Patents by Inventor Kristin Marie Weirich

Kristin Marie Weirich 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: 20170211871
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a sealed system for an appliance. The sealed system includes a compressor operable to generate a flow of compressed refrigerant, an evaporator and a drain trough disposed below the evaporator. A bypass conduit fluidly couples a bypass valve and the evaporator. The bypass valve is configured for selectively directing refrigerant from a condenser around an expansion device to the evaporator. A portion of the bypass conduit is positioned at and connected to the drain trough. A related method for defrosting an evaporator is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Carlos A. Herrera, Kristin Marie Weirich, Eric Gregory Tauzer
  • Publication number: 20160161167
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall, a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening, a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment including a second wall having an opening, a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanging plate. A sealed refrigeration system contains a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger and has one or more segments attached to the heat exchanging plate. A fan is configured to force air over the heat exchanging plate and into the interior of the sub-compartment. A thermistor is coupled to the heat exchanging plate for monitoring a temperature of the heat exchanging plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Martin Christopher Severance, Russell J. Fallon, Eric Paez, Robert Thomas Mills, Ratnakar Sahasradbudhe, Joseph Thomas Waugh, Kristin Marie Weirich
  • Patent number: 9175893
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall, a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening, a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment comprising a second wall having an opening, a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening, and a refrigeration system having a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger, where the heat exchanger further includes one or more segments of the refrigeration system attached to a heat exchanging plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Stephanos Kyriacou, Kristin Marie Weirich, Umakant Suresh Katu, Alan Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 8984902
    Abstract: A cooling system for an appliance includes an evaporator stage, a compressor stage coupled to the evaporator stage and a condenser stage coupled to the compressor stage. The condenser stage includes a condenser and a condenser cooling fan for cooling the condenser, and a condenser loop coupled between the condenser stage and the evaporator stage. A humidity sensor is configured to detect a humidity level in an area of the cooling system and a controller is configured to cycle an operating state of the condenser cooling fan from ON to a low speed or OFF prior to an end of a cooling cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Eric Paez, Joseph Thomas Waugh, Kristin Marie Weirich
  • Publication number: 20120167611
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a compartment defined by a liner, with a door configured to provide access into the compartment. A sub-compartment is mounted in the door and extends into the compartment in the closed position of the door. A cold plate assembly is operably configured within the liner to supply cold air to the sub-compartment. A raised embossment is defined in a compartment side wall of the liner at a location opposite from the cold plate assembly. The embossment is defined by a circumferentially extending ridge and a front face that extends into the compartment in a plane that is spaced from a plane of the compartment side wall. A receiver is configured in a wall of the sub-compartment and seals around the embossment in a closed position of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristin Marie Weirich, Robert Thomas Mills, Craig Robert Vitan, Ratnakar Sahasrabudhe
  • Publication number: 20120017612
    Abstract: A cooling system for an appliance includes an evaporator stage, a compressor stage coupled to the evaporator stage and a condenser stage coupled to the compressor stage. The condenser stage includes a condenser and a condenser cooling fan for cooling the condenser, and a condenser loop coupled between the condenser stage and the evaporator stage. A humidity sensor is configured to detect a humidity level in an area of the cooling system and a controller is configured to cycle an operating state of the condenser cooling fan from ON to a low speed or OFF prior to an end of a cooling cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Brent Alden Junge, Eric Paez, Joseph Thomas Waugh, Kristin Marie Weirich
  • Publication number: 20100326096
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall, a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening, a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment including a second wall having an opening, a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening. The heat exchanger includes a heat exchanging plate. A sealed refrigeration system contains a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger and has one or more segments attached to the heat exchanging plate. A fan is configured to force air over the heat exchanging plate and into the interior of the sub-compartment. A thermistor is coupled to the heat exchanging plate for monitoring a temperature of the heat exchanging plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Brent Alden JUNGE, Martin Christopher SEVERANCE, Russell J. FALLON, Eric PAEZ, Robert Thomas MILLS, Ratnakar SAHASRADBUDHE, Joseph Thomas WAUGH, Kristin Marie WEIRICH
  • Publication number: 20100242526
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a main body defining a compartment, the compartment having an access opening and a first wall, a door supported by the main body for selectively closing at least part of the access opening, a sub-compartment on the door, the sub-compartment comprising a second wall having an opening, a heat exchanger supported by the first wall and positioned so that when the door is closed the heat exchanger is exposed to an interior of the sub-compartment through the opening, and a refrigeration system having a working medium for cooling the heat exchanger, where the heat exchanger further includes one or more segments of the refrigeration system attached to a heat exchanging plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Brent Alden JUNGE, Stephanos Kyriacou, Kristin Marie Weirich, Umakant Suresh Katu, Alan Joseph Mitchell