Food disposer and operating method of the food disposer
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsMijo Kang, Jungwon Choi, Kyungah Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A food disposer and an operating method of a food disposer. The method includes measuring a distance from a distance sensing module to a by-product stored in a storage container, through the distance sensing module, which is arrangeable relative to a cover that seals an upper portion of the storage container and spaced apart from a transfer pipe by a certain distance, and outputting a notification related to emptying of the by-product from the storage container based on the measured distance being less than or equal to a critical distance.
Claims19
A food disposer comprising:
- a disposal assembly configured to produce a by-product by drying or pulverizing food;
- a transfer pipe, connectable to the disposal assembly, to transfer the by-product produced in the disposal assembly while the transfer pipe is connected to the disposal assembly;
- a storage container, connectable to a lower portion of the transfer pipe, to store the by-product in the disposal assembly transferred through the transfer pipe while the storage container is connected to the lower portion of the transfer pipe;
- a distance sensing module, arrangeable relative to a cover that seals an upper portion of the storage container and spaced apart from the transfer pipe by a certain distance, the distance sensing module being configured to measure a distance from the distance sensing module to the by-product stored in the storage container;
- and
- at least one processor configured to control an output interface to output a notification related to emptying of the by-product from the storage container based on the distance from the distance sensing module to the by-product, which is measured by the distance sensing module, being less than or equal to a critical distance,
- wherein the distance sensing module is a first distance sensing module and the food disposer further comprises a second distance sensing module arrangeable on one side of the storage container, and
- wherein the second distance sensing module arrangeable at a certain distance below the cover that seals the upper portion of the storage container and the second distance sensing module is configured to sense the by-product that is accumulated above a height at which the second distance sensing module is located.
An operating method of a food disposer, comprising:
- measuring, by a distance sensing module, a distance from the distance sensing module to a by-product that is produced by a disposal assembly by drying or pulverizing food and stored in a storage container, the distance sensing module being arrangeable relative to a cover that seals an upper portion of the storage container and spaced apart from a transfer pipe that transfers the by-product from the disposal assembly to the storage container by a certain distance;
- and
- outputting a notification related to emptying of the by-product from the storage container based on the measured distance being less than or equal to a critical distance,
- wherein the distance sensing module is a first distance sensing module and the food disposer further comprises a second distance sensing module arrangeable on one side of the storage container, and
- wherein the second distance sensing module arrangeable at a certain distance below the cover that seals the upper portion of the storage container and the second distance sensing module is configured to sense the by-product that is accumulated above a height at which the second distance sensing module is located.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.