Reversible display apparatus and method for appliances

• US 7,031,144 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermo Electron Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GSLE Development Corporation (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Tipton, Walter J., Carter, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US10/442,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/679.29
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 1/02 Air-pressure chambers; Air-locks therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 1/025 Environmental chambers incubators for culturing cells C12M41/14; test chambers to test weather resistance G01N17/002
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/14 Incubators; Climatic chambers per se B01L1/00

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying interaction or an appliance, such as an incubator, provides a display module having a display face angled relative to the vertical plane. The display face can be angled upwardly or downwardly to face the line of sight of a user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying information related to an appliance, comprising:

a display element having a display face configured to be selectively angled at least one of upwardly or downwardly relative to a vertical plane;

a reversible bezel mounted to the appliance and configured to be attached to the appliance in two opposite orientations, comprising a first orientation corresponding to the display face being angled upwardly relative to the vertical plane, and a second orientation corresponding to the display face being angled downwardly relative to the vertical plane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second orientation is inverted with respect to the first orientation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when mounted the display face has an angle of approximately 25 degrees relative to the vertical plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display element is removably mountable in the bezel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the bezel in each of the first and second orientations supports the display element in the same upright position, with the display face having one of an upward angle or downward angle depending on the bezel orientation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display element displays information related to at least one of an operating condition and an operating mode of the appliance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the appliance is an incubator.

8. A display apparatus for an appliance, comprising:

means for displaying information related to the appliance, having a display face;

means for supporting the displaying means to have the display face selectively angled at least one of upwardly or downwardly relative to a vertical plane; and

means for attaching a bezel to the appliance in two opposite orientations, comprising a first orientation corresponding to the display face being angled upwardly relative to the vertical plane, and a second orientation corresponding to the display face being angled downwardly relative to the vertical plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the supporting means is a reversible bezel reversibly mountable to the appliance.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when mounted the display face has an angle of approximately 25 degrees relative to the vertical plane.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displaying means is removably mountable in the bezel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bezel in each of the first and second orientations supports the displaying means in the same upright position, with one of upward angle or downward angle depending on the bezel orientation.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the displaying means displays information related to at least one of an operating condition and an operating mode of the appliance.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the appliance is an incubator.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second orientation is inverted with respect to the first orientation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the display element is supported such that the display face has an angle of approximately 25 degrees relative to the vertical plane.

17. A method of displaying information related to an appliance, comprising:

supporting a display element such that a display face is selectively angled at least one of upwardly or downwardly relative to a vertical plane;

attaching a bezel to the appliance in one of two opposite orientations, comprising a first orientation corresponding to the display face being angled upwardly relative to the vertical plane, and a second orientation corresponding to the display face being angled downwardly relative to the vertical plane; and

displaying information related to the appliance on the display face.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the appliance is an incubator.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second orientation is inverted with respect to the first orientation.