KR20080055291A - A refrigerator having a smell sensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator having a smell sensing device is provided to display an optimal storage space of foods for a user by installing a control panel for controlling the operation of the refrigerator. A refrigerator having a smell sensing device comprises a main body(100), a smell sensing unit(300), and a control panel(200). The main body consists of a case having a storage space inside, and doors(120,140) selectively covering the storage space of the case. The smell sensing unit placed at the main body senses the smell of an object. The control panel installed at the main body controls the operation of the refrigerator, and displays an optimal storage space for the object detected from the smell sensing unit on a screen. The smell sensing unit is placed at one side of the control panel, and includes a deco board(320), and a smell detecting sensor installed at the rear of the deco board to detect the smell of foods. The deco board has an alarming part(340) transmitting a message or an alarming sound according to the detection of smell of the object.

Description

A refrigerator having a smell sensing device

1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator provided with an smell detection means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator provided with a smell detection means according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the signal flow of the odor detection means and the display according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process of storing food in the refrigerator of the present invention shown in FIG.

5 is an enlarged front view of a display shown when storing food in a refrigerator which is one embodiment according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100 ..... Main body 120 ..... Freezer door

122,142. Door handle 124 ..... dispenser

140 ..... Refrigerator door 200 ..... Control panel

220 ..... Control panel 240 ..... Display

260 ..... Central control unit 280 ..... Command control unit

300 ..... Smell detection means 320 ..... Deco board

322 ..... Inhaler 340 ..... Notification

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to classify foods using odor detection means, and to display the optimal storage location and related information about the foods according to the distinguished foods on a display. It relates to a refrigerator provided with odor detection means.

In general, the refrigerator is formed with a main body in which internal spaces are partitioned into a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment and a plurality of doors that selectively shield the front of the main body, and the cold air in the refrigerator is caused by a refrigeration cycle that leads to compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation. It is a kitchen appliance that allows you to keep the stored contents fresher by circulating.

In addition, since the storage stored in the refrigerator has a suitable temperature requirement according to the type, the storage space inside the refrigerator is divided into a plurality to form various storage environments.

However, despite the storage space of various temperature conditions as described above inside the refrigerator. The user is not easily aware of what foods are kept in an optimal storage state at what temperature conditions, and there is a problem that the internal space of the refrigerator cannot be used efficiently.

An object of the present invention, which was devised to solve the above problems, is to provide a refrigerator with an odor sensing means to distinguish the types of food stored through the sensed smell of food, and to show the optimal storage location through the control panel. It is to provide a refrigerator provided with a smell detection means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having an odor detection means for displaying various information related to the food as well as the storage position of the food through the control panel.

The refrigerator provided with an odor detecting means according to the present invention includes a main body including a case having a storage space therein and a door for selectively shielding the storage space of the case, and provided in the main body to prevent the smell of a substance. It is characterized in that it comprises a control panel for detecting the smell detection means, and the main body, to control the operation of the refrigerator and to display the optimal storage place of the object detected by the smell detection means on the screen.

The smell detection means is characterized in that it is provided on one side of the control panel.

The smell detection means is characterized in that it comprises a deco board to form a front appearance, and a odor detection sensor provided on the rear side of the decor board, to detect the smell of food.

The decor board is further characterized in that the notification unit for transmitting a message or an alarm sound depending on whether the smell of the material is detected.

The odor sensor is characterized in that it comprises a olfactory receptor protein coated on a crystal microbalance (Quartz Crystial Microbalance: QCM).

The odor sensor is characterized in that consisting of a combination of semiconductor or polymer materials.

The control panel is characterized in that it comprises a display showing a variety of screens in accordance with a control signal, and an operation unit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator.

The display is characterized in that the optimum storage place in the store according to the smell of the material sensed by the smell detection means.

The display is characterized in that the useful information about the material is shown according to the smell of the material detected by the smell monitoring means.

According to the present invention having such a configuration there is an advantage that the user can easily recognize the optimal storage place of the food to store the food.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings it will be described in detail with respect to the food storage location management refrigerator using the smell detection means according to the present invention.

1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator provided with an smell detection means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawings, the food storage location management refrigerator using the smell detection means according to the present invention is a case (not shown) having an internal space divided into a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, hinged to the case (not shown) inside The exterior of the main body 100 is formed by doors 120 and 140 that selectively shield the space.

In addition, the doors 120 and 140 may include a freezing chamber door 120 that shields a left side of the case, that is, a freezer compartment, and a refrigerating chamber door 140 that shields a right side of the case, that is, a refrigerator compartment. The freezing chamber door 120 is further provided with a dispenser 124 for extracting ice or water without opening the freezing chamber door 120.

In addition, the refrigerating chamber door 140 further includes a control panel 200 that controls the operation of the refrigerator and shows a control screen.

The control panel 200 includes a display 240 showing various screens according to a control signal, and an operation unit 220 formed of a plurality of buttons provided on the lower side of the display 240. In addition, a central control unit (reference numeral 260 in FIG. 2) and a command control unit 280 for processing a control signal due to the manipulation of the operation unit 220 are further provided.

On the other hand, the upper side of the control panel 200 is provided with a smell detection means 300 for detecting the smell of food.

The smell detection means 300 is formed of the same material as the control panel 200, the decoration board 320 is provided with a plurality of holes intake holes 322 formed at a predetermined interval, and although not shown It is composed of an odor sensor (not shown) that detects the smell of the material that is provided at the rear side of the decor board 320, that is, volatile particles diffused in the food.

Hereinafter, the odor detection sensor will be briefly described.

Objects, especially foods, have a unique odor that can be perceived by humans because volatile particulates diffused from the substance enter the human nose and stimulate the olfactory epithelium. Because.

The olfactory epithelial cells can be seen as a kind of sensor located in the mucous membrane of the nose, olfactory epithelial cells have olfactory receptors that can detect and bind to each odor molecule, the human case reaches about 1,000.

However, since there are about 10,000 kinds of odors that humans can recognize and remember, each receptor binds to several kinds of odor molecules, and odor molecules also react with several olfactory receptors. can see.

In the case of the electronic nose currently being developed by using this, it is composed of a combination of semiconductor or polymer materials and performs the function of an odor sensor by determining what kind of smell it is through the reaction pattern that appears when exposed to a specific gas. Done.

In addition, the olfactory receptor protein is separated and purified from the tissues of the animal's olfactory organs and coated on a quartz crystal of the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) without using a semiconductor or a polymer material. Will perform the function of.

In the present invention, both the odor sensor made of a combination of the above-described semiconductor or polymer material and the odor sensor using the olfactory receptor protein are applicable, and in order to distinguish more various food smells, it is preferable to use the odor sensor using the olfactory receptor protein. Most preferred.

And, the rear side of the decor board 320 is further provided with a notification unit 340 for transmitting a message or an alarm sound depending on whether the smell sensor (not shown) the smell of food.

Although not shown, the notification unit 340 is connected to a speaker (not shown) that transmits a message or an alarm sound to the outside, and the controller of the odor detection sensor (not shown) is connected to the speaker (not shown). It may be desirable to be configured as a control board (not shown) for transmitting a control command.

On the other hand, the smell detection means 300 may be mounted to the refrigerating chamber door 140.

Looking at this with reference to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator provided with a smell detection means according to another embodiment of the present invention, all configurations except the mounting position of the smell detection means 300 is formed the same do.

That is, the position of the smell detection means 300 may be formed on one side of the control panel 200 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be formed on one side of the doors 120 and 140 as shown in FIG. 2.

Hereinafter will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings the operation of the refrigerator provided with a smell detection means according to the present invention having the configuration as described above.

Figure 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the signal flow of the odor detection means and the display according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process of storing food in the refrigerator of the present invention shown in FIG.

As shown in these figures, first, the odor detection means 300 is connected to the central control unit 260 as described above. That is, the smell of food detected by the odor detecting means 300 extracts data corresponding to previously stored data through the central controller 260, and the extracted data is transmitted to the display 240. .

That is, when the user approaches the food to the smell detection means 300 without a separate operation for confirming the food storage position through the operation unit 220, the central control unit 260 detects the information detected by the smell detection sensor for detecting the smell of food. To the display 240.

In addition, the operation unit 220 performs additional operations such as enlarging or moving up and down the contents shown on the display 240.

For example, when a user presses a button for screen enlargement through the operation unit 220, an operation signal generated from the operation unit 220 is transmitted to the command control unit 280, and the command control unit 280 controls the central control unit 260. The screen shown in the display 240 is updated through the display to display a screen desired by the user.

Hereinafter, a process of storing food using a food storage location management refrigerator using an odor monitoring means according to the present invention having the signal flow system as described above will be described.

In order to store the food in the refrigerator of the present invention, the user approaches food on the upper side of the control panel 200, that is, the smell detection means 300.

When the food approaches as described above, the volatile particles emitted from the food to the odor detection means 300 is collected through the intake hole 322, the collected volatile particles are adsorbed to the odor sensor (not shown) The specific signal is sent to the central controller 260 according to the type of food. In addition, the central controller 260 receiving the signal transmitted from the odor sensor (not shown) checks the data.

On the other hand, when the smell of the food is not recognized even though the food is approached to the smell detection means 300, the notification unit 340 sends a notification message. That is, the notification message outputs a voice message of “not recognized.” Or “please approach again.” Since the smell of food was not detected, the user is prompted to re-access the food to the smell monitoring means 300. It will contain the contents.

When the type of food accessed in the above process is confirmed, the optimal storage location of the identified food is shown on the display 240 of the control panel 200.

This will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of a display shown when storing food in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. As shown in the drawing, the display 240 has the same shape as a refrigerator inside. The optimal space for storing the food on the screen is shown divided into 1st and 2nd order.

Further, useful information related to the food to be stored is further shown on the right side of the refrigerator refrigerator.

Looking at the additional information as shown, such as the name of the food to be stored and the optimal storage date, freshness, etc. are shown, including the effects and efficacy of the food, foods that can be eaten together, fitness for each constitution, various cooking methods, etc. .

On the other hand, the user who checks the screen shown on the display 240 as described above, after recognizing the optimal storage place of food, and stores the food to be stored in the corresponding place.

The scope of the present invention as described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but many other modifications based on the present invention will be possible to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

For example, it may be possible to display an optimal storage place up to three or more ranks on the display where the optimal storage location of food is shown, and it may be possible to configure food related information more diversely. It will be possible to apply the sensor, but it will be apparent that such a change is included in the technical idea of the present invention showing the optimal storage place inside the refrigerator on the display screen by recognizing the smell of food.

The present invention has the advantage that the user can easily recognize the optimal storage location of food by detecting the smell of food introduced into the refrigerator using the odor detection means to show the optimal storage location in the refrigerator.

In addition, since the optimal storage place of the food shown through the display is shown in the first and second positions, there is an advantage in that efficient food storage is possible according to the situation of the internal space.

In addition, by having the useful information related to the type of food to be stored on the display, the user can recognize a variety of information has the advantage that the range of use of the food is stored.

In addition, by being able to efficiently store and use foods as described above, it is expected that consumer reliability and product satisfaction with the product will be improved.

Claims (9)

A main body provided with a case having a storage space therein and a door for selectively shielding the storage space of the case; Odor detection means provided in the main body, for detecting the smell of the material; And a control panel provided in the main body to control an operation of the refrigerator and to display an optimal storage place of the object detected by the smell sensing means on a screen. The method of claim 1, wherein the odor detection means, Refrigerator having a smell detection means, characterized in that provided on one side of the control panel. The method of claim 2, wherein the smell detection means, Deco board to form a front appearance; The refrigerator provided on the rear side of the decoration board, the smell detection means characterized in that it comprises a smell sensor for detecting the smell of food. According to claim 3, The decor board, And a notification unit for transmitting a message or an alarm sound according to whether the smell of the substance is detected. The method of claim 3, wherein the odor sensor, Refrigerator with odor detection means characterized in that the olfactory receptor protein coated on a quartz microbalance (Quartz Crystial Microbalance: QCM) is formed. The method of claim 3, wherein the odor sensor, Refrigerator having a smell detection means, characterized in that consisting of a combination of semiconductor or polymer materials. The method of claim 1, wherein the control panel, A display showing various screens according to the control signal; Refrigerator is provided with a smell detection means characterized in that it comprises a control unit for controlling the operation of the refrigerator. The method of claim 7, wherein the display, Refrigerator provided with the smell detection means, characterized in that the optimal storage place in the store according to the smell of the material detected by the smell detection means. The method of claim 8, wherein the display, The refrigerator provided with the smell detection means, characterized in that useful information about the material is shown according to the smell of the material detected by the smell monitoring means.

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