Patents by Inventor Clayton Maas
Clayton Maas 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: 10030901Abstract: An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2016Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Kevin J. Cox, Gregory Gene Hortin, Yen-Hsi Lin, Clayton A. Maas, Xi Shan, Cristian Soto, Andrew M. Tenbarge
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Patent number: 9587871Abstract: An ice maker assembly is provided that includes a tray having a plurality of ice-phobic recesses. The recesses may possess a total water volume of 70 cc or greater. The tray comprises metal material and can be formed with a substantially uniform strain distribution. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the ice-forming tray, and a processor that is operatively coupled to the driving body. The processor controls the driving body to rotate the tray in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2013Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Kevin J. Cox, Gregory Gene Hortin, Yen-Hsi Lin, Clayton A. Maas, Xi Shan, Cristian Soto, Andrew M. Tenbarge
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Publication number: 20170023285Abstract: An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Kevin J. Cox, Gregory Gene Hortin, Yen-Hsi Lin, Clayton A. Maas, Xi Shan, Cristian Soto, Andrew M. Tenbarge
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Patent number: 9513045Abstract: An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Kevin J. Cox, Gregory Gene Hortin, Yen-Hsi Lin, Clayton A. Maas, Xi Shan, Cristian Soto, Andrew M. Tenbarge
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Publication number: 20130291581Abstract: An ice maker is provided that includes a tray having recesses that can include ice-phobic surfaces. The ice-phobic surfaces may include ice-phobic coatings, textured metal surfaces, hydrophobic coatings or other surfaces configured to repel water and ice. The tray can be formed from metal material and may exhibit a fatigue limit greater than about 150 Megapascals (MPa) at 105 cycles. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, and a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the tray. The driving body is further adapted to rotate the tray in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise cycle such that the tray presses against the frame body in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses of the tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2013Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: KEVIN J. COX, GREGORY GENE HORTIN, YEN-HSI LIN, CLAYTON A. MAAS, XI SHAN, CRISTIAN SOTO, ANDREW M. TENBARGE
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Publication number: 20130291582Abstract: An ice maker assembly is provided that includes a tray having a plurality of ice-phobic recesses. The recesses may possess a total water volume of 70 cc or greater. The tray comprises metal material and can be formed with a substantially uniform strain distribution. The ice maker further includes a frame body coupled to the tray, a driving body that is rotatably coupled to the ice-forming tray, and a processor that is operatively coupled to the driving body. The processor controls the driving body to rotate the tray in a manner that flexes the tray to dislodge ice pieces formed in the recesses.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2013Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: KEVIN J. COX, GREGORY GENE HORTIN, YEN-HSI LIN, CLAYTON A. MAAS, XI SHAN, CRISTIAN SOTO, ANDREW M. TENBARGE
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Publication number: 20080197551Abstract: A hydraulic antivibration support comprising a first rigid member; a second rigid member; a substantially frusto-conical elastomer body, extending vertically along a central axis between the first and second rigid members, wherein the working chamber and the compensation chamber are partially superposed along said central axis. The elastomer body is adapted to support static loads and defines inwardly a working chamber and partially defines outwardly an annular compensation chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2007Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: PAULSTRA CRCInventors: Bertrand Thibault, Terry Houston, Clayton Maas
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Patent number: 7036803Abstract: The present invention relates hydraulic mounts for mounting between two rigid elements, such as an engine and a vehicle frame, so as to damp and filter vibrations occurring essentially in a main direction, between said elements, the mount comprising: first and second brackets intended to be fixed respectively to the first and second rigid elements, a primary elastomeric member connecting the first and second brackets, a rate chamber having a volume filled with fluid and delimited with a secondary elastomeric member having at least a first and a second walls movable respectively with said first and second brackets when said first and second brackets moves one with regard to the other, at least one bellow communicating with said rate chamber, each bellow and the rate chamber being able to bulge independently of the primary elastomeric member deformation, and a selectively operable control valving unit for controlling the fluid motion between said rate chamber and each bellow.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2004Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Paulstra CRCInventors: Clayton Maas, Randy Phinney, Leon Clinard
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Publication number: 20050248073Abstract: The present invention relates hydraulic mounts for mounting between two rigid elements, such as an engine and a vehicle frame, so as to damp and filter vibrations occurring essentially in a main direction, between said elements, the mount comprising: first and second brackets intended to be fixed respectively to the first and second rigid elements, a primary elastomeric member connecting the first and second brackets, a rate chamber having a volume filled with fluid and delimited with a secondary elastomeric member having at least a first and a second walls movable respectively with said first and second brackets when said first and second brackets moves one with regard to the other, at least one bellow communicating with said rate chamber, each bellow and the rate chamber being able to bulge independently of the primary elastomeric member deformation, and a selectively operable control valving unit for controlling the fluid motion between said rate chamber and each bellow.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2004Publication date: November 10, 2005Inventors: Clayton Maas, Randy Phinney, Leon Clinard