Refrigerator appliance and a method for monitoring a water filter assembly within the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366388-B2
Application number	US-201314052847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Oct 14, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance and a method for monitoring a water filter assembly within the same are provided. The method includes monitoring signal communication between an RFID tag of the water filter assembly and an RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance and terminating a flow of water to the water filter assembly if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance is lost or disrupted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring a water filter assembly within a refrigerator appliance, the water filter assembly having an RFID tag mounted to a filter cartridge of the water filter assembly, the refrigerator appliance having an RFID reader positioned proximate the RFID tag of the water filter assembly, the method comprising:
receiving a signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly at the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance;
permitting a flow of water to the water filter assembly based at least in part on the signal of said step of receiving;
monitoring, during said step of permitting, the RFID tag of the water filter assembly with the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance for an additional signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly; and
terminating the flow of water to the water filter assembly if the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance does not receive the additional signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly during said step of monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of permitting comprises actuating a valve of the refrigerator appliance to an open position and said step of terminating comprises actuating the valve of the refrigerator appliance to a closed position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying a user of the refrigerator appliance that the water filter assembly is malfunctioning if the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance does not receive the additional signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly at said step of monitoring.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said step of notifying comprises operating a visual display of the refrigerator appliance or a sound generator of the refrigerator appliance.

5. A method for monitoring a water filter assembly within a refrigerator appliance, the water filter assembly having an RFID tag mounted to a filter cartridge of the water filter assembly, the refrigerator appliance having an RFID reader positioned proximate the RFID tag of the water filter assembly, the method comprising:
establishing signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance;
monitoring the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance; and
terminating a flow of water to the water filter assembly if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance is lost or disrupted during said step of monitoring.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising initiating the flow of water to the water filter assembly after said step of establishing.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said step of initiating comprises actuating a valve of the refrigerator appliance to an open position and said step of terminating comprises actuating the valve of the refrigerator appliance to a closed position.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising notifying a user of the refrigerator appliance that the water filter assembly is malfunctioning if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader of the refrigerator appliance is lost at said step of monitoring.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said step of notifying comprises operating a visual display of the refrigerator appliance or a sound generator of the refrigerator appliance.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader comprises receiving a signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly at the RFID reader.

11. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
a cabinet that defines a chilled chamber for receipt of food articles for storage;
a water filter assembly mounted to the cabinet, the water filter assembly comprising
a manifold that defines an inlet for receiving unfiltered water and an outlet for directing filtered water out of the water filter assembly;
a filter cartridge mounted to the manifold, the cartridge having a filtering media positioned therein for filtering a flow of water through the water filter assembly; and
an RFID tag mounted to the filter cartridge;

an RFID reader mounted to the cabinet, the RFID reader positioned proximate the RFID tag of the water filter assembly; and
a controller in communication with RFID reader, the controller configured for
establishing signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader;
monitoring the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader; and
terminating a flow of water to the water filter assembly if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader is lost or disrupted during said step of monitoring.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , wherein the RFID tag of the water filter assembly is positioned on an outer surface of the filter cartridge of the water filter assembly.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , wherein the cabinet defines an opening for permitting access to the chilled chamber of the cabinet, the cabinet having a door positioned at the opening of the cabinet for permitting selective access to the chilled chamber of the cabinet through the opening of the cabinet, the RFID reader mounted to the door of the cabinet.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , wherein the RFID tag of the water filter assembly comprises a passive RFID tag.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , further comprising a valve for regulating the flow of water to the water filter assembly, the valve configured for selectively shifting between a closed position and an open position, the valve permitting the flow of water to the water filter assembly in the open position, the valve obstructing the flow of water to the water filter assembly in the closed position, the controller in communication with the valve, the controller configured for adjusting the valve to the closed position at the step of terminating.

16. The refrigerator appliance of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured shifting the valve to the open position in order to initiate the flow of water to the water filter assembly after said step of establishing.

17. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , further comprising a visual display mounted to the cabinet, the controller in communication with the visual display, the controller configured for activating the visual display in order to notify a user of the refrigerator appliance that the water filter assembly is malfunctioning if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader is lost at said step of monitoring.

18. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , further comprising a sound generator mounted to the cabinet, the controller in communication with the sound generator, the controller configured for activating the sound generator in order to notify a user of the refrigerator appliance that the water filter assembly is malfunctioning if the signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader is lost at said step of monitoring.

19. The refrigerator appliance of claim 11 , wherein signal communication between the RFID tag of the water filter assembly and the RFID reader comprises receiving a signal from the RFID tag of the water filter assembly at the RFID reader.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Krause Andrew Reinhard
• Venkatakrishnan Natarajan
• Crosby Jonathan Charles
• Doering Tyler James

Classifications

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• F25C5/22

  particularly adapted for household refrigerators · CPC title

• F17D3/01 Primary

  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product · CPC title

• F25D2323/121

  the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser · CPC title

• F25D23/126

  Water cooler · CPC title