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).
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Patent number: 11768029Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 20, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
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Patent number: 11320188Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 20, 2018Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Amit A. Avhale, Taylor Clark, Benjamin G. Jimenez, E. Calvin Pickles, Richard Spletzer, David Walter, Yan Zhang
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Publication number: 20220042737Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E.C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
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Patent number: 11162731Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 7, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Whirlpool CorportationInventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
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Publication number: 20210262718Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2020Publication date: August 26, 2021Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: 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
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Patent number: 10914500Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 4, 2018Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: 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
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Publication number: 20200284500Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2019Publication date: September 10, 2020Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Jose R. Aranda, Alexa N. Brown, Jackson Felipe Karl, Dakota E. Kosek, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, E. C. Pickles, Antonio Sanchez, Richard A. Spletzer
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Patent number: 10739053Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Whirlpool CorporationInventors: Benjamin G. Jimenez, Anuj Sharma, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Darci Cavali, Ayodhya Ram, Richard A. Spletzer, Mahalingappa Mulimani, Rogerio Rodrigues, Jr.
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Publication number: 20190204002Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2018Publication date: July 4, 2019Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Amit A. Avhale, Taylor Clark, Benjamin G. Jimenez, E. Calvin Pickles, Richard Spletzer, David Walter, Yan Zhang
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Publication number: 20190145684Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2018Publication date: May 16, 2019Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: 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
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Publication number: 20190145683Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2017Publication date: May 16, 2019Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATIONInventors: Benjamin G. Jimenez, Anuj Sharma, Rishikesh Vinayak Kulkarni, Darci Cavali, Ayodhya Ram, Richard A. Spletzer, Mahalingappa Mulimani, Rogerio Rodrigues, Jr.