JP7527540B2 - Electric refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric refrigerator as a household appliance (white goods) .

A conventional refrigerator (electric refrigerator) as a household appliance is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. This refrigerator is equipped with a liquid crystal panel provided on a door disposed at the front opening of the refrigerator body, and a liquid crystal control means capable of controlling the display state of this liquid crystal panel, and by controlling the liquid crystal control means, for example, the liquid crystal panel can be set to a state in which the interior is visible or not visible, and various information can be displayed on the liquid crystal panel in a predetermined format.

JP 2015-140930 A

However, with such refrigerators, although the status inside the refrigerator can be monitored through an LCD panel and various information can be displayed on the door, it is not possible to manage various information about the food stored inside. For example, food whose expiration date or best before date (hereinafter referred to as "best before date") has passed may be stored (stored) inside the refrigerator without the user knowing, making it difficult to properly manage the food itself. In particular, in recent years, it has become mandatory to affix labels to the food itself indicating the expiration date, place of origin, ingredients, etc., of the food, but it is practically difficult for consumers to make effective use of this information, and improvements are being called for.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an electric refrigerator that allows consumers to easily grasp various information about the food being used and that can be used optimally.

In order to achieve this object, the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention comprises a reading means capable of reading information about food stored in a box-shaped main body, and a control means capable of comparing the information read by the reading means with information previously set by a setting means, determining the state of the food based on the comparison result and issuing a notification via an alarm means, wherein the control means issues a predetermined notification via the alarm means based on information consisting of at least the expiration date of the food and allergenic ingredients of the food read by the reading means .

The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the reading means, setting means, notification means and control means are provided in a single housing and formed separately from the storage body , or at least the control means is built into the storage body .

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that a plurality of types of notifications from the notification means are set. Furthermore, the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that an external terminal device can be connected to the control means so as to be able to communicate with the control means in a predetermined manner .

According to the invention recited in claim 1 of the present invention, there is provided a reading means capable of reading various information about food, and a control means capable of comparing the information read by the reading means with management information set by the setting means, determining the state of the food based on the comparison result, and notifying the state by the notification means. Therefore, the consumer can easily and reliably grasp various information about the food used in the refrigerator while using the refrigerator, and can use the refrigerator in an optimal condition .

In addition, since the management information for a refrigerator that stores food includes at least the expiration date and allergenic ingredients, the expiration date of the food can be effectively managed and the disposal of expired food can be reduced, thereby enabling accurate food management. Information on allergenic ingredients can also be managed, making it effective to use the system as a countermeasure in cases where the refrigerator user has an allergic reaction to allergenic ingredients.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, the reading means, the setting means, the notification means and the control means are provided in one housing and formed separately from the refrigerator body, or at least the control means is built into the refrigerator body in advance. Therefore, for example, by making them separate, it becomes possible to use them like a remote control for existing refrigerators, and usability is improved, such as easy application to various refrigerators, and by building them into the refrigerator, it becomes possible to form them at low cost without compromising the design value of the refrigerator.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1 or 2 , multiple types of notifications are set from the notification means, so that optimal information management can be performed according to the consumer's situation, for example, by setting the expiration date of a food product a predetermined number of days earlier to provide an advance notification, and by issuing an alarm if the expiration date has passed .

Furthermore, in addition to the effects of the inventions of claims 1 to 4, the invention described in claim 4 allows an external terminal device to be communicably connected to the control means in a predetermined manner. Therefore, by wirelessly connecting a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet to the control means, an alarm signal can be transmitted from the terminal device, thereby further improving the usability of the refrigerator .

1 is a schematic front view showing an embodiment of an electric refrigerator according to the present invention; Block diagram A flowchart showing an example of the operation A flowchart showing an example of the operation of the reference example. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a label for food to be used in a refrigerator, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a label for clothing to be used in a washing machine as a reference example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a refrigerator as a household appliance according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerator 11 is configured as a two-door type, with a vegetable refrigerator compartment 13 for storing (preserving) items such as vegetables at the bottom of a box-shaped main body 12, and a refrigerator compartment 14 having a freezer compartment (not shown) at the top of the vegetable refrigerator compartment 13 for refrigerating or freezing various foods as items.

An item information management device 1 (hereinafter referred to as information management device 1) is disposed near the handle 15 on the surface of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator 11. As shown in FIG. 2, this information management device 1 has a housing 2, and within this housing 2 there is a control unit 3 having a CPU 3a with a calendar function and a comparison function, a RAM 3b connected to this CPU 3a, a ROM 3c, etc., and a reader 4, a memory unit 5, an input unit 6, a display 7, an alarm 8, etc., each connected to this control unit 3.

The reader 4 is, for example, a barcode reader capable of reading barcodes 16a on labels 16 (described below) affixed to food, and the reading unit is provided exposed on the front surface of the housing 2. The memory unit 5 stores information read by the reader 4 and stores data input from the input unit 6 (described below).

The input unit 6 is configured with a touch panel type liquid crystal input device having, for example, a numeric keypad, a reset key, a power key (power switch), etc., and the display 7 is configured to display (notify) the status such as the expiration date described below in a predetermined form. The display 7 and the input unit 6 can also be integrated into a single liquid crystal panel. The alarm 8 is configured to emit (notify) an alarm by sound or light (color), for example, using a speaker or multiple LEDs.

1, the display 7 and input unit 6, which together with the alarm 8 constitute the notification means, are provided on the front of the housing 2 so that they can be seen by the consumer using the refrigerator 11, and the reader 4 is also provided, for example, on the front of the housing 2 so that the consumer can read the label 16 of the food before storing it in the refrigerator 11. The information management device 1 is designed to be attached to a specified door surface of the refrigerator 11 by a magnet or suction cup (not shown) arranged on the installation surface (back surface), for example.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the information management device 1 when applied to the refrigerator 11. This will be explained below. For ease of explanation, let us assume that the label 16 of the food stored in the refrigerator 11 is as shown in Figure 5(a), and that the information to be managed among the various pieces of information on this label 16 (hereinafter referred to as management information) is the expiration date 16b.

First, when the power switch of the information management device 1 is turned on, the program starts (S100), and the expiration date 16b among multiple pieces of food information is set as management information in the input unit 6, for example, by a selection method using the display on the panel (S101).

Then, a determination is made as to whether the information has been read by the reader 4 (S102), and this determination S102 is repeated until reading is complete. When the consumer brings the barcode 16a on the label 16 attached to the food close to the reader 4 of the information management device 1 and the barcode 16a is read, the determination S102 becomes "YES", and the read data is stored in the memory unit 5 (S103).

Next, this stored data (best before date) is compared with the date on a calendar built into the CPU 3a or provided separately (S104), and this determination S104 is repeated until the result is "YES". When the result is "YES" in determination S104, the display 7 displays the fact that the food has "expired" and the name 16c of the food in question (S105), and at the same time as this display, the alarm 8 issues an alarm (S106).

It is preferable that the "best before date passed" display on the display 7 adopt a display method that is easily visible to consumers, such as displaying or flashing letters or pictures, and the alarm from the alarm 8 may be an audio alarm with multiple female voices pre-set and appropriately selected according to consumer preference, or a light alarm with multiple colored LEDs that light up or flash. It is also possible, of course, to omit the alarm and set the "best before date passed" notification to be made only by the display 7.

When it is notified in steps S105 and S106 that expired food is stored in the refrigerator 11, a determination is made (S107) as to whether the reset key on the input unit 6 is on (whether to reset), and if the determination in S107 is "NO", the process returns to determination S104. On the other hand, if the consumer recognizes from the display or alarm that expired food is stored in the refrigerator 11, removes the food from the refrigerator 11, and turns on the reset key on the touch panel of the input unit 6, the determination in S107 becomes "YES", various data related to the removed food stored in the memory unit 5 is erased (S108), and the series of programs ends (S109).

In other words, in the case of the information management device 1, the consumer sets the information to be managed as "expired" or the like, and then has the barcode 16a of the purchased food read by the reader 4 of the information management device 1. The food is then simply stored (stored) in a designated location in the refrigerator 11, and expiration date management begins. When the expiration date has passed, a designated notification is automatically issued. The consumer can then recognize this notification and take a designated action with respect to the food (e.g., use it immediately or discard it), thereby eliminating the situation where "expired" food is stored in the refrigerator 11 for a long time against the consumer's wishes.

In the above flow chart, the reference date for determining whether a food item has "expired" by the refrigerator 11 is the expiration date, but for example, the reference date for determination may be one to two days before the expiration date, or two reference dates may be set: the "expiration date" and a "notice date" that is, for example, two days before the expiration date, and a notice is given on the "notice date" to inform the expiration date. When giving notices in two stages (multiple stages), it is preferable to give different notices for the "notice date" and the "expiration date", which will encourage the use of the food item before it "expires" and reduce the disposal of "expired" food items.

In the case of this refrigerator 11, for example, if a consumer has a family member who is sensitive to an allergenic ingredient, the corresponding allergenic ingredient can be set as management information in step S101. In the unlikely event that an ingredient on the label 16 is overlooked when purchasing food, the reader 4 can read it when storing the food in the refrigerator to notify the consumer, and the information management device 1 can be effectively used as a measure against allergenic foods. The configuration of the information management device 1 of the refrigerator 11 shown in Figures 1 to 3 can also be applied to various ranges such as microwave ovens and various cooking appliances such as electric pressure cookers, and in these cases, the output wattage and heating time of each household appliance can be used as management information.

In addition, in the flowchart of Figure 3, the program processing of a food that has been notified of its "expired" date is performed by operating the reset key, but it can also be performed by, for example, re-reading the food with the reader 4 after the notification, i.e., if the same food is read twice by the reader 4, it can be automatically reset, in which case the operation to reset "expired" food can be easily performed.

In this way, according to the information management device 1 for the electric refrigerator 11, the control unit 3 compares the information read by the reader 4 with the management information set by the input unit 6, and controls the display 7 and alarm 8 to notify the expiration date status of the food based on the comparison result, so that the consumer can easily grasp the expiration date information of the food used (stored/preserved) in the refrigerator 11 while using the refrigerator 11, and can prevent the storage of "expired" foods in the refrigerator, thereby allowing the refrigerator 11 to be used in an optimal condition.

In addition, since the control unit 3, reader 4, memory unit 5, input unit 6, display 7, alarm 8, etc. are provided in a single housing 2 and configured separately from the refrigerator 11, for example, the information management device 1 can be used like a remote control simply by attaching it to a specified position on the door of the refrigerator 11, and can be easily applied to various existing refrigerators 11, thereby improving the usability of the information management device 1 and the refrigerator 11 themselves. Furthermore, if the notifications from the display 7 and alarm 8 are set to multiple types, such as "notice date" and "expiration date" depending on the state of the management information, the date of the food's expiration date, etc. can be recognized a specified number of days earlier than the expiration date, and the occurrence of "expired" food can be minimized, and more accurate information management can be performed with the information management device 1.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation when the information management device 1 is applied to a washing machine as a reference example . This will be described below. For the sake of convenience, the explanation of the same steps as those of the refrigerator 11 will be simplified, and it is assumed that the label 17 of the clothes (clothing) to be washed in the washing machine is as shown in Fig. 5(b), that the management information of the information on this label 17 is the washing conditions (tub mark 17a), and that the reader 4 is an image reader capable of reading images.

First, when the power switch of the information management device 1 is turned on, the program starts (S200), and the washing information (tub mark 17a) from among the multiple clothing information of the clothing to be washed is set (S201), for example by selecting it from the marks pre-stored in the display unit of the input unit 6. Then, it is determined (S202) whether or not the image has been read by the image reader, and this determination S202 is repeated until reading is complete. When the consumer brings the tub mark 17a displayed on the label or tag of the clothing to be washed close to the image reader and the tub mark 17a is read, the determination S202 becomes "YES", and the read data is stored in the memory unit 5 (S203).

Next, it is determined (S204) whether or not this stored data (barrel mark 17a) matches the barrel mark selected and set in step S201. Note that the determination of whether this read barrel mark 17a matches the set barrel mark can be easily performed by digitizing each barrel mark 17a through image processing.

If the answer to the question S204 is "YES", that is, if the selected bucket mark matches the bucket mark 17a of the clothing item to be washed and the answer to the question S204 is "NO", then "OK" is displayed (S205), and if the two marks do not match and the answer to the question S204 is "NO", then "NG" is displayed (S206). If "NG" is displayed in this step S206, then it is determined whether the condition (bucket mark) can be changed (S207), and if the answer to the question S207 is "YES", the process returns to step S201 and the set condition is changed to a new condition (for example, another bucket mark).

After "OK" is displayed in step S205, a determination is made as to whether the reset key has been turned on (S208), and if the determination in S208 is "NO", the process returns to step S204. If the determination in S208 is "YES", that is, if the washing is completed and the reset key has been turned on, various data on the washing information (washing conditions, etc.) for the clothing item stored in the memory unit 5 are erased (S209), and the series of programs ends (S210).

In the above flow chart, it is determined whether the mark 17a read in decision S204 matches the set mark, but for example, a tolerance range may be set for the reference mark, and if it is within this tolerance range, it may be determined to be "OK." Also, if a code such as a barcode is provided on the label or tag of the clothing item, it may be read by a barcode reader, just like the label 16 for food products. Furthermore, in the flow chart of FIG. 4, the display (notification) in steps S205 and S206 may simultaneously issue (notify) an alarm, and the management information may include laundry information such as the bleach mark 17b along with the bucket mark 17a.

In other words, in the case of this washing machine information management device 1, the bucket mark 17a, bleach mark 17b, etc. can be used as information managed by the consumer, and if these preset marks match the mark read from the clothing item the consumer is trying to wash or are within the acceptable range, the washing will proceed as is. On the other hand, if the two marks do not match or are outside the acceptable range, the mark will be changed if possible and the washing will proceed, but if the mark cannot be changed, the washing will be stopped.

In this way, the washing machine information management device 1 can achieve substantially the same effects as the information management device 1 of the refrigerator 11. In addition, the information managed by the washing machine is washing information such as the tub mark 17a, and the control unit 3 displays a predetermined display or issues a predetermined alarm on the display 7 or alarm 8 based on the comparison result, so that the consumer can easily and reliably understand information such as the washing conditions of the clothes stored in the washing tub, and the occurrence of problems such as shrinkage or damage to clothes during washing can be reliably prevented, allowing the consumer to wash with peace of mind.

In particular, since washing can be done only when the tub mark 17a matches or within a specified range, consumers will no longer put clothes that do not match the tub mark 17a or are outside the range into the washing tub, which reliably prevents damage to such clothes due to washing, making it possible to use various clothes for a long period of time and enabling consumers to wash more accurately and safely.

In the above embodiment, the information management device 1 can be attached to a predetermined position on the outer wall surface of the refrigerator 11 or washing machine using a magnet or suction cup, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the entire information management device 1 or the reader 4, input unit 6, and display 7 may be exposed on the outer surface of the household appliance, while the rest are built into the household appliance. This configuration makes it possible to form the household appliance at low cost while minimizing the decline in the design value of the appliance, and also makes it possible to optimally control the operating conditions of the household appliance itself according to the characteristics of the corresponding item itself, for example, by using the signal obtained by the information management device 1.

In addition, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, a transceiver unit 18 connected to a CPU 3a or the like may be provided within the information management device 1, and this transceiver unit 18 may be configured to be wirelessly connected to an external terminal device 19 such as a smartphone or tablet. In this case, by transmitting various signals from the information management device 1 to the terminal device 19, various displays and alarms can be issued from the terminal device 19, thereby further improving the usability of the information management device 1.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, barcodes, marks, etc. of food and clothing as goods are read, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to read, for example , various other codes , characters, etc. Also, the block diagrams and flow charts showing operations in the above embodiment are merely examples, and appropriate configurations can be adopted within the scope of the gist of each invention of the present invention, such as adopting block diagrams and flow charts corresponding to the characteristics (operations) of each home appliance.

The present invention can be used not only for refrigerators and washing machines, but also for all other household appliances and non-household appliances.

1: information management device, 2: housing, 3: control unit, 3a: CPU, 4: reader, 5: memory unit, 6: input unit, 7: display, 8: alarm, 11: refrigerator, 12: main body, 13: vegetable refrigerator compartment, 14: refrigerator compartment, 15: handle, 16: label, 16a: barcode, 16b: expiration date, 16c: name, 17: mark, 17a: bucket mark, 17b: bleach mark, 18: transmitter/receiver, 19: terminal device.

Claims (4)

The food storage device includes a reading means capable of reading information about food stored in a box-shaped main body, and a control means capable of comparing the information read by the reading means with information previously set by a setting means, determining the state of the food based on the comparison result, and notifying the state by a notification means.
The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the notifying means to give a predetermined notification based on information read by the reading means, the information consisting of at least the expiration date of the food and allergenic ingredients of the food. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the reading means, the setting means, the notification means and the control means are provided in a single housing and formed separately from the refrigerator body , or at least the control means is built into the refrigerator body . 3. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of notifications are set for the notification means. 4. The electric refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an external terminal device can be connected to the control means so as to be capable of communicating with the control means in a predetermined manner.