Patents by Inventor Joseph E. Braun

Joseph E. Braun 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: 7874176
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator has a partitioned cabinet with one or more pull-out drawers. The pull-out drawer(s) can have an adjustable divider fence for dividing the storage space of the drawer. The divider fence can have two dividers each defined by two spaced apart elongated rods that are coupled together at a hub and have end pieces with flat surfaces that abut inside surfaces of the drawer walls. A hand operated screw knob mounted to the hub can be used to lock the position of the divider fence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Straszewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn, Andrew J. Doberstein, Ami M. Verhalen, Daniel R. Bullis, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20090133434
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator has a partitioned cabinet with one or more pull-out drawers. The pull-out drawer(s) can have an adjustable divider fence for dividing the storage space of the drawer. The divider fence can have two dividers each defined by two spaced apart elongated rods that are coupled together at a hub and have end pieces with flat surfaces that abut inside surfaces of the drawer walls. A hand operated screw knob mounted to the hub can be used to lock the position of the divider fence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Straszewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn, Andrew J. Doberstein, Ami M. Verhalen, Daniel R. Bullis, JR.
  • Patent number: 7429091
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit with improved storage and accessibility features has a thermally insulated cabinet and door defining a storage space with a plurality of support elements. The support elements include easily removable door shelves and horizontal cabinet shelves that can be removed or repositioned without the door being fully opened due to dished regions adjacent the shelf supports that allow the shelves to be pivoted and removed rather than slid straight out of the cabinet. Indicia on one of the shelves follows the contour of one of the door shelves to indicate approximately the shelf space occupied by an adjacent door shelf and thus where items can be set without interfering with the closure of the door. The refrigeration unit also includes a cam assembly at the lower door hinge which biases the door closed when open approximately 35 degrees or less. The refrigeration unit also includes features for attaching an overlay panel to the door easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Andrew J. Doberstein, Lawrence D. Moye, Jack L. Vaughn, Jeffrey A. Ziminski
  • Patent number: 7296433
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Strazewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn, Andrew J. Doberstein, Ami M. Verhalen, Daniel R. Bullis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7228704
    Abstract: A drawer refrigeration unit provides two distinct zones of cooling in a single cabinet for two pull-out drawers. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. The single evaporator system is aided by a damperless air circulation system to maintain the temperature zones at a temperature differential that is at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The present invention can thus be used as a combination refrigerator and freezer drawer unit using only one evaporator in a cross-ventilated cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Rand, Andrew J. Doberstein, Joseph E. Braun
  • Patent number: 7082783
    Abstract: A drawer refrigerator, including an evaporator, compressor and condenser, has a partitioned cabinet with two vertically stacked pull-out drawers having drawer bins. A single evaporator is located adjacent both drawer cavities and is partitioned to keep the temperature in both drawer bins approximately equal. The pull-out drawers can have a bottle bin with recesses holding the necks of wine, soda or like bottles. The bottle bin slides on the top edges of the drawer bin at its sides and can be moved front to back. The pull-out drawers can have an underside compartment opening at both sides of the drawer containing a removable storage bin. The pull-out drawers can also have an adjustable divider fence with pairs of lateral and transverse divider rods extending between the side walls and between the door panels and the rear walls of the drawer bins. The rods are coupled by a hub having a hand operated screw knob for locking the position of the fence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Strazewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn, Andrew J. Doberstein, Ami M. Verhalen, Daniel R. Bullis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6935712
    Abstract: A refrigeration unit with improved storage and accessibility features has a thermally insulated cabinet and door defining a storage space with a plurality of support elements. The support elements include easily removable door shelves and horizontal cabinet shelves that can be removed or repositioned without the door being fully opened due to dished regions adjacent the shelf supports that allow the shelves to be pivoted and removed rather than slid straight out of the cabinet. Indicia on one of the shelves follows the contour of one of the door shelves to indicate approximately the shelf space occupied by an adjacent door shelf and thus where items can be set without interfering with the closure of the door. The refrigeration unit also includes a cam assembly at the lower door hinge which biases the door closed when open approximately 35 degrees or less. The refrigeration unit also includes features for attaching an overlay panel to the door easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Dean G. Byczynski, Joseph E. Braun, Andrew J. Doberstein, Lawrence D. Moye, Jack L. Vaughn, Jeffrey A. Ziminski
  • Patent number: D500659
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Jeffrey A. Ziminski, Michael J. Nickel, David H. Roland, Brett J. Vladika
  • Patent number: D505140
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Joseph E. Braun, Michael J. Nickel, David H. Roland, Brett J. Vladika
  • Patent number: D506870
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Strazewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Ami M. Verhalen, Richard A. Nelipovich
  • Patent number: D551264
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Jack L. Vaughn, Joseph E. Braun, Thomas W. Rand
  • Patent number: D556793
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn
  • Patent number: D571828
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn, Thomas W. Rand
  • Patent number: D573612
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn
  • Patent number: D573613
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph E. Braun, Jack L. Vaughn
  • Patent number: D573614
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Jack L. Vaughn, Joseph E. Braun, Thomas W. Rand
  • Patent number: D492149
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Strazewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Ami M. Verhalen, Cory R. Boudreau, Daniel R. Bullis, Jr., Richard A. Nelipovich
  • Patent number: D492328
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Philip J. Uihlein, Jennifer U. Strazewski, William A. Reed, Thomas W. Rand, Joseph E. Braun, Cory R. Boudreau, Richard A. Nelipovich, Ami M. Verhalen, Daniel R. Bullis, Jr.
  • Patent number: D583214
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph E. Braun, Andrew J. Doberstein, Jennifer U. Straszewski, Thomas W. Rand
  • Patent number: D495346
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: U-Line Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Reed, Joseph E. Braun, Lawrence D. Moye, Michael J. Nickel, David H. Roland, Brett J. Vladika