling portion for cooling an ice maker mold body. A cooling plate houses the ice maker cooling portion which creates ice within compartments of the mold body by cooling the mold body via the cooling plate. The ice maker is configured to be removably attached to the cooling plate so as to be replaceable without removing the ice maker cooling portion of the refrigerant circuit within the cooling plate or the cooling plate. Related refrigeration appliances are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Charles Benjamin Miller
  • Publication number: 20090285956
    Abstract: A method of cooling multiple beverage components involves: providing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of sheets of heat transfer material and at least first and second flow channels defined by surfaces made at least in part by the sheets of heat transfer material; directing a first and second fluid respectively through the first and second flow channels, each of the first and second fluids being selected from the group consisting of non-carbonated water, carbonated water, beverage concentrates and non-concentrated beverages; placing ice in contact with at least one of the sheets of heat transfer material; and melting the ice and thereby cooling the first and second fluids as they reside in and pass through their respective channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jerry L. Landers, Charles Benjamin Miller