JP2014035084A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep an optimum stored object preservation temperature regardless of a difference in storage state inside a refrigerator, to improve a performance of keeping freshness of food products, and to suppress power consumption by preventing stored objects from getting "too cold".SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes top surface LEDs 20a, 20b installed inside a cold room 12, and a main photosensor 21a which is a photosensor for detecting irradiation light, and by providing the main photosensor 21a inside a recess provided on a side face of the cold room 12 and providing a cover 53 with a shield wall, the main photosensor 21a does not receive direct light from the top surfaces LEDs 20a, 20b, thereby detecting only indirect irradiation light including reflected light at stored objects. By estimating the storage state of the stored objects on the basis of an illuminance attenuation amount inside the cold room 12, the entire storage state inside the cold room 12 can be estimated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with means for detecting a storage state in a refrigerator inside the refrigerator.

  In recent years, household refrigerators generally use an indirect cooling method in which cold air is circulated in the refrigerator with a fan. In a conventional refrigerator, the temperature in the refrigerator is kept at an appropriate temperature by controlling the temperature according to the detection result of the temperature in the refrigerator.

  For example, there is a refrigerator provided with a movable cold air discharge device as a refrigerator that keeps the inside temperature uniform (see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 22 shows a front sectional view of a refrigerator compartment of a conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 22, a movable cool air discharge device 102 provided in the refrigerator compartment 101 supplies cool air to the left and right to make the internal temperature uniform.

JP-A-8-247608

  However, even if it is possible to make the internal temperature uniform as described above, since the refrigerator estimates the temperature by the thermistor in the internal storage, about the influence of the storage state such as the amount and arrangement of the stored food, It was not considered.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at estimating the storage state of the foodstuff inside a refrigerator with the detection information from a storage state detection means.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber having an opening on a front surface, a light emitting unit provided in the storage chamber, a recess provided in a side surface of the storage chamber, A substrate provided in the recess, a first light detection unit that detects light irradiated in the storage chamber, and a second light detection unit that is disposed closer to the opening than the first light detection unit. The first light detection unit and the second light detection unit are provided on the same substrate in the concave portion, and the substrate is disposed to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction of the storage chamber in the longitudinal direction. A connector portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate.

  As a result, the light detection unit that is an optical sensor does not receive direct light from the light emitting unit that is a light source, and can actively incorporate indirect light. The estimation accuracy of the storage state can be increased. Furthermore, the two photodetecting portions are provided on the same substrate and are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction of the storage chamber, and the connector portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion, thereby improving the workability during assembly work. Therefore, it is possible to realize a refrigerator that is compact and has a low impact on heat insulation performance and that can withstand long-term use and has a highly reliable storage state detection.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can improve the estimation accuracy of the storage state of the stored item based on the amount of illuminance attenuation by the optical sensor. Therefore, by performing control according to the storage state, By preventing cooling, it is possible to exert a useful effect such as suppressing power consumption.

Front view of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Control block diagram of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Sectional drawing of FIG. 1 in Embodiment 1 of this invention Schematic front view of a recess according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Sectional drawing of the recessed part in Embodiment 1 of this invention Control flow chart of storage state detection in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the accommodation state detection operation | movement by the top light source in Embodiment 1 of this invention Storage state detection characteristic diagram with top light source in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the accommodation state detection operation | movement by the lower light source in Embodiment 1 of this invention Storage state detection characteristic diagram of the lower light source in Embodiment 1 of the present invention FIG. 8 and FIG. 10 average storage state detection characteristic diagram in the first embodiment of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the example of accommodation of the optical sensor vicinity in Embodiment 1 of this invention Explanatory drawing of the example of an error generation by the storage thing near the optical sensor in Embodiment 1 of this invention Storage state detection characteristic diagram in the vicinity of the optical sensor in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the example of a reflective body accommodation of the optical sensor vicinity in Embodiment 1 of this invention Explanatory drawing of the example of an error generation by the reflective object of the optical sensor vicinity in Embodiment 1 of this invention FIG. 3 is a relationship diagram between the wavelength of light and the reflectance in the first embodiment of the present invention. Reflector detection characteristic diagram in the vicinity of the optical sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Storage state detection characteristic diagram after correction calculation in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Side surface sectional drawing of the principal part of the blocking wall in Embodiment 2 of this invention The principal part enlarged view in Embodiment 3 of this invention Front sectional view of a conventional refrigerator

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage chamber having an opening on a front surface, a light emitting unit provided in the storage chamber, a recess provided in a side surface of the storage chamber, a substrate provided in the recess, and the storage chamber A first light detection unit that detects the light applied to the first light detection unit, and a second light detection unit that is disposed closer to the opening than the first light detection unit, the first light detection unit, The second light detection portion is provided on the same substrate in the recess, and the substrate is disposed in the longitudinal direction so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction of the storage chamber, and a connector portion is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate. I have it.

  As a result, the light detection unit that is an optical sensor does not receive direct light from the light emitting unit that is a light source, and can actively incorporate indirect light. The estimation accuracy of the storage state can be increased. Furthermore, the two photodetecting portions are provided on the same substrate and are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction of the storage chamber, and the connector portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion, thereby improving the workability during assembly work. It is compact and has a low impact on heat insulation performance, and can realize highly reliable storage state detection that can withstand long-term use.

  In a second aspect of the invention, the second light detection unit is above the first light detection unit.

  Thereby, the influence of the shadow by the stored item on the first light detection unit can be more reliably corrected, and the estimation accuracy of the stored state of the stored item based on the illuminance attenuation amount in the first light detection unit is reliably increased. be able to.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator in the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in the embodiment, FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3B is a front view when the door of the refrigerator compartment of FIG. 1 in the embodiment is opened, FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a recess in the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a BB line of FIG. FIG. 6 is a control flowchart for storing state detection in the embodiment, FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the storing state detection operation by the top surface light source in the embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a top surface light source in the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the storage state detection operation by the lower light source in the embodiment, FIG. 10 is a storage state detection characteristic diagram by the lower light source in the embodiment, and FIG. 8 and 10 in the form of an average storage shape FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of storage in the vicinity of the optical sensor in the same embodiment, FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an error caused by an article in the vicinity of the optical sensor in the same embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an example of storing a reflecting object in the vicinity of the optical sensor in the embodiment, and FIG. 16 is an example of an error caused by the reflecting object in the vicinity of the optical sensor in the embodiment. FIG. 17 is a relationship diagram between the wavelength of light and the reflectance in the same embodiment, FIG. 18 is a reflection detection characteristic diagram in the vicinity of the optical sensor in the same embodiment, and FIG. 19 is a correction in the same embodiment. It is an accommodation state detection characteristic figure after calculation.

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the heat insulating box body that is the refrigerator main body 11 includes an outer box mainly using a steel plate, an inner box formed of a resin such as ABS, and heat insulation injected between the outer box and the inner box. It is composed of materials.

  The heat insulation box which is the refrigerator main body 11 is divided into a plurality of storage rooms, and is provided with a refrigerating room 12 at the top and an ice making room 13 or a switching room 14 at the bottom of the refrigerating room 12. A freezing room 15 is arranged at the lower part of the chamber 13 and the switching room 14, and a vegetable room 16 is arranged at the lowermost part, and a heat insulating door for partitioning with the outside air is formed at the front of each storage room at the front opening of the refrigerator body. ing. In the vicinity of the central portion of the refrigerator compartment door 12a, which is a heat insulating door of the refrigerator compartment 12, it is possible to make settings such as the temperature inside the compartment, ice making and quick cooling, and the detection result of the storage state and the operation of the refrigerator A display unit 17 capable of displaying the situation and the like is arranged.

  In the refrigerator compartment 12, a plurality of storage shelves 18 are provided so that foods that are stored items can be organized and stored. Moreover, the frame part 12b which has a heat insulating material inside and protrudes inside the warehouse is provided in the surface inside the refrigerator compartment door 12a, and the door storage shelf 19 is provided in the frame part 12b. The internal storage shelf 18 and the door storage shelf 19 are made of a material having a high light transmittance such as glass or transparent resin. It is possible to adjust the distribution of brightness in the refrigerator compartment 12 by processing the surfaces of the storage rack 18 and the door storage rack 19 so that light diffuses while maintaining a certain transmittance. . The transmittance at this time is desirably 50% or more. When the transmittance is low, a place where light does not easily reach is formed, and the detection accuracy of the storage state is lowered.

A storage chamber 40 is provided below the lowermost storage shelf 18b located at the lowermost stage among the plurality of storage shelves 18 in the warehouse. This storage room 40 is constituted by a storage case that can be pulled out.
You may equip the front surface of the storage case with the door provided in the lowermost storage shelf 18b so that opening and closing is possible. The storage room 40 is provided close to the right wall surface as viewed from the front side of the door opening side in the refrigerator. In the lower left part of the storage chamber 40, an accessory case for storing accessories that are frequently taken out is provided. Further, an egg storage container for storing eggs is provided in the upper part of the accessory case, and a water storage tank 41 for supplying water to the ice making chamber 13 is provided on the left side of the accessory case.

  The lowermost door storage shelf 19 b located at the lowermost stage among the plurality of door storage shelves 19 protrudes to the back side of the refrigerator compartment 12 as compared with the other door storage shelves 19.

  In the refrigerator compartment 12, there is an interior lighting 20 for brightly illuminating the interior of the storage room, which improves the visibility of the food that is stored. The interior lighting 20 is arranged on the top surface, the left side wall surface, and the right side wall surface as viewed from the front side of the door opening side in the refrigerator. A plurality of LEDs such as the top LEDs 20a and 20b, the lighting LEDs 20c, 20d, 20e, and 20f, and the side lower LEDs 20g and 20h are used as the light source of the interior lighting 20, and the lighting LEDs 20c to 20g are formed on the side wall surface. By arranging in this way in the vertical direction, the entire refrigerator compartment 12 that is long in the height direction can be irradiated uniformly.

  The top LEDs 20a and 20b are first light emitting units in the present invention, and the side lower LEDs 20g and 20h are second light emitting units in the present invention. The top surface LEDs 20a and 20b are provided on the door side from 1/2 of the interior depth, preferably on the door side from the vertical surface in contact with the front end of the uppermost storage shelf 18a which is the nearest storage shelf. Yes. More preferably, it is on the door side from the vertical surface that contacts the front end of the uppermost storage shelf 18a, and on the rear side of the vertical surface that contacts the rear end of the uppermost door storage shelf 19a that is the nearest door storage shelf. Is provided on the top surface above the space α.

  The top LEDs 20a and 20b are disposed on the same substrate provided in a recess provided on the top. The concave portion is formed by a support portion (not shown) fixed to the inner box constituting the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 12 by hot melt, and after mounting the substrate on the support portion, a transparent or translucent resin is used. Covered with molded cover.

  A main light sensor 21a and a sub light sensor 21b, which are light sensors, are installed below one side surface in the cabinet. As these optical sensors, an illuminance sensor is used in the present embodiment, and a sensor having a peak wavelength of 500 to 600 nm at which sensitivity is highest is common. Note that the peak sensitivity wavelength of the optical sensor may be another wavelength band, and is determined in accordance with the emission wavelength of the light source.

  The main light sensor 21a is a first light detection unit in the present invention, and the sub light sensor 21b is a second light detection unit in the present invention. The main light sensor 21a is provided on the door side from 1/2 of the interior depth, preferably on the door side from the vertical surface in contact with the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b which is the nearest storage shelf. . More desirably, the left side wall (the side lower LED 20g is located on the left side) facing the space β on the door side from the vertical surface contacting the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b and on the far side from the vertical surface including the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b. And a surface facing the surface on which the lower side LED 20h is provided).

  The main light sensor 21a is located on the upper surface of the storage chamber 40, in the present embodiment, above the lowermost storage shelf 18b, preferably on the upper surface of the storage chamber 40 and the storage shelf 18 above the lowermost storage shelf 18b. It is provided between.

The sub-light sensor 21b is provided on the door side from the vertical surface in contact with the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b which is the latest storage shelf in the warehouse. More desirably, the space γ is on the door side from the vertical surface including the top LEDs 20a and 20b and on the back side from the vertical surface in contact with the rear end of the frame portion 12b.
It is provided on the left side wall facing. The sub light sensor 21b is provided above the main light sensor 21a.

  The main light sensor 21a measures and calculates the state in which the light distribution of the storage room is saturated by the light emitted from the LEDs 20a, 20b, 20g, and 20h being repeatedly reflected on the wall surface of the storage room and reflected / attenuated by the stored object. Thus, the storage state is estimated. In addition to this principle, by arranging the sub optical sensor 21b, it is possible to accurately detect the storage state regardless of the arrangement of the storage items.

  The detection of an object by an optical sensor is a method that digitally detects the presence of one object by utilizing the phenomenon that the intensity of light is extremely attenuated by shielding, such as a photo interrupter, or a number of sensor configurations. A method of detecting the presence of a plurality of objects is common. Such a configuration can only detect the presence or absence of stored items in a limited place in the storage chamber, and cannot grasp the storage state of the entire storage chamber. However, the configuration of the present invention makes it possible to grasp the entire storage state in the refrigerator compartment 12 in an analog manner with a small number of LEDs and sensors.

  In this system, if the food sensor closes the front of the light sensor, the level of light that can be detected decreases drastically and the rate of change in light intensity decreases. Complex processing is required. However, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), even when the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 is filled with storage items, the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b, the lighting LEDs 20c to 20f, and the side lower LEDs 20g and 20h are attached to the mounting positions. Since there is a space α between the storage shelf 18 and the door storage shelf 19, the possibility that the light source is blocked by food is low.

  Next, the blue LED 22a which is an auxiliary light emitting unit in the present invention will be described. The blue LED 22a is provided on the same left side wall surface as the wall surface on which the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b are arranged. The blue LED 22a is provided on the left wall surface facing the space β on the door side from the vertical surface contacting the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b and on the far side from the vertical surface including the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b.

  The blue LED 22a is provided between the upper surface of the storage chamber 40 and the storage shelf 18 that is one above the lowermost storage shelf 18b. Preferably, the blue LED 22a is above the main light sensor 21a and from the sub light sensor 21b. It is provided below.

  Furthermore, the attachment structure of the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, for the sake of simplicity, the cover 53 is not shown, and only the outline of the main body 53a is indicated by a broken line.

  The main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a are disposed on the same substrate 51 and are accommodated in a recess provided on the left wall surface. The recess is formed to protrude toward the heat insulating material injected between the outer box and the inner box by a support member 50 fixed to the inner box constituting the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 12 by hot melt. The support member 50 is substantially rectangular and is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the horizontal plane of the refrigerator compartment 12.

  The substrate 51 is a rectangular flat plate, a circuit pattern (not shown) is formed on one surface or both surfaces, and is an epoxy resin substrate or an insulating metal substrate having good thermal conductivity. The main light sensor 21a is disposed at one end of the substrate 51 in the longitudinal direction, and the sub light sensor 21b is disposed at the other end. A blue LED 22a is arranged on the side where the main light sensor 21a is arranged. A male connector 52a is disposed below the substrate 51 and above the center in the longitudinal direction so that the connector connection direction is from bottom to top. These electronic components are mounted by being soldered to the circuit pattern of the substrate 51.

  The central axis of the light receiving range of the main light sensor 21 a and the sub light sensor 21 b and the optical axis of the blue LED 22 a are mounted so as to be perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 51. Accordingly, the central axis of the light receiving range of the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b and the optical axis of the blue LED 22a are each configured to be perpendicular to the side wall of the refrigerator compartment 12.

  The board | substrate 51 is inclined and installed with respect to the horizontal surface of the refrigerator compartment 12, and the supporting member 50 so that the side by which the sub optical sensor 21b is arrange | positioned may become upper. For this reason, between the support member 50 and the board | substrate 51, the space part in which the board | substrate 51 is not arrange | positioned arises in the front side lower direction and back side upper direction.

  A female connector 52b provided with a connecting wire 52c is connected to the male connector 52a of the substrate 51 from below. Further, the connection electric wire 52 c is drawn out from the heat insulating material into the support member 50 through a connection electric wire hole 50 a provided in a space portion below the front side of the support member 50. Therefore, in the unlikely event that water enters the support member 50 or condensation occurs in the support member 50, the water does not travel through the connection wire 52 c and does not accumulate in the male connector 52 a or the like. It does not cause a failure such as a defect.

  The cover 53 is fixed to the support member 50, a flat plate-like main body portion 53a formed of a transparent resin, a plurality of spacer portions 53b and claw portions 53c that are formed integrally with the main body portion 53a and project toward the heat insulating material. Projections (not shown). Furthermore, through holes are provided at positions corresponding to the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a of the main body 53a, and a cylindrical shape perpendicular to the substrate 51 is provided around these through holes. The main light sensor blocking wall 54a, the sub light sensor blocking wall 54b, and the blue LED blocking wall 55 are provided to protrude toward the substrate 51. The height of the blue LED blocking wall 55 is formed to be higher than the height of the main light sensor blocking wall 54a or the sub light sensor blocking wall 54b.

  The substrate 51 is held by a plurality of spacer portions 53 b and claw portions 53 c provided on the main body portion 53 a of the cover 53. At the time of assembly, the substrate 51 is attached to the cover 53 in advance and then attached to the support member 50. Thereby, after attaching the board | substrate 51 to the supporting member 50, compared with the case where the cover 53 is attached to the supporting member 50, around the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a, the barrier wall for main light sensors 54a, the sub light sensor blocking wall 54b, and the blue LED blocking wall 55 can be easily positioned, and can be securely attached with little displacement.

  The cover 53 includes a connector guide protrusion 57. The connector guiding protrusions 57 are provided on both sides of the position where the male connector 52a and the female connector 52b of the substrate 51 are connected. As a result, even when the connection is made on the back side of the cover 53 during the assembly operation, the connector guide protrusion 75 functions as a guide for connecting the connector, so that the connection can be properly completed. The connection state between the male connector 52a and the female connector 52b can be protected.

  Further, a translucent resinous film 56 is attached to the inner surface of the main body 53 a of the cover 53. Accordingly, the through hole can be covered at low cost without lowering the detection performance of the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b and the illuminance of the blue LED 22a, and intrusion of water, dust or the like into the support member 50 Can be prevented. Furthermore, since the substrate 51 and the like are hardly visible through the main body 53a of the cover 53, the design is improved.

The machine room formed in the uppermost rear region in the refrigerator compartment 12 houses components of the refrigeration cycle such as the compressor 30 and a dryer for removing moisture.

  A cooling chamber for generating cold air is provided on the back of the freezer compartment 15, and in the cooling chamber, the cooler and the cooling air cooled by the cooler are refrigerated chamber 12, switching chamber 14, ice making chamber 13, A cooling fan 31 for blowing air to the vegetable compartment 16 and the freezer compartment 15 is disposed. Further, an air volume adjusting damper 32 for adjusting the air volume from the cooling fan 31 is installed in the air path. Further, a radiant heater, a drain pan, a drain tube evaporating dish, and the like are configured to defrost frost and ice adhering to the cooler and its surroundings.

  The refrigerator compartment 12 is normally set to 1 ° C. to 5 ° C. at the lower limit of the temperature at which it is not frozen for refrigerated storage. In addition, the freezer compartment 15 is set in a freezing temperature zone, and is usually set at −22 ° C. to −15 ° C. for frozen storage. For example, in order to improve the frozen storage state, −30 ° C. or − It may be set at a low temperature of 25 ° C.

  The ice making chamber 13 creates ice with water sent from a water storage tank in the refrigerator compartment 12 by an automatic ice maker provided at the upper part of the room and stores it in an ice storage container disposed at the lower part of the room.

  The switching chamber 14 is not only refrigerated set at 1 ° C to 5 ° C, vegetables set at 2 ° C to 7 ° C, but also frozen at a temperature set at -22 ° C to -15 ° C. It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the freezing temperature ranges. The switching chamber 14 is a storage chamber provided with an independent door arranged in parallel with the ice making chamber 13, and is often provided with a drawer-type door.

  The storage room 40 is set to a temperature range equivalent to the refrigerating room 12, a temperature range of −1 to 1 ° C. as a so-called chilled room, or a temperature range of −4.5 ° C. to −1.5 ° C. as a so-called partial room. ing.

  In the present embodiment, the switching chamber 14 is a storage room including the temperature range of refrigeration and freezing. However, refrigeration is performed by the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 16, and freezing is performed by the freezer compartment 15. A storage room specialized for switching only the temperature zone in the middle of the freezing may be used. Moreover, the storage room fixed to freezing may be sufficient as the demand for frozen foods has increased in recent years, for example, frozen food.

  About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement * effect | action is demonstrated below.

  In the present embodiment, the storage state is detected by using the top LEDs 20a and 20b and the lower side LEDs 20g and 20h in the interior lighting 20.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the storage state is detected using the main optical sensor 21a and the sub optical sensor 21b among the optical sensors 21. FIG.

  When it is necessary to further increase the detection accuracy of the housed state, the number of LED light sources to be used may be increased like the lighting LEDs 20c to 20f. Moreover, you may increase the optical sensor to be used.

  Hereinafter, the storage state detection operation by the top LEDs 20a and 20b, the side lower LED 20g, and the main light sensor 21a will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Since the refrigerator compartment 12 is generally long in the height direction, an example of detecting the storage state will be described mainly based on the idea that the refrigerator compartment 12 is divided into two upper and lower sections.

  First, when opening / closing of the refrigerator compartment door 12a is detected by the door opening / closing detection sensor 3 (step 101), it is determined that there is a possibility that the stored item has been taken in and out, and a predetermined time is elapsed after the refrigerator compartment door 12a is closed. After counting time 4 (step 102), the storage state detection operation is started.

  Here, the reason for measuring the predetermined time in step 102 will be described.

  For example, the storage shelf 18 and the door storage shelf 19 that are at a low temperature are condensed even though they are minute, and the change in transmittance affects the detection of the storage state. The purpose is to detect after the condensation has been resolved after a period of time.

  Also, one of the considerations is that the LED is turned on as an illumination when the refrigerator compartment door 12a is opened, and the detection of the storage state is affected by a decrease in luminous intensity due to the heat generation. The purpose is to detect after the rise is resolved. As another means for stabilizing the luminous intensity of the LED, the LED is turned on for a while after the refrigerator compartment door 12a is closed, deliberately generates heat, and after a predetermined time, the temperature rise of the LED becomes saturated and constant, Even if the detection is started, the luminous intensity of the LED is stabilized.

  When the storage state detection operation is started, the light sources of the top LEDs 20a and 20b arranged on the top wall that is the upper compartment of the refrigerator are first turned on (step 103). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when a food item 23a is stored on the storage shelf 18, the light 24a output from the top LED 20a (hereinafter, the light component is indicated by an arrow in FIG. Indicates that the light intensity is attenuated.) Is reflected and absorbed by the food that is the stored item 23a, attenuates, and diffuses in another direction like the light 24b and 24c. The lights 24b and 24c are further repeatedly reflected on the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 and other food (not shown). In addition, the light 24d reflected by the stored item 23b of the door storage shelf 19 is also attenuated, diffuses in another direction like the light 24e, and repeats reflection on the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 and other food (not shown). . After repeating the reflection in this way, the brightness distribution in the refrigerator compartment 12 is saturated and stabilized.

  Note that light emitted from an LED generally emits light at a predetermined irradiation angle, and thus the light indicated by an arrow in FIG. 7 is a part of the component of light emitted by the LED. The same applies to the description of light.

  Since the top LEDs 20a and 20b face downward and the main light sensor 21a faces the horizontal direction and they are not opposed to each other, most of the light components do not directly enter the sensor and reflect on the wall surface or storage items. It is comprised so that it may pass.

  An example of the storage state detection characteristic of the main light sensor 21a at this time is shown in FIG. 8, and it can be seen that the illuminance decreases as the storage amount increases. However, when only the top LEDs 20a and 20b are turned on, there is an error between the maximum value and the minimum value, and a method for correcting this error will be described later. The measured illuminance information is recorded in the memory 2 as detection data A (step 104).

  The vertical axis of the graph of FIG. 8 is “illuminance”. However, if relative values such as “relative illuminance” or “illuminance attenuation rate” with reference to the absence of stored items are used, the brightness variation of the LED as an initial characteristic, etc. It is easy to cope with. Moreover, it is good also as "illuminance attenuation amount" on the basis of the time of no storage thing. Hereinafter, the concept regarding “illuminance” is the same.

Next, the light source of the side lower LED 20g disposed on the left side wall below the side which is the lower compartment of the refrigerator is turned on (step 105). For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when a food item 23c is stored on the internal storage shelf 18, the light 24f (hereinafter referred to as the following) output from the side lower LED 20g.
Light components are indicated by arrows in FIG. The dotted line indicates that the light intensity is attenuated. ) Is reflected and attenuated by the food which is the stored item 23c, and diffuses in another direction like light 24g. The light 24g repeats reflection on the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 and other food (not shown). Further, the light 24h reflected by the stored item 23d is also attenuated, diffuses in another direction like the light 24i and 24j, and is repeatedly reflected on the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 and other food (not shown). After repeating the reflection in this way, the brightness distribution in the refrigerator compartment 12 is saturated and stabilized.

  When the side lower LED 20g is lit, it is detected by the main light sensor 21a and detected by a combination that does not oppose each other, so that most of the light components do not directly enter the sensor, but are reflected on the wall surface or stored items. It is configured. That is, it detects indirect irradiation light including reflected light from the stored items in the storage room.

  An example of the storage state detection characteristic of the main light sensor 21a at this time is shown in FIG. 10, and it can be seen that the illuminance decreases as the storage amount increases. However, there is an error between the maximum value and the minimum value when only the side lower LED 20g is turned on, and a method for correcting this error will be described later. The measured illuminance information is recorded in the memory 2 (step 106).

  8 and 10, when the stored item is biased to the upper compartment, the illuminance attenuation is large when the top LEDs 20a and 20b are lit (FIG. 8), and the illuminance attenuation is small when the side LEDs 20g and 20h are lit (FIG. 10). . On the other hand, when the storage item is biased toward the lower compartment, the illuminance attenuation is small when the top LEDs 20a and 20b are lit (FIG. 8), and the illuminance attenuation is large when the side LEDs 20g and 20h are lit (FIG. 10).

  That is, when the top LEDs 20a and 20b in the upper section are lit, the sensitivity is high for the storage in the upper section, and when the side lower LEDs 20g and 20h in the lower section are lit, the sensitivity is high for the storage in the lower section.

  From the above, the measurement results obtained by sequentially lighting the top LED 20a and 20b in the upper section and the lower LED 20g in the lower section are combined, for example, the detection data A (characteristic in FIG. 8) and the detection data B (characteristic in FIG. 10) If the obtained value is the detection data C (step 107), the storage state detection characteristic is as shown in FIG. Comparing FIG. 11 with FIG. 8 and FIG. 10, it can be seen that the error is almost eliminated, and the storage state can be detected with high accuracy regardless of the deviation of the arrangement of the storage items up and down.

  In addition, about the arrangement | positioning bias | inclination to the right and left or back and front of a stored item, the refrigerator compartment 12 should just be divided into 2 divisions by the same view as the above, and LED or an optical sensor should just be provided in each.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, a method of correcting an error that occurs when there is an obstacle in the light incident path to the main light sensor 21 a will be described.

  In FIG. 12, the storage object 23e (hereinafter also referred to as an obstacle) is in the vicinity of the main light sensor 21a, and thus may become an obstacle that narrows the light incident path. FIG. 13 (detection data C) shows an example of the storage state detection characteristic by the main light sensor 21a when there is an obstacle as described above, and the maximum value (a) when there is no obstacle is the maximum value when there is an obstacle. It attenuates to (b) and an error occurs depending on the presence or absence of an obstacle. Similarly, the minimum value (c) when there is no obstacle is attenuated to the minimum value (d) when there is an obstacle, and an error occurs. In order to correct this error, the storage state of the storage object 23e is detected by the side lower LED 20h provided on the right wall surface and the sub light sensor 21b provided on the left wall surface.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the side lower LED 20h is turned on (step 108), the detection data D of the sub light sensor 21b is acquired (step 109). If the stored item 23e is of a size that narrows the light incident path to the main light sensor 21a, the light path connecting the lower side LED 20h and the sub light sensor 21b is shielded, so that the detection of the sub light sensor 21b is performed. Data D is extremely lowered. By utilizing this phenomenon and comparing the detection data D with the threshold value E (step 110), when it is determined that there is an obstacle, the storage state is determined from the discrimination characteristic F when there is no obstacle in FIG. 13 (step 111). When it is determined that there is no obstacle, the storage state is determined from the determination characteristic G when there is an obstacle in FIG. 13 (step 112).

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 15 to 18, a method of correcting an error that occurs when the stored object 23f with high reflectivity (hereinafter also referred to as a reflective object) exists around the main light sensor 21a will be described.

  In general, an item having a high reflectance is an object having a white color or a color close to white. An object having a low light diffusibility and a light collecting property such as a metal container is also defined as a reflector.

  In FIG. 15, when the reflectance of the stored item 23f is high, light attenuation is small, and the light may be condensed without being diffused, and the illuminance around the stored item 23f tends to be high. Along with this, the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a in the vicinity also increases. As shown in an example of the storage state detection characteristic (detection data C) by the main light sensor 21a in FIG. Occur. For example, an error J occurs in the characteristic (b) when there is a somewhat high reflectivity with respect to the characteristic (a) when there is no reflection, and the characteristic (c) when there is a high reflectivity. Then, an error H occurs.

  In order to correct this error, the reflection effect of the stored item 23f is detected by the blue LED 22a and the main light sensor 21a. Since a white object generally has a high reflectance, it is necessary to identify a white object in particular. For example, as shown in FIG. 17A, light in a blue wavelength band having a peak at 400 to 500 nm has a low reflectance at a red object. Further, as shown in FIG. 17B, the reflectance of a blue object is also low, 50% or less. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17C, the white object has a characteristic of strongly reflecting light in all the wavelength bands, and thus the reflectance is high. That is, the blue wavelength is difficult to reflect on objects other than white, and is suitable for distinguishing white objects.

  For example, assume that light of red wavelength is used rather than blue. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17A, the light in the red wavelength band having a peak around 650 nm has a high reflectance at the red object, and the white object shown in FIG. It is equivalent to the reflectance. That is, since red light is reflected at a constant level even with an object of the same color having a low reflectance, it is difficult to distinguish between a white object and a red object, and the blue object is easier to discriminate the reflector.

  Note that since the reflectance is affected by the color of the object, it is better to use a chromaticity sensor using RGB wavelengths, for example.

  In addition, an object having low light diffusibility such as a metal container collects light regardless of the wavelength of light, and can be detected by utilizing the characteristics.

  As shown in FIG. 18, since there is a correlation between the error due to the reflecting object and the output of the main light sensor 21a when the blue LED 22a is lit, this error is corrected.

  First, the blue LED 22a is turned on (step 113), and the detection data K by the main light sensor 21a is recorded in the memory 2 (step 114).

  Next, the threshold value L provided as shown in FIG. 18 is compared with the detection data K (step 115), and if the detection data K is smaller, it is determined that the reflection influence is very small and no correction is performed (step 116). ). On the other hand, if the detected data K is larger, it is determined that there is a reflection effect, and the value of the error J or error H is estimated based on the error discriminating characteristic M due to the reflecting object, and correction is performed (step 117).

  As described above, according to FIG. 6, the storage amount detection characteristic (after correction) after basic data acquisition, obstacle correction, and reflection correction are performed by the arithmetic control unit 1 is shown in FIG. It can be seen that the error between the corrected maximum value (a) and the corrected minimum value (b) becomes extremely small, and the storage state can be estimated in an analog manner with high accuracy (step 118).

  In the storage state estimation, threshold values P, Q, R, and S are provided as shown in FIG. 19, and the storage amount level is determined in five stages of 1 to 5. Specifically, level 1 when the threshold value is equal to or greater than threshold P, level 2 when the threshold value is P to Q, level 3 when the threshold value is Q to R, level 4 when the threshold value is R to S, and when the value is equal to or less than the threshold value S Judged as level 5.

  Further, for example, when it is determined that the storage amount increases, if the storage amount before the change is level 3, the level shifts to level 4 only when the illuminance change is equal to or greater than the difference of “threshold Q−threshold R”. Otherwise, hold at level 3 otherwise. Thereby, even if a detection error of several percent occurs due to external noise or the like, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of a change in the storage state. The same way of thinking is used when determining a decrease in the storage amount.

  Further, the interval between the threshold values P to T in FIG. 19 is wide when the storage amount is small, and is narrow when the storage amount is large. This is because the storage amount detection characteristics (after correction) take into consideration that the inclination is larger as the storage amount is smaller, and the inclination is smaller as the storage amount is larger. It is trying to become.

  Of course, it is possible to make a completely analog determination without dividing the stage as described above. Further, as a method for correcting an error generated by a reflection object around the main light sensor 21a, the reflection effect of the reflection object may be determined by the blue LED 22a and the sub light sensor 21b.

  After the storage state is estimated, the cooling system such as the compressor 30, the cooling fan 31, and the air volume adjustment damper 32 is controlled in accordance with the storage amount, the change in the storage amount, the storage position, and the like, and the optimal cooling operation is performed. .

  Further, the LED is sequentially turned on, and the user is notified such as blinking the lamp of the display unit 17 while the storage state is detected. Furthermore, after the storage state is detected, the detection result is displayed on the display unit 17 to notify the user.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b and the side surface lower LEDs 20g and 20h installed in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the main light sensor 21a that is a light sensor for detecting the irradiation light are provided. Then, by estimating the storage state of the stored item based on the illuminance attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a, it is possible to cope with variations in the initial characteristics of the LED as the light source, and the entire storage state in the refrigerator compartment 12 is It is possible to estimate with higher accuracy. In addition, the irradiation light of the light source is repeatedly reflected in the storage room, and then travels throughout the interior and enters the optical sensor, so that the storage state can be detected with a simple configuration with a small number of components. Note that another main light sensor may be arranged on the wall surface opposite to the wall surface on which the main light sensor 21a is provided. Thereby, the estimation accuracy of the storage state can be further increased.

Further, the illuminance attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a is for estimating the storage state of the storage item based on the illuminance in the storage state with respect to the illuminance when there is no storage item in the storage chamber, and the LED as the light source Not only the variation but also the individual variation in the storage room of the refrigerator can be dealt with, and the estimation accuracy of the storage state of the stored items can be further increased.

  Moreover, the illuminance attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a detects indirect irradiation light including reflected light from the stored items in the storage room, and the stored state of the stored items can be easily determined as the illuminance attenuation amount. Can be estimated well.

  Further, since the main light sensor 21a is disposed in a recess provided on the side surface of the storage chamber, the main light sensor 21a does not receive direct light from the top LEDs 20a and 20b, which are light sources. Only indirect irradiation light including light can be detected, and the storage state of the stored item can be estimated easily and accurately as the illuminance attenuation.

  Further, since the main light sensor 21a is provided on the side of the refrigerator compartment door 12a from the center in the depth direction of the refrigerator compartment 12, it is possible to reliably detect the storage state of the food near the entrance that is susceptible to the inflow of outside air due to the opening and closing of the door. it can.

  Moreover, it is provided in the door side from the vertical surface which contact | connects the edge part of the front side of the lowermost stage storage shelf 18b which is the latest storage shelf in a store | warehouse | chamber. The upper and lower spaces between the refrigerator compartment door 12a and the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b are unlikely to be blocked by the stored items, and the stored items on the storage shelf 18 are secured while ensuring a stable light path from the light source. The storage state of the stored item can be accurately estimated based on the illuminance attenuation amount due to the presence. Furthermore, since the main light sensor 21a is disposed on the back side from the vertical surface including the top LEDs 20a and 20b, the stored items on the storage shelf 18 can be detected more accurately.

  The main light sensor 21a is provided on the upper surface of the storage chamber 40 or above the lowermost storage shelf 18b, so that the storage case of the storage chamber 40 is pulled out or provided below the lowermost storage shelf 18b. It does not get in the way when the water storage tank 41 is pulled out. Furthermore, since the main light sensor 21a is provided below the storage shelf 18 located above the lowermost storage shelf 18b, it does not get in the way when the storage shelf 18 is removed. Moreover, since it will be arrange | positioned in the position most distant from top LED20a, 20b in the range which does not interfere with removal of the storage shelf 18, the storage case, and the water storage tank 41, the main light sensor The stored items on all the storage cabinets 18 between the LED 21a and the top LEDs 20a and 20b can be detected. Further, as correction means for correcting the illuminance attenuation amount of the top LEDs 20a and 20b and the main light sensor 21a according to the storage state, the side lower LED 20g and the main light sensor 21a provided on the wall surface on the same side as the main light sensor 21a. By using the illuminance attenuation amount, it is possible to absorb the unevenness of the storage items in the storage room, particularly the variation factor due to the uneven storage state in the vertical direction, and the estimation accuracy of the storage amount due to the storage state of the storage items can be increased. Can be increased.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 1, as a correction | amendment means which correct | amends the illuminance attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a with a storage state, the storage state of the stored thing of the main light sensor 21a vicinity, especially the bottom-stage door storage shelf 19b A sub optical sensor 21b, which is a means for correcting the stored state of the stored items, is provided. Thereby, the estimation precision of the storage amount resulting from the production | generation of the shadow by the stored thing with respect to the main light sensor 21a can be improved reliably. The sub light sensor 21b is disposed on the side surface on the same side as the main light sensor 21a, and is disposed within 120 cm around the main light sensor 21a to correct the influence of shadows due to the stored items on the main light sensor 21a. Desirable above.

In addition, the sub optical sensor 21b is disposed in a recess provided in the side surface of the storage chamber,
Since the sub light sensor 21b does not receive the direct light from the side lower LED 20g that is a light source, only the indirect irradiation light including the reflected light from the stored item can be detected, and the influence of the stored item can be accurately corrected.

  Further, since the sub light sensor 21b is disposed above the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b is positioned between the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b and the side surface lower LED 20g and the main light sensor 21a, and a shadow is cast on the main light sensor 21a. The influence of the stored items can be corrected accurately. The sub light sensor 21b is arranged at a height of 130 mm to 170 mm from the bottom surface of the lowermost door storage shelf 19b, and is likely to be stored in the lowermost door storage shelf 19b. It is desirable to correct the influence of stored items such as bottles.

  In addition, since the sub light sensor 21b is disposed on the door side from the vertical surface in contact with the front end of the lowermost storage shelf 18b which is the latest storage shelf in the cabinet, the influence of the storage items on the door storage shelf 19 is affected. Can be accurately corrected. Furthermore, since it is provided in front of the vertical surface including the top surface LEDs 20a and 20b and on the back side from the vertical surface in contact with the rear end of the frame portion 12b, the stored items on the lowermost door storage shelf 19b Can be accurately corrected.

  In the first embodiment, the top LED 20a, 20b or the side surface, which is a means for correcting the reflectance of the stored item in the storage room, is used as the correction means for correcting the illuminance attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a according to the storage state. By providing the auxiliary light emitting unit that emits light of a color different from that of the lower LED 20g, it is possible to reliably increase the estimation accuracy of the storage amount due to the reflectance of the storage item. In particular, the main light sensor 21a detects the reflected light from the blue light storage from the blue LED 22a which is the auxiliary light emitting unit, so that the high-reflectance storage that affects the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a is detected. The presence can be detected with certainty, and the estimation accuracy of the storage amount by the main light sensor 21a can be reliably increased.

  The blue LED 22a is disposed on the side surface on the same side as the main light sensor 21a, and is disposed within 120 cm around the main light sensor 21a to determine the reflection effect of the stored items that affect the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a. Desirable above.

  In addition, since the blue LED 22a is disposed in a recess provided on the side surface of the storage chamber, the main light sensor 21a does not receive direct light from the blue LED 22a as a light source, so indirect including reflected light from the stored item. Only the irradiating light is detected, and it is possible to reliably determine the reflection effect of the stored items that affect the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a.

  Further, by making the center of the optical axis of the blue LED 22a perpendicular to the side surface of the storage chamber, the main light sensor 21a does not receive direct light from the blue LED 22a that is a light source, so indirect including reflected light from the storage object. Only the irradiating light is detected, and it is possible to reliably determine the reflection effect of the stored items that affect the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a.

  Alternatively, since the center of the optical axis of the blue LED 22a and the central axis of the light receiving range of the light detection unit of the main light sensor 21a do not intersect in the storage chamber, the main light sensor 21a emits direct light from the blue LED 22a as a light source. Since no light is received, only indirect irradiation light including reflected light from the stored item is detected, and the reflection effect of the stored item that affects the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a can be reliably determined.

Further, since the blue LED 22a is provided between the lowermost storage shelf 18b and the storage shelf 18 above the lowermost storage shelf 18b, the lowermost storage that affects the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a. It is possible to reliably determine the reflection effect of the stored items on the shelf 18b. Furthermore, since it is provided above the main light sensor 21a, even when a plurality of items having high reflectivity are stacked on the lowermost storage shelf 18b, it is possible to reliably determine their reflection influence.

  Further, since the blue LED 22a is arranged behind the vertical plane including the top LEDs 20a and 20b, the reflection effect of the stored items on the storage shelf 18 that is likely to affect the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a. Can be accurately determined. Furthermore, since it is arrange | positioned at the door side from the vertical surface which contact | connects the edge part of the front side of the lowermost stage storage shelf 18b, it influences the illumination intensity of the main light sensor 21a periphery among the storage goods on the storage shelf 18 in a store | warehouse | chamber. It is possible to accurately determine the reflection effect of the stored items on the near side on the storage shelf 18 with high possibility.

  Moreover, the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b are arranged below the top LED 20a, 20b and the side lower LED 20g as light sources, so that the light sensor can reduce the influence of dew condensation due to the inflow of outside air when the door is opened and closed. The stored state of the stored item can be accurately estimated based on the illuminance attenuation amount by the optical sensor.

  Further, among the light sources used for the storage state detection, the side lower LED 20g is also used as the interior lighting 20, so that the storage state can be detected with a simple configuration without providing a new light source.

  In the first embodiment, since the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b are mounted on the same substrate 51, the distance between the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b does not depend on the assembled state. Since it is substantially constant, the storage state of the stored items can be accurately corrected by the sub optical sensor 21b.

  Alternatively, since the main light sensor 21a and the blue LED 22a are mounted on the same substrate 51, the distance between the main light sensor 21a and the blue LED 22a becomes substantially constant regardless of the assembled state. It is possible to accurately determine the effect of reflection on a large storage amount.

  Alternatively, by mounting at least two or all of the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a on the same substrate 51, the light sensor and the auxiliary light emitting unit can be provided at a low cost. , Each position is definitely determined. Thereby, the precision which correct | amends the accommodation state of the stored thing based on the illumination intensity attenuation amount in the main light sensor 21a can be improved. In addition, alignment with the through hole of the cover 53 is facilitated during assembly. Furthermore, since the blue LEDs 22a are provided between the main light sensor 21a and the sub light sensor 21b, all can be easily mounted on the same substrate 51 if the light sensors are arranged at both ends.

  In the first embodiment, since the shielding wall is provided around each of the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a, the light of the blue LED 22a is surely directly connected to the main member 50 in the support member 50. In addition to preventing the light from entering the optical sensor 21a and the sub optical sensor 21b, the alignment with the through-hole of the cover 53 at the time of assembly becomes easier. If a blocking wall is provided around either the main light sensor 21a or the blue LED 22a, the light of the blue LED 22a can be prevented from directly entering the main light sensor 21a within the support member 50. Alternatively, if a blocking wall is provided around one of the sub light sensor 21b and the blue LED 22a, the light of the blue LED 22a can be prevented from directly entering the sub light sensor 21b within the support member 50.

  Further, since the height of the blue LED blocking wall 55 is formed to be higher than the height of the main light sensor blocking wall 54a or the sub light sensor blocking wall 54b, the light of the blue LED 22a is reliably supported. Leakage into the member 50 can be prevented.

  Further, since the blocking wall has a cylindrical shape perpendicular to the substrate 51, the light receiving range of the optical sensor can be narrowed by the shielding wall or the light diffusion range of the auxiliary light emitting unit can be narrowed. Sensitivity can be improved, or a certain range of stored items can be reliably detected. Furthermore, since the through hole provided in the cover 53 can be made small, the design is improved.

  In the first embodiment, the substrate 51 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane of the storage chamber, so that the area of the substrate 51 can be reduced, so that the cost can be reduced by reducing the material used, and the substrate 51 can be reduced. Even when dew condensation occurs, the moisture can be moved to the lower end of the substrate 51 and quickly drained, so that it does not cause a failure such as an insulation failure.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 is a side sectional view of an essential part of the blocking wall according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and description of similar configurations, operations, and actions will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 20, in the embodiment of the present invention, the main light sensor blocking wall 64a provided around the through holes of the main light sensor 21a, the sub light sensor 21b, and the blue LED 22a of the main body 53a, the sub The optical sensor blocking wall 64b and the blue LED blocking wall 65 have a truncated cone shape having an inclined portion that extends in a tapered shape from the substrate 51 toward the cover 53. For this reason, even if the cover 53 is provided, the light receiving range of the optical sensor is not narrowed by the cover 53 or the light diffusion range of the auxiliary light emitting unit is not narrowed, so that a wide range of stored items can be detected.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a main part according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21A is the front surface of the cover 53, FIG. 21B is the back surface of the cover 53, and FIGS. 21 (e), FIG. 21 (f), and FIG. 21 (g) are a GG cross section, a HH cross section, a FF cross section, a DD cross section, and an EE cross section in FIG. 21 (b), respectively. A cross section is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 21, in the depth direction in the warehouse, a main light sensor 21a and a blue LED 22a are provided inside the warehouse, and a sub light sensor 21b is provided on the door side. Further, in the height direction in the cabinet, the sub light sensor 21b, the blue LED, and the main light sensor 21a are arranged in this order from the top. The main light sensor is different from the first or second embodiment. The blocking wall 64a for blue and the blocking wall 65 for blue LED have a frustoconical shape that has a non-uniform taper shape having inclined portions, and these inclined portions are inclined more gently on the inner side than on the door side. It is the point comprised as follows.

  By doing in this way, the main light sensor 21a itself is disposed in the recess in the warehouse, so that it detects indirect irradiation light and estimates the storage state of the stored items. By adopting a shape that actively incorporates indirect irradiation light, it is possible to more accurately estimate the stored items. Further, by adopting the same shape for the blue LED 22a, it is possible to more reliably detect the presence of a storage item having a high reflectance that affects the illuminance around the main light sensor 21a.

Further, the sub optical sensor 21b has a truncated cone shape having a uniform slope and extending in a tapered shape. This is because the sub-light sensor 21b is provided to correct the influence of stored items such as bottles having a height of about 190 to 230 mm, which are highly likely to be stored in the lowermost door storage shelf 19b. By using a uniform tapered inclined portion, it is possible to appropriately grasp the storage state of the stored items in the forward direction.

  As described above, the storage amount can be appropriately corrected by changing the taper shape in consideration of the role and position of the optical sensor.

  The refrigerator according to the present invention can be implemented and applied to control for switching the operation mode to a power saving operation or the like by providing a storage amount detection function in a home or business refrigerator.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Computation control part 2 Memory 3 Door opening / closing detection sensor 4 Timer 11 Refrigerator main body 12 Refrigeration room 12a Refrigeration room door (heat insulation door)
12b Frame part 13 Ice making room 14 Switching room 15 Freezing room 16 Vegetable room 17 Display part 18 Storage shelf 18a Top storage shelf 18b Bottom storage shelf 19 Door storage shelf 20 Interior lighting 20a, 20b Top LED
20c-20f LED for illumination
20g, 20h Side down LED
21a Main light sensor 21b Sub light sensor 21d-21q Light sensor 22a Blue LED
23a to 23h Items to be stored 24a to 24j Light 30 Compressor 31 Cooling fan 32 Air volume adjusting damper 40 Storage chamber 41 Water storage tank 50 Support member 50a Connection wire hole 51 Substrate 52a Male connector 52b Female connector 52c Connection wire 53 Cover 53a Main body 53b Spacer part 53c Claw part 54a, 64a Main light sensor blocking wall 54b, 64b Sub light sensor blocking wall 55, 65 Blue LED blocking wall 56 Film

Claims (2)

A storage chamber having an opening on the front surface, a light emitting unit provided in the storage chamber, a recess provided in a side surface of the storage chamber, a substrate provided in the recess, and light irradiated into the storage chamber A first light detection unit for detection; and a second light detection unit installed closer to the opening than the first light detection unit, wherein the first light detection unit and the second light detection unit are provided. The portion is provided on the same substrate in the recess, and the substrate is disposed in the longitudinal direction so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction of the storage chamber, and has a connector portion on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate. refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second light detection unit is located above the first light detection unit.