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US 10,330,368 B2Granted
Apparatus, method and system for a dispensing system of a refrigerated appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsGrant J. Devilbiss, Jonathan C. Valentine, Tiemen T. Van Dillen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method and system for sensing parameters related to water and/or ice being dispensed from a dispensing station of a refrigerated appliance is disclosed. The dispensing system includes a sensing system positionable at the dispensing station at the point of dispension for liquid and/or ice to sense a parameter related to dispensed water and/or ice and produce a sensing signal.
Claims19
A refrigerated appliance comprising:
- a housing having a freezer compartment and a refrigerated compartment;
- a dispensing system on an exterior of the housing and accessible from the exterior of the appliance by a user wherein the dispensing system dispenses ice and water from separate outlets and the dispensing system comprises:
- a dispensing station;
- an ice dispensing outlet positioned to dispense ice at the dispensing station;
- and a water dispensing outlet positioned to dispense water at the dispensing station;
- a sensing system at the dispensing station that produces a sensing signal of a sensed water parameter of the water dispensed from the water dispensing outlet and related to the dispensed water and produces a sensing signal of a sensed ice parameter of the ice dispensed from the ice outlet and that is related to the dispensed ice;
- and
- wherein the sensing system senses the sensed water parameter:
- (1) outside the water dispensing outlet;
- or (2) at the water dispensing outlet through which the water is transported and wherein the sensing system senses the sensed ice parameter:
- (1) outside the ice dispensing outlet;
- or (2) at the ice dispensing outlet through which the ice is transported.
9 more elements
A refrigerated appliance comprising:
- a refrigerated appliance housing defining a freezer compartment and a refrigerated compartment therein;
- an ice and/or water dispensing system positioned on an exterior of the housing and accessible from the exterior of the appliance by a user wherein the dispensing system comprises:
- a dispensing station;
- a water dispensing outlet positioned to dispense water at the dispensing station;
- and an ice dispensing outlet positioned to dispense ice at the dispensing station;
- and
- a sensing system for use with the dispensing system that senses (1) outside the water dispensing outlet and the ice dispensing outlet;
- or (2) at the water dispensing outlet through which the water is transported and at the ice dispensing outlet through which ice is transported and wherein the water dispensing outlet and the ice dispensing outlet are separate dispensing outlets and each of the water dispensing outlet and the ice dispensing outlet have a detectable intrinsic parameter that are detected near points of dispensing originating at the separate dispensing outlets for dispensing into a user's receptacle spaced within a dispensing receiving area of the dispensing system;
- and
- wherein the dispensing system further comprises:
- a sensor at each of the points of dispensing of the separate dispensing outlet in the dispensing receiving area in sensing communication with the points of dispensing;
- a sensing signal of at least one of the detectable intrinsic parameters from the water dispensing and the ice dispensing acquired by the sensor at at least one point of dispensing upon initiation of dispensing by an operator at a dispensing station of the refrigerated appliance;
- and a controller adapted to process the sensing signal.
10 more elements
A refrigerated appliance comprising:
- a housing having a freezer compartment and a refrigerated compartment;
- a dispensing system on the exterior of the housing and accessible from the exterior of the appliance by a user wherein the dispensing system comprises:
- a dispensing station;
- water dispensing outlet positioned to dispense water at the dispensing station;
- and an ice dispensing outlet positioned to dispense ice at the dispensing station;
- and
- a sensing system at the dispensing station that senses:
- (1) outside the water dispensing outlet through which water dispensed and/or outside the ice dispensing outlet through with ice is dispensed or (2) at the water dispensing outlet and/or at the ice dispensing outlet and wherein the sensing system produces a sensing signal of a sensed parameter that is related to the dispensed ice and/or water;
- and
- a control system in operative communication with the sensing system wherein the control system operates to do one of the following:
- receive the sensing signal;
- process the sensing signal;
- generate a response to the sensing signal;
- and/or record the sensing signal;
- and
- a user notification system in operative communication with the control system and adapted to generate a notification signal in response to a control signal and wherein the dispensing system further comprises at least one sensor at each point of dispensing of the water dispensing outlet and the separate ice dispensing outlet;
- and
- wherein the control system is configured to communicate sensory data to a manufacturer of the refrigerated appliance to alert the manufacturer of any problems or concerns relating to the refrigerated appliance and wherein the communicated sensory data is water quality and, when a water filter is identified as having expired by sensing the water quality, the manufacturer is notified that the refrigerated appliance is in need of a new filter and the user subsequently notified and/or provided instructions on how to order or obtain the new filter for the refrigerated appliance.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.