Abstract:
A cooler unit has improved control components. The cooler unit includes a digital control unit with a circuit board having high-voltage components and a display. The refrigeration also includes a control housing with a display window, the display positioned to be seen through the display window and covered by a display cover positioned within the display window. The display cover serves to mechanically and electrically isolate the display. The control housing is mounted to a floor of a cabinet liner that is sloped in a downward direction toward the opening of the cooler unit, the control housing retains food and beverage items that are stored on the floor of the cabinet liner so that the items do not exit fall out of the cooler unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/795,821 filed on Apr. 28, 2006, and entitled “Control for Cooler Unit,” hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     
     STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates to cold storage units, such as coolers and refrigerators, and in particular, the invention relates to cooler units with an improved control unit and control unit housing. 
         [0004]    Cold storage units, such as refrigerators, freezers and beverage coolers, are well known, virtually indispensable appliances. Compact refrigerators, especially built-in undercounter beverage and wine coolers, have especially attractive attributes because they can be installed in homes, offices, boats, and recreational vehicles. There has thus been numerous refinements and improvements made to these devices to address and correct deficiencies in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,712, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a cooler unit with improved storage and accessibility features. 
         [0005]    Another improvement is greater control of temperature using digital control units. Digital control systems can control a wide range of temperatures, allowing the user to easily set the cooler to a certain temperature. Digital control units for a cooler unit can usually include a display to provide temperature information to the user, and user inputs that allow the user to control the temperature of the cooler unit. The display and user inputs are usually placed on near the front interior of the unit so that the user can see the display and access the user inputs. The display and user inputs are electrically connected to the control circuit of the digital control unit. The control circuit can be located elsewhere in the unit (e.g., near the compressor) with electrical lines connecting to the display and user inputs or the control circuit can be located near the display and user inputs and the control circuit can be electrically connected to the refrigeration components (e.g., the compressor). In either of these configurations, a transformer, rectifier, and/or power regulator may be required and these components may need to be located separate from the control circuit, which can make the unit more costly to produce. 
         [0006]    Another problem is that digital control units can have sensitive electrical components that are configured to operate in a temperature range and may malfunction if operated outside of that range. For example, semiconductors typically require a heat sink to transfer heat from the semiconductor into the air surrounding the heat sink in order to maintain the semiconductor&#39;s proper operating temperature. Placing a digital control unit near the compressor and coils may negatively impact the ability of the heat sink to dissipate heat from the semiconductor. In fact, heat may be transferred from the heat sink to the semiconductor if the heat sink is placed in a heated environment like the environment that can surround the compressor and coils. 
         [0007]    Another issue is that safety standards and regulations may require that the digital control unit be contained in a housing made of materials with certain properties. For example, the control unit housing may be required to have a minimum Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.® flame rating if the digital control unit contains high-voltage and/or high-power components. The display and user inputs may also need to be mechanically and/or electrically isolated from a user if the display and user inputs are mounted to a circuit board having high-voltage and/or high-power components. 
         [0008]    Another issue with compact cooler units is the maximal use of interior space for storage. Such units typically have a liner on the interior of the cabinet with a liner floor that slopes in a downward direction towards the door, either for drainage or because of the draft angle required to remove the liner from the mold. The liner floor can be used to store food and beverage items; however, the liner floor can prove to be unsuitable for food and beverage item storage. This is because the slope can cause the food and beverage items to rest against the door of the unit when the door is closed. When the door is subsequently opened, the food and beverage items are no longer restrained by the door and can fall out of the cooler unit. Thus, a user is not able to use the liner floor to store food and beverage items, and this available storage space is wasted. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides a solution to the above problems of the prior art. In one aspect, the invention provides a cooler unit having a digital control unit including a control circuit having a high-voltage portion and a display. A display cover overlays the display and is positioned in a window of a control unit housing. 
         [0010]    In preferred embodiments, the display cover is translucent and configured to mechanically and electrically isolate the display from an area outside of the display cover. Additionally, the display cover may be comprised of a material having a flame rating of one of 5 VA and 5 VB. The display cover may also have a thickness that is configured so that the display cover thermally insulates the display from an area outside of the display cover. The control unit can be mounted to the control housing and sit between a plurality of slots in a first set of ribs and a plurality of slots in a second set of ribs. The control unit can include a switch that is activated when a paddle formed in the control unit housing is actuated, the paddle serving to mechanically and/or electrically isolate the switch from an area outside of the control unit housing. The thickness of the paddle may have a thickness configured to thermally insulate the switch from an area outside of the control unit housing. 
         [0011]    Another aspect of the invention provides a cooler unit with a control unit that has a circuit board and a display. The control unit is mounted in a control unit housing having an aperture in a front wall. A translucent display cover overlays the display and is positioned in the aperture. The display cover includes flanges positioned within notches that are positioned on opposite sides of the aperture, the display cover further positioned against the inner wall of the control unit housing. 
         [0012]    In preferred embodiments, a plurality of notched ribs help to hold the control unit in a position that is parallel to the front face of the control unit housing. 
         [0013]    Another aspect of the invention provides a cooler unit with a liner disposed in the cabinet, the liner having a bottom wall that may be sloped downward from the rear of the cabinet to the cabinet opening. The control unit housing is mounted to the liner floor near the cabinet opening and retain food and beverage items stored on the liner floor. The control unit housing may further include a display window and a paddle having a living hinge. The control unit housing may be mechanically and electrically isolated from the control unit and/or the components of the control unit. 
         [0014]    The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the cooler unit of the present invention with a pair of beverage items; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a partial side cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged partial side cross-sectional view within arc  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a partial side cross-sectional view take along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a partial exploded assembly view of a base of a control unit housing, a control unit with a display, a display cover, a front face of a control unit housing cover, and an overlay; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the control unit housing and the control unit with the display cover removed, and the control unit housing cover separated from the base and rotated to show a plurality of ribs; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the control unit housing of the control unit with the display cover attached to the display, and the control unit housing separated from the base. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a cooler unit  10 , the term used herein to mean any self-contained cold storage unit, for example, a refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, a wine and/or beverage cooler, and combinations thereof. The cooler unit  10  generally includes a thermally insulated cabinet  12  defining a storage cavity with an access opening at the front face of the cabinet  12 . The opening is sealed by a thermally insulated door  14  pivotally mounted to the front of the cabinet  12 . The cooler unit  10  includes a compressor, a capillary tube, and interior and exterior heat exchanger coils containing a standard refrigerant, as known in the art, for lowering the temperature of the air inside the cabinet  12 . The compressor and exterior coils are contained in a compartment in the bottom of the cabinet  12  accessible from the back side of the unit (not shown). 
         [0023]    A control unit housing  16  contains a control unit comprising a circuit board with a low-voltage portion and a high-voltage portion (see  FIGS. 2-7 ). The control unit is configured to receive a desired storage cavity air temperature to be maintained from a user input, receive and/or determine the storage cavity air temperature, maintain the storage cavity air temperature at the desired temperature by controlling the cooler unit  10 , provide a switch to power an internal light, and provide a switch to power on/off the cooler unit  10 . The control unit is electrically coupled to a high-voltage power supply, compressor, and other electrically activated and/or powered components. High-voltage power supply generally means the line-in voltage for a building, such as 110/120 VAC or higher. 
         [0024]    An overlay  18  is attached to the control unit housing  16  and includes a plurality of flexible pads  20  and a translucent display window  22 . As discussed hereinafter, the pads  20  are associated with switches of the control unit and can include symbols and/or text to indicate with which switch they are associated. The display window  22  may be tinted, colored, and/or treated to otherwise enhance the display. The inside of the cabinet  12  is fit with an insert liner  24  supporting a plurality of shelves (not shown). The control unit housing  16  sits on top of the insert liner floor  26  and is attached to the cabinet  12 . The perimeter of the door  14  mounts a flexible magnetic seal typically used with conventional refrigerators. A pair of beverage items  28  are shown placed on the insert liner floor  26  and retained by the control unit housing  16 . 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , control unit housing  16  is configured to maximize storage space in the cabinet  12  and to act as a retainer that prevents the beverage items  28  placed in the bottom of the storage space from exiting the cooler unit  10 . The insert liner floor  26  slopes an angle of a (a is shown as  10 ) in a downward direction towards the door  14  as a result of the manufacturing process for the liner  24 . As is known in the art, an insert liner floor may slope more or less than  10  depending on how the cabinet is configured. Beverage and/or food items placed on the insert liner floor  26  may tend to roll and/or slide downward towards the door  14  and would exit the cooler unit  10  when the door  14  is open if the control unit housing  16  did not stop the items from exiting the unit  10 . The beverage items  28  are retained by the control unit housing  16 . The control unit housing  16  can prevent valuable beverage and food items from falling out of the cooler unit  10  and becoming damaged. Additionally, the floor of a cooler unit interior may include an angled rack for storing beverage and food items in a semi-upright position, the control unit housing  16  can act as a retainer so that the beverage and food items can be stored in such a position. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-7 , a control unit  30  is mounted to the control unit housing  16 . The control unit  30  comprises a printed circuit board  32  with a display  34 . The control unit  30  includes a control circuit (not shown) on the printed circuit board  32  comprising various components (not shown) to control the cooler unit  10 . The printed circuit board  32  include the electrical components necessary to receive power from a power supply and condition and/or transform the power to be used by the control circuit and the refrigeration components of the cooler unit  10 . The display  34  can be an LCD display, LED display, other conventional display, or an unconventional display configured to provide a visual indication of temperature or other information provided by the control circuit. A bottom edge  36  of the printed circuit board  32  rests in a plurality of slots  38  formed in a plurality of ribs  40  of a base plate  42  for the control unit housing  16 . The slots  38  are formed in a line that is parallel to a front wall  44  of a housing cover  46  of the control unit housing  16 . A top edge  48  of the printed circuit board  32  fits within a plurality of slots  50  formed in a plurality of ribs  52  of the housing cover  46 . The slots  50  are formed in a line that is parallel to the front wall  44 . The slots  38  and  50  hold the control unit  30  so that the control unit  30  is parallel to the front wall  44  and so that the circuit board  32  remains a fixed distance from the front wall  44 . A display window  54  and a pair of notches  56  are formed within the front wall  44 , the notches  56  being disposed on opposite sides of the display window  54 . A planar display cover  58  includes a pair of flanges  60 , the flanges  60  each having a flange first portion  62  that extends perpendicularly down from a front side  64  of the planar display cover  58  and a flange second portion  66  that extends perpendicularly away from the first portion  62  in a direction that is away from the front face  64 . The display cover  58  is sized to overlay the display  34  so that the first portions  62  of the flanges  60  can be friction fitted and/or compression fitted to opposite sidewalls  68  of the display  34 , thus, the display cover  58  is removably attached to the display  34 . The display window  54  is sized to fit within the display window  54 . The notches  56  formed in the front wall  44  of the housing cover  46  are sized so that the first portions  62  of the flanges  60  of the display cover  58  can fit within the notches  56 . The flange second portions  66  of the display cover  58  are configured to engage an inner face  70  of the front wall  44  of the housing cover  46 . Thus, the control unit  30  is mounted to the housing  16  in a fixed position. To prevent the control unit  30  from moving within the housing  16 , a pair of shallow slots may be formed in the inner face  70  of the front wall  44  of the housing cover  46  where the flange second portions  66  engage the inner face  70  (not shown). Similarly, a portion of the display  34  can extend into the display window  54  so that the sidewalls of the display  34  overlap the sidewalls of the housing front wall  44  that define the display window  56 , the sidewalls of the housing front wall  44  blocking the display  34  and thus the control unit  30  from moving (not shown). 
         [0027]    To allow a user to input various commands, the control unit  30  includes a plurality of user inputs. For example, the control unit  30  may allow a user to power on/off the cooler unit  10 , control an interior light(s), and input the desired interior air temperature with cooler and warmer switches. In an embodiment of the invention, the control unit  30  includes a plurality of switches  72  that are mounted to the circuit board  32  and in electrical communication with the control circuit of the control unit  30 . A plurality of paddles  74  are formed in the front wall  44  of the housing cover  46 , the paddles  74  are each connected to the front wall  44  by a living hinge  76  so that the paddle  74  can be pressed and moved towards the inside of the housing cover  46 . Each paddle  74  includes a square boss  78  that is positioned adjacent to one of the switches  72  when the control unit  30  is installed in the housing  16 . The paddles  74  do not activate the switches  72  unless pressed. Each paddle  74  is associated with an adjacent flexible pad  20  when the overlay  18  is attached to the control unit housing  16 . The flexible pads  20  have symbols and/or text on their outward showing faces so that a user may select which pad  20  to press for a desired input command. For example, a light bulb could be printed on a flexible pad  20 , the flexible pad  20  associated with a switch  72  that controls the interior light(s). A user presses a selected flexible pad  20  which in turn causes the paddle  74  and its boss  78  to move towards its associated switch  72  thereby depressing the switch  72  and, thus, sending an input command signal to the control unit  30 . Once released, the paddle  74  is caused to return to its un-pressed position by the paddle&#39;s associated living hinge  76  and the switch  72  is no longer depressed. 
         [0028]    The printed circuit board  32  of the control unit  30  may include a combination of high-voltage components, high-power components, low-voltage components, and low-power components. Therefore, various regulations and standards concerning consumer products, such as those developed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.®, may require for safety purposes that the circuit board  32  be housed in a structure composed of materials having certain properties (e.g., flame resistance, electrical characteristics, thermal characteristics) and dimensions (e.g., thickness). For example, the housing  16 , display cover  58 , and paddles  74  may be required to have a certain flame rating with an acceptable range. Additionally, there may be further standards or requirements for the structures positioned nearest to the circuit board  32 . 
         [0029]    In one embodiment of the invention, the display cover  58  is molded out of PolyOne® M4810 RPVC and has a thickness of 2 mm, which gives the display cover  58  an Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.® flame rating of 5 VA or 5 VB. In an embodiment of the invention, the paddles  74 , including bosses  78 , have a thickness of 5 mm. Furthermore, the housing  16 , display cover  58 , and paddles  74  can be made of materials that electrically and/or mechanically isolate the circuit board  32  and a display  34  from the control unit housing  16  to prevent injury to a user. The thicknesses of the display cover  58  and paddles  74  may also serve to thermally insulate the display  34  and switches  72 , respectively, from an area outside of the display cover  58  and control unit housing  16 , respectively. 
         [0030]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for the purpose of disclosing a practical, operative structure whereby the invention may be practiced advantageously. However, the apparatus described is intended to be illustrative only, and the novel characteristics of the invention may be incorporated in other structural forms without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, to apprise the public of the full scope of the invention, the following claims are made: