Refrigerator comprising a function display unit

• US 20050156870A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Holzer, Stefan, Flinner, Klaus, Hausmann, Georg, Stelzer, Jorg
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/107
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/08 Refrigerator tables
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

A refrigerator has a function display panel mounted to the housing, for indicating functional states and/or operational parameters of the refrigerator. The function display panel contains electrically charged pigment carriers that can be moved under the influence of an electric field. A plurality of electrodes apply an electric field to the pigment carriers. The electrodes are each assigned to one display element of the function display panel.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a thermally insulating housing; and

a function display panel fitted to the housing for displaying functional states and/or operating parameters of the refrigerator;

said function display panel containing electrically charged pigment carriers movably disposed under an influence of an electric field, and having a plurality of electrodes each associated with a display element of said function display panel, for applying an electric field to said pigment carriers.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, which comprises a liquid carrier layer, and wherein said pigment carriers are embedded in said liquid carrier layer.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said pigment carriers are two types of pigment carriers carrying opposite electrical charges and having mutually different colors.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said pigment carriers have an electrical dipole moment and comprise first and second, mutually different, pigments, said first pigment being disposed in a vicinity of a positive electrical pole of the dipole and said second pigment being disposed in a vicinity of a negative electrical pole of the dipole.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes include positive electrodes permanently connected to a positive supply voltage and negative electrodes permanently connected to a negative supply voltage.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, which comprises a main switch for disconnecting all of said electrodes from respective supply voltages.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, which comprises a drive circuit for closing said main switch in order to change an appearance of one of said display elements.

8. In combination with a refrigerator, a function display panel for displaying functional states and/or operating parameters of the refrigerator, the function display panel comprising:

electrically charged pigment carriers movably disposed under an influence of an electric field; and

a plurality of electrodes each associated with a display element of said function display panel, for applying an electric field to said pigment carriers and for changing a display state of the display panel.

9. The function display panel according to claim 8, wherein said pigment carriers are embedded in a liquid carrier layer.