Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides a refrigerator having a docking station for holding electronic accessories tight against the door of the refrigerator. In one aspect of the present invention, the refrigerator includes a body having one or more doors, a docking station associated with the door, and having a receiving portion adapted to receive a module, and at least one spring associated with the docking station adapted to keep the docking station and the module flush against the door to eliminate variation and fit between the module and the door.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of a provisional application Ser. No. 60/971,790 filed Sep. 12, 2007, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of refrigerators. More specifically, this invention provides a refrigerator having a docking station for holding an electronic accessory flush against the door of the refrigerator. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and may not constitute prior art. 
     With the coming of age of electronic devices, users and operators alike seek for new ways to accommodate or implement these devices in many different settings or places. For example, it is well known that over time kitchens have evolved to incorporate various electronic devices, such as radios, CD players, under-cabinet mounted CD and DVD players and the like. Refrigerators now incorporate various electronic devices. For example, the refrigerator may be configured with a docking station having a power connector for modules to plug into a variety of devices, such as an iPod docking station, cell phone charging/hands-free station, TV, digital picture frames, Web tablet, message board, DVD systems, and the like. However, the streamline aesthetics of modem refrigerators require that the fit between the docking station and the refrigerator be commercially acceptable. This being said, due to manufacturing variations, unacceptable gaps between the door and the electronic device may result rendering the refrigerator commercially unacceptable and aesthetically displeasing. Thus, the need to limit or significantly reduce gaps between the door of a refrigerator and an electronic device attached at the docking station of the refrigerator is a design feature that the present invention provides a solution for by providing a refrigerator having a docking station for holding an electronic accessory flush against the door of the refrigerator. Location and/or placement of the docking station relative to the door is critical to keeping the module or electronic device flush with the refrigerator door. Even though prefabricated holes in the top of the door may be available for attachment of the docking station, positioning the docking station relative to the door using these holes creates too much variation in fit as these holes are fashioned in the doors before subsequent manufacturing processes such as bending, shaping, or forming the door. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a refrigerator having a docking station for holding an electronic accessory flush against the door of the refrigerator. Additionally, current manufacturing tolerances for modules or electronic devices may exhibit variances and must be also considered to keep a nominal gap between the module and/or electronic device and the refrigerator door. For example, many electronic devices and modules are often constructed or manufactured as multi-piece structures which add to the variation and possible gap between the door of the refrigerator and the module or electronic device. Therefore, there is a further need to solve this problem, as well. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a docking station for holding an electronic accessory tight against the door of the refrigerator. In one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a body having one or more doors, a docking station associated with the door and having a receiving portion adapted to receive a module, and at least one spring associated with the docking station adapted to keep the docking station and the module flush against the door to eliminate variation in fit between the module and the door. In a preferred form, the refrigerator also includes a magnetically-active plate positioned within the door whereby one or more magnets fitted at a bottom portion of the module are adapted to keep the bottom portion of the module snug against the door. A pole shoe may be mounted across the magnets to increase holding power and concentrate magnetic flux to prevent interference with the module. An abutment located on the module is shaped to mate within the docking station where the spring presses against the abutment to urge the module against the door to eliminate variation of fit between the module and the door. The docking station defines a top surface with parallel edges terminating in a pair of side walls, whereby one edge also includes a pair of spring levers extending generally downward from the edge and generally outward from the side wall. The door of the refrigerator has a cover with an inner and outer surface, whereby at least one of the springs keeps the docking station flush against the inner surface and another spring keeps the module flush against the outer surface. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator is disclosed having a body with one or more doors and an exterior surface. A docking station is positioned at the top of the door having a receiving portion adapted to receive a module. At least one pair of spring levers associated with the docking station are adapted to keep the docking station and the module flush against the exterior surface of the door to eliminate variation and fit between the module and the door. In a preferred form, the refrigerator also includes the module having an abutment adapted to be mateably received within the docking station, whereby the at least one pair of spring levers press against the abutment to urge the module flush against the exterior surface of the door. 
     In yet another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a body having one or more doors with an exterior surface, a magnetically-active plate positioned behind the exterior surface of the door adapted to receive a module, and a magnet associated with the module to keep the module flush against the exterior surface of the door to eliminate variation in fit between the module and the door. In a preferred form, the refrigerator includes a docking station with sidewalls connected by a bottom wall to form a receiving portion, the bottom wall having a pair of upwardly extending spring levers and a module having an abutment with a front side and an opposite back side, whereby the pair of upwardly extending spring levers are in contact with the front side of the abutment to bias the back side of the abutment against one sidewall to draw the module up flush against the door where the module is docked in the receiving portion. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for the purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. 
         FIG. 1A  shows a front elevation view of a pair of refrigerators according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional view taken along line  1 B- 1 B in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 1C  is another embodiment of the electronic device shown in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the inner surface of the exterior portion of the refrigerator door having a docking station and other exemplary auxiliary components. 
         FIG. 2B  is an exploded view of  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the docking station according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view of the docking station and module positioned in the refrigerator door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is another partial cross-sectional view of the module and docking station mounted within the refrigerator door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  is a front elevation, partial sectional view of the docking station mounted within the refrigerator door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  is an isometric view of a snap of the docking station according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of an adapter positioned at the bottom portion of the refrigerator door taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of the module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8B  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the module shown in  FIG. 8A . 
         FIG. 9A  is an elevation view of the magnetic plate positioned on the inner surface of the exterior portion of the door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9B  is a sectional view of the magnetic plate and door shown in  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 10  is an illustration of several perspective views of the cap shown in  FIGS. 1 and 1B  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 11A-11C  are side views showing alternative embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, application, or uses. 
     The present invention provides a refrigerator having a novel docking station adapted to hold an electronic accessory and/or module tight against the door of the refrigerator.  FIG. 1A  illustrates a couple exemplary embodiments of the refrigerator  10  of the present invention. Generally speaking, the refrigerator  10  includes a refrigerator body  12  adapted to support one or more doors  14 . Each door  14  has a top  16  and an opposite bottom  18 . Door  14  also has a cover  24  which may be a door skin formed of a material such as plastic, stainless steel or the like. Each door  14  has an exterior side  20  and an opposite interior side  22 . The exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14  has an inner surface  26  and an outer surface  28 , as best illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-2B . Similarly, the interior side  22  of the cover  24  of the door  14  also has an inner surface  26  and an opposite outer surface  28 . 
     Fashioned into the top  16  of the door  14  is a docking station  100 , as best illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-6A . The docking station  100  may be adapted to receive a cap  30 , as shown in  FIG. 1B , and  FIG. 10  or an electronic device  226 , as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1C . Even though the docking station  100  is shown on only one door  14  of the refrigerator  10 , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the docking station  100  could be fashioned into either one or both doors  14  of refrigerator  10 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  best illustrate how the docking station  100  may be incorporated into the door  14  of the refrigerator  10 .  FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate generally the inner surface  26  of the exterior side  20  of the door  14 . Positioned at the top  16  of the door  14  is docking station  100 . A pair of wires  126  ingress door  14  at bottom  18  by way of adapter  38 . In one aspect of the present invention, adapter  38  may be a cam adapter whereby the adapter is rotated or twisted to lock the position of the adapter  38  relative to the bottom  18  of the door  14 . Wires  126  extend from the adapter  38  up to the docking station  100 . Wires  126  may be configured to provide power at the docking station  100  and/or transfer an electrical signal from or to the docking station  100 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the docking station  100  according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention. The docking station  100  in one aspect has a generally u-shaped member supporting a receiving portion  102 . The u-shaped member has a top surface  106  with opposite parallel edges  108  terminating in sidewalls  110 . Each sidewall  110  extends in a generally perpendicular direction away from the top surface  106  of the docking station  100 . A pair of spring levers  112  is configured into at least one sidewall  110 . The spring levers  112  extend in a generally downward direction from edge  108  and in a generally outward direction from sidewall  110  so as to be angled away from sidewall  110 . Each spring lever  112  positioned in sidewall  110  of the docking station  100  may also include a catch  116 . Spring levers  112  configured into the sidewall  110  of the docking station  100  contact the inner surface  26  of the interior side  22  of the cover  24  of the door  14 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The pressure of spring lever  112  configured into the sidewall  110  of the docking station  100  acting on the inner surface  26  of the interior side  22  of the cover  24  of the door  14  biases the opposite sidewall  110  against the inner surface  26  of the exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14 . Thus, spring lever  112  configures into the sidewall  110  of the docking station  100  insures that the docking station  100  is correctly positioned within and relative to the door  14 . 
     In another aspect of the docking station  100 , the docking station  100  includes a receiving portion  102  formed by a plurality of sidewalls  103  attached to a bottom wall  104 . The receiving portion  102  of the docking station  100  is cup-shaped and thereby adapted to house, receive, and mate with a top portion  208  of the module  200 . Positioned on the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  is a pair of upwardly extending spring levers  112 . Spring levers  112  extend upwardly from the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  in a generally perpendicular direction. Each spring lever  112  has a larger cross-sectional area at its base, which tapers to a smaller cross-sectional area at its tip. As shown in  FIG. 5 , spring lever  112  extending from the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  is configured to contact and apply pressure to the front side  220  of each abutment  214  of the module  200 . Thus, spring lever  112 , shown in  FIG. 5 , biases or urges the back side  222  of the abutment  214  against the sidewall  103  of the docking station  100  by shifting or urging the docking station  100  rearward along arrow  224 . The biasing or urging of the module  200  rearward against the sidewall  103  of the docking station  100  causes the back side  206  of the module  200 , shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , to be pulled up flush against the outer surface  28  of the exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Thus, both sets of spring levers  112  (i.e., spring lever  112  extending upwardly from the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  and spring levers  112  extending from the edge  108  of the top surface  106  of the docking station  100 ) help to correctly position the docking station  100  within and relative to the door  14  as well as correctly position the module  200  relative to the docking station  100  and the outer surface  28  of the exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14 . Also, configured into the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  is a pair of posts  130 . Posts  130  are used to secure mounting plate  120  to the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 6A . A recess  132  having an aperture  134  is also configured into the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6A . Wires  126  pass through the aperture  134  and the recess  132  of the docking station  100 . These wires  128  are connected to a connector  122  mounted in the mounting plate  120 . Connector  122  has a plurality of contact pins  124  adapted to mate with connector  218  of the module  200 . The connector  122  may be rigidly fixed to the mounting plate  120  or floatably connected to the mounting plate  120  whereby the connector  122  may shift accordingly to mate with connector  218  of the module  200 . Alignment pins  128  may also be used to help align connector  218  of the module  200  with connector  122  of the docking station  100 . Several other features configured into the top surface  106  of the docking station  100  are used for connecting the docking station  100  to the top  16  of the door  14 . For example, snaps  114  positioned on the top surface  106  of the docking station  100  extend through apertures  36 , as best illustrated in  FIG. 2B , in the top  16  of the cover  24  of the door  14  to help secure the docking station  100  to the door  14 . Additionally, cavities  118  may be configured into the top surface  106  of the docking station  100  for receiving a coupler nut (not shown) that extends through an aperture in the top  16  of the cover  24  of the door  14  to aid in securing the docking station  100  to the door  14 , as best illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 6A . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  best illustrate the module  200  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The module  200  has a top portion  208  and an opposite bottom portion  210 . As previously discussed, the module  200  has a pair of abutments  214  extending in a generally perpendicular direction from the top portion  208  of the module  200 . A connector  218  is also configured into the top portion  208  of the module  200 . Connector  218  mates with connector  122  in the docking station  100  when the module  200  is docked within the docking station  100 . Similarly, the back side  222  of each abutment  214  is urged rearward against the sidewall  103  of the docking station  100  by a spring lever  112  acting on the front side  220  of the pair of abutments  214 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Apertures  216  are configured into the top portion  208  of module  200  to aid in securing the module  200  to the docking station  100  when the module  200  is docked within the docking station  100 . As also previously mentioned, the pair of abutments  222  acted on by the pair of spring levers  112  extending upwardly from the bottom wall  104  of the docking station  100  help to draw the top portion  208  of the back side  206  of the module  200  up flush against the outer surface  28  of the exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14 . To aid in drawing the bottom portion  210  of the module  200  up flush against the outer surface  28  of the door  14 , a corresponding pair of fasteners  205 ,  207  may be positioned in or on the bottom portion  210  of the module  200  and on the door  14 , as best shown in  FIG. 11  C. Preferably one or more magnets  202  may be positioned in the module  200 , and a magnetically-active medium such as plate  32 , shown in  FIG. 9A , may be positioned on the inner surface  26  of the exterior side  20  of the cover  24  of the door  14 . Plate  32  may be any type of material that is magnetically-active, such as a ferrous metal and may be attached by way of adhesive  34 . Plate  32  provides a magnetically-active medium for each magnet  202  in module  200  to be attracted to. For example, if the cover  24  of the door  14  is a stainless steel material, plate  32  provides a magnetically-active member for magnets  202  on the module  200  to be attracted to draw the bottom portion  210  of the module  200  up flush against the outer surface  28  of the door  14 . In another aspect of the present invention, the magnets  202 , as shown in  FIG. 9B , may include a pole shoe  204  connected across the pair of magnets  202  to increase the holding power and concentrate magnetic flux  212  so that it is less likely to interfere with module  200 . While magnets  202  are preferred to aid in drawing the bottom portion  210  of the module  200  up flush against the outer surface  28  of the door  14 , it is recognized that other fastening devices such as suction cups  201 , hook-and-loop fasteners  203  such as Velcro® or any other fastening device could be used, as shown in  FIGS. 11A and 11B . Furthermore, module  200 , as shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 C,  8 A, and  8 B, may be any electronic device  226  capable of being connected to the module  200  or docked within the docking station  100  of the present invention. For example, a variety of devices such as an iPod docking station, cell phone charging/hands-free station, TV, digital picture frame, Web tablet, message board, DVD system, and the like may be connected to the module  200  and/or docked within the docking station  100  of the present invention. By way of further example,  FIGS. 1A and 1C  show the electronic device  226  being an LCD panel and neon sign, respectively. Although several examples of electronic devices are disclosed, these electronic devices  226  are used only by way of example, as the docking station  100  and the module  200  may be configured to accommodate a wide variety of various electronic devices not limited to any specific use, scope, or application. 
       FIG. 10  shows various views of a cap  30  of the present invention. Cap  30  is a generally L-shaped member adapted to insert within and cover the docking station  100  of the present invention. Cap  30  may include recessed apertures  40  whereby a locking nut may be inserted through each recess aperture  40  and the cap  30  into one of the cavities  118  in the top surface  106  of the docking station  100  to secure the cap  30  to the door  14  of the refrigerator  10 . An abutment  34  may also be configured into the cap  30  to help in correctly positioning the cap relative to the docking station  100  and/or the door  14 . For example, the abutment  44  may be received within the receiving portion  102  of the docking station  100  to help align the cap  30  relative to the docking station  100  and the door  14  of the refrigerator  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1A . The cap  30  may further include indicia  42 , such as raised lettering, on a surface on the cap  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 10 . 
     The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Changes in the formed proportions of parts, as well as in substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or are rendered expedient without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5