Vashishtha S Kadchhud

US Patent:

20080264092, Oct 30, 2008

Filed:

Apr 15, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/103170

Inventors:

KEVIN M. CHASE - ST. JOSEPH MI, US
RANDELL L. JEFFERY - STEVENSVILLE MI, US
MATTHEW J. NIBBELINK - ST. JOSEPH MI, US
BRIAN WENDLING - STERLING HEIGHTS MI, US
RAHUL MEHTA - ANTIOCH TN, US
VASHISHTHA KADCHHUD - NASHVILLE TN, US
GREG HATCH - ROSELLE IL, US
MOROUNKEJI FATUNDE - EAST LANSING MI, US

Assignee:

WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION - BENTON HARBOR MI

International Classification:

B67D 5/62
A47B 96/00
G07F 11/00
B67D 5/08

US Classification:

62389, 312404, 221 13, 222 52

Abstract:

A sensing system for a refrigerator dispensing system is used to sense the presence, positioning, height and shape of a container placed in a dispensing well. When the presence of the container is sensed in the dispensing well and the container is properly positioned relative to a dispensing nozzle of the well, a dispensing operation can be performed. The actual dispensing operation is regulated based on the height and shape of the container. In this manner, dispensing operations can only be performed when a container is appropriately arranged in the dispensing well and the dispensing operation will be timely terminated based the size and shape of particular container employed.