storage facility

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of appropriately imaging a storage chamber or the like.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 100 comprises: a housing 1 having a refrigeration chamber 21; a hinged refrigeration chamber door 211 that closes an opening of the housing 1; and a camera unit 3 installed on an upper side of the housing 1. The refrigeration chamber door 211 has a door pocket 211c installed inside the refrigerator. The camera unit 3 is installed at a center in a width direction of the housing 1, and images both the refrigeration chamber 21 and the door pocket 211c at one time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a reservoir. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology for capturing images of the refrigerator compartment or the like using a camera installed outside the refrigerator, for example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known. That is, Patent Document 1 describes that "the camera is placed on the top of the refrigerator body in a position that does not interfere with the door." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-42626 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, when photographing the refrigerator compartment, the camera's shooting direction is set to face diagonally downward and rearward so that the camera faces the refrigerator compartment. Also, when photographing the door pocket of the door, the camera's shooting direction is set to face diagonally downward and right so that the camera faces the door pocket. In this way, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to use the camera to separately photograph the refrigerator compartment and the door pocket, but does not describe any other configurations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The storage facility according to the present disclosure includes a housing having a storage chamber, a hinged single door that closes an opening of the housing, and an imaging unit installed on the upper side of the housing. a hot gas pipe installed under the top plate of the housing; Equipped with the hot gas pipe has an extension portion extending along the front edge of the top plate and a detour portion extending in a U-shape so as to wrap around to the rear, and a pair of bent portions connecting the extension portion and the detour portion, the top plate has a bent portion formed by bending the front edge of the top plate inwardly in a predetermined manner, the extension portion is installed inside the bent portion, the hot gas pipe is supported by the bent portion, the bent portion is formed so that the bent portion alone restricts forward movement of the hot gas pipe while allowing rearward movement, and the hot gas pipe further comprises a pair of restricting members installed behind the extension portion to restrict rearward movement of the hot gas pipe, and the bent portion and the pair of restricting members restrict the forward and rearward movement of the hot gas pipe, The single door has a door pocket installed inside the storage compartment, and the imaging unit is installed at the center of the width of the housing so that images of both the storage compartment and the door pocket can be captured in a single image capture. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment with a refrigerator compartment door open. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment with a refrigerator compartment door open. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a camera unit of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, viewed from diagonally below. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera unit of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6B] 6B is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment taken along the line II-II in FIG. 6A. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram including a camera unit of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of an image captured by a camera unit of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in a state where no image processing has been performed. [Figure 9] 4 is an example of an image captured by a camera unit of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in a state where image processing has been performed. [Figure 10A] 1 is an example of a photographed image of a refrigerating compartment in a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. [Figure 10B] 1 is an example of a photographed image of a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator according to a first comparative example, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. [Figure 11A] 1 is an example of a photographed image of a door pocket in a refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. [Figure 11B] 10 is an example of a photographed image of a door pocket in a refrigerator according to a first comparative example, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. [Figure 12A]1 is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate of the housing is viewed from below in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right. FIG. [Figure 12B] 1 is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate of the housing is viewed from below in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the left. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the top plate of the housing of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment, viewed from below, when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a hot gas pipe and a restricting member in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first comparative example. [Figure 16A] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate of the housing is viewed from below in a refrigerator according to a second comparative example when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right. [Figure 16B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate of the housing is viewed from below in a refrigerator according to a second comparative example when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the left. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment. Refrigerator 100 (storage compartment) is a device for cooling food and the like, and includes a housing 1, doors such as refrigerator compartment door 211, and a camera unit 3 (image capturing unit). Housing 1 has multiple storage compartments inside. In the example of Fig. 1, the storage compartments include, from top to bottom, refrigerator compartment 21, ice making compartment 22 and upper freezer compartment 23 lined up on the left and right, as well as vegetable compartment 24 and lower freezer compartment 25.

[0008] The housing 1 is configured with an outer box 11 made of steel plate and an inner box 12 (see FIG. 3) made of resin, with a heat insulating material (not shown) such as urethane foam filled between them. The front side (front face side) of the housing 1 is provided with a plurality of openings 10 (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the respective chambers.

[0009] The refrigerator 100 is equipped with a refrigerator compartment door 211 as a hinged "single door" that closes the opening 10 (see FIG. 2) of the housing 1. The "single door" is a door that swings open on one side, and the opening 10 of a predetermined storage compartment (refrigerator compartment 21 in FIG. 1) is closed by a single hinged door (refrigerator compartment door 211 in FIG. 1). The refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to pivot to open to the right about the axis of hinge 211a (see FIG. 4) at the right end, but the refrigerator compartment door 211 may also be configured to open to the left. The refrigerator compartment 21 is provided with a plurality of shelves 213 (see FIG. 3) that divide the refrigerator compartment 21 into predetermined compartments. Furthermore, a plurality of door pockets 211c (see FIG. 3) for storing food and the like are provided on the inside of the refrigerator compartment door 211 (single door).

[0010] Refrigerator 100 is equipped with drawer-type doors such as ice making compartment door 221 and upper freezer compartment door 231 shown in Fig. 1, as well as vegetable compartment door 241 and lower freezer compartment door 251. Ice making compartment 22 is provided with an ice making compartment container (not shown) that is pulled out integrally with ice making compartment door 221. Similarly, upper freezer compartment 23 is provided with an upper freezer compartment container (not shown), vegetable compartment 24 is provided with a vegetable compartment container (not shown), and lower freezer compartment 25 is provided with a lower freezer compartment container (not shown).

[0011] Although not shown, the refrigerator 100 includes a compressor, a radiator (condenser), a capillary tube (throttle mechanism), and an evaporator. A refrigerant circulates through the compressor, the radiator, the capillary tube, and the evaporator in this order, and the air in each storage compartment is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator. The camera unit 3 (image capturing unit) shown in FIG. 1 is a device that captures images of the refrigerator compartment 21 and the door pocket 211c (see FIG. 3), and is installed on the upper side of the housing 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera unit 3 is installed in the center of the housing 1 in the left-right direction (center in the width direction).

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the refrigerator 100. 2, the camera unit 3 includes a main body 31 and a support 32. The main body 31 captures images of a storage compartment, etc. The support 32 supports the main body 31 and is installed on the top surface of the housing 1.

[0013] A lens 31a (see also FIG. 5) is provided near the front end of the main body 31. The lens 31a is an optical element that refracts and focuses light. When the refrigerator compartment door 211 is opened, the camera unit 3 captures images of the refrigerator compartment 21 (see FIG. 3) and the door pocket 211c (see FIG. 3).

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, the camera unit 3 is installed so that the lens 31a faces directly downward. The orientation of the lens 31a does not necessarily have to be strictly "directly downward," and slight deviations in the front-to-back or left-to-right directions are permitted based on the optical axis Z1 of the lens 31a being parallel to the vertical direction. A wide-angle lens such as a fisheye lens is used as the lens 31a of the camera unit 3, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable that the optical axis Z1 of the lens 31a is located further forward than the front edges of the multiple shelves 213 in the refrigerator compartment 21 (see Figure 3). This is because the closer to the center of the field of view of the camera unit 3 (the position of the optical axis Z1), the fewer pixels in the height direction the food or the like is captured in the captured image, and the image quality of that portion tends to become coarse after predetermined image processing is performed. As described above, because the optical axis Z1 of the lens 31a is located further forward than the front edges of the shelves 213, the image quality of the food or the like on the shelves 213 in the captured image becomes clearer, improving visibility for the user.

[0016] In the example of Figure 2, the optical axis Z1 of lens 31a is located forward of the front end (opening 10 of housing 1) of housing 1. With this configuration, when refrigerator compartment door 211 is opened, refrigerator compartment 21 is more likely to come into the field of view of lens 31a, and the distance in the front-to-rear direction between optical axis Z1 of lens 31a and the front edge of shelf board 213 is relatively long, making it possible to obtain a clear photographic image of food and the like in refrigerator compartment 21 (see Figure 3).

[0017] 2, it is preferable that the optical axis Z1 of the lens 31a is positioned further forward than the front surface of the closed refrigerator compartment door 211. This allows the camera unit 3 to capture images of the vegetable compartment 24 and the like (see FIG. 1) when a drawer-type door such as the vegetable compartment door 241 is open.

[0018] The wireless LAN unit 9 shown in Fig. 2 (see also Fig. 4) transmits data of images captured by the camera unit 3 to the router 51 (see Fig. 7). The wireless LAN unit 9 is installed near the rear end of the top surface of the housing 1, and is connected to the camera unit 3 via a wire.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a front view of refrigerator 100 with refrigerator compartment door 211 open. As shown in Figure 3, a plurality of door pockets 211c for storing food and the like are provided on the inside of refrigerator compartment door 211. When refrigerator compartment door 211 is opened, refrigerator compartment 21 and door pockets 211c are viewed from above within the field of view of camera unit 3 (see also Figure 8).

[0020] Although not shown in FIG. 3, a photographing button 5 (see FIG. 7) may be provided on the refrigerator compartment door 211. The photographing button 5 is a button that is pressed by the user when the user manually photographs the refrigerator compartment 21, etc. using the camera unit 3. For example, the photographing button 5 may be provided on the side piece 211e that forms the side surface of the refrigerator compartment door 211 opposite the rotation axis. The photographing button 5 may also be provided on the underside of the refrigerator compartment door 211. Providing the photographing button 5 in this manner allows the user to open the refrigerator compartment door 211 and photograph with the refrigerator compartment door 211 stopped from rotating, thereby reducing blurring of the photographed image. Photographing based on the operation of the photographing button 5 is referred to as "manual photographing." Photographing automatically performed by the camera unit 3 based on the elapsed time since the refrigerator compartment door 211 began to open is referred to as "automatic photographing."

[0021] FIG. 4 is a plan view of refrigerator 100 with refrigerator compartment door 211 open. As shown in Fig. 4, a hinge 211a is provided near the right end of the top surface of the housing 1. The hinge 211a pivotally supports the refrigerator compartment door 211. The hinge cover C1 shown in Fig. 4 is a cover member that covers the hinge 211a.

[0022] Furthermore, camera unit 3 is installed near the center in the left-right direction of housing 1. As will be described in detail later, because camera unit 3 is installed in the center in the width direction of housing 1 in this way, it is possible to use camera unit 3 on the upper side of housing 1 to generate a photographed image of refrigerator compartment 21 (see FIG. 3) as if viewed from the front, and also to properly photograph food and the like in door pocket 211c.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the camera unit 3 when viewed from diagonally below. As shown in FIG. 5, the main body 31 of the camera unit 3 includes the lens 31a, a case 31b, and an LED cover 31c. The case 31b of the main body 31 is generally rectangular and elongated in the front-to-rear direction. A circular hole (not shown) is provided on the underside of the case 31b near the front end, and the lens 31a is exposed through this hole. A long, narrow hole (not shown) is provided on the underside of the case 31b behind the lens 31a, and the LED cover 31c is fitted into this hole. The LED cover 31c is a translucent resin member that protects the camera LED 31d (see FIG. 6B).

[0024] FIG. 6A is a front view of the camera unit 3. FIG. 6A, the main body 31 of the camera unit 3 is placed above the support part 32. The main body 31 is placed near the center of the support part 32 in the left-right direction.

[0025] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 6A. As shown in Fig. 6B, the camera unit 3 includes the lens 31a, LED cover 31c, and case 31b, as well as a camera LED 31d and a circuit board 31e. The camera LED 31d is a light source for capturing images of the refrigerator compartment 21 and the like at an appropriate brightness. When the camera unit 3 is installed in the housing 1 (see Fig. 2), the camera LED 31d is located forward of the front end of the housing 1 (opening 10 of the housing 1: see Fig. 2). This makes it easier for light emitted from the camera LED 31d to enter the refrigerator compartment 21, resulting in a clear captured image. A translucent LED cover 31c is installed below the camera LED 31d.

[0026] Circuit board 31e is a board on which image sensor 31f (see FIG. 7) and camera / communication control SoC 31g (System-on-a-Chip: see FIG. 7), which will be described later, are mounted. By accommodating lens 31a, camera LED 31d, and circuit board 31e in one case 31b in this way, camera unit 3 can be made smaller and the length of wiring can be shortened compared to when these are provided separately.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the system configuration including the camera unit 3 of the refrigerator 100. As shown in Fig. 7, refrigerator 100 includes, in addition to camera unit 3, door sensor 4, image capture button 5, operation panel 6, interior light 7, control unit 8, and wireless LAN unit 9. Door sensor 4 outputs a predetermined signal indicating the open / closed state of refrigerator compartment door 211 (see Fig. 1) to control unit 8. Note that although Fig. 7 shows one door sensor 4, in reality, multiple door sensors 4 are provided corresponding to the respective doors of refrigerator 100 (see Fig. 1). For example, when refrigerator compartment door 211 (see Fig. 1) is opened, a predetermined open signal is output from the door sensor 4 corresponding to refrigerator compartment door 211 to control unit 8.

[0028] As described above, the photographing button 5 is a button that is pressed by the user when manually photographing using the camera unit 3. The operation panel 6 is a panel for inputting predetermined setting information based on the user's operation. The interior light 7 is a light source that illuminates the refrigerator compartment 21, and is installed on the wall of the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0029] The control unit 8 is, for example, a microcomputer, and although not shown, is configured to include electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces. The control unit 8 reads out a program stored in the ROM and loads it into the RAM, and the CPU executes various processes. The processes performed by the control unit 8 will be described later.

[0030] The camera unit 3 includes a lens 31a, a camera LED 31d, an image sensor 31f, a camera / communication control SoC 31g, and a buzzer 31h. The image sensor 31f is a device that photoelectrically converts light incident through the lens 31a to generate captured image data. For example, a CCD sensor (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is used as the image sensor 31f.

[0031] The camera / communication control SoC 31g is an integrated circuit that integrates circuits having microcomputer functions and other applied functions on a single chip and is designed to function in cooperation with each other. The camera / communication control SoC 31g communicates with the control unit 8 in a predetermined manner and outputs a shooting command to the image sensor 31f. As a result, captured image data is input from the image sensor 31f to the camera / communication control SoC 31g. The buzzer 31h, for example, emits a predetermined sound when an image is captured by the camera unit 3. The buzzer 31h may also emit a predetermined sound if an error occurs during image capture by the camera unit 3.

[0032] The wireless LAN unit 9 transmits the captured image data output from the camera / communication control SoC 31g to the router 51. The router 51 is a communication relay device and transmits the captured image data received from the wireless LAN unit 9 to the server 53 via the network 52. The server 53 performs predetermined processing based on the captured image data and stores the data in association with the identification information of the refrigerator 100. When the server 53 receives a request signal for a captured image of the refrigerator 100 from the user's mobile terminal 54, it transmits the captured image data to the mobile terminal 54. As such a mobile terminal 54, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, or a wearable terminal may be used.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows an example of the result of photography by the camera unit, without image processing. Note that in Figure 8, the upper side of the page is the front and the lower side is the rear, so the left and right are reversed compared to Figures 3 and the like. In the example of Figure 8, refrigerator compartment door 211 is open, and in addition to refrigerator compartment 21, door pocket 211c of refrigerator compartment door 211 is also captured. In particular, by using a fisheye lens as lens 31a of camera unit 3 (see Figure 5), refrigerator compartment 21 and the like can be captured with a wide angle of view. However, without image processing, horizontally straight ridgelines appear curved, and even for ridgelines of the same length, the number of pixels in the captured image decreases as the ridgeline moves further away from camera unit 3. Furthermore, because the captured image shows refrigerator compartment 21 and door pocket 211c as if viewed from above, the appearance is different from an image captured from the front (see Figure 9) that a user would see when refrigerator compartment door 211 is open.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows an example of the result of photographing by the camera unit 3, after predetermined image processing has been performed. Control unit 8 (see FIG. 7) or server 53 (see FIG. 7) converts the captured image of FIG. 8 into a predetermined panoramic unfolded image (not shown), and further cuts out an area corresponding to refrigerator compartment 21 and refrigerator compartment door 211 from this panoramic unfolded image, thereby converting it into the captured image of FIG. 9. Since refrigerator compartment door 211 opens to the right, the captured image of refrigerator compartment door 211 is displayed to the right of the captured image of refrigerator compartment 21.

[0035] In this way, a captured image of refrigerator compartment 21 and refrigerator compartment door 211 as if viewed from the front is displayed on a single screen on mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7). This allows the user to see at a glance what foods are stored in refrigerator compartment 21 and door pocket 211c. For example, by looking at mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7) while away from home, the user can check the latest status of refrigerator compartment 21 and door pocket 211c. As a result, the user can refrain from unnecessary shopping, which not only reduces food waste but also increases convenience for the user.

[0036] <Processing of control section> Automatic photography by the camera unit 3 will be described with reference to FIG. When a signal indicating that refrigerator compartment door 211 is open is input from door sensor 4, control unit 8 turns off interior light 7 and takes an image with camera LED 31d turned on. This allows images of refrigerator compartment 21 and the like to be captured under appropriate lighting conditions. Furthermore, camera unit 3 (image capture unit) captures images of both refrigerator compartment 21 (storage compartment) and door pocket 211c in a single capture. This eliminates the need to provide a drive device (not shown) for changing the capture range, as in Patent Document 1, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of refrigerator 100 and simplifying the processing of control unit 8.

[0037] After capturing an image using camera unit 3, control unit 8 stores the captured image if the open angle of refrigerator compartment door 211 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and discards the captured image if the open angle of refrigerator compartment door 211 is less than the predetermined value. The open angle of refrigerator compartment door 211 is calculated based on predetermined image processing such as edge detection. Control unit 8 then transmits a captured image selected from the stored captured image results to server 53. As a result, the captured image data is transmitted to server 53 via wireless LAN unit 9, router 51, and network 52 in this order.

[0038] Furthermore, when manual photography is performed based on the operation of the photography button 5, the control unit 8 saves the photography results if the open angle of the refrigerator compartment door 211 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and discards the photography results if the open angle of the refrigerator compartment door 211 is less than the predetermined value. Then, the control unit 8 transmits to the server 53 a predetermined selection of the saved photography results.

[0039] <About the images> FIG. 10A is an example of a photographed image of refrigerating compartment 21 in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in a state where predetermined image processing has been performed. As described above, camera unit 3 (see FIG. 1) is installed at the widthwise center (left-right center) of housing 1 of refrigerator 100. In other words, the horizontal distance from the left inner wall surface of inner box 12 (see FIG. 3) of housing 1 to optical axis Z1 (see FIG. 2) of lens 31a is approximately equal to the horizontal distance from the right inner wall surface of inner box 12 to optical axis Z1 of lens 31a. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 10A, refrigeration compartment 21 appears approximately in the center of the captured image without being biased to the left or right. As a result, a captured image of refrigeration compartment 21 close to the user's eye level, as if viewed from the front, can be displayed on mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7).

[0040] As described above, the optical axis Z1 (see FIG. 2) of the lens 31a of the camera unit 3 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. As a result, the shelf 213 of the refrigerator compartment 21 is hardly tilted with respect to the horizontal direction in the captured image, which reduces the sense of incongruity felt by the user when viewing the captured image (the sense of incongruity that the image looks different from the actual image).

[0041] Furthermore, the closer to the center of the field of view of camera unit 3 (the position of optical axis Z1), the fewer pixels in the height direction food and the like are captured in the captured image, and so when converted into a front-view captured image such as that of FIG. 10A, the image quality of that portion tends to be coarse. Therefore, in the first embodiment, optical axis Z1 (see FIG. 2) of lens 31a is positioned forward of the front edge of shelf 213 (see FIG. 2) of refrigerator compartment 21. With this configuration, refrigerator compartment 21 is captured in an area away from the center of the field of view of camera unit 3 in the captured image. As a result, a clear image is obtained as a captured image of refrigerator compartment 21, improving visibility for the user.

[0042] Furthermore, camera unit 3 (image capturing section: see FIG. 2) is installed so that the front edge of the top shelf 213 among the multiple shelves 213 is within the field of view of camera unit 3. In other words, the position of lens 31a (see FIG. 2) in the front-to-rear direction is set so that the front edge of the top shelf 213 is within the field of view of camera unit 3. This prevents food and other items placed on the top shelf 213 from being left out of the image, and allows the entire refrigerator compartment 21 to be photographed. Next, prior to describing the photographed image of FIG. 10B, a refrigerator 200 (see FIG. 15) according to a first comparative example will be briefly described.

[0043] FIG. 15 is a front view of a refrigerator 200 according to a first comparative example. In refrigerator 200 of the first comparative example shown in Fig. 15, camera unit 3 is installed near the left end of the top surface of housing 1. In other words, camera unit 3 is installed on the opposite side (i.e., left side) from the hinge (not shown) of refrigerator compartment door 211, which opens to the right. Fig. 10B shows an area of ​​refrigerator compartment 21 cut out from an image captured by camera unit 3 in refrigerator 200 of the first comparative example having such a configuration.

[0044] FIG. 10B is an example of a photographed image of refrigerating compartment 21 in the refrigerator according to the first comparative example, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. In refrigerator 200 of the first comparative example (see FIG. 15), camera unit 3 is provided near the left end of housing 1, and so a captured image of refrigerator compartment 21 as seen from diagonally forward left is obtained. When such a captured image is displayed on a user's mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7), visibility is poorer than that of the captured image in FIG. 10A, and a user who is accustomed to viewing refrigerator compartment 21 from the front may feel uncomfortable.

[0045] In contrast to this, in the first embodiment, as described above, the camera unit 3 is installed in the center of the width of the single-door refrigerator 100 (see FIG. 1), so that a highly visible captured image, such as a front view of the refrigerator compartment 21, can be displayed on the user's mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7).

[0046] FIG. 11A is an example of a photographed image of door pocket 211c in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, in which predetermined image processing has been performed. Note that while Fig. 11A shows the area of ​​refrigerator compartment door 211 in the captured image, in reality, both refrigerator compartment 21 and refrigerator compartment door 211 are captured in one capture. The image in Fig. 11A was captured when refrigerator compartment door 211 was opened at an angle of approximately 90°. In the example of Fig. 11A, the vertical ridgelines of food, etc. near the rotation axis of refrigerator compartment door 211 (near the left edge of the captured image) appear straight with almost no tilt, but food, etc. located away from the rotation axis appear with tilted vertical ridgelines. However, considering that refrigerator compartment door 211 rotates as it opens and closes, the discomfort felt by the user when food, etc. in door pocket 211c appears tilted can be said to be quite small.

[0047] FIG. 11B is an example of a photographed image of door pocket 211c in the refrigerator according to the first comparative example, after predetermined image processing has been performed. The photographed result shown in Fig. 11B was taken by camera unit 3 of refrigerator 200 of the first comparative example (see Fig. 15). As shown in Fig. 11B, in single-door refrigerator 200, by installing camera unit 3 on the opposite side of the rotation axis of refrigerator compartment door 211 (on the left side in Fig. 15), a photographed image with high visibility close to a front view is generated.

[0048] In contrast, in the first embodiment, camera unit 3 is intentionally installed in the widthwise center of housing 1 to prioritize visibility of refrigerator compartment 21 (see FIG. 10A) in the captured image. As described above, this is because a captured image (see FIG. 10B) of refrigerator compartment 21 as seen from an oblique side view may cause the user to feel a strong sense of discomfort. Therefore, in the first embodiment, camera unit 3 is installed in the widthwise center of single-door refrigerator 100 to improve overall visibility when refrigerator compartment 21 and door pocket 211c are displayed on the user's mobile terminal 54 (see FIG. 7).

[0049] <Code sharing> FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate 11a of the housing is viewed from below when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right. As shown in Fig. 12A, a rectangular hole H1 is provided near the front edge of the top plate 11a. A screw receptacle 33 of the camera unit 3 (imaging section) is fitted into this hole H1. The screw receptacle 33 is a member for fixing the camera unit 3 (see Fig. 1) to the housing 1 (see Fig. 1). The hot gas pipe 71 shown in Fig. 12A is a pipe through which the refrigerant condensed in the radiator (not shown) flows, and is installed on the lower surface (rear surface) of the top plate 11a of the housing 1. Details of the hot gas pipe 71 will be described in the second embodiment.

[0050] 12A is a wiring cord in which a plurality of first wires 61a are bundled and connected to a substrate 63 via a connector (not shown). Examples of such a plurality of first wires 61a include power lines, but communication lines may also be included. Electrical components such as a humidity sensor (not shown) and a buzzer (not shown) are mounted on the substrate 63 to which the plurality of first wires 61a are connected.

[0051] 12A is provided below the hinge cover C1 (see FIG. 4). The hinge cover C1 is installed on the top surface of the housing 1 and covers the hinge 211a (see FIG. 4) of the refrigerator compartment door 211 (single door). Power is supplied from a commercial power source (not shown) via the first cord 61 to a humidity sensor (not shown) and a buzzer (not shown). The first cord 61, which includes multiple first wires 61a, extends rearward along the right edge of the top panel 11a and further extends laterally toward the rear left corner of the top panel 11a.

[0052] The first wirings 61a may be bundled using, for example, an insulating tube (not shown), but this is not limiting. That is, the bundle of first wirings 61a may be wrapped with tape (not shown), or a cable tie (not shown) or a spiral tube (not shown) may be used. The same applies to the bundling of the second wirings 62a, which will be described next. As shown in FIG. 12A, the first cord 61, together with the second cord 62, is fixed to the underside of the tabletop 11a with tape 64.

[0053] 12A is a wiring cord formed by bundling a plurality of second wires 62a connected to the camera unit 3 (see FIG. 4) and the wireless LAN unit 9. Such a plurality of second wires 62a may be, for example, power lines, but may also include communication lines. Power is supplied to the camera unit 3 and the wireless LAN unit 9 from a commercial power source (not shown) via the second cord 62.

[0054] Of the multiple second wirings 62a, those connected to the camera unit 3 extend rearward so as to follow the front edge (right portion) of the top panel 11a and then the right edge of the top panel 11a. Of the multiple second wirings 62a, the second wiring 62a connected to the wireless LAN unit 9 extends to the right so as to follow the rear edge of the top panel 11a and is further bundled together with the second wiring 62a connected to the camera unit 3. Although not shown, the second cord 62 to which the multiple second wirings 62a are bundled extends downward together with the first cord 61 from the rear right corner of the top panel 11a so as to run along the inner wall surface on the rear side of the housing 1 and is connected to a commercial power source (not shown).

[0055] As described above, in the first embodiment, in addition to the first cord 61 formed by bundling a plurality of first wires 61a, the second cord 62 formed by bundling a plurality of second wires 62a is provided. This allows the second cord 62 to be shared with another refrigerator (see FIG. 12B) that has a left-opening refrigerator compartment door 211. Also, the first cord 61 can be shared with another model of right-opening refrigerator that does not have the camera unit 3 (see FIG. 16A).

[0056] FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram of each code when the top plate 11a of the housing is viewed from below when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the left. When refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to open to the left, a hinge (not shown) is provided near the left end of housing 1. A circuit board 63, on which a humidity sensor (not shown) and a buzzer (not shown) are mounted, is covered with a hinge cover (not shown). Even when refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to open to the left, second cord 62 connected to camera unit 3 and wireless LAN unit 9 is routed in a predetermined manner within housing 1, just as in the case of a right-opening configuration (see FIG. 12A). On the other hand, when refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to open to the left, first cord 61 extends rearward along the left edge of top panel 11a. Such first cord 61 is fixed to the underside of top panel 11a with tape 65.

[0057] When refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to open to the left (see FIG. 12B), first cord 61 is shorter than when refrigerator compartment door 211 is configured to open to the right (see FIG. 12A), but as described above, the length and connection relationship of second cord 62 are the same. Therefore, when refrigerators 100 are mass-produced, second cord 62 can be shared between refrigerator compartment doors 211 that open to the right (see FIG. 12A) and those that open to the left (see FIG. 12B), thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of refrigerators 100.

[0058] FIG. 16A is an explanatory diagram of each code when top plate 11a of the housing is viewed from below in a refrigerator according to a second comparative example when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right. As shown in FIG. 16A, in the configuration of the second comparative example in which the camera unit 3 is not provided, the first cord 61 is provided on the back surface of the top panel 11a, but the second cord 62 (see FIG. 12A) is not provided. The connection relationship and length of the first cord 61 are the same as those in the first embodiment in which the refrigerator compartment door 211 opens to the right (see FIG. 12A). As described above, by providing the first cord 61 and the second cord 62 separately, the first cord 61 can be shared between other models of refrigerators in which the camera unit 3 is not provided (see FIG. 16A) and the refrigerator 100 in the first embodiment in which the refrigerator compartment door 211 opens to the right (see FIG. 12A). This reduces the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 100.

[0059] FIG. 16B is an explanatory diagram of each code when top plate 11a of the housing is viewed from below in the refrigerator according to the second comparative example when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the left. As shown in FIG. 16B, in the configuration of the second comparative example not provided with camera unit 3, first cord 61 is provided on the back surface of top panel 11a, but second cord 62 (see FIG. 12B) is not provided. The connection relationship and length of first cord 61 are the same as those in the first embodiment in which refrigerator compartment door 211 opens to the left (see FIG. 12B). As described above, by providing first cord 61 and second cord 62 separately, first cord 61 can be shared between other models of refrigerators not provided with camera unit 3 (see FIG. 16B) and refrigerator 100 in the first embodiment in which refrigerator compartment door 211 opens to the left (see FIG. 12B). This reduces the refrigeration costs of refrigerator 100.

[0060] Second Embodiment The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a pair of left and right restriction members 81a, 81b (see FIG. 14) that restrict rearward movement of hot gas pipe 71 (see FIG. 14) of refrigerator 100A (see FIG. 14) is provided. Note that other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment. Therefore, only the parts that are different from the first embodiment will be described, and a description of overlapping parts will be omitted.

[0061] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, showing the top plate 11a of the housing when the refrigerator compartment door opens to the right, as viewed from below. Note that first cord 61 (see FIG. 12A) and second cord 62 (see FIG. 12A) are omitted from Fig. 13. Hot gas pipe 71 shown in Fig. 13 is a pipe through which refrigerant condensed in a radiator (not shown) flows, and is installed on the lower surface (rear surface) of top plate 11a of housing 1. Screw receiver 33 of camera unit 3 (see FIG. 14) is fitted into rectangular hole H1 shown in Fig. 13.

[0062] The hot gas pipe 71 includes a pair of left and right extending portions 71a, 71b extending laterally along the front edge of the top plate 11a, a detour portion 71c extending in a U-shape from near the front edge of the top plate 11a around the rear side of the hole H1, and a pair of left and right bent portions 71d, 71e. In the example of Fig. 13, the top plate 11a is bent inward near the front edge, and the pair of left and right extending portions 71a, 71b are installed inside the bent portion K1. As a result, the hot gas pipe 71 is supported by the bent portion K1, restricting vertical movement of the hot gas pipe 71.

[0063] The left bent portion 71d connects the extending portion 71a and the detouring portion 71c and is bent at approximately 90° (the same applies to the right bent portion 71e). Because the hot gas pipe 71 extends from near the front edge of the top plate 11a around the rear side of the hole H1, the hot gas pipe 71 is prevented from interfering with the camera unit 3. Furthermore, the extending portions 71a and 71b of the hot gas pipe 71 are provided along the front edge of the top plate 11a, and the detouring portion 71c is not far from the front edge of the top plate 11a. This prevents condensation from forming near the edge of the opening of the housing 1 (see FIG. 14). In the example of FIG. 13, a certain amount of horizontal clearance is provided between the left edge of the hole H1 and the hot gas pipe 71. However, the hot gas pipe 71 may be arranged close to both the left and right edges of the hole H1.

[0064] A pair of left and right restricting members 81a, 81b shown in FIG. 13 restricts the rearward movement of hot gas pipe 71 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Restricting members 81a, 81b may be made of, for example, polyethylene or urethane foam, but other predetermined resin materials may also be used. Using polyethylene or urethane foam for restricting members 81a, 81b provides the following effect. That is, when hot gas pipe 71 moves rearward due to the influence of an external force, restricting members 81a, 81b receive a pressing force from hot gas pipe 71 with appropriate elasticity. This reduces damage to hot gas pipe 71, thereby improving the reliability of refrigerator 100A (see FIG. 14).

[0065] The restricting members 81a and 81b are provided on both the left and right sides of a hole H1 into which the screw receptacle 33 of the camera unit 3 (see FIG. 14) is fitted. The restricting members 81a and 81b are fixed to the underside of the top plate 11a of the housing 1 (see FIG. 14). For example, the restricting members 81a and 81b may be attached to the underside of the top plate 11a with double-sided tape (not shown). The restricting members 81a and 81b may also be adhered to the underside of the top plate 11a with an adhesive.

[0066] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the hot gas pipe 71 and the restricting members 81a and 81b. As shown in Figure 14, the left-side restricting member 81a is installed behind the extending portion 71a of the hot gas pipe 71. The front surface of this restricting member 81a may be in contact with the extending portion 71a of the hot gas pipe 71, or a predetermined gap may be provided between the restricting member 81a and the extending portion 71a. In either case, the rearward movement of the hot gas pipe 71 is restricted by the restricting member 81a. The same can be said for the other restricting member 81b.

[0067] As shown in Figure 14, the left-side restricting member 81a is located near the bent portion 71d in the lateral direction. This restricting member 81a faces the extending portion 71a in the front-rear direction and faces the detour portion 71c in the left-right direction. Similarly, the right-side restricting member 81b is located near the other bent portion 71e in the lateral direction. This restricts the left-right movement of the hot gas pipe 71 as well as the rearward movement of the hot gas pipe 71 by the restricting member 81a.

[0068] The rectangular parallelepiped restricting members 81a, 81b are arranged so that their front surfaces are approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. As a result, when a predetermined external force acts on the hot gas pipe 71 to move it rearward, the restricting members 81a, 81b push the hot gas pipe 71 forward with a reaction force, thereby appropriately restricting the movement of the hot gas pipe 71. Furthermore, because a component force that moves the hot gas pipe 71 in the vertical direction is less likely to be generated, the hot gas pipe 71 can be prevented from sliding upward or downward while in contact with the surfaces of the restricting members 81a, 81b.

[0069] According to the second embodiment, the pair of left and right restricting members 81a, 81b restricts the rearward movement of hot gas pipe 71. This prevents hot gas pipe 71 from moving rearward due to vibration or tilting caused by the movement of refrigerator 100A. This prevents condensation from forming near the edge of the opening of refrigerator 100A.

[0070] <<Variations>> Although the refrigerators 100 and 100A according to the present disclosure have been described in the respective embodiments, they are not limited to these descriptions and can be modified in various ways. For example, in each embodiment, a configuration has been described in which refrigerator 100 (see FIG. 3) has refrigerator compartment door 211 (see FIG. 3) that opens to the right, but this is not limited to this. That is, each embodiment can also be applied to a configuration in which refrigerator 100 has refrigerator compartment door 211 that opens to the left. Also, in each embodiment, a configuration in which refrigerator compartment door 211 is a single door has been described, but each embodiment can also be applied to a configuration in which refrigerator compartment door 211 opens both ways, French style.

[0071] In addition, in each embodiment, the case where camera unit 3 photographs the interior of refrigerator compartment door 211 in addition to refrigerator compartment 21 has been described, but this is not limited to this. For example, camera unit 3 may photograph at least one of drawer-type ice-making compartment door 221 (see FIG. 1 ), upper freezer compartment door 231, vegetable compartment door 241, and lower freezer compartment door 251.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the pair of left and right regulating members 81a, 81b (see FIG. 14) are described as having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but other shapes are also possible. For example, the regulating members 81a, 81b may be provided with groove-like recesses (not shown) that are recessed rearward in the projection area when the hot gas pipe 71 is projected rearward toward the regulating members 81a, 81b. In this way, when an external force acts to move the hot gas pipe 71 rearward, the hot gas pipe 71 can be received by the recesses of the regulating members 81a, 81b, while the vertical movement of the hot gas pipe 71 can be restricted by the recesses.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the restricting members 81a and 81b are fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 11a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the top plate 11a and the restricting members 81a and 81b may be integrally formed. In the second embodiment, the restricting member 81a is provided near the bent portion 71d in the lateral direction, but this is not limiting. That is, the restricting member 81a and the bent portion 71d may be spaced apart in the lateral direction (the same applies to the other restricting member 81b). Even in this configuration, the rearward movement of the hot gas pipe 71 can be appropriately restricted by the restricting members 81a and 81b. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, a case has been described in which a pair of left and right regulating members 81a, 81b are provided, but the number of regulating members may be one, or may be three or more.

[0074] Furthermore, the refrigerator 100 etc. described in each embodiment is just an example, and each embodiment can also be applied to other types of refrigerators such as a portable refrigerator (not shown). Furthermore, the "storage cabinet" to which each embodiment can be applied is not limited to a refrigerator. That is, each embodiment can also be applied to various types of hinged "storage cabinets." In this case, the housing of the "storage cabinet" may be configured so that there is no particular distinction between an outer box and an inner box. Furthermore, each embodiment can also be applied to, for example, a chest-type freezer or storage cabinet. Furthermore, each embodiment can also be applied to a storage cabinet with an upward-opening door (flip-up door), a downward-opening door, or a folding door, or a closet with a folding door.

[0075] Furthermore, each embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the embodiments can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with other configurations. Furthermore, the mechanisms and configurations described above are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily represent all mechanisms and configurations of the product. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 100,100A refrigerator (storage) 1 chassis 3 Camera unit (imaging unit) 10 aperture 11 Outer box 11a Top plate 12 Inner box 21 Refrigerator (storage room) 31a lens 33 Screw holder 61 First Code 61a First wiring 62 Second Code 62a Second wiring 63 PCB 71 Hot Gas Pipe 71a,71b extension part 71c Detour section 81a, 81b Regulating member 71d,71e Bend part 211 Refrigerator door (single door) 211a Hinge 211c Door pocket 213 Shelf C1 Hinge cover H1 hole Z1 optical axis

Claims

1. a housing having a storage chamber; a hinged single door that closes the opening of the housing; an imaging unit installed on the upper side of the housing; a hot gas pipe installed under the top plate of the housing; The hot gas pipe an extension portion extending along the front edge of the top plate; a detour portion extending in a U-shape so as to wrap around to the rear, a pair of bent portions connecting the extension portion and the detour portion; The top plate has a bent portion formed by performing a predetermined bending process so that a portion near a front edge of the top plate is folded inward, The extension portion is installed inside the bent portion, and the hot gas pipe is supported by the bent portion; the bent portion is formed so as to restrict forward movement of the hot gas pipe by itself while allowing rearward movement of the hot gas pipe, a pair of restricting members disposed on the rear side of the extension portion and restricting rearward movement of the hot gas pipe; The bent portion and the pair of restricting members restrict the movement of the hot gas pipe in the front-rear direction, The single door has a door pocket installed inside the storage compartment, The imaging unit is installed at the center of the width of the housing and captures images of both the storage chamber and the door pocket in a single image capture.

2. a plurality of shelves installed in the storage chamber; the imaging unit is installed so that the lens of the imaging unit faces directly downward, The optical axis of the lens is located further forward than the front edges of the plurality of shelf boards. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. a plurality of shelves installed in the storage chamber; The imaging unit is installed so that the front edge of the top shelf board among the plurality of shelf boards is within the field of view of the imaging unit. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

4. a hinge cover that is installed on the top surface of the housing and covers the hinge of the single door; a substrate provided below the hinge cover; a plurality of first wirings connected to the substrate; a plurality of second wirings connected to the imaging unit, A second cord formed by bundling a plurality of the second wirings is provided separately from a first cord formed by bundling a plurality of the first wirings. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

5. A hole into which a screw receptacle of the imaging unit is fitted is provided near the front edge of the top plate, The hot gas pipe extends from near the front edge of the top plate so as to wrap around the rear side of the hole. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

6. The restricting members are provided on both the left and right sides of the hole and are fixed to the underside of the top plate. The storage facility according to claim 5, characterized in that

7. The restricting member is a rectangular parallelepiped of polyethylene or urethane foam. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

8. The restricting member is provided near the bent portion in the lateral direction. The storage facility according to claim 1, characterized in that

Images