Domestic appliance comprising a sensor for detecting a door movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11821677-B2
Application number	US-201816770172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A household appliance includes at least one movable door and at least one sensor for detecting a door movement, particularly a door opening angle of the at least one door. The at least one sensor includes at least one inertial sensor integrated into the at least one door. The household appliance is particularly advantageously a refrigerating device, especially a refrigerator, having a pivoting door.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A household appliance, comprising:
at least one movable door;
a door switch configured to be switched for determining a closed position of said at least one door;
at least one sensor for detecting a door movement of said at least one door, said at least one sensor including at least one inertial sensor integrated into said at least one door, said at least one inertial sensor including a rotational speed sensor configured to measure rotational acceleration and an acceleration sensor configured to measure translational acceleration; and
an evaluator connected to said door switch and configured to determine a door opening angle from zero of said at least one door and connected to said rotational speed sensor and to aid acceleration sensor to determine at least one of a location or said door opening angle, said evaluator configured to activate at least one action as a function of said door opening angle detected by said at least one inertial sensor, said door opening angle including trigger angles for triggering appliance functions;
said evaluator configured to adapt said trigger angles at least one of for compensating for signs of use or for compensating for mounting tolerances or for use of different replacement cameras.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one inertial sensor detects a door opening angle of said at least one door as said door movement.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said rotational speed sensor is a vibrating structure gyroscope.

4. The household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one inertial sensor is a MEMS sensor.

5. The household appliance according to claim 1 , which further comprises an energy store configured to be charged at least when said at least one door is closed, said at least one inertial sensor being connected to said energy store, a primary coil disposed in an appliance body for generating a magnetic alternating field, and a pick-up coil disposed in said door opposite said primary coil when said door is closed for tapping the magnetic alternating filed and generating an induction voltage charging said energy store.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1 , which further comprises a wireless communication interface, said at least one inertial sensor being connected to said wireless communication interface.

7. The household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluator is connected to said at least one inertial sensor for evaluating sensor data of said at least one inertial sensor.

8. The household appliance according to claim 7 , wherein said evaluator is configured to activate at least one action as a function of said door opening angle detected by said at least one inertial sensor.

9. The household appliance according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one action includes a light control of the household appliance.

10. The household appliance according to claim 2 , wherein:
the household appliance is a refrigeration appliance having a refrigerator with a refrigerating zone;
at least one camera is configured to record images of said refrigerating zone; and
said at least one camera is configured to be activated for recording one or more images upon reaching said door opening angle determined by said at least one inertial sensor.

11. The household appliance according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one camera includes a plurality of cameras each configured to be activated independently of one another based on a respective door opening angle determined by said at least one inertial sensor.

12. The household appliance according to claim 10 , wherein:
said evaluator is connected to said at least one inertial sensor for evaluating sensor data of said at least one inertial sensor;
said evaluator being configured to activate at least one action as a function of said door opening angle detected by said at least one inertial sensor; and
said at least one action including a light control of the household appliance;
said light control providing a brief increase in an illumination intensity as a function of said door opening angle at an activation time of said at least one camera.

13. A household refrigeration appliance, comprising:
at least one movable door;
at least one sensor for detecting a door movement of said at least one door;
said at least one sensor including at least one inertial sensor integrated into said at least one door, said at least one inertial sensor detecting a door opening angle of said at least one door as said door movement, said door opening angle including trigger angles for triggering appliance functions;
a refrigerator of the household refrigeration appliance having a refrigerating zone;
at least one camera configured to record images of said refrigerating zone, said at least one camera configured to be activated for recording one or more images upon reaching said door opening angle detected by said at least one inertial sensor; and
an evaluator connected to said at least one inertial sensor for evaluating sensor data of said at least one inertial sensor, said evaluator configured to activate at least one action as a function of said door opening angle detected by said at least one inertial sensor, said at least one action including a light control of the household appliance, and said light control providing a brief increase in an illumination intensity as a function of said door opening angle at an activation time of said at least one camera;
said evaluator configured to adapt said trigger angles at least one of for compensating for signs of use or for compensating for mounting tolerances or for use of different replacement cameras.

14. The household appliance according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluator continuously or semi-continuously determines said door opening angle.

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Grimminger Jochen
• Rodney Christopher
• Werner Hans Peter
• Bihr Daniel

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title

• G01P1/07

  Indicating devices, e.g. for remote indication (indicating working conditions of vehicles G07C5/00) · CPC title

• G01P15/00

  Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration · CPC title

• H04N7/188

  Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253) · CPC title