US2015068233A1PendingUtilityA1

Refrigerating apparatus and method

58
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Feb 7, 2007Filed: Sep 15, 2014Published: Mar 12, 2015
Est. expiryFeb 7, 2027(~0.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Matthew D. KuenyFrank PlackeUlrich Van PelsMatthias Stahl
F25D 11/00F25D 29/00F25B 49/00F25D 2400/361F25D 2317/04131F25D 11/02
58
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Claims

Abstract

A refrigerating apparatus having two or more climate controlled compartments is disclosed. The refrigerating apparatus has a climate control device capable of controlling the climate of the compartments. The control device is electrically connected to an interactive display, wherein the display presents a compartment selection element to a user and, upon selection of a compartment by the user, the display presents a predetermined climate control element corresponding to the selected compartment. The compartment selection element comprises a plurality of compartment icons corresponding to the climate controlled compartments of the refrigerating apparatus. The climate control element may comprise, for example, a temperature control icon or a plurality of food-type icons. Preferably, the elements of the display are presented sequentially as the user makes selections. It is also preferred that the user's selections should be highlighted in some manner, for example a color change of the selected icon within an element.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerating apparatus comprising:
 (a) two or more climate controlled compartments; and   (b) a climate control device capable of controlling the climate of the compartments electrically connected to an interactive display, wherein the display comprises a climate control activation element, a compartment selection element, and a climate control element, wherein upon activation of the climate control activation element, the display presents a compartment selection element to a user, and wherein upon selection of a compartment by the user, the display presents a predetermined climate control element corresponding to the selected compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment selection element comprises a plurality of compartment icons corresponding to the climate controlled compartments. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the compartment icons are displayed in a first color and, upon selection of a compartment by the user, the icon corresponding to the selected compartment is displayed in a second color. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the climate control element comprises a temperature control icon. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the temperature control icon comprises a temperature adjustment sub-icon. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein, upon activation of the temperature adjustment sub-icon, the control device adjusts the temperature of the selected compartment. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the climate control element comprises a plurality of food-type icons representing types of foods capable of being stored in the selected compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein, upon activation of a selected food-type icon, the control device adjusts the climate of the selected compartment to predetermined climate conditions associated with the selected food type. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control device adjusts the temperature and the humidity of the selected compartment. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the food-type icons are displayed in a first color and, upon selection of a food type, the icon corresponding to the selected food type is displayed in a second color. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein a combination of more than one food type may be selected by activating the corresponding food-type icon of each desired food type. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein, upon activation of a selected food-type icon, the control device adjusts the climate of the selected compartment to predetermined climate conditions associated with the combination of selected food types. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the control device adjusts the temperature and the humidity of the selected compartment. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the food-type icons are displayed in a first color and, upon selection of one or more food types by the user, the icons corresponding to the selected food types are displayed in a second color. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display additionally presents a function control element. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display presents only the climate control activation element until the user activates the climate control activation element. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the climate control activation element is displayed in a first color and, upon activation by the user, the climate control activation element is displayed in a second color. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerating apparatus comprising:
 (a) two or more climate controlled compartments; and   (b) a climate control device capable of controlling the climate of the compartments electrically connected to an interactive display, wherein the display comprises a climate control activation element, a plurality of compartment selection element, and a plurality of climate control elements, wherein upon activation of the climate control activation element, the display presents the compartment selection elements and climate control elements.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein each of the climate control elements are displayed in a first color and, upon selection of a compartment by the user, the climate control element corresponding to the selected compartment is displayed in a second color. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein each of the climate control elements are displayed in a first color and, upon selection of a compartment by the user, only the climate control element corresponding to the selected compartment is displayed. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the elements ceases to be displayed after a predetermined time-out period. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compartments are disposed within a cabinet and the interactive display is positioned on or in the cabinet and angled away from a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the interactive display is angled to permit improved viewing of the display by the user relative to viewing at a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compartments are disposed within a cabinet and the compartments comprise a lower compartment and an upper compartment having an insulated barrier positioned between the upper and lower compartments, the insulated barrier having a front perimeter surface on which the interactive display is positioned. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the interactive display is angled away from a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerating apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the interactive display is angled to permit improved viewing of the display by the user relative to viewing at a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         27 . A refrigerating apparatus comprising:
 (a) two or more climate controlled compartments; and   (b) a climate control device capable of controlling the climate of the compartments electrically connected to an interactive display, wherein the display is in an inactive state a climate control activation element is activated, and wherein upon activation of the climate control activation element, the display presents a compartment selection element, and upon selection of one or more compartments, the display presents a climate control element, a function control element, or a combination of a climate control element and a function control element corresponding to the selected compartment.

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