Refrigerator control including a hidden features menu

• US 7,827,811 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferragut, Nelson J. II, Wetekamp, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US11/327,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 621/26, 621/57, 624/41, 621/25, 621/27
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/02 Sensors detecting door opening
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet within which is defined a fresh food compartment and/or a freezer compartment. The refrigerator further includes a control panel or user interface that enables a consumer to input desired operating parameters. The interface is also provided with a plurality of temperature control elements and at least one auxiliary control element. The temperature control elements enable a consumer to set compartment temperatures in a first or basic mode. The auxiliary control element, in addition to serving a function in the basic mode, provides access to a hidden or advanced features menu. Once the hidden menu is accessed, the temperature control elements enable a consumer to select and adjust advanced operating parameters, such as enabling a Sabbath mode, setting a temperature display, altering an intensity of ambient light required to activate a dispenser light, activating an audible warm alarm and initiating a super cool feature.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet within which is defined fresh food and freezer compartments;

a door pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet, said door selectively closing the fresh food compartment;

a display zone for selectively displaying operational parameters of the refrigerator; and

a control panel for establishing operational parameters of the refrigerator, said control panel including;

means for setting a status of a basic operational parameter; and

means for accessing a hidden features menu through the setting means, said hidden features menu enabling a consumer to set a status of at least one non-basic operational parameter of the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the setting means includes a plurality of control elements for establishing desired fresh food and freezer compartment temperatures.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the means for accessing the hidden features menu is constituted by activating one of the plurality of control elements for a predetermined period of time.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the means for accessing the hidden features menu constitutes activating one of the plurality of control elements for a few seconds.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of control elements includes a door alarm key, said one of the plurality of control elements constitutes the door alarm key.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the hidden features menu includes enabling a Sabbath mode, setting a temperature display, altering ambient light level intensity for activating a dispenser cavity light, activating a high temperature alarm and initiating a super cool feature.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the control elements is used to select a hidden feature to be displayed on the display zone and predetermined ones of the control elements are used to toggle a status of the select hidden feature.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the control panel is located within the cabinet.

9. A method of setting operational parameters of a refrigerator comprising:

accessing a basic features menu through selection of a predetermined one of a plurality of control elements;

selecting a basic feature from the basic features menu;

setting a status of the basic feature selected;

activating a hidden features menu through activation of at least one of the plurality of control elements, said at least one of the plurality of control elements also having a function other than accessing the hidden features menu;

selecting a hidden feature from the hidden features menu; and

setting a status of the hidden feature selected.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein setting the status of a basic feature includes selecting at least one of a fresh food compartment temperature and a freezer compartment temperature.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein accessing the hidden features menu constitutes activating the predetermined one of the plurality of control elements for a predetermined period of time.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

deactivating the hidden features menu through activation of the predetermined one of the plurality of control elements for a predetermined time period.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

selecting a door alarm key as the predetermined one of the plurality of control elements.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

deactivating the hidden features menu through shifting a door of the refrigerator from an open position to a closed position.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the hidden feature from the group consisting of;

a Sabbath mode, a temperature display, ambient light level intensity for activating a dispenser cavity light, a high temperature alarm and a super cool feature.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

deactivating the hidden features menu upon passage of a predetermined time period.

17. The, method according to claim 9, further comprising:

toggling a status of the hidden feature selected through predetermined ones of the control elements.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

opening a door of the refrigerator to access the plurality of control elements.