Configurable power supply circuit for lighted shelves in a refrigerator

• US 9,719,719 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Kerner, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkisson, Jianying
• Assistant Examiner(s): Febles, Antonio R
• Application Number:
  US15/362,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/024 Slidable shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments of systems and methods for powering lighted shelves in refrigerator appliances are disclosed. In one embodiment, a refrigerator appliance may comprise a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein and a plurality of electrical connectors disposed at a plurality of shelf mounting positions within the temperature-controlled compartment. The refrigerator appliance may also comprise a plurality of adjustable shelves each carrying at least one light emitting diode (LED), where each of the plurality of adjustable shelves may be removably mounted in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions such that the at least one LED is electrically coupled to one of the plurality of electrical connectors. The refrigerator appliance may further comprise a power supply circuit that is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical connectors and that is configured to selectively supply power to only a subset of the plurality of electrical connectors.

Claims

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein;

a plurality of shelf mounting positions disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment;

a first adjustable shelf carrying at least one lighting device;

a second adjustable shelf carrying at least one lighting device, each of the first and second shelves being removably mounted in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions; and

a power supply circuit configured to;

a) determine which of the plurality of shelf mounting positions the first shelf is mounted in;

b) determine which of the plurality of shelf mounting positions the second shelf is mounted in; and

c) supply power to the first shelf based on the determined position of the first shelf and the determined position of the second shelf.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein there are more than two shelf mounting positions.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical connectors, each of the plurality of shelf mounting positions having a corresponding electrical connector such that the at least one lighting device carried by each of the first and second shelves is electrically coupled to the corresponding electrical connector, and wherein the power supply circuit is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical connectors.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3, wherein the plurality of electrical connectors is part of an electrical bus that corresponds to two or more of the plurality of shelf mounting positions.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one lighting device carried by each of the first and second shelves comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED); and

the power supply circuit comprises an LED driver having a plurality of selectable power supply channels, each of the plurality of selectable power supply channels being electrically coupled to one of the plurality of electrical connectors.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 5, wherein:

the power supply circuit further comprises an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the LED driver, the electronic controller being configured to selectively activate the plurality of selectable power supply channels of the LED driver;

the LED driver is configured to determine an arrangement of the first and second shelves by sensing whether each of the plurality of selectable power supply channels is electrically coupled to at least one lighting device; and

the electronic controller is configured to selectively activate the plurality of selectable power supply channels of the LED driver in response to the arrangement of the first and second shelves.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 3, wherein:

the power supply circuit is further configured to selectively supply power to each of the plurality of electrical connectors from one or both of a first power source and a second power source;

the first power source is configured to supply power to the plurality of electrical connectors at a first current level; and

the second power source is configured to supply power to the plurality of electrical connectors at a second current level, the first current level being greater than the second current level.

8. A refrigerator appliance comprising:

a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein;

a plurality of shelf mounting positions disposed in the temperature-controlled compartment;

a plurality of adjustable shelves each carrying at least one lighting device, each of the plurality of adjustable shelves being removably mounted in one of the plurality of shelf mounting positions; and

a power supply circuit configured to;

a) make a first determination as to whether a shelf is mounted in a first shelf mounting position of the plurality of shelf mounting positions;

b) make a second determination as to whether a shelf is mounted in a second shelf mounting position of the plurality of shelf mounting positions; and

c) supply power to one of the plurality of adjustable shelves based on the first and second determinations.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the plurality of adjustable shelves is fewer in number than the plurality of shelf mounting positions.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of electrical connectors, each of the plurality of shelf mounting positions having a corresponding electrical connector such that the at least one lighting device carried by each of the plurality of adjustable shelves is electrically coupled to the corresponding electrical connector, and wherein the power supply circuit is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical connectors.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein the plurality of electrical connectors is part of an electrical bus that corresponds to two or more of the plurality of shelf mounting positions.

12. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one lighting device carried by each of the plurality of adjustable shelves comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED); and

the power supply circuit comprises an LED driver having a plurality of selectable power supply channels, each of the plurality of selectable power supply channels being electrically coupled to one of the plurality of electrical connectors.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12, wherein:

the power supply circuit further comprises an electronic controller communicatively coupled to the LED driver, the electronic controller being configured to selectively activate the plurality of selectable power supply channels of the LED driver;

the LED driver is configured to determine an arrangement of the plurality of adjustable shelves by sensing whether each of the plurality of selectable power supply channels is electrically coupled to at least one lighting device; and

the electronic controller is configured to selectively activate the plurality of selectable power supply channels of the LED driver in response to the arrangement of the plurality of adjustable shelves.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 10, wherein:

the power supply circuit is further configured to selectively supply power to each of the plurality of electrical connectors from one or both of a first power source and a second power source;

the first power source is configured to supply power to the plurality of electrical connectors at a first current level; and

the second power source is configured to supply power to the plurality of electrical connectors at a second current level, the first current level being greater than the second current level.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 8, wherein the power supply circuit is further configured to selectively supply power to less than all of the plurality of adjustable shelves mounted in the plurality of shelf mounting positions based on which of the plurality of shelf mounting positions the plurality of adjustable shelves is mounted in.

16. A method comprising:

determining a position of a first shelf within a temperature-controlled compartment of a refrigerator appliance;

determining a position of a second shelf within the temperature-controlled compartment of the refrigerator appliance, each of the first and second shelves carrying at least one lighting device, and each of the first and second shelves being removably mounted within the temperature-controlled compartment;

selecting one of the first and second shelves based on the determined position of the first shelf and the determined position of the second shelf; and

supply power to the selected one of the first and second shelves.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the one of the first and second shelves includes configuring a plurality of electrical jumpers within a jumper block.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the one of the first and second shelves includes selecting the one of the first and second shelves with a power supply circuit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one lighting device carried by each of the first and second shelves comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED); and

supplying power to the selected one of the first and second shelves includes activating one or more selectable power supply channels of an LED driver, the LED driver including a selectable power supply channel electrically coupled to each location for removably mounting the first and second shelves within the temperature-controlled compartment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the positions of the first and second shelves includes:

activating each selectable power supply channel of the LED driver; and

sensing an electrical response from each selectable power supply channel of the LED driver to determine whether one of the first and second shelves is electrically coupled to the selectable power supply channel.