KR102163618B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, comprising: a refrigerator main body having a storage compartment; A door for opening and closing the storage chamber; A food detection unit for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment; A display unit for externally displaying information on the food stored in the storage compartment; And storing the surface temperature or storage location of the food sensed by the food detection unit, calculating an elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment, and controlling the display unit so that the elapsed time can be displayed outside. It is configured to include; As a result, the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment can be displayed on the outside, thereby suppressing the occurrence of waste of food due to oblivion.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of displaying an elapsed time after storage in a storage compartment of food.

As is well known, a refrigerator is a device in which foods are stored in a frozen or refrigerated state to keep them fresh longer.

In general, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body having a storage compartment formed therein, a door for opening and closing the storage compartment, and a refrigeration cycle device providing cool air to the storage compartment.

A plurality of shelves are provided in the storage compartment to store food.

A cool air circulation passage is formed in the storage chamber to circulate the cool air of the storage chamber.

An evaporator for cooling air is provided inside the cool air circulation passage.

An inlet through which air from the storage chamber is introduced and a cold air discharge port through which cold air cooled by the evaporator is discharged are formed at one side of the cold air circulation passage.

On the other hand, in some cases, a refrigerator capable of detecting the location and temperature of the food stored in the storage compartment and adjusting the wind direction of the cold air discharged from the cold air outlet to a storage location of the newly received food with a relatively high temperature is disclosed. have.

However, in such a conventional refrigerator, the user forgets that the specific food is stored and stored in the storage room, and the expiration date or expiration date of the specific food may have elapsed, resulting in food waste.

In particular, since food stored at the rear of a shelf or inside a drawer (drawer) cannot be visually identified by a user, the problem of expiration of the expiration date or expiration date of the food may occur.

In addition, the reliability of the detection of the food detection unit (infrared ray sensor) may be lowered by fogging and/or condensation on the surface of the infrared sensor used as a food detection unit that senses the storage location and/or temperature of food.

KR 1020100085243 A

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of displaying the elapsed time of food stored in the storage compartment externally.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of improving the detection reliability of a food detection unit.

The present invention, in order to achieve the object as described above, the refrigerator body having a storage compartment; A door for opening and closing the storage chamber; A food detection unit for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment; A display unit for externally displaying information on the food stored in the storage compartment; And storing the surface temperature or storage location of the food sensed by the food detection unit, calculating an elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment, and controlling the display unit so that the elapsed time can be displayed outside. Control unit;

It provides a refrigerator containing.

Here, the food detection unit may be configured with an infrared sensor or an infrared camera.

A receiving portion opened downward to accommodate the food detection unit is formed on the ceiling of the storage room,

The receiving portion may be provided with a cover for opening and closing the opening of the receiving portion.

The cover may be configured to interlock with the door to block the receiving portion when the door is opened, and to open the receiving portion when the door is blocked.

The cover further comprises a cover driving unit for driving the cover to open or block the receiving portion,

The control unit may be configured to control the cover driving unit such that the cover blocks the receiving unit when the door is opened and the receiving unit is opened when the door is blocked.

The cover is slid with respect to the receiving portion,

The cover driving part may include a rack-type part formed on the cover along a moving direction of the cover; A pinion engaged with the rack toothed portion to rotate; And a motor for rotatingly driving the pinion.

The bottom of the storage room has a plurality of partitions,

A storage sensing unit disposed in each of the compartments and outputting a detection signal when food is received in the storage compartment;

The control unit may be configured to control the food detection unit to detect the temperature of the food in the corresponding compartment when the storage detection unit detects food storage.

Further comprising; a storage period setting unit for setting a storage period of the food stored in the compartment,

The control unit may be configured to control the display unit to display a corresponding partition unit when the preservation period set in the preservation period setting unit has elapsed for the food stored in the partition unit.

The food detection unit may be configured to be provided on a side wall or a rear wall of the storage chamber.

An infrared reflecting unit disposed between the food in the storage compartment and the food sensing unit to reflect infrared rays of the food to the food sensing unit; may be configured to further include.

The infrared reflecting unit may be formed of an aluminum member or may be configured with a reflective surface formed of an aluminum plating layer.

Further comprising a; door sensing unit for sensing the opening and closing of the door,

The control unit may be configured to control the food detection unit to sense a temperature of the food in the storage compartment when the door is blocked based on a detection result of the door detection unit.

The food detection unit may be configured with a plurality of infrared sensors or infrared cameras for sensing different areas of the storage compartment.

Further comprising; a mode selection unit for selecting an elapsed time display mode for displaying an elapsed time after storage of the food in the storage room,

When the elapsed time display mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the control unit may be configured to control the display unit to display the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment.

Further comprising a plurality of shelves dividing the inner space of the storage compartment into a plurality of storage compartments,

The food detection unit includes a plurality of compartment detection units each provided in each of the storage bins, and

The mode selection unit may be configured with a display mode for each storage compartment for displaying the elapsed time for each storage compartment.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment can be displayed outside, so that the user forgets the stored food and the expiration or expiration date of the food It is possible to suppress the occurrence of food waste caused by.

In addition, by providing a cover for opening and closing the receiving portion in which the food detection unit (infrared ray sensor) is stored, it is possible to suppress a decrease in sensitivity due to fogging and/or condensation of the food detection unit in contact with outside air.

In addition, by providing a shelf life setting unit that sets the shelf life or expiration date of the food stored in the storage room, when the food reaches the set period after being stored, it is displayed on the outside, so that the food can be consumed within an appropriate period. .

In addition, by providing the food sensing unit on the side wall and/or the rear wall, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deterioration in sensing due to fogging and/or condensation of the food sensing unit due to moisture in the air raised by the food.

In addition, by providing an infrared reflecting unit that reflects infrared rays of the stored food to the food sensing unit, it is possible to install the food sensing unit in an appropriate area where the detection degree of the food sensing unit is not deteriorated by moisture in the air rising from the stored food.

In addition, the food detection unit includes a plurality of compartment detection units provided in each storage compartment of the storage compartment, so that the user can know the surface temperature and storage location of the food stored in each storage compartment.

In addition, by providing a mode selector for selecting an elapsed time display mode for displaying the elapsed time of food in the storage room, the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage room at a desired time can be displayed externally.

In addition, the mode selection unit includes a display mode for each storage compartment that displays the elapsed time for each storage compartment, so that food information of a desired storage compartment may be displayed externally at a desired time.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a cover driving area of FIG. 1;
3 is a view for explaining the operation of the cover driving unit when the freezer door of FIG. 2 is opened;
4 is a plan view of the freezing compartment door of FIG. 2;
5 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 1;
6 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;
7 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 6;
8 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 6;
9 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention,
10 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of FIG. 9;
11 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of elapsed time displayed on the display unit of FIG. 10.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a refrigerator body 110 having a storage compartment 120; A door 140 for opening and closing the storage chamber 120; A food sensing unit 190 for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage chamber 120; A display unit 260 that displays information on the food stored in the storage compartment 120 to the outside; And it stores the surface temperature or storage location of the food sensed by the food detection unit 190, calculates the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, the elapsed time can be displayed on the outside. It may be configured to include a; control unit 250 for controlling the display unit 260. Here, the storage room 120 is a generic term for a space for storing food. The storage chamber 120 may include a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber for freezing and refrigerating food. In addition, the storage chamber 120 may be provided with a cooling chamber (not shown) having a different cooling temperature from the freezing chamber (for example -18 ℃ to -22 ℃) and the refrigerating chamber (for example, 2 ℃ to 7 ℃). I can.

The refrigerator body 110 may be provided with a refrigeration cycle device 160 that provides cool air to the storage compartment 120.

The refrigeration cycle device 160 includes, for example, a compressor 161 for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant (not shown), an expansion device for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant (not shown), and the latent heat around the refrigerant. It may be configured with an evaporator 165 that absorbs and evaporates. Here, the evaporator 165 may include a freezing chamber evaporator 166 provided in the freezing chamber 121 and a refrigerating chamber evaporator 167 provided in the refrigerating chamber 131.

A machine room 115 in which the compressor 161 is installed may be formed in the refrigerator body 110.

A plurality of storage chambers 120 may be formed inside the refrigerator body 110.

The refrigerator body 110 may be provided with, for example, a barrier or partition wall 112 (hereinafter referred to as “partition wall 112”) that partitions the storage compartment 120.

The partition wall 112 may be formed in the refrigerator body 110 in a horizontal direction. Accordingly, the internal space of the refrigerator body 110 may be vertically partitioned.

The storage chamber 120 may include, for example, a freezing chamber 121 and a refrigerating chamber 131.

A refrigerating chamber 131 may be provided in the upper portion of the refrigerator main body 110, and a freezing chamber 121 may be provided in the lower portion of the refrigerator main body 110.

The refrigerating chamber 131 may be formed above the partition wall 112, and the freezing chamber 121 may be formed below the partition wall 112.

A refrigerating compartment door 151 may be provided in the refrigerating compartment 131.

The refrigerating chamber 131 may be provided with a refrigerating cooling air circulation passage 181 to circulate the cold air of the refrigerating chamber 131.

In the refrigerated cooling air circulation passage 181, for example, a refrigerating chamber evaporator 167 and a refrigerating chamber fan 185 may be provided.

A water discharge member 186 may be provided below the refrigerating chamber evaporator 167 to discharge defrost water.

A defrost heater 187 may be provided below the refrigerating chamber evaporator 167.

The refrigerating compartment door 151 may be configured to be rotatable with respect to the refrigerator body 110.

The refrigerating compartment door 151 may be configured as a pair, for example.

The freezing chamber 121 may be provided with a freezing and cooling air circulation passage 171 to circulate the cold air in the freezing chamber 121.

A freezing chamber evaporator 166 and a freezing chamber fan 175 may be provided in the freezing and cooling air circulation passage 171, for example.

A water discharge member 176 may be provided below the freezing chamber evaporator 166.

A defrost heater 177 may be provided below the freezing chamber evaporator 166.

The freezing chamber 121 may be provided with a temperature sensing unit 125 for sensing the temperature of the freezing chamber 121. In the present embodiment, the temperature sensing unit 125 is illustrated as one, but the temperature sensing unit 125 may be formed in plural.

A partition member 127 may be provided on the front surface of the freezing chamber 121. Accordingly, the front opening of the freezing chamber 121 may be divided into a plurality of introduction openings.

The partition member 127 may be disposed along the left and right directions in the front opening of the freezing chamber. Thereby, the front opening of the freezing chamber can be divided into two introduction ports vertically.

A plurality of freezing chamber doors 141 may be provided in the freezing chamber 121.

Each of the freezing compartment doors 141 may be configured as a so-called drawer-type door that slides with respect to the refrigerator body 110, for example.

Each of the freezing compartment doors 141 may be configured to open and close the introduction ports of the freezing compartment 121, respectively.

The partition members 127 may contact rear surfaces of the freezing compartment doors 141, respectively. Accordingly, leakage of cold air in the freezing chamber 121 to the outside may be suppressed.

Each of the freezing chamber doors 141 is disposed on the front surface of the freezing chamber 121 to open and close the opening of the freezing chamber 121 and the door portion 143 as shown in FIG. 4. ) Is disposed on the rear side of the food storage unit 145 for storing food.

In the inside of the freezing chamber 121, for example, a freezing shield lower 129 may be provided so as to be slidably withdrawn along the front and rear directions.

Meanwhile, the storage compartment 120 may be provided with a food detection unit 190 for sensing the surface temperature or storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment 120.

The food detection unit 190 may be implemented as, for example, an infrared sensor or an infrared image sensor (hereinafter referred to as "infrared sensor") for detecting infrared rays emitted from the surface of the food.

The food sensing unit 190 may be configured to have a viewing angle capable of sensing the food storage surface (bottom surface) of the storage compartment 120, for example.

The food detection unit 190 may be configured to include 8 pixels each in a horizontal direction (left and right direction) and a vertical direction (front and rear direction), for example, and a total of 64 pixels (pixels). In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, a case in which the food sensing unit is implemented as an infrared sensor having 64 pixels is exemplified, but a large number of pixels (pixels) may be desirable.

Here, the food detection unit 190 is described by considering all of the food storage surfaces (the bottom surface of the freezing compartment door 141) of the storage compartment 120 (the freezing compartment door 141 in this embodiment) to be detected. I will do it. In this embodiment, although the case where the food detection unit 190 is implemented as an infrared sensor is illustrated, it may be configured with an infrared camera.

Here, it goes without saying that the food detection unit 190 may be configured to include a plurality of infrared sensors to detect all of the food storage surface of the storage compartment 120 when the viewing angle of the infrared sensor is small.

The food sensing unit 190 may be provided in, for example, the freezing chamber 121. Here, the food detection unit 190 may be provided in a region capable of sensing a food storage surface (bottom surface) of the freezing compartment door 141 in which food is accommodated. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a case where the food detection unit 190 is installed to detect food stored in the freezing compartment door 141 disposed on the upper side of the freezing compartment door 141 will be described as an example. do.

The food detection unit 190 may be provided, for example, on the ceiling 123 of the freezing chamber 121.

A receiving portion 201 in which the food sensing unit 190 is accommodated may be formed on the ceiling 123 of the freezing chamber 121.

The receiving part 201 may be formed to open downward in the ceiling 123 of the freezing chamber 121, that is, a bottom surface of the partition wall 112.

The receiving portion 201 may be provided with a cover 205 for opening and closing the receiving portion 201.

The cover 205 interlocks with the door 140 (the freezer door 141 in this embodiment) to block the receiving portion 201 when the door 140 is opened, and the door 140 is blocked. When the receiving portion 201 may be configured to open.

The cover 205 may be formed in a plate shape.

The cover 205 may be slidably disposed in the lower opening of the receiving part 201, for example.

A cover support part 203 for supporting the cover 205 to be slidable may be provided in the receiving part 201.

The receiving portion 201 may be provided with a cover driving portion 210 for driving the cover 205 to open and close the lower opening of the receiving portion 201.

The cover driving part 210 may include, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a rack-type part 211 formed on the cover 205 along the moving direction of the cover 205; A pinion 213 engaged with the rack-shaped portion 211 to rotate; And a motor 215 for rotating and driving the pinion 213.

A storage sensing unit 220 for sensing storage of food may be provided on a bottom surface of the food storage unit 145 of the freezing compartment door 141 on the upper side of the freezing compartment door 141.

The storage sensing unit 220 may be implemented as, for example, a piezoelectric element (壓電素子) exhibiting a piezoelectric phenomenon.

The storage sensing unit 220 may be disposed, for example, to correspond to each pixel of the infrared sensor.

More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the infrared sensor detects the bottom surface of the food storage unit 145 by dividing it into 8 pieces in the left and right directions and the front and rear directions, respectively, so that the freezing compartment door 141 The bottom surface of the food storage unit 145 may include 64 partitions 146 divided into 8 equal parts in the left and right directions and the front and rear directions.

The storage sensing units 220 (piezoelectric elements) may be disposed in each of the partitions 146.

In the present embodiment, 64 storage sensing units 220 (piezoelectric elements) may be provided.

The storage sensing unit 220 may be configured to, for example, output a sensing signal when food is stored in the corresponding partition unit 146. Here, when the size of the food is large, the plurality of storage sensing units 220 may output a detection signal of the food.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator of the present embodiment senses the surface temperature and storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, calculates the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, and calculates the calculated It may be configured with a control unit 250 that controls the elapsed time to be displayed externally.

The controller 250 may be implemented as, for example, a microprocessor having a control program.

In the control unit 250, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the food detection unit 190 is controllable to detect the surface temperature and storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment 120 Can be connected.

The control unit 250, for example, the storage unit 251 to store information of the food detected by the food detection unit 190 (eg, the surface temperature of the food, storage location and storage time) It can be configured with.

The control unit 250 may be configured to include, for example, a calculation unit 255 that calculates (calculates) the elapsed time of the food from the surface temperature, storage location, and storage time of the food stored in the storage unit 251. have.

A display unit 260 that displays information about food stored in the storage compartment 120 to the outside may be controllably connected to the control unit 250.

The display unit 260 may be provided, for example, on an outer surface of the freezing chamber door 141 or the refrigerating chamber door 151. Accordingly, the elapsed time of the food can be recognized from the outside without opening the freezing compartment door 141 or the refrigerating compartment door 151.

The display unit 260 may be configured to be provided on an operation panel (not shown) that displays operation-related information of the refrigerating compartment 131 and/or the freezing compartment 121, for example.

The display unit 260 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of displaying information using numbers, figures, figures, and characters.

The cover driving unit 210 may be controllably connected to the control unit 250.

The control unit 250 closes the cover 205 when the door 140 of the storage compartment 120 equipped with the food detection unit 190 (in this embodiment, the upper freezing compartment door 141) is opened, and the When the door 140 of the storage compartment 120 is closed, the cover driving part 210 may be controlled so that the receiving part 201 is opened. As a result, when the door 140 of the storage compartment 120 is opened, the air introduced into the storage compartment 120 comes into contact with the food detection unit 190 inside the receiving unit 201, so that the food detection unit ( 190), fogging and/or condensation may be suppressed.

A door detection unit 270 for sensing opening/closing of the door 140 of the storage compartment 120 may be communicatively connected to the control unit 250. Thereby, the control unit 250 senses the opening and closing of the door 140 of the storage room 120 provided with the food detection unit 190, and interlocks with the opening and closing of the door 140, the cover driving unit 210 ) Can be controlled.

The storage sensing unit 220 (piezoelectric element) may be communicatively connected to the control unit 250.

When the food storage signal of the storage detection unit 220 is input, the control unit 250 controls the food detection unit 190 to detect infrared rays emitted from the food stored in the corresponding compartment 146, and the storage The surface temperature, storage location and storage time of the prepared food are stored in the storage unit 251.

In the control unit 250, a shelf life setting unit capable of setting a shelf life or expiration date (hereinafter, referred to as a “storage period”) of the food stored in the storage room 120 provided with the food detection unit 190 ( 280) may be provided. Here, the preservation period may be preferably set to an earlier period in consideration of the actual shelf life or consumption period of the food, for example.

The control unit 250 may allow the storage unit 251 to store the set storage period when the storage period of the food stored by the storage period setting unit 280 is set.

The shelf life setting unit 280 may be provided, for example, on an outer surface of the freezing chamber door 141 or on the outer surface of the refrigerating chamber door 151.

The control unit 250 compares the storage period set by the storage period setting unit 280 with the elapsed time of the food calculated by the calculation unit 255, and when the elapsed time reaches the set storage period, the display unit By controlling 260, it can be displayed outside.

The display unit 260 may externally display a storage location of the food whose elapsed time has reached the preservation period. For example, the display unit 260 displays the compartments 146 of the food whose elapsed time has reached the shelf life in a figure (eg, a rectangle) corresponding to the bottom surface of the freezing compartment door 141. It can be displayed to be distinguished from other partitions 146. Accordingly, the user can prevent the occurrence of waste of food due to forgetfulness by checking the food stored in the position indicated by the display unit 260.

When displaying the compartments 146 of foods whose elapsed time has reached the preservation period, the display unit 260 may display the preservation period set in the corresponding compartment 146 as a number.

With this configuration, when food is to be stored in the storage compartment 120 (freezer 121) provided with the food detection unit 190, the freezing compartment door 141 is opened and the food in the freezing compartment door 141 The food is stored in the storage unit 145, and a shelf life of the food stored through the shelf life setting unit 280 is set.

When the opening of the freezing compartment door 141 is detected by the door detection unit, the control unit 250 controls the cover driving unit 210 so that the cover 205 blocks the opening of the receiving unit 201 can do.

More specifically, when the opening of the freezing compartment door 141 is detected, the control unit 250 controls the motor 215 of the cover driving unit 210 so that the cover 205 blocks the receiving unit 201. It can be rotated in the direction (clockwise in the drawing).

Accordingly, when the pinion 213 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the cover 205 may be moved in a direction blocking the accommodating part 201 (left direction in the drawing). Accordingly, when the freezing chamber door 141 is opened, external air (indoor air) introduced into the freezing chamber 121 may be prevented from flowing into the receiving unit 201. Thereby, fogging and/or condensation due to contact with the air introduced into the food detection unit 190 (infrared ray sensor) may be suppressed.

When the door detection unit 270 detects the storage of the freezer door 141 containing the food, the control unit 250 controls the cover driving unit 210 to open the opening of the receiving unit 201 Can be made.

On the other hand, when food is stored in the food storage unit 145, the storage sensing unit 220 in contact with the food may output a detection signal to the control unit 250.

When the opening of the receiving unit 201 is opened, the control unit 250 controls the food sensing unit 190 based on a signal output from the storage sensing unit 220 to output a detection signal ( 146) can be detected in the infrared radiation from the food.

The control unit 250 detects the infrared rays radiated from the corresponding partition unit 146 to determine the information of the stored food, that is, the surface temperature and storage location, and the storage time and storage period of the stored food. ).

The control unit 250 controls the operation unit 255 to calculate the elapsed time of the stored food.

When the elapsed time of the stored food products reaches the storage period set by the storage period setting unit 280, the control unit 250 controls the display unit 260 to store the storage location of the food that has reached the storage period. And the elapsed time can be displayed externally. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of waste of food due to the expiration of the expiration date of the food due to the user forgetting that the food is stored.

Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

For convenience of description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same and substantially identical parts as the above and illustrated configurations, and redundant descriptions of some configurations are replaced with the above description and may be omitted hereinafter.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes: a refrigerator body 110 having a storage compartment 120; A door 140 for opening and closing the storage chamber 120; A food sensing unit 190 for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage chamber 120; A display unit 260 that displays information on the food stored in the storage compartment 120 to the outside; And it stores the surface temperature or storage location of the food sensed by the food detection unit 190, calculates the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, the elapsed time can be displayed on the outside. It may be configured to include a; control unit 250 for controlling the display unit 260.

The storage chamber 120 may include a freezing chamber 121 and a refrigerating chamber 131.

A plurality of freezing chamber doors 141 may be provided in the freezing chamber 121.

The front opening of the freezing chamber 121 may be divided into two introduction ports by a partition member 127.

The freezing compartment door 141 may be configured as a plurality of spaced apart in the vertical direction, for example.

A refrigeration cooling air circulation passage 171 through which the cold air of the freezing chamber 121 circulates may be provided in a rear region of the freezing chamber 121.

A freezing chamber evaporator 166 and a freezing chamber fan 175 may be provided in the freezing and cooling air circulation passage 171.

On the other hand, the inside of the freezing compartment 121 may be provided with a food detection unit 190 for sensing the surface temperature or storage location of the food stored in the upper freezing compartment door 141 of the freezing compartment door 141. .

The food detection unit 190 may be implemented as an infrared sensor or an infrared camera. In the present embodiment, the food detection unit 190 will be described as an infrared sensor.

A plurality of partitions 146 partitioned to correspond to pixels of the food detection unit 190 (infrared sensor) may be provided on a bottom surface of the food storage unit 145 of the freezer door 141.

Each of the compartments 146 may be provided with storage sensing units 220 that sense foods when they are stored.

Each of the storage sensing units 220 may be implemented as piezoelectric elements.

The food detection unit 190 may be provided, for example, on a side wall or a rear wall of the freezing chamber 121. Thereby, when the freezer door 141 is opened, fogging and/or condensation of the food sensing unit 190 due to contact between the air introduced from the outside (indoor air) and the food sensing unit 190 can be suppressed. have. More specifically, when the freezing compartment door 141 is opened, the air introduced from the outside has a lower density than the air inside the freezing compartment 121 and thus rises to the ceiling 123 by convection, so that the food detection unit 190 ) Is placed on the ceiling 123 of the freezing compartment 121, the outside air raised to the ceiling 123 is brought into contact with the food sensing unit 190 to condense moisture in the air on the surface of the food sensing unit 190 Haze and/or condensation may occur. Thereby, the sensitivity (sensing reliability) of the food detection unit 190 may be inhibited.

Hereinafter, in consideration of this problem, a case where the food sensing unit 190 is provided on the rear wall of the freezing chamber 121 will be described as an example.

The freezing compartment 121 may be provided with an infrared reflecting unit 290 that reflects infrared rays emitted from food stored in the food storage unit 145 of the freezing compartment door 141 to the food sensing unit 190.

The infrared reflector 290 may be provided on the ceiling 123 of the freezing chamber 121.

The infrared reflecting part 290 may be made of a material having high infrared reflectance, for example, an aluminum member.

The infrared reflecting unit 290 includes, for example, a body 291 and a reflective surface 293 formed to reflect infrared rays on the surface of the body 291, as shown in FIG. 7. Can be configured.

The body 291 may be composed of, for example, a metal member or a synthetic resin member.

The reflective surface 293 may be implemented as an aluminum plating layer plated with aluminum having a high reflectance of infrared rays.

The infrared reflecting unit 290 may be configured to reflect all infrared rays emitted from the bottom surface of the food storage unit 145 to the food sensing unit 190.

In the freezing chamber 121, an infrared reflecting unit receiving unit 295 for accommodating the infrared reflecting unit 290 may be formed.

The infrared reflector 290 may be disposed to be inclined with respect to the ceiling 123 of the freezing chamber 121, for example.

On the other hand, the refrigerator of the present embodiment senses the surface temperature or storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, calculates the elapsed time of the stored food, and controls the elapsed time to be displayed externally. ) May be provided.

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 250 may be connected to the food detection unit 190 in a controllable manner.

The control unit 250 may include a storage unit 251 for storing the surface temperature or storage location of the food detected by the food detection unit 190.

The control unit 250 may include an operation unit 255 that calculates the elapsed time of the stored food.

The above-described display unit 260, the door sensing unit 270, the storage sensing unit 220 (piezoelectric element), and the storage period setting unit 280 may be communicatively connected to the control unit 250, respectively.

With this configuration, when food is to be stored in the storage compartment 120 (freezer 121) provided with the food detection unit 190, the freezing compartment door 141 is opened and the food in the freezing compartment door 141 The food is stored in the storage unit 145, and a shelf life of the food stored through the shelf life setting unit 280 is set.

When food is stored in the food storage unit 145, the storage sensing unit 220 in contact with the food may output a detection signal to the control unit 250.

The control unit 250 controls the food detection unit 190 based on a signal output from the storage detection unit 220 when the door detection unit detects the blocking of the freezing compartment door 141 to detect a signal. Infrared radiation emitted from the food of the compartment 146 outputted may be detected.

The control unit 250 detects the infrared rays emitted from the corresponding partition unit 146 and stores information of the stored food, that is, the storage time and the storage period of the food along with the surface temperature and storage location. Can be saved.

The control unit 250 controls the calculation unit 255 to calculate the elapsed time of the stored food, and when the elapsed time reaches the preservation period, the control unit 250 controls the display unit 260 so that the elapsed time is external. Can be displayed on.

Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes: a refrigerator body 110 having a storage compartment 120; A door 140 for opening and closing the storage chamber 120; A food sensing unit 190 for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage chamber 120; A display unit 260 that displays information on the food stored in the storage compartment 120 to the outside; And it stores the surface temperature or storage location of the food sensed by the food detection unit 190, calculates the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, the elapsed time can be displayed on the outside. It may be configured to include a; control unit 250 for controlling the display unit 260.

The storage chamber 120 may include a freezing chamber 121 and a refrigerating chamber 131.

In the refrigerating chamber 131, a temperature sensing unit 135 for sensing the internal temperature of the refrigerating chamber 131 may be provided.

The refrigerating chamber 131 may be provided with a plurality of shelves 310 that divide the internal space into a plurality of storage compartments 320.

The shelf 310 may include, for example, a first shelf 311 to a third shelf 313 along the vertical direction.

A first storage bin 321 to a third storage bin 323 may be formed on each upper side of the first shelf 311 to the third shelf 313.

Below the third shelf 313, for example, a refrigerating shield lower 315 for storing food may be provided.

The food sensing unit 190 may be provided inside the refrigerating chamber 131.

The food detection unit 190 may be implemented as an infrared camera. Here, the food detection unit 190 may be implemented with a plurality of infrared sensors to increase detection precision. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the food detection unit 190 is regarded as an infrared camera.

The food detection unit 190 includes a plurality of compartment detection units 191, 192 and 193 respectively provided in each of the storage compartments 320 to detect the surface temperature or storage location of the food stored in the storage compartments 321, 322, and 323, respectively. Can be equipped.

The plurality of compartment detection units 191,192, 193 may include a first compartment detection unit 191 and a second compartment respectively provided in the first storage compartment 321, the second storage compartment 322, and the third storage compartment 323 It may be composed of a sensing unit 192 and a third compartment sensing unit 193.

Each of the first to third cell detection units 191 to 193 may be configured with the infrared camera.

The first compartment detecting part 191 may be provided on the ceiling 123 of the refrigerating compartment 131, for example.

Receiving portions 201 opening downward may be formed in the ceiling of the refrigerating chamber 131, at the bottom of the first shelf 311 and the second shelf 312, respectively.

Each of the compartment sensing units 191, 192, and 193 may be accommodated and installed inside each of the receiving units 201, respectively.

Each of the receiving portions 201 may be provided with a cover 205 and a cover driving portion 210, respectively.

Each of the cover driving units 210 may include a rack-type portion 211, a pinion 213, and a motor 215, respectively.

On the other hand, the refrigerator of the present embodiment senses the surface temperature or storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment 120, calculates the elapsed time of the stored food, and controls the elapsed time to be displayed externally. ) May be provided.

As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 250 may be communicatively connected to a door detection unit 275 for sensing opening/closing of the refrigerating compartment door 151.

A temperature sensing unit 135 for sensing the indoor temperature of the refrigerating chamber 131 may be communicatively connected to the control unit 250.

A food sensing unit 190 for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in each storage compartment 320 of the refrigerating chamber 131 may be controllably connected.

The control unit 250 may include a storage unit 251 for storing food information.

The control unit 250 may include an operation unit 255 that calculates an elapsed time after the food is newly stored.

The control unit 250 controls the food detection unit 190 when the door detection unit 275 detects the closing of the freezing compartment door 141 to control the surface temperature and storage location of the food inside the refrigerator compartment 131. Can be detected. Here, the storage location of the food may be stored as a thermal image captured by the food detection unit 190 (infrared camera).

The control unit 250 compares the surface temperature of the food detected by the food sensing unit 190 and the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 131 detected by the temperature sensing unit 135 to compare the surface temperature of the food and the refrigerator compartment ( If the temperature difference of 131) is greater than or equal to a set value, it may be configured to determine that the food is newly introduced.

The control unit 250 may allow the surface temperature, storage location, and storage time of newly introduced food to be stored in the storage unit 251.

The control unit 250 may control the calculation unit 255 to calculate an elapsed time from a time when food is newly introduced.

Meanwhile, a mode selection unit 330 for selecting an elapsed time display mode for displaying an elapsed time after food is stored in the storage chamber 120 (refrigerating chamber 131) may be communicatively connected to the control unit 250.

When the elapsed time display mode is selected by the mode selection unit 330, the control unit 250 controls the display unit 260 to determine the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment 120 (refrigerating compartment 131). Can be displayed on.

The control unit 250, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the inside of the outline 341 representing each of the storage bins 320, the outline 342 of the food corresponding to the thermal image of the food The elapsed time 343 of the corresponding food can be displayed in units of hours (H) or days (D).

The control unit 250, for example, when the elapsed time display mode is selected by the mode selection unit 330, controls the display unit 260 to control the first storage compartment 321, the second storage compartment The location and elapsed time of the food stored in the 322 and the third storage bin 323, respectively, can be displayed.

The mode selection unit 330 may be configured to include a display mode for each storage compartment for displaying the elapsed time for each storage compartment 320.

The storage bin display mode includes: a first storage bin display mode for displaying the elapsed time of the food stored in the first storage bin 321, the second storage bin 322, and the third storage bin 323, and a second A storage bin display mode and a third storage bin display mode may be provided.

With this configuration, the control unit 250 controls the cover driving unit 210 when the door detection unit detects the opening of the refrigerating compartment door 151 so that each of the receiving units 201 is To be blocked by

When the closing of the refrigerating compartment door 151 is detected by the door sensing unit, the control unit 250 controls the food sensing unit 190 to store and store the surface temperature of the food stored in the refrigerating chamber 131. Let the position be detected.

The controller 250 compares the surface temperature of the food detected by the food detection unit 190 with the indoor temperature of the refrigerating chamber 131, and when the temperature difference between the surface temperature of the food and the indoor temperature is greater than or equal to a set value, The surface temperature, storage location, and storage time of the food are stored in the storage unit 251.

Meanwhile, when the mode selection unit 330 selects the elapsed time display mode, the control unit 250 controls the display unit 260 to display the elapsed time of the food displayed inside the refrigerating compartment 131. have.

When any one of the display modes for each storage bin is selected by the mode selection unit 330, the controller 250 controls the display unit 260 to control the selected storage bins 321, 322, and 323 as shown in FIG. Storage location and elapsed time of food stored in can be displayed.

In the above, it has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various forms within a range not departing from its spirit or essential features, and thus the above-described embodiments should not be limited by the content of the detailed description.

In addition, even if the embodiments are not listed in detail in the above-described detailed description, they should be broadly interpreted within the scope of the technical idea defined in the appended claims. In addition, all changes and modifications included within the technical scope of the claims and their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

110: refrigerator body 115: machine room
120: storage room 121: freezer
125,135: temperature sensing unit 127: partition member
129: freezing shield lower 131: refrigerator compartment
140: door 141: freezer door
143: door part 145: food storage part
146: compartment 151: refrigerator compartment door
160: refrigeration cycle device 161: compressor
165: evaporator 166: freezer evaporator
167: internal demonstration evaporator 171: refrigeration and cooling air circulation passage
175: freezer fan 176,186: water discharge member
177,187: defrost heater 181: refrigerated cold air circulation passage
185: refrigerator compartment fan 190: food detection unit
191: first compartment detection unit 192: second compartment detection unit
193: third compartment sensing unit 201: receiving unit
203: cover support 205: cover
210: cover driving part 211: rack type part
213: pinion 215: motor
220: storage sensing unit, piezoelectric element 250: control unit
251: storage unit 255: operation unit
260: display unit 270,275: door detection unit
280: storage period setting unit 290: infrared reflecting unit
291: body 293: reflective surface
295: infrared reflector receiving unit 310: shelf
311: first shelf 312: second shelf
313: 3rd shelf 320: storage compartment
321: first storage compartment 322: second storage compartment
323: third storage compartment 330: mode selection unit
341: outline 342: food outline
343: elapsed time

Claims (15)

A refrigerator main body having a storage compartment;
A door for opening and closing the storage chamber;
A food detection unit for sensing a surface temperature or a storage location of the food stored in the storage compartment;
A display unit for externally displaying information on the food stored in the storage compartment; And
A control unit that stores the surface temperature or storage location of the food detected by the food detection unit, calculates the elapsed time of the food stored in the storage compartment, and controls the display unit so that the elapsed time can be displayed outside Including,
A receiving portion formed in the ceiling of the storage room to open downward so as to accommodate the food detecting portion,
In the receiving portion, a cover is installed so that the receiving portion and the storage chamber are selectively communicated,
The control unit, when the storage compartment is opened or closed by the movement of the door, the refrigerator, characterized in that for forming the movement of the cover so that the storage compartment and the receiving portion selectively communicated. The method of claim 1,
Refrigerator, characterized in that the food detection unit includes an infrared sensor or an infrared camera. delete The method of claim 1,
And the cover interlocks with the door to block the receiving portion when the door is opened, and to open the receiving portion when the door is blocked. The method of claim 1,
The cover further comprises a cover driving unit for driving the cover to open or block the receiving portion,
And the control unit controls the cover driving unit so that the cover blocks the receiving unit when the door is opened and the receiving unit is opened when the door is blocked. The method of claim 5,
The cover is slid with respect to the receiving portion,
The cover driving part may include a rack-type part formed on the cover along a moving direction of the cover;
A pinion engaged with the rack toothed portion to rotate; And
And a motor that drives the pinion to rotate. The method of claim 2,
The bottom of the storage room has a plurality of partitions,
A storage sensing unit disposed in each of the compartments and outputting a detection signal when food is received in the storage compartment;
And the control unit controls the food detection unit to detect the temperature of the food in the corresponding compartment when the storage detection unit detects food storage. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising; a storage period setting unit for setting a storage period of the food stored in the compartment,
And the control unit controls the display unit to display a corresponding compartment when the storage period set in the storage limit setting unit passes for the food stored in the compartment. The method of claim 2,
The food detection unit, characterized in that provided on a side wall or a rear wall of the storage compartment. The method of claim 9,
An infrared reflecting unit disposed between the food in the storage compartment and the food sensing unit to reflect infrared rays of the food to the food sensing unit. The method of claim 10,
The infrared reflecting portion is formed of an aluminum member or a refrigerator, characterized in that formed with a reflective surface formed of an aluminum plating layer. The method of claim 1 or 9,
Further comprising a; door sensing unit for sensing the opening and closing of the door,
And the control unit controls the food detection unit to sense the temperature of the food in the storage compartment when the door is blocked based on a detection result of the door detection unit. The method of claim 12,
Refrigerator, characterized in that the food detection unit includes a plurality of infrared sensors or infrared cameras. The method of claim 12,
Further comprising; a mode selection unit for selecting an elapsed time display mode for displaying an elapsed time after storage of the food in the storage room,
And the control unit controls the display unit to display the elapsed time of food stored in the storage compartment when the elapsed time display mode is selected by the mode selection unit. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising a plurality of shelves dividing the inner space of the storage compartment into a plurality of storage compartments,
The food detection unit includes a plurality of compartment detection units each provided in each of the storage bins, and
And the mode selection unit includes a storage compartment display mode for displaying an elapsed time for each storage compartment.

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