| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 5813741 |
Adjustable shelf for a refrigerator |
September 29, 1998 |
| The present invention is directed toward a shelf support assembly having a pair of lateral support brackets removably mounted in a refrigerator, a support member interconnecting the lateral support brackets, and a central support bracket attached to the support member. A cross brace |
| 5813245 |
Pressure relief circuit for refrigerator contained water filter |
September 29, 1998 |
| A refrigerator having a water filtration and dispensing system including a first control valve for unfiltered water, a household water supply line for fluidly connecting the first control valve to a source of household water, a water filter assembly disposed within a refrigeration co |
| 5813085 |
Motor isolation gasket for central vacuum |
September 29, 1998 |
| A central-vacuum power unit is provided having a molded rubber gasket which seals and vibrationally isolates a vacuum motor. The power unit includes a canister forming a hollow interior and a plate dividing the hollow interior into first and second chambers. The vacuum motor is located |
| 5809808 |
Clutch bearing for clothes washer transmission |
September 22, 1998 |
| A transmission for a washing machine includes a housing, an agitator shaft rotatably mounted to the housing, and an input shaft rotatably mounted to the housing. A one-way clutch connects the input shaft and the housing which permits relative rotation between the input shaft and the hous |
| 5806942 |
Dishwasher door and decorator panel assembly |
September 15, 1998 |
| Disclosed is a dishwasher door and panel assembly including one or more decorator panels that are retained between two vertical flanges along the front of a dishwasher. The assembly includes a brace member and a trim piece that extend along the bottom periphery of the dishwasher door. Th |
| 5799504 |
Refrigerator system with float valve flow control |
September 1, 1998 |
| A vapor compression refrigeration system having a condenser, a regulating device, and a capillary tube. The regulating device has a housing defining an inner chamber for receiving refrigerant from the condenser. A float is disposed within the chamber and includes a resilient surface. An |
| 5797164 |
Dovetail refrigerator door handle lock |
August 25, 1998 |
| An improved handle assembly for a refrigerator door including a mounting button secured to a face of the refrigerator door, a mounting block secured to a first or lower end of a door handle, and a mounting bracket integrally formed with a second or top end of the door handle. The mou |
| 5784896 |
Freezer or refrigerator construction suitable for food service use |
July 28, 1998 |
| A refrigeration unit for storing items to be refrigerated. The refrigeration unit includes an insulated enclosure defining a compartment, and has a top wall, a rear wall, and opposing side walls. An evaporator is disposed within the compartment and is secured to the rear wall. An eva |
| 5784755 |
Wet extractor system |
July 28, 1998 |
| An upright wet extractor includes a base assembly, a manipulative handle pivotally attached to the base assembly, and a motor driven agitator brush. A cleaning solution dispensing tank is removably attached to the handle assembly by a pivotable latch member. In a floor cleaning mode, |
| 5774932 |
Vacuum cleaner assembly |
July 7, 1998 |
| An upright vacuum cleaner having a separable handle for compact shipping is disclosed. The separable handle includes a lower handle portion pivotally attached to a floor engaging unit and is joined to an upper handle portion at a parting plane. A dust bag cover is mounted to the lower ha |
| 5774930 |
Vacuum cleaner assembly |
July 7, 1998 |
| An upright vacuum cleaner is provided which includes a sound muffler which, according to one aspect of the invention, may be combined with an accessory selector valve. The vacuum cleaner includes a height adjustment mechanism which eliminates positioning detents along the cam adjustment |
| 5765393 |
Capillary tube incorporated into last pass of condenser |
June 16, 1998 |
| A multipass evaporator for an air conditioner includes a pair of spaced-apart and parallel headers, a plurality of microchannels extending between and connected to the headers, at least one throttling microchannel extending between and connected to the headers, and at least two baffles |
| 5762080 |
Dishwasher cycle pulsing pump out of collection chamber |
June 9, 1998 |
| A washer for washing objects with liquid. The washer includes a wash chamber adapted for holding objects to be washed. The sump has a pump chamber and a collection chamber, both of which are adapted to hold liquid from the wash chamber. A recirculation pump is operable to move liquid |
| 5758676 |
Support-door hinge |
June 2, 1998 |
| A washer having a tub supported by a front frame, a pair of front supports and a rear frame. The tub defines a wash chamber with a front opening. The front frame has a pair of vertical members respectively disposed adjacent to the opposing side walls of the tub toward the front opening. |
| 5755041 |
Infrared temperature sensing for tumble drying control |
May 26, 1998 |
| Disclosed is a dryer device and a drying control system utilizing an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of garments or items being dried in a drying device. The invention provides significant improvement over conventional techniques using temperature sensors, or such sensors i |
| 5752536 |
Locking mechanism for slide-out room cover |
May 19, 1998 |
| A retractable awning for a recreational vehicle slide-out which prevents rain, snow and other debris from collecting on the roof of the slide-out. The awning is provided with an inner edge secured to the adjacent wall of the recreational vehicle immediately above the slide-out roof. The |
| 5752533 |
Jet spray nozzle with third level wash arm |
May 19, 1998 |
| A dishwasher includes a tub, lower and upper racks removably mounted within the tub, a first-level spray arm mounted in the tub above below the lower rack, a second-level spray arm mounted in the tub between the lower and upper racks and having an upwardly extending funnel, and a nozzle |
| 5746070 |
Plastic and stainless steel horizontal axis spin tub |
May 5, 1998 |
| A spin drum for use in a horizontal axis clothes washing machine. The spin drum includes a generally semi-cylindrical side wall composed of stainless steel, first and second plastic end caps and first and second metal trunnions. The side wall has first and second ends with radially c |
| 5741054 |
Structural foam base for a portable dishwasher |
April 21, 1998 |
| A base for a portable washer having a tub supported by a frame with legs. The base is composed of a structural foam and is movably supported by a plurality of casters having upward-projecting pintles. The base defines a plurality of vertical bores and a compartment for holding a mass of |
| 5738492 |
Constant velocity air foil |
April 14, 1998 |
| An air-conditioning unit including a centrifugal blower for centrifugally blowing air having a generally horizontal axis a rotation and a scroll having an elongated discharge plenum above the blower and an air guide about the blower for directing air exiting the blower to the discharge |
| 5737852 |
Dryness control for clothes dryer |
April 14, 1998 |
| A dryness control circuit for a household clothes dryer including a power supply circuit and a moisture sensing circuit. The power supply circuit converts high voltage AC power into low voltage, DC power. The low voltage, DC power is supplied to the moisture sensing circuit. The mois |
| 5737797 |
Central vacuum with acoustical damping |
April 14, 1998 |
| A central vacuum unit having an acoustic damping system is provided. The central vacuum unit includes a canister having a sidewall forming a hollow interior and a lid closing an end of the sidewall, a vacuum motor within the canister which emits noise during operation, at least one cooli |
| 5733108 |
Hermetic refrigeration compressor |
March 31, 1998 |
| A hermetic refrigeration compressor has a tubular casing closed at each end by suitable caps and in which a cylinder block and motor stator are held by a press-fit. The cylinder block carries a crankshaft that is centrally located by a pair of axially-spaced bearings and defining a centr |
| 5732574 |
Washing machine transmission |
March 31, 1998 |
| A transmission including a housing, an agitator shaft rotatably mounted to the housing, an input shaft rotatably mounted to the housing, and an agitation system which back-and-forth agitation of the agitator shaft when the input shaft rotates relative to the housing. The agitation system |
| 5727998 |
Side vent frame for a recreational vehicle |
March 17, 1998 |
| A vent cover assembly for a side vent of a recreational vehicle which includes a frame to be mounted at the vent opening and a vent cover removably retained within the frame. The frame has a planar main wall which forms a rectangular-shaped central opening and rectangularly-shaped an |
| 5720065 |
Direct drive discriminator mechanism |
February 24, 1998 |
| A direct-drive washing machine has a drive system adapted for spinning a spin tub during a spin cycle and oscillating an agitator within the spin tub during an agitation cycle. The drive system includes a mounting plate secured to a splash tub, an electric motor supported by the mounting |
| 5715699 |
Refrigerator water filter |
February 10, 1998 |
| A water filter assembly mounted to an inner surface of a refrigerator and accessible from within a refrigeration compartment of the refrigerator. The filter assembly includes a first housing part, a second housing part, and a replaceable filter cartridge. The first and second housing par |
| 5713221 |
Optical out-of-balance sensor for a washer |
February 3, 1998 |
| A washing machine includes a cabinet, a splash tub located within the cabinet, and a support system resiliently supporting the splash tub relative to the cabinet. A spin tub is located within the splash tub and a drive system spins the spin tub about an axis of rotation during a spin |
| 5711288 |
Cooking range mounted spice rack |
January 27, 1998 |
| A spice rack for a cooking range including a one piece shelf defining an elongated channel for receipt of spice containers. The spice rack includes a front panel and a rear panel, the rear panel having barrier members extending therefrom generally toward the front panel which separate th |
| 5709040 |
Exhaust air particulate contamination sensing for tumbler dryers |
January 20, 1998 |
| A dryer system comprising a particle counter that measures the level of particulates in the dryer is disclosed. The dryer system is particularly adapted for drying garments to be worn in clean room environments. The dryer system preferably comprises an enclosure having a rotatable drum f |
| 5707518 |
Refrigerator water filter |
January 13, 1998 |
| A water filter assembly mounted to an inner surface of a refrigerator and accessible from within a refrigeration compartment of the refrigerator. The filter assembly includes a first housing part, a second housing part, and a replaceable filter cartridge. The first and second housing par |
| 5700329 |
Filter standpipe for dishwasher |
December 23, 1997 |
| Disclosed is a filter standpipe for a dishwasher filter and sump unit that prevents loss of circulation pump prime due to filter blockage. The filter standpipe preferably comprises a weir tube that projects upwards from the upper surface of the filter to provide a bypass for wash water t |
| 5699677 |
Compressor mounted drain pan utilizing polyurethane adhesive |
December 23, 1997 |
| Disclosed is a compressor and drain pan assembly utilizing a polyurethane adhesive to secure the drain pan to the compressor housing. The adhesive has an elasticity sufficient to dampen vibrations from the compressor, thereby significantly minimizing undesirable noise. |
| 5692388 |
Thermostat sensing tube with plastic spiral-cut insulator/protector |
December 2, 1997 |
| A thermostat assembly for a room air-conditioning unit includes a sensing tube and a thermoplastic protective tube extending over the sensing tube. The protective tube has a spiral-shaped gap which allows air flowing over the protective tube to directly contact the sensing tube so that t |
| 5669496 |
Main-top package |
September 23, 1997 |
| A shipping restraint for appliance accessories having first and second ends and a main section intermediate said ends. The first end is received by a door of the appliance. The second end spaces a portion of the main section from the remainder of the main section. The main section includ |
| 5669430 |
Low profile vehicle awning with improved latch |
September 23, 1997 |
| An awning assembly for a recreational vehicle has a pair of pivoting support arms supporting a roller. Rafters are pivotably and slidably mounted to the support arms and maintain the awning in an extended position. In a stowed position, the rafters and support arms are parallel and e |
| 5660195 |
Dishwasher vent system |
August 26, 1997 |
| A passive or dynamic venting system for a frontloading dishwasher is located within the dishwasher door and includes a plate-shaped valve which closes off a valve port in the inner liner or face of the door; the valve is moved by a linear actuator along a path of closing and opening that |
| 5651192 |
Infrared temperature sensing for tumble drying control |
July 29, 1997 |
| Disclosed is a dryer device and a drying control system utilizing an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of garments or items being dried in a drying device. The invention provides significant improvement over conventional techniques using temperature sensors, or such sensors i |
| 5649630 |
Multi-functional dish holder |
July 22, 1997 |
| A dish holder for holding a variety of different types of dishes having large and small diameters and large and small depths. The dish holder includes a pair of pivotable fences and a pair of pivot supports that pivotably support the fences along parallel spaced apart axes. Each of the |
| 5642924 |
Shelf system for a refrigerator cabinet |
July 1, 1997 |
| A refrigerator cabinet having a liner having sidewalls and a rear wall, each sidewall having a plurality of shelf supports mounted thereon, each shelf support including a supporting rail having a front portion and a rear portion separated by a gap, a cantilever half shelf and a full widt |
| 5636675 |
Shifting roll awning assembly with stowable support arms |
June 10, 1997 |
| An improved awning assembly for a recreational vehicle has the awning rolled around a roller tube and stowed against a wall. Support arms pivot upwardly to a stowed and latched position parallel with the roller tube and pivot downwardly therefrom. The support arms are attached to hooks o |
| 5630437 |
Dishwasher with downward opening pump inlet mouth for improved operation |
May 20, 1997 |
| A dishwasher is provided with a flapper valve for directing water from a recirculation pump to spray arms or a drain. The valve is spring biased toward a recirculate position and solenoid operated to a drain position. An inlet of the pump is provided with a downwardly curved suction pipe |
| 5628334 |
Dishwasher with food particle macerator and mincer |
May 13, 1997 |
| A dishwasher sump is divided into a collection chamber and a pump chamber by a filter. Food particles collect in the collection chamber while filtered wash liquid collects in the pump chamber. A pump has an inlet located in the pump chamber. The filtered wash liquid is recycled and s |
| 5623956 |
Dishwasher straining system |
April 29, 1997 |
| A straining system for use in a washer having a pump and a sump with a hub projecting therefrom. The straining system has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface has an outer perimeter and an inner opening that permits the hub to extend therethrough. Projecting from the |
| 5623917 |
Sealed burner assembly |
April 29, 1997 |
| A gas burner assembly for a domestic appliance including a mounting bracket secured to a gas burner and cooperating with an appliance top panel to removably secure the burner to the top panel. The mounting bracket engages one surface of the top panel while the burner engages another surf |
| 5619858 |
Ice bucket depth sensor |
April 15, 1997 |
| An ice maker is provided which ejects ice pieces into a storage receptacle disposed beneath the ice maker during an ice harvesting cycle. The ice maker includes a rotatable bail arm which initiates the ice harvesting cycle to supply the ice pieces to the receptacle and has a generally |
| 5615449 |
Glass cleaning device |
April 1, 1997 |
| A cleaning attachment for a vacuum cleaner including a cleaning solution reservoir, a manually operated cleaning solution dispenser mounted to the reservoir, a suction tube secured at one end to the reservoir, and a nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is secured to the suction tube at a |
| 5613747 |
Toeplate and access cover |
March 25, 1997 |
| The toespace below the door of a front-loading dishwasher is closed off from the under-tub space inside the dishwasher assembly by a combined toeplate-and-access-panel member which also closes off the door-bottom-receiving recess above the toespace; in installed condition, the combin |
| 5608769 |
Pause testing circuit for dishwasher controller |
March 4, 1997 |
| A test circuit determines state of an electrical element supplied with alternating current and measures the duration of that state. The test circuit is connected to the element so that current flows to the test circuit when the element is in the state being measured. The test circuit |
| 5603967 |
Molding apparatus with shuttle and lock mechanisms |
February 18, 1997 |
| Plastic parts are molded in an apparatus having two molds mounted on a reciprocating shuttle bed. While one mold is filled with resin at a filling position, the other mold is at an unloading position where a part cools and is extracted. The bed is then shuttled so that the other mold is |
