Dual use user interface and door position sensors
AssigneeElectrolux Home Products, Inc.
InventorTimothy E. Willis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigeration appliance including both a user interface and door position sensor. The same devices and sensors are for both functions. The user interface is mounted on a door or mullion in such a way that all or nearly all of the input devices on the user interface are activated simultaneously or nearly simultaneously when a door is closed so that the user interface can distinguish this action from user inputs in which only one or two input devices are activated at a time. Likewise, when all input devices are inactivated nearly simultaneously, the user interface may know that a door has been opened.
Claims6
A refrigeration appliance comprising:
- at least one door;
- at least one surface, the at least one surface being a surface of the at least one door or a mullion of the refrigeration appliance;
- a user interface located on the at least one surface and the user interface comprising at least two sensors, each sensor adapted for communicating a signal;
- and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to determine the state of the at least one door based at least in part on the signals of the at least two sensors of the user interface and detect a user input from the user interface based at least in part on the signals of the at least two sensors of the user interface, a second door, wherein the at least one surface of the at least one door and a surface of the second door each comprise a substantially-planar side portion that oppose each other when the at least one door and the second door are in a closed state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.