Resource-conserving cabinet system and method

Abstract

A system and method for conserving resources includes a cabinet and doors of the cabinet. The doors of the cabinet each include a respective trigger device. A detector is connected to the cabinet. The detector is responsive to relational movement of any and each of the trigger devices with respect to the detector (e.g., door having the trigger device is opened is detected). A microcontroller circuit is communicatively connected to the detector. A switch is communicatively connected to the circuit. A display device is communicatively connected to the switch. The switch is selectively positioned to cause the microcontroller to control the display to indicate which, if any, doors have then been opened. The display device may include respective lights corresponding to respective doors. If a door has been opened, its corresponding light is illuminated when the switch is positioned to output the display. If a door has not been opened, its corresponding light is not illuminated. The lights indicate whether articles, such as towels and washcloths, contained behind respective doors of the cabinet have been accessed. If articles have been accessed, replacement and launder of accessed articles may be required. If articles have not been accessed as indicated by the display for unopened door, launder of the articles accessible through the door may be avoidable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A resource conserving cabinet system for containing articles, comprising:
 a cabinet carcase;   a hinged door connected to the cabinet carcase;   a trigger connected to the door;   a detector connected to the cabinet carcase, the detector is responsive to relational movement of the trigger with respect to the detector;   a circuit communicatively connected to the detector;   a switch communicatively connected to the circuit, capable of selective positioning on; and   a display device communicatively connected to the circuit, the display device is controlled by the circuit in response to the detector and the switch when selectively positioned on.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display device includes at least one light corresponding to the door. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one light is illuminated if the door has been opened and the switch is positioned on. 
     
     
         4 . A resource conserving door system, comprising:
 a shelf;   a door connected to the shelf, the door is positionable in either of open and closed;   a sensor connected to the shelf, the sensor corresponds to the door and detects the door if positioned open; and   an output device communicatively connected to the sensor, the output device responsive to the sensor detecting the door is positioned open.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a microcontroller communicatively connected to the sensor and the output device; and   a switch communicatively connected to the microcontroller;   wherein the switch controls the microcontroller to operate the output device responsive to the sensor detecting the door is positioned open.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a window sealingly connected to the door, the window allows viewing of the shelf.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the switch selectively controls the microcontroller to commence detecting by the sensor if the door is closed. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the output device includes at least one light. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the switch is selectively positionable to control the microcontroller to commence detecting by the sensor if the door is then closed, and is next otherwise selectively positionable to control the microcontroller to control the output device indicating if the door has been opened. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the switch is selectively positionable to control the microcontroller to commence detecting by the sensor if the door is then closed, and is next otherwise selectively positionable to control the microcontroller to control the output device to illuminate at least one of the light indicating if the door has been opened. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the output device is selected from the group consisting of: at least one light, at least one speaker, at least one LCD display, at least one LED, and any combination of these. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the light, if not illuminated, indicates that the door has not been opened, whereby resources can be conserved. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a door of a cabinet to conserve resources, comprising the steps of:
 detecting if a closed door is opened;   toggling on a display;   controlling, upon the step of toggling, the display to illuminate responsive to the step of detecting if the door has been opened; and   controlling, upon the step of toggling, the display to not illuminate responsive to the step of detecting if the door remains closed.   
     
     
         14 . A method of operating doors of a cabinet to conserve resources, the doors are initially closed, comprising the steps of:
 detecting by a circuit if any of the doors are opened;   toggling on a display;   controlling, upon the step of toggling, the display to selectively illuminate responsive to the step of detecting if any of the doors have been opened, the display identifies any of the doors opened; and   controlling, upon the step of toggling, the display to not illuminate responsive to the step of detecting if all of the doors remain closed.   
     
     
         15 . A method of conserving resources by reducing laundering of articles in a cabinet, comprising the steps of:
 providing a trigger device to a door of the cabinet;   providing a detector to the cabinet;   activating the detector when the door of the cabinet is closed;   detecting by the detector if the door of the cabinet is opened;   switching a circuit of the detector in response to the step of detecting if the door of the cabinet is opened;   toggling a switch of the circuit; and   displaying an indicator upon the step of toggling, if the step of switching has occurred, the indicator evidences access to the articles.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 displaying a different indicator upon the step of toggling, if the step of switching has not occurred.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the indicator is at least one illuminated light and the different indicator is not any illuminated light. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the indicator and the different indicator each correspond to the door. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of doors of the cabinet and a plurality of respective indicators and different indicators correspond to each of the plurality of doors;
 wherein a respective trigger device is provided to each respective door of the plurality in the step of providing the trigger device;   wherein step of detecting is performed by the detector for each respective trigger device of each respective door;   wherein the step of switching of the circuit is respectively performed for each respective door if opened;   wherein the step of displaying is respectively performed for each respective door upon the step of toggling, if the step of switching has occurred with respect to the respective door, the indicator evidences access to the articles of the respective door.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the indicator dictates whether articles must be laundered.