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US 10,760,829 B2Granted
Appliance with high capacity capacitor
AssigneeMidea Group Co., Ltd.
InventorRobert M. Digman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high capacity capacitor is used in an appliance to enable a power circuit of the appliance to power a heating element or other electrical load concurrently with powering one or more additional electrical loads in the appliance using power from both a powerline source and power from the high capacity capacitor such that a combined power consumption in the appliance may be at least temporarily at a level above the power rating of the powerline source.
Claims27
An appliance, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a high capacity capacitor housed by the enclosure;
- a plurality of electrical loads housed by the enclosure, at least one of the plurality of electrical loads including a heating element;
- a power circuit housed by the enclosure and coupling the plurality of electrical loads to a powerline source having a power rating, wherein the power circuit is configured to power the heating element concurrently with powering one or more additional electrical loads using power from the powerline source and power from the high capacity capacitor such that the plurality of electrical loads are concurrently and collectively powered at a level above the power rating of the powerline source;
- and
- a controller coupled to the power circuit, the controller configured to:
- monitor power consumption by the plurality of electrical loads;
- detect power consumption over a threshold associated with the power rating of the powerline source when monitoring power consumption;
- and
- in response to determining the power consumption over the threshold, selectively activate the high capacity capacitor to supply additional power to the power circuit.
7 more elements
A method of operating an appliance including an enclosure, a high capacity capacitor housed by the enclosure, a plurality of electrical loads housed by the enclosure, at least one of the plurality of electrical loads including a heating element, and a power circuit housed by the enclosure and coupling the plurality of electrical loads to a powerline source having a power rating, the method comprising:
- powering the plurality of electrical loads with the power circuit only using power from the powerline source and at a level below the power rating of the powerline source;
- with a controller coupled to the power circuit, monitoring power consumption by the plurality of electrical loads;
- with the controller, detecting power consumption over a threshold associated with the power rating of the powerline source when monitoring power consumption;
- and
- with the controller, and in response to determining the power consumption over the threshold, selectively activating the high capacity capacitor with the power circuit to supply additional power to the power circuit and to power the heating element concurrently with powering one or more additional electrical loads using power from the powerline source and power from the high capacity capacitor such that the plurality of electrical loads are concurrently and collectively powered at a level above the power rating of the powerline source.
2 more elements
A refrigerator, comprising:
- an enclosure including a cabinet having one or more food storage compartments and one or more doors closing the one or more food storage compartments;
- a high capacity capacitor housed by the enclosure;
- a plurality of electrical loads housed by the enclosure, the plurality of electrical loads including a compressor configured to circulate refrigerant in a refrigeration circuit;
- a power circuit housed by the enclosure and coupling at least a portion of the plurality of electrical loads to a powerline source having a power rating, wherein the power circuit is configured to concurrently power the plurality of electrical loads with power from the powerline source and power from the high capacity capacitor;
- and
- a controller coupled to the power circuit, the controller configured to:
- monitor power consumption by the plurality of electrical loads;
- detect power consumption over a threshold associated with the power rating of the powerline source when monitoring power consumption;
- and
- in response to determining the power consumption over the threshold, selectively activate the high capacity capacitor to supply additional power to the power circuit.
7 more elements
A cooking appliance, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a high capacity capacitor housed by the enclosure;
- a plurality of heating elements housed by the enclosure;
- a power circuit housed by the enclosure and coupling the plurality of heating elements to a powerline source having a power rating, wherein the power circuit is configured to concurrently power multiple heating elements among the plurality of heating elements using power from the powerline source and power from the high capacity capacitor such that the multiple heating elements are concurrently and collectively powered at a level above the power rating of the powerline source;
- and
- a controller coupled to the power circuit, the controller configured to:
- monitor power consumption by the plurality of heating elements;
- detect power consumption over a threshold associated with the power rating of the powerline source when monitoring power consumption;
- and
- in response to determining the power consumption over the threshold, selectively activate the high capacity capacitor to supply additional power to the power circuit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.