US 2010/0248546 A1Published application

Adapter for coupling a consumer electronic device to an appliance

AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation

InventorRICHARD A. MCCOY

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Abstract

An adapter comprises a first adapter interface configured to removably couple to a consumer electronic device to permit communication of a first electrical service between the adapter and the device, a second adapter interface configured to removably couple to an appliance to permit communication of a second electrical service between the transformative adapter and the appliance, and at least one transformation component in communication with the first adapter interface and the second adapter interface and transforming one of the first electrical service and the second electrical service into the other when the adapter is mechanically coupled with at least one of the appliance and the consumer electronic device. The first and second electrical services can be a power or data service, and one of the services can comprise a wireless service.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An adapter for removably coupling a consumer electronic device having a first standardized service interface to an appliance conducting a useful cycle of operation and having a second standardized service interface that is incompatible with the first standardized interface, the adapter comprising:

an adapter main body;
a first adapter interface provided on the main body and configured to removably couple to the first standardized interface to permit communication of a first electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the consumer electronic device;
a second adapter interface provided on the main body and configured to removably couple to the second standardized interface to permit communication of a second electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the appliance;
and
at least one transformation component in communication with the first adapter interface and the second adapter interface and transforming one of the first electrical service and the second electrical service to the other of the first electrical service and the second electrical service when the adapter is mechanically coupled with at least one of the appliance and the consumer electronic device;
wherein at least one of the first electrical service and the second electrical service comprises a wireless service.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.