A HOME APPLIANCE WITH A STORAGE ELEMENT POWERED BY WIRELESS

POWER TRANSFER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a home appliance comprising a storage chamber having inner walls defining a storage volume and at least one storage element in order to be connected in a fixable/removable manner to at least one of the inner walls.

PRIOR ART

Cooling devices like refrigerator may comprise storage elements like shelf, drawer. In such storage elements, illumination elements are provided and the storage volume is illuminated. When the transmission of electrical energy to the illumination elements in the storage elements is realized from the cooling device body by means of cable, it becomes difficult to fix and remove the storage elements and change their places. Electrical energy can be transmitted by means of electrical energy transmission points in a fixable/removable manner. In the application with number US5287252, a cooling device is disclosed where power is transmitted to the illumination elements, which are provided at shelves, by means of electrically conductive strips provided at the inner walls. In this case, the exposed connection points may be subject to corrosion and this may lead to malfunctioning in time.

In the application with number US2009021927A1 , a refrigerator is disclosed having a shelf comprising an illumination element and where energy can be transferred to the illumination element by means of electromagnetic induction. In case power is transmitted in a wireless manner from a transmitter provided on the body, since the receiver provided at the shelf shall be positioned at a specific distance, positioning of the shelf at the desired position is not possible.

As a result, because of all of the abovementioned problems, an improvement is required in the related technical field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a home appliance, for eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages and for bringing new advantages to the related technical field.

An object of the present invention is to provide a home appliance which provides illumination of the storage volume by means of storage elements and which provides placement of the storage elements to different positions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a home appliance that provides less energy consumption while providing placement of storage elements to different positions.

In order to realize all of the abovementioned objects and the objects which are to be deducted from the detailed description below, the present invention is a home appliance comprising a storage chamber having inner walls defining a storage volume and at least one storage element in order to be connected in a fixable/removable manner to at least one of the inner walls. Accordingly, the subject matter home appliance is characterized in that the storage element comprises an illumination element for illuminating the storage volume, a wireless power receiver and a driver circuit which provides light emitting of the illumination element by means of electrical energy received from the wireless power receiver; the home appliance comprises a wireless power transmitter associated with one of the inner walls and a sensor configured to detect that the wireless power receiver has entered into a power transmission vicinity of the wireless power transmitter and to provide operation of the wireless power transmitter. Thus, illumination is provided in a wireless manner and corrosion and function deterioration which may occur due to open connection points are prevented. Moreover, since the wireless power transmitter operates only when the illumination element is connected to the inner wall, reduced energy consumption is provided.

In a probable embodiment of the invention, the storage element comprises a magnet; the sensor is a magnetic sensor and is configured to provide operation of wireless power transmitter when it detects magnetic field which is greater than a predetermined amount. Thus, unintentional operation of the transmitter device by means of an object except the storage element is prevented. In another probable embodiment of the invention, the sensor is a magnetic switch which provides operation of the wireless power transmitter when it is subject to magnetic field which is greater than a predetermined amount. Thus, triggering can be realized without needing a process unit.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the sensor is an electronic sensor sensing a power transmission. This may be done for example by detecting a load of the power transmitter and/or by detecting a current within the power transmitter or by detecting a different impedance within the power transmitter.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the electronic sensor can periodically check the existence of the power receiver in the vicinity. This may be done for example by periodically sending by the power transmitter a test signal designed to test a power transmission from the transmitter to the receiver.

In another probable embodiment of the invention, in order to supply energy to the storage element at different positions where the storage element is placed, pluralities of wireless power transmitters are provided at different positions from each other on the inner walls. Thus, storage elements can be placed to different positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 is a representative view of the home appliance partially.

Fig. 2 is a representative view of the home appliance partially and as the storage element is withdrawn.

Fig. 3 is a rear representative view of the home appliance.

Fig. 4 is a representative view of a section of the home appliance while the door of the home appliance is open.

Fig. 5 is a representative view of the storage element.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the storage element and of the power supply point.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a possible embodiment of the storage element and of the power supply point.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the storage element and of the power supply point. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the subject matter is explained with references to examples without forming any restrictive effect only in order to make the subject more understandable.

With reference to Fig. 1 , 2 and 3, the subject matter home appliance is a cooling device (10) has a storage chamber (120) comprising inner walls (121 ) defining the storage volume (1 10). In more details, the storage chamber (120) comprises a rear wall (121 a), side walls (121 b), a door (121 c) and lower/upper walls (not illustrated in the figure). The cooling device (10) is particularly a refrigerator.

The cooling device (10) comprises pluralities of storage elements (130) in order to be connected to the inner walls (121 ) of the storage chamber (120) in a fixable/removable manner. Carrier elements (140) are provided in order to fix the storage element (130) on at least one of the inner walls (121 ). The carrier elements (140) can be provided in the form of a rail, protrusion or housing. The storage element (130) can be a shelf, drawer, door shelf, door chamber, egg shelf, etc.

The storage element (130) comprises an illumination element (131 ) for illuminating the storage volume (1 10). The illumination element (131 ) may comprise pluralities of light sources (not illustrated in the figure). The light sources may be light emitting diode (LED) or any other light source known in the art. The storage element (130) also comprises a wireless power receiver (132). The wireless power receiver (132) comprises a coil. The coil generates current when it is subjected to a variable direction magnetic field.

The storage element (130) comprises a driver circuit (133) which provides emitting of light by the illumination element (131 ) by means of the current generated by the wireless power receiver (132). The driver circuit (133) may comprise sub-circuits like rectifier circuit, regulator circuit as also known in the art.

The cooling device (10) comprises at least one power supply point (150) provided on at least one of the inner walls (121 ). In a possible embodiment, pluralities of power supply points (150) are arranged at different positions on the inner walls (121 ). With reference to Fig. 2, in a possible embodiment, the power supply point (150) is positioned at the rear wall (121 a) at each height where the shelves, in other words, the storage elements can be placed. The wireless power receivers (132) are arranged such that they are positioned in the vicinity of a power transmission of power supply points (150) when the storage element (130) is positioned to the inner walls (121 ) by means of carrier elements (140). In other words, in a possible embodiment as in Fig. 2, the wireless power receivers (132) are positioned in a manner corresponding to the power supply points (150) at the edge of the storage element (130) close to the rear wall (121a).

The power supply point (150) comprises a wireless power transmitter (151 ). The wireless power transmitter (151 ) is connected to a power supply (153). A sensor (152) provides operation of the wireless power transmitter (151 ), in other words, a sensor (152) provides the wireless power transmitter (151 ) to emit magnetic field, particularly variable-direction magnetic field by means of the electrical energy received from the power supply (153). The wireless power transmitter (151 ) also comprises a coil. As known in the art, the wireless power transmitter (151 ) moreover may comprise sub-circuits like rectifier circuit, regulator circuit, inverter circuit, timing circuit used by the transmitter of the wireless power transmission. By means of these sub-circuits, the current received from the power supply (153) is turned into a compliant form and passes through the coil provided on the transmitter side and thus, magnetic field is generated in order for the coil, provided at the receiver side, to generate current.

The sensor (152) detects that the wireless power receiver (132) and the wireless power transmitter (151 ) enter into the vicinity of an energy transmission. After the detection process, the wireless power transmitter (151 ) is operated. Here, the mentioned power transmission vicinity describes the volume where the amount of magnetic field, generated by the coil in the wireless power transmitter (151 ), is at a predetermined level. In other words, it describes the volume/distance where the magnetic field, to which the wireless power receiver (132) is subjected, has an amount providing generation of current that will be sufficient for the operation of the illumination element (131 ).

With reference to Fig. 6, in a possible embodiment, the sensor (152) is a distance sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor (152) provides operation of the wireless power transmitter (151 ) when it is detected that the storage element (130) or the wireless power receiver (132) provided in the storage element (130) approaches the wireless power transmitter (151 ) at a predetermined distance.

In a possible embodiment as in Fig. 5 and 7, the storage element (130) comprises a magnet. The sensor (152) is a magnetic sensor. The sensor (152) provides operation of the wireless power transmitter (151 ) when it detects magnetic field that is greater than a predetermined amount. In a possible embodiment, the sensor (152) is a magnetic switch. The sensor (152) turns on or off when it is subjected to a magnetic field that is greater than a predetermined magnitude and the sensor (152) provides operation of the wireless power transmitter (151 ).

With reference to Fig. 8, in a possible embodiment, the sensor (152) of the power supply point (150) is an electronic sensor sensing a power transmission. In this embodiment, the power transmitter (151 ) periodically sends by a test signal designed to test a power transmission from the transmitter (151 ) to the power receiver (132). The sensor (152) checks for an actual power transmission from the transmitter (151 ) to the power receiver (132). This may be done for example by watching for a load of the power transmitter and/or by detecting a current within the power transmitter or by detecting a different impedance within the power transmitter.

If the sensor (152) detects that a test power transmission has occurred, then a regular power transfer is initiated.

The operation of the cooling device (10) whose details are given above is as follows: A storage element (130) is placed to the carrier element (140) and is fixed to the side walls (121 b). The sensor (152), existing in the position where the storage element (130) is fixed, detects that the storage element (130) is placed. This detection is realized by means of detection of a magnet in the storage element (130) or by means of detection of the distance of the storage element (130). The sensor (152) provides the wireless power transmitter (151 ) to emit magnetic field. Since the wireless power receiver (132) is in the power transmission vicinity of the wireless power transmitter (152), it generates current by means of the magnetic field to which it is subjected. The driver circuit (133) provides the generated current to be transmitted to the illumination element (131 ) in a suitable manner. When the storage element (130) is removed from the inner walls (121 ), the sensor (152) stops operation of the wireless power transmitter (151 ).

The protection scope of the present invention is set forth in the annexed Claims and cannot be restricted to the illustrative disclosures given above, under the detailed description. It is because a person skilled in the relevant art can obviously produce similar embodiments under the light of the foregoing disclosures, without departing from the main principles of the present invention.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 Cooling device

1 10 Storage volume

120 Storage chamber

121 Inner walls

121 a Rear wall 121 b Side wall

121 c Door

130 Storage element

131 Illumination element

132 Wireless power receiver

133 Driver circuit

134 Magnet

140 Carrier element

150 Power supply point

151 Wireless power transmitter

152 Sensor

153 Power supply