Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Latack

Thomas A. Latack 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: 11668041
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chamber for receiving the at least one item for treatment according to the at least one cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container having an electrically conductive element, a physical alteration element located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and operable to physically alter at least a portion of the electrically conductive element and a sensor for sensing the physical alteration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 11111621
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chamber for receiving the at least one item for treatment according to the at least one cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container having an electrically conductive element, a physical alteration element located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and operable to physically alter at least a portion of the electrically conductive element and a sensor for sensing the physical alteration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 10704183
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate a unit dose container received within the treating chemistry dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. Burger, Thomas A. Latack, Rachel A. Maghas
  • Patent number: 10271708
    Abstract: A household appliance having a treating chamber in which is received an article for treatment, a treating chemistry dispenser configured to receive a unit dose container for the treating chemistry, and a controller for executing at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating the household appliance to physically alter a unit dose container in conjunction with a cycle of operation and sensing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 9970148
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chamber for receiving the at least one item for treatment according to the at least one cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container having an electrically conductive element, a physical alteration element located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and operable to physically alter at least a portion of the electrically conductive element and a sensor for sensing the physical alteration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 9895726
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a food waste recycling bin of a food waste recycling appliance includes maintaining between a lower portion and an upper portion of the food waste recycling bin a temperature differential sufficient such that water vapor is emitted from waste located in the lower portion of the food waste recycling bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Wade Alan Atkinson, Thomas A. Latack, Andrew Roth, Joseph Gregory, Rachel Maghas
  • Publication number: 20180029948
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a food waste recycler including a housing defining an interior with an access opening providing access to the interior, a bin located within the interior and a mixing assembly located within the bin to facilitate the movement of material, such as refuse, according to an automatic cycle of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Wade Alan Atkinson, Thomas A. Latack, Joseph Gregory, Michael A. Weston
  • Publication number: 20180029091
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a food waste recycling bin of a food waste recycling appliance includes maintaining between a lower portion and an upper portion of the food waste recycling bin a temperature differential sufficient such that water vapor is emitted from waste located in the lower portion of the food waste recycling bin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Wade Alan Atkinson, Thomas A. Latack, Andrew Roth, Joseph Gregory, Rachel Maghas
  • Patent number: 9850618
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation includes a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container and having a door moveable between an opened position and a closed position, a piercing mechanism located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and having a piercer that is moveable between a non-piercing position and a piercing position where the piercer is moved to perforate a unit dose container received within the treating chemistry dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas L. Burger, Thomas A. Latack, Rachel A. Maghas
  • Patent number: 9416482
    Abstract: A household appliance having a treating chamber in which is received an article for treatment, a treating chemistry dispenser configured to receive a unit dose container for the treating chemistry, and a controller for executing at least one cycle of operation and a method of operating the household appliance to physically alter a unit dose container in conjunction with a at least one cycle of operation and sensing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 9271627
    Abstract: A household appliance for treating at least one item according to at least one cycle of operation, includes a treating chamber for receiving the at least one item for treatment according to the at least one cycle of operation, a treating chemistry dispenser receiving a unit dose container having an optically sensible element, a physical alteration element located proximate to the treating chemistry dispenser and operable to physically alter at least a portion of the optically sensible element, and a sensor to sense the physical alteration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Alexander, Brian A. Black, Thomas A. Latack, Matthew D. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 8974546
    Abstract: A method for treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber that includes applying a treating chemistry, which may include a treating chemistry that benefits from uniform distribution, on the laundry and drying the laundry after the applying of the treating chemistry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kaustav Ghosh, Thomas A. Latack, Karl D. McAllister, Robert J. Pinkowski, Prithi A. Rao
  • Patent number: 8914989
    Abstract: A clothes dryer and method for forming and supplying a treating chemistry solution to a laundry load located in the treating chamber of the clothes dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kaustav Ghosh, Thomas A. Latack, Robert J. Pinkowski, Brian K. Rogers
  • Patent number: 8881330
    Abstract: A method for treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber that includes applying a treating chemistry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kaustav Ghosh, Thomas A. Latack, Robert J. Pinkowski
  • Patent number: 8844156
    Abstract: A method of operating a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a drying chamber without a liquid drain, an air system, a heating system, a treating chemistry dispensing system, and a controller, where a purge detection routine and purge cycle are executed to purge the treating chemistry from clothes dryer without draining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kaustav Ghosh, Thomas A. Latack, Robert J. Pinkowski
  • Patent number: 8261466
    Abstract: An automatic clothes dryer having separately driven drum and blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas A. Latack, James P. Carow, Christopher A. Jones, William L. Frantz
  • Patent number: 5460018
    Abstract: An automatic washer having an imperforate wash tub, a perforate wash basket disposed within the tub and rotatable about a vertical axis and a bottom plate disposed within the lower portion of the wash basket and mounted for wobbling motion. A motor is selectively interconnected with the basket and bottom plate for rotating the basket and the bottom plate together and for wobbling the bottom plate relative to the wash basket while the basket is held stationary such that the clothes items are agitated within the wash basket. A controlled rotation device is provided for driving the bottom plate in a wobbling motion while rotating the bottom plate, at a reduced rate, within the bottom of the wash basket. In a second embodiment, the wobble plate is supported and constrained to be driven in a wobbling motion while experiencing no rotation within the basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt Werner, R. Bruce Sherer, Gerald L. Kretchman, Dale E. Mueller, James W. Titus, Thomas A. Latack, Mark C. Celmer