KR100895133B1 - Refrigerator and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a refrigerator body having a storage compartment; A door for selectively opening and closing the storage compartment; A sensing unit for sensing an access to the main body of the food or the container in which the food is accommodated; And a controller configured to open the door when the sensing unit senses the access of the food or the container.

According to the present embodiment as described above, when a user approaches a refrigerator containing a food or food, the refrigerator door is automatically opened, thereby reducing user's inconvenience and increasing user convenience.

Refrigerator

Description

Refrigerator and its control method {Refrigerator and method of controlling the same}

The present embodiment relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

In general, a refrigerator is a device for keeping food at a low temperature. The refrigerator includes a main body in which a storage compartment is formed and a door for selectively opening and closing the storage compartment. The storage compartment may be divided into a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment may be selectively opened and closed by respective doors.

On the other hand, the user must open the door with the food or the container holding the food or the container containing the food in the storage compartment.

At this time, the user is holding the food or container with one or both hands, there is a problem that the user is difficult to open the door in this state. In addition, when the food or container is lifted with both hands, the food or container must be put down on the floor, and the door or the food or container must be lifted again after opening the door, thereby causing a troublesome user.

The present embodiment is proposed to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to propose a refrigerator and a control method thereof in which a door is opened by detecting an access of a food or a container containing food.

Another object of the present embodiment is to propose a refrigerator and a control method thereof in which a kind of food is determined and the door of a storage compartment in which food is to be stored is opened.

Refrigerator according to an embodiment for achieving the above object, the refrigerator body is provided with a storage compartment; A door for selectively opening and closing the storage compartment; A sensing unit for sensing an access to the main body of the food or the container in which the food is accommodated; And a controller configured to open the door when the sensing unit senses the access of the food or the container.

According to another aspect, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body including a plurality of storage rooms; A plurality of doors for selectively opening and closing the respective storage compartments; An RFID reader for recognizing an RFID tag attached to the food or a container containing the food; A memory unit in which storage room information for storing the food or the container is stored; And when the RFID reader recognizes the RFID tag, the control unit for determining the storage room for the food is stored, and controls to open the door of the storage room.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a refrigerator includes detecting whether a food or a container containing food is approached; And when the access of the food or the container is sensed, opening a door of the storage compartment for storing the food or the container.

According to yet another aspect, a control method of a refrigerator includes determining a type of food; Determining a storage compartment for storing the food corresponding to the type of food; And opening a door corresponding to the storage compartment.

According to the proposed embodiment, when the user approaches the refrigerator while holding a container containing food or food, the refrigerator door is automatically opened, thereby reducing the user's inconvenience and increasing user convenience.

In addition, since the optimum storage compartment of the food is determined and the door of the storage compartment is opened, the reliability of the product is improved.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 10 in which a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment are formed therein, and a freezing compartment door 11 and a refrigerating compartment door 12 that open and close the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, respectively. Included.

In detail, in the present embodiment, the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment are partitioned left and right. However, the position of the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment is not limited in the spirit of the present embodiment.

The refrigerating compartment door 12 is provided with a groove bar 13 for removing food from the outside without opening the refrigerating compartment door 12, and the groove bar 13 includes a home bar door 14.

The freezer compartment door 11 is provided with a dispenser 15 for discharging ice or water from the outside of the refrigerator 1, and the dispenser 15 includes a takeout lever 16. Here, although not shown, the freezing compartment door 11 may be provided with an ice making device for generating ice and a bucket for storing water.

In addition, a display unit 17 displaying an operation state of the refrigerator 1 is formed at an upper side of the dispenser 15, and inputting an operating condition of the refrigerator 1 to one side of the display unit 17. Manipulator 18 is included.

In addition to the above configuration, the freezer door 11 includes an RFID reader (RFID reader) 20 for recognizing an RFID tag (30: RFID) attached to a food or container 5 containing food. Reader) is provided.

When the RFID tag 30 is recognized by the RFID reader 20, the door of the storage compartment in which the food or the container 5 is to be stored, that is, the freezer door 11 or the refrigerator compartment door 13 is provided. Open.

Here, the RFID reader 20 may be provided to the freezing compartment door 11, for example, but may be provided to the refrigerating compartment door 12 or the main body 10.

The operation of the refrigerator 1 described above will be briefly described.

When the user approaches the refrigerator 1 while holding a food or a container 5 containing the food, the RFID tag 30 is recognized by the RFID reader 20. Then, the kind of the food or the container 5 is determined, and the door of the storage compartment suitable for storing the food or the container is opened.

Therefore, while the user is holding the food or the container 5, the user does not have to open the door directly, thereby increasing the convenience of the user.

2 is a block diagram showing a control structure of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes an RFID reader 20 for recognizing an RFID tag 30 attached to a food or a container 5, and a storage compartment for storing food. The freezer door 11 or the refrigerating compartment door 12 is opened by comparing the memory unit 50 in which the information is stored with the information stored in the RFID tag 30 and the information stored in the memory unit 50. The control unit 40 and a door opening device 60 for opening the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are included.

In detail, the RFID tag 30 includes an IC chip 310 in which unique information of a food is stored, and an antenna 320 for radiating information contained in the IC chip 310 in a high frequency form.

In addition, the RFID tag 30 attached to the container 5 stores the unique information of the food stored in the container 5. Therefore, the user receives the food corresponding to the container 5 in the container 5.

The RFID reader 20 includes an antenna 210 for exchanging high frequency signals with the RFID tag 30, and a data reader 220 for processing information received by the antenna 210. .

When the RFID reader 20 requests tag data transmission for the RFID tag 30, the RFID tag 30 reads the tag data in the form of a radio frequency. It works by transmitting to).

In the memory unit 40, optimal storage room information for storing the food or the container 5 is stored in match with the food. For example, when the food is fish, it is matched with the freezer, and when the food is milk, it is matched with the freezer and stored.

Here, the matching between the food and the storage compartment is basically stored in the memory unit 50, and the user may change it through the operation unit 18. That is, the storage location of the food can be changed according to the taste of the user.

The control unit 40 compares the unique information of the food read by the data reading unit 220 with the information stored in the memory unit 50, and then opens the door opening device 60 to open the door of the storage compartment. To control.

Thus, since the freezer compartment door 11 or the freezer compartment door 12 may be opened according to the type of food, the user's convenience may be further increased.

Hereinafter, the open structure of the door will be described.

3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the door opening structure according to the first embodiment, and is a vertical cross-sectional view of a contact portion between the door and the main body.

Referring to FIG. 3, the door opening device 60 according to the present embodiment includes a first magnetic member 62 provided on the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 and a second magnetic member provided on the main body 10. (64) is included.

In detail, the first magnetic member 62 is provided inside the gasket 19 to allow the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 to be in close contact with the main body 10. In addition, the second magnetic member 64 is provided inside the main body 10.

In addition, a permanent magnet may be used as the first magnetic member 62, and an electromagnet may be used as the second magnetic member 64.

Therefore, the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are kept in close contact with the main body 10 by the first magnetic member 62. On the other hand, when the RFID tag 30 approaches and the RFID reader 20 recognizes the RFID tag 30, a current flows in the second magnetic member 64. Then, the polarity of the second magnetic member 64 is the same as the first magnetic member 62, and accordingly the refrigerator by the repulsive force of the first magnetic member 62 and the second magnetic member 64 The doors 11 and 12 are opened.

Here, the current continues to the second magnetic member 64 until the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are opened and a predetermined time elapses so that the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 remain open. It is desirable to flow.

4 is a view illustrating an open structure of a door according to a second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the door opening device 70 according to the present embodiment is provided to the handles 110 and 120 of the refrigerator doors 11 and 12. The door opening device 70 is coupled to a drive motor 72 provided inside the handles 110 and 120, a cam 74 axially coupled to the drive motor 72, and the cam 74. And a lever 76 to allow the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 to be spaced apart from the main body 10 during the operation of the cam 74.

In detail, the lever 76 is rotatably coupled to the cam 74 by a hinge at a position spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the cam 74. The lever 76 is moved back and forth by the rotation of the cam 74.

When the drive motor 72 is operated to open the refrigerator doors 11 and 12, the cam 74 is rotated by the rotation of the drive motor 72. In addition, the lever 76 pushes the main body 10 by the rotation of the cam 74, and the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are spaced apart from the refrigerator main body 10.

At this time, the rotation direction of the drive motor 72 is rotated in a direction in which the lever 76 can push the main body 10. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the drive motor 72 provided to the handle 110 of the freezer compartment door 11 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the drive provided to the handle 120 of the refrigerator compartment door 12 The motor 72 is rotated clockwise.

After the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are opened, the drive motor 72 is rotated in the opposite direction so that the lever 76 is returned to its original position.

Such embodiments correspond to an example of an apparatus for automatically opening a door, and it is understood that the door can be opened in various ways in addition to the above-described method.

Hereinafter, the process of opening the refrigerator door will be described.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, a user approaches the refrigerator 1 with the food or container 5 in order to store the food or a container 5 containing the food in the refrigerator.

Then, the RFID reader 20 recognizes the RFID tag 30 attached to the food or container 5. In detail, a high frequency signal is transmitted from the antenna 320 of the RFID tag 30 to the antenna 210 of the RFID reader 20, and the type of the food is recognized by the data reader 220 ( S1). In this case, the RFID tag 30 attached to the container 5 stores the unique information of the food contained in the container 5, so that the RFID tag 30 of the container 5 is recognized. The kind of food accommodated in the container 5 can be grasped.

In addition, the type of food read by the data reading unit 220 is transmitted to the control unit 40. Then, the control unit 40 compares the type of food transmitted and the information stored in the memory unit 50 to determine the preferred storage location of the food or container (5) (S2).

After the storage position of the food or the container is determined, the controller 40 controls the door opening devices 60 and 70 to open the door of the storage compartment. Then, the freezing compartment door 11 or the refrigerating compartment door 12 is automatically opened by the door opening device.

The present embodiment is not limited in scope by the above description, and may further include the following examples.

First, a signal indicating the opening of the refrigerator door may be displayed to the outside while the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are opened. For example, an open signal may be displayed on the display unit 17 or a signal sound may be generated by a speaker or buzzer circuit provided separately. In this case, when the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 are opened, but the user does not want to accommodate food or containers in the refrigerator, the user can confirm the opening of the refrigerator door, thereby preventing the refrigerator door from being kept open. Can be.

In addition, by providing a door opening device in the home bar door, the home bar door may be opened in the vicinity of the food or the container.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment;

2 is a block diagram showing a control structure of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment;

3 is a sectional view for showing a door opening structure according to the first embodiment;

4 is a view showing an open structure of a door according to a second embodiment.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims (9)

delete delete A refrigerator body having a plurality of storage compartments; A plurality of doors for selectively opening and closing the respective storage compartments; An RFID reader that recognizes an RFID tag attached to a food or a container containing the food; A memory unit in which storage room information for storing the food or the container is stored; And When the RFID reader recognizes the RFID tag, the refrigerator comprising a control unit for determining a storage room for storing the food or container, and controls to open the door of the storage room. The method of claim 3, wherein The door includes a refrigerator, at least one of a freezer door, a refrigerating compartment door, and a home bar door. The method of claim 3, wherein The information stored in the memory unit can be changed by the user. Detecting whether food or a container containing the food is approaching; And And when the access of the food or the container is sensed, opening a door of the storage compartment for storing the food or the container. The method of claim 6, Approach detection of the food or container, the control method of the refrigerator made by the RFID reader to recognize the RFID tag attached to the food or container. Determining the type of food; Determining a storage compartment for storing the food corresponding to the type of food; And And opening a door corresponding to the storage compartment. The method of claim 8, The method for determining the type of food is a control method of a refrigerator made by an RFID reader to recognize an RFID tag attached to the food or a container containing the food.

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