Interactive lighting in a refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435581-B2
Application number	US-201414225481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a refrigerator cabinet, a light system associated within an interior of the refrigerator cabinet, the light system including a light source, a reflector having a first position wherein light from the light source is directed in a first direction and a second position wherein the light from the light source is directed in a second direction, and wherein the refrigerator is configured to move the reflector between the first position and the second position based on interactions between a user of the refrigerator and the refrigerator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator cabinet; a light system associated within an interior of the refrigerator cabinet, the light system comprising: (a) a light source, said light source being positioned proximate a drawer of the refrigerator; (b) a rotatable reflector having a first position when the drawer is closed, wherein light from the light source is directed in a first direction and a second position when the drawer is open, wherein the light from the light source is directed in a second direction; (c) wherein the refrigerator comprises elements on the sides of the drawer configured to control rotation of the rotatable reflector between the first position and the second position with movement of the drawer between the open position and the closed position.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the light source is positioned on an interior side of the refrigerator cabinet.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises an LED.

4. A method of controlling interactive lighting in a refrigerator, the method comprising: providing a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet and a light system associated within an interior of the refrigerator cabinet, the light system comprising: (a) a light source, said light source being positioned proximate a drawer of the refrigerator (b) a rotatable reflector having a first position when the drawer is closed, wherein light from the light source is directed in a first direction and a second position when the drawer is open, wherein the light from the light source is directed in a second direction, and (c) wherein the refrigerator comprises elements on the sides of the drawer configured to control rotation of the rotatable reflector between the first position and the second position with movement of the drawer between the open position and the closed position.

5. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator cabinet; a drawer disposed within the refrigerator cabinet; a light system associated with the drawer, the light system comprising: a light source; a rotatable reflector having a first position wherein light from the light source is directed to light the drawer when the drawer is in a closed position and a second position wherein light from the light source is directed to light the drawer when the drawer is in an open position, said refrigerator further comprising elements on sides of the drawer configured to control rotation of the rotatable reflector when the drawer transitions between the closed position and the open position.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the elements are molded-in elements.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 wherein the drawer is a crisper.

8. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the elements are molded on the sides of the drawer.

9. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the drawer is a crisper drawer.

10. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the light source comprises an LED.

11. The refrigerator of claim 5 wherein the light system further comprises an optic lens for directing light from the light source.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Hammond Richard L
• Moore Michael T

Classifications

• F21V14/04

  by movement of reflectors {(in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675)} · CPC title

• F21V5/04

  of lens shape · CPC title

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title

• F25D27/005 Primary

  combined with control means · CPC title