Camera unit and storage house

Abstract

To provide a camera unit whose attitude is stabilized and a refrigerator comprising the same.SOLUTION: A camera unit 50 comprises a housing 55 housing a camera 51, a light source 52 and a control board 53, and also has the camera 51 and light source 52 arranged in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the right-left direction of the control board 53 largest in right-left directional size among the camera 51, light source 52 and control board 53, and is used while fitted to the ceiling of a refrigerator 100 outside the storage house. The refrigerator 100 is the storage house that has a rotary mechanism 30 supporting the camera unit 50, and also has the camera 51 and light source 52 arranged on the front side of the rotary mechanism 30 and the control board 53 arranged on the rear side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a camera unit and a repository. [Background technology]

[0002] Claim 1 of Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerator equipped with a camera that photographs the interior of the refrigerator, characterized in that a single camera photographs multiple locations inside the refrigerator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-42626 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a camera unit is fixed to the upper external surface of the refrigerator body, and the camera protrudes forward by an arm. Therefore, the weight of the camera unit is likely to be applied to the front side of the refrigerator. Meanwhile, a plate-shaped insulating material is often arranged on the inside of the refrigerator body. A mounting structure that is strong against the load and prevents damage to the insulating material is desired, but Patent Document 1 does not particularly disclose the manner of mounting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The camera unit of the present disclosure includes: A housing that houses a camera, a light source, and a substrate; The remaining members are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction within a first direction range of a member having a largest dimension in the first direction among the camera, the light source, and the substrate. It is used by attaching it to the exterior ceiling of a storage facility. Other solutions are described later in the detailed description of the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a storage compartment provided in the refrigerator. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged oblique view of the exterior top surface of the refrigerator body. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera unit and the support member. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and placed in a first position. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and placed in a second position. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the camera unit and the support member separated from each other. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 12, showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the rotation mechanism. [Figure 14] 13 is a top view illustrating a cover member that covers a hole. FIG. [Figure 15] 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a flat cable is arranged in a cable guide portion. FIG. [Figure 16] 11 is a top view showing a state in which a flat cable is arranged in a cable guide portion. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cover member that covers a hole. [Figure 18] This is a view of the interior top surface of the refrigerator body from below. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a contact preventing member according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a contact preventing member according to another embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and a see-through view of the second base member. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second base member is opened and the inside of the support member can be seen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, a form for carrying out the present disclosure (referred to as an embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of one embodiment, other embodiments applicable to the one embodiment will also be described as appropriate. The present disclosure is not limited to the following one embodiment, and different embodiments can be combined with each other or modified as desired without significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure. In addition, the same symbols will be used for the same members, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, members having the same functions will be given the same names. The contents shown are merely schematic, and for convenience of illustration, changes may be made from the actual configuration within a range that does not significantly impair the effects of the present disclosure, and some members may be omitted or modified between drawings.

[0008] 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to the present disclosure. The refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator body 10, a camera unit 50, and a rotation mechanism 30 (FIG. 9). The refrigerator body 10 defines a storage compartment 6 having an opening 6a on the front side (front face side).

[0009] 2 is a front view of the storage compartment 6 provided in the refrigerator 100. The storage compartment 6 includes a refrigerator compartment 1, an ice-making compartment 2, an upper freezer compartment 3, a vegetable compartment 4, and a lower freezer compartment 5, which are arranged at the top. The temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 1 is set to, for example, about 4°C on average in the refrigeration temperature range (0°C or higher). The temperature inside the upper freezer compartment 3 and the lower freezer compartment 5 is set to, for example, about -18°C on average in the freezing temperature range (less than 0°C). The temperature inside the vegetable compartment 4 is set to, for example, about 6°C on average in the refrigeration temperature range. Food and the like are put in and taken out of each storage compartment 6 through an opening 6a.

[0010] Returning to Fig. 1, refrigerator body 10 includes doors 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5a that close openings 6a (Fig. 2) of refrigerator compartment 1, ice-making compartment 2, upper freezer compartment 3, vegetable compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5. Door 1a is rotatable about a rotation shaft (not shown) installed at the left and right ends of refrigerator body 10. The rotation shaft is supported by door hinges 1b provided on the upper and lower sides of door 1a. Doors 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5a are removable.

[0011] Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the exterior upper surface of refrigerator body 10. A camera unit 50 is provided on the exterior upper surface of refrigerator body 10. Camera unit 50 is provided on refrigerator body 10 via support member 40. Support member 40 supports camera unit 50. Camera unit 50 includes a camera 51 that captures an image of the inside of refrigeration compartment 1, which is an example of storage compartment 6. Although details will be described later, camera unit 50 is arranged rotatably within a horizontal plane including the front-rear and left-right directions by a rotation mechanism 30 (Fig. 9).

[0012] 4 is an exploded perspective view of support member 40. Refrigerator body 10 includes a first base member 41 and a second base member 42 as members constituting support member 40. Support member 40 has a space inside. The shapes, dimensions and installation locations of first base member 41 and second base member 42 are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be changed as appropriate depending on design conditions such as the positions of through hole 11 and mounting portion 46, and the position of camera 51.

[0013] The first base member 41 is fixed to the top surface of the refrigerator body 10 at one location in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator body 10 by a fastener 43a penetrating the top surface of the refrigerator body 10. The fastener 43a is, for example, a screw. Regarding the fastening at one location in the front-rear direction, when there is only one fastener 43a, the fastening is at one location in the front-rear direction regardless of where the fastener is fixed. On the other hand, when there are two or more fasteners 43a (two in the illustrated example), this means that the fasteners 43a are at the same location in the front-rear direction on the top surface of the refrigerator body 10. Therefore, for example, two or more fasteners 43a overlap when viewed in the left-right direction. Supplementally, in FIG. 4, the first base member 41 is fixed at two locations in the left-right direction, but at one location in the front-rear direction. The first base member 41 can be fixed even when the space available for fastening in the front-rear direction is smaller than when fixed at one location.

[0014] The two fixing members 43a are inserted into the mounting portion 45 of the first base member 41 and the mounting portion 46 of the mounting member 44. The mounting portions 45 and 46 are, for example, screw holes. The mounting member 44 has a through hole 44a through which the power cable 61 (FIG. 18) passes. The through hole 44a communicates the inside of the refrigerator body 10 with the inside of the support member 40. The mounting member 44 is fitted into the through holes 11 and 12 formed on the upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 from the inside of the refrigerator body 10. That is, the portion 44b of the mounting member 44 is inserted from below so as to pass through the through hole 11, and after the portion 44b is exposed upward, the portion 44b is tilted backward, so that the two mounting portions 45 are exposed upward from the two through holes 12. The portion 44b of the mounting member 44 exposed upward through the through hole 11 fits into the through hole 47 of the first base member. By fixing in this state with the fixing device 43a, the first base member 41 and the mounting member 44 are fixed so as to sandwich the upper surface of the refrigerator body 10. The first base member 41 may be fixed to the mounting member 44 by, for example, fitting with a claw without using the fixing device 43a.

[0015] The second base member 42 is fixed to the first base member 41 at multiple locations in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator body 10. The fixing is performed by fasteners 43b. The fasteners 43b are, for example, screws. Fixing at multiple locations in the front-rear direction means that the second base member 42 is fixed by fasteners 43b at locations on the top surface of the refrigerator body 10 that are different in the front-rear direction. Therefore, for example, there are two or more fasteners 43b when viewed in the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the second base member 42 is fixed by two fasteners 43b each in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction (four in total). The fasteners 43b are not inserted into the refrigerator body 10.

[0016] Each of the fasteners 43b is inserted into an attachment portion 48 of the second base member 42 and an attachment portion 49 of the first base member 41. The attachment portions 48, 49 are, for example, screw holes. The second base member 42 is fixed to the first base member 41 by the fasteners 43b. The second base member 42 may be fixed to the first base member 41 by, for example, fitting with a claw without using the fasteners 43b.

[0017] Although the specific structure will be described later, the rotation mechanism 30 (FIG. 9) for rotating the camera unit 50 is composed of some members of the second base member 42 and some members of the camera unit 50. Depending on the design conditions of the refrigerator body 10, as shown in the figure, there are cases where the fixing device 43a can be used at only one place in the front-rear direction on the refrigerator body 10. Even in this case, the rotation mechanism 30 can be firmly installed by using the second base member 42 fixed to the first base member 41 at multiple places in the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to suppress wobbling of the rotation mechanism 30 and to suppress the camera unit 50 from falling forward when placed at the front side. Note that "fixed at multiple places in the front-rear direction" here means that the first place is the pair of fixing devices 43b, 43b at the left end, and the second place is the fixing devices 43b, 43b at the right end, and the total of two places in the front-rear direction are fixed.

[0018] Meanwhile, plate-shaped insulation material 13 (FIG. 18) is fixed to the inner upper surface of refrigerator body 10. Plate-shaped insulation material 13 is, for example, a vacuum insulation material, and is attached to the inner upper surface. For example, through holes 11, 12 and mounting portion 46 cannot be provided at the fixing location of plate-shaped insulation material 13. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18 described later, fixing device 43a penetrates the upper surface of refrigerator body 10 at a portion other than the fixing location of plate-shaped insulation material 13. In this way, plate-shaped insulation material 13 can be easily fixed to the upper surface of refrigerator body 10, and first base member 41 can be fixed to the outer upper surface of refrigerator body 10 by utilizing the portion other than the fixing location of plate-shaped insulation material 13.

[0019] The first base member 41 and the second base member 42 are made of, for example, resin. However, at least one of the first base member 41 and the second base member 42 can be used in combination with a metal plate of any shape. By using them in combination, the rigidity can be improved. The combination may be provided with resin and metal separately, or may be provided integrally with a metal-resin composite material.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a side view of the support member 40. For the sake of simplicity, the camera unit 50 is not shown, and the structures of the refrigerator body 10 and the support member 40 are also partially simplified. A foamed insulation material 14 is accommodated in an insulation space 15 formed inside the refrigerator body 10 and outside the storage chamber 6 (for example, the refrigerator chamber 1). The foamed insulation material 14 is arranged below the plate-shaped insulation material 13 and at least partially or entirely around the outer periphery (front, rear, left and right). The foamed insulation material 14 is, for example, urethane foam. The refrigerator body 10 is configured such that the outside and the inside of the refrigerator are separated by an insulation box body formed by accommodating the foamed insulation material 14 between, for example, an outer box made of a steel plate and, for example, an inner box made of a synthetic resin, both of which are not shown.

[0021] In a side view of refrigerator body 10, lower ends 40a of first base member 41 (FIG. 4) and second base member 42 have recesses 40b extending toward the rear above the portion housing foam insulation material 14. As a result, when the upper surface of refrigerator body 10 bulges due to pressure generated when housing foam insulation material 14, recesses 40b can suppress bending and lifting of first base member 41 and second base member 42 caused by the bulge. As a result, tilting of rotation mechanism 30 (FIG. 9) attached to second base member 42 can be suppressed, and tilting of camera unit 50 via rotation mechanism 30 can be suppressed.

[0022] If the top surface of refrigerator body 10 does not expand, and if a gap still exists between the expanded top surface and recess 40b, for example, after a process of providing a heat insulating structure, such as a foaming process of foam insulation material 14 in refrigerator body 10, is completed, any member (e.g., an elastic member such as a rubber plate) may be placed between the top surface and recess 40b. This can suppress rattling of first base member 41 and second base member 42.

[0023] Fig. 6 is a front view of camera unit 50 and support member 40. In Fig. 6, camera unit 50 is disposed at a second position (described later) where camera 51 is disposed forward of front edge 10a (Fig. 11) of refrigerator body 10 in top view.

[0024] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 6. The camera unit 50 includes a camera 51, a light source 52 (e.g., an LED) that irradiates light into the storage chamber 6, a control board 53 for the camera 51 and the light source 52, and a housing 55. The camera 51, the light source 52, and the control board 53 are housed in the housing 55. By providing the camera 51, the light source 52, and the control board 53 inside one housing 55, the size can be reduced compared to when these are provided separately, and the electrical wiring connecting these can be shortened. The housing 55 has a bottom, and the upper part of the housing 55 is closed by a lid 54.

[0025] The camera 51, light source 52, and control board 53 are housed in this order from one side of the housing 55 to the other. By arranging them in this manner, the camera 51 and light source 52, which are relatively easy to make small, can be easily gathered in one place, and the shape of the camera unit 50 can be easily made small. Also, the camera 51 and the light source 52 are adjacent to each other in the illustrated example. This allows the arrangement of the camera 51 and the light source 52 to be the same as that of, for example, a portable information terminal, improving the design of the camera unit 50.

[0026] The rotation mechanism 30 that rotates the camera unit 50 in a horizontal plane (front-back, left-right directions) is disposed between the light source 52 and the control board 53 in a side view. That is, the camera 51 and the light source 52 are disposed on one side as viewed from the rotation mechanism 30, and the control board 53 is disposed on the other side as viewed from the rotation mechanism 30. By disposing them in this manner, the control board 53, which is usually heavy, can be disposed on the other side of the rotation mechanism 30, which is the center of rotation, and the camera 51 and the light source 52 can be disposed on one side. This makes it possible to suppress variation in the weight of the camera unit 50 and to suppress tilting of the camera unit 50.

[0027] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a top view of the rotation mechanism 30. The rotation mechanism 30 has a hollow portion 30a that communicates with the inside of the camera unit 50 and the inside of the support member 40. The rotation mechanism 30 rotates the camera unit 50 in a horizontal plane so as to be disposed at either the first position or the second position according to the degree of rotation of the rotation mechanism 30. The first position is a position where the entire camera unit 50 is disposed so as to overlap the refrigerator body 10 in a top view. In the first position, the camera unit 50 is disposed rearward of the front edge 10a in a top view and a side view. The second position is a position where the camera 51 is disposed forward of the front edge 10a of the refrigerator body 10 in a top view. In the illustrated example, the first position and the second position are disposed manually. The first position and the second position will be described.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a top view of the camera unit 50 with the lid 54 (FIG. 7) removed and placed in the first position. In FIG. 10, for convenience of illustration, a cover member 71 is placed above the rotation mechanism 30. The camera unit 50 has a shape in which the length of the short side changes midway in the longitudinal direction when viewed from above. In the first position, the longitudinal direction of the camera unit 50 extends in the left-right direction, and the camera unit 50 does not protrude forward beyond the front edge 10a of the refrigerator body 10. Therefore, for example, when the refrigerator 100 is transported, by placing the camera unit 50 in the first position, the camera unit 50 can be prevented from protruding forward, and the refrigerator 100 can be easily transported. This improves the portability of the refrigerator 100.

[0029] The distance between the rotation mechanism 30 and the left end (end on the rotation side) of the support member 40 is shorter than the distance between the rotation mechanism 30 and the camera 51. This makes it possible to prevent the camera 51 (see FIG. 6 ), which protrudes downward, from coming into contact with the support member 40 when the camera unit 50 rotates. However, the distance between the rotation mechanism 30 and the left end of the support member 40 may be longer than the distance between the rotation mechanism 30 and the camera 51. In this case, for example, the camera 51 does not need to protrude, and a groove (not shown) may be provided on the upper surface of the support member 40 along the rotation trajectory of the camera 51.

[0030] FIG. 11 is a top view of the camera unit 50 with the lid 54 (FIG. 7) removed and placed in the second position. In the second position, the camera 51 is placed in front of the front edge 10a as described above. In the illustrated example, the light source 52 is also placed in front of the front edge 10a. By placing the camera 51 in the second position, the camera 51 can capture an image of the inside of the refrigerator compartment 1, which is an example of the storage compartment 6 (FIG. 2). Furthermore, the light source 52 can irradiate light into the inside of the refrigerator compartment 1 when the camera 51 captures an image. For example, after the refrigerator 100 is installed, the camera unit 50 can be placed in the second position when the power is turned on, so that the camera 51 can capture an image without the user being aware of it. The camera 51 may move toward the first position when both doors 1a of the refrigerator compartment 1 are closed, and move toward the second position when either or both of the doors 1a are opened. The movement to the second position may be started when a human sensor capable of detecting the approach of a user to the door 1a is detected instead of when the door is opened.

[0031] 8 and 9, the rotation mechanism 30 includes a cylindrical portion 31 and a hole portion 32. The cylindrical portion 31 is erected on one of the second base member 42 or the camera unit 50 (the second base member 42 in the illustrated example). The hole portion 32 is formed in the other of the second base member 42 or the camera unit 50 (the housing 55 of the camera unit 50 in the illustrated example). The cylindrical portion 31 includes a first fitting portion 34 at a position on the outer circumferential surface 33 corresponding to the first position (FIG. 10) and the second position (FIG. 11).

[0032] The cylindrical portion 31 is capable of sliding inside the hole portion 32. In the illustrated example, the first fitting portion 34 is formed at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 31. Furthermore, the upper end of the cylindrical portion 31 is provided with four claws 38 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the first fitting portion 34 and the claws 38 are disposed at the same vertical height. The cylindrical portion 31 slides inside the hole portion 32 while the first fitting portion 34 and the claws 38 are guided by the guide path 39, whereby the camera unit 50 rotates.

[0033] In the illustrated example, the first fitting portion 34 is a protrusion protruding from the outer circumferential surface 33. The hole portion 32 has second fitting portions 35, 36 on the outer circumferential surface 37 that fit with the first fitting portion 34, and accommodates the cylindrical portion 31. In the illustrated example, the second fitting portions 35, 36 are recesses, and are provided in pairs in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 31. The rotation mechanism 30 has a guide path 39 formed on the outer circumferential surface 37. In the guide path 39, the first fitting portion 34 rides over the protrusions 35a, 36a by rotation, and the first fitting portion 34 fits into the second fitting portions 35, 36. When the first fitting portion 34 fits into the second fitting portion 35, the camera unit 50 is located at the first position (FIG. 10). When the first fitting portion 34 fits into the second fitting portion 36, the camera unit 50 is located at the second position (FIG. 11).

[0034] By configuring the rotation mechanism 30 in this manner, it becomes easier to fix the camera unit 50 at the first position (FIG. 10) and the second position (FIG. 11) when the camera unit 50 is rotated.

[0035] Fig. 12 is a front view of the camera unit 50 separated from the support member 40. The camera unit 50 and the support member 40 can be separated from the integrated state shown in Figs. 7 and 8 when a predetermined force or more is applied to the camera unit 50 from below.

[0036] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 12, and is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the rotation mechanism 30. At least one of the first fitting portion 34 and the second fitting portions 35, 36 (only the first fitting portion 34 in the illustrated example) has spring properties. The distance d1 between the pair of first fitting portions 34 in the radial direction is slightly larger than the diameter d2 of the hole portion 32. Therefore, when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the hole portion 32, the first fitting portion 34 passes through the hole portion 32 in a state of being bent inward. When the first fitting portion 34 reaches the guide path 39 (FIG. 9) which is the upper end of the hole portion 32, the shape of the first fitting portion 34 returns to its original state, and the first fitting portion 34 is accommodated in the guide path 39. This state is the state shown in FIGS. 6 to 11.

[0037] As described above, in the illustrated example, the first fitting portion 34 has spring properties and functions like a leaf spring. The claw 38 also has spring properties and functions like a leaf spring. For this reason, the rotation mechanism 30 is configured to be able to release the connection between the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole portion 32 when a force of a predetermined level or more is applied from below to the camera unit 50. That is, when a force of a predetermined level or more is applied to the camera unit 50, for example, the guide path 39 disposed below the first fitting portion 34 tries to move upward. Since the first fitting portion 34 and the claw 38 have spring properties, when the magnitude of the force, that is, the force that tries to move the guide path 39 upward, is large, the first fitting portion 34 and the claw 38 bend inward, and the connection between the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole portion 32 is released. The degree of force required for release can be controlled by changing the degree of spring properties (spring coefficient).

[0038] In this way, by configuring the connection between the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole portion 32 to be able to be released when force is applied to the camera unit 50 from below, it is possible to prevent excessive force from being applied to the camera unit 50, thereby preventing damage to the camera unit 50.

[0039] 14 is a top view illustrating a cover member 71 that covers hole 32. Cover member 71 has an L-shape and is disposed so as to cover a part of rotation mechanism 30. Cover member 71 includes a guide portion 72, a wall 73, and a cable hole 74. Guide portion 72 guides flat cable 56 (FIG. 15). First, flat cable 56 will be described.

[0040] Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the state in which flat cable 56 is arranged in guide portion 72. Fig. 16 is a top view showing the state in which flat cable 56 is arranged in guide portion 72. Camera 51, light source 52, and control board 53 are arranged so that the remaining members (e.g., camera 51 and light source 52) are located in the front-rear direction within the range of the widest member (e.g., control board 53). In the illustrated example, these are arranged in housing 55 so that their respective centers of gravity are on a straight line. This makes it possible to stabilize the attitude of camera unit 50.

[0041] The camera unit 50 includes a flat cable 56 that connects at least one of the camera 51 or the light source 52 (only the camera 51 in the illustrated example) to the control board 53. By including the flat cable 56, the camera unit 50 can be made smaller than when a round electric wire is used. The flat cable 56 connects the connection terminal 51a of the camera 51 to the connection terminal 53a of the control board 53.

[0042] The flat cable 56 extends in the front-rear direction between the control board 53 and the guide portion 72. The flat cable 56 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 72a and the support 72b in the guide portion 72. The flat cable 56 extends between the guide portion 72 and the camera 51 at an angle with respect to the extending direction between the control board 53 and the guide portion 72.

[0043] FIG. 17 is a perspective view for explaining the cover member 71 that covers the hole 32. The wall 73 is erected so as to separate the guide portion 72 and the rotation mechanism 30. The wall 73 separates the guide portion 72 from the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole 32 of the rotation mechanism 30 that are exposed. The wall 73 is arranged so as to surround the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole 32. The cable hole 74 is for guiding the power cable 61 (FIG. 18) into the inside of the camera unit 50. The power cable 61 passes through the cylindrical portion 31, the hole 32, and the cable hole 74, and is connected to the control board 53. The power cable 61 supplies power to at least the camera 51, and is connected to a power source (not shown) arranged in the refrigerator body 10. The cable hole 74 is provided in the wall 73, and has a size according to the thickness of the power cable 61.

[0044] 12 and 13, the camera unit 50 and the support member 40 are separable. Therefore, when they are separated, the hole 32 of the camera unit 50 is exposed to the outside. Therefore, by arranging the cover member 71 so as to cover a part of the hole 32 (other than the part through which the power cable 61 passes), it is possible to prevent the user from inserting a foreign object (such as a finger) into the hole 32. Furthermore, when the camera unit 50 and the support member 40 are separated, the power cable 61 is exposed to the outside. For this reason, by covering a part of the power cable 61 (at least the periphery of the hole 32) with an insulating member 75 such as a tape or a tube, it is possible to prevent the user from directly touching the power cable 61.

[0045] FIG. 18 is a view of the inner top surface of refrigerator body 10 as viewed from below. In FIG. 18, foam insulation material 14 (FIG. 5) and storage chamber 6 (refrigerating chamber 1; FIG. 2) are arranged on the front side of the paper, as also shown in FIG. 5 above. Plate insulation material 13 is fixed to the inner top surface of refrigerator body 10. Power cable 61 supplies power to at least camera 51. Power cable 61 is arranged between the inside of refrigerator body 10 and the inside of camera unit 50 through through holes 11, 44a provided on the top surface of refrigerator body 10. In the illustrated example, power cable 61 passes through through hole 44a (provided on the top surface of refrigerator body 10; see FIG. 4) of mounting member 44 fitted into through hole 11.

[0046] The refrigerator body 10 includes a heat transfer tube 62 that suppresses condensation on the inner or outer surface of the refrigerator body 10 so as to surround at least a part of the through holes 11, 44a. The heat transfer tube 62 is disposed so as to surround an opening 6a formed on the front side of the storage chamber 6, thereby suppressing condensation near the opening 6a that comes into contact with outside air. The heat transfer tube 62 is connected to a compressor (not shown) provided in the refrigerator body 10. A refrigerant at, for example, 25°C to 35°C flows through the heat transfer tube 62.

[0047] The heat transfer pipe 62 is disposed along the opening 6a on the inner upper surface of the refrigerator body 10. However, on the sides of the through holes 11, 44a, the heat transfer pipe 62 is disposed from the front side to the rear side and passes through the rear side of the through holes 11, 44a. Therefore, the left and right sides and the rear side of the through holes 11, 44a are surrounded by the heat transfer pipe 62.

[0048] Power cable 61 is arranged from the front side to the rear side along the inner upper surface of refrigerator body 10. Power cable 61 is arranged in a location on the inner upper surface of refrigerator body 10 other than where plate-shaped insulation material 13 is arranged (to the right of plate-shaped insulation material 13 in the illustrated example). After reaching the rear side of the inner upper surface, power cable 61 turns downward, passes behind storage chamber 6, and is connected to a power source (not illustrated) arranged at the bottom of refrigerator body 10.

[0049] The power cable 61 is fixed to the inner upper surface by a fixing member 63 such as tape. Since outside air is present outside the inner upper surface, by fixing the power cable 61 to the inner upper surface by the fixing member 63, the outside air temperature can be transferred to the power cable 61. As a result, even if the power cable 61 is cooled by passing through the rear side of the storage chamber 6, a decrease in temperature of the power cable 61 can be suppressed, and condensation can be suppressed near the through holes 11, 44a connecting to the outside. As the fixing member 63, a material with excellent heat conductivity such as aluminum tape is preferable.

[0050] Power cable 61 that reaches the inside of refrigerator body 10 from through hole 44a is thermally connected to heat transfer tube 62 at portion 64 inside refrigerator body 10. As a result, even if power cable 61 is cooled by the cold air in storage room 6, power cable 61 is heated by heat transfer from heat transfer tube 62 to which it is thermally connected, and therefore, condensation on power cable 61 near through holes 11, 44a can be suppressed.

[0051] The thermal connection at portion 64 is a contact where the power cable 61 and the heat transfer tube 62 cross. This allows the power cable 61 and the heat transfer tube 62 to be thermally connected without using a jig for contact, and therefore they can be thermally connected easily. In particular, since the heat transfer tube 62 is arranged around the through holes 11, 44a, the power cable 61 is thermally connected no matter how it is arranged, and this improves the freedom of arrangement of the power cable 61. The power cable 61 is arranged below the heat transfer tube 62.

[0052] The refrigerator body 10 has a fixing portion 65 for fixing the door hinge 1b (FIG. 1; an example of a predetermined member) on the internal upper surface at a location (in the illustrated example, to the left and right of the plate-shaped insulation material 13) other than the location on the internal upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 where the plate-shaped insulation material 13 is arranged. The fixing portion 65 has, for example, a screw hole 66, and the door hinge 1b is fixed to the external upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 by inserting a screw 67 (FIG. 19) into the screw hole 66.

[0053] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a contact prevention member 68 according to one embodiment. As described above, foam insulation material 14 (FIG. 5) is accommodated inside refrigerator body 10 and outside storage chamber 6. In the example shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, after plate insulation material 13 and power cable 61 are fixed to the inner upper surface, foam insulation material 14 is accommodated in insulation space 15 (FIG. 5) formed between the inner upper surface shown in FIG. 18 and storage chamber 6 on the front side of the paper in FIG. 18. Therefore, fixing portion 65 and power cable 61 come into contact with foam insulation material 14. After uncured foam insulation material (hereinafter referred to as uncured insulation material) is cured and foam insulation material 14 is generated, a screw 67 is inserted into screw hole 66 from the outside, and door hinge 1b is fixed.

[0054] The foam insulation 14 is placed, for example, by injecting uncured insulation into the insulation space 15 through an injection port (not shown) communicating with the insulation space 15 and allowing it to harden. As described above, the power cable 61 is fixed to the inner upper surface by the fixing member 63, but the uncured insulation flowing in the insulation space 15 may come into contact with the power cable 61, causing the position of the power cable 61 to shift from the desired position. In particular, the area other than the area where the plate-shaped insulation 13 is placed is narrow, and the fixing part 65 and the power cable 61 are placed in this narrow area. For this reason, there is a possibility that the power cable 61 may come into contact with the fixing part 65.

[0055] Therefore, refrigerator body 10 is provided with contact suppression member 68 that suppresses contact between fixing portion 65 and power cable 61. By providing contact suppression member 68, even if the position of power cable 61 shifts when uncured thermal insulation material flows, contact of power cable 61 with fixing portion 65 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress contact of screw 67, which is inserted after curing, with power cable 61, and suppress defects such as disconnection.

[0056] In the illustrated example, the contact suppression member 68 is made of, for example, resin, and includes a wall 68a formed higher than the tip of the screw 67, a hole 68b formed in the wall 68a, and a beam 68c connecting the opposing walls 68a. The wall 68a is disposed so as to surround the fixing portion 65. The beam 68c is disposed so as to cover the fixing portion 65. Since the uncured insulating material passes through the hole 68b, flow obstruction by the contact suppression member 68 is suppressed. On the other hand, the wall 68a and the beam 68c can suppress the contact of the power cable 61 with the fixing portion 65 even if the position of the power cable 61 deviates from the desired position.

[0057] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a contact suppressing member 69 according to another embodiment. The contact suppressing member 69 is similar to the contact suppressing member 68 (FIG. 19) except for the specific structure. The contact suppressing member 69 includes a bottom 69a that covers the fixing portion 65 and has holes 69c at positions corresponding to the screws 67, and walls 69b that stand from both ends of the bottom 69a along the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion 65. The walls 69b are formed higher than the tips of the screws 67. The uncured heat insulating material passes between the opposing walls 69b and comes into contact with the bottom 69a. The power cable 61 (FIG. 18) is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion 65. Therefore, even if the position of the power cable 61 is shifted by the uncured heat insulating material, the walls 69b can suppress the power cable 61 from coming into contact with the screws 67. The contact suppressing member 69 and the fixing portion 65 may be the same member.

[0058] FIG. 21 is a top view of the camera unit 50 with the cover 54 removed, and the support member 40 with the second base member 42 seen through. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the second base member 42 opened about 90 degrees with the rear end side of the second base member 42 as a fulcrum, so that the inside of the support member 40 can be seen. The power cable 61 includes a first power cable 61a arranged from the inside of the refrigerator body 10 through the through hole 44a, a second power cable 61b arranged from the inside of the camera unit 50 through the hole portion 32, and a connection terminal 61c that electrically connects the first power cable 61a and the second power cable 61b. The first power cable 61a is connected to a power source (not shown) arranged, for example, at the lower part of the refrigerator body 10. One end of the second power cable 61b is connected to the side of the camera 51 (FIG. 7) (connection terminal 53a of the control board 53 in the illustrated example). The connection terminal 61c is provided at the other end of the second power cable 61b, and allows the second power cable 61b to be connected to the first power cable 61a. The second power cable 61b is partially covered with an insulating member 75 such as a tape or a tube.

[0059] Inside the first base member 41 and the second base member 42, one or more fixing parts 76 for fixing the second power cable 61b are provided, and a storage part for the connection terminal 61c is provided. First, the camera unit 50 and the second base member 42 are fitted together, and the second power cable 61b extending from the camera unit 50 side is fixed to the fixing part 76 provided on the second base member 42 (the state shown in FIG. 22). Next, the second power cable 61b and the first power cable 61a are connected by the connection terminal 61c, and further, the second power cable 61b is fixed to the fixing part 76 provided on the first base member 41. This improves the ease of assembly. In addition, by providing the fixing part 76 of the second base member 42, the second power cable 61b can be arranged loosely (providing a so-called play length) as shown in FIG. 22, and therefore the ease of assembly can be further improved.

[0060] The power cable 61 is arranged to pass through the hollow portion 30a and the through hole 44a of the rotation mechanism 30. The power cable 61 extending from the through hole 44a on the upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 is not directly inserted into the hole portion 32 of the camera unit 50, but is arranged to pass through the inside of the support member 40, that is, to crawl inside the support member 40. As a result, even if the power cable 61 is cooled due to the influence of the storage chamber 6 and condensation occurs, the condensation water can be treated inside the support member 40, and the occurrence of condensation inside the camera unit 50 can be suppressed.

[0061] The connection terminal 61c is disposed between the through hole 44a (FIG. 4) and the fixing portion 76. The fixing portion 76 (fastening portion) is provided in the refrigerator 100 and fixes (fastens) the second power cable 61b inside the support member 40 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the second power cable 61b. As described above, when a force of a predetermined value or more is applied to the camera unit 50 from below, the camera unit 50 and the support member 40 are separated from the integrated state. At this time, the connection terminal 61c is pulled together with the camera unit 50 and the second power cable 61b, and the connection terminal 61c comes into contact with the fixing portion 76. This makes it possible to suppress breakage of the first power cable 61a, which is connected to the power source on the refrigerator main body 10 side and is not easy to replace part by part. Even if the second power cable 61b is broken, the second power cable 61b is connected to the camera unit 50, and it is easy to replace part by part.

[0062] On the vertical projection of the hole 32 (rotation mechanism 30 and cylindrical portion 31) that communicates the inside of the camera unit 50 with the inside of the support member 40, the through hole 44a provided on the upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 does not exist. As described above, the second power cable 61b is covered with the insulating member 75, and the diameter thereof is made thicker. The through hole 44a and the hole portion 32 are misaligned in the horizontal direction, and are arranged so as not to overlap in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to prevent the second power cable 61b near the through hole 44a and the second power cable 61b near the hole portion 32 from contacting or approaching each other in the vertical direction inside the support member 40. The height dimension of the support member 40 can be reduced, improving the design and preventing an increase in the height dimension (installation dimension) of the refrigerator.

[0063] The first base member 41 is provided with protrusions 77 on its outer periphery and inside. The multiple protrusions 77 provided on the outer periphery come into contact with the inner periphery of the second base member 42, and can prevent the attachment position of the second base member 42 from shifting during assembly. In addition, a protrusion 78 is provided inside the second base member 42, facing the protrusion 77 provided inside. The protrusions 77 and the protrusions 78 fit together during assembly, and can prevent the attachment position of the second base member 42 from shifting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Refrigerator 10 Refrigerator body 100 Refrigerator 10a Leading edge 11 Through hole 12 Through hole 13 Plate insulation material 14. Foam insulation 15 Insulated Space 1a Door 1b Door hinge 2 Ice Room 2a Door 3. Upper freezer 30 Rotation mechanism 30a Hollow part 31 Cylindrical section 32 Hole 33 Outer surface 34 First fitting part 35 Second fitting part 35a protrusion 36 Second fitting part 36a protrusion 37 Outer surface 38 Claws 39 Guideway 3a door 4 Vegetable compartment 40 Support member 40a bottom end 40b dent 41 First base member 42 Second base member 43a Fixture 43b Fixtures 44 Mounting material 44a through hole 44b part 45 Mounting part 46 Mounting part 47 Through hole 48 Mounting part 49 Mounting part 4a Door 5 Lower freezer 50 Camera unit 51 Camera 51a Connection terminal 52 Light source 53 Control Board 53a Connection terminal 54 Lid 55 Case 56 Flat Cable 5a Door 6. Storage Room 61 Power cable 61a First power cable (refrigerator side) 61b Second power cable (camera side) 61c Connection terminal (connector) 62 Heat transfer tube 63 Fixing member 64 parts 65 Fixed part 66 screw holes 67 Screw 68 Contact prevention member 68a Wall 68b hole 68c beam 69 Contact prevention member 69a bottom 69b Wall 69c hole 6a aperture 7 Freezer 71 Cover material 72 Guide part 72a Bottom 72b Support 73 Wall 74 Cable port 75 Insulating materials 76 Fixed part 77 Convex 78 Convex d1 Interval d2 diameter

Claims

1. A housing that houses a camera, a light source, and a substrate, The remaining members are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction within a first direction range of a member having a largest dimension in the first direction among the camera, the light source, and the board. Used by attaching to the exterior ceiling of a storage facility Camera unit.

2. A repository comprising the camera unit according to claim 1, a support portion for supporting the camera unit; The camera and the light source are disposed on one side of the support, and the substrate is disposed on the other side. Storage facility.

Images