Negative pressure sensing for an appliance door closure
AssigneeMidea Group Co., Ltd.
InventorsMark W. Wilson, Eric Scalf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for measuring and monitoring the closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance includes a controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of the appliance. The system includes a pressure sensor for monitoring the compartment to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure.
Claims21
A system for measuring and monitoring the closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance comprising:
- a controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of said appliance;
- a pressure sensor for monitoring said compartment having an output representative of compartment pressure operatively coupled to an input of said controller;
- said controller configured to;
- monitor said pressure sensor output to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure;
- and
- compare said negative pressure pulse magnitude to a target pressure pulse magnitude.
A system for measuring and monitoring closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance comprising:
- a controller and concomitant data memory, said controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of said appliance;
- a pressure sensor for monitoring said compartment having an output representative of compartment pressure operatively coupled to an input of said controller;
- a switch disposed within said compartment capable of detecting at least a partial closure of said compartment;
- said controller configured to;
- monitor said pressure sensor output to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure;
- and
- compare said negative pressure pulse magnitude to a target pressure pulse magnitude.
The system of claim 9 comprising:
- a user interface operatively coupled to said controller, wherein said controller is further configured to provide an indication of an improper compartment closure if said negative pressure pulse differs from said target pressure pulse by a predetermined amount.
A system for measuring and monitoring closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance comprising:
- a controller and concomitant data memory, said controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of said appliance;
- a vacuum flap pressure assembly disposed in said compartment for detecting and monitoring a pressure pulse, said flap pressure assembly having an orifice that separates a void from said compartment, and having a pivoting flap mounted to pivot against the pressure of a torsion spring, whereby said flap covers said orifice when it is only subject to the torsion spring force;
- and
- a micro-switch having an output operatively coupled to an input of said controller, said micro-switch being engaged to provide said output by said pivoting flap at a predetermined compartment pressure.
- said controller configured to;
- monitor said pressure sensor output to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure;
- and
- compare said negative pressure pulse magnitude to a target pressure pulse magnitude.
A method for measuring and monitoring closure of a refrigerated compartment of an appliance comprising:
- providing a controller having at least one input and at least one output for receiving and providing electrical signals to a plurality of electrical components of said appliance;
- providing a pressure sensor for monitoring said compartment having an output representative of compartment pressure operatively coupled to an input of said controller;
- monitoring said pressure sensor output to detect the presence of a negative pressure pulse indicative of a compartment closure;
- and
- comparing said negative pressure pulse magnitude to a target pressure pulse magnitude.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.