Dual use user interface and door position sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473389-B2
Application number	US-201414194005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance including both a user interface and door position sensor. The same devices and sensors are for both functions. The user interface is mounted on a door or mullion in such a way that all or nearly all of the input devices on the user interface are activated simultaneously or nearly simultaneously when a door is closed so that the user interface can distinguish this action from user inputs in which only one or two input devices are activated at a time. Likewise, when all input devices are inactivated nearly simultaneously, the user interface may know that a door has been opened.

First claim

I claim:

1. A refrigeration appliance comprising: at least one door; at least one surface, the at least one surface being a surface of the at least one door or a mullion of the refrigeration appliance; a user interface located on the at least one surface and the user interface comprising at least two sensors, each sensor adapted for communicating a signal; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine the state of the at least one door based at least in part on the signals of the at least two sensors of the user interface and detect a user input from the user interface based at least in part on the signals of the at least two sensors of the user interface, a second door, wherein the at least one surface of the at least one door and a surface of the second door each comprise a substantially-planar side portion that oppose each other when the at least one door and the second door are in a closed state.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least two sensors of the user interface is a capacitive sensor or an infrared proximity sensor.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is located on the substantially-planar side portion of the at least one door, such that all or nearly all of the at least two sensors are activated or inactivated nearly simultaneously when either the at least one door or the second door is in a closed state or opened state.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the state of the at least one door based at least in part on the near simultaneous activation or inactivation of all or nearly all of the at least two sensors of the user interface.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the user input based at least in part on the near simultaneous activation or inactivation of only less than half of the at least two sensors of the user interface.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises at least two buttons, each of the at least two buttons comprising at least one of the at least two sensors, wherein the controller determines the state of the at least two buttons based at least in part on the near simultaneous activation of all or nearly all of the at least one of the at least two sensors comprised by each of the at least two buttons, and the controller determines the state of the at least one door based at least in part on the state of the at least two buttons.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Willis Timothy E

Classifications

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title