JPH0544702Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] (a) Industrial application field The invention relates to a refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with recording and playback functions.

(b) Conventional Technology Recent advances in electronic technology have encouraged refrigerators to be electronically controlled and equipped with various functions. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-62379 is equipped with a voice synthesis circuit and a speaker, and has a configuration in which warnings and precautions for use of the refrigerator are sounded using words prepared in advance.

(c) Problems that the invention aims to solve With such a configuration, only the words written in advance into the speech synthesis circuit at the time of manufacturing the refrigerator can be pronounced.
Since it does not have an arbitrary writing means, there is a problem in that it cannot meet the needs of users in today's world where the variety of stored foods is increasing.

The present invention solves the above problems and improves the usability of the refrigerator.

(d) Means for solving the problem The present invention includes a plurality of storage chambers 5 and 6 that are divided into compartments in the warehouse, and a plurality of doors 12 that respectively open and close the openings of these storage chambers 5 and 6. , 13, a plurality of storage units 24F, 24R provided corresponding to each of the storage compartments and storing voice information from the microphone 18 as expiry date information of stored food; a plurality of time limit means 39F, 39R that are provided corresponding to each of the storage rooms and are capable of setting a time as the expiration information and that output a signal after the set time elapses; and reproduction control means 42F, 42R for reproducing the audio information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the storage room whose door is opened when the door of the storage room corresponding to the timer means outputting the timer is opened. It provides a fully equipped refrigerator.

(E) Effect According to the present invention, information about each of a plurality of storage compartments in a refrigerator is stored in the corresponding storage means, and a predetermined elapsed time is set for each storage unit, after which information about each storage compartment is stored. It can be played on the speaker when the door is opened.

(F) Embodiments Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the recording and reproducing circuit 2 of the refrigerator 1, FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator 1, and FIG. 3 shows a front view thereof. In Fig. 2, reference numeral 3 denotes a heat insulating box body that opens at the front, and its interior is divided into upper and lower parts by a heat insulating partition wall 4, with a freezer compartment 5 at the top that is cooled to freezing temperature, and a freezer compartment 5 at the bottom that is cooled to freezing temperature or higher. A refrigerating chamber 6 is formed in which the refrigerator is maintained. A cooler 7 included in the refrigeration cycle is housed within the partition wall 4, and a blower 8 is provided behind it. Reference numeral 9 denotes a duct installed across the freezer compartment 5 and the refrigerator compartment 6 behind the partition wall 4. The cold air cooled by the cooler 7 is accelerated by the blower 8, passes through the duct 9,
The liquid is discharged from the discharge ports 10 and 11 into both chambers 5 and 6 for cooling.

Reference numerals 12 and 13 designate a freezer compartment door and a refrigerator compartment door that independently open and close the front openings of the freezer compartment 5 and refrigerator compartment 6, respectively. Reference numerals 28 and 29 indicate illumination lamps provided in the freezer compartment 5 and the refrigerator compartment 6, respectively.
Also, in Fig. 3, 14 and 15 are respectively the freezer compartment door 1.
2 and the handle of the refrigerator door 13, to which light emitting diodes LED1 and LED2 are attached, respectively.
16 is an operation panel attached to the front upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 13, and there are a speaker 17, a microphone 18, a freezer compartment recording switch 19F, a refrigerator compartment recording switch 19R, a freezer compartment timer time setting switch 40F, and a refrigerator compartment timer. Time setting switch 4
0R is provided.

Next, the recording/reproducing circuit 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be explained. The sound input to the microphone 18 is converted into an electrical signal there, and after being amplified by the amplifier 22, it is sent to the A/D.
The signal is converted into a digital signal by the converter 23 and then input to the input switching means 43. Input switching means 4
3 inputs the voice information inputted into the microphone 18 while the freezing chamber recording switch 19F is operated into the freezing chamber storage means 24F of the storage section 24;
While the refrigerator compartment recording switch 19R is operated, the input is made to the refrigerator compartment storage means 24R. Both storage means 24F and 24R are constituted by solid-state memories made of semiconductor elements, and can each store, for example, 15 seconds of information.

Reference numerals 30 and 31 indicate door switches that operate in conjunction with the opening/closing operations of the freezer compartment door 12 and the refrigerator compartment door 13, respectively. The door switch 31 is wired so that when the refrigerator door 13 is opened, the lighting lamp 29 is turned on and the blower 8 is stopped. 32F is a freezer compartment control means, which outputs a high potential (hereinafter referred to as "H") when the door switch 30 detects that the freezer compartment door 12 is opened. Reference numeral 32R denotes a refrigerating chamber control means, which outputs "H" when the door switch 31 detects that the refrigerating chamber door 13 is opened. 39F, 39
R is a time limit means each consisting of a subtraction counter, and the time limit means 39F sets the output to "H" after an arbitrary time set by the setting operation of the freezer compartment timer time setting switch 40F, and then changes the output state. After the setting operation of the refrigerator compartment timer time setting switch 40R, the timer means 39R sets the output to "H" after the elapse of the arbitrary time set thereby.
After that, the output state is maintained.
The outputs of the freezer compartment control means 32F and the time limit means 39F are
In the AND gate 41F, also, the refrigerator compartment control means 32
R and the output of the time limit means 39R are AND gate 41R
are input to AND gates 41F and 41, respectively.
The "H" output of R is input as a reproduction command signal to the freezer compartment storage means 24F and the refrigerator compartment storage means 24R, respectively. These time limit means 39F, 39R, both control means 32F, 32R, both timer time setting switches 40F, 40R, AND gates 41F, 41
Reproduction control means 42F, 42 by R etc.
R is constructed. Both storage means 24F and 24R output all the information stored at the time when the above-mentioned reproduction command signal is input as digital signals, and this information is sent to the D/A converter 2 via the output control means 44.
After being converted into an analog signal at step 6, the amplifier 27
The amplified sound is output from the speaker 17 as sound. When both the storage means 24F and 24R perform the reproduction operation redundantly, the output control means 44 puts the one that started later on standby, and reproduces the one that started earlier preferentially. Also, time limit means 39
The "H" outputs of F and 39R are wired to cause the light emitting diodes LED1 and LED2 to emit light, respectively.

Next, we will discuss the first example of the use of the refrigerator 1 of the present invention.
The operation of circuit 2 shown in the figure will be explained. For example, if you store purchased refrigerated food in the refrigerator compartment 6 and
Then, operate the refrigerator recording switch 19R to record in the refrigerator storage means 24R, "The storage period for ○○○ is about to expire."
(During this time, the refrigerator compartment recording switch 19R was pressed.
Keep pressing. ) If you operate the refrigerator compartment timer time setting switch 40R and set the timer 39R to end the subtraction after a desired number of days (usually about 2 days for refrigerated foods), you will forget that you have stored the food in question. Even if the timer 39R had been stored, the output of the timer 39R would have been "H" two days after storage.
Thereafter, when the refrigerator compartment door 12 is opened and the output of the refrigerator compartment control means 32R becomes "H", the output of the AND gate 41R becomes "H", and the message in the refrigerator compartment storage means 24R is sounded from the speaker 17. This makes it possible to prevent food spoilage due to oversight of the shelf life.

Also, store the frozen food in the freezer compartment 5, operate the freezer compartment recording switch 19F to similarly store the name of the frozen food in the freezer compartment storage means 24F, and operate the freezer compartment timer time setting switch 40F to set the time limiter 3.
If the 9F is set to end subtraction after a desired period of time (the flavor of frozen food deteriorates in about January), the freezer compartment door 12 will be closed after one month has passed since storage.
When the button is opened, the speaker 17 similarly produces sound. Since these can be performed independently for both storage means 24F and 24R, long-term storage period warnings and short-term storage period warnings can be performed in parallel, making it possible to fully respond to the diversification of foods. .

Further, for example, if you want to cool beer quickly, store it in the freezer compartment 5, set the freezer compartment timer time setting switch 40F so that the time limit means 39F will finish subtracting after 30 minutes, and set the freezer compartment recording switch from the microphone 18. If you operate the 19F and store the message "Beer is ready to drink" in the freezer storage means 24F, the above message will be played from the speaker 17 when the door 12 is opened 30 minutes after the start of cooling, so that supercooling is avoided. This prevents deterioration of flavor and accidents caused by beer bottles bursting.

Furthermore, when it is desired to thaw frozen food in the refrigerator compartment 6, the food can be properly thawed by storing the food, storing "Defrosting completed" in the refrigerator storage means 24R, and setting the time limit means 39R to, for example, 4 hours. Since the message is reproduced from the speaker 17 when the door 13 is opened after 4 hours have passed, even if the user has forgotten the message, the user can confirm the message, and good thawing is achieved without spoiling the flavor.

In the above operation, the sound from the speaker 17 is emitted when the door 12 or 13 is opened, so at this time the user is always present near the refrigerator 1 (to open the door 12 or 13). , there will be no inconvenience in which a message is suddenly emitted from the speaker 17 and the message is missed. Moreover, from the time when the time limit means 39F or 39R completes the subtraction, the light emitting diode LED1 or
Since each LED 2 is lit, it can be easily recognized that the shelf life of any food in the corresponding storage chamber has expired. Furthermore, since the voice from the speaker 17 can be heard while looking into the room with the doors 12 and 13 open, it is easy to check which foods are about to expire even if the food items are cluttered in the room. Moreover, both storage means 24F, 24
The door switches 30 and 31 are used to reproduce the information in R, and no special reproduction switch is required, so the configuration is simplified.

It should be noted that the information stored in both storage means 24F and 24R may be erased arbitrarily by providing a suitable reset switch, or may be erased simultaneously with the completion of reproduction. Also, time limit means 39F,
Resetting 39R is also done by AND gates 41F and 41R.
It may also be configured to be performed when the output of becomes "H". Furthermore, although the storage means 24F and 24R are constructed of solid-state memories in the embodiment, they are not limited to this, and may be of the type that records on magnetic tape, for example.

(g) Effects of the invention According to the invention, any information (words) can be arbitrarily stored using multiple storage units, and expiry date information (for example, storage period and management time) for food can be arbitrarily set using multiple time-limiting means. It functions as an inventory management device to manage the net expiration date of food to prevent food spoilage and deterioration of flavor, and a timer when time management is required such as during rapid cooling or thawing. The refrigerator can be given a function as a device, making it easier to use the refrigerator. In particular, not only can a plurality of storage units and timer means be operated in parallel, but also when the door of the storage room corresponding to the timer means whose time has elapsed is opened, the regeneration control means can cause the timer means to operate in parallel. Since the audio information stored in the corresponding storage section is played back, after the set time set by the timer has elapsed, the user is notified of the elapse of the set time every time the user opens or closes the refrigerator door. In addition to this, expiry date information regarding the food stored in the storage room can be played as audio as appropriate.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Each figure shows an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a recording and reproducing circuit for a refrigerator, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. 3 is a front view thereof. 1... Refrigerator, 12... Freezer compartment door, 13... Refrigerator door, 17... Speaker, 18... Microphone, 24F... Freezer compartment storage means, 24R... Refrigerator compartment storage means, 30, 31... ...door switch, 39
F, 39R... Time limit means, 40F... Freezer compartment timer time setting switch, 40R... Refrigerator compartment timer time setting switch, 42F, 42R... Regeneration control means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A plurality of storage chambers are divided into compartments, a plurality of doors are provided to open and close the openings of these storage chambers, and a plurality of doors are provided corresponding to each of the storage chambers to receive expiration information from a microphone as information on the expiry date of stored food. a plurality of storage units that store audio information of the storage units; and a speaker that reproduces the audio information stored in these storage units;
A plurality of time limit means are provided corresponding to each of the storage rooms and are capable of setting a time as the time limit information and output a signal after the set time elapses, and a door of the store room corresponding to the time limit means that outputs the signal is provided. A refrigerator comprising: a reproduction control means for reproducing audio information stored in a storage section corresponding to a storage compartment whose door is opened when the door is opened.