Domestic refrigeration appliance and method for operating a domestic refrigeration appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408529-B2
Application number	US-201615552129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A domestic refrigeration appliance includes a thermally insulated housing which limits a coolable interior chamber provided for storing food and being accessible through an opening. A frame-shaped end face frames the opening of the housing. A door leaf for opening and closing the opening of the housing is mounted in such a way that it can pivot relative to an axis by using at least one hinge. A cover is provided for covering the hinge. A triggering device is disposed within the cover and is configured to actuate at least one device of the domestic refrigeration appliance depending on an opening angle of the door leaf. A method for operating a domestic refrigeration appliance is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a thermally insulated housing delimiting a coolable interior chamber for storing food, said housing having an opening for accessing said coolable interior chamber;
a frame-shaped end face framing said opening of said housing;
a door leaf for opening and closing said opening of said housing;
a magnet or a permanent magnet being disposed in or on said door leaf and having a north pole and a south pole aligned horizontally in a pivot direction of said door leaf;
at least one hinge mounting said door leaf and permitting said door leaf to pivot relative to an axis;
a cover for covering said at least one hinge;
at least one appliance apparatus; and
a trigger apparatus disposed within said cover and configured to activate said at least one appliance apparatus as a function of an opening angle of said door leaf, said trigger apparatus being or including a magnetic sensor disposed within said cover and interacting with said magnet or permanent magnet for activating said at least one appliance apparatus, said magnetic sensor being disposed within said cover at a predetermined point in front of said frame-shaped end face for locating said magnet in an effective range of said magnetic sensor when said door leaf is at a predetermined opening angle, and said magnetic sensor recognizing a north pole/south pole switch or a south pole/north pole switch of said magnet or said permanent magnet when said door leaf pivots over said predetermined opening angle.

2. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one appliance apparatus is a camera configured to be activated by said trigger apparatus to produce an image of said coolable interior chamber.

3. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said housing includes an upper wall having one face facing upward and away from said coolable interior chamber, said hinge being fastened to said one face.

4. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said trigger apparatus is disposed next to said hinge within said cover.

5. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 4 , wherein said cover has a separating wall separating said trigger apparatus from said hinge.

6. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 5 , wherein said cover includes a chamber having said separating wall, said trigger apparatus being disposed in said chamber.

7. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , which further comprises a support fastened to said cover, said trigger apparatus being fastened to said support.

8. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said trigger apparatus is configured to only activate said at least one appliance apparatus as said door leaf pivots from an open position to a closed position at a predetermined opening angle.

9. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
a door opening switch generating signals as said door leaf opens, said signals to be analyzed for recognizing an opening of said door leaf;
said magnetic sensor generating signals to be analyzed as said door leaf pivots for recognizing a north pole/south pole switch or a south pole/north pole switch of said permanent magnet as said door leaf pivots over said predetermined opening angle; and
said magnetic sensor only triggering said at least one appliance apparatus when said opening of said door leaf has been recognized from said analysis of said signals generated by said magnetic sensor and has recognized that said door leaf has pivoted over said predetermined opening angle for a second time.

10. A domestic refrigeration appliance, comprising:
a thermally insulated housing delimiting a coolable interior chamber for storing food, said housing having an opening for accessing said coolable interior chamber;
a frame-shaped end face framing said opening of said housing;
a door leaf for opening and closing said opening of said housing;
at least one hinge mounting said door leaf and permitting said door leaf to pivot relative to an axis;
a cover for covering said at least one hinge;
at least one appliance apparatus;
a trigger apparatus disposed within said cover and configured to activate said at least one appliance apparatus as a function of an opening angle of said door leaf; and
a support fastened to said cover, said trigger apparatus being fastened to said support, said support fastened to said cover forming a chamber along with said separating wall, and said trigger apparatus being disposed in said chamber.

11. The domestic refrigeration appliance according to claim 10 , wherein said support forms a wall segment of said chamber, said wall segment has one face facing said chamber and another face facing away from said chamber, said trigger apparatus being fastened to said one face facing said chamber and said other face facing away from said chamber faces said door leaf.

12. A method for operating a domestic refrigeration appliance, the method comprising the following steps:
using a thermally insulated housing to delimit a coolable interior chamber for storing food, the housing having an opening for accessing the coolable interior chamber;
using a frame-shaped end face for framing the opening of the housing;
using a door leaf for opening and closing the opening of the housing;
using at least one hinge to mount the door leaf and permit the door leaf to pivot relative to an axis;
using a cover for covering the at least one hinge;
providing at least one appliance apparatus in or on the door leaf;
providing a magnet or a permanent magnet being disposed in or on the door leaf and having a north pole and a south pole aligned horizontally in a pivot direction of said door leaf;
using a trigger apparatus being or including a magnetic sensor disposed within the cover and interacting with the magnet or permanent magnet to activate the at least one appliance apparatus as a function of an opening angle of the door leaf, the magnetic sensor being disposed within the cover at a predetermined point in front of the frame-shaped end face for locating the magnet in an effective range of the magnetic sensor when the door leaf is at a predetermined opening angle;
pivoting the door leaf; and
analyzing signals generated by the magnetic sensor as the door leaf pivots to recognize a north pole/south pole switch or a south pole/north pole switch of the permanent magnet as the door leaf pivots over the predetermined opening angle to then trigger the appliance apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12 , which further comprises:
recognizing an opening of the door leaf by analyzing signals generated by a door opening switch of the domestic refrigeration appliance as the door leaf opens;
analyzing the signals generated by the magnetic sensor as the door leaf pivots, in order to recognize the north pole/south pole switch or the south pole/north pole switch of the permanent magnet as the door leaf pivots over the predetermined opening angle; and
only triggering the appliance apparatus when the opening of the door leaf has been recognized from the analysis of the signals generated by the magnetic sensor and it is recognized that the door leaf pivots over the predetermined opening angle for a second time.

14. The method according to claim 12 , which further comprises analyzing the signals generated by the magnetic sensor as the door leaf pivots to recognize the north pole/south pole switch or the south pole/north pole switch of the permanent magnet as the door leaf pivots over the

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Grimminger Jochen
• Lindel Andreas
• Schmid Christian
• Werner Hans Peter
• Wetzl Gerhard
• Gebler Martin

Classifications

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D2500/06

  Stock management · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• H03K17/97

  using a magnetic movable element · CPC title