Refrigerator door ajar detection system
First Claim
1. A door status detection system for use in a refrigerator having a cabinet defining a food storage compartment and a door hingedly mounted to said cabinet for selectively closing said compartment, said door including a magnetic sealing strip secured thereto for sealing said door to said cabinet and for maintaining said door in a closed position, said door status detection system comprising:
- switch array means installed into said cabinet generally adjacent a section of said magnetic sealing strip when said door is in a closed position for signaling the opened/closed status of said door, said switch array means being operated by said magnetic sealing strip; and
circuit means connected to said switch array means for signaling a user of said refrigerator if said door remains in an opened position for a defined period of time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A door status detection system is provided for use in a refrigerator having a cabinet defining first and second food storage compartments and corresponding first and second doors hingely mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the compartments. The doors each include a magnetic sealing strip secured thereto for sealing the doors to the cabinet and for maintaining the doors in closed position. First and second switch arrays are installed into the cabinet generally adjacent a section of the magnetic sealing strips of the first and second doors, respectively, when the doors are in closed position for signaling the opened/closed status of the doors. The first and second switch arrays are electrically connected in series and operated by the magnetic sealing strips of the doors. Circuitry is connected to the first and second switch arrays for signaling a user of the refrigerator if either of the doors remains in an opened position for a defined period of time. The first and second switch arrays each comprise two reed switches electrically connected in parallel and angularly oriented relative to the sealing strips to accommodate a positional range of the strips relative to the cabinet. Alternately, the first and second switch arrays may comprise Hall Effect switches preferably mounted along an axis which is angularly oriented relative to the strips to effect a staggered relation of the Hall Effect switches relative to the strips.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A door status detection system for use in a refrigerator having a cabinet defining a food storage compartment and a door hingedly mounted to said cabinet for selectively closing said compartment, said door including a magnetic sealing strip secured thereto for sealing said door to said cabinet and for maintaining said door in a closed position, said door status detection system comprising:
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switch array means installed into said cabinet generally adjacent a section of said magnetic sealing strip when said door is in a closed position for signaling the opened/closed status of said door, said switch array means being operated by said magnetic sealing strip; and circuit means connected to said switch array means for signaling a user of said refrigerator if said door remains in an opened position for a defined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A door status detection system for use in a refrigerator having a cabinet defining first and second food storage compartments and corresponding first and second doors hingedly mounted to said cabinet for selectively closing said first and second compartments, respectively, said doors each including a magnetic sealing strip secured thereto for sealing said doors to said cabinet and for maintaining said doors in closed positions, said door status detection system comprising:
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first and second switch array means installed into said cabinet generally adjacent a section of the magnetic sealing strips of said first and second doors, respectively, when said doors are in closed positions for signaling the opened/closed status of said doors, said first and second switch array means being electrically connected in series and operated by the magnteic sealing strips of said first and second doors, respectively; and circuit means connected to said first and second switch array means for signaling a user of said refrigerator if either of said doors remains in an opened position for a defined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification