JP7581166B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to refrigerators.

Claim 1 of Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerator equipped with a camera that takes pictures of the interior of the refrigerator, characterized in that a single camera takes pictures of multiple locations.

JP 2003-42626 A

In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a camera unit is fixed to the external upper surface of the refrigerator body, and the camera protrudes forward by an arm. This means that the weight of the camera unit is likely to be applied to the front of the refrigerator. Meanwhile, plate-shaped insulation material is often arranged on the inside of the refrigerator body. A mounting structure that is resistant to loads and prevents damage to the insulation material is desired, but Patent Document 1 does not specifically disclose the manner of mounting.

The refrigerator of the present disclosure includes:
a refrigerator body forming a storage compartment having an opening on a front side;
A camera unit is provided outside the refrigerator body, and includes a camera that captures an image of the storage compartment and can be positioned forward of a front edge of the refrigerator body ;
A first base member fixed to an outer surface of the refrigerator body;
A second base member fixed to the first base member at a plurality of points in a front-rear direction of the refrigerator body;
A vacuum insulation material as a plate-shaped insulation material provided in the refrigerator body and facing the outer surface;
Equipped with
the camera unit is supported by a support member constituted by the first base member and the second base member,
The first base member is fixed to the outer surface of the refrigerator body further forward than the front end of the plate-shaped insulation material using a structure that penetrates the outer surface of the refrigerator body,
The second base member includes a portion attached to the first base member, the portion being rearward of at least one of the portions where the first base member is fixed to the outer surface of the refrigerator body.
A refrigerator characterized by:

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view of a storage compartment provided in the refrigerator. An enlarged oblique view of the exterior top surface of the refrigerator body. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the camera unit and the support member. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 7 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and placed in a first position. FIG. 13 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and placed in a second position. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the camera unit and the support member separated from each other. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 12, showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the rotation mechanism. 13 is a top view illustrating a cover member that covers a hole. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a flat cable is arranged in a cable guide portion. FIG. 11 is a top view showing a state in which a flat cable is arranged in a cable guide portion. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cover member that covers a hole. This is a view of the interior top surface of the refrigerator body from below. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a contact preventing member according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a contact preventing member according to another embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view of the camera unit with the lid removed and a second base member seen through the camera unit. 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.

Below, a form for implementing 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 that can be applied to the one embodiment will also be described as appropriate. The present disclosure is not limited to the one embodiment below, 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 components, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, components having the same functions will be given the same names. The contents shown are merely schematic, and for the sake of illustration, changes may be made from the actual configuration without significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure, and some components may be omitted or modified between drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to the present disclosure. The refrigerator 100 comprises a refrigerator body 10, a camera unit 50, and a rotation mechanism 30 (Figure 9). The refrigerator body 10 forms a storage compartment 6 having an opening 6a on the front side (front surface side).

Figure 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. In the refrigerator compartment 1, the temperature inside is set to, for example, about 4°C on average, which is in the refrigeration temperature range (0°C or higher). In the upper freezer compartment 3 and the lower freezer compartment 5, the temperature inside is set to, for example, about -18°C on average, which is in the freezing temperature range (less than 0°C). In the vegetable compartment 4, the temperature inside is set to, for example, about 6°C on average, which is in the refrigeration temperature range. Food and the like are put in and taken out of each storage compartment 6 through an opening 6a.

Returning to FIG. 1, the refrigerator body 10 has doors 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5a that close the openings 6a (FIG. 2) of the refrigerator compartment 1, ice-making compartment 2, upper freezer compartment 3, vegetable compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5. Door 1a can rotate around a pivot (not shown) installed at the left and right ends of the refrigerator body 10. The pivot is supported by door hinges 1b provided on the upper and lower sides of door 1a. Doors 2a, 3a, 4a, and 5a can be pulled out.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the exterior top surface of the refrigerator body 10. A camera unit 50 is provided on the exterior top surface of the refrigerator body 10. The camera unit 50 is provided on the refrigerator body 10 via a support member 40. The support member 40 supports the camera unit 50. The camera unit 50 has a camera 51 that captures images of the inside of the refrigeration chamber 1, which is an example of a storage chamber 6. Although details will be described later, the camera unit 50 is arranged to be rotatable within a horizontal plane including the front-rear and left-right directions by a rotation mechanism 30 (Figure 9).

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the support member 40. The refrigerator body 10 includes a first base member 41 and a second base member 42 as components that constitute the support member 40. The support member 40 has a space inside. The shapes, dimensions, and installation locations of the first base member 41 and the 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 the through hole 11 and the mounting portion 46, and the position of the camera 51.

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 that penetrates the top surface of the refrigerator body 10. The fastener 43a is, for example, a screw. When there is only one fastener 43a, the fastener is fixed at one location in the front-rear direction regardless of where it 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 in the same front-rear position 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. To supplement this, 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 there is less space available for fixing in the front-rear direction than when it is fixed at one location.

The two fixing devices 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 from the inside of the refrigerator body 10 into the through holes 11 and 12 formed on the upper surface 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 the first base member 41 and the mounting member 44 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.

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

Each of the fasteners 43b is inserted into the mounting portion 48 of the second base member 42 and the mounting portion 49 of the first base member 41. The mounting 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.

The specific structure will be described later, but the rotation mechanism 30 (FIG. 9) that rotates the camera unit 50 is composed of some of the components of the second base member 42 and some of the components of the camera unit 50. Depending on the design conditions of the refrigerator body 10, as shown in the figure, it may be possible to use only one fixing device 43a in the front-to-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 that is fixed to the first base member 41 at multiple points in the front-to-rear direction. This suppresses the wobbling of the rotation mechanism 30 and suppresses the camera unit 50 from falling forward when placed at the front side. Note that "fixed at multiple points in the front-to-rear direction" here means that the first point is the pair of fixing devices 43b, 43b at the left end, and the second point is the fixing devices 43b, 43b at the right end, and is fixed at a total of two points in the front-to-rear direction.

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 the 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.

The first base member 41 and the second base member 42 are made of resin, for example. 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 resin and metal can be used in combination separately, or they can be used together as a metal-resin composite material.

Figure 5 is a side view of the support member 40. To simplify the illustration, 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 foam insulation material 14 is accommodated in an insulation space 15 formed inside the refrigerator body 10 and outside the storage chamber 6 (e.g., the refrigerator chamber 1). The foam insulation material 14 is arranged below the plate insulation material 13 and at least partially or entirely around the outer periphery (front, back, left, right). The foam insulation material 14 is, for example, urethane foam. The refrigerator body 10 is configured such that the outside and inside of the refrigerator are separated by an insulation box formed by accommodating the foam insulation material 14 between an outer box made of, for example, a steel plate and an inner box made of, for example, a synthetic resin, both of which are not shown.

In a side view of the refrigerator body 10, above the portion housing the foam insulation material 14, the lower ends 40a of the first base member 41 (FIG. 4) and the second base member 42 have recesses 40b extending toward the rear. As a result, when the top surface of the refrigerator body 10 bulges due to the pressure generated when housing the foam insulation material 14, the recesses 40b can suppress bending and pushing up of the first base member 41 and the second base member 42 caused by the bulge. This suppresses the tilt of the pivot mechanism 30 (FIG. 9) attached to the second base member 42, and suppresses the tilt of the camera unit 50 via the pivot mechanism 30.

If the top surface of the refrigerator body 10 does not expand, or if a gap still exists between the expanded top surface and the recess 40b, for example, after the process of providing an insulating structure, such as the foaming process of the foam insulation material 14 in the 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 the recess 40b. This can suppress rattling of the first base member 41 and the second base member 42.

Figure 6 is a front view of the camera unit 50 and the support member 40. In Figure 6, the camera unit 50 is positioned in a second position (described below) in which the camera 51 is positioned forward of the front edge 10a (Figure 11) of the refrigerator body 10 when viewed from above.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of line A-A in Figure 6. The camera unit 50 comprises 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, it is possible to reduce the size compared to when these are provided separately, and the electrical wiring connecting them can be shortened. The housing 55 has a bottom, and the upper part of the housing 55 is closed by a lid 54.

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. Arranging them in this manner makes it easier to gather the camera 51 and light source 52, which are relatively easy to make small, in one location, and makes it easier to reduce the shape of the camera unit 50. Also, in the illustrated example, the camera 51 and light source 52 are adjacent to each other. This allows the arrangement of the camera 51 and light source 52 to be the same as that of, for example, a mobile information terminal, improving the design of the camera unit 50.

The rotation mechanism 30, which rotates the camera unit 50 in a horizontal plane (front-back and 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 normally 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.

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 depending on 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 and second positions are manually disposed. The first and second positions will be described.

Figure 10 is a top view of the camera unit 50 with the lid 54 (Figure 7) removed and placed in the first position. In Figure 10, for convenience of illustration, a cover member 71 is placed above the pivot mechanism 30. The camera unit 50 has a shape in which the length of the short side changes midway along 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 transporting the refrigerator 100, by placing the camera unit 50 in the first position, the camera unit 50 can be prevented from protruding forward, making it easy to transport. This improves the portability of the refrigerator 100.

The distance between the rotation mechanism 30 and the left end (the 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 contacting 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.

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, allowing the user to capture an image without being aware of it. The camera unit 50 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 doors 1a are opened. The movement to the second position may be triggered by the detection of a human sensor capable of detecting the approach of a user to the door 1a, instead of the detection of the door being open.

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 on 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).

The cylindrical portion 31 can slide 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 spaced equally apart 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, thereby rotating the camera unit 50.

In the illustrated example, the first fitting portion 34 is a protrusion protruding from the outer peripheral surface 33. The hole portion 32 has second fitting portions 35, 36 on the outer peripheral 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 peripheral surface 37. In the guide path 39, the first fitting portion 34 moves 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 arranged in the first position (Figure 10). When the first fitting portion 34 fits into the second fitting portion 36, the camera unit 50 is positioned in the second position (Figure 11).

By configuring the rotation mechanism 30 in this manner, it becomes easier to fix the camera unit 50 in the first position (Figure 10) and the second position (Figure 11) when the camera unit 50 rotates.

Figure 12 is a front view of the camera unit 50 and the support member 40 when they are separated. The camera unit 50 and the support member 40 can be separated from the integrated state shown in Figures 7 and 8 when a predetermined force or more is applied to the camera unit 50 from below.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 12, showing 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 radial distance d1 between the pair of first fitting portions 34 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 (Figure 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 shown in Figures 6 to 11.

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, i.e., 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).

In this way, by configuring the connection between the cylindrical portion 31 and the hole portion 32 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 and to prevent damage to the camera unit 50.

Figure 14 is a top view illustrating the cover member 71 that covers the hole 32. The cover member 71 has an L-shape and is arranged to cover a part of the rotation mechanism 30. The cover member 71 includes a guide portion 72, a wall 73, and a cable hole 74. The guide portion 72 guides the flat cable 56 (Figure 15). First, the flat cable 56 will be described.

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

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.

The flat cable 56 extends in the front-rear direction between the control board 53 and the guide section 72. The flat cable 56 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 72a and the support 72b in the guide section 72. The flat cable 56 extends between the guide section 72 and the camera 51 at an angle to the direction in which it extends between the control board 53 and the guide section 72.

Figure 17 is a perspective view illustrating 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 exposed cylindrical portion 31 and hole 32 of the rotation mechanism 30. The wall 73 is arranged so as to surround the cylindrical portion 31 and hole 32. The cable hole 74 guides the power cable 61 (Figure 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.

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 a 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.

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

The refrigerator body 10 is provided with 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 portion of the through holes 11, 44a. The heat transfer tube 62 is arranged so as to surround the opening 6a formed on the front side of the storage chamber 6, thereby suppressing condensation near the opening 6a that comes into contact with the 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.

The heat transfer tube 62 is arranged along the opening 6a on the inner top surface of the refrigerator body 10. However, on the sides of the through holes 11, 44a, the heat transfer tube 62 is arranged 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 tube 62.

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

The power cable 61 is fixed to the inner upper surface by a fixing member 63 such as tape. Because outside air is present outside the inner upper surface, fixing the power cable 61 to the inner upper surface by the fixing member 63 allows the outside air temperature to 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, the temperature drop of the power cable 61 is suppressed, and condensation near the through holes 11, 44a connecting to the outside can be suppressed. A material with excellent heat conductivity such as aluminum tape is preferable as the fixing member 63.

The power cable 61 that reaches the inside of the refrigerator body 10 from the through hole 44a is thermally connected to the heat transfer tube 62 at a portion 64 inside the refrigerator body 10. As a result, even if the power cable 61 is cooled by the cold air in the storage room 6, the power cable 61 is heated by heat transfer from the thermally connected heat transfer tube 62, thereby suppressing condensation on the power cable 61 near the through holes 11 and 44a.

The thermal connection at portion 64 is contact caused by the intersection of the power cable 61 and the heat transfer tube 62. This allows the power cable 61 and the heat transfer tube 62 to be thermally connected without using a jig for contact, making it easy to thermally connect them. In particular, since the heat transfer tube 62 is arranged around the through holes 11 and 44a, the power cable 61 is thermally connected no matter how it is arranged, improving the freedom of arrangement of the power cable 61. Note that the power cable 61 is arranged below the heat transfer tube 62.

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

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

The foam insulation 14 is placed, for example, by injecting uncured insulation into the insulation space 15 through an injection port (not shown) that communicates with the insulation space 15 and allowing it to harden. As described above, the power cable 61 is fixed to the interior 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.

The refrigerator body 10 is therefore provided with a contact suppression member 68 that suppresses contact between the fixing portion 65 and the power cable 61. By providing the contact suppression member 68, it is possible to suppress contact of the power cable 61 with the fixing portion 65 even if the position of the power cable 61 shifts when the uncured insulation material flows. This makes it possible to suppress contact of the screw 67 that is inserted after curing with the power cable 61, thereby suppressing defects such as breakage.

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 arranged to surround the fixing portion 65. The beam 68c is arranged 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 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.

20 is a perspective view of a contact suppression member 69 according to another embodiment. The contact suppression member 69 is similar to the contact suppression member 68 (FIG. 19) except for the specific structure. The contact suppression member 69 includes a bottom 69a that covers the fixing portion 65 and has a hole 69c at a position corresponding to the screw 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 insulation passes between the opposing walls 69b and contacts the bottom 69a. The power cable 61 (FIG. 18) is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the fixing portion 65. Therefore, even if the position of the power cable 61 is shifted by the uncured insulation, the walls 69b can suppress contact with the screws 67. The contact suppression member 69 and the fixing portion 65 may be the same member.

21 is a top view of the camera unit 50 with the lid 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, allowing the inside of the support member 40 to be seen. The power cable 61 is composed of 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 bottom 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.

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 (as shown in FIG. 22). Next, the second power cable 61b and the first power cable 61a are connected by the connection terminal 61c, and 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, which further improves the ease of assembly.

The power cable 61 is arranged through the hollow portion 30a of the pivot mechanism 30 and the through hole 44a. The power cable 61 extending from the through hole 44a on the top surface of the refrigerator body 10 is not directly inserted into the hole 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 becomes cold due to the influence of the storage chamber 6 and condensation occurs, the condensation can be processed inside the support member 40, and condensation inside the camera unit 50 can be suppressed.

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 that the second power cable 61b can slide 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 supply 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.

The through hole 44a provided on the upper surface of the refrigerator body 10 does not exist on the vertical projection of the hole portion 32 (rotation mechanism 30 and cylindrical portion 31) that communicates the inside of the camera unit 50 and the inside of the support member 40. As described above, the second power cable 61b is covered with the insulating member 75, and its diameter becomes thicker. The horizontal positions of the through hole 44a and the hole portion 32 are offset, and they are arranged so that they do not 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.

The first base member 41 has 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, preventing 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 78 fit together during assembly, preventing the attachment position of the second base member 42 from shifting.

1 Refrigerating compartment 10 Refrigerator body 100 Refrigerator 10a Front edge 11 Through hole 12 Through hole 13 Plate-shaped insulation material 14 Foam insulation material 15 Insulated space 1a Door 1b Door hinge 2 Ice making compartment 2a Door 3 Upper freezer compartment 30 Rotating mechanism 30a Hollow portion 31 Cylindrical portion 32 Hole portion 33 Outer peripheral surface 34 First fitting portion 35 Second fitting portion 35a Protrusion 36 Second fitting portion 36a Protrusion 37 Outer peripheral surface 38 Claw 39 Guide path 3a Door 4 Vegetable compartment 40 Support member 40a Lower end 40b Recess 41 First base member 42 Second base member 43a Fixing device 43b Fixing device 44 Mounting member 44a Through hole 44b Part 45 Mounting portion 46 Mounting portion 47 Through hole 48 Mounting portion 49 Mounting portion 4a Door 5 Lower freezer compartment 50 Camera unit 51 Camera 51a Connection terminal 52 Light source 53 Control board 53a Connection terminal 54 Lid 55 Housing 56 Flat cable 5a Door 6 Storage compartment 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 Part 65 Fixing portion 66 Screw hole 67 Screw 68 Contact suppressing member 68a Wall 68b Hole 68c Beam 69 Contact suppressing member 69a Bottom 69b Wall 69c Hole 6a Opening 7 Freezer chamber 71 Cover member 72 Guide portion 72a Bottom surface 72b Support 73 Wall 74 Cable hole 75 Insulating member 76 Fixing portion 77 Protrusion 78 Protrusion d1 Distance d2 Diameter

Claims (4)

a refrigerator body forming a storage compartment having an opening on a front side;
A camera unit is provided outside the refrigerator body, and includes a camera that captures an image of the storage compartment and can be positioned forward of a front edge of the refrigerator body;
A first base member fixed to an outer surface of the refrigerator body;
A second base member fixed to the first base member at a plurality of points in a front-rear direction of the refrigerator body;
A vacuum insulation material as a plate-shaped insulation material provided in the refrigerator body and facing the outer surface;
Equipped with
the camera unit is supported by a support member constituted by the first base member and the second base member,
The first base member is fixed to the outer surface of the refrigerator body further forward than the front end of the plate-shaped insulation material using a structure that penetrates the outer surface of the refrigerator body,
The second base member has a portion attached to the first base member rearward of at least any portion where the first base member is fixed to an outer surface of the refrigerator body. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the structure penetrates the outer surface of the refrigerator body outside an area in which the plate-shaped insulation material is arranged when viewed from the front of the outer surface. A foam insulation material is accommodated in an area inside the refrigerator body that faces the outer surface directly or indirectly across the plate insulation material,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a recess extending in a direction along the outer surface is provided at an end of the first base member and/or the second base member on the outer surface side. The first base member is fixed to an upper surface of the refrigerator body so as to sandwich the upper surface of the refrigerator body by an attachment member having a portion disposed outside the refrigerator body and a remainder disposed inside the refrigerator body via a first through hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator body,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first base member is fixed to a portion of the mounting member that is arranged inside the refrigerator body by a fastener that passes through a second through hole formed in an outer surface of the refrigerator body or by fitting using a claw.

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