System and method for sensing a liquid level in an autofill pitcher using vibrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889484-B2
Application number	US-201916247656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance having a dispensing system and a method for dispensing liquid into a container are provided. The dispensing system can be an autofill dispensing system. In one example aspect, the dispensing system includes a vibration generator and a measurement device. When a container is present in a preselected position, liquid is delivered to the container. As liquid fills into the container, the vibration generator propagates vibrations through the container. The measurement device detects one or more characteristics of the vibration and routes one more signals indicative of the characteristics to a controller of the system. The controller determines a liquid fill level of liquid within the container based at least in part on the signals received from the measurement device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
a dispensing system positioned within the chilled chamber, the dispensing system comprising:
a vibration generator operable to propagate one or more vibrations through a container operable to contain liquid, wherein the vibration generator has a lever arm that is operable to contact the container when the container is positioned in a preselected position;
a measurement device operable to measure a characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the vibration generator and the measurement device, the controller configured to:
receive, from the measurement device, one or more signals indicative of the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container; and
determine a liquid level of liquid within the container based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing system further comprises:
a proximity device for detecting whether the container is present in the preselected position.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing system further comprises:
a spout for dispensing liquid;
a supply conduit fluidly connecting a liquid supply with the spout; and
a valve positioned along the supply conduit and movable between an open position and a closed position, the valve operable to selectively allow liquid to flow from the liquid supply to the spout.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3 , wherein the dispensing system further comprises:
a proximity device for detecting whether the container is present in the preselected position, and
wherein the controller is communicatively coupled with the valve and the proximity device, and wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, from the proximity device, one or more signals indicating whether the container is present in the preselected position;
command, if the one or more signals indicate that the container is present in the preselected position, the valve to move to the open position to selectively allow liquid to flow from the liquid supply to the spout so that liquid can flow into the container; and
activate the vibration generator to propagate the one or more vibrations through the container.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the measurement device is further operable to detect whether the container is present in a preselected position, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive, from the measurement device, one or more signals indicating whether the container is present in the preselected position, and
wherein the controller commands the valve to move to the open position to selectively allow liquid to flow from the liquid supply to the spout so that liquid can flow into the container only if the one or more signals received from the measurement device and the one or more signals received from the proximity device indicate that the container is present in the preselected position.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
ascertain whether the determined liquid level exceeds a liquid level threshold.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
command the valve to move to the closed position so that liquid ceases flowing from the liquid supply to the container if the determined liquid level exceeds the liquid level threshold.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the measurement device has a magnetic pad and the container has a ferromagnetic element, wherein when the container is present in the preselected position, the container contacts the measurement device and is held in place by a magnetic force between the ferromagnetic element of the container and the magnetic pad of the measurement device.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the lever arm has a rubber element that is operable to contact the container when the container is present in the preselected position.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container includes at least one of an initial amplitude, a peak amplitude, a final amplitude, and a rate of decay of an amplitude of the one or more vibrations over a predetermined period.

11. A dispensing system for an appliance, the dispensing system comprising:
a spout for dispensing liquid into a container present in a preselected position;
a supply conduit fluidly connecting a liquid supply with the spout;
a valve positioned along the supply conduit and movable between an open position and a closed position, the valve operable to selectively allow liquid to flow from the liquid supply to the spout;
a vibration generator operable to propagate one or more vibrations through the container present in the preselected position, wherein the vibration generator has a lever arm movable between a contact position in which the lever arm contacts the container and a non-contact position in which the lever arm is not in contact with the container;
a measurement device operable to measure a characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the valve, the vibration generator, and the measurement device, the controller configured to:
command, if the container is present in the preselected position, the valve to move to the open position to allow liquid to flow from the liquid supply to the spout so that liquid can flow into the container;
activate the lever arm of the vibration generator to propagate the one or more vibrations through the container;
receive, from the measurement device, one or more signals indicative of the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container; and
determine a liquid level of liquid within the container based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container.

12. The dispensing system of claim 11 , wherein, in determining the liquid level of liquid within the container based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of the characteristic of the one or more vibrations propagating through the container, the controller is configured to:
correlate the characteristic with a liquid level of liquid within the container.

13. The dispensing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller configured to:
ascertain whether the determined liquid level exceeds a liquid level threshold;
deactivate, if the determined liquid level exceeds the liquid level threshold, the vibration generator such that the vibration generator ceases propagating the one or more vibrations through the container; and
command, if the determined liquid level exceeds the liquid level threshold, the valve to move to the closed position so that liquid ceases flowing from the liquid supply to the container.

14. The dispensing system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a display device communicatively coupled with the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
cause the display device to present a prompt to a user to initiate a dispense cycle, and
wherein, if the user provide a user input in response to the prompt, the controller commands, if the container is present in the preselected position, the valve to move to t

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Subramanya Praveena Alangar
• Chandra Sharath
• Krause Andrew Reinhard

Classifications

• F25D2331/81

  Pitchers · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title

• B67D3/0003

  provided with automatic fluid control means · CPC title

• G01F23/2962

  Measuring transit time of reflected waves · CPC title