Patents by Inventor Mark E. Thomas

Mark E. Thomas 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: 11598567
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey A. Wohlgamuth
  • Publication number: 20200393182
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey A. Wohlgamuth
  • Patent number: 10788251
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey A. Wohlgamuth
  • Patent number: 10415865
    Abstract: A refrigerator may include a refrigerator cabinet and at least one compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, an ice maker for making wet ice disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a bucket for storing the ice, the bucket positioned to receive the wet ice from the ice maker, and a drain in the bucket for draining water from the bucket. A method of making ice in a refrigerator includes making ice using an ice maker of the refrigerator, conveying the ice from the ice maker to a bucket having a drain, maintaining the ice in the bucket at a temperature above freezing to allow the ice to melt to water, and draining the water from the bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory Gene Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10378806
    Abstract: An ice maker includes an ice making tray having an array of individual ice cube compartments. The ice making tray having a transverse axis and at least one pivot axle aligned with the transverse axis. The tray defines a median wall extending parallel with the transverse axis and having a uniform height along the length of the wall. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the ice making tray. The oscillating mechanism rotates the tray from a horizontal plane along the longitudinal axis at an angle ? of about 20° to about 40° such that water in the tray cascades over the median wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10352596
    Abstract: An icemaker is mounted remotely from a freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A flow pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. In one aspect, a fan is operatively positioned to move air from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device and a pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold air, such as from a refrigerator compartment, may be used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10174982
    Abstract: An ice making tray has a water basin with a thermally conductive floor and a flexible grid positioned therein to define a plurality of ice making compartments. A motor is coupled to the basin to rotate the basin and grid to an inverted position, and a link is coupled between the motor and drive such that the grid is rotatable out of the basin and is flexed to release ice cubes formed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10161663
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice forming plate and a cooling source thermally engaged to a bottom surface of the ice forming plate. The cooling source is configured to freeze water coming into contact with a top surface of the ice forming plate. A containment wall surrounds the top surface of the ice forming plate to define an ice tray that is configured to retain water. An electrical drive body is rotatably coupled to the ice tray and is configured to oscillate the ice-forming plate in a rocking cycle about a transverse axis of the ice tray. A median wall divides the ice tray along the transverse axis into a first reservoir and a second reservoir. The rocking cycle causes water to repeatedly move over the median wall to form layers of an ice piece within each reservoir of the ice tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Andrew D. Litch, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10107544
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a fresh food compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a freezer compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet below the fresh food compartment, and first and second French doors operatively connected to the refrigerator cabinet to provide access to the fresh food compartment. There is also a mullion between the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, an air inlet and an air outlet proximate a bottom of the first French door, and an air outlet and an air inlet on a front face of the mullion. When the first French door is in a closed position, the air inlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air outlet on the front face of the mullion and the air outlet proximate the bottom of the first French door aligns with the air inlet on the front face of the mullion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20180274828
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Gregory Gene Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10018384
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment disposed within the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator compartment door for providing access to the refrigerator compartment, an ice maker on the refrigerator compartment door, a thermoelectric cooler associated with the ice maker and operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door, the thermoelectric cooler having a first side and an opposite second side, and a cooling loop operatively connected to the refrigerator compartment door and configured for cooling the thermoelectric cooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Gregory Gene Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20180023873
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17 degrees to about 25 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey A. Wohlgamuth
  • Publication number: 20180010828
    Abstract: An icemaker is mounted remotely from a freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A flow pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. In one aspect, a fan is operatively positioned to move air from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device and a pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold air, such as from a refrigerator compartment, may be used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 9816744
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17° to about 25° degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
  • Patent number: 9791186
    Abstract: An icemaker is mounted remotely from a freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A flow pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. In one aspect, a fan is operatively positioned to move air from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device and a pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold air, such as from a refrigerator compartment, may be used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 9714784
    Abstract: A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment is disclosed. An icemaker is mounted remotely from the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. The icemaker is thermally influenced by the cold side of the thermoelectric device. Air or fluid may be moved from the fresh food compartment across the warm side of the thermoelectric device. Cold air or fluid, such as from the refrigerator compartment, is used to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for cooling the ice mold of the icemaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brain K. Culley, Gregory Gene Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20170074571
    Abstract: An ice maker includes an ice making tray having an array of individual ice cube compartments. The ice making tray having a transverse axis and at least one pivot axle aligned with the transverse axis. The tray defines a median wall extending parallel with the transverse axis and having a uniform height along the length of the wall. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the ice making tray. The oscillating mechanism rotates the tray from a horizontal plane along the longitudinal axis at an angle ? of about 20° to about 40° such that water in the tray cascades over the median wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 9593870
    Abstract: An apparatus that has a housing with an icemaker disposed within the housing is disclosed. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided having a warm side and an opposite cold side. The cold side is thermally coupled to the icemaker. A flow pathway is configured in communication with the warm side of the thermoelectric device. A heat carrier is communicated through the flow pathway. The heat carrier transfers heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device to support operations of the apparatus. The apparatus may be configured as a refrigerator wherein the refrigerator is configured to transfer the heat carrier from the warm side of the thermoelectric device to a compartment of the refrigerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Brian K. Culley, Gregory G. Hortin, Mark E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20170067679
    Abstract: An ice maker assembly includes an ice making apparatus for an appliance with an ice making tray having a water basin formed by a metallic ice forming plate and at least one perimeter sidewall extending upwardly from a top surface of the ice forming plate. The ice making tray also has a grid with at least one dividing wall. The at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall and the top surface of the ice forming plate form at least one ice compartment having an upper surface and a lower surface. An ice body is formed in the at least one ice compartment. Moreover, the at least one perimeter sidewall and the at least one dividing wall form a draft angle with the top surface of the ice forming plate, of about 17° to about 25° degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas, Lindsey Ann Wohlgamuth
  • Patent number: 9581363
    Abstract: An ice maker having an ice tray horizontally suspended within a housing and a drive body rotatably coupled to a transverse axis of the ice tray and configured to oscillate the ice tray about the transverse axis. The cold side of a thermoelectric device is thermally coupled with a bottom surface of the ice tray, and a hot side opposes the cold side. A barrier extends around the periphery of the ice tray within the housing, and separates the housing into a first chamber and a second air chamber. A heat sink is thermally coupled with the hot side of the thermoelectric device and extends into the second air chamber. An intake duct member is coupled with the housing proximate the second air chamber, and is configured to dispense a cold air flow over the heat sink. The barrier restricts the cold air flow from entering the first chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Boarman, Mark E. Thomas