Complex home appliance and method of controlling and installing the same

• US 20040046454A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Jeon-Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,173,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/38
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/248 UPS systems or standby or emergency generators

Abstract

A complex home appliance and a method of controlling and installing the same. The complex home appliance includes a single power supply unit shared by two or more component home appliances of the complex home appliance. The two or more component home appliances are controlled by a single control unit of the complex home appliance. The complex home appliance can be operated in a simultaneous operation mode in which the two or more component home appliances are simultaneously operable, and an individual operation mode in which only one of the two or more component home appliances is operable. The complex home appliance includes a mode-setting unit to set the simultaneous or individual operation mode. The complex home appliance includes a power cut-off unit which supplies power to the single power supply unit and cuts off the supply of the power in response to being electrically opened at the time of an electrical overload.

Claims

1. A complex home appliance, comprising:

two or more component home appliances which are integrated into the complex home appliance as a single system; and

a single power supply unit which is shared by the two or more component home appliances of the complex home appliance.

2. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a single control unit which controls the two or more component home appliances.

3. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 1, wherein the complex home appliance allows the two or more component home appliances to be simultaneously operable in a simultaneous operation mode thereof, and allows only one of the two or more component home appliances to be operable in an individual operation mode thereof.

4. The appliance as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a mode setting unit to set the simultaneous or individual operation mode.

5. The appliance as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a power cut-off unit which cuts off a supply of power to the single power supply unit in response to being electrically opened to prevent an electrical overload.

23. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 1, wherein the two or more component home appliances includes:

a microwave oven unit having a ventilation motor which exhaust gas generated therebelow to the outside of the complex home appliance, a magnetron which generates microwave to cook food, a tray to receive the food thereon, and a tray motor which rotates the tray;

a toaster unit; and

a coffee maker unit.

24. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 23, further comprising:

a control unit which controls an overall operation of the complex home appliance;

a display unit which displays information of the complex home appliance;

a display drive unit which drives the display unit;

a ventilation motor drive unit which drives the ventilation motor;

a magnetron drive unit which drives the magnetron;

a tray motor drive unit which drives the tray motor;

a coffee maker drive unit which drives the coffee maker unit; and

a toaster drive unit which drives the toaster unit, wherein the single power supply, display, ventilation motor, magnetron, tray motor, coffee maker, and toaster drive units are electrically connected to the control unit.

25. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 5, wherein the single power supply unit provides the power to one or more of the two or more component home appliances, to operate, according to a rated power level of the power cut-off unit.

6. A complex home appliance, comprising:

two or more component home appliances which are integrated into the complex home appliance as a single system;

a single power supply unit which is shared by the two or more component home appliances of the complex home appliance; and

a power cut-off unit which controls a supply of power to the single power supply unit, wherein the single power supply unit selectively provides the power to one or more of the two or more component home appliances, to operate, according to a rated power level of the power cut-off unit.

7. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a single control unit which controls the two or more component home appliances.

8. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 6, wherein the component home appliances includes a microwave oven which generates microwaves to cook food.

9. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 8, wherein the microwave oven includes an exhausting unit which exhausts gas generated therebelow to the outside of the complex home appliance.

10. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 6, wherein the complex home appliance allows the two or more component home appliances to be simultaneously operable in a simultaneous operation mode thereof, and allows only one of the two or more component home appliances to be operable in an individual operation mode thereof.

11. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a mode setting unit to set the simultaneous or individual operation mode.

12. The complex home appliance as set forth in claim 6, wherein the power cut-off unit cuts off the supply of the power to the single power supply unit in response to being electrically opened to prevent an electrical overload.

13. A method of controlling a complex home appliance having a single power supply unit, a power cut-off unit which supplies power to the single power supply unit, two or more component home appliances which shares the power supply unit, and a single control unit which controls the two or more component home appliances, the method comprising:

setting an initial operation mode of the complex home appliance to a simultaneous operation mode; and

changing an operation mode of the complex home appliance form the simultaneous operation mode to an individual operation mode in response to the power cut-off unit being opened where the two or more component home appliances are simultaneously operated.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

the simultaneous operation mode allows the two or more component home appliances to be simultaneously operable, and

the individual operation mode allows the two or more component home appliances to be individually operable.

26. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising displaying a current operation mode of the complex home appliance.

15. A method of controlling a complex home appliance having a single power supply unit, a power cut-off unit which supplies power to the single power supply unit, two or more component home appliances which shares the power supply unit, and a single control unit which controls the two or more component home appliances, the method comprising:

setting an initial operation mode of the complex home appliance to a simultaneous operation mode;

operating one of the two or more component home appliances, and determining whether the power cut-off unit is electrically opened while increasing the number of operated component home appliances one by one; and

selecting one of the simultaneous, a partially simultaneous and an individual operation mode of the complex home appliance according to the number of the component home appliances simultaneously operated where the power cut-off unit is electrically opened.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising setting the partially simultaneous operation mode in which n−

1 component home appliances are simultaneously operable, in response to the power cut-off unit being electrically opened where the n component home appliances are simultaneously operated.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising operating the two or more component home appliances in a descending order of amounts of power consumed in response to the two or more component home appliances being simultaneously operated.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising operating the two or more component home appliances in an ascending order of amounts of power consumed in response to the two or more component home appliances being simultaneously operated.

19. A method of installing a complex home appliance having a single power supply unit, a power cut-off unit which supplies power to the single power supply unit, two or more component home appliances which share the power supply unit, and a single control unit which controls the two or more component home appliances, the method comprising:

installing the complex home appliance and setting an initial operation mode of the complex home appliance to a simultaneous operation mode;

operating one of the two or more component home appliances, and determining whether the power cut-off unit is electrically opened while increasing the number of operated component home appliances one by one; and

selecting one of the simultaneous, a partially simultaneous and an individual operation mode of the complex home appliance according to the number of the component home appliances simultaneously operated where the power cut-off unit is electrically opened.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising setting the partially simultaneous operation mode in which n−

1 component home appliances are simultaneously operable, in response to the power cut-off unit being electrically opened where the n component home appliances are simultaneously operated.

21. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising operating the two or more component home appliances in a descending order of amounts of power consumed in response to the two or more component home appliances being simultaneously operated.

22. The method as set forth in claim 19, further comprising operating the two or more component home appliances in an ascending order of amounts of power consumed in response to the two or more component home appliances being simultaneously operated.