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US 10,767,918 B2Granted
Refrigerator with position sensor and control method for opening a refrigerator door
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsMinsub Kim, Hongsik Kwon, Dongjeong Kim, Jungjae Lee, Jaehoon Shin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a refrigerator and control method for refrigerator and method for opening a refrigerator door. While a user is holding an object in both hands, a door may be automatically and additionally opened using another part of a body other than hands.
Claims19
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
- a refrigerating compartment door connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment, the refrigerating compartment door being configured to rotatably open to a preset automatic range by a driving motor positioned within the refrigerator;
- a freezing compartment door disposed vertically below the refrigerating compartment door and connected to the cabinet;
- a sensing assembly disposed at the freezing compartment door;
- and
- a detection device disposed at the refrigerating compartment door and configured to detect a presence of a user within a predetermined distance,
- wherein the sensing assembly is configured to detect the user's movement in response to the detection device detecting the user's presence within the predetermined distance,
- wherein the refrigerating compartment door is configured, based upon detection by the sensing assembly of the user's movement, to be opened to the preset automatic range by the driving motor,
- wherein the sensing assembly comprises:
- a projector configured to emit light to thereby project an optical pattern to a ground surface in front of the refrigerator, and
- a first position sensing device comprising a light emitting part and a light receiving part,
- wherein the projector is configured to define at least a portion of the optical pattern to be within a detection range of the first position sensing device, and
- wherein both of the light emitted from the projector and light emitted from the light emitting part pass through a bottom portion of the freezing compartment door.
10 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, the refrigerating compartment disposed at a lateral side of the freezing compartment;
- a refrigerating compartment door configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment and connected to the cabinet;
- a freezing compartment door configured to open and close the freezing compartment and connected to the cabinet;
- a door opening device configured to open at least one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door, the door opening device including a driving motor and a push rod driven by the driving motor;
- a sensing assembly disposed at one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door;
- and
- a detection device disposed at the one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door and configured to detect a presence of a user within a predetermined distance,
- wherein the detection device is positioned higher than the sensing assembly,
- wherein the sensing assembly is configured to detect the user's movement in response to the detection device detecting the user's presence within the predetermined distance,
- wherein the one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door is configured, based upon detection by the sensing assembly of the user's movement, to be opened by the push rod,
- wherein the sensing assembly comprises:
- a projector configured to emit light to thereby project an optical pattern to a ground surface in front of the refrigerator, and
- a first position sensing device comprising a light emitting part and a light receiving part,
- wherein the projector is configured to define at least a portion of the optical pattern to be within a detection range of the first position sensing device, and
- wherein both of the light emitted from the projector and light emitted from the light emitting part pass through a bottom portion of the one of the refrigerating compartment door or the freezing compartment door.
12 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet defining a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;
- a refrigerating compartment door configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment and connected to the cabinet;
- a freezing compartment door disposed vertically above the refrigerating compartment door and connected to the cabinet;
- a door opening device configured to open the freezing compartment door, the door opening device including a driving motor and a push rod driven by the driving motor;
- a sensing assembly disposed at the refrigerating compartment door;
- and
- a detection device disposed at the freezing compartment door and configured to detect a presence of a user within a predetermined distance,
- wherein the sensing assembly is configured to detect the user's movement in response to the detection device detecting the user's presence within the predetermined distance,
- wherein the freezing compartment door is configured, based upon detection by the sensing assembly of the user's movement, to be opened by the push rod,
- wherein the sensing assembly comprises:
- a projector configured to emit light to thereby project an optical pattern to a ground surface in front of the refrigerator, and
- a first position sensing device comprising a light emitting part and a light receiving part,
- wherein the projector is configured to define at least a portion of the optical pattern to be within a detection range of the first position sensing device, and
- wherein both of the light emitted from the projector and light emitted from the light emitting part pass through a bottom portion of the refrigerating compartment door.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.