Patents by Inventor Robert M. Digman

Robert M. Digman 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: 12539016
    Abstract: A carrier for one or more straws of an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. The carrier and/or rack may be in fluid communication with one or more spray elements when in a stowed position within a dishwasher tub. The one or more carriers may route fluid from the one or more spray elements to wash an interior and/or an exterior of at least one straw. The carrier may include one or more bridges projecting inwardly towards the one or more straws defining one or more pathways for received fluid. The body of the carrier may include one or more adjustable portions. The carrier may be adjustable to engage one or more straws of varying lengths/diameters. The carrier may include one or more fixed portions. The carrier may include one or more biasing mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2026
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bassam Fawaz, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12458197
    Abstract: A dishwashing appliance with a filtration assembly capable of removing/shredding/pulverizing large dishwashing debris from recirculated dishwashing fluid is provided. The dishwashing appliance may include a tub, a spray system, a recirculation pump, a drainage pump, and a grinding type filtration assembly in fluid communication with the spray system, the recirculation pump, and the drainage pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Robert M. Digman
  • Publication number: 20250288184
    Abstract: A rack for an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. Deployment of the rack may allow the user to become aware of the presence of the rack within the dish washing appliance. At least one rack is positionable from a stowed position to at least one deployed position. The rack may be deployed or actuated with a door and/or a second rack. The door and/or second rack may carry, force, or actuate the rack to a deployed position. The deployed position of the rack may not be a fully deployed position of the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: Bassam Fawaz, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12342976
    Abstract: A rack for an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. Deployment of the rack may allow the user to become aware of the presence of the rack within the dish washing appliance. At least one rack is positionable from a stowed position to at least one deployed position. The rack may be deployed or actuated with a door and/or a second rack. The door and/or second rack may carry, force, or actuate the rack to a deployed position. The deployed position of the rack may not be a fully deployed position of the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bassam Fawaz, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12329340
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system may be used for rapid washing and/or sanitizing of beverage containers, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages, among other applications. Separate entrance and exit openings may be provided in some instances to minimize employee interaction with unwashed customer beverage containers, and a beverage container may be conveyed from the entrance opening to the exit opening past one or more stations using a holder that is capable of spinning the beverage container when the beverage container is disposed in at least one of the stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Trice, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12329341
    Abstract: A rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly is capable of both rotating and supplying fluid to multiple rack-supported tubular spray elements when the rack is in a washing position that couples the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly to a wall-supported and electrical motor-driven rotatable drive member and a wall-supported fluid port that is physically separated from the rotatable drive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Midea Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12290225
    Abstract: A dishwasher and method for making and/or using the same utilize one or more walking tubular spray elements that may be used to effectively increase the spray coverage area of the tubular spray elements through rotation and/or movement of the walking tubular spray elements in directions other than about the longitudinal axes thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Bassam Fawaz, Mark W. Wilson, Robert M. Digman, Timothy Martin Wetzel
  • Patent number: 12285144
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system may utilize a state machine-based control system and/or beverage container type determination to manage washing and/or sanitizing of beverage containers, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman, Dylan Rowe
  • Patent number: 12279737
    Abstract: A wall mounted dishwasher incorporates storage into an exterior door of the dishwasher to facilitate user access to utensils stored in the dishwasher. The exterior door may be hinged and configured to rotate about a substantially vertical axis, and one or more spray devices and/or one or more fluid collection pans may be integrated into the exterior door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman, Bassam Fawaz, Russell Dietrich
  • Publication number: 20250120563
    Abstract: A dishwasher may utilize wireless power to power an electric device disposed within a wash tub. Such a dishwasher can include: a wash tub including a rack; a spray device disposed in the wash tub; a fluid supply to supply wash fluid to the spray device during a wash cycle that washes a load; a wireless power transmitter external from the wash tub; a wireless power receiver supported by the rack and positioned adjacent to the wireless transmitter when the rack is in a washing position; and a wirelessly powered electrical device supported by the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2023
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Inventors: Robert M. Digman, Alexi Blaise Poth
  • Patent number: 12274409
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system may utilize a through opening air knife to direct a flow of pressurized fluid through an opening in a concentric housing member of a beverage container washing system and onto a beverage container disposed within a wash chamber thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12268347
    Abstract: A dishwasher and method for operating the same utilize a diverter valve to control via rotation the flow of fluid such as wash fluid or pressurized air to a rotatable conduit supported in the rack of a dishwasher. A valve member may be disposed at a predetermined rotational position about an axis of rotation of the conduit such that a fluid inlet on a rotatable valve body may be rotated to the predetermined rotational position to restrict fluid flow to the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Robert M. Digman, Joel Boyer
  • Patent number: 12268346
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages, may include a lighting system with a plurality of lights disposed on a housing of the beverage container washing system and configured to be illuminated with various types of animations to convey different types of information to a customer and/or retail establishment employee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman, Dylan Rowe
  • Patent number: 12251066
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes in part a controllably-movable sprayer and a controller coupled to the controllably-movable sprayer and configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more utensils disposed in a wash tub during a wash cycle. The controller is also configured to control the controllably-movable sprayer to spray fluid onto one or more walls of the wash tub by controllably-redirecting the controllably-movable sprayer to reorient one or more apertures of the sprayer away from the one or more utensils and towards the one or more walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman, Russell Dietrich, Bassam Fawaz
  • Patent number: 12239272
    Abstract: A single cavity dishwashing appliance with one or more drawers is disclosed. The drawer may be moveable between a closed position and an open position. A drip shield may be provided to prevent washing fluid from dripping onto the floor or onto the inner components of the dishwashing appliance when the drawer is in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Robert M. Digman, Eric Scalf, Bassam Fawaz, Joel Boyer, Russell Dietrich
  • Publication number: 20250040781
    Abstract: A carrier for one or more straws of an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. The carrier and/or rack may be in fluid communication with one or more spray elements when in a stowed position within a dishwasher tub. The one or more carriers may route fluid from the one or more spray elements to wash an interior and/or an exterior of at least one straw. The body of the carrier may include one or more adjustable portions. The carrier may be adjustable to engage one or more straws of varying lengths/diameters. The carrier may include one or more fixed portions. The carrier may include one or more biasing mechanisms. The carrier may include one or more members having one or more tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventors: Bassam Fawaz, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12193625
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system may be used for rapid washing and/or sanitizing of beverage containers, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages, among other applications. The beverage container washing system may include a pop-up ultraviolet sanitizer that may be used to sanitize an interior of a beverage container by extending into an opening of the beverage container and emitting ultraviolet light onto an interior surface of the beverage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman
  • Patent number: 12193626
    Abstract: A beverage container washing system may utilize an auto-opening holder to laterally separate opposing grippers from one another when a housing is configured in a loading or unloading configuration to facilitate insertion and/or removal of a beverage container into or from the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Robert M. Digman
  • Publication number: 20250000327
    Abstract: A rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly is capable of both rotating and supplying fluid to multiple rack-supported tubular spray elements when the rack is in a washing position that couples the rack-mounted tubular spray element assembly to a wall-supported and electrical motor-driven rotatable drive member and a wall-supported fluid port that is physically separated from the rotatable drive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Joel Boyer, Robert M. Digman
  • Publication number: 20240398206
    Abstract: A carrier for one or more straws of an appliance such as a dish washing appliance. The carrier and/or rack may be in fluid communication with one or more spray elements when in a stowed position within a dishwasher tub. The one or more carriers may route fluid from the one or more spray elements to wash an interior and/or an exterior of at least one straw. The carrier may include one or more bridges projecting inwardly towards the one or more straws defining one or more pathways for received fluid. The body of the carrier may include a lid and/or latch. The carrier may be adjustable to engage one or more straws of varying lengths. The carrier may include an adjustable end and a fixed end. The carrier may include a biasing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Bassam Fawaz, Robert M. Digman