Control for cooler unit

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-11-01
U LINE CORP A WI CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention provides a solution to the above problems of the prior art. In one aspect, the invention provides a cooler unit having a digital control uni

Problems solved by technology

In either of these configurations, a transformer, rectifier, and / or power regulator may be required and these components may need to be located separate from the control circuit, which can make the unit more costly to produce.
Another problem is that digital control units can have sensitive electrical components that are configured to operate in a temperature range and may malfunction if operated outside of that range.
Placing a digital control unit near the compressor and coils may negatively impact the ability of the heat sink to dissipate heat from the semiconductor.
Another issue is that safety standards and regulations may require that the digital control unit be contained in a housing made of materials with certain properties.
Another issue with compact cooler units is the maximal use of interior space for storage.
The liner floor can be used to store food and beverage items; however, the liner floor can prove to be unsuitable for food and beverage item storage.
Thus, a user is not able to use the liner floor to store food and beverage items, and this available storage space is wasted.

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0022]FIG. 1 shows a cooler unit 10, the term used herein to mean any self-contained cold storage unit, for example, a refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, a wine and / or beverage cooler, and combinations thereof. The cooler unit 10 generally includes a thermally insulated cabinet 12 defining a storage cavity with an access opening at the front face of the cabinet 12. The opening is sealed by a thermally insulated door 14 pivotally mounted to the front of the cabinet 12. The cooler unit 10 includes a compressor, a capillary tube, and interior and exterior heat exchanger coils containing a standard refrigerant, as known in the art, for lowering the temperature of the air inside the cabinet 12. The compressor and exterior coils are contained in a compartment in the bottom of the cabinet 12 accessible from the back side of the unit (not shown).

[0023]A control unit housing 16 contains a control unit comprising a circuit board with a low-voltage portion and a high-voltage portion (see FIGS. ...

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PUM

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Abstract

A cooler unit has improved control components. The cooler unit includes a digital control unit with a circuit board having high-voltage components and a display. The refrigeration also includes a control housing with a display window, the display positioned to be seen through the display window and covered by a display cover positioned within the display window. The display cover serves to mechanically and electrically isolate the display. The control housing is mounted to a floor of a cabinet liner that is sloped in a downward direction toward the opening of the cooler unit, the control housing retains food and beverage items that are stored on the floor of the cabinet liner so that the items do not exit fall out of the cooler unit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 795,821 filed on Apr. 28, 2006, and entitled “Control for Cooler Unit,” hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]This invention relates to cold storage units, such as coolers and refrigerators, and in particular, the invention relates to cooler units with an improved control unit and control unit housing.[0004]Cold storage units, such as refrigerators, freezers and beverage coolers, are well known, virtually indispensable appliances. Compact refrigerators, especially built-in undercounter beverage and wine coolers, have especially attractive attributes because they can be installed in homes, offices, boats, and recreational vehicles. There has thus been numerous refinements and improvements made to these devices to address a...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): F25D23/12
CPCF25D29/005F25D2400/361F25D2331/803
InventorRAND, THOMAS W.DOBERSTEIN, ANDREW J.ZYDUCK, JOSEPH H.STRASZEWSKI, JENNIFER U.
OwnerU LINE CORP A WI CORP