Storage container with sensor device and refrigerator having the same

• US 20110314849A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HAN, Jeong Su, HA, Ji Hoon, PARK, Nam Ju, YUN, Kwon Chul, IM, Man Soon, LEE, Hyo Sang
• Granted Patent: US 9,170,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/129
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/06 Sensors detecting the presence of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices

Abstract

A storage container with a sensor device to detect a state of food contained in the storage container and a refrigerator having the same. The sensor device is separably mounted to the storage container. The sensor device includes an electrode terminal usable not only to achieve a charging operation, but also to achieve a salinity measuring operation. Thus, the sensor device has user convenience while having a compact size.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a storage container comprising a storage space to store food; and

a sensor device comprising a case, a plurality of electrode terminals, and a battery mounted in the case, to apply a voltage to the electrode terminals, p1 wherein the sensor device is detachably mounted to the storage container.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage container includes a sensor seat formed at one surface of the storage container, to allow the sensor device to be seated on the sensor seat.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the sensor seat of the storage container is formed at the surface of the storage container in the form of a recess.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the sensor seat of the storage container is provided with a plurality of measurement terminals to come into contact with the electrode terminals of the sensor device.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the sensor seat includes steps, at which the measurement terminals are arranged.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a coupling unit to separably couple the sensor device to the sensor seat,

wherein the coupling unit comprises a fitting slot at one of the sensor seat and the sensor device, and a fitting protrusion at the other one of the sensor seat and the sensor device.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor cover to close the sensor seat, thereby preventing the sensor device from being separated from the sensor seat.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising:

an engagement unit to detachably mount the sensor cover,

wherein the engagement unit comprises an engagement protrusion at one of the sensor seat and the sensor cover, and an engagement groove at the other one of the sensor seat and the sensor cover.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the sensor seat is formed at a bottom wall of the storage container or a side wall extending around the bottom wall.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein:

the sensor device further comprises a charging circuit to charge the battery; and

the sensor device is charged by an external charger after being separated from the storage container.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the sensor device further comprises separate charging terminals connected to the external charger.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the sensor device is connected to the external charger via the electrode terminals.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the external charger is integrated with the refrigerator.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the external charger comprises a sensor receiver to receive the sensor device, and a plurality of charging electrodes provided at the sensor receiver.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, further comprising:

a charger cover to cover the sensor receiver.

16. A sensor device comprising:

a chargeable battery;

a salinity measurer to measure a salinity of an object to be measured, using a voltage supplied from the chargeable battery;

a charger to charge the chargeable battery; and

at least one electrode terminal to be electrically connected to the salinity measurer and the charger.

17. The sensor device according to claim 16, wherein:

the electrode terminal comprises a plurality of electrodes; and

the electrodes charge the chargeable battery when the electrode terminal comes into contact with an external charging terminal.

18. The sensor device according to claim 17, wherein:

the charger comprises first and second diodes connected to the electrodes in series; and

the first and second diodes are connected to positive (+) and negative (−

) terminals of the chargeable battery, respectively.

19. The sensor device according to claim 17, wherein:

the charger comprises a diode and a switch, which are connected to the electrodes in series; and

the switch comprises an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

20. The sensor device according to claim 16, wherein:

the electrode terminal comprises a plurality of electrodes; and

the electrodes measure the salinity of the object to be measured when the electrode terminal comes into contact with a sensor terminal.

21. The sensor device according to claim 20, wherein the salinity measurer comprises a drive circuit to supply AC current to the electrode terminal, thereby enabling measurement of an electric conductivity variation occurring at the electrode terminal in accordance with a variation in salinity, a duty detector to detect a duty ratio varying in accordance with the salinity variation, and a controller to calculate a salinity value in accordance with the duty ratio detected by the duty detector.

22. The sensor device according to claim 21, wherein the drive circuit comprises first and second switching elements to alternately perform switching operations in accordance drive pulse signals output from the controller, thereby generating AC current, and a capacitor to perform a charging or discharging operation in accordance with alternate switching operations of the first and second switching elements.

23. The sensor device according to claim 21, wherein the duty detector comprises a reference voltage source to supply a reference voltage, in order to cause the salinity-depending electric conductivity variation to be proportional to a variation in duty ratio, using a reference potential, and a comparator to compare, with the reference voltage, a voltage received from the electrode terminal, which has a resistance varying in accordance with the salinity variation.

24. The sensor device according to claim 23, wherein the controller receives the duty ratio value output from the comparator, and calculates a salinity value based on the duty ratio value, thereby measuring the salinity of the object.

25. A storage container for a refrigerator comprising:

a storage space to store food;

a sensor seat provided at one side of the storage space, to receive a sensor device to measure a state of the food; and

a coupling unit provided at the sensor seat, to separably couple the sensor device to the sensor seat.

26. The storage container according to claim 25, wherein the sensor seat is formed at one surface of the storage container in the form of a recess.

27. The storage container according to claim 25, wherein:

the sensor device comprises a plurality of electrode terminals; and

the sensor seat is provided with a plurality of measurement terminals in a buried manner, the measurement terminals coming into contact with the electrode terminals.

28. The storage container according to claim 27, wherein the measurement terminals have an inter-center distance of approximately 12 mm to 15 mm.

29. The storage container according to claim 27, wherein the sensor seat includes steps, at which the measurement terminals are arranged.

30. The storage container according to claim 29, wherein the steps have a height of at least 2 mm.

31. The storage container according to claim 25, wherein the coupling unit comprises a fitting slot provided at one of the sensor seat and the sensor device, and a fitting protrusion provided at the other one of the sensor seat and the sensor device.

32. The storage container according to claim 25, further comprising:

a cover to close the sensor seat, thereby preventing the sensor device from being separated from the sensor seat.

33. The storage container according to claim 25, wherein:

the sensor device comprises a plurality of electrode terminals;

the sensor device is arranged to be directed to a bottom surface of the storage space when the sensor device is mounted to the sensor seat; and

the sensor seat is provided with spacing ribs to space the electrode terminals from the bottom surface.

34. The storage container according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the plurality of measurement terminals includes at least one protruded structure having an oval cross-section to improve measurement sensitivity of the measurement terminal.