EP3550235A1 - Refrigeration and/or freezer device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a body that defines an interior, and with a door that includes a large glass pane through which the interior is visible from the outside of the device, the device having a sensor for detecting Movements of a person in front of the door and a motor with which the door can be moved, and wherein the device is designed to move the door when a certain movement, in particular hand movement of the person is detected.

Description

The invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a body defining an interior, and with a door comprising a large glass pane through which the interior of the outside of the device is visible. The invention further relates to the use of such a device.

In the context of sales promotion, food retailers, among other things, want sales furniture such as refrigerated shelves to take a back seat and the displayed goods to be in the foreground. As a key figure in this context is the so-called "Total Display Area", which describes in principle the extent to which a customer can take a look inside the furniture. In the case of refrigerated shelves with glass doors, the area occupied by the glass is of decisive importance, since the total display area in such shelves increases with the proportion of the glass panes on the total area of the doors.

In the prior art it is known to mount handles on the edge or, by riveting, gluing or screwing, within the glass surface of the glass doors of such refrigerated shelves. This results in several disadvantages. For one thing, the handle stops exposed component that may be damaged during transport, installation and use. To avoid this, handles for delivery are only included and must be assembled on site, or there is a lavish packaging to protect the handles. Furthermore, the handles reduce the total display area and visually disturb the image of a large homogeneous glass front.

The object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator and / or freezer, which overcomes these disadvantages of the prior art.

Against this background, the invention relates to a refrigerator and / or freezer with a body defining an interior, and a door comprising a large-area glass pane, through which the interior of the outside of the device is visible, the device being a sensor for detecting movements of a person in front of the door and a motor, with which the door can be moved, and wherein the device is adapted to move the door when a certain movement, in particular hand movement of the person is detected.

Thus, according to the invention, the door is automatically moved when a person standing in front of it, such as a customer of a food trade, executes a certain gesture with his hand. For this purpose, the device comprises a control unit, which is connected to the sensor and the motor and on which a corresponding algorithm is stored. The door does not need to be touched or moved independently with muscle power. According to the invention, the door is not operated upon detection of any movement taking place in the region of the door, but only upon detection of a specific movement, in particular hand movement. Thus, an unwanted opening due to, for example, a passing of a person can be avoided.

The gesture-controlled door movement maximizes the glass surface of the doors and thus the Total Display Area. The glass surfaces of the doors can be pulled far to the edge and disturbing handles can be avoided.

The glass pane can be a transparent pane made of ceramic glass or plastic glass. The device may be a stand or built-in device with an open-front interior or a chest with an open-topped interior. Accordingly, the door may be a front-side sliding or hinged door or a cover-side sliding or hinged lid.

The motor communicates with the control unit and is controlled by it in response to the gesture recognition of the sensor. Particularly suitable are electric motors. The power transmission can be done in the case of a hinged door or hinged door directly on the door hinge or on the basis of a door closer simulated door movement mechanism with, for example, a knee joint or a slide rail. In the case of a sliding door or sliding door, the power transmission can be done using one or more wheels or tension elements.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the particular movement, in particular hand movement, is a movement which is perpendicular or oblique to the plane of the door. In this embodiment, in the necessary for triggering or controlling the automatic movement of the door movement, in particular hand movement is thus such a movement, in particular hand movement, which is modeled on the opening or closing movement for an actual swing door or flap. Accordingly, this embodiment may be particularly useful in such devices that include a forwardly open interior and a front-side swing door. Furthermore, this embodiment can be used in chests comprising an upwardly open interior and a hinged lid.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the particular movement, in particular hand movement, is a horizontal movement running parallel or obliquely to the plane of the door. In this embodiment, the necessary for triggering or controlling the automatic movement of the door movement, in particular hand movement is thus such a movement, in particular hand movement, which is modeled on the opening or closing movement for an actual sliding door or flap. Accordingly, this embodiment may be particularly useful in such devices that include a forwardly open interior and a front-side sliding door. Furthermore, this embodiment can be used in chests comprising an upwardly open interior and a sliding cover.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the particular movement, in particular hand movement, must have a certain minimum amplitude and / or must run at an angle to the vertical or horizontal which does not exceed a certain maximum angle and / or must have a speed within a certain interval and / or must be performed at a distance from the door that is below a certain maximum distance, and / or must be performed in a certain area in front of the door and / or must have a minimum degree of homogeneity. The minimum amplitude may be, for example, 5 cm or 10 cm. The maximum angle to the vertical, in the case of a hinged door or flap, or horizontal, in the case of a sliding door or flap, for example, be 45 ° or 30 °, with perpendicular as the standing perpendicular to the door surface line and as a horizontal parallel to Door surface extending horizontal line is to be understood. For example, a suitable velocity interval may be defined as 0.1-1 m / s, and preferably 0.2-0.5 m / s, which would be the speed of a typical pulling motion. The maximum distance from the door may be, for example, 1m. Thus, only movements near the door would be detected. As a specific area in front of the door, for example, an area can be defined which lies perpendicularly in front of the door surface, not laterally or at most 30 cm beyond the escape of the door surface protrudes and is within the minimum distance. The homogeneity criterion may require, for example, that the speed of movement over the distance of the minimum amplitude does not scatter more than 70% or not more than 50% about an average. Individual, several or all of these criteria make it possible to define a movement pattern which comprehensively covers opening movement for an actual door and excludes other movement patterns as accurately as possible.

In one embodiment it is provided that the device is designed to move the door so that the door movement follows the movement, in particular hand movement in its direction and / or in its speed and / or in its amplitude. The door movement is thus coupled to the movement, in particular hand movement, as would be the case with a manual door opening. For example, it may thus be provided that the door is opened when the hand is moved perpendicular or obliquely to the plane of the door away from this, that the door movement is stopped when this movement is stopped, and that the door is closed when the hand is moved perpendicular or obliquely to the plane of the door to this.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the device is designed to initiate a predetermined door movement after detection of a specific movement, in particular hand movement. In this alternative variant, the door movement does not follow the movement, in particular hand movement. Rather, the movement, in particular hand movement is understood only as a trigger to perform a predetermined door movement. Thus, for example, after detection of a movement, in particular hand movement, in which the hand is moved perpendicular or obliquely to the plane of the door away from this, a predetermined door movement are initiated, in which the door is fully opened.

The device can also be designed so that one of these two variants can be selected by adjustment.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the device is designed to close the door automatically when the removal of the person is detected by the sensor and / or when the door has been open for a certain time and the sensor detects no movement in front of the door. The door is therefore closed in this embodiment, regardless of a closing movement of the user. This increases the comfort and avoids an unfavorable under the aspects of energy efficiency and storage temperature stability of the door after use.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the sensor is a camera which is coupled to an electronics for image evaluation. By means of such a solution body parts of users and their movements can be well recognized. Furthermore, a specific position of the user can be detected. Alternatively or additionally, for example, a capacitive sensor can be used.

In one embodiment, a security system is provided which avoids collision of the door with a user or too fast movement or excessive forces. The security system may include, for example, one or more of the following aspects. On the one hand, it can be provided that the door is always moved only at a maximum speed, regardless of any higher speed of the movement, in particular hand movement. Further, the engine or the mechanics connecting the engine to the door may comprise a counter force sensor which detects an opposing force caused by the collision of the door and temporarily stops the movement. Furthermore, the sensor for detecting movement can also be used to detect an object standing in the path of movement, so that a movement of the door in the direction of this object can be temporarily prevented accordingly.

In one embodiment it is provided that the front of the door is completely formed by a preferably frameless pane of glass and / or that the door has no handles. In this embodiment, there are no more elements that would hinder the view of the goods located in the interior. The door may be a glass plate which, when closed, rests on top and bottom of a seal of the device body. The necessary in the case of a hinged door or hinged door hinges can be secured by, for example, plugging, riveting, gluing or screws at two opposite corners of the door. The sliding or sliding door may be received on opposite sides in guides of the body.

In one embodiment, it is provided that the interior has a plurality of preferably adjacent sections, each having its own door is assigned. The device according to the invention may thus be a large self-service refrigerated shelf or a large self-service freezer for the salesroom of a grocery store, which optionally also has several compressors and refrigerant circuits and combines a plurality of temperature zones. The sections of the interior may be separated by dividers or partitions or openly interconnected. The plurality of doors of the device of this variant are preferably all designed according to the invention and are preferably all moved according to the invention. For this purpose, the device may comprise a plurality of motors and preferably also a plurality of sensors.

Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to the invention as a self-service refrigerated shelf or self-service freezer in a salesroom of a food trade. The device according to the invention can be used advantageously in particular in such an application. For customer orientation, for example, a sticker or an imprint may indicate the automatic function of the door.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the embodiment illustrated below with reference to FIG.

The sole FIGURE shows a large multi-door refrigerator / freezer 100 intended for use as a self-service refrigerated shelf in a retail space of a grocery store.

The interior of the device 100 comprises a plurality of connected sections, each section having its own door 10. The doors 10 are pivoting doors, which at their respective right sides above and below bearing journals 11 and thus attached to a bar 21 of the body 20 are. The doors each include a large glass pane 12, which occupies substantially the entire door surface and is enclosed only on all sides in a thin spaces 13. Through the glass pane 12, the device interior is clearly visible from the outside. The doors 10 have no door handle.

Instead, the device 100 has a plurality of built-in body 20 electric motors, each one motor is connected to a door 10 via a mechanism, not shown in connection. The mechanism is designed so that the opening and closing movement of the door 10 can be controlled by means of the motor. Furthermore, the device has a plurality of cameras installed in the body 20, one camera each being associated with a door 10 and the detection area of each camera encompassing the area in front of the associated door 10. The device 100 has a control unit connected to the cameras and the motors. On the control unit, an image recognition software is deposited, based on which the camera images can be evaluated for movements of standing in front of the doors 10 people out.

Furthermore, an algorithm is stored on the control unit in order to move a specific door 10 on the basis of the associated motor, if, based on the camera and image recognition software, a vertical or oblique plane to the door 10 extends Movement, in particular hand movement of a person located in front of the respective door 10 is detected, which would correspond to an opening or closing movement in the presence of a door handle. To avoid false triggering, a door movement is initiated only when the movement exceeds a certain minimum amplitude, has a certain direction and speed and is completed in a certain area in front of the door 10.

The automatically initiated door movement follows the movement, especially hand movement in its direction, speed and amplitude. The door movement is thus coupled to the movement, in particular hand movement, as would be the case with a manual door opening. The door 10 is opened when the hand is moved away from the door 10, the door movement is stopped when this movement stops, and the door 10 is closed when the hand is moved toward the door 10.

In addition, the control unit is designed so that the respective door 10 is automatically closed when removal of the person is detected on the basis of the camera and image analysis software, and if the door 10 has stood open for a certain time and also on the basis of the camera and image analysis software no person or Activity in front of the door 10 is detected.

Furthermore, a security system is provided which avoids a collision of the door 10 with a user or too fast movement or excessive forces. The security system has several aspects. On the one hand, it is provided that the door 10 is always moved at a maximum speed, regardless of any higher speed of the movement, in particular hand movement. Furthermore, the motor comprises a counterforce sensor which detects an opposing force caused by collision of the door 10 and temporarily stops the door movement in the event of detection of such an opposing force. Furthermore, the door movement is temporarily stopped when recognizes an object in the path of motion based on the camera and image analysis software. Based on the combination shown, the advantages can be realized that no grip in the display area is present and thus the total display area can be increased compared to known devices. Any transport damage by handle elements are also avoided. The relatively heavy glass doors are opened by the engine and not by the muscular power of the user. The operation is thus possible for each person without restrictions. Since the detection range for the required movement, in particular hand movement can be greater than the engagement range of a classic handle, so that people with physical limitations such as wheelchair users who can not grasp a classic grip optimally and sometimes difficult doors open only cumbersome of such benefit from gesture-controlled door movement. In addition, doors can be closed automatically after a defined time in order to avoid leaving the doors open.

Claims (10)

A refrigerator and / or freezer having a body defining an interior, and a door comprising a large glass panel through which the interior is visible from the outside of the appliance,
characterized,
that the device comprises a sensor for detecting movements of a person in front of the door and a motor with which the door can be moved, wherein the device is designed to move the door when a certain movement, in particular hand movement of the person is detected , Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in the particular movement, in particular hand movement is a perpendicular or oblique to the plane of the door running movement or that it is the particular movement, in particular hand movement is a horizontal movement parallel or oblique to the plane of the door. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the particular movement, in particular hand movement must have a certain minimum amplitude and / or must run at an angle to the vertical or horizontal, which does not exceed a certain maximum angle, and / or must have a speed within a certain interval and / or at a distance from the door which is below a certain maximum distance, and / or must be performed in a certain area in front of the door and / or have a minimum degree of homogeneity got to. The refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device is designed to move the door so that the door movement of the movement, in particular hand movement in their direction and / or in their speed and / or in their amplitude follows. The refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the device is designed to initiate a predetermined door movement after detection of a particular movement, in particular hand movement. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device is designed to close the door automatically when the removal of the person is detected by the sensor and / or if the door has stood open for a certain time and the sensor detects no movement in front of the door. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is the sensor is a camera which is coupled to an electronics for image analysis. Refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front of the door is completely formed by a preferably frameless glass pane and / or that the door has no handles. Cooling and / or freezing appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interior has a plurality of preferably adjacent sections, which each have their own door is assigned. Use of a refrigerator and / or freezer according to one of the preceding claims as a self-service refrigerated shelf or self-service freezer in a salesroom of a food trade.

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