Augmented refrigerated display unit
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorAnthony G. Wind, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An augmented refrigerated display unit is provided. The refrigerated display unit includes a door being hingedly attached to the refrigerated display unit, an augmentation drive operatively connected to a hinge of the door for applying an assistive force to the door, and an initiation sensor configured to detect an application of a manual force to the door. The augmentation drive applies an assistive opening force to the door in response to detection by the initiation sensor of an application of the manual force to open the door, a holding force in response to a detection of the door reaching an open position, and an assistive closing force to the door in response to a detection of the manual force being applied to close the door.
Claims16
A refrigerated display unit comprising:
- a door being hingedly attached to the refrigerated display unit at a first side of the door;
- an activity sensor configured to detect movement of the door with respect to the refrigerated display unit;
- an augmentation drive operatively connected to a hinge of the door for applying an assistive force to the door;
- and
- an initiation sensor configured to detect an application of a manual force to the door,
- wherein, in a closed position of the door, the augmentation drive is configured to apply an assistive opening force to the door in response to a detection by the initiation sensor of application of the manual force to open the door,
- wherein the augmentation drive is configured to terminate application of the assistive opening force and apply a holding force that maintains an open position of the door in response to a detection of the door reaching an open position,
- wherein, in the open position of the door, the augmentation drive is configured to terminate the holding force and apply an assistive closing force to the door in response to a detection by the initiation sensor of application of the manual force to close the door, and
- wherein the augmentation drive is configured to terminate application of the assistive closing force and apply an anti-slam force in response to the activity sensor detecting the door reaching a partially closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.