Patents by Inventor Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation 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).

  • Publication number: 20130180978
    Abstract: A method of controlling a cooking appliance is disclosed which includes receiving an input corresponding to a staged cooking function, retrieving a preselected parameter set from a data library, the preselected parameter set defining the staged cooking function and including a first heating element behavior parameter and a first temperature parameter, selecting a first heating element behavior from a control library based upon the first heating element behavior parameter, and operating one or more heating elements according to the first heating element behavior and the first temperature parameter. An oven and a tangible, machine-readable medium are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130174352
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance and method for dispensing treating chemistry, where the laundry treating appliance includes a treating chamber, a single use dispenser and a bulk dispenser. Water may be supplied to the single use dispenser through a first water flow path, which directs a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the single use dispenser into the treating chamber. Water may be supplied to the bulk dispenser through a second water flow path, which is configured to spray a dose of treating chemistry dispensed from the bulk dispenser into the treating chamber. The laundry treating appliance may determine the presence of treating chemistry within at least one of the single use dispenser and the bulk dispenser, and, based on this determination, supply water to the flow path associated with the dispenser which contains treating chemistry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130174353
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance having a motor to rotate a drum about the horizontal axis of rotation and an axial drive mechanism to reciprocate the drum relative to the horizontal axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130160799
    Abstract: A method of operating a dishwasher having multiple wash chambers, with each wash chamber executing a different cycle of operation, and liquid from one chamber may be reused in the other chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130160498
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance for treating a laundry load according to at least one cycle of operation including a rotatable drum at least partially defining a treating chamber in which a laundry load is received for treatment, a motor rotatably driving the drum in response to a motor control signal, and a controller outputting a motor control signal to rotate the drum according to a speed profile having at least a constant speed phase, where the drum is rotated at a constant speed, and an acceleration phase, where the drum is accelerated to the constant speed and a method of operating a laundry treating appliance to determine an inertia of the laundry load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130160221
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance may have a rotatable drum defining a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load, a motor rotatably driving the drum, and a controller controlling the operation of the motor. The laundry treating appliance may be operated by accelerating the drum with the motor toward a final speed greater than a satellizing speed, determining a mass value indicative of the mass of the rotating drum and contents within the treating chamber during the accelerating, determining a current rotational speed during the acceleration, calculating a force value indicative of a force acting on the drum based on the determined mass value and the current rotational speed, comparing the force value to a reference force value, and repeating the determining, calculating, and comparing during the acceleration, and ceasing the accelerating when the force value obtains a predetermined relationship with the reference force value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130162129
    Abstract: A partition is adapted for separating a cooktop placed on a cabinet, from an inner compartment of said cabinet, said compartment being delimited by side walls, a bottom and by a rear wall. The compartment being independently opened and upwardly presenting the cooktop and adapted to contain objects placed in a drawer or shelves fixed to the side walls. The partition which comprises at least two portions, movable relative to each other in a direction orthogonal to the side walls of the cabinet adapted to be fixed to said walls, said portions being relatively coupled in a position which is according to the distance of said side walls and such as to completely divide the cooktop from the below compartment of the cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130160500
    Abstract: A household cleaning appliance configured to execute a cleaning cycle on an article, the appliance including a cabinet defining an interior, a treating chamber located within the interior for receiving the article for cleaning, a dispensing system having a dispensing cup fluidly coupled to the treating chamber, and a bulk dispensing cartridge configured to hold multiple treating chemistry doses for respective ones of multiple cleaning cycles, wherein the dispensing cup is configured to selectively hold the bulk dispensing cartridge, or a single treating chemistry dose for a single cleaning cycle when the bulk dispensing cartridge is not present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130153572
    Abstract: A bowl liner for a mixing bowl of a stand mixer includes a shell and a rim secured an upper end of the shell. The shell is sized to be received in the mixing bowl, and is formed from an elastomeric material. The shell has a mixing chamber defined therein. The rim includes an outer perimeter surface that has a keyed surface section to locate the liner relative to the stand mixer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130153570
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microwave heating apparatus and method of heating a load using microwaves. The microwave heating apparatus comprises a cavity dividable into at least two compartments, a first microwave generator and a first feeding port for feeding a first mode field in a first compartment of the cavity, a second microwave generator and a second feeding port for feeding a second mode field in a second compartment of the cavity. The first mode field and the second mode field provide complementary heating patterns in the cavity when the cavity is undivided. The present disclosure provides the flexibility of heating a load in a large cavity or heating a plurality of loads in smaller compartments of the cavity while still providing even heating in the cavity and in the compartments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130133343
    Abstract: A refrigerator includes a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path. A pump is positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path. A tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere may control suction pressure associated with the pump. The refrigerator reduces frost build up through configuration of the secondary cooling path or performing ice harvesting operations which melt frost. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating hot liquid. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating liquid coolant during a power outage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130135621
    Abstract: The embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for determining at least one characteristic of a physical resource for use in a physical resource consuming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130125939
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes a door with at least a first part and a second part. The first part may be pivotally mounted to the dishwasher. The second part may be configured to be coupled to the first part for cooperative pivoting of the first part and the second part in one mode of operation. The second part may also be configured to move independently of the first part in another mode of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130125315
    Abstract: A method and apparatus according to one embodiment for determining laundry load size in an automatic clothes washer includes supplying water to predetermined water levels higher than a saturate water level and determining the amount of water supplied to reach each predetermined water level from a prior water level, and determining a load size based on the determined amount of water supplied between the current predetermined water level and the prior water level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130125938
    Abstract: A dishwasher includes an open-face tub and a closure element selectively closing the open face of the tub and housing a user interface powered by a rechargeable power supply, such as a battery, operatively coupled to a power charger. In one embodiment, the user interface is not removable from the closure element, and the power charger may be remote from the closure element to selectively provide power to the rechargeable power supply. In another embodiment, the closure element may include a first door and a second door, with each door having an inductive part for formation of an inductive coupling to charge the rechargeable power supply when the doors are in juxtaposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130125937
    Abstract: A dishwasher may include a closure element, such as a door, a user interface on the closure element, and a controller. A data communication link having a first data connector may be coupled to the controller, and a second data connector may be coupled to the user interface. The first and second data connectors may communicatively couple when the closure element is in the closed condition to establish data communication between the controller and the user interface. The communication link may also form a power link to provide power to the user interface across an electrical link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130119909
    Abstract: An off-balance detection method comprises a plurality of off-balance detection schemes that utilize wash basket speed to detect an off-balance load condition at speed ranges that span the entire spin cycle and include speeds corresponding to natural frequencies of a mass comprising a wash tub and a wash basket. The schemes can be used alone or in combination with one or more of the other schemes. The off-balance detection method can further comprise a power limiting method to prevent motor overload when an off-balance condition is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130118327
    Abstract: A food processing dicing method and assembly is disclosed. The food processing dicing assembly may comprise a dicing element having multiple dicing openings through which food may pass, a frame configured to selectively retain the dicing element, and a management tool having multiple projections sized to be received by the dicing openings, the management tool may include at least one coupling element for releasably coupling the management tool to at least one of the dicing element and the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Whirlpool Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130117945
    Abstract: A fabric treatment appliance capable of indicating when a fabric load is sanitized, implementing a sanitizing by modifying a predetermined operation cycle, or implementing a sanitizing cycle after the completion of a predetermined operation cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130118027
    Abstract: A laundry treating appliance and a method for operating the appliance to supply air into a treating chamber through an air inlet and controlling the supplied air by varying the effective area of the air inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION