Electric appliance with sensing for load determination

Abstract

A refrigeration appliance having sensing for load determination is disclosed, the refrigeration appliance including a shelf and a shelf support having a resilient member arranged to be compressed by the weight of food items placed on the shelf. Changes in pressure or flow of fluid in the resilient member are used to detect changes in food item weight. The appliance can be configured to perform one or more events based on the detected changes.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates generally to an appliance with load sensing, and more particularly to an appliance that can detect the weight of one or more objects placed on a shelf of the appliance. BACKGROUND

[0002] Refrigeration appliances are used to store food items in commercial and residential applications. As food items are consumed or spoiled over time, they must be replenished. Some food items, such as dairy products, can be depleted more quickly and require more frequent replacement, while other items can last longer or be consumed more slowly. In a commercial setting, the rate of consumption can vary with the level of business activity.

[0003] Traditionally, users rely on manual inspection of the items of a refrigeration appliance to determine what items must be replaced, sometimes creating a list for ordering or grocery shopping. With the growth of e-commerce and residential delivery of food items, various technologies have emerged related to automatic ordering and delivery. Such technologies include item or inventory management systems that can rely on various features to determine which items of an appliance are removed, added, or otherwise changed.

[0004] By way of example, camera systems have been proposed that can rely on image recognition of items placed in a compartment of a refrigeration appliance. The systems can require associated electronics to perform algorithms related to such image recognition. Bar codes or radio frequency identification devices can also allow the appliance to scan or otherwise identify items as they are placed into or removed from the refrigeration appliance. Of course, the items can require food packaging that is compatible with the scanning devices. Depending on the system employed, the user of the appliance can require varying degrees of interaction or assistance.

[0005] As described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20190353421, the use of load sensors to weigh items placed on, for example, an inventory panel is proposed. The load sensors can be used to detect changes in weight on the inventory panel. While providing certain advantages, the load sensors can add certain manufacturing costs and manufacturing complexity to the refrigeration appliance. Challenges also include incorporating the load sensors therein, particularly in the interior of the appliance, without impacting the desired aesthetics.

[0006] Accordingly, a refrigeration appliance with features that can be used to determine changes in items of the appliance would be useful. More particularly, a refrigeration appliance that can determine changes in the quantity of food items stored in the appliance by detecting changes in the weight of the food items would be desirable. It would be particularly beneficial to be able to incorporate such features easily without impacting the aesthetics of the appliance. SUMMARY

[0007] These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present application will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.

[0008] In one example embodiment, the present application provides a refrigeration appliance defining a vertical, lateral, and transverse direction. The refrigeration appliance includes a cabinet defining a chamber for receiving food items. A door is rotatably supported by the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber. A shelf assembly is also included and has a shelf disposed in the chamber for receiving food items and a shelf support configured to support the shelf and food items placed thereon. An elastic member is disposed in mechanical communication with the shelf such that food items placed on the shelf cause the elastic member to be compressed. The elastic member can include a sealed chamber containing a fluid. A pressure sensor is in communication with the fluid and is configured to measure the fluid pressure in the sealed chamber.

[0009] In another example embodiment, the present application includes a refrigeration appliance including a cabinet defining a chamber for receiving food items. A door is rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber. A shelf assembly is also included and has a shelf disposed in the chamber for receiving food items and a shelf support configured to support the shelf. An elastic member is disposed in mechanical communication with the shelf such that food items placed on the shelf cause the elastic member to be compressed. The elastic member defines a sealed chamber containing a fluid within a circuit. A pump circulates the fluid within the circuit defined by the elastic member. A flow meter is also included for flow measurement of the fluid within the circuit of the elastic member.

[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present application will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the complete disclosure of the present application will become apparent in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A front view of an example appliance of the present application is provided.

[0013] Figure 2 A perspective view of an example appliance of the present application is provided. Figure 1 A perspective view of an example appliance of the present application is provided, wherein certain doors and drawers are shown in an open position to reveal the interior of the appliance.

[0014] Figure 3 is a top view of an exemplary shelving assembly of the present application, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional or end view thereof.

[0015] Figure 5 is a top view of an exemplary resilient member of the present application.

[0016] Figure 6 is a side view of another exemplary shelving assembly of the present application, and Figure 7 is a perspective view thereof.

[0017] Figure 8 is a side view of another exemplary shelving assembly of the present application, and Figure 9 is a perspective view thereof.

[0018] Figure 10 is a top view of another exemplary shelving assembly of the present application, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional or end view thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the present application, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is given for the intent and purpose of explanation and is not intended to be limiting of the present application. In fact, many modifications and variations to the present application can be made in light of the teachings provided herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present application. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one implementation can be used with another implementation to yield a still further implementation. Thus, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the implementations illustrated and / or described herein. Rather, the present application covers all modifications and variations of the implementations herein disclosed and equivalents thereof.

[0020] Figure 1 A front view of a refrigeration appliance 100 according to an exemplary implementation of the present application is provided. The refrigeration appliance 100 extends along a vertical direction V between a top 101 and a bottom 102. The refrigeration appliance 100 also extends along a lateral direction L between a first side 105 and a second side 106. A transverse direction T Figure 2 ) is defined as being perpendicular to the vertical direction V and the lateral direction L. Thus, the vertical direction V, the lateral direction L and the transverse direction T are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system.

[0021] The refrigeration appliance 100 includes a housing or cabinet 120 that defines an interior volume 121. The cabinet 120 also defines an above food fresh food chamber 122 and a below food fresh food chamber 124 arranged vertically V below the food fresh food chamber 122. As such, the refrigeration appliance 100 is commonly referred to as a bottom mount refrigerator. In this example embodiment, the cabinet 120 also defines a machinery chamber (not shown) for receiving a sealed cooling system (not shown). It should be appreciated that the present disclosure can be used with other types of refrigerators (e.g., side-by-side), freezer appliances, other types of appliances, and / or any other suitable shelving system. Accordingly, the description set forth herein is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way.

[0022] The refrigeration appliance 100 includes refrigeration door bodies 126, 128 that are rotatably hinged to the edges of the cabinet 120 for accessing the food fresh food chamber 122. It should be noted that while the refrigeration door bodies 126, 128 are depicted as a “French door” configuration, any suitable arrangement or number of door bodies are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. A freezer door body 130 is arranged below the refrigeration door bodies 126, 128 for accessing the freezer chamber 124.

[0023] Operation of the refrigeration appliance 100 can be regulated by a controller 134 that is operably coupled to a user interface panel 136. The user interface panel 136 provides the user with options for manipulating operation of the refrigeration appliance 100, such as interior shelving lighting settings. In response to user manipulation of the user interface panel 136, the controller 134 operates various components of the refrigeration appliance 100. The controller 134 can include a memory and one or more processors, microprocessors, CPUs, or the like, such as a general purpose or special purpose microprocessor, for executing programmed instructions or microcontrol code associated with operation of the refrigeration appliance 100. The memory can represent random access memory, such as DRAM, or read only memory, such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programmed instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be a separate component from the processor or can be contained on-board within the processor.

[0024] The controller 134 can be located in various positions throughout the refrigeration appliance 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 134 is located within the refrigerator door 126. In this embodiment, input / output (“I / O”) signals can be routed between the controller 134 and various operating components of the refrigeration appliance 100. In one embodiment, the user interface panel 136 can represent a general-purpose I / O (“GPIO”) device or function block. The user interface panel 136 can include input components, such as one or more of various electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical input devices, including rotary control panels, buttons, and touchpads. The user interface panel 136 can include display components, such as digital or analog displays designed to provide operational feedback to the user. The user interface panel 136 can communicate with the controller 134 via one or more signal lines or a shared communication bus.

[0025] Figure 2 A front perspective view of a refrigeration appliance 100 with refrigerator doors 126 and 128 in the open position is provided to expose the interior of the food preservation compartment 122. Additionally, the freezer door 130 is shown in the open position to expose the interior of the freezer compartment 124. Figure 2 As shown more clearly, the refrigeration appliance 100 extends laterally along a T between the front end 108 and the rear end 110.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, in this exemplary embodiment, the food preservation compartment 122 of the refrigeration appliance 100 includes a shelf assembly 200 mounted to the rear wall 152 of the housing 120. More specifically, the shelf assembly 200 includes two rows of shelves 202 generally spaced along a vertical V. It should be understood that the refrigeration appliance 100 may include any suitable number of shelves 202 in any suitable location or configuration. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the shelf assembly 200 may also include shelves 202 mounted to or supported on another surface inside the housing 120, such as mounted to one of the two opposing side walls 140 of the housing 120 or installed in the freezer compartment 124. For example, the shelf 202 may be configured as a single-row shelf supported on the two opposing side walls 140 or a combination of side walls 140 and the rear wall 152. Other configurations of the shelf assembly 200 may also be used, including adjustable shelf systems. In this embodiment, the refrigeration appliance 100 also includes various shelves 202, drawers 158, and may include other compartments that will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0027] Figure 3 and Figure 4An exemplary embodiment of a shelf 202 of the present application is illustrated, which can be used in a refrigeration appliance 100. For this embodiment, the shelf 202 is supported by a shelf support 204, which in turn can be supported on opposing side walls 140, a rear wall 152 and / or other portions of the refrigeration appliance 100. The shelf 202 is used to receive one or more food items placed on a top surface 216. This embodiment will be described with reference to a single shelf. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, using the teachings disclosed herein, that multiple shelves can be used within the scope of the present application and the appended claims.

[0028] For this exemplary embodiment, as Figure 3 best seen in FIG. 1, the shelf 202 and the shelf support 204 coextend with one another and collectively define a perimeter P. An elastic member 208 is disposed in mechanical communication with the shelf 202 and the shelf support 204. The elastic member 208 includes a sealed chamber 210 that contains a fluid 218, and can be constructed of a variety of flexible materials that will allow the weight changes of the items on the shelf 202 to be transmitted to the fluid 218 contained within the sealed chamber 210. In one exemplary embodiment, the elastic member 208 can be constructed of a tube of polyethylene. Other materials can also be used.

[0029] As used herein, "mechanical communication" means that the elastic member 208 is disposed relative to the shelf 202 such that a food item placed on the top surface 216 of the shelf 202 will compress the elastic member 208, and thus, the manner in which the pressure of the fluid 218 is affected can be used to determine the weight changes of one or more food items placed on the shelf 202, including those caused by the addition, removal and / or consumption of such food items. Such compression can be achieved by the direct or indirect application of force, or by the application of torque.

[0030] Thus, as Figure 4 illustrated, the elastic member 208 can be in direct contact with the shelf 202 and the support 204. In other embodiments, the elastic member 208 can be in indirect contact with one or both of the shelf 202 and the support 204, but in a known relationship such that the effect on the pressure of the fluid 218 can be used to determine the changes in weight associated with one or more food items placed on or removed from the shelf 202. In still other embodiments, the elastic member 208 can be in contact (directly or indirectly) with the shelf 202 and a wall of the refrigeration appliance 100 (as will be further described), such that the changes in weight of the food items placed on the shelf 202 affect the pressure of the fluid in the elastic member 208 in a known manner.

[0031] Referring to Figure 5The resilient member 208 includes a pressure sensor 212 that provides pressure measurements of the fluid 218. For this example embodiment, the pressure sensor 212 is housed within the sealed chamber 210 of the resilient member 208 and communicates pressure measurements to the controller 134. The pressure sensor 212 can connect to the controller 134 using various signals including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, etc., for example.

[0032] The pressure sensor 212 can include a battery or other energy storage device for providing the power needed to measure the pressure of the fluid 218 and to communicate the measurement signals to the controller 134. In other embodiments, the pressure sensor 212 can be partially housed within the sealed chamber 210 of the resilient member 208 and can also have a portion extending therefrom that includes a connector or plug, for example, for connecting with the refrigeration appliance 100 to provide power and / or communication signals containing the pressure measurements.

[0033] By way of example, the placement, consumption, or removal of items from the shelf 202 will change the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 212, which is communicated to the controller 134. These changes in the pressure measurements of the fluid 218 can be used by the refrigeration appliance 100 to perform a variety of different actions that are helpful to the user. For example, a drop in the pressure measurement or measurements can be used by the controller 134 to send a notification to the user indicating the consumption of one or more food items placed on the shelf 202. Changes in pressure can also be calibrated with known quantities of food items (e.g., a container of milk of a known weight for a certain volume) to determine when food items are placed on or removed from the shelf 202. The use of the pressure measurements provided by the pressure sensor 212 can also be combined with other techniques previously mentioned. For example, a camera with image recognition capabilities can also be used to identify food items placed into or removed from the refrigeration appliance 100, in combination with the use of the pressure measurements, it can be determined when food items are used or replenished. Other applications of the information provided by the pressure sensor 212 will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art using the teachings disclosed herein.

[0034] The fluid 218 can be compressible or incompressible. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, the fluid 218 can be, for example, ethylene glycol, water, or other liquid. In other embodiments, the fluid 218 can be air, an inert gas, or other gas. In addition to liquids and gases, semi-fluids such as soft paraffin, emulsions, and gels can also be used. For use of a gas, the resilient member 208 can also include a temperature sensor 214. In this case, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, changes in the pressure of the gas, together with the known temperature at the time of the pressure measurement, can be used to calculate changes in the weight of the food items placed on the shelf 202. As with the pressure sensor 212, the temperature sensor 214 can be housed within the resilient member 208, the temperature sensor 214 can be self-powered, and provide a wireless signal indicative of the temperature measurement to the controller 134, or can be directly connected to the refrigeration appliance 100.

[0035] Other shapes of resilient member 208 can also be used, including, for example, C-shaped, L-shaped, and other shapes, so long as the shape can be placed in mechanical communication with one or more shelves so that changes in the weight of one or more food items thereon can be determined. In addition, in the case of use of a pressure sensor 212, the resilient member 208 need not form a loop, as changes in pressure will be transmitted in the fluid 218 in the chamber 210 regardless.

[0036] By way of additional example, Figure 6 and Figure 7 A view of another exemplary embodiment of a shelf assembly 300 of the present application, which can also be used in the refrigeration appliance 100, is provided. For this embodiment, the shelves 320 and 322 are cantilevered mounted on a vertical shelf support 324, which is attached to a slidable panel 326. Placing or removing food items on the shelves 320 and 322 can change the pressure of the fluid 318 in the sealed chamber 310 of the resilient member 308. By way of example, placing a food item M on the shelf 320 can exert a force on the resilient member 308 vertically downward (arrow D) on the slidable panel 326, resulting in a change in pressure in the fluid 318, which can be measured and utilized as previously described. Similarly, removal of the food item M decreases the force exerted by the slidable panel 326 on the resilient member 308, which also results in a change in pressure in the fluid 318, which can be measured and used as previously described.

[0037] Figure 8 and Figure 9A view of another exemplary embodiment of the shelf assembly 400 of the present application that can also be used in the refrigeration appliance 100 is illustrated. For this embodiment, the shelves 420 and 422 are cantilevered mounted on a vertical shelf support 424 that is attached to a rotatable panel 426. Placing or removing food items on the shelves 420 and 422 changes the pressure of the fluid 418 in the sealed chamber 410 of the resilient member 408. However, unlike the embodiment of the assembly 300 in Figure 7 and Figure 8 For the shelf assembly 400, this change in pressure is caused by a force F along the lateral direction L that is caused by a torque due to the weight of the product. By way of example, placing a food item M on the shelf 420 can create a torque TX when the rotatable panel 426 is rotated about the pivot point P. The distal end 428 applies the force F laterally to the resilient member 408, which squeezes it between the rotatable panel 426 and the back wall 152. This in turn causes a change in pressure in the fluid 418 that can be measured and utilized as previously described. Similarly, removal of the food item M decreases the force applied by the rotatable panel 426 to the resilient member 408, which also results in a change in pressure in the fluid 418 that can be measured and used as previously described.

[0038] Figure 10 and Figure 11 Another exemplary embodiment 500 of the shelf assembly of the present application that can be used in the refrigeration appliance 100 is provided. For this embodiment, a shelf 502 is supported by a shelf support 504 that in turn can be supported on opposing side walls 140, a back wall 152 and / or other portions of the refrigeration appliance 100. The shelf 502 is used to receive one or more food items placed on a top surface 516.

[0039] In this exemplary embodiment, a resilient member 508 forms a fluid circulation loop P( Figure 10 ) between the shelf 502 and the shelf support 504. The resilient member 508 is disposed in mechanical communication with the shelf 502 as previously described and includes a sealed chamber 510 that contains a fluid 518. As with the previous embodiments, the resilient member 508 can be constructed of a variety of flexible materials that will allow the weight changes of the items on the shelf 502 to be transferred to the fluid 518 contained within the sealed chamber 510. Other shapes of the resilient member 508 can also be used so long as the loop is used to circulate the fluid 518.

[0040] Referring to Figure 10Pump 534 circulates fluid 518 located in resilient member 508, while flow meter 532 provides a measurement of the flow (arrow R) in the loop P formed by resilient member 508. Flow meter 532 can be connected to controller 134 using various signals including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, etc., either wired or wirelessly. By way of example, placing or removing an item on shelf 502 will cause a change in the flow measurement of the fluid in loop P created by pump 534, which is communicated to controller 134. These changes in the flow measurement of fluid 518 can be used by refrigeration appliance 100 to perform various different actions that are helpful to the user.

[0041] For example, a drop in the flow measurement one or more times can be used by controller 134 to send a notification to the user indicating the depletion of one or more food items placed on shelf 502, as previously described. Changes in the flow measurement can also be calibrated with a known quantity of food (e.g., a container of milk of a known weight and volume) to determine when food is placed on or removed from shelf 502. The use of the flow measurement provided by flow meter 534 can also be combined with other techniques previously mentioned. For example, a camera with image recognition capabilities can also be used to identify food placed into or removed from refrigeration appliance 100, in combination with the use of the flow measurement, to determine when food is used or replenished. Other applications of the information provided by flow meter 534 will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art using the teachings disclosed herein.

[0042] This written description uses examples to disclose the application, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the application, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the application is defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Claims

1. A refrigeration appliance characterized in that, The refrigeration appliance includes: a cabinet defining a chamber for receiving food products; a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chamber; a shelf assembly including: a shelf disposed in the chamber and for receiving food products; a shelf support configured to support the shelf; a resilient member disposed in mechanical communication with the shelf, food products placed on the shelf causing the resilient member to be compressed, the resilient member defining a sealed chamber containing a fluid within a circuit, the resilient member disposed between the shelf and the shelf support; a pump for circulating the fluid within the circuit defined by the resilient member; and a flow meter for measuring a flow measurement of the fluid flow within the circuit of the resilient member.

2. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1, wherein, The resilient member includes a tube.

3. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1, wherein, The shelf and the shelf support collectively extend and define a perimeter, the resilient member extending around the perimeter between the shelf and the shelf support.

4. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1, wherein, The resilient member is disposed between the shelf support and a rear wall of the refrigeration appliance.

5. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1, wherein, The flow meter provides a wireless signal to communicate the flow measurement.

6. The refrigeration appliance of claim 1, wherein, The refrigeration appliance further includes a controller in communication with the flow meter.

7. The refrigeration appliance of claim 6, wherein, The controller is configured to correlate the flow measurement to a change in weight of food products placed on the shelf.

Images