Appliance Door With a Service Interface

• US 20080165282A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Marcy, Henry Orlando, Kendall, James W., McCoy, Richard A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/552
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

An appliance comprises a cabinet, a door movably mounted to the cabinet and having a peripheral edge, and a standardized service interface located on the peripheral edge. The standardized service interface is configured to supply at least one service for use by a consumer electronic device. The peripheral edge can be the top edge of the door and the standardized service interface can receive the service from the use environment of the appliance. A connector can be incorporated into the standardized service interface to selectively supply the consumer electronic device with the service. The appliance can comprise a refrigerator. The service can comprise mechanical, power, or data communication.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An electrical appliance for performing a household task by conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer item, the appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a chamber for selectively containing the consumer item and performing the household task, the cabinet having an open face providing access to the chamber to add and remove the consumer item;

a door with a peripheral edge and movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the open face;

at least one service used by the appliance in conducting the useful cycle of operation; and

a standardized service interface located on the peripheral edge and configured to the at least one service for use by a consumer electronic device.

28. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the at least one service used by the appliance in conducting the useful cycle of operation is selected from a power service and a data service.

29. The appliance of claim 30, further comprising a recess in the peripheral edge is adapted to receive a portion of the consumer electronic device.

30. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the at least one service is provided by a connector located within a recess in the peripheral edge.

31. The appliance of claim 27, wherein the peripheral edge comprises a top edge and the standardized service interface is on the top edge.

33. An appliance for performing a household task by conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer item and for selectively supporting and providing at least one service to a portable consumer electronic device, the appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining at least one chamber for selectively containing the at least one consumer item and performing the household task, the cabinet having an open face providing access to the interior of the cabinet to add and remove the consumer item;

a door having a vertical front face and a top edge and movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the open face;

at least one electrical service used by the appliance in conducting the useful cycle of operation;

a standardized service interface located on the top edge of the door and adapted to receive the at least one electrical service; and

a connector incorporated into the standardized service interface to selectively supply the consumer electronic device with the at least one electrical service.

32. The appliance of claim 33, wherein the standardized service interface is integrated into the top edge such that the service interface is substantially coplanar with the top edge.

34. The appliance of claim 33, wherein the appliance is selected from cooling appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to cool the consumer item, a heating appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to heat the consumer item, a cleaning appliance and the cycle of operation operates to clean the consumer item, and a drying appliance and the cycle of operation operates to dry the consumer item.

35. A system for supporting and providing at least one service to a consumer electronic device comprising:

an electrical appliance for performing a household task by conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer item, the appliance comprising;

a cabinet defining a chamber for selectively containing the consumer item and performing the household task, the cabinet having an open face providing access to the chamber to add and remove the consumer item;

a door with a peripheral edge and movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the open face;

at least one service used by the appliance in conducting the useful cycle of operation;

a standardized service interface located on the peripheral edge and supply with at least one service for use by a consumer electronic device; and

an adapter capable of being coupled with the standardized service interface and capable of coupling with the consumer electronic device to provide the at least one service to the consumer electronic device.

36. The system of claim 39, wherein the adapter comprises a first service interface coupled to the standardized service interface of the refrigerator to receive the at least one service from the appliance.

37. The appliance of claim 39, wherein the adapter has second service interface coupled to the first service interface and configured for coupling with the consumer electronic device to supply the at least one service to the consumer electronic device.

38. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the standardized service interface is adapted to support the adapter adjacent a vertical surface of the door.