US 5,856,781 AGranted

Refrigerator door alarm system

OwnerWarren K. Michel, Gerrard Cheramieinventors

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Abstract

A refrigerator door alarm system that includes a message circuit having a playback function that is triggered by a trigger circuit that detects movement of the magnetic gasket of the refrigerator door. The refrigerator door alarm system includes an alarm housing and an alarm circuit including a trigger circuit, a timer circuit responsive to the trigger circuit, a message circuit responsive to the trigger circuit, and a buzzer responsive to the timer circuit. The alarm housing includes an outwardly extended magnetic attachment side strip secured to an attachment strip support, a speaker grate, a buzzer grate, a message record button opening, a message play button opening, a battery compartment, and a magnetically actuated reed switch assembly member; the trigger circuit including a magnetically actuated reed switch that is activatable by the magnetic field oat a magnetic refrigerator door gasket. The refrigerator door alarm system audibly outputs the recorded message on the speaker each time the trigger circuit is triggered. The refrigerator door alarm system generates an audible buzzer output when the timer circuit runs past a predetermined door open time. The door open time is measured from the triggering of the trigger circuit.

A refrigerator door alarm system comprising:

an alarm housing:
and
an alarm circuit positioned within said alarm housing and including a trigger circuit, a timer circuit responsive to said trigger circuit, a voice generating message circuit responsive to said trigger circuit, and a buzzer responsive to said timer circuit;
said alarm housing including an outwardly extended magnetic attachment side strip secured to an attachment strip support, a speaker grate, a buzzer grate, a message record button opening, a message play button opening, a battery compartment, and a magnetically actuated reed switch assembly member;
said trigger circuit including a magnetically actuated reed switch positioned within said reed switch assembly member;
said magnetically actuated reed switch being activatable by a magnetic field from of a magnetic refrigerator door gasket;
said timer IC having a timer input triggered by a change of state of said magnetically actuated reed switch and a timer output in controlling connection with said buzzer;
said buzzer producing an audible output in response to receiving a buzzer activation signal from a timer output of said timer circuit;
said voice generating message circuit including a voice signal generating IC, a speaker, a play message button, and a record message button;
said voice signal generating IC having a first playback input, a second playback input, a record input, and a voice signal output;
said voice signal generating IC:
a) generating a voice signal to said speaker in response to receipt of a play signal from said play message button,
b) generating a voice signal to said speaker in response to a detecting a change of state of said magnetically actuated reed switch of said trigger circuit, and
c) recording a voice signal for playback in response to receipt of a record signal from said message record button;
said refrigerator door alarm system audibly outputting said recorded voice signal on said speaker each time said trigger circuit is triggered;
said refrigerator door alarm system generating an audible buzzer output when said timer circuit runs past a predetermined door open time;
said door open time being measured from said change of state of said magnetically actuated reed switch.

14 more elements

Abstract

Claims1