Patents by Inventor David R. Ducharme
David R. Ducharme 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: 9217599Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration appliance that includes a cabinet defining a compartment for storing food items in a temperature-controlled environment. A refrigeration system is operable to provide a cooling effect to an interior of the compartment, and an ice maker is disposed within the compartment for freezing water delivered from a water source into ice pieces. A nozzle is provided in fluid communication with the ice maker for introducing the water from the water source to the ice maker. The nozzle includes an interior passage through which water is to travel when being delivered to the ice maker, and an outlet through which water being delivered to the ice maker exits the nozzle. An inside diameter of the outlet is greater than an inside diameter at another location of the interior passage.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventor: David R. Ducharme
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Patent number: 8776544Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration appliance including a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade. A freezer compartment is disposed at an elevation vertically below the fresh food compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below zero degrees Centigrade. The refrigeration appliance also includes one or more of a hand-removable insulated cover, a cool air duct for introducing cooled air adjacent an ice bin, and a rearward-sloped catch pan positioned to catch dripping water in said ice maker and direct the dripping water into a drain.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.Inventors: Thomas W. McCollough, David R. Ducharme, Xiaoyong Fu, Dennis Schenk
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Patent number: 8578721Abstract: Provided is an ice maker including a mold with two or more cavities for receiving water to be frozen into ice pieces. A bracket defines a track establishing a range of travel of the mold during an ice making cycle and a removable pin projects outwardly from the mold, extending into the track defined by the bracket to support the mold within the ice maker. The mold can be provided with a partition separating the cavities, the partition including an aperture for establishing a substantially-even water level in the cavities below the partitions.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2010Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.Inventors: Thomas W. McCollough, Russell Watts, David R. Ducharme, Gerald Maxie
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Patent number: 8511106Abstract: Provided is refrigeration appliance that includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment. The refrigeration appliance also includes at least one door restricting access into at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A heated mullion including a substantially-planar, externally-exposed surface is provided to cooperate with a seal provided to the door. An ice chute extends at least partially through the door for dispensing ice through the door. The ice chute includes a fastener for coupling the ice chute to a door liner and maintain the position of the ice chute relative to the door liner during installation of an insulating material in the door.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell Watts, Dennis Schenk
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Patent number: 8484987Abstract: Provided is a method and system for forming ice pieces with an ice maker that includes a mold defining a plurality of cavities for receiving water to be frozen into ice pieces. A processor controls delivery of a refrigerant to freeze water received in the plurality of cavities into ice pieces. A freeze signal transmitted by a temperature sensor embedded within the mold is received by the processor, the freeze signal indicating that a temperature of a portion of the mold adjacent to the temperature sensor has reached a freeze temperature where the water in at least one of the cavities has achieved a frozen state to initiate harvesting of the frozen ice pieces. Defrosting a system evaporator can also be coordinated with operation of the ice maker.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Electrolux Home ProductsInventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell Watts, David L. Hall, Cornel Comsa, Marcelo Candeo, Dennis Carl Hansen
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Patent number: 8245527Abstract: An ice making device may include an ice tray, a drive mechanism for moving the ice tray to a water-supply position and to an ice making position, a guide plate formed with a guide groove for guiding the ice tray to the water-supply position and to the ice making position, an engaging projection provided on the ice tray and engaged with the guide groove, a crank which is formed with a drive groove with which the engaging projection is engaged and which is connected with the drive mechanism for moving the ice tray, a heater which is mounted on the ice tray, and a connecting wire which is connected to the heater. The engaging projection is an engaging tube and is structured of two engaging tube pieces which are divided by a plane in an axial direction, and the connecting wire is drawn out by passing through an inner side of the engaging tube.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2009Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell E. Watts, Hiroki Kuratani
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Patent number: 8181477Abstract: An ice making device may include an ice tray, a drive mechanism for moving the ice tray to a water-supply position and to an ice making position, two guide plates each of which is formed with a guide groove for guiding the ice tray to the water-supply position and to the ice making position, two engaging projections provided on the ice tray and each of which is engaged with the guide groove, and two cranks each of which is formed with a drive groove with which the engaging projection is engaged and is connected with the drive mechanism to be turned for moving the ice tray. The water-supply position is located at a position separated from the ice making position in a lateral direction, and the two engaging projections are provided on the ice tray so that their axial direction are substantially coincided with each other, and a gravity center position of the ice tray is located on a lower side of the two engaging projections.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2009Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell E. Watts, Hiroki Kuratani
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Publication number: 20100218540Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration appliance including a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above zero degrees Centigrade. A freezer compartment is disposed at an elevation vertically below the fresh food compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below zero degrees Centigrade. The refrigeration appliance also includes one or more of a hand-removable insulated cover, a cool air duct for introducing cooled air adjacent an ice bin, and a rearward-sloped catch pan positioned to catch dripping water in said ice maker and direct the dripping water into a drain.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventors: Thomas W. McCollough, David R. Ducharme, Xiaoyong Fu, Dennis Schenk
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Publication number: 20100218520Abstract: Provided is an ice maker including a mold with two or more cavities for receiving water to be frozen into ice pieces. A bracket defines a track establishing a range of travel of the mold during an ice making cycle and a removable pin projects outwardly from the mold, extending into the track defined by the bracket to support the mold within the ice maker. The mold can be provided with a partition separating the cavities, the partition including an aperture for establishing a substantially-even water level in the cavities below the partitions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventors: Thomas W. McCollough, Russell Watts, David R. Ducharme, Gerald Maxie
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Publication number: 20100218526Abstract: Provided is refrigeration appliance that includes a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment. The refrigeration appliance also includes at least one door restricting access into at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment. A heated mullion including a substantially-planar, externally-exposed surface is provided to cooperate with a seal provided to the door. An ice chute extends at least partially through the door for dispensing ice through the door. The ice chute includes a fastener for coupling the ice chute to a door liner and maintain the position of the ice chute relative to the door liner during installation of an insulating material in the door.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell Watts, Dennis Schenk
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Publication number: 20100218518Abstract: Provided is a method and system for forming ice pieces with an ice maker that includes a mold defining a plurality of cavities for receiving water to be frozen into ice pieces. A processor controls delivery of a refrigerant to freeze water received in the plurality of cavities into ice pieces. A freeze signal transmitted by a temperature sensor embedded within the mold is received by the processor, the freeze signal indicating that a temperature of a portion of the mold adjacent to the temperature sensor has reached a freeze temperature where the water in at least one of the cavities has achieved a frozen state to initiate harvesting of the frozen ice pieces. Defrosting a system evaporator can also be coordinated with operation of the ice maker.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell Watts, David L. Hall, Cornel Comsa, Marcelo Candeo, Dennis Carl Hansen
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Publication number: 20100218543Abstract: Provided is a refrigeration appliance that includes a cabinet defining a compartment for storing food items in a temperature-controlled environment. A refrigeration system is operable to provide a cooling effect to an interior of the compartment, and an ice maker is disposed within the compartment for freezing water delivered from a water source into ice pieces. A nozzle is provided in fluid communication with the ice maker for introducing the water from the water source to the ice maker. The nozzle includes an interior passage through which water is to travel when being delivered to the ice maker, and an outlet through which water being delivered to the ice maker exits the nozzle. An inside diameter of the outlet is greater than an inside diameter at another location of the interior passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS, INC.Inventor: David R. Ducharme
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Publication number: 20100205996Abstract: An ice making device may include an ice tray, a drive mechanism for moving the ice tray to a water-supply position and to an ice making position, a guide plate formed with a guide groove for guiding the ice tray to the water-supply position and to the ice making position, an engaging projection provided on the ice tray and engaged with the guide groove, a crank which is formed with a drive groove with which the engaging projection is engaged and which is connected with the drive mechanism for moving the ice tray, a heater which is mounted on the ice tray, and a connecting wire which is connected to the heater. The engaging projection is an engaging tube and is structured of two engaging tube pieces which are divided by a plane in an axial direction, and the connecting wire is drawn out by passing through an inner side of the engaging tube.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2009Publication date: August 19, 2010Inventors: David R. Ducharme, Russell E. Watts, Hiroki Kuratani