Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8006523 | Water valve snap fit retention for a vacuum break A vacuum break assembly including a housing, at least one valve assembly and at least one biased latch. The housing has at least one opening therein. The at least one valve assembly is coupled to the at least one opening in a sliding manner. The at least one biased ... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7971457 | Devices for dispensing a laundry agent and methods for doing same The present invention relates to a dispenser for laundry additives comprising a base and a reservoir separated by an insert. The present invention further relates to a method of dispensing a laundry additive in an automatic washing machine comprising mounting a disp... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7930911 | Apparatus and method for cooking and dispensing starch An apparatus and method for cooking and dispensing starch to a commercial laundry machine comprising a mixing tank for mixing and storing a starch and water solution which is attached to a means for discharging the starch and water solution to a heat exchanger. The ... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7673480 | Mounting and method for mounting a water vacuum break A washing machine including a water tub, a housing and a water vacuum break. The water tub is mounted in the housing. The housing includes an outer wall having a plurality of slots therein. The water vacuum break partially extends over a portion of the water tub. Th... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7430884 | Washing machine with ozone sensor A washing machine includes a washing volume for receiving laundry. The washing machine also includes an ozone inlet for providing ozone to the washing volume and an ozone outlet for receiving gaseous ozone from the washing volume. An ozone sensor is provided for mea... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7428829 | Clothes washer filling control systems and methods A circuit is provided. The circuit includes a processor programmed to prevent overfilling of a cabinet with a fluid and a backup circuit having fixed logic. The backup circuit is electrically coupled to the processor to redundantly prevent overfilling the cabinet wi... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7428831 | Detergent container of washing machine A detergent container of a washing machine in accordance with the present invention comprises a powdered detergent chamber to store powdered detergent, an outlet to discharge powdered detergent mixed with water in the powdered detergent chamber, a subsidiary deterge... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7426932 | Spray fill device and method for using the same A spray fill device for delivering water to a washing machine is provided. The spray fill device includes a body defining an inlet, an outlet port, a mounting port, and a plurality of outlet apertures in flow communication with the inlet. The spray fill device also ... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7424810 | Washing machine with water direction device A washing machine including a tub, a basket rotatably mounted within the tub, and a spraying ring disposed at a top portion of the tub, and including a plurality of nozzles arranged in groups, the nozzles separated by a first distance, the groups separated by a seco... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7421867 | Laundry washing machine, in particular a front loading washing machine, with a dispenser of washing agents A laundry washing machine comprises a dispenser of washing agents (10) having at least a movable body (26A, 26B, 40) defining a compartment for containing a dose of a respective washing agent. The movable body (26A, 26B, ... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7421866 | Washing machine and control method thereof A washing machine and control method thereof is provided, by which a bleaching agent and a fabric softener are supplied to the washing machine using a single water supply valve. The washing machine includes a first water supply valve for supplying water to a tub upo... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7398661 | Clothes washing machine with improved water dispensers Clothes washing machine comprising: a common water-distribution manifold, a plurality of electromagnetic valves provided downstream of said water-distribution manifold and connected on respective outlet conduits, a plurality of chambers supplied via a respective one... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7387002 | Vibration damping pump bracket A mounting bracket is provided for a pump of a washing machine. The bracket includes a body adapted to twist lock mount onto the base of the washing machine. The pump is adapted to twist lock mount onto the body of the bracket. The bracket includes one or more dampe... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7376997 | Rinse control method for washing machine A rinse control method for a washing machine including the steps of rinsing water supplying and infiltrating for supplying rinsing water rotating an inner tub at relatively low speed so that the rinsing water can be infiltrated into washing materials and rinsing wat... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7343923 | Utility hot and cold water mixing system The present invention is directed to a utility hot and cold water mixing system consisting of three components, a hot water Y-coupler with a flow control ball valve on one side, a central Y-coupler with a flow control ball valve and a cold water Y-coupler on the oth... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7340793 | Washing machine control method In a method of controlling to a water supplying step and a water draining step in a washing machine having no anti-siphoning device, an error state is determined when water supplying and water draining are simultaneously performed. The error state is determined for ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7340790 | Universal dispenser for dispensing of laundry additives during automatic machine laundering of fabrics Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for dispensing laundry additive materials into the drum of an automatic washing machine as that machine is used to carry out a fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of additives, a lidded housing... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7340792 | Process for eliminating foam in the lye container of a drum washing machine A sensor for determining the level of the liquid in the lye container for removing foam in the lye container of a drum washing machine with a lye discharge system arranged on the floor of the lye container with a lye pump during a program step, which is provided for... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7322370 | Device for monitoring a wash process A device is provided for monitoring a wash process inside a mechanical washing apparatus, comprising sensor means for measuring physical and/or mechanical parameters of the wash process and recording means for recording the measured parameters within the device. Thi... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7322217 | Drum type washing machine A drum type washing machine in which wash water fed to a tub via a water supply pipe is directly supplied into a drum. The washing machine includes a housing, a tub arranged in the housing to contain wash water therein, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, a water s... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7296443 | Top-load sink/laundry combo An automatic washing machine including a drum, a sink, connection means for water and drain line, which are assembled in one integrated unit. It looks like a vanity with a built-in laundry machine and could be installed in any bathroom, kitchen or any utility room, ... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7272960 | Washing machine A washing machine is provided which has a structurally reinforced apparatus for accurately sensing a water level. The washing machine includes a housing, a tub installed in the housing, a drum rotatably installed in the tub, and a water level sensing apparatus for s... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7254967 | Drum-type washing machine equipped with drying device A drum-type washing machine is equipped with a drying device, which increases condensing efficiency by increasing the contact of air flowing along a condensing duct with cooling water, and prevents water formed in a condensing duct from flowing into a fixed drum. Th... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7254966 | Washing machine Disclosed is a detergent storing assembly and washing machine using the same, by which a lid part and a detergent box constructing the detergent storing assembly are correctly assembled to each other. The present invention includes a tub having an open front side to... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7219518 | Sequential dispensing of laundry additives during automatic machine laundering of fabrics Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for sequentially dispensing laundry additive materials into the drum of an automatic washing machine as that machine is used to carry out a fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of additives, a l... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7210182 | System and method for solvent recovery and purification in a low water or waterless wash Method and apparatus for recovering and purifying a solvent used in an article cleaning appliance are provided. The method allows passing solvent-based cleaning fluid from a wash basket through a coarse filter configured to remove relatively large particulates from ... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7207197 | Washing and drying machines and dry-cleaning machines A machine for washing and/or cleaning articles comprises a sealable enclosure for containing the articles to which cleaning liquid is to be supplied. The cleaning liquid is heated to a high temperature and forced into the enclosure under high pressure as finely disp... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7181934 | Dispensing device for unit dose laundry additive pouch The present invention is directed to a device for dispensing a unit dose water-soluble pouch containing a laundry additive during the spin cycle of a washing machine process having a spinning wash drum. The device is attached to the vertical center post of a washing... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7168273 | Selective dispensing apparatus A dispensing apparatus for use with a replaceable unit dose package has at least one cavity sealed by a membrane, wherein the cavity contains additive materials to be dispensed. The dispensing apparatus is configured for use, for example, in a washing machine, where... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7162896 | Apparatus for checking the formation of scale, and water-carrying appliance An apparatus allows monitoring the formation of scale. The apparatus makes it possible to determine the degree of water hardness or a tendency of the degree of water hardness to change over time and to take measures for adjusting the desired degree of water hardness... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7163590 | Method and apparatus for sensing water flow through a dishwasher including a vacuum switch A dishwasher includes a water inlet connectable to a water source. A dishwasher element is operable on water received through the inlet. A flow sensor is in fluid communication with the inlet and is operable to generate a control signal indicative of water flow thro... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7155942 | Balance weight in drum type washing machine and manufacturing method thereof A cement balance weight for a drum type washing machine and its manufacturing method. The balance weight includes a housing having a predetermined inner space and an opening for cement injection. The housing includes coupling features that assist coupling the balanc... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7146671 | Method of controlling washing machine A method of controlling a washing machine having a wobbling device. The wobbling device is switched to a leveling position to operate a spin-drying tub and a washboard and to a wobbling position to operate the washboard. The control method of the washing machine inc... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7140207 | Device for the continuous treatment of yarns with process fluids Device for the continuous treatment of yarns with process fluids comprising a Venturi nozzle fed with process fluid as driving fluid to feed the yarn to the treatment, a distributor for distributing the yarn in the treatment reactor according to a layer of superimpo... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7090702 | Continuous treatment system of yarns with process fluids, particularly for their mercerization under tension A continuous treatment system of yarns with process fluids, particularly for mercerization, wherein a bundle of threads to be treated is put into the reaction with a Venturi nozzle activated with process fluid, which entrains the bundle of yarn with it, and with a s... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7086110 | Selective dispensing of laundry additives during automatic machine laundering of fabric Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for the timed dispensing of laundry additive materials into the drum during a cycle of a multiple cycle fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of additives, a housing structure device having multi... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7036175 | Washing machine with pay activated bulk detergent dispenser An approved washing machine and method of washing laundry is provided wherein a user can select an amount of an additive, such as detergent, to be automatically supplied from a bulk additive reservoir to the washing machine tub during the appropriate time in the was... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7036177 | Dispensing of rinse additives into the rinse cycle during automatic machine laundering of fabrics Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for the timed dispensing of laundry rinse additive materials into the drum of an automatic washing machine as that machine is used to carry out a fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of rinse ad... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7036176 | Sequential dispensing of laundry additives during automatic machine laundering of fabrics Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and kits for sequentially dispensing laundry additive materials into the drum of an automatic washing machine as that machine is used to carry out a fabric laundering operation. To bring about such dispensing of additives, a l... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7021087 | Methods and apparatus for applying a treatment fluid to fabrics The present invention relates to methods and/or systems for applying treatment fluid to a plurality of fabric articles in a fabric treatment apparatus. The present invention is also directed to an apparatus capable of carrying out such methods and/or systems. ... | 04/04/2006 |
