Appliance feature module enabled by energy or materials sourced from the host appliance

A modular, utility supply unit comprising:

• a utility supply module housing configured to be removably engaged and disengaged with a surface of an appliance without the use of tools;
• at least one refillable reservoir configured to receive and store a plurality of supplemental utilities wherein the supplemental utilities are supplied to and delivered into the at least one refillable reservoir by the appliance when the utility supply unit is operably engaged to the appliance;
• an interface configured to engage a plurality of different feature modules that provide different features to a user and wherein the interface is configured to deliver at least one utility sourced from the appliance to the plurality of different feature modules through the interface, wherein the interface includes a recognition device that prompts the utility supply unit to provide the engaged feature module with at least one of the stored supplemental utilities within the utility supply module from at least one of the refillable reservoirs;
• and
• wherein the recognition device comprises a communication and detection system, wherein the communication and detection system is selected from the group consisting of a reed switch, dip switch, and a comparator circuit.

A method for supplying utility to various feature modules comprising:

• providing:
• an appliance cabinet having a rear wall section, a first side wall section, a second side wall section, a top, a bottom, at least one appliance door, and having an interior;
• a refrigerator section within the appliance interior and having the same or a smaller volume than the interior of the appliance, wherein the appliance door has an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a space therebetween and wherein the appliance door closes to create an insulated volume;
• a utility supply module configured to be removably engaged and disengaged with the appliance without the use of tools, the utility supply module having a common interface that provides engageability to a plurality of feature modules, the interface having a module recognition device for identifying the class of feature module the utility supply module is engaged with, the utility supply module having at least one refillable reservoir capable of storing a plurality of utilities, wherein at least one of the plurality of utilities is selectively supplied to the engaged feature module from an engaged utility supply module via a utility engagement system when the feature module is engaged with the appliance and wherein the utility engagement system includes a protrusion and a recess that releasably and matingly engages the protrusion and either the recess or protrusion of the utility engagement system is on an exterior wall of module that engages a mounting location of the feature module on a surface of the appliance cabinet;
• engaging the utility supply module with the appliance;
• replenishing the at least one refillable reservoir of the utility supply module with a utility sourced and received from the appliance, wherein the utility supply module has access to a plurality of utilities from the appliance;
• engaging the feature module with the utility supply module, wherein the feature module engaging step includes operably connecting the feature module to the utility supply module through the common interface, wherein the module recognition device is capable of recognizing which of the plurality of stored utilities is appropriate to supply the engaged feature module based upon input from the module recognition device;
• and
• supplying the engaged feature module with at least one of the stored utilities at a second rate that is the same rate or a faster rate than the first rate.