EP2151649A2 - Household device with multiple departments - Google Patents

Abstract

The household appliance comprises multiple blowers separated in housing, and a status display for displaying of operating condition information of the blower. The status display is separated into multiple display areas assigned on the blower. The arrangement of the display areas of the status display corresponds to the arrangement of the blower in the household appliance.

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance having a plurality of compartments, in particular a refrigeration device such as a fridge freezer, in which different operating parameters can be determined independently of one another for the different compartments.

In a conventional, analog controlled refrigeration device, it was common practice to install in a refrigerated compartment a unit in which a temperature sensor and a dial for setting a target temperature for the compartment were combined. Such devices generally had no visible indication of the readable temperature in a bin, and the dial also did not have a graduated scale that would allow the user to estimate the set temperature. The user could therefore roughly estimate whether the compartment temperature was correct and if necessary optimize it by trial and error. Setting the temperature too low results in a significant increase in energy consumption. Modern refrigeration appliances optimized for low energy consumption therefore regularly have a status display which quantitatively visibly displays an operating status of a device, such as the temperature prevailing in a compartment outside the appliance.

While it is self-evident to the user in the case of simple devices with a single compartment, the values displayed on such a status display can only refer to the one compartment, in a multi-compartment household appliance the assignment of an operating parameter displayed on a single status display is one the subjects are not immediately obvious. Ambiguity with regard to the assignment can raise the user's doubts about the proper functioning of the device, or they can lead to incorrect operation. While such an association would be immediately apparent if each compartment were associated with a status indicator adjacent to it, this solution would entail significant additional costs, on the one hand due to the cost of the multiple displays, and on the other because of the increased work involved in their installation.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a household appliance with several compartmentalized in a housing subjects and a status display for representing subject-related To provide operating state information in which the assignment of displayed information to one of the compartments is intuitively obvious to a user.

The object is achieved by subdividing the status display into a plurality of display fields associated with each of the compartments in such a household appliance, and the arrangement of the display fields on the status display simulates the arrangement of the compartments on the household appliance.

A plurality of subjects are at least two subjects to understand.

The subdivision into display fields does not have to be predefined by the structure of the status display; Preferably, the subdivision into display fields is part of the image information supplied to the status display.

In order to increase the visibility of the assignment of the display fields to the subjects, the larger of two different sized compartments preferably a larger display field is assigned as the smaller compartment.

According to various possible operating states of the household appliance, each display panel is preferably switchable between a first and a second display mode. Thus, the two display modes may preferably differ in color and / or brightness of displayed characters and / or in color and / or brightness of a background in front of which the characters are displayed. More specifically, the character color of the first display mode may be the background color of the second display mode and the background color of the first display mode may be the character color of the second display mode.

While preferably the first display mode may be a "normal mode", in which actual values an operating parameter of a compartment assigned to the display panel can be displayed, preferably setpoint values can be displayed in the second display mode.

Expediently, the status display is also assigned operating elements via which-preferably in the second display mode-an illustrated target value can be adjusted.

In the interest of clarity, at most one display field in the second display mode can be operated at any time.

If a built-in device is provided on one of the compartments, its operating parameters should also be able to be displayed on the status display and optionally also be adjustable. For this purpose, the built-in device on the status display can be assigned its own display field. Preferably, this display panel is arranged adjacent to the display panel of the one compartment for the purpose of illustrating the local relationship.

A display panel of such a built-in device may also be inserted into the display panel of the one compartment or the display panel of the one compartment is switchable to selectively display at least one operating parameter of the compartment or at least one operating parameter of the built-in device.

If the household appliance according to the invention is a refrigeration appliance, the built-in appliance can be, in particular, an ice maker and / or a cold water dispenser.

An operating state or a fault that is relevant for all subjects can be displayed on the status display by a symbol which covers at least partially a plurality of display fields, either to make the relevance of the operating state for the multiple compartments obvious by the overlapping, or by a large representation Increase conspicuity of the symbol.

Preferably, at least one operating element, via which a desired value of an operating parameter shown on the status display is adjustable, is arranged adjacent to the status display.

In order to make the function of such an operating element obvious to the user, the status display is expediently set up to display a symbol representing the function of the operating element adjacent to the operating element. This is particularly useful if the function assigned to the operating element can be changed.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1

eine schematische perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Kältegeräts;

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht eines Bedienfeldes des Kältegeräts in einem Normalbetriebszustand;

Fig.3

eine Ansicht des Bedienfeldes in einem Programmierbetriebszustand;

Fig. 4

eine zweite Ansicht des Bedienfeldes im Programmierbetriebszustand;

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht des Bedienfeldes in einem Programmierzustand für ein Einbaugerät;

Fig. 6

eine Ansicht des Bedienfeldes in einem Normalbetriebszustand gemäß einer zweiten Ausgestaltung;

Fig. 7

eine alternative Ansicht des Bedienfeldes in einem Programmierzustand für ein Einbaugerät;

Fig. 8

eine Ansicht des Bedienfeldes in einem Ruhebetriebszustand; und

Fig. 9

eine Ansicht des Bedienfeldes im Falle einer Störung.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a view of a control panel of the refrigerator in a normal operating condition;

Figure 3

a view of the control panel in a programming mode;

Fig. 4

a second view of the control panel in the programming mode;

Fig. 5

a view of the control panel in a programming state for a built-in device;

Fig. 6

a view of the control panel in a normal operating state according to a second embodiment;

Fig. 7

an alternative view of the control panel in a programming state for a built-in device;

Fig. 8

a view of the control panel in a rest mode; and

Fig. 9

a view of the control panel in the event of a fault.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an inventive designed as a so-called side-by-side device refrigeration device with three storage compartments. In the following it should be assumed that behind a left upper door 1 of the device, a freezer, behind a left lower door 2, a fresh cooling compartment and behind a right Door 3 is a normal refrigerated compartment is housed. In itself, the assignment of temperature ranges to the subjects is arbitrary; In particular, the possibility would be considered behind the largest door 3 to provide the freezer compartment and behind the other two doors 1, 2 normal and fresh refrigerator.

In the left upper door 1, a niche 4 is inserted for an ice / water dispenser. An unillustrated, known per se automatic icemaker is located in the compartment behind the door 1, a cold water tank for the water dispenser is frost-free in a housing wall of the device, in particular in the door 1, embedded. Both devices together are also referred to below as ice / water dispensers.

Above the niche 4 is a control panel 5 with a central display screen and flanking these right and left keys over which in a normal operating mode operating parameters of the device such as target temperatures of the storage compartments are adjustable.

The control panel 5 could also be attached to another location of the refrigerator which is easily accessible to a user, for example to a stationary lining element 6 between the doors 1, 2, behind which inside the appliance, for example, an evaporator for cooling behind the doors 1 and 2 lying compartments can be accommodated.

The control panel 5 communicates with a control circuit, not shown, such as a microcontroller, which controls based on set on the control panel 5 and the measurement results of various sensors, in particular temperature sensors in the three compartments, a chiller, the icemaker and the water dispenser.

The chiller may include a single compressor that supplies refrigerant to evaporators of all three compartments. According to an alternative embodiment, two separate refrigerant circuits may be provided, each with a compressor, one for the two left compartments and the other for the right compartment of the apparatus. This creates the possibility of constructing the refrigeration appliance according to the invention, like a side-by-side appliance known per se, from two separate modules placed next to one another or at least a large number of components developed for a side-by-side device in the device according to the invention without using a substantial adaptation and thereby saving development costs.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the control panel 5 of the refrigerator in a normal operating mode. A central display screen 7, preferably a matrix LCD display suitable for displaying both text and graphic elements, is flanked on the right and left by two triplets of keys 8 through 13. The functions associated with keys 8 through 13 This means that the reactions of the microcontroller to an actuation of the keys change depending on the operating status of the device. Adjacent to each key 8 to 13, a symbol can be displayed on the display screen 7, which illustrates the function currently assigned to the key. Buttons with no symbol next to them, such as buttons 9, 10, 12 in Fig. 2 , are temporarily inoperative.

A central area of the display screen 7 is filled with three display panels 14, 15, 16, which together form a schematic front view of the device. Just as the doors 1, 2 together are about as high as the adjacent door 3, the display panels 14 and 15 associated with the doors 1, 2 together are as high as the display panel 16 of the door 3. The upper display panel 14 corresponds to the upper door 1 and the lower 15 of the lower door 2. On the display panels 14 to 16 respectively, the temperatures measured by arranged in the respective compartments sensors are read.

Of those in normal mode the Fig. 2 adjacent to the buttons 8, 11, 13 displayed symbols of the invention, only the symbol 17, here referred to as selection symbol, of importance. It represents a comparison with the display panels 14, 15, 16 again reduced front view of the device.

By pressing the key 11 adjacent to the selection icon 17 once, a user places the apparatus in a programming mode, as in FIG Fig. 3 shown. Here, the display panel 14 corresponding to the door 1 is shown inverted, and instead of the temperature measured in the freezer compartment behind the door 1, a target temperature set for this compartment is indicated.

In addition to the keys 9, 12, a minus and a plus sign, respectively, are shown on the display screen 7 to make it clear that with the aid of the keys 9, 12 the target temperature of the selected compartment, i. of the freezer, can be decremented or incremented. A symbol consisting of three snowflakes 18 next to the 8 key indicates that by means of this key 8 a rapid cooling mode can be activated in which the freezer compartment compressor is operated at maximum power for a predetermined limited period of time.

As in the presentation of Fig. 2 the key 11 is assigned the selection symbol 17. Pressing key 11 again leads to the programming mode of Fig. 4 in which, instead of the freezer compartment, the fresh-refrigerated compartment is selected and, correspondingly, the field 15 of the fresh-food compartment is shown inverted instead of the display panel 14 of the freezer compartment, and the desired temperature of this compartment can be adjusted by means of the keys 9, 12. Repeated actuation of the key 11 would lead to a display image in which the display panel 16 inverted and the target temperature of the normal refrigeration compartment is adjustable.

For the programming or control of the ice / water dispenser, various alternatives come into consideration. According to a first alternative, in the programming mode of the freezer, as in Fig. 3 shown associated with the button 13, a symbol 19, which represents a water glass. When a user selects this icon 19 by pressing the button 13, he comes to the display image of Fig. 5 in which the temperature indication in the display field 14 is replaced by two symbols 20, 21 relating to the operating state of the ice / water dispenser. The full glass symbol 20 indicates the availability of chilled water. It might be missing, for example, if the water tank has just been tapped and the water in it must first cool or if there is no pressure on the water tank. Symbol 21, which represents a glass with an ice cube, indicates that the icemaker is set to dispense ice cubes. From the inverted representation of the display panel 14 it is clear that the device is in a programming state for the icemaker.

A symbol 22 next to the button 9 represents a glass with crushed ice. If the button 9 is pressed, this symbol appears instead of the symbol 21 in the display field 14. Pressing the button 9 again switches off the ice dispensing and the place of the symbol 21 in the display field 14 remains empty. The one displayed next to the button 9 Icon can vary with each press of the button to display the operating mode selectable with the next operation of the button 9.

Of course, the key 9 could also serve only for switching between the dispensing of pieces of ice and crushed ice, and the switching on / off of the ice dispensing could be one of the functions described in US Pat Fig. 5 unassigned keys 10, 12 are assigned as a function.

By repeatedly pressing the selection key 11, the user gets from the display image of Fig. 5 first to the Fig. 4 and finally back to normal operation mode Fig. 2 ,

According to a second alternative, as in Fig. 6 illustrated, the display panel 14 divided into an upper portion 23 which indicates the actual temperature in the freezer and in a programming mode of operation of its target temperature in the normal operating mode, and a lower portion 24 in which the operating state of the ice / water dispenser indicating symbols 20th , 21 can be seen. Here, in the normal operating mode, the icemaker is assigned the key 9 and next to it the symbol 22 is displayed, so that it is also possible to switch between the dispensing of chunks and crushed ice in the normal operating mode.

A dot-dash line 25 indicates a boundary between the regions 23, 24. On the display image displayed on the display screen 7, the two regions 23, 24 can merge without a visible border, or a visible line can be shown between the regions 23, 24 as well as between the respective display fields 14, 15, 16.

According to a third alternative, in normal operating mode, deviating from the representation of Fig. 2 , next to the button 9, a symbol is displayed indicating a currently inactive, selectable type of ice dispensing. If the user selects this type of ice dispensing by pressing the button 9, as shown in Fig. 7 shown in display panel 14 temporarily the selected icon, in inverted display 26 to indicate that it has been programmed. Subsequently, appears in the display field 14th again the temperature, and the symbol next to the key 9 is exchanged for one that represents a now selectable type of ice dispensing.

There may be operating parameters in a refrigeration device that, unlike the previously considered compartment temperatures and the type of ice dispensing, affect the entire appliance or at least several of its compartments. For example, in certain markets there is a need to be able to set a sleep mode on the device that differs from the normal mode of operation by a number of features. Thus, for example, in the idle mode, an interior lighting of the compartments can be switched off permanently, which automatically turns on in normal operation mode when opening one of the doors 1, 2, 3, the icemaker can be turned off, or a backlight of the display screen 7 is off or in their Brightness reduced. The activation of this sleep mode is on the display image of the Fig. 8 to recognize a symbol 27, which overlaps with all three display panels 14, 15, 16 to make it evident for all subjects and the ice / water dispenser.

To conspicuously indicate the occurrence of a technical fault, the three display panels 14, 15, 16 may be interconnected to together represent a large warning sign 28, as in FIG Fig. 9 shown. In this operating state, only a single key, here the key 10, still assigned a function: If the user acknowledges by pressing the key 10 that he has taken note of the fault, he gets on the display screen 7 explanations of the detected fault and on the measures required to remedy the situation. If only one compartment or only the ice / water dispenser is affected by the malfunction, the display fields of the unaffected parts of the device are displayed normally again after the fault has been acknowledged, and a reduced malfunction symbol remains only on the display field or area of the malfunctioning device part visible until the disturbance is eliminated.

Claims (16)

Domestic appliance with a plurality of compartments divided into a housing and a status display (7) for displaying operating state information related to at least one of the compartments, characterized in that the status display (7) is divided into a plurality of display fields (14, 15, 16 ) and that the arrangement of the display panels (14, 15, 16) on the status display (7) at least approximately corresponds to the arrangement of the compartments in the household appliance. Domestic appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the larger of two different sized compartments a larger display panel (16) is associated with the smaller compartment. Domestic appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each display panel (14, 15, 16) is switchable at least between a first and a second display mode. Domestic appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the first and second display modes differ in color and / or brightness of displayed characters and / or in color and / or brightness of a background in front of which the characters are displayed. Domestic appliance according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that in the first display mode of a display panel (14, 15, 16) actual values and in the second display mode set values of an operating parameter of the associated compartment can be displayed. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the status display (7) control elements (8, 9, ..., 13) are assigned, via which a setpoint shown in the second display mode is adjustable. Domestic appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that at most one display field (14, 15, 16) is operable in the second display mode at any time. Domestic appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on one of the compartments, a built-in device is provided and that a built-in device associated display panel (25) is arranged adjacent to the display panel (23) of a compartment. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that on one of the compartments, a built-in device is provided and that a built-in device associated display panel (25, 26) is inserted in the display panel (14) of a compartment. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a built-in device is provided on one of the compartments and that the display panel (14) of a compartment is switchable to selectively display at least one operating parameter of the compartment or at least one operating parameter of the built-in device. Domestic appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a refrigeration device. Domestic appliance according to claim 11, characterized in that the refrigeration device is designed as a so-called side-by-side refrigeration device with at least two superimposed cold compartments and arranged next to these cold shelves, the height of the two cold shelves ausmachenden cold compartment. Domestic appliance according to one of claims 8 to 10 and claim 11, characterized in that the built-in appliance is an ice maker and / or a cold water dispenser. Domestic appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a relevant for all subjects operating condition or a Fault can be displayed by means of a symbol (27, 28) which covers at least partially a plurality of display fields. Domestic appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one operating element (8, 9, ..., 13) adjacent to the status display (7) is arranged and the status display (7) is set, a the function of the operating element (8, 9, ..., 13) representing symbol (17, 18, 22) adjacent to the control element. Domestic appliance according to claim 15, characterized in that the control element (8, 9, ..., 13) assigned function is variable.

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