# US 9,435,577 B2 · Cooling appliance and operation method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,577 B2 - Document ID: US9435577B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/350,509 - Filed: 2012-10-04 - Published: 2014-09-04 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-14 - Assignees: BSH Hausgeräte GmbH - Applicants: Bsh Bosch Und Siemens HausgeräTe GmbH - Inventors: Tao Gu; Jiangbo Keong Sun; Jun Xia; Kai Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435577B2 ## CPC - F25D 11/00: Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators - F25D 29/00: Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices - F25D 11/022: {with two or more evaporators} - F25D 2400/361: Interactive visual displays - F25D 2700/12: Sensors measuring the inside temperature - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a cooling appliance and an operating method thereof. The cooling appliance comprises multiple thermally insulated storage chambers (2, 3, 4), a cooling system (5) for cooling these storage chambers (2, 3, 4), and an indication unit (20). According to the proposal of the present invention, the indication unit (20) is set to be capable of displaying information about which of the storage chambers (2, 3, 4) is/are being cooled by the cooling system (5). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling appliance, comprising: a plurality of thermally insulated storage chambers; a cooling system for cooling the storage chambers, the cooling system operating in a first mode when it actively cools one or more of the chambers and a second mode when it does not actively cool one or more of the chambers; and an indication unit configured to show information regarding each of the storage chambers that is actively cooled by the cooling system when operating in the first mode; wherein the indication unit comprises multiple indication portions respectively corresponding to one or more storage chambers and illumination elements for illuminating the corresponding indication portions; wherein only when one or more of the storage chambers is being actively cooled when the cooling system operates in the first mode, the luminance of the illumination element corresponding to each actively cooled storage chamber periodically and gradually changes between a lower limit value and an upper limit value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein, the information is shown through characters, symbols, and optical and/or acoustic signals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, wherein, the multiple indication portions are sequentially arranged according to an arrangement sequence of the storage chambers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: multiple doors, wherein each of the doors is used to close or open at least one part of the corresponding storage chambers, and the indication unit is disposed on at least one door. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cooling appliance according to claim 4, wherein, the indication unit is disposed on a front side of the door. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: multiple doors for closing or opening the corresponding storage chambers, and each indication portion is disposed on the door of the storage chamber corresponding to the indication portion respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: a main display unit for displaying at least one set parameter of the cooling appliance, wherein the indication unit and the main display unit are separately disposed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cooling appliance according to claim 7, wherein, in the case that the multiple storage chambers are closed, when viewed from a front side of the cooling appliance, the main display unit is invisible, and the indication unit is visible. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cooling appliance according to claim 1, further comprising: a main display unit for setting at least one parameter of the cooling appliance, wherein the indication unit is integrated inside the main display unit. ### Claim 10 An operation method of a cooling appliance, wherein the cooling appliance comprises multiple storage chambers and a cooling system for cooling the storage chambers, the method comprising: determining which of the storage chambers is/are currently actively cooled by the cooling system; and indicating, by an indication unit which comprises multiple illumination elements, each of the illumination elements corresponding to at least one storage chamber, information of each of the storage chambers being actively cooled by the cooling system by periodically and gradually changing luminance of the illumination element corresponding to the storage chamber between a lower limit value and an upper limit value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, the step of determining which of the storage chambers is/are being cooled by the cooling system comprises: detecting the temperature of each storage chamber, and judging whether the obtained storage chamber temperature is falling; if yes, determining that the cooling system is cooling the storage chamber with the falling temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, the cooling system comprises at least one valve for changing a cooling mode of the cooling system, and it is judged, by determining a position of the valve, which of the storage chambers is/are being cooled by the cooling system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein when one of the storage chambers is not cooled, the corresponding illumination element is either not activated or it luminance does not vary. ### Claim 14 A cooling appliance, comprising: at least one thermally insulated storage chamber; a cooling system for cooling the at least one storage chamber and being operable in a first mode in which the storage chamber is actively cooled and a second mode in which the storage chamber is not actively cooled; and an indication unit configured to show information as to whether the storage chamber is being actively cooled by the cooling system when operating in the first mode; wherein the indication unit comprises an indication portion corresponding to the at least one storage chamber and an illumination element for illuminating the indication portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cooling appliance according to claim 14, wherein, the information is shown through characters, symbols, and optical and/or acoustic signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The cooling appliance according to claim 14, further comprising: a door, wherein the door is used to close or open at least one part of the storage chamber, and the indication unit is disposed on the door. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cooling appliance according to claim 16, wherein the indication unit is disposed on a front side of the door. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The cooling applicant according to claim 14, wherein only when the at least one storage chamber is being cooled, the luminance of the illumination element periodically and gradually changes between a lower limit value and an upper limit value.