JPH05164459A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a refrigerator capable of confirming the presence of goods in itself without damaging normal outward appearance and heat-insulating properties and without opening a door. CONSTITUTION:The heat-insulating layer A of a vacuum, dry air or the like is formed between a liquid crystal board 1 supported to a frame 3 and a transparent board 2 such as a glass plate for insulating heat. The switching of the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal board 1 and illumination in a refrigerator are operated by a switch 4. Since goods on the inside can be viewed without opening a door 5, a time when the door 5 is opened is shortened, and a temperature rise in the refrigerator can be inhibited minimally, thus suppressing the deterioration of foods due to the temperature rise and electric cost.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a function of confirming an item in a refrigerator without opening a door.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional household refrigerator. In this figure, 5 is a door that can be opened and closed, 6 is a refrigerator main body, 7 is a radiator, 8 is a compressor, and the door 5 and the main body 6 are opaque. There is.

Since the conventional refrigerator is constructed as described above, the user must search for the articles in the refrigerator after opening the door 5. However, during that time, cold air in the refrigerator was spilling out and replaced with outside air.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional refrigerator, since the user has to open the door 5 before searching for an item, the door 5 needs to be opened for a long time. There are problems that the temperature rises significantly, the items in the storage are likely to rot, the amount of electric power used for cooling increases, the energy is wasted, and the cost of electricity is high and the cost increases.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to confirm the whereabouts of items in the refrigerator without impairing the normal appearance and heat insulation and without opening the door. The purpose is to get.

[0006]

The refrigerator according to the present invention comprises:
The door is provided with a light-shielding means that can be switched between light-shielding and light-transmitting. Further, a liquid crystal plate that switches between light shielding and light transmission depending on the presence or absence of energization, a transparent plate provided facing the liquid crystal plate, and a transparent heat insulating layer formed between the liquid crystal plate and the transparent plate. The door is constituted by a light-shielding device that is openable and closable provided in the heat insulating layer. Further, the door is composed of two transparent plates provided opposite to each other and a transparent heat insulating layer formed between these transparent plates, and the openable and closable light shielding device provided in the heat insulating layer. is there. Further, an image sensor is provided inside the main body, and a shadow image of the internal item taken by the image sensor is displayed outside.

[0007]

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the light-shielding means capable of freely switching between light-shielding and light-transmitting can be operated from the outside to make the door opaque when unnecessary, and to make the door transparent when necessary. The person can check the goods in the refrigerator with the door closed. Further, the image sensor can scan the goods in the refrigerator and display them on an external display device.

[0008]

1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. In these figures, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 6 indicate the same parts, 1 is a liquid crystal plate which can be switched between light-shielding and light-transmitting depending on the presence or absence of energization, 2 is a transparent plate such as a glass plate, 3 is the liquid crystal plate And transparent plate 2
A frame 4 for supporting and opposing to each other is a switch for operating the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal plate 1, and a door 5 is formed by the liquid crystal plate 1, the transparent plate 2, the frame 3, the switch 4 and the like. Also,
The frame 3 has the liquid crystal plate 1 and the transparent plate 2 in close contact with each other at their peripheral portions, and in order to maintain heat insulation between the liquid crystal plate 1 and the transparent plate 2, a heat insulating layer A made of vacuum or dry air is used. Further, the operation of the liquid crystal plate 1 and the illumination in the refrigerator are interlocked with each other so that the illumination is turned on when the door 5 is transparent. If necessary, a heating wire (not shown) is stretched around the door 5 in order to prevent condensation on the liquid crystal plate 1 and the transparent plate 2 or to operate the liquid crystal normally.

In the refrigerator of the first embodiment configured as described above, the liquid crystal plate 1 becomes transparent or opaque when the switch 4 is operated to turn the power on and off. By this action, the user can see the inside of the refrigerator through the door 5 when necessary and can make the inside of the refrigerator opaque so that the inside cannot be seen when unnecessary.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the door 5 showing an essential part of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the liquid crystal plate 1 is used as the light shielding means of the door 5 portion. In the second embodiment, the liquid crystal plate 1 of the first embodiment is replaced with a transparent plate 2, and a rotary blind curtain 9 is provided in the heat insulation layer A between these two transparent plates 2 to shield light. is there. By electrically or manually operating the blind curtain 9 to rotate the blade 9a of the blind curtain 9 to open and close, the same effect as that of the first embodiment is achieved. Further, as a feature of the second embodiment, by replacing the blind curtain 9 with a different color, a decorative effect on the front surface of the refrigerator can be expected.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the door 5 showing an essential part of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, instead of the blind curtain 9 of the second embodiment, the same light shielding is performed. A winding type curtain 10 is provided as a means, and the curtain 10a attached to the long transparent film 10b is opened and closed by winding up and down. Then, in the third embodiment, a decorative effect can be expected by changing the color of the curtain 10a. Further, the light shielding means of the first to third embodiments can be controlled from a remote place by remote control.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, an image sensor 11 is provided inside the main body 6 of the refrigerator.
By scanning the items in the main body 6 by 1,
A display board 12 provided with an image of an item in the main body 6 on the outer surface of the door 5.
Since the information is displayed on the outside of the refrigerator, the items in the main body 6 can be confirmed without opening the door 5.

In the first embodiment, instead of the liquid crystal plate 1, a glass plate on which a metal is vapor-deposited may be used, whereby the inside of the main body 6 is normally invisible to the outside of the refrigerator. The inside of the refrigerator can be seen from the outside by illuminating it with light. Further, in the present invention, the case where the light-shielding means capable of freely switching between light-shielding and light-transmitting and the display device for displaying a shadow image are used in the refrigerator has been described, but it goes without saying that they can also be used in windows and the like. ..

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the door is provided with a liquid crystal plate, a blind curtain, or a wind-up curtain as a light-shielding means capable of freely switching between light-shielding and light-transmitting, the liquid crystal plate is made transparent by energizing as necessary, or the blind curtain. , The door can be made transparent by opening the roll-up curtain, or an image sensor is provided in the main body, and a display device for externally displaying a shadow image of the article inside the main body taken by the image sensor is provided. Therefore, you can check the goods in the refrigerator in the closed state without opening the door. Therefore, the time for opening the door when taking out the goods can be shortened, and the temperature rise in the refrigerator can be minimized. As a result, it is possible to prevent the items in the refrigerator from spoiling and to save energy and costs.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a door showing a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a door showing a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a main part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional household refrigerator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Liquid Crystal Plate 2 Transparent Plate 3 Frame 4 Switch 5 Door 6 Main Body 9 Blind Curtain 10 Winding Curtain 11 Image Sensor 12 Display Board A Heat Insulation Layer

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 1, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Claim 2

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0006

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0006]

The refrigerator according to the present invention comprises:
The door is provided with a light-shielding means that can be switched between light-shielding and light-transmitting. Further, a liquid crystal panel to be switched shading and the translucency is the presence or absence of energization, and a transparent plate which is provided to face the liquid crystal panel, a transparent insulation layer formed between these liquid crystal plate and a transparent plate The door is constructed with. Also,
A door is composed of two transparent plates facing each other and a transparent heat insulating layer formed between these transparent plates, and the open / close shading device provided in the heat insulating layer. Further, an image sensor is provided inside the main body, and a shadow image of the internal item taken by the image sensor is displayed outside.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0011

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the door 5 showing an essential part of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, instead of the blind curtain 9 of the second embodiment, the same light shielding is performed. which it was provided with a rolling type curtain 10 as a means, or wind the curtain 10a attached to the transparent film 10b of the elongated opening and closing by a child or down winding. Then, in the third embodiment, a decorative effect can be expected by changing the color of the curtain 10a. Further, the light shielding means of the first to third embodiments can be controlled from a remote place by remote control.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Fig. 4

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 4]

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator having a main body provided with a door that is openable and closable and provided with a heat insulating means, and a refrigerator that stores items inside the main body, wherein the door has a light-shielding means capable of freely switching between light-shielding and light-transmitting. Refrigerator characterized by being applied. 2. A liquid crystal plate capable of switching between light-shielding and light-transmitting depending on the presence or absence of energization, a transparent plate provided facing the liquid crystal plate, and a transparent plate formed between the liquid crystal plate and the transparent plate. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door is composed of a heat insulating layer and a light-shielding device provided in the heat insulating layer and capable of opening and closing. 3. A door is provided with two transparent plates facing each other and a transparent heat insulating layer formed between these transparent plates, and a light-shielding device which is openable and closable provided in the heat insulating layer. The refrigerator according to claim 1, which is configured. 4. A refrigerator, which has a door that is openably and closably provided in a main body and is provided with a heat insulating means, and stores an item in the main body, has an image sensor provided in the main body, and the image taken by the image sensor is used. A refrigerator provided with a display device for externally displaying a shadow image of an internal item.