Patents by Inventor Christopher David Hunter

Christopher David Hunter 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: 9267721
    Abstract: A water supply apparatus arranged in a door of a refrigerator, for conveying water to an icemaker of the refrigerator. The apparatus has a water tube for delivering water from a water source, a support block attached to an inner surface of the door, a fill tube assembled to the support block and in fluid communication with the water tube, and a gasket disposed between the support block and the door for sealing an insulator in the door. The gasket has a hole through which the fill tube extends to convey the water from the water tube to the icemaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Christopher David Hunter
  • Patent number: 8925344
    Abstract: A fitting assembly is provided that includes a bracket comprising at least one fitting having a first opening and a second opening, in which the second opening includes at least one ledge on an inner sidewall of the fitting and the first opening is interconnected with a first tube, in which the bracket, the fittings and the first tube are a unitary structure. A seal assembly is present in the second opening of the at least one fitting of the bracket, and a second tube in engaged to the seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a frictional bore surface and at least one gasket, which are in contact with the second tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan Joseph Mitchell, Christopher David Hunter
  • Publication number: 20130030552
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a front projection system operatively mounted as part of an appliance and configured to optically project a virtual user interface; an optics system operatively mounted as part of the appliance and configured to direct the virtual user interface optically projected by the front projection system onto a given surface; a user input system operatively mounted as part of the appliance and configured to receive one or more input selections made by a user in correspondence with one or more features that are part of the virtual user interface optically projected by the front projection system on the given surface via the optics system; and a controller operatively coupled to the front projection system and the user input system, and configured to control operation of one or more components of the appliance in response to the one or more input selections made by the user in correspondence with the one or more features that are part of the virtual user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Bryan James Beckley, Daniel Vincent Brosnan, Brian Michael Schork, Steven David Paul, Richard DeVos, Christopher David Hunter, John P. Ouseph, Geoffrey Lee Ranard
  • Publication number: 20120055190
    Abstract: A fitting assembly is provided that includes a bracket comprising at least one fitting having a first opening and a second opening, in which the second opening includes at least one ledge on an inner sidewall of the fitting and the first opening is interconnected with a first tube, in which the bracket, the fittings and the first tube are a unitary structure. A seal assembly is present in the second opening of the at least one fitting of the bracket, and a second tube in engaged to the seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a frictional bore surface and at least one gasket, which are in contact with the second tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Alan Joseph MITCHELL, Christopher David Hunter
  • Publication number: 20120043918
    Abstract: A dispensing motor apparatus includes a motor assembly for driving a dispenser, the motor assembly having a motor. The dispenser is driven by the motor. One or more relays having electrical contacts can be integrated with the motor assembly. The motor changes its direction of rotation when its polarity is switched by relay(s). Additionally, a controller can communicate with the relay(s) and the motor assembly, such that the controller permits the relay(s) to switch the position of the contacts of the relay(s) before power is turned on with respect to the motor through the electrical contacts and switch the position of the electrical contacts of the relay(s) to a default state after the power is removed from the motor through the electrical contacts. The relay(s) is subject to mechanical cycling without the contacts of relay(s) being required to perform a current switching duty.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Arun Madhav TALEGAONKAR, Joseph Thomas Waugh, Eric Paez, Christopher David Hunter
  • Publication number: 20120031138
    Abstract: A water supply apparatus arranged in a door of a refrigerator, for conveying water to an icemaker of the refrigerator. The apparatus has a water tube for delivering water from a water source, a support block attached to an inner surface of the door, a fill tube assembled to the support block and in fluid communication with the water tube, and a gasket disposed between the support block and the door for sealing an insulator in the door. The gasket has a hole through which the fill tube extends to convey the water from the water tube to the icemaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventor: Christopher David Hunter