JP2016023892A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable corners in a stockroom to be imaged appropriately even if a camera is attached to a door.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according an embodiment of the present invention comprises a camera attached to a door that opens or closes a front opening portion of a stockroom and imaging an interior of the stockroom. The camera is attached to the door in a state in which an optical axis of the camera is inclined with respect to an inner surface of the door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  This embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

  In a refrigerator, there has been proposed a camera that is attached to the inside of a door that opens and closes a storage room and photographs the state of the storage room with this camera.

JP 2003-207258 A

However, there is a problem that it is difficult for the camera attached to the door to take a good picture of the back corner and the front corner of the storage room.
In view of this, a refrigerator capable of photographing a corner of a storage room satisfactorily while attaching a camera to a door is provided.

  The refrigerator of this embodiment is provided with a camera for photographing the storage room at a door that opens and closes the front opening of the storage room. The camera is attached in a state where the optical axis of the camera is inclined with respect to the inner surface of the door.

Schematic plan view of the refrigerator in the first embodiment It is a figure which shows the attachment mechanism part of a camera roughly, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the Xb-Xb line | wire of (a). Schematic plan view showing a state where the camera's imaging surface faces the storage room from the front while the door is open Schematic plan view with the door open 90 degrees Schematic diagram showing the schematic configuration of an image acquisition system for a refrigerator Schematic plan view of the refrigerator in the second embodiment Schematic plan view with the left and right doors open Schematic plan view of the refrigerator in the third embodiment Schematic side view of the refrigerator in the fourth embodiment

Hereinafter, the refrigerator by several embodiment is demonstrated based on drawing. In addition, in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same component, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. First, in FIG. 5, a household refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator compartment 3, a vegetable compartment 4, and a freezer compartment 5 as storage rooms in order from the top in a heat-insulating cabinet 2. The refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the freezer compartment 5 are provided with doors 3a, 4a, 5a that open and close their front openings. Among these, as shown in FIG. 1, the door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided so that it can rotate to the front-back direction by using the hinge part 6 of the right side seeing from the front. Although not shown, stored items are accommodated in the refrigerator compartment 3. The door 4a of the vegetable compartment 4 and the door 5a of the freezer compartment 5 are drawer-type doors, respectively, and are slidable in the front-rear direction. On the back side of these doors 4a and 5a, although not shown, a container for storing stored items is provided.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 1, a camera 7 is provided on the inside of the door 3 a of the refrigerator compartment 3 in the refrigerator 1 to take a picture of the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3. The camera 7 is attached via an attachment mechanism 8 so as to be positioned on the side opposite to the hinge portion 6 side (free end portion side) on the inner side of the door 3a. As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment mechanism 8 has an attachment piece 9 provided in a fixed state on the door 3a side, and an attachment shaft 10 that protrudes upward from the attachment piece 9 and has a male screw portion 10a on the outer peripheral portion. A mounting hole 11 provided at a base end portion of the camera 7 and through which the mounting shaft 10 is rotatably inserted, and a female screw portion 12a screwed into a male screw portion 10a at the distal end portion of the mounting shaft 10. A wing nut 12 is used. Accordingly, the camera 7 is attached so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) about the attachment shaft 10 of the attachment mechanism 8, and can be fixed at an arbitrary rotation position by tightening the wing nut 12. it can.

  Here, the camera 7 is attached in a state where the optical axis L of the camera 7 is inclined in the horizontal direction with respect to the inner surface 3b of the door 3a, and the photographing surface 7a of the camera 7 is directed to the hinge portion 6 side. ing. In this case, the inclination angle α formed by the inner surface 3b of the door 3a and the optical axis L is set to about 30 degrees, for example, but the inclination angle α can be adjusted by the mounting mechanism 8. . In this case, it can also be said that the optical axis L of the camera 7 is inclined rightward in the left-right direction with respect to the rear inner surface of the refrigerator compartment 3 in the closed state of the door 3a.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an in-chamber image acquisition system 15 for the refrigerator 1 that acquires an image captured by the camera 7. The image acquisition system 15 is an access that performs wireless communication such as short-range communication between the refrigerator 1 to be imaged, the camera 7 to be imaged, the communication adapter 16 provided in the refrigerator 1, and the communication adapter 16. A point 17, an external network 18, a mobile terminal 19, a server 20, and the like are included. The refrigerator 1, the camera 7, the portable terminal 19, and the server 20 are connected to each other via an access point 17 and an external network 18 so as to communicate with each other.

  A so-called Internet is assumed as the external network 18. The mobile terminal 19 is assumed to be a so-called smart phone (high-function mobile phone), tablet PC, or the like, and can communicate with the refrigerator 1 and the server 20 from inside or outside the house. The server 20 is configured by a known computer system and includes a storage unit that stores image information. The camera 7 is controlled by the control means of the refrigerator 1, for example. In this case, the image captured by the camera 7 is stored in the storage unit of the server 20, and the mobile terminal 19 can view the image stored in the storage unit of the server 20.

  In the above configuration, a case where the interior of the cabinet is photographed by the camera 7 will be described. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3 in the refrigerator 1 is closed by a two-dot chain line, and when the door 3a is opened at a predetermined angle, this is detected by a door switch (not shown). An interior lamp (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment 3 is turned on, and the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is automatically photographed by the camera 7 at every predetermined opening angle or every predetermined time. In FIG. 1, the solid line indicates when the door 3a has an opening angle β of about 40 degrees. At this time, the camera 7 is inclined with respect to the inner surface 3b of the door 3a, and the photographing surface 7a is directed to the hinge portion 6 side. The part also falls within the shooting range of the camera 7.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening angle β of the door 3a is about 55 degrees, the optical axis L of the camera 7 is orthogonal to the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and in this state, the camera 7 takes a picture. The surface 7a faces the refrigerator compartment 3 from the front. In this state, the camera 7 is positioned at a substantially central portion in front of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the camera 7 is positioned so as to be separated from the refrigerator compartment 3 and look over the refrigerator compartment 3 from the front. Thus, the left and right corners centering on the center in the left-right direction in the refrigerator compartment 3 are also within the photographing range of the camera 7.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, in the state where the opening angle β of the door 3 a is 90 degrees, the camera 7 is positioned to the right front of the refrigerator compartment 3 and is inclined leftward. Both the corner and the center of the camera are within the shooting range of the camera 7. At this time, it is preferable to shoot so that the outside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is not included in the shooting range of the camera 7. If the opening angle β of the door 3a exceeds 90 degrees, the appearance of the outside of the refrigerator compartment 3 enters the shooting range of the camera 7. Therefore, it is preferable not to shoot when the opening angle β exceeds 90 degrees.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the camera 7 takes a picture a plurality of times when the door 3a is opened is illustrated, but a picture may be taken a plurality of times when the door 3a is closed.
Images taken by the camera 7 are stored in the server 20. The user can view an image stored in the server 20 based on operating the portable terminal 19 outside or inside the house.

In the embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
A camera 7 for photographing the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided on the door 3a of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the camera 7 is attached in a state where the optical axis L of the camera 7 is inclined with respect to the inner surface 3b of the door 3a. . According to this configuration, while the camera 7 is attached to the door 3a, the camera 7 can photograph the corners in the refrigerator compartment 3 satisfactorily.

  The camera 7 shoots with the door 3a opened. According to this configuration, it is possible to photograph the refrigerator compartment 3 from a plurality of different angles by the camera 7, and it is possible to photograph favorably not only the central part of the refrigerator compartment 3, but also the left and right and front and rear corners. become.

The camera 7 is inclined in the left-right direction. According to this, it becomes possible to image | photograph the right and left corner parts of the refrigerator compartment 3 favorably.
The camera 7 can adjust the inclination angle α via the attachment mechanism 8. According to this, even if the inclination angle α changes due to an impact at the time of opening and closing the door 3a, for example, it is possible to return to the original state. It is also possible to adjust the tilt angle α of the camera 7 by looking at the image taken by the camera 7.

  The camera 7 has a photographing surface 7a directed to the hinge 6 side of the door 3a. According to this, when photographing with the camera 7 when the door 3a is opened, it is possible to photograph using the light around the refrigerator 1.

  The camera 7 is located on the anti-hinge part 6 side opposite to the hinge part 6 side in the door 3a. According to this, when shooting with the door 3a opened, the camera 7 can take a picture so as to look over the entire inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 from a position far from the refrigerator compartment 3.

  Since the camera 7 has a configuration in which the door 3a is opened 90 degrees and the corners and the central part of the refrigerator compartment 3 are also in the photographing range, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be well photographed to the corner. It becomes possible. At this time, by not including the outside of the refrigerator compartment 3 in the photographing range of the camera 7, it is possible to photograph only the necessary part, and it is possible to prevent the unnecessary part from being photographed.

  The camera 7 comes to face the refrigerator compartment 3 from the front in the middle of opening the door 3a. According to this, it becomes possible to image the refrigerator compartment 3 from the front front of the refrigerator compartment 3.

  In the above embodiment, the camera 7 may take a picture with the door 3a closed. Moreover, you may image | photograph with the camera 7 in the state in which the open angle (beta) of the door 3a exceeded 90 degree | times.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In this case, the door of the refrigerator compartment 3 is composed of two doors, a first door 22 on the right side and a second door 23 on the left side, and has a so-called double door configuration. In this case, the width dimension in the left-right direction of the first door 22 on the right side is set larger than the width dimension in the left-right direction of the second door 23 on the left side. The right end of the first door 22 is supported by the hinge portion 6 so as to be rotatable, and the left end of the second door 23 is supported by the hinge portion 6 so as to be rotatable.

  The camera 7 is attached to the inside of the first door 22 on the right side via the attachment mechanism 8 as in the first embodiment. Also in this case, the camera 7 is attached in a state where the optical axis L of the camera 7 is inclined with respect to the inner surface 22b of the first door 22 (see the inclination angle α), and the imaging surface 7a of the camera 7 is It is directed to the hinge part 6 side. A door pocket 24 is provided inside the second door 23, and stored items are also stored in the door pocket 24.

  In the above configuration, for example, when the first door 22 is opened 90 degrees or more as shown in FIG. 7 (opening angle β> 90 degrees) and the second door 23 is opened, the image is taken by the camera 7. To do. As a result, the camera 7 can photograph the state of the door pocket 24 of the second door 23. In this case, since the camera 7 is mounted to be inclined with respect to the inner surface 22b of the first door 22, the second door is in a state where the first door 22 is positioned at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. The state of the 23 door pockets 24 can be photographed within a predetermined range A from, for example, a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7 to a position indicated by a solid line.

(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The camera 7 is attached via an attachment mechanism 8 so as to be positioned closer to the center in the left-right direction inside the door 3a. In the state where the optical axis L of the camera 7 is tilted with respect to the inner surface 3b of the door 3a, the camera 7 has the photographing surface 7a of the camera 7 opposite to the hinge portion 6 side (the free end portion). Side). In this case, the inclination angle α formed by the inner surface 3b of the door 3a and the optical axis L is set to about 35 degrees, for example, but the inclination angle α can be adjusted by the mounting mechanism 8. .

  In the above configuration, if the camera 7 is photographed when the door 3a is opened, the photographing surface 7a of the camera 7 is directed toward the person who opens the door 3a, so that the person who opens the door 3a by the camera 7 is photographed. Is possible. According to this, it is possible to confirm the safety of the resident by looking at the image taken of the person who opens the door 3a on the portable terminal 19 from outside the house.

(Fourth embodiment)
A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The camera 7 is mounted on the inside of the door 4a of the vegetable compartment 4 so as to be closer to the upper part than the central part in the vertical direction, and is attached so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction via the mounting mechanism 8. In the camera 7, the imaging surface 7a of the camera 7 is directed obliquely downward with the optical axis L of the camera 7 inclined downward with respect to the inner surface 4b of the door 4a (see the inclination angle α). In this case, the camera 7 can adjust the inclination angle α in the vertical direction via the attachment mechanism 8.

  In such an embodiment, the camera 7 can be photographed so that the inside of the container 30 whose upper surface is opened can be looked down from above, and particularly, the lower corner of the back can be photographed well. Become.

(Other embodiments)
The mounting mechanism of the camera 7 can be configured to be capable of adjusting the angle in both the left and right directions and the up and down direction.
The camera 7 may also be attached to the door 5a of the freezer compartment 5.

  As described above, according to the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the door of the storage room is provided with a camera that images the storage room, and the camera is in a state where the optical axis of the camera is inclined with respect to the inner surface of the door Since the camera is attached to the door, the camera can be favorably photographed at the corner of the storage chamber while the camera is attached to the door.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is a refrigerator, 3 is a refrigerator room (storage room), 4 is a vegetable room (storage room), 5 is a freezing room (storage room), 3a, 4a and 5a are doors, 3b and 4b are inner surfaces, and 6 is A hinge part, 7 is a camera, 8 is an attachment mechanism, 22 is a first door, 22b is an inner surface, 23 is a second door, and 30 is a container.

Claims (13)

The door that opens and closes the front opening of the storage room is equipped with a camera that photographs the storage room,
The said camera is a refrigerator attached in the state in which the optical axis of the said camera inclines with respect to the inner surface of the said door.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the camera is photographed in a state where the door is opened.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the camera is inclined in the left-right direction.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inclination angle of the camera is adjustable. The door can be pivoted about a hinge part,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the camera has a photographing surface directed toward the hinge part.   The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the camera is located on an anti-hinge portion side opposite to the hinge portion side in the door.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein a corner of the storage room is within a photographing range at a position where the door is opened 90 degrees.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the camera has a left and right and a central portion within the storage room within a photographing range at a position where the door is opened 90 degrees.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the camera is photographed so that the photographing range does not include the outside of the storage room at a position where the door is opened 90 degrees.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the camera has a photographing surface facing the storage room from the front while the door is open.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the camera takes a picture even when the door is opened beyond 90 degrees. The door can be pivoted about a hinge part,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the camera has a photographing surface directed to an anti-hinge portion side opposite to the hinge portion side.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the camera is inclined in the vertical direction.

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