System for slidably coupling consumer electronic devices to an appliance

• US 7,713,090 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kendall, James W., McCoy, Richard A., Viswanathan, Ameresh, Moes, Christopher S., Knight, John M., Weinkauf, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne; Jean F
• Application Number:
  US12/119,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20080247141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/725, 312/406, 439/218
• US Class Current: 439/628
• 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. A device for mounting to an appliance having a cabinet defining an interior and having an open face providing access to the interior, a door mounted to the cabinet selectively closing the open face, a vertical exterior surface on one of the cabinet and the door and 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 provided on the rearward face, each of the spaced apart device interfaces slidably engaging one of the parallel elongated interfaces to move the device along the exterior surface of the appliance to selectively place the device in a plurality of discrete locations along the elongated interfaces to communicate the at least one service when the device is mounted to the exterior surface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least two spaced apart device interfaces—

each comprises a projection extending from the rearward face that engages one of the parallel elongated interfaces.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of tabs, each tab engaging one of the parallel elongated interfaces to mechanically couple the device to the exterior surface.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is portable.

5. The—

device of claim 4, wherein the device is a portable device and is removably coupled to the exterior surface.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is an adapter configured to hold a portable device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the adapter is removably coupled to the exterior surface.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the first electrical functionality comprises at least one of 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, a video display, a media manager, a whiteboard, physical storage, a microphone, a video camera, a still camera, a touch screen, a keypad, control knobs, control buttons, application software hosting, communications routing, power storage, microphone, data storage, and a consumer electronic device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one service comprises at least one of a mechanical service, a power service and a data service.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one service is a mechanical service.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the device interfaces is configured to communicate the mechanical service to a portable device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the device interface selectively communicates at least one additional service to the portable device.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a host service interface removably engaged to the vertical exterior service and further wherein the host service interface communicates 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 exterior surface.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a host service interface removably engaged to the vertical exterior surface.