Patents by Inventor William D. Chatelle

William D. Chatelle 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).

  • Hybrid ice maker
    Patent number: 12422178
    Abstract: An ice making device provides an ice tray and a frame to hold the ice tray. The frame has a proximal end with a motor and a distal end with a circular opening. An insert positioned in the circular opening with a projection provides a vibrating motion to dislodge ice cubes from the ice tray. An ice tray includes an integrated heating circuit for sensing capacitance and releasing frozen ice cubes. An ice tray also includes a raised flange to prevent water from splashing out of the ice tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2025
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, Juan J. Barrena, William D. Chatelle
  • HYBRID ICE MAKER
    Publication number: 20230349616
    Abstract: An ice making device provides an ice tray and a frame to hold the ice tray. The frame has a proximal end with a motor and a distal end with a circular opening. An insert positioned in the circular opening with a projection provides a vibrating motion to dislodge ice cubes from the ice tray. An ice tray includes an integrated heating circuit for sensing capacitance and releasing frozen ice cubes. An ice tray also includes a raised flange to prevent water from splashing out of the ice tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Eric K. LARSON, Juan J. BARRENA, William D. CHATELLE
  • Hybrid ice maker
    Patent number: 11725861
    Abstract: An ice making device provides an ice tray and a frame to hold the ice tray. The frame has a proximal end with a motor and a distal end with a circular opening. An insert positioned in the circular opening with a projection provides a vibrating motion to dislodge ice cubes from the ice tray. An ice tray includes an integrated heating circuit for sensing capacitance and releasing frozen ice cubes. An ice tray also includes a raised flange to prevent water from splashing out of the ice tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, Juan J. Barrena, William D. Chatelle
  • Smart ice machine with separately fabricated cups for the ice tray
    Patent number: 11598568
    Abstract: An ice-tray for ice-making machines is formed by modular fabricated cups that can assembled together within a frame to create an ice-tray of arbitrary dimensions allowing a sharing of components among a variety of ice-tray sizes. Individual cups may include ice formation sensors or heaters or may be heated by an induction heating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, William D. Chatelle, Juan Barrena, Mark Edward Brewer, Dharman B. Kothari, Jarod Sulik
  • Icemaker with thermoformed ice tray providing heating and phase change sensing
    Patent number: 11435126
    Abstract: An icemaker employs a thermoformed ice tray that may have preprinted conductors providing for heating elements in capacitive sensing. Capacitive sensing may be used to control a water fill level and/or to detect complete freezing of the ice cubes and/or to detect complete ejection of the ice cubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, William D. Chatelle, Juan J. Barrena
  • Harness free ice maker system
    Patent number: 11268745
    Abstract: An ice maker is provided that may include cooperating primary and secondary coils arranged on opposite sides of a freezer cabinet wall for wirelessly transmitting electrical power through the freezer cabinet wall to energize various ice maker components. During the wireless electrical power transmission, a data/control signal may be superimposed on the electrical power waveform to allow wireless transmission of the control signal, which can be processed by a logic circuitry for implementing component control methodologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, William D. Chatelle, Juan J. Barrena, Jason A. Dides
  • Flexing tray ice-maker with AC drive
    Patent number: 11125484
    Abstract: An ice-maker provides a reversible AC motor whose direction is changed at a first and second stop positioning the tray in a filling position and an ice cubes discharging position, respectively. A bail arm may introduce an additional stop preventing discharge of ice when an ice bin is full. User controls may allow the user to set a water fill time based on local water pressure conditions. An ice tray incorporating an ice sensor may releasably connect to the ice-making machine for ready replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: William D. Chatelle, Juan Barrena
  • HYBRID ICE MAKER
    Publication number: 20210222936
    Abstract: An ice making device provides an ice tray and a frame to hold the ice tray. The frame has a proximal end with a motor and a distal end with a circular opening. An insert positioned in the circular opening with a projection provides a vibrating motion to dislodge ice cubes from the ice tray. An ice tray includes an integrated heating circuit for sensing capacitance and releasing frozen ice cubes. An ice tray also includes a raised flange to prevent water from splashing out of the ice tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, Juan J. Barrena, William D. Chatelle
  • Appliance lock with voltage encoded wiring
    Patent number: 10597904
    Abstract: A lock system for an appliance providing multiple detection switches for lid closure and lid locking encodes the switch states as different voltages on a single signal line to reduce wiring harness costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. Hintz, Michael S. Osvatic, Jason L. Berry, William D. Chatelle
  • Icemaker with Thermoformed Ice Tray Providing Heating and Phase Change Sensing
    Publication number: 20200064043
    Abstract: An icemaker employs a thermoformed ice tray that may have preprinted conductors providing for heating elements in capacitive sensing. Capacitive sensing may be used to control a water fill level and/or to detect complete freezing of the ice cubes and/or to detect complete ejection of the ice cubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Eric K. Larson, William D. Chatelle, Juan J. Barrena
  • FLEXING TRAY ICE-MAKER WITH AC DRIVE
    Publication number: 20190041112
    Abstract: An ice-maker provides a reversible AC motor whose direction is changed at a first and second stop positioning the tray in a filling position and an ice cubes discharging position, respectively. A bail ami may introduce an additional stop preventing discharge of ice when an ice bin is full. User controls may allow the user to set a water fill time based on local water pressure conditions. An ice tray incorporating an ice sensor may releasably connect to the ice-making machine for ready replacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: WILLIAM D. CHATELLE, JUAN BARRENA
  • Smart Ice Machine
    Publication number: 20190011167
    Abstract: An ice-tray for ice-making machines is formed by modular fabricated cups that can assembled together within a frame to create an ice-tray of arbitrary dimensions allowing a sharing of components among a variety of ice-tray sizes. Individual cups may include ice formation sensors or heaters or may be heated by an induction heating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: ERIC K. LARSON, WILLIAM D. CHATELLE, JUAN BARRENA, Mark Edward Brewer, Dharman B. Kothari, Jarod Sulik
  • Control mechanism for washing machine drive with acceleration sensing
    Patent number: 9506180
    Abstract: A transmission controller for an automatic washing machine incorporates an accelerometer to provide for sophisticated out-of-balance detection. Speed sensing and water moisture sensing may optionally be also incorporated into the transmission controller, the former providing a more sophisticated out-of-balance detection and the latter permitting overflow detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew C. Webster, William D. Chatelle, Mark A. Romo
  • APPLIANCE LOCK WITH VOLTAGE ENCODED WIRING
    Publication number: 20150361690
    Abstract: A lock system for an appliance providing multiple detection switches for lid closure and lid locking encodes the switch states as different voltages on a single signal line to reduce wiring harness costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Michael K. HINTZ, Michael S. OSVATIC, Jason L. BERRY, William D. CHATELLE
  • CONTROL MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINE DRIVE WITH ACCELERATION SENSING
    Publication number: 20150191859
    Abstract: A transmission controller for an automatic washing machine incorporates an accelerometer to provide for sophisticated out-of-balance detection. Speed sensing and water moisture sensing may optionally be also incorporated into the transmission controller, the former providing a more sophisticated out-of-balance detection and the latter permitting overflow detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 9, 2015
    Inventors: Matthew C. Webster, William D. Chatelle, Mark A. Romo