The invention relates to a household refrigerator with a digital camera, and method for operating a household refrigerator which has a digital camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,568,241 A1 discloses a household refrigerator which comprises a heat-insulated housing, which defines a coolable interior for storing food, and a pivotable door leaf for opening and closing the coolable interior. A drawer which may be pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open is located in the lower region of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator comprises at least one digital camera which is fastened in the front region of the cover of the housing and which is oriented diagonally into the coolable interior in the direction of a rear wall of the housing relative to the vertical. The digital camera is provided to record an image of the coolable interior and the pulled-out drawer.
It is the object of the present invention to specify an improved household refrigerator, the coolable interior thereof being closable by a door leaf, said household refrigerator comprising a drawer which can be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and a digital camera which is arranged in or on the heat-insulated housing and which is provided to produce images of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior.
The object of the invention is achieved by a household refrigerator having a heat-insulated housing which comprises two lateral walls, a rear wall and a cover and delimits a coolable interior that is provided for storing food, a refrigerating device for cooling the coolable interior, at least one pivotally mounted door leaf which is provided for opening and closing the coolable interior, a drawer which can be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and a digital camera which is provided in or on the housing, in particular, in order to produce an image of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and which is arranged in or on the cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls such that the digital camera faces diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical.
The household refrigerator according to the invention accordingly comprises the heat-insulated housing, with the two lateral walls running, in particular, parallel to one another and the coolable interior for storing food. The heat-insulated housing also comprises the cover which, in particular, runs horizontally and the rear wall which, in particular, runs vertically.
The heat-insulated housing, in particular, is heat-insulating by means of an insulating foam. The coolable interior is cooled by means of the refrigerating device which is preferably configured as a refrigerant circuit which is known to the person skilled in the art in principle and which is preferably designed such that it cools the coolable interior at least approximately to a predetermined temperature.
The household refrigerator according to the invention may be, for example, a household refrigerating appliance. In this case, the coolable interior may be cooled to temperatures of greater than 0° C. The household refrigerator according to the invention, however, may also be a fridge-freezer combination.
When the door leaf is open the coolable interior is accessible, in particular, via an opening of the heat-insulated housing. The opening and thus the coolable interior are closed when the door leaf is closed.
The household refrigerator according to the invention additionally comprises the drawer which is preferably arranged in a lower region of the coolable interior. When the door leaf is open the drawer may be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, so that the food stored therein may be removed or, respectively, in order to load the drawer with food. When the door leaf is closed the coolable interior is closed and thus the drawer is also not accessible. The door leaf runs, in particular, vertically.
The household refrigerator according to the invention comprises the digital camera which is provided to produce images of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator is designed, in particular, such that the digital camera produces the images when the drawer moves from its pulled-out position in the direction of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator according to the invention is preferably designed such that the digital camera produces the images at a predetermined position of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. In order to detect the position and the direction of movement, the household refrigerator according to the invention may have suitable means or, respectively, a corresponding detection device.
The images recorded by the digital camera may be transmitted, for example, via the Internet to a portable terminal device, for example a smartphone.
So that it may be ensured that the pulled-out drawer or, respectively, the contents thereof is covered as fully as possible by the image, the digital camera is arranged in or on the cover, preferably in a front region of the cover or in or on one of the lateral walls in the upper region thereof, preferably in a front region of the lateral wall, and is oriented such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical.
Thus an optical axis assigned to the digital camera runs diagonally downwards in the direction of the closed door leaf at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical, whereby the pulled-out drawer is located more clearly in the field of view of the digital camera. As a result, as far as possible the entire pulled-out drawer may be photographed by the image. The digital camera is thus oriented, in particular, such that it faces diagonally downwards in the direction of the closed door leaf at the angle of at least 20°.
The digital camera may comprise a camera housing or, respectively, a panel by which the digital camera is arranged, for example, on the cover or on the lateral wall.
The camera housing or, respectively, the digital camera may be fastened, for example, to the cover of the coolable interior.
The camera housing or, respectively, the panel of the digital camera is preferably designed such that it does not have a horizontal surface. This housing may be shaped in a spherical, curved, diagonal or free manner, for example.
It may be provided that, at the point at which the digital camera is positioned, the housing thereof is not designed in a partially horizontal manner.
It may be provided that an opening is located in the camera housing, the front part of the digital camera protruding through said opening at the point of the camera housing at which the digital camera is located. The digital camera is fastened, in particular, in the interior of the camera housing.
The camera housing may be designed as a closed camera housing. The camera housing may be designed to be transparent at the point of the camera housing at which the digital camera is located. The camera housing may be of planar design at this point. In particular, the optical axis of the digital camera may be oriented perpendicular to this planar surface. As a result, it is possible that the camera housing maintains its original contour at this point.
The digital camera may be attached, for example, in the upper region of one of the lateral walls of the heat-insulated housing, optionally of an inner container or, respectively, a refrigerated goods container and, in particular, faces diagonally downwards. From this position, the drawer which is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior may also be depicted in its entirety. The distortion produced by the diagonal arrangement of the digital camera may be retrospectively corrected by means of software.
According to one embodiment of the household refrigerator according to the invention, at least one door rack which is provided for storing food may be arranged on the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior. In this case, the digital camera is preferably oriented such that it is able to record an image of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°.
So that the digital camera may also reliably create an image of the side facing the coolable interior at the predetermined opening angle, the digital camera is preferably arranged in or on the cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of 30° to 60° relative to the vertical. Thus the digital camera is oriented such that it faces diagonally downwards at the angle of 30° to 60° in the direction of the closed door leaf.
The viewing angle of the digital camera is, in particular, at least 80°, preferably at least 110°.
The household refrigerator according to the invention may be designed such that the coolable interior is closable by just one door leaf.
According to one embodiment of the household refrigerator according to the invention, this household refrigerator may comprise two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another for opening and closing the coolable interior, one of the door leaves thereof being pivotally mounted on the left-hand side and the other door leaf thereof being pivotally mounted on the right-hand side relative to the heat-insulated housing. In each case at least one door rack which is provided for storing food may be arranged on the sides of the door leaves facing the coolable interior. Thus when the left-hand door leaf is open the left part of the coolable interior is accessible and when the right-hand door leaf is open the right part of the coolable interior is accessible. The drawer may be designed such that it is only able to be pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior when both door leaves are open.
The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaves are open and the drawer is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the side of the door leaf mounted on the left-hand side and facing the coolable interior when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°. The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the side of the door leaf mounted on the right-hand side and facing the coolable interior when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°.
According to a preferred variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention, the digital camera may be arranged centrally in or on the cover relative to the horizontal. This arrangement of the digital camera is particularly advantageous if images of the drawer which is open or, respectively, at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, and of the sides of the two door leaves facing the coolable interior at the predetermined opening angles of the door leaves, are to be produced using just one digital camera.
The digital camera may be oriented, for example, such that the optical axis is oriented parallel to the lateral walls. In combination with a central arrangement of the digital camera in or on the cover and the variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, therefore, relatively high quality images may be produced in a relatively simple manner, depending on the state of the household refrigerator said images showing the drawer pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior or the side of the corresponding door leaf facing the coolable interior.
The digital camera may be arranged in or on the cover or, respectively, in or on the lateral wall such that the projection of the optical axis into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the door leaf when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. The projection of the optical axis into the horizontal thus encloses with the door leaf an angle of 90°, with a tolerance of, for example, ±10°. Such an orientation of the digital camera is advantageous for the quality of the images of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior.
The digital camera may be arranged in or on the cover or, respectively, in or on the lateral wall such that the optical axis strikes the door leaf at least approximately centrally relative to the horizontal when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. Such an orientation of the digital camera is advantageous for the quality of the images of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior.
According to a variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, this household refrigerator may comprise two digital cameras which are arranged in or on the cover. One of the digital cameras is oriented in the direction of the door leaf mounted on the left-hand side when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle, and the other digital camera is oriented in the direction of the door leaf mounted on the right-hand side when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle. Both digital cameras are oriented diagonally toward and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20°, preferably 30° to 60°, relative to the vertical. Preferably both digital cameras are arranged in a common camera housing.
Preferably, according to this variant, each door leaf is respectively assigned a digital camera, preferably in a common camera housing arranged, in particular, on the cover of the heat-insulated housing or, respectively, the coolable interior.
The two digital cameras are preferably oriented in each case such that the optical axes thereof face toward the center of the respective door leaves, in particular at the predetermined opening angle, and the projections thereof into the horizontal at the predetermined opening angle enclose an angle of 90°±5° with the respective door leaf. Vertically the digital cameras are downwardly inclined and also face with the optical axis toward the center of the door leaves. A further digital camera which is provided for recording an image of the drawers in the coolable interior may also be provided. This digital camera may also be arranged in the common camera housing. When using three digital cameras, therefore, the orientations thereof may be adapted to the respectively desired images.
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating the household refrigerator according to the invention, with the variant that at least one door rack which is provided for storing food is arranged on the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior of the household refrigerator, having the following method steps:
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating the variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, having the following method steps:
Preferably the image data assigned to the images are post-processed such that, in particular, an image assigned to the post-processed image data may be viewed with a mobile terminal device.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
The household refrigerator 1 comprises a heat-insulated housing 2 with an inner container 3 which defines a coolable interior 4. The coolable interior 4 is provided for storing food, not shown.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 has three chilling zones arranged one above the other. The uppermost chilling zone is formed by the coolable interior 4. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, a cold storage compartment 21 is arranged below the coolable interior 4 and a freezer compartment 22 is arranged therebelow, said compartments being provided for storing food.
The household refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a first outer drawer 23 which may be pushed into the cold storage compartment 21 in order to close the cold storage compartment 21. In the pulled-out state, the first outer drawer 23 may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food stored therein may be removed.
The household refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a second outer drawer 24 which may be pushed into the freezer compartment 22 in order to close the freezer compartment 22. In the pulled-out state the second outer drawer 24 may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food stored therein may be removed.
The heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4 comprises, in particular, two lateral walls 2a which are oriented, in particular, parallel to one another, a cover 2b which, in particular, runs horizontally and a rear wall 2c which, in particular, runs vertically.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, i.e. a left-hand door leaf 5a and a right-hand door leaf 5b, which in the closed state close an opening of the heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4. In the open state of the left-hand door leaf 5a, the left-hand region of the coolable interior 4 is accessible via the opening and in the open state of the right-hand door leaf 5b, the right-hand region of the coolable interior 4 is accessible via the opening.
The door leaves 5a, 5b are, in particular, heat-insulated door leaves 5a, 5b and comprise in the case of the present exemplary embodiment in each case an inner skin 6a facing the coolable interior 4 and an outer skin 6b facing away from the coolable interior 4, an insulating foam being arranged therebetween.
On the side of the door leaves 5a, 5b facing the coolable interior 4, i.e. in the case of the present exemplary embodiment, a plurality of door racks 7 for storing food are arranged on the inner skins 6a of the door leaves 5a, 5b.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises a plurality of shelves 8 which are arranged one above the other in the coolable interior and a drawer 9 which is arranged in a lower region of the coolable interior 4. The drawer 9 is provided for storing food and may be pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior 4 when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open. This is shown in
When the drawer 9 is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4, this drawer may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food may be removed from the drawer 9.
The household refrigerator 1 comprises a refrigerating device, not shown in more detail and known to the person skilled in the art in principle, preferably in the form of a refrigerant circuit for cooling the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22. The refrigerant circuit comprises, for example, a compressor, a condenser arranged downstream of the compressor, a throttle device which is arranged downstream of the condenser and which is designed, in particular, as a throttle or capillary tube and an evaporator which is arranged between the throttle device and the compressor.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises an electronic controller, not shown in more detail, which is designed to activate the refrigerating device, in particular the compressor of the refrigerant circuit in a manner generally known by the person skilled in the art, such that the coolable interior 4 has at least approximately a predetermined or predeterminable target temperature of, for example, ca. 8° C., the cold storage compartment 21 has a temperature of approximately 1° C. and the freezer compartment 22 has a temperature of significantly lower than 0° C. The electronic controller is preferably designed such that it regulates the temperatures of the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22. In order to obtain, as required, the actual temperatures of the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22, the household refrigerator 1 may have temperature sensors which are not shown in more detail and which are connected to the electronic controller.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises a digital camera 61, which is designed to produce images of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is fastened in or on the cover 2b of the heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4, in particular in a front region of the cover 2b.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is arranged inside a cover panel or, respectively, panel 62, 72, 82 which is fastened to the cover 2b on the inner container 3.
The panels 62, 72 shown in
The panel 82 shown in
The digital camera 61 is fastened in or on the cover 2b such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2c at an angle α of at least 20°, in the case of the present exemplary embodiment between 30° and 60° relative to the vertical 10, i.e. an optical axis 63 assigned to the digital camera 61 encloses the α with the vertical 10. As a result, the digital camera 61 may produce images from above of the drawer 9 which is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. The household refrigerator 1 is designed, in particular, such that the digital camera 61 produces the images when the drawer 9 moves from its pulled-out position in the direction of the coolable interior 4. Preferably the household refrigerator 1 is designed such that the digital camera 61 produces the images at a predetermined position of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. In order to detect the position and the direction of movement, the household refrigerator 1 comprises suitable means, not shown in more detail, or, respectively, a corresponding detection device. The drawer 9 is shown in
The household refrigerator 1 is designed such that the images recorded by the digital camera 61 may be transmitted, for example, via the Internet to a portable terminal device, for example a smartphone.
The viewing angle β of the digital camera 61 is, in particular, at least 80°, preferably at least 110°.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is arranged centrally in or on the cover 2b relative to the horizontal.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is oriented such that the optical axis 63 runs parallel to the lateral walls.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is also provided to produce an image of the sides of the door leaves 5a, 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at a predetermined opening angle Ω of the open door leaves 5a, 5b. In order to detect the opening angle Ω of the door leaves 5a, 5b and the pivoting directions thereof the household refrigerator 1 comprises suitable devices, not shown in more detail. This is illustrated in
The digital camera 61 is controlled, in particular, by an electronic control device 11 which is preferably designed to post-process the image data assigned to the images. The electronic control device 11 comprises, in particular, an interface for connecting to the Internet such that, for example, the images assigned to the post-processed image data may be viewed via a mobile terminal device.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 is designed such that it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5a facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed, such that it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the side of the right-hand door leaf 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed, and such that when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open and when the drawer 9 is partly pulled out of the coolable interior, it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the drawer 9.
A first of the further digital cameras 61a is provided to record an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5a facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60°0 whilst this door leaf is being closed, and a second of the further digital cameras 61b is provided to record an image of the side of the right-hand door leaf 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are fastened in or on the cover 2b.
The two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are oriented such that they are oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2c at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, this angle is less than the angle α which the digital camera 61 encloses with the vertical 10.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the first further digital camera 61a assigned to the left-hand door leaf 5a is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63a into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the left-hand door leaf 5a when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the second further digital camera 61b assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5b is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63b into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the right-hand door leaf 5b when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are arranged inside a cover panel or, respectively, panel 62a, 72a, 82a which is fastened to the cover 2b on the inner container 3.
The panels 62a, 72a shown in
The panel 82a shown in
It is also possible that the household refrigerator 1 does not have a digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are provided to produce images together of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4.
The digital camera 150 may be oriented, for example, such that its optical axis 151 runs parallel to the rear wall 2c, as shown in
The digital camera 150 may be oriented, for example, such that the projection of its optical axis 151 is oriented at right-angles to one of the door leaves 5a when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. Such an orientation of the digital camera 150 is shown in
According to this embodiment of the household refrigerator, a further digital camera, not shown, which is assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5b may also be provided.
The household refrigerator 1 may also be designed such that the coolable interior 4 may be opened and closed only by a single door leaf.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2019 204 309.7 | Mar 2019 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2020/058691 | 3/27/2020 | WO | 00 |