Appliance with an adapter to simultaneously couple multiple consumer electronic devices

• US 7,651,368 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kendall, James W., Viswanathan, Ameresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne; Jean F
• Application Number:
  US11/619,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 439/527, 439/635, 361/686, 361/683, 361/680
• US Class Current: 439/527
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/02 for simultaneous co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

A modular system comprises an appliance and an adapter configured to simultaneously couple two consumer electronic devices to the appliance and to supply at least one service between the appliance and the consumer electronic devices. The appliance can comprise a refrigeration appliance and the adapter can couple the consumer electronic devices to a door of the refrigeration appliance. The service can comprise mechanical, power, or data communication.

Claims

1. A modular system comprising:

an appliance conducting a useful cycle of operation and having an appliance service interface; and

a unitary adapter comprising;

a first interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple with the appliance service interface and to communicate at least one electrical service between the appliance and the adapter;

a second interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple a first consumer electronic device to the adapter and to communicate at least one electrical service between the adapter and the first consumer electronic device; and

a third interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple a second consumer electronic device to the adapter and to communicate at least one electrical service between the adapter and the second consumer electronic device;

wherein the first service interface is coupled to the second and third service interfaces, and wherein the adapter provides simultaneous physical mounting of the first and second consumer electronic devices to the appliance.

2. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the unitary adapter is further configured to removably couple a third consumer electronic device simultaneously with the first and second consumer electronic devices and to supply the at least one electrical service between the appliance and the third consumer electronic device.

3. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical service comprises multiple services including at least one power communication service and at least one data communication with the consumer electronic devices.

4. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the unitary adapter supplies at least one additional service to the first consumer electronic device that is different from at least one electrical service supplied to both consumer electronic devices.

5. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the appliance service interface is integral with the appliance.

6. The modular system of claim 1, wherein the unitary adapter removably couples the first and second consumer electronic device to an external surface of the appliance.

7. The modular system of claim 1 wherein the appliance is a refrigeration appliance having a chamber for food cooling, storage and preservation, an opening into the chamber for access to food therein and a door hingedly mounted to the chamber to selectively close the opening into the chamber;

and further wherein the unitary adapter is removably coupled to the door.

8. The modular system of claim 1 wherein the first consumer electronic device is an entertainment device and the second consumer electronic device is an information device.

9. A modular system comprising:

an appliance conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer article and having a door with an appliance service interface providing at least one service selected from a power service and a data service; and

a unitary adapter removably mounted to the appliance and comprising;

a first interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple with the appliance service interface and to communicate at least one electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the appliance and the adapter;

a second interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple a first consumer electronic device to the adapter and to communicate at least one electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the first consumer electronic device; and

a third interface to electrically and removably mechanically couple a second consumer electronic device to the adapter and to communicate at least one electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the second consumer electronic device;

wherein the first service interface is coupled to the second and third service interfaces, and wherein the adapter provides simultaneous physical mounting of the first and second consumer electronic devices to the door of the appliance.

10. The modular system of claim 9, wherein the at least one electrical service supplied to the first consumer electronic device is different from the at least one electrical service supplied by the unitary adapter to the appliance and the second consumer electronic device.

11. The modular system of claim 9, wherein the unitary adapter supplies a different category of electrical service to the first and second consumer electronic devices.

12. The modular system of claim 9, wherein the appliance provides the at least one service supplied by the unitary adapter to the first and second consumer electronic devices.

13. A unitary adapter for simultaneously mounting two consumer electronic devices to the door of an appliance of the type conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer article, the unitary adapter comprising:

a first interface to removably mechanically and electrically couple the unitary adapter to the door of the appliance and to communicate a first electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the door;

a second interface to removably mechanically and electrically couple a first consumer electronic device to the unitary adapter and to communicate a second electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the first consumer electronic device; and

a third interface to removably mechanically and electrically couple a second consumer electronic device to the unitary adapter and to communicate the second electrical service selected from a power service and a data service between the adapter and the second consumer electronic device;

wherein the mechanical coupling of the first, second, and third interfaces of the adapter provides simultaneous physical mounting of the first and second consumer electronic devices to the door.

14. The unitary adapter of claim 13 wherein at least one of the electronic services are communicated bi-directionally.

15. The unitary adapter of claim 14 wherein at least one of the electronic services are both power and data.

16. The unitary adapter of claim 14 wherein each of the electronic services comprise bidirectional data and at least uni-directional power.

17. The unitary adapter of claim 14 wherein at least one of the consumer electronic devices is selected from a television, a video camera, a video recorder, a computer, a computer monitor, a video display, a keyboard, a printer, a copier, a calculator, a facsimile machine, a scanner, a digital storage device, an internet router, a power supply, a data recorder, an answering machine, a telephone, a video game system, a personal digital assistant, an audio or video media player, an audio speaker, a digital picture frame, a weather station, and a scale or balance.