Appliance door with a service interface

• US 7,870,753 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kendall, James W., Marcy, Henry Orlando V, McCoy, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules; Frantz F
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUER, CASSEY D
• Application Number:
  US11/619,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 623/31, 622/592, 621/26, 312/405
• US Class Current: 62/331
• 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: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

An appliance comprises a cabinet, a door movably mounted to the cabinet and having a peripheral edge, and a standardized service interface located on the peripheral edge. The standardized service interface is configured to supply at least one service for use by a consumer electronic device. The peripheral edge can be the top edge of the door and the standardized service interface can receive the service from the use environment of the appliance. A connector can be incorporated into the standardized service interface to selectively supply the consumer electronic device with the service. The appliance can comprise a refrigerator. The service can comprise mechanical, power, or data communication.

Claims

1. An electrical appliance for performing a household task by conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer item, the appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a chamber for selectively containing the consumer item and performing the household task, the cabinet having vertically-oriented open face providing access to the chamber to add and remove the consumer item;

a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to selectively close the open face and having a front surface defining a first plane and a topmost edge defining a second plane different than the first plane and movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the open face;

at least one electrical service supplied by the appliance; and

a standardized service interface comprising;

at least one mechanical communication provider located in the topmost edge for providing mechanical communication between the door and a device; and

at least one electrical connector located in the topmost edge, the standardized service interface receiving the at least one electrical service and supplying the at least one electrical service to the at least one electrical connector;

wherein the at least one electrical connector supplies the at least one electrical service to the device when the device is coupled to the at least one electrical connector.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical service is selected from a power service and a data service.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the standardized service interface further comprises a recess, and the electrical connector is located in the recess below the topmost edge.

4. The appliance of claim 3 wherein the recess is open at the topmost edge.

5. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanical communication provider physically couples the device to the standardized service interface.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanical communication provider includes a mechanical connector.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanical communication provider comprises at least one hole.

8. The appliance of claim 7 wherein the at least one hole is configured to receive a screw.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the mechanical communication provider comprises at least one anchor receiver.

10. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the electrical connector is integrated with the mechanical communication provider.

11. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is selected from a cooling appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to cool the consumer item, a heating appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to heat the consumer item, a cleaning appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to clean the consumer item, and a drying appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to dry the consumer item.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the mechanical communication provider is adapted to support a portion of the device adjacent the front surface of the door.

13. An electrical appliance for performing a household task by conducting a useful cycle of operation on a consumer item, the appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a chamber for selectively containing the consumer item and performing the household task, the cabinet having a vertically-oriented open face providing access to the chamber to add and remove the consumer item;

a door pivotally mounted to the cabinet to selectively close the open face and having a front surface defining a first plane and a topmost edge defining a second plane different than the first plane and movably mounted to the cabinet for selectively closing the open face;

at least one electrical service supplied by the appliance; and

a standardized service interface comprising at least one electrical connector that is located in the topmost edge and facing upward from the topmost edge in a parallel orientation with the second plane, the standardized service interface receiving the at least one electrical service and supplying the at least one electrical service to the at least one electrical connector;

wherein the at least one electrical connector supplies the at least one electrical service to a device when the device is coupled to the at least one electrical connector and supported by the topmost edge.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the appliance is selected from a cooling appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to cool the consumer item, a heating appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to heat the consumer item, a cleaning appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to clean the consumer item, and a drying appliance wherein the cycle of operation operates to dry the consumer item.

15. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the standardized service interface is adapted to support a portion of the device adjacent the front surface of the door.

16. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the at least one electrical service is selected from a power service and a data service.

17. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the standardized service interface is flush with the topmost edge.