System for slidably coupling consumer electronic devices to an appliance

• US 20080247141A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: KENDALL, JAMES W., KNIGHT, JOHN M., VISWANATHAN, AMERESH, MOES, CHRISTOPHER S., MCCOY, RICHARD A., WEINKAUF, DAVID A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,713,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/729
• 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: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/40 Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units

Abstract

A system of an appliance host with at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations for removably coupling a portable device to the outer wall and a potable device for use with the appliance. The interface structures may be rails, slots or elongated electrical connectors.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A system comprising:

an appliance host having an outer wall; and

at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations along the outer wall for coupling at least one device to the outer wall.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the at least a pair of parallel elongated interface structures cooperatively define a plurality of alternative pairs of locations along the outer wall for mechanically coupling a portable device to the outer wall.

55. The system of claim 53 wherein the appliance host is a refrigeration appliance.

56. The system of claim 53, further comprising at least one device capable of removably coupling with the outer wall at multiple locations along the at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures and coupling with the portable device.

57. The system of claim 56 where the device is portable.

58. The system of claim 56 where the device is an adapter configured to hold a portable device.

59. The system of claim 58 where the adapter is removably coupled to the outer wall.

60. The system of claim 57 where the device is a portable device and is removably coupled to the outer wall.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the multiple devices may be simultaneously removably coupled to at a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures at different pairs of locations.

62. The system of claim 53, wherein the at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures comprises at least a pair of slots in the outer wall, the slots cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations along the outer wall for removably mechanically coupling a portable device to the outer wall.

63. The system of claim 62, further comprising at least a pair of elongated electrical conductors disposed behind the surface adjacent the slots cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations along the outer wall for removably electrically coupling a portable device to the appliance host.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein the at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures comprises a pair of elongated electrical conductors adjacent the outer wall, the slots cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations along the outer wall for removably electrical coupling a portable device to the appliance host.

65. The system of claim 64 wherein the at least a pair of generally parallel elongated conductors are capable of providing data communication between two dissimilar portable devices when they are alternatively coupled to the appliance host.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein the at least a pair of generally parallel elongated conductors are capable of providing power communication to a portable device when coupled to the appliance host.

67. The system of claim 53 wherein multiple portable devices may be simultaneously removably coupled to at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures at different pairs of locations.

68. The system of claim 53, wherein the host comprises a wireless service for communication with one of a device and adapter.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the wireless service comprises one of data service and power service.

70. An appliance comprising:

a vertical surface;

a plurality of rails mounted parallel to the vertical surface and parallel to each other;

a plurality of electrical conductors associated with the rails; and

a control system providing and electrical service to the electrical conductors.

71. The appliance of claim 70 wherein the control system provides a power service to the rails.

72. The appliance of claim 70 wherein the control system provides a data service to the rails.

73. The appliance of claim 70 wherein the appliance is a refrigeration appliance.

74. The appliance of claim 70 wherein the appliance comprises a compartment and a door selectively closing the compartment and a face of the door is the vertical surface, the rails being mounted to the door.

75. The appliance of claim 70 wherein the rails are disposed behind the vertical surface and the vertical surface comprises a plurality of parallel slots, each associated with one of the rails and providing limited access to the rails.

76. The appliance of claim 70 further comprising at least one electronic device movably coupled to the rails and receiving the electrical service from the electrical conductors.

77. A device for mounting to a vertical surface having at least two parallel elongated interfaces communicating at least one service, the device having:

a forward face,

a rearward face opposite the forward face,

a first electrical functionality on the forward face; and

at least two spaced apart device interfaces associated with the rearward face, each of the spaced apart device interfaces being capable of engaging one of the parallel elongated interfaces in a plurality of discrete locations along the elongated interfaces to communicate the at least one service.

78. The device of claim 77, wherein the at least two spaced apart device interfaces each comprises a vertical projection extending from the rearward face capable of engaging one of the parallel elongated interfaces.

79. The device of claim 77 further comprising a pair of tabs each capable of engaging one of the parallel elongated interfaces to mechanically couple the portable device to the vertical surface.

80. The device of claim 77, where the device is portable.

81. The device of claim 80, where the device is a portable device and is removably coupled to the outer wall.

82. The device of claim 77, where the device is an adapter configured to hold a portable device.

83. The device of claim 82, where the adapter is removably coupled to the outer wall.

84. The device of claim 77 wherein the at least one functionality comprises at least one of a consumer electronic device functionality, an interface capable of coupling with a consumer electronic device, a user interface for controlling the operation of the portable device, a user interface for controlling the operation of a consumer electronic device, and a user interface for controlling the operation of a host, a speaker, a display projection, video display, a media manager, a whiteboard, physical storage, a microphone, a video camera, a still camera, video display, a touch screen, a keypad, control knobs, control buttons, application software hosting, communications routing, power storage, microphone, data storage, and a consumer electronic device.

85. The device of claim 77, wherein the at least one service comprises at least one of a mechanical service, a power service and a data service.

86. The device of claim 77, wherein the at least one service is a mechanical service.

87. The device of claim 77, wherein at least one of the device interfaces is configured to communicate the mechanical service to a portable device.

88. The device of claim 87, wherein the device interface selectively communicates at least one additional service to the portable device.

89. The device of claim 88, further comprising a host service interface configured to be removably engaged to the vertical service and further wherein the host service interface is configured to communicate a service to the at least one of the device interfaces for use by the portable device when the device is mounted to the vertical surface.

90. The device of claim 77, further comprising a host service interface configured to be removably engaged to the vertical surface.

91. A system for supporting a device comprising:

an appliance host having a door; and

at least a pair of generally parallel elongated interface structures capable of supporting the device and providing at least one additional service to the device, the interface structures cooperatively defining alternative pairs of locations along the door for coupling at least one device to the door.