Refrigerator appliance including a water filter with wireless power transfer
A water filter for a refrigerator appliance including a transmitter power coil. The water filter includes a body forming a liquid receiving space; a filter material provided within the receiving space to filter water therethrough; a first antenna attached to the body, the first antenna facilitating a wireless communication between the refrigerator appliance and the water filter; a power harvesting circuit attached to the body, the power harvesting circuit being operably connected with the first antenna; and one or more electronic components operably coupled to the power harvesting circuit, wherein the antenna wirelessly receives a first electromagnetic field from the transmitter power coil to provide power to the one or more electronic components via the power harvesting circuit.
1 . A refrigerator appliance comprising:
a cabinet;
a food storage chamber defined in the cabinet;
a filter dock provided within the food storage chamber;
a transmitter power coil provided at the filter dock; and
a water filter removably coupled to the filter dock, the water filter comprising:
a body comprising an outer shell, the outer shell forming a liquid receiving space therewithin and defining an electronics compartment fluidly separated from the liquid receiving space, the body comprising an inlet opening through the body into the liquid receiving space and an outlet from the liquid receiving space, wherein a portion of the outer shell is positioned between the liquid receiving space and the electronics compartment;
a filter material positioned entirely within the liquid receiving space to filter water therethrough;
a first antenna attached to the body and positioned entirely within the electronics compartment, the first antenna facilitating a wireless communication between the refrigerator appliance and the water filter;
a power harvesting circuit attached to the body and positioned entirely within the electronics compartment, the power harvesting circuit being operably connected with the first antenna; and
one or more electronic components positioned entirely within the electronics compartment, the one or more electronic components operably coupled to the power harvesting circuit, wherein the first antenna wirelessly receives a first electromagnetic field from the transmitter power coil to provide power to the one or more electronic components via the power harvesting circuit.
2 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna is configured to receive the first electromagnetic field according to a first predetermined protocol.
3 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined protocol comprises a near field communication (NFC) protocol, a Xi protocol, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) protocol, a laser protocol, or a microwave protocol.
4 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the one or more electronic components comprises a light emitting diode (LED), a filter electrode, an electrode life sensor, a water volume sensor, or a water cycle sensor to sense an amount of the water that has passed through the filter material.
5 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second antenna positioned entirely within the electronics compartment, the second antenna facilitating a second wireless communication between the refrigerator appliance and the water filter, wherein the second antenna is configured to receive a second electromagnetic field according to a second predetermined protocol, the second predetermined protocol being different from the first predetermined protocol.
6 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 5 , wherein the second antenna is a wireless authentication antenna to instruct the transmitter power coil to emit the first electromagnetic field.
7 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 5 , wherein the second antenna is a wireless data antenna configured to transmit and receive data from the refrigerator appliance.
8 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 5 , wherein the second antenna is positioned within the electronics compartment.
9 . The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the electronics compartment is fluidly sealed with respect to an ambient atmosphere and the liquid receiving space.