Dispense control system for a refrigerator appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsGregory Sergeevich Chernov, Andrew Reinhard Krause
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dispense control system for a dispensing assembly of a refrigerator appliance and a method for operating the same are provided. The dispensing assembly defines a base plane for receiving a container. A dispense control system includes an emitter for directing a beam of energy toward the container and the base plane and a receiver for detecting a projection of the beam of energy in an image plane of the receiver. The dispense control system may be configured to obtain a measured displacement of the projection when the container is positioned on the base plane, and an actual height of the container or a liquid level within the container may be determined from the measured displacement of the projection.
Claims13
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
- a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the door defining a dispenser recess;
- a dispensing assembly positioned within the dispenser recess and defining a base plane;
- and
- a dispense control system operably coupled to the dispensing assembly for filling a container positioned on the base plane, the dispense control system comprising:
- an emitter for directing a plurality of planar energy beams at different angles relative to an emitter plane toward the container and the base plane, wherein the emitter is installed above the base plane and defines the emitter plane that is orthogonal to the base plane;
- and
- a receiver installed above the base plane and defining a receiver axis that is not orthogonal to the base plane and intersects the emitter plane at the base plane, the receiver being configured for detecting a projection of the plurality of planar energy beams in an image plane of the receiver to obtain a measured displacement of the projection when the container is positioned on the base plane, and wherein an actual height of the container or a liquid level within the container is determined from the measured displacement of the projection.
A dispense control system for regulating a dispensing assembly to fill a container positioned on a base plane, the dispense control system comprising:
- an emitter installed above the base plane for directing a plurality of planar energy beams at different angles relative to an emitter plane toward the container and the base plane;
- and
- a receiver installed above the base plane and defining a receiver axis, a focal point, and an image plane spaced apart from the focal point along the receiver axis, wherein the receiver is configured for detecting a projection of the plurality of planar energy beams in the image plane to obtain a measured displacement of the projection when the container is positioned on the base plane, and wherein an actual height of the container or a liquid level within the container is determined from the measured displacement of the projection.
A method of operating a dispense control system to fill a container positioned on a base plane of a dispensing assembly, the method comprising:
- directing a plurality of planar energy beams at different angles relative to an emitter plane toward the base plane using an emitter;
- detecting a first projection of the plurality of planar energy beams in an image plane of a receiver, the image plane being spaced apart from a focal point of the receiver along a receiver axis;
- positioning the container on the base plane;
- directing the plurality of planar energy beams at different angles relative to an emitter plane toward the container or liquid within the container;
- detecting a second projection of the plurality of planar energy beams in the image plane of the receiver;
- determining a measured displacement between the first projection and the second projection;
- and
- obtaining an actual height of the container or a liquid level within the container based at least in part on the measured displacement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.