Patents by Inventor Jeff Smale

Jeff Smale 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: 20080011012
    Abstract: A refrigerator with at least one openable door has a hinge at a pivoting edge of the door allowing the door to open about the pivoting edge. A water dispenser, positioned on the door, has a paddle which is moved horizontally by a user to cause water to be dispensed. The paddle engages a toggle that is attached to the dispenser housing, causing the toggle to rotate into engagement with a microswitch. The microswitch is mounted on a user interface control board which communicates with a power supply electronic control board. The power supply control board operates a water dispenser solenoid valve to cause water to flow to the dispenser when the toggle engages the microswitch. An endcap is secured to an edge of the door adjacent to the pivoting edge. A first conduit extends from the water dispenser to an end within the endcap. A second conduit extends from within the cabinet to an end exterior of the cabinet and within the endcap. An end connector is provided to receive the ends of the first and second conduits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: DIANE MARRET, GUY GARRISON, JILL MOELLER, JOHNNY REVLETT, MARK STEFFENHAGEN, DARYL REUTER, JEFF SMALE
  • Publication number: 20060090498
    Abstract: An appliance cabinet with at least one openable door has a hinge at a pivoting edge of the door to allow the door to open about the pivoting edge. An endcap is secured to an edge of the door adjacent to the pivoting edge. A first conduit extends from an in-door apparatus to an end within the endcap. A second conduit extends from within the cabinet to an end exterior of the cabinet and within the endcap. An end connector is provided to receive the ends of the first and second conduits. The hinge is movable from the pivoting edge of the door to an opposite edge of the door. The second conduit is arranged to exit from either adjacent one corner or adjacent an opposite corner of the cabinet to be adjacent to the pivoting edge. In this arrangement, the two conduits are joinable within the endcap at the end connector to form a continuous conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Diane Marret, Guy Garrison, Jill Moeller, Johnny Revlett, Mark Steffenhagen, Daryl Reuter, Jeff Smale