Wireless system for preventing condensation on refrigerator doors and frames
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for reducing energy consumption by a heater on a refrigerator door comprising:
- a) a control unit comprising a computer processor having memory and a timer, the control unit connected to the heater;
b) a sensor attached to the refrigerator door that senses relative humidity and directs that the control unit turn on the heater when condensation is likely to be on the refrigerator door;
d) wherein the sensor and control unit are equipped with wireless communication devices that enable them to transmit and receive data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is an improved anti-sweat controller for removing condensation from glass doors that are used on refrigerators in retail stores. The anti-sweat controller comprises three components, a sensor to measure condensation and temperature, a control unit to adjust door heaters, and a command unit. The sensors, control unit, and command unit all communicate on a wireless peer-to-peer network using the ZigBee protocol. Moreover, the command unit is attached to the Internet and enables a user to adjust the various settings on the anti-sweat controller from a remote location if desired.
28 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for reducing energy consumption by a heater on a refrigerator door comprising:
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a) a control unit comprising a computer processor having memory and a timer, the control unit connected to the heater;
b) a sensor attached to the refrigerator door that senses relative humidity and directs that the control unit turn on the heater when condensation is likely to be on the refrigerator door;
d) wherein the sensor and control unit are equipped with wireless communication devices that enable them to transmit and receive data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for reducing energy consumption by a heater on a refrigerator, the system comprising:
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a) a heater;
b) a control unit connected to the heater that turns the heater on and off at predetermined times and transmits and receives data wirelessly;
c) at least one sensor that senses the presence of humidity or a change in temperature that transmits and receives data wirelessly;
d) a command unit that transmits and receives wireless data from the control unit and at least one sensor; and
e) a first computer connected to the command unit that transmits the data received from the control unit and sensor(s) to a second computer over the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling refrigerator door heaters comprising:
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a) providing a first group of refrigeration compartments with at least one door wherein each door comprises a heater and a sensor that is capable of wireless data transmission to and from a control unit;
b) providing a first command unit that communicates wirelessly with at least one sensor and control unit;
c) connecting the first command unit to the Internet;
d) using the first command unit to transmit data from the control unit and at least one sensor over the Internet to a computer operated by a user; and
e) enabling the user to adjust the heating system from a remote location by transmitting commands entered by the user at the computer to the first command unit over the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling refrigerator door heaters comprising:
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a) providing a first group of refrigeration compartments with at least one door wherein each door comprises a heater and a sensor that is capable of wireless data transmission to and from a control unit;
b) providing a first command unit that communicates wirelessly with at least one sensor and control unit;
c) connecting the first command unit to the Internet;
d) using the first command unit to transmit data from the control unit and at least one sensor over the Internet to a computer operated by a user; and
e) enabling the user to verify that the system is operating properly and to correctly identify whether a particular component is malfunctioning.
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Specification