Patents by Inventor Richard A. Spletzer

Richard A. Spletzer 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: 11768029
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes an icemaker that is selectively closeable by a door. An outer gasket is positioned about an edge of the door and a sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door inside the outer gasket. A plurality of protrusions extend from a rim of the icemaker. A liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the rim. A first gasket and a second gasket are positioned between the rim and the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
  • Patent number: 11320188
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an outer wrapper, a fresh food compartment defined by a liner within the wrapper and separated from an interior of the outer wrapper at least along a first side wall of the fresh food compartment to define a void, and a door at least partially enclosing an opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position. A door compartment is positioned along the door. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment and a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the door compartment a second end thereof. The duct has a first portion that extends laterally from the first end along a portion of the evaporator compartment and a second portion extending through the void along the first side wall of the fresh food compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Amit A. Avhale, Taylor Clark, Benjamin G. Jimenez, E. Calvin Pickles, Richard Spletzer, David Walter, Yan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220042737
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance includes an icemaker that is selectively closeable by a door. An outer gasket is positioned about an edge of the door and a sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door inside the outer gasket. A plurality of protrusions extend from a rim of the icemaker. A liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the rim. A first gasket and a second gasket are positioned between the box and the liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E.C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
  • Patent number: 11162731
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerator appliance is provided. The icemaker includes an icemaker box selectively closeable by a door. An outer gasket is positioned about an inner edge of the door. A sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door. A plurality of protrusions extend from a box rim of the icemaker box. A liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the box rim. A first gasket and a second gasket are positioned between the box rim and the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corportation
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
  • Publication number: 20210262718
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a cabinet structure having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. An evaporator is positioned in the freezer compartment within an evaporator housing. A door is pivotally coupled to the cabinet structure for selectively providing access to the refrigerator compartment and includes an ice maker. A duct assembly includes an ice maker feed duct operably coupled to the evaporator housing at a first end, and further coupled to the ice maker at a second end. The duct assembly further includes an ice maker return duct operably coupled to the ice maker at a first end and further coupled to the evaporator housing at a second end. First and second fans are provided in-series, wherein the first fan provides cooled air to the freezer compartment, and the second fan provides cooled air from the first fan to the ice maker during an ice making cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel W. Burlingham, Chao-Yi Chen, Milind Devle, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Mahalingappa Mulimani, E. C. Pickles, Richard A. Spletzer, Yan Zhang, Benjamin G. Jimenez, Vishal S. Marathe
  • Patent number: 10914500
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerated appliance is provided. The icemaker includes an ice tray having a plurality of ice-forming compartments and a duct for directing chilled air operably coupled with a diverter. The diverter includes a base having first and second sides and defining a plurality of variously sized slots. A centerline of the base is aligned with a centerline of the ice tray. At least one spacing portion extends between two of the plurality of variously sized slots. A plurality of fins extend away from a top surface of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Darci Cavali, Chao-Yi Chen, Milind Devle, Dewei Guan, Benjamin G. Jimenez, Varun Deepak Kotecha, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Mahalingappa Mulimani, N S Ayodhya Ram, Rogerio Rodrigues, Jr., Anuj Sharma, Richard A. Spletzer, Shailesh Wani
  • Publication number: 20200284500
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerator appliance is provided. The icemaker includes an icemaker box selectively closeable by a door. An outer gasket is positioned about an inner edge of the door. A sealing gasket is positioned around a center portion of the door. A plurality of protrusions extend from a box rim of the icemaker box. A liner is aligned with and spaced apart from the box rim. A first gasket and a second gasket are positioned between the box rim and the liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
  • Patent number: 10739053
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerated appliance is provided herein. The icemaker includes an ice tray having a plurality of ice-forming compartments. Each of the ice-forming compartments includes sidewalls and a base that defines an internal freezing chamber. A duct system has upper and lower baffles. The upper baffle directs chilled air above the ice tray and the lower baffle directs chilled air below the ice tray. A deflector is operably coupled with the upper baffle. The deflector has a transition portion offset from a body portion. A diverter is disposed between the deflector and the ice tray. The diverter defines a plurality of variously sized slots therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin G. Jimenez, Anuj Sharma, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Darci Cavali, Ayodhya Ram, Richard A. Spletzer, Mahalingappa Mulimani, Rogerio Rodrigues, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190204002
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes an outer wrapper, a fresh food compartment defined by a liner within the wrapper and separated from an interior of the outer wrapper at least along a first side wall of the fresh food compartment to define a void, and a door at least partially enclosing an opening to the fresh food compartment when in a closed position. A door compartment is positioned along the door. The refrigerator further includes an evaporator compartment positioned at least partially within the fresh food compartment and a duct in fluid communication with the evaporator compartment at a first end thereof and in communication with the door compartment a second end thereof. The duct has a first portion that extends laterally from the first end along a portion of the evaporator compartment and a second portion extending through the void along the first side wall of the fresh food compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amit A. Avhale, Taylor Clark, Benjamin G. Jimenez, E. Calvin Pickles, Richard Spletzer, David Walter, Yan Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190145684
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerated appliance is provided. The icemaker includes an ice tray having a plurality of ice-forming compartments and a duct for directing chilled air operably coupled with a diverter. The diverter includes a base having first and second sides and defining a plurality of variously sized slots. A centerline of the base is aligned with a centerline of the ice tray. At least one spacing portion extends between two of the plurality of variously sized slots. A plurality of fins extend away from a top surface of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jose R. Aranda, Darci Cavali, Chao-Yi Chen, Milind Devle, Dewei Guan, Benjamin G. Jimenez, Varun Deepak Kotecha, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Mahalingappa Mulimani, N S Ayodhya Ram, Rogerio Rodrigues, JR., Anuj Sharma, Richard A. Spletzer, Shailesh Wani
  • Publication number: 20190145683
    Abstract: An icemaker for a refrigerated appliance is provided herein. The icemaker includes an ice tray having a plurality of ice-forming compartments. Each of the ice-forming compartments includes sidewalls and a base that defines an internal freezing chamber. A duct system has upper and lower baffles. The upper baffle directs chilled air above the ice tray and the lower baffle directs chilled air below the ice tray. A deflector is operably coupled with the upper baffle. The deflector has a transition portion offset from a body portion. A diverter is disposed between the deflector and the ice tray. The diverter defines a plurality of variously sized slots therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Benjamin G. Jimenez, Anuj Sharma, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Darci Cavali, Ayodhya Ram, Richard A. Spletzer, Mahalingappa Mulimani, Rogerio Rodrigues, Jr.