JP2023112016A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can suppress dew condensation in an image photographing part.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes: a cold room 11 (storage part); and a cold room door 11a for covering an opening part of the cold room 11 so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening part. The refrigerator 1 is installed with a smartphone 70 with a built-in camera (image photographing part) for photographing the cold room 11. The smartphone 70 is provided in a camera storage part 41 (cover member). The cover member covers at least part of the cold room door 11a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator that can be photographed by an image photographing section.

2. Description of the Related Art For the purpose of managing items in a refrigerator, it is being considered to provide a refrigerator with a camera for photographing items stored in the refrigerator (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example).

JP 2014-238217 A

In the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1, a camera device 30 (imaging means) is installed inside the refrigerator. With this configuration, when the refrigerator door is opened and closed, dew condensation and fogging may occur on the surface of the imaging means and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing dew condensation in an image capturing section.

A refrigerator according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a storage unit having an opening, a door that can open and close the opening, a cover member that covers at least a portion of the door, and a cover member that is provided for photographing. and an image capturing unit for performing.

According to the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, dew condensation on the image capturing unit can be suppressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows the structure of the smart phone attached to the refrigerator and a refrigerator concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 shows a state in which the door of the refrigerator compartment is closed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows a state in which the door of the refrigerator compartment is opened. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the upper portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the upper portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1; It is a front view which shows the structure of the refrigerator concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional view showing composition of a refrigerator concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the structure of the refrigerator concerning the 4th Embodiment of this invention. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper portion of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 with the door removed; FIG.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

<First Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a refrigerator 1 to which a smartphone (portable information terminal) 70 having a built-in camera is detachably attached will be described as an example. The camera built into smartphone 70 corresponds to the image capturing unit of the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention. Also, the camera built into the smartphone 70 corresponds to an image capturing device detachably installed in the refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention. Note that the image capturing unit and the image capturing device may be devices (eg, digital cameras) other than mobile information terminals such as smart phones, or electronic components (eg, CCD cameras, etc.).

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 1 shows a smartphone 70 attached to the refrigerator 1 . 2 and 3 show the internal configuration of the upper portion of the refrigerator 1 with the smart phone 70 attached. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened. In FIG. 3, illustration of the refrigerator compartment door 11a is omitted. 4 to 6 show the configuration of the camera housing portion 41 provided above the refrigerating compartment door 11a.

(Overall configuration of refrigerator)
The refrigerator 1 has a refrigerating compartment 11 (accommodating section) on the upper level and a freezing compartment 12 on the lower level. The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 11a. The freezer compartment 12 is provided with a freezer compartment door 12a. The configuration of each storage compartment of the refrigerator 1 described in this embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

The outer shape of refrigerator 1 is mainly formed by housing 40 . The housing 40 is configured by a heat insulating box or the like. A camera housing portion 41 is provided in front of the upper surface 40 a of the housing 40 . The camera housing portion 41 is composed of a support plate 42 and a top surface member covering the upper side of the support plate 42 . A hinge pin 61 and the like are also accommodated in the camera accommodating portion 41 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. The camera housing portion 41 is provided above the refrigerator compartment door 11a. Further, the camera housing portion 41 is arranged along the upper surface 40 a of the housing 40 of the refrigerator 1 .

In the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, a camera 71 (see FIG. 4) incorporated in the smartphone 70 is used by attaching the smartphone 70 to the camera installation portion 41a (photographing device installation portion) in the camera housing portion 41. It can be carried out. For example, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment can photograph the interior of the refrigerator compartment 11 as described later. The photographed image of the inside of the refrigerator compartment photographed by the camera 71 can be transmitted to an external server, another information terminal, or the like via an information communication network such as the Internet using the communication means built into the smartphone 70, for example. can. As a result, for example, the owner of the refrigerator 1 can check the contents of the contents stored in the refrigerating compartment 11 of the refrigerator 1 at home from outside.

The lens of the camera 71 built into the smart phone 70 preferably has a wide viewing angle. Examples of such lenses include wide-angle lenses and fisheye lenses.

In the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the refrigerating compartment door 11a is configured such that the left and right opening/closing directions of the door can be changed by replacing the hinge pin 61 that constitutes the hinge portion. 5 and 6 show a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened and closed from the left side. In this state, the hinge pin 61 rotatably fixes the refrigerator compartment door 11a at the right end of the refrigerator 1 . The hinge pin 61 may be replaced in order to open and close the refrigerator compartment door 11a from the right side. That is, the hinge pin 61 can be attached to the insertion hole 62b and the hinge hole 65b provided on the left side of the upper surface 11b of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. FIG. 10 shows the camera housing portion 41 above the refrigerator 1 . FIG. 10 shows a state in which the refrigerator compartment door 11 a is removed from the refrigerator 1 and the smartphone 70 and the mirror moving mechanism 50 are removed from the support plate 42 of the camera housing section 41 . As shown in FIG. 10, the support plate 42 has a symmetrical structure.

(Configuration for photographing the inside of the refrigerator)
Next, a specific configuration for photographing the interior of the refrigerator compartment 11 will be described. The refrigerator 1 includes a camera installation portion 41a (photographing device installation portion), a first mirror 31, a second mirror 32, a mirror moving mechanism 50, and the like as a configuration for photographing the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11. . The camera installation portion 41a, the first mirror 31, the second mirror 32, and the mirror moving mechanism 50 are all arranged outside the refrigerator compartment 11 (that is, outside the refrigerator).

As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the camera installation portion 41 a is provided on the support plate 42 of the camera housing portion 41 . For convenience of explanation, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the lower portion of the support plate 42 is exposed while the right portion of the support plate 42 is removed. A smartphone 70 is detachably mounted on the camera installation portion 41a. A camera hole 41 b (see FIG. 4 ) is formed in the camera installation portion 41 a at a position corresponding to the lens of the camera 71 in the smartphone 70 . Accordingly, the lens of the camera 71 of the smartphone 70 attached to the camera installation portion 41a is not covered with the support plate 42, and light can be incident on the lens from below.

The first mirror 31 is arranged under the support plate 42 of the camera housing portion 41 with the mirror surface directed downward. The first mirror 31 is configured such that the tilt angle of the mirror surface can be changed by the mirror moving mechanism 50 . The inclination angle of the mirror surface of the first mirror 31 is changed according to opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. Specifically, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed, the first mirror 31 is substantially horizontal along the lower surface of the support plate 42 (see FIG. 2). Further, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the front side of the first mirror 31 is inclined downward (see FIG. 3). Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11 can be reflected on the mirror surface of the first mirror 31 . The first mirror 31 may be a convex mirror. Thereby, a wider range can be reflected on the mirror surface.

The second mirror 32 is arranged substantially horizontally under the refrigerator compartment door 11a with the mirror surface facing upward. In this embodiment, the second mirror 32 is arranged on the upper surface of the freezer compartment door 12a. Thereby, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the image projected on the first mirror 31 can be captured by the second mirror 32 . Furthermore, the image captured by the second mirror 32 is captured by the lens of the camera 71 of the smartphone 70 positioned above in the vertical direction.

The mirror moving mechanism 50 is a mechanism for changing the angle of the first mirror 31 according to opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. The mirror moving mechanism 50 is arranged near the first mirror 31, that is, above the refrigerator compartment door 11a. The mirror moving mechanism 50 has, as main constituent members, a rotation shaft 51, a cam 52, projections 53a and 53b, and the like (see FIGS. 4 and 5, etc.).

The rotating shaft 51 is an elongated shaft-like member. An end of the first mirror 31 is connected to the rotating shaft 51 . One end of the rotating shaft 51 is connected to the cam 52 .

The cam 52 is a member for converting the opening/closing motion of the refrigerating compartment door 11 a into the rotating motion of the rotating shaft 51 . The cam 52 is arranged near the hinge portion of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. Specifically, the cam 52 is provided so as to be positioned above the protrusion 53a or 53b provided on the upper surface 11b of the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the closed state.

Projections 53a and 53b are arranged on top surface 11b of refrigerator compartment door 11a. Protrusions 53 a and 53 b transmit opening/closing operations of refrigerator compartment door 11 a to cam 52 .

In addition, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the opening and closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11a can be changed between right opening and left opening by replacing the hinge pin 61 . Therefore, one protrusion is provided near each insertion hole 62 a (not shown) and 62 b of the hinge pin 61 . That is, the right protrusion 53a is provided slightly inside the right insertion hole 62a (not shown) when viewed from the front. Also, the left projection 53b is provided slightly inside the left insertion hole 62b as viewed from the front.

Next, the operation of the first mirror 31 when opening and closing the refrigerator compartment door 11a will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 and 6 show the configuration when the refrigerating compartment door 11a opens to the left. In this configuration, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed, the cam 52 is positioned above the right protrusion 53a. Then, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a moves from the closed state to the open state, the protrusion 53a also moves forward, and the protrusion 53a is removed from below the cam 52. As shown in FIG. In other words, the cam 52 moves downward under the weight of the mirror moving mechanism 50 because the protrusion 53a that pushes the cam 52 upward disappears. The rotation shaft 51 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the cam 52, and the first mirror 31 connected to the rotation shaft 51 tilts downward (see the arrow in FIG. 6).

On the other hand, when the refrigerating compartment door 11a is moved from the open state to the closed state, an operation opposite to the above operation is performed. Then, the cam 52 rides on the protrusion 53a. As a result, the rotating shaft 51 rotates, and the first mirror 31 moves upward to be in a substantially horizontal state. Therefore, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed, the first mirror 31 is arranged along the upper surface 11b of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. That is, it is housed in the camera housing portion 41 located in the upward projection plane of the refrigerator compartment door 11a.

When the refrigerator compartment door 11a is changed to open from the right side, the hinge pin 61 is inserted from the right insertion hole 62a (not shown) and the hinge hole 65a (see FIG. 10) to the left insertion hole 62b (see FIG. 5). and the hinge hole 65b (see FIG. 10). Moreover, the smartphone 70, the first mirror 31, the rotation shaft 51, and the cam 52 are replaced so as to be bilaterally symmetrical with the configuration shown in FIG. As a result, the projection 53b on the left side constitutes a member of the mirror moving mechanism 50, and transmits the opening/closing operation of the refrigerating compartment door 11a to the cam 52. As shown in FIG.

In addition, in the configuration in which the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11a can be changed between right opening and left opening, the support plate 42 is formed with two camera holes (through holes) 41b and 41c. When the refrigerator compartment door 11 a opens to the right, the lens of the camera 71 of the smart phone 70 is arranged above the camera hole 41 c formed on the support plate 42 .

With the above configuration, the first mirror 31 is tilted when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state. In FIG. 3, the path of the light reflected from the accommodation space in the refrigerator compartment 11 at this time is indicated by a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 3, part of the light reflected from the accommodation space in the refrigerator compartment 11 is guided to the mirror surface of the first mirror 31 when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state. That is, the image inside the refrigerator compartment 11 can be captured by the first mirror 31 .

Reflected light from the first mirror 31 is guided to the mirror surface of the second mirror 32 located below. That is, the image reflected on the mirror surface of the first mirror 31 can be captured by the mirror surface of the second mirror 32 . Furthermore, the reflected light from the second mirror 32 is guided to the lens of the camera 71 of the smartphone 70 positioned above. That is, the image reflected on the mirror surface of the second mirror 32 can be captured by the lens of the camera 71 . Thereby, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11 can be photographed using the camera 71 and the mirrors 31 and 32 arranged outside the refrigerator compartment 11 .

Note that the refrigerator 1 may be provided with a power line (for example, a DC 5V power line) for charging the smartphone 70 . When attaching the smartphone 70 to the camera installation portion 41 a , the terminal of the power supply line (for example, the terminal of the USB cable) may be inserted into the power supply portion of the smartphone 70 .

By the way, the main DC power supply line of a refrigerator is often 12 to 15 VDC due to the specifications of the cooling fan motor. Therefore, the power line for charging the smartphone 70 may be branched from this main power line. In this case, it is preferable to arrange a regulator or the like for adjusting the voltage in the branch path to the power supply line for charging the smartphone 70 . Then, when the main power line is OFF (for example, when the fan motor is stopped), the power line for charging the smartphone 70 is turned ON. This eliminates the need to provide a larger capacity power supply circuit for the main power supply line as the power supply line for charging the smart phone 70 .

(Time to shoot inside)
Next, the timing at which the camera 71 of the smartphone 70 captures an image of the refrigerator interior will be described. In the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the inside of the refrigerator can be photographed using the camera 71 or the like arranged outside the refrigerator. Therefore, the control unit in smartphone 70 controls camera 71 so that the shutter of camera 71 opens at the timing when refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened.

A control unit in smartphone 70 detects that refrigerating compartment door 11a has been opened based on the detection results of various sensors (for example, an acceleration sensor, a vibration detection sensor, an illuminance sensor, etc.) built in smartphone 70. , the shutter of the camera 71 is turned on at a predetermined timing.

Moreover, the camera of the smartphone 70 can photograph the interior of the freezer compartment 12 only when both the refrigerator compartment door 11a and the freezer compartment door 12a are opened. The timing for photographing the inside of the freezer compartment 12 is, for example, when the refrigerator compartment door 11 a is open and the light from the smartphone 70 itself or the infrared light for focusing from the camera 71 is reflected by the second mirror 32 . It can be the time when it could not be detected. The illuminance sensor can detect that the refrigerator compartment door 11a is open.

In the case of the camera 71 capable of shooting moving images, it is preferable to shoot moving images for a predetermined period from the time when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened to the time when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed. Immediately after the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened, there is a high possibility that the user of the refrigerator 1 will add an item to the refrigerator compartment 11 or take out an item from the refrigerator compartment 11. Therefore, when a video is captured by the camera 71 while the refrigerating compartment door 11a is open, the control unit in the smartphone 70 selects from the video just before the refrigerating compartment door 11a is closed (for example, , within one second before closing) may be selected as the photographed image of the inside of the refrigerator.

(Summary of the first embodiment)
As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the camera housing section 41 in which the smartphone 70 for taking an image of the interior of the refrigerator compartment 11 can be installed. The camera housing portion 41 is an example of a cover member. The cover member covers at least a portion of the door, protects the door, and suppresses adhesion of dirt and the like. The cover member covers, for example, the upper surface of the door, and can prevent dust and the like from adhering to the door.

The camera housing portion 41 is arranged along the upper surface 40a of the housing 40 above the refrigerator compartment door 11a. That is, the camera housing portion 41 is provided so as to fit within the external shape of the refrigerator 1 defined mainly by the housing 40, the refrigerator compartment door 11a and the freezer compartment door 12a.

The camera 71 of the smartphone 70 installed in the camera housing portion 41 is positioned within the projection plane above the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed. Further, the first mirror 31 for guiding the light reflected in the refrigerator compartment 11 to the camera 71 is located in the projection plane above the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed. When the door 11a is opened, it is configured to tilt forward and downward. A second mirror 32 for guiding the light reflected in the refrigerator compartment 11 to the camera 71 is arranged below the refrigerator compartment door 11a (specifically, on the top surface of the freezer compartment door 12a). By arranging the second mirror on the upper surface of the freezer compartment door 12 a , the second mirror 32 can be accommodated within the area of the external shape of the refrigerator 1 .

According to this configuration, a configuration for photographing a wider area in the refrigerator compartment 11 (for example, the smartphone 70, the first mirror 31, and the second mirror 32 ) can be installed.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the configuration for photographing the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11 (that is, the smartphone 70, the first mirror 31, the second mirror 32, etc.) is not the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11. , are arranged outside the refrigerator compartment 11 (that is, outside the compartment). Therefore, it is possible to prevent dew condensation and fogging on the surfaces of optical members such as camera lenses and mirrors, which may occur due to changes in the temperature and humidity inside the refrigerator due to the opening and closing of the door. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a clearer photographed image of the inside of the refrigerator.

In the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 1 in which the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door 11a can be changed to the left or right by changing the hinge pin 61 has been described as an example. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator in which the opening and closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door is fixed to either the left or the right may be used.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In the refrigerator of the first embodiment described above, a configuration has been described in which the image capturing device (for example, the smartphone 70) for capturing an image of the inside of the refrigerator can be removed from the refrigerator. On the other hand, in a second embodiment described below, a configuration in which an image capturing unit for capturing an image of the inside of the refrigerator is built in the refrigerator will be described.

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a refrigerator 101 according to the second embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the refrigerator 101 has a refrigerating compartment 11 (accommodating portion) on the upper level and a freezing compartment 12 on the lower level. The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 11a. The freezer compartment 12 is provided with a freezer compartment door 12a. The outer shape of refrigerator 101 is mainly formed by housing 40 . A camera housing portion 41 is provided in front of the upper surface 40 a of the housing 40 . A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the configuration of the camera housing portion 41 .

The camera housing section 41 includes a camera (image capturing section) 170, a first mirror 31, a mirror moving mechanism (not shown), and the like. The camera 170 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera. Similar to the camera 71 of the smart phone 70 of the first embodiment, the camera 170 is arranged in the upward projection plane of the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed.

The same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied to the first mirror 31 and the mirror moving mechanism. A second mirror 32 is provided below the refrigerator compartment door 11a. A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the second mirror 32 . The method of photographing the inside of the refrigerator compartment 11 using these configurations (that is, the camera 170, the first mirror 31, the second mirror 32, the mirror moving mechanism 50, etc.) has been described in the first embodiment. Methods are similarly applicable.

(Time to shoot inside)
Next, the timing at which the camera 170 photographs the inside of the refrigerator will be described. In the refrigerator 101 according to this embodiment, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the inside of the refrigerator can be photographed using the camera 170 arranged outside the refrigerator.

Since the refrigerator 101 according to this embodiment has a built-in camera 170, the controller in the refrigerator 101 controls the camera 170 so that the shutter of the camera 170 is opened when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened. . The timing at which the refrigerator compartment door 11a is opened and closed can be determined based on the detection result of the door switch.

Camera 170 can photograph the interior of freezer compartment 12 only when both refrigerator compartment door 11a and freezer compartment door 12a are opened. The timing for photographing the interior of the freezer compartment 12 is, for example, when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is open and the infrared light for focusing of the camera 170 cannot be detected due to reflection by the second mirror 32. be able to. A door switch can detect that the refrigerator compartment door 11a is open.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the camera housing.

FIG. 8 shows the configuration of a refrigerator 201 according to the third embodiment. Also, FIG. 8 shows a smartphone 70 attached to the refrigerator 201 . As in the first embodiment, the refrigerator 201 has a refrigerating compartment 11 (accommodating portion) on the upper level and a freezing compartment 12 on the lower level. The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 11a. The freezer compartment 12 is provided with a freezer compartment door 12a. The outer shape of refrigerator 101 is mainly formed by housing 40 .

A camera housing portion 241 is provided on the upper surface 40 a of the housing 40 . In the first embodiment, the camera housing portion 41 is arranged in front of the top surface 40a, but in the refrigerator 201 according to this embodiment, the camera housing portion 241 covers most of the top surface 40a of the housing 40. is provided as follows.

The camera housing portion 241 is an example of a cover member. The cover member covers at least a portion of the door, protects the door, and suppresses adhesion of dirt and the like. The cover member covers, for example, the upper surface of the door, and can prevent dust and the like from adhering to the door.

The camera housing portion 241 is provided with a camera installation portion 41a (photographing device installation portion), a first mirror 31, a mirror moving mechanism 50, and the like. A smartphone 70 is detachably mounted on the camera installation portion 41a. As in the first embodiment, the camera 71 of the smartphone 70 placed in the camera installation portion 41a is positioned within the upward projection plane of the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed.

As for the first mirror 31 and the mirror moving mechanism 50, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied. A second mirror 32 is provided below the refrigerator compartment door 11a. A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the second mirror 32 . The method of photographing the interior of the refrigerator compartment 11 using these configurations (that is, the smartphone 70, the first mirror 31, the second mirror 32, the mirror moving mechanism 50, etc.) has been described in the first embodiment. Methods are similarly applicable.

The third embodiment is preferably applied to a refrigerator in which the opening/closing direction of the refrigerator compartment door is fixed to either left or right.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the angle of the optical member (for example, the first mirror 31) is variable according to the opening and closing of the refrigerating compartment door has been described. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the angle of the image capturing unit can be changed according to the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, a configuration in which the angle of camera 370 provided in refrigerator 301 is variable will be described.

FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the upper portion of a refrigerator 301 according to the fourth embodiment. Although not shown in FIG. 9, the refrigerator 301 has a refrigerating compartment 11 (accommodating section) on the upper level and a freezing compartment 12 on the lower level, as in the first embodiment. The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 11a. The freezer compartment 12 is provided with a freezer compartment door 12a. The outer shape of refrigerator 101 is mainly formed by housing 40 . A camera housing portion 41 is provided in front of the upper surface 40 a of the housing 40 . A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the configuration of the camera housing portion 41 .

The camera housing section 41 is provided with a camera (image capturing section) 370, a camera moving mechanism 350, and the like. The camera 370 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera. Similar to the camera 71 of the smart phone 70 of the first embodiment, the camera 370 is arranged in the upward projection plane of the refrigerator compartment door 11a when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed.

The camera moving mechanism 350 is a mechanism for changing the angle of the refrigerating compartment door 11a according to opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. The camera moving mechanism 350 has a rotating shaft 51, a cam 52, a protrusion (not shown), etc. as main constituent members.

A configuration similar to that of the first embodiment can be applied to the rotating shaft 51 and the cam 52 . However, the end of the camera 370 is connected to the rotating shaft 51 of the camera moving mechanism 350 .

The protrusion is arranged on the upper surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. The protrusion transmits the opening/closing operation of the refrigerating compartment door 11a to the cam 52, like the protrusion 53a described in the first embodiment. When the refrigerator compartment door 11a is closed, the cam 52 is positioned above the protrusion.

The mechanism for changing the angle of the camera 370 according to the opening/closing operation of the refrigerator compartment door 11a is the same as the mechanism for changing the angle of the first mirror 31 by the mirror moving mechanism 50 in the first embodiment.

As described above, in the refrigerator 301 according to this embodiment, the camera 370 is connected to the camera moving mechanism 350, so that the angle of the camera 370 can be changed according to the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. By tilting the front side of the camera 370 downward when the refrigerator compartment door 11a is in the open state, the state inside the refrigerator compartment 11 can be photographed by the camera 370 .

According to this configuration, an optical member such as a mirror for changing the direction of light can be omitted. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of parts required for photographing the inside of the refrigerator.

(summary)
A refrigerator according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a storage unit having an opening, a door that can open and close the opening, a cover member that covers at least a portion of the door, and a cover member that is provided for photographing. and an image capturing unit for performing.

In the refrigerator according to the first aspect of the present invention, the image capturing unit may be provided at a position facing the upper surface of the door when the door is closed.

Further, a refrigerator according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a storage section having an opening, a door that opens and closes the opening, and an image capturing section that captures an image, wherein the image capturing section includes the It is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the door when the door is closed.

The refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention may include at least one optical member that guides light from the storage section to the image capturing section.

In the refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the optical member may be arranged outside the accommodating portion.

In the refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the optical members may be configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of the door.

In the refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the optical members may be arranged below the image capturing section.

In the refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, the image capturing section may be configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of the door.

In the refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the cover member may have a through hole, and the image capturing section may be provided at a position corresponding to the through hole.

The refrigerator according to the first or second aspect of the present invention may be provided with a portable information terminal having the image capturing unit.

A cover member according to a third aspect of the present invention is a cover member that covers at least a portion of the door of a refrigerator, the cover member including a container having an opening and a door that opens and closes the opening. , and a through hole for photographing is formed.

A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention includes an accommodation space, a door that opens and closes an opening of the accommodation space, and an image capturing unit that captures an image of the accommodation space. In this refrigerator, the image capturing unit is arranged in an upward projection plane of the door when the door is closed.

The refrigerator according to another aspect described above may include at least one optical member that guides the light reflected in the storage space to the image capturing unit.

In the refrigerator according to another aspect, the optical member may be arranged outside the accommodation space.

In the refrigerator according to another aspect described above, at least one of the optical members may be configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of the door.

In the refrigerator according to another aspect, at least one of the optical members may be arranged below the image capturing unit.

In the refrigerator according to another aspect described above, the image capturing unit may be configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of the door.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning of equivalents of the scope of the claims. Also, configurations obtained by combining configurations of different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the present invention.

10: Refrigerator 11: Refrigerator compartment (accommodating section)
11a: Refrigerator compartment door (door)
31: first mirror (optical member)
32: second mirror (optical member)
40: housing 41: camera housing (cover member)
41a: camera installation section (imaging device installation section)
41b: camera hole (through hole)
41c: camera hole (through hole)
50: Mirror moving mechanism 70: Smartphone (portable information terminal)
71: camera (image capturing unit, image capturing device)
101: refrigerator 170: camera (image capturing unit)
201: Refrigerator 241: Camera housing (cover member)
301: refrigerator 350: camera moving mechanism 370: camera (image capturing unit, image capturing device)

A refrigerator according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a housing having a housing portion having an opening; a door that can open and close the opening ; and an upper surface of the housing above the door and a camera installation portion provided in the camera installation portion; an image capturing device that is detachably provided in the camera installation portion and capable of capturing an image of the storage portion in a state where the door opens the opening; and a mechanism for rotating the image capturing device about a rotation axis .

Claims (11)

a container having an opening;
a door that opens and closes the opening;
a cover member covering at least a portion of the door;
and an image capturing unit provided in the cover member for capturing an image. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing unit is provided at a position facing an upper surface of said door when said door is in a closed state. a container having an opening;
a door that opens and closes the opening;
and an image capturing unit that performs capturing,
The refrigerator, wherein the image capturing unit is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the door when the door is closed. 4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one optical member that guides light from said storage section to said image capturing section. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein said optical member is arranged outside said accommodating portion. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said optical members is configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of said door. 7. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein at least one of said optical members is arranged below said image capturing unit. 8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said image capturing unit is configured such that an angle thereof can be changed according to opening and closing of said door. Having a cover member covering at least a portion of the door,
The cover member has a through hole,
9. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said image capturing unit is provided at a position corresponding to said through hole. 10. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a portable information terminal having said image capturing unit. a container having an opening;
A cover member that covers at least a portion of the door of a refrigerator, comprising a door that can open and close the opening,
A cover member formed with a through hole for photographing.

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