JP7606916B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Refrigerators that are equipped with a display and/or speaker unit to provide secondary functions in addition to the main function of the refrigerator (cooling function) are known. In such refrigerators, it is possible to notify the user of refrigerator information through the display and/or speaker unit.

In the above-described refrigerator, there is a problem that a current capacity of a single power supply board is insufficient to operate not only a device performing a main function of the refrigerator (a cooling unit) but also each device performing a secondary function (for example, a display, a speaker, and the like).
Furthermore, in a configuration in which power is supplied from the same power supply board to the cooling unit for cooling the refrigerator compartment and to the display and speaker, if the power supply board fails, not only will the display and speaker stop operating, but the cooling unit will also stop operating, which may reduce user convenience.

JP 2019-132550 A

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a refrigerator that can improve user convenience.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment has a housing including a storage compartment, a plurality of doors attached to an opening side of the housing in an openable and closable manner, and a cooling mechanism for cooling the storage compartment. The refrigerator has a first power supply board that stores predetermined information including status history information of the refrigerator and supplies power to the cooling mechanism, an audio output mechanism that outputs audio from the housing, a display mechanism that displays information, and a second power supply board provided separately from the first power supply board. The audio output mechanism has an audio output unit and a first control board that stores audio information corresponding to the predetermined information and controls the audio output unit. The display mechanism has a display device and a second control board that controls the display device. The second power supply board supplies power to the audio output mechanism. The first control board acquires the predetermined information from the first power supply board, and causes the audio output unit to output the audio information based on the predetermined information. The first power supply board, the second power supply board, the first control board and the second control board are provided on a ceiling portion of the housing, and the first control board and the second control board are arranged on the front side of the housing relative to the first power supply board and the second power supply board, and are arranged spaced apart from each other on both sides in the width direction of the refrigerator.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 of refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F3-F3 of refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a ceiling part of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.

Below, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be given the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these components may be omitted. In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction in which the refrigerator is viewed from a user standing in front of the refrigerator. The side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator as viewed from the refrigerator is defined as the "front", and the side further away is defined as the "rear". The up and down direction of refrigerator 1 relative to the direction of gravity when refrigerator 1 is placed on the floor in the position shown in FIG. 1 is defined as the up and down direction of refrigerator 1. The left and right direction when refrigerator 1 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front is defined as the left and right direction of refrigerator 1.

[1. Overall configuration of the refrigerator]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 of refrigerator 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F3-F3 of refrigerator 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a ceiling part of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.
A refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.
First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator 1.
The refrigerator 1 is configured to have a plurality of storage compartments 11 inside a refrigerator body MB having a vertically elongated rectangular box shape with an open front.

The refrigerator body MB is mainly composed of a housing 10 with an open front and multiple doors 20 attached to the open side of the housing 10 so that they can be opened and closed.

The housing 10 includes a cooling unit (cooling mechanism) 30 (see Figures 2 and 3), a door opening device 41, an operation unit 42, an interior camera 53 (see Figures 2 and 3), an external connection terminal 54, a wired wireless communication module (communication module) 61, a display unit (display mechanism) 51, a speaker unit (audio output mechanism) 52, a first power supply board 70, and a second power supply board 80.

(Housing)
The housing 10 has an upper wall (ceiling portion) 10a, a lower wall 10b, left and right side walls 10c and 10d, and a rear wall 10e. The upper wall 10a and the lower wall 10b are substantially horizontal surfaces facing each other. The left and right side walls 10c and 10d rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The rear wall 10e rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 10b and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 10a.

The housing 10 includes an inner box 10i that forms the inner surface of the housing 10, an outer box 10j that is located outside the inner box 10i and forms the outer surface of the housing 10, and a foam insulation material 10k such as urethane foam that is provided between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j, and has thermal insulation properties (see Figures 2 and 3).

The multiple storage compartments 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A, a chilled compartment 11Aa (see Figures 2 and 3), a vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment 11E. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 11A is located at the top, the vegetable compartment 11B is located below the refrigerator compartment 11A, the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D are located below the vegetable compartment 11B, and the main freezer compartment 11E is located below the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 11 is not limited to the above example. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage compartment 11 that allows food to be put in and taken out of each storage compartment 11.

The multiple doors 20 close the storage compartment 11 in an openable and closable manner. The multiple doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment door 20B that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment door 20C that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment door 20D that closes the opening of the small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment door 20E that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 11E.

(Cooling unit)
The cooling unit 30 includes a compressor 31 , a refrigeration cooler 32 , a refrigeration fan 33 , a refrigeration cooler 34 , and a refrigeration fan 35 .
The compressor 31 compresses the refrigerant and supplies the compressed refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 32 and the freezing cooler 34 via a condenser, a capillary tube, and the like.

The refrigeration cooler 32 is disposed in the first duct space D1 provided at the rear of the refrigerator compartment 11A, and cools the air flowing through the first duct space D1 using the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 31.

The refrigeration fan 33 circulates the air (cold air) cooled by the refrigeration cooler 32 between the refrigeration temperature zone compartments (refrigeration compartment 11A, chilled compartment 11Aa, and vegetable compartment 11B) and the first duct space D1. This cools the refrigeration compartment 11A, chilled compartment 11Aa, and vegetable compartment 11B.

The freezing cooler 34 is disposed in the second duct space D2 provided at the rear of the main freezing chamber 11E, and cools the air flowing through the second duct space D2 using the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 31.

The freezing fan 35 circulates the air (cold air) cooled by the freezing cooler 34 between the freezing temperature zone compartments (ice-making compartment 11C, small freezing compartment 11D, and main freezing compartment 11E) and the second duct space D2. This cools the ice-making compartment 11C, small freezing compartment 11D, and main freezing compartment 11E.

In this specification, the term "cooling unit" is not limited to the above configuration, but may also include heating devices such as a heater for defrosting or a heater for preventing condensation.

Returning to FIG. 1, the remaining configuration will be described.
(Door opening device)
The door opening device 41 is a device that automatically opens the refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab. For example, the door opening device 41 has a first door opening device 41A and a second door opening device 41B.

The first door opening device 41A is disposed behind the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, one of the pair of left and right doors located at the top of the housing 10. The first door opening device 41A has a plunger 41P (see Figures 2 and 3) that is pushed forward when an electromagnet is excited. The first door opening device 41A is controlled by the control unit 73 (see Figure 5) of the first power supply board 70, which will be described later, and forcibly opens the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa by pushing the plunger 41P forward.

The second door opening device 41B is disposed behind the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, one of a pair of left and right doors located at the top of the housing 10. The second door opening device 41B has a plunger 41P (see Figs. 1 and 4) that is pushed forward when an electromagnet is excited. The second door opening device 41B is controlled by the control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70, and forcibly opens the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab by pushing the plunger 41P forward.
However, the type of the door opening device 41 is not limited to the above example.

(Operation section)
The operation unit 42 accepts a user's operation to operate the door opening device 41 .
For example, the operation unit 42 has a first operation unit 42A that accepts a user's operation to operate the first door opening device 41A, and a second operation unit 42B that accepts a user's operation to operate the second door opening device 41B.

The first operation unit 42A is provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and has a sensor capable of detecting a touch operation by a user touching the surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa. When the first operation unit 42A receives a user operation, the control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70 operates the first door opening device 41A.

The second operation unit 42B is provided on the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab and has a sensor capable of detecting a touch operation by a user touching the surface of the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. When the second operation unit 42B receives a user operation, the control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70 operates the second door opening device 41B.

The sensor provided in the first operation unit 42A or the second operation unit 42B detects a touch operation of a user touching the surface of the door 20, for example, by detecting a change in capacitance. However, the sensor provided in the first operation unit 42A or the second operation unit 42B may be a sensor capable of detecting a user's operation of simply bringing a hand close to the surface of the door 20.

(Interior camera)
The interior camera 53 is provided in one or more of the storage compartments 11 among the refrigerator compartment 11A, the chilled compartment 11Aa, the vegetable compartment 11B, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E (see Figures 2 and 3). The interior camera 53 has a camera body 53a and a camera control unit 53b.
The camera body 53 a captures images of the stored items (food ingredients) contained in the storage chamber 11 .
The camera control unit 53b controls the camera body 53a. For example, the camera control unit 53b operates the camera body 53a at a predetermined cycle to capture images of the inside of the storage room 11. The camera control unit 53b transmits image data captured by the camera body 53a to the control unit 73.

(External connection terminal)
1, the external connection terminal 54 is provided, for example, on the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab. The external connection terminal 54 is, for example, a female connector that complies with the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard. A user of the refrigerator 1 can charge the terminal device TD or another device by connecting a charging cable to the external connection terminal 54.

Here, the terminal device TD is a terminal device owned by a user of the refrigerator 1, and is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like.
The terminal device TD can communicate with the server device SD via an external network NW. A specific application program (e.g., a program for remotely controlling the refrigerator 1) is pre-installed in the terminal device TD, and a specific function is realized by executing this program by a processor mounted on the terminal device. For example, when the terminal device TD receives specific information (status history information I1, information for when a breakdown occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) related to the refrigerator 1, it transfers the received specific information (status history information I1, information for when a breakdown occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) to the server device SD.

(Wired and wireless communication module)
As shown in Fig. 1, the wired wireless communication module 61 is capable of wireless or wired communication with a router R installed in the same residence as the refrigerator 1. The wired wireless communication module 61 is capable of communication with an external server device SD (e.g., a cloud server) via the router R, a modem (not shown), and an external network NW such as the Internet. The wired wireless communication module 61 transmits information indicating the status of the refrigerator 1 to the server device SD. The wired wireless communication module 61 also receives a control signal for remotely operating the refrigerator 1 from the server device SD. The wired wireless communication module 61 is connected to a speaker unit 52, which will be described later, and is provided, for example, on the ceiling (upper wall 10a) of the housing 10.

(Display unit)
The display unit 51 displays information, and as shown in FIG. 1, for example, includes a display control board (second control board) 51A and a display device 51B.
The display device 51B has a display panel 51a and a touch sensor 51b. The display device 51B is provided on, for example, the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab.

The display panel 51a is an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, a micro LED (light emitting diode) display, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The display panel 51a has a display screen 51aa on which images and videos are displayed.

Display screen 51aa displays images or videos relating to, for example, recipes, cooking procedures, food ingredient management (refrigerator inventory management), refrigerator 1 settings (for example, set temperature), music (for example, live footage), or weather forecasts.

The touch sensor 51b is provided on top of the display screen 51aa. The touch sensor 51b is, for example, a capacitance sensor, and is capable of receiving input operations from the user on the display screen 51aa.

The display control board 51A is provided on the ceiling (upper wall 10a) of the housing 10. The display control board 51A controls the display panel 51a based on information from the touch sensor 51b. For example, the display control board 51A switches the content to be displayed on the display screen 51aa of the display panel 51a based on a user's operation on the touch sensor 51b.

(Speaker unit)
The speaker unit 52 outputs sound from the housing 10, and includes a speaker control board (first control board) 52A, a speaker (sound output unit) 52B, and a microphone 52C. The speaker unit 52 of this embodiment is a smart speaker equipped with the microphone 52C and having a voice dialogue function.

As shown in FIG. 1, the speaker unit 52 is disposed, for example, on the top wall 10a of the housing 10. The speaker unit 52 is disposed forward of the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80, which are also provided on the top wall 10a. Of the speaker unit 52, the speaker control board 52A and the speaker 52B are disposed, for example, on the left side in the width direction (the left hinge 6A side) on the front side of the top wall 10a of the housing 10. The microphone 52C is disposed in the center in the width direction on the front side of the top wall 10a of the housing 10.

The speaker control board 52A controls the music and/or voice output from the speaker 52B. The speaker control board 52A supplies power supplied from the second power supply board 80 to the speaker 52B, the wireless communication module 52b, and the microphone 12. The speaker control board 52A may also be capable of controlling the control unit 52e based on the user's speech (voice operation) to the speaker unit 52 at any timing, and outputting predetermined information (such as malfunction information I2 and/or inventory information I3) stored in the memory unit 52d of the speaker control board 52A by voice from the speaker 52B. The speaker control board 52A will be described in detail later.

(First power supply board)
The first power supply board 70 is a power supply board that receives power from an external commercial power supply PS (FIGS. 4 and 5) and supplies power necessary for the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1. For example, the first power supply board 70 supplies power to the cooling unit 30, the door opening device 41, the operation section 42, the wired wireless communication module 61, the display unit 51, the in-fridge camera 53, and the external connection terminal 54. As shown in FIG. 1, the first power supply board 70 is provided, for example, on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10. The first power supply board 70 will be described in detail later.

(Second power supply board)
The second power supply board 80 is a power supply board that functions as a main power supply for the display unit 51 and the speaker unit 52. The second power supply board 80 is supplied with power from the external commercial power supply PS through the first power supply board 70, and supplies power to each of the display unit 51 and the speaker unit 52. In this embodiment, the configuration is such that power is supplied to the wired wireless communication module 61 via the speaker unit 52.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second power supply board 80 is provided, for example, on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10. The second power supply board 80 is provided separately from the first power supply board 70 and is disposed independently of the first power supply board 70. In this embodiment, the second power supply board 80 is disposed rearward of the first power supply board 70. The second power supply board 80 will be described in detail later.

[2. Functional configuration of the first power supply board and the second power supply board]
Next, the functional configurations of the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 will be described.

[2.1 First power supply board]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the above-mentioned components, a door opening/closing switch SW and a temperature sensor TS are connected to the first power supply board 70.

The door opening/closing switches SW include a refrigerator door opening/closing switch that detects the opening/closing of the left refrigerator door 20Aa and the right refrigerator door 20Ab shown in FIG. 1, a vegetable door opening/closing switch that detects the opening/closing of the vegetable door 20B, an ice-making door opening/closing switch that detects the opening/closing of the ice-making door 20C, a small freezer door opening/closing switch that detects the opening/closing of the small freezer door 20D, and a main freezer door opening/closing switch that detects the opening/closing of the main freezer door 20E.

The temperature sensors TS include a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the vegetable compartment 11B, a main freezer compartment temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the main freezer compartment 11E, a refrigerator cooler temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerator cooler 32, a freezer cooler temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the freezer cooler 34, and an ambient temperature sensor that detects the temperature outside the refrigerator 1 (room temperature).

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first power supply board 70 has a circuit board 70a and a plurality of electrical components 70b (integrated circuit components such as a microcontroller, switching elements, diodes, etc.) mounted on the circuit board 70a. In the first power supply board 70, the circuit board 70a and the plurality of electrical components 70b shown in Figures 2 and 3 realize the power supply circuit (power supply unit) 71, current detection unit 72, control unit 73, and memory unit 74 shown in Figure 5.

The power supply circuit 71 includes an AC-DC converter, a switching circuit, etc., and supplies power to components related to the main functions of the refrigerator 1 (for example, components related to cooling the storage compartment 11). In this embodiment, the power supply circuit 71 is connected to an external commercial power source PS (for example, 100V AC) via a power cord 7, converts the power supplied from the commercial power source PS into the desired power (for example, DC power of the desired voltage), and supplies the converted power to each device that is the target of the power supply.

The devices to which power is supplied include the cooling unit 30 (e.g., the compressor 31, the refrigeration fan 33, and the freezing fan 35), the door opening device 41, and the wired wireless communication module 61 shown in Figures 2 and 3. This enables the cooling unit 30, the door opening device 41, the operation unit 42, the interior camera 53, and the external connection terminal 54 to operate.

The current detection unit 72 includes a current detection circuit and detects the current value of the current flowing through the electrical components of the refrigerator 1. The electrical components are, for example, the compressor 31, the refrigeration fan 33, the freezing fan 35, the ice tray motor, the water supply motor, or the heater.

The memory unit 74 stores information about the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. 5 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.), as well as specific information (images or video signals, audio or music data) acquired from an external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61, etc.

The "status history information I1" includes information indicating the detection results of the door open/close switch SW, the detection results of the temperature sensor ST, the detection results of the current detection unit 72, the remote control signal received via the wired wireless communication module 61, and the history of the operation control mode of the refrigerator 1.

The "information I2 for when a malfunction occurs" includes information I2 for when a malfunction occurs in the refrigerator 1. Information I2 for when a malfunction occurs is information that includes what to check if a malfunction is suspected, how to identify the location of the malfunction, or contact information for the manufacturer's support center (service center).

"Inventory information I3" includes at least inventory information of ingredients and food stored in the refrigerator 1. Inventory information I3 includes, for example, information input through the touch sensor 51b of the display unit 51 and/or information determined to be in stock by the control unit 73 based on images from the interior camera 53, as well as information such as the inventory amount, purchase date, expiration date, or best-before date of each ingredient stored in the refrigerator 1.

The control unit 73 constitutes the main control unit of the refrigerator 1.
The control unit 73 controls the cooling unit 30 (e.g., the compressor 31, the refrigeration fan 33, the freezing fan 35) and the door opening device 41 based on the detection results of the operation unit 42, the detection results of the door opening/closing switch SW, the detection results of the temperature sensor ST, the detection results of the current detection unit 72, the remote control control signal received via the wired wireless communication module 61, and a preset control algorithm, etc.

For example, the control unit 73 determines the open/closed states of the multiple doors 20 of the refrigerator 1 from the history of detection results of the door open/close switch SW. The control unit 73 also determines the setting state of each temperature control dial of the multiple storage compartments 11 from the history of detection results of the temperature sensor TS. Here, examples of operation control modes of the refrigerator 1 include automatic door on/off, ice making on/off, defrost mode, ice crystal chill, automatic power saving, ECO, etc. Furthermore, the control unit 73 detects the current value of the current flowing through the electrical components from the history of detection results of the current detection unit 72 to determine the operating state. In addition, the control unit 73 determines the processing corresponding to the current setting mode from the history of the operation control modes of the refrigerator 1 described above.

The control unit 73 can update the inventory information I3 stored in the memory unit 74 at any time based on the images and/or video signals obtained from the interior camera 53.

The control unit 73 can also communicate with the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 via a transmission means (not shown), and can control the speaker unit 52 and/or the display unit 51 based on the status history information I1, the failure information I2, and the inventory information I3 stored in the memory unit 74. For example, the control unit 73 transmits the status history information I1, the failure information I2, and the inventory information I3 stored in the memory unit 74 to the speaker unit 52 and/or the display unit 51.

One method of communication between the first power supply board 70 and each of the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 is to use a communication interface such as a Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transceiver (UART: a transceiver circuit for asynchronous serial communication).

As a result, the control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70 transmits the specified information (status history information I1, failure information I2, inventory information I3, etc.) stored in the memory unit 74 to the speaker control board 52A and/or the display control board 51A via UART communication.

In this embodiment, the wired wireless communication module 61 is connected to the speaker unit 52. Therefore, the control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70 can control the wired wireless communication module 61 via the control unit 52e of the speaker unit 52. For example, the control unit 73 transmits signals of predetermined information (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) stored in the memory unit 74 to the external terminal device TD via the wired wireless communication module 61. This allows the user to know necessary information about the refrigerator 1 even when away from home.

Note that the configuration is not limited to one in which the wired wireless communication module 61 is connected to the speaker unit 52, and the wired wireless communication module 61 may be directly connected to the first power supply board 70, for example.

The control unit 73, for example, transmits a signal to the external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61, requesting an image or video to be displayed on the display unit 51. The control unit 73 also acquires, for example, image and/or video data to be displayed on the display unit 51 from the external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61. The control unit 73 transmits the acquired image and/or video data to the display unit 51.

The control unit 73, for example, transmits a signal requesting audio and/or music data to be transmitted by the speaker unit 52 to the external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61. The control unit 73 also acquires audio and/or music data to be displayed by the speaker unit 52 from the external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61. The control unit 73 of the first power supply board 70 transmits the acquired audio and/or music data to the speaker unit 52.

[2.2 Second power supply board]
The second power supply board 80 includes a circuit board 80a shown in FIG. 2 and a plurality of electrical components 80b (integrated circuit components such as a microcontroller, switching elements, transformers, diodes, etc.) mounted on the circuit board 80a. In the second power supply board 80, a power supply circuit 81, a current detection unit 82, and a power supply control unit 83 are realized by the circuit board 80a and the plurality of electric components 80b shown in FIG.

The power supply circuit 81 includes an AC-DC converter and a switching circuit, and supplies power to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 provided in the refrigerator 1. In this embodiment, the power supply circuit 81 is connected to the first power supply board 70 via the power cable 8, converts power supplied from the external commercial power supply PS (e.g., AC 100V) through the first power supply board 70 into desired power (e.g., DC power of a desired voltage), and supplies the converted power to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 via the power cable 13. This enables the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 to operate.

The current detection unit 82 includes a current detection circuit and detects the current value of the current flowing through the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51. The current detection unit 82 detects the state of the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51.

When an abnormality occurs in the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51, the power supply control unit 83 at least temporarily stops the supply of power to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51. For example, when the power supply control unit 83 receives an error signal from the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51, it determines that an abnormality has occurred in the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51, and temporarily stops the supply of power from the second power supply board 80 to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51.

The power supply control unit 83 monitors the current value (or voltage value, temperature value, etc.) detected by the current detection unit 82, and if the current value (or voltage value, temperature value, etc.) of the current flowing through the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 exceeds a threshold value preset for the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51, it determines that an abnormality has occurred in the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51, and at least temporarily stops the supply of power to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51.

[3. Functional configuration of speaker control board and display control board]
Next, the functional configuration of the speaker control board 52A and the display control board 51A will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[3.1 Functional configuration of the speaker unit control board]
The speaker control board 52A includes a circuit board 90a shown in Fig. 2 and a plurality of electric components 90b mounted on the circuit board 90a. The circuit board 90a and the plurality of electric components 90b shown in Fig. 2 implement a control unit 52e and a storage unit 52d shown in Fig. 5.

The control unit 52e controls the speaker 52B, the microphone 52C, and the wired wireless communication module 61. The control unit 52e supplies power supplied from the second power supply board 80 to the speaker 52B, the microphone 52C, and the wired wireless communication module 61. This enables the speaker 52B, the microphone 52C, and the wired wireless communication module 61 to operate.

In this embodiment, the speaker unit 52 can communicate with the first power supply board 70. One method for communication between the speaker unit 52 and the first power supply board 70 is to use a communication interface such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transceiver: a transceiver circuit for asynchronous serial communication).

This enables the speaker unit 52 to obtain, via UART communication, predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) stored in the memory unit 74 of the first power supply board 70. The control unit 52e stores the information obtained from the first power supply board 70 in the memory unit 52d. The memory unit 52d prestores voice and/or music data corresponding to the predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.).

The control unit 52e, for example, plays audio and/or music data corresponding to specific information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) acquired from the first power supply board 70, and outputs the played audio and/or music from the speaker 52B to the outside of the refrigerator 1.

For example, the speaker 52B outputs voice messages such as "The door is open," "The refrigerator compartment has been changed to strong mode," and "The refrigerator has been set to rapid ice-making mode." This allows users around the refrigerator 1 to hear and learn the necessary information about the refrigerator 1 without having to look at the display screen 51aa of the refrigerator 1.

The control unit 52e can also execute a predetermined process based on, for example, a speech from the user input through the microphone 52C. For example, the control unit 52e stores information input through the microphone 52C in the memory unit 52d. The memory unit 52d stores voice and/or music data corresponding to the user's speech in advance. The control unit 52e outputs, for example, voice and/or music corresponding to the content of the user's speech acquired through the microphone 52C to the user through the speaker 52B. This allows the user to interact with the refrigerator 1.

The control unit 52e also transmits voice and/or music data based on, for example, predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 stored in the memory unit 52d (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) to the terminal device TD (Figure 1) via the wired wireless communication module 61. This allows the user to check the necessary information about the refrigerator 1 on the terminal device TD at hand.

The control unit 52e also plays back the audio and/or music data stored in the storage unit 52d based on a control signal received from the terminal device TD via the wired wireless communication module 61, and outputs the played audio and/or music from the speaker 52B to the outside of the refrigerator 1. This not only notifies the user of necessary information about the refrigerator 1, but also makes it possible to notify and provide the user with audio and/or music selected by the user at a desired timing.

[3.2 Functional configuration of the display control board]
The display control board 51A includes a circuit board 91a and a plurality of electric components 91b mounted on the circuit board 91a as shown in Fig. 3. The circuit board 91a and the plurality of electric components 91b as shown in Fig. 2 implement a control unit 51e and a storage unit 51d.

The control unit 51e controls the display device 51B. The control unit 51e supplies the power supplied from the second power supply board 80 to the display device 51B. This enables the display device 51B to operate.

The control unit 51e displays on the display unit 51, for example, based on an image or video signal acquired by the control unit 52e in the speaker control board 52A described above from the external server device SD via the wired wireless communication module 61.

In this embodiment, the display unit 51 can communicate with the first power supply board 70. One method for communication between the display unit 51 and the first power supply board 70 is to use a communication interface such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transceiver: a transceiver circuit for asynchronous serial communication).

This allows the display unit 51 to obtain, via UART communication, predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) stored in the memory unit 74 of the first power supply board 70. The control unit 51e stores the information obtained from the first power supply board 70 in the memory unit 51d. The memory unit 51d prestores images and/or video signals corresponding to the predetermined information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.).

The control unit 51e displays on the display device 51B, for example, images and/or video data corresponding to specific information about the refrigerator 1 (status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, inventory information I3, etc.) acquired from the first power supply board 70. Notifications such as "The door is open," "The refrigerator compartment has been changed to strong mode," and "Set to quick ice-making mode" are displayed on the display device 51B. This allows the control unit 51e to display the notifications until they are released. The user can obtain the necessary information about the refrigerator 1 simply by looking at the display screen 51aa of the refrigerator 1.

The control unit 51e can also display images and/or video signals corresponding to specific information (such as status history information I1, information for when a malfunction occurs I2, and inventory information I3) stored in the memory unit 51d on the display screen 51aa of the display device 51B based on the user's operation on the touch sensor 51b of the display device 51B at any timing, and can switch the content displayed on the display screen 51aa of the display panel 51a. This allows the user to know the information he or she wants to know through the display panel 51a.

The display unit 51 may have a function that allows the control unit 51e to execute a predetermined display based on, for example, speech from the user input through the microphone 52C.

[4. Structure of power supply board housing section and functional unit housing section]
Next, the structures of the power supply board housing portion and the functional unit housing portion will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[4.1 Power supply board housing]
In this embodiment, the above-mentioned first power supply board 70 and second power supply board 80 are housed in a power supply board housing section 2 that is installed so as to be embedded in the ceiling part of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 4. The power supply board housing section 2 is disposed on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10, closer to the rear side of the refrigerator 1 (toward the rear wall 10e).

The power supply board housing section 2 is a rectangular container that is open at the top and is large enough to house the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 in the same space. The opening side of the power supply board housing section 2 is closed by a cover member 2A for the power supply board housing section. The cover member 2A for the power supply board housing section is removably attached to the opening side of the power supply board housing section 2.

The power cord 7 that connects the external commercial power source PS to the first power supply board 70, and the power cable 8 that connects the first power supply board 70 to the second power supply board 80 are routed inside and outside the power supply board housing section 2 to one side (the right side) in the width direction of the refrigerator 1.

The second power supply board 80 is connected to the speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 via the power cables 13 and signal lines 14, respectively. The power cables 13 and signal lines 14 connecting the second power supply board 80 and the display unit 51 are pulled out to the outside of the power supply board housing section 2 and routed, for example, to the other widthwise side (left side) of the refrigerator 1. The power cables 13 and signal lines 14 connecting the second power supply board 80 and the speaker unit 52 are also pulled out to the outside of the power supply board housing section 2 and routed, for example, to the other widthwise side (left side) of the refrigerator 1.

[4.2 Functional unit housing section]
The speaker unit 52 and the display unit 51 described above are housed in a functional unit housing section 3 provided on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10. The functional unit housing section 3 is disposed on the upper wall 10a of the housing 10, closer to the front side of the refrigerator 1 (toward the door 20) than the power supply board housing section 2.

The functional unit storage section 3 has a length in the width direction along the front end of the upper wall 10a, and is formed with a width dimension approximately equal to the width of the refrigerator 1 (casing 10). The functional unit storage section 3 has an upper wall 3d, four side walls 3c extending downward from the periphery of the upper wall 3d, and a pair of first and second storage recesses 3A and 3B recessed downward from the upper wall 3d. These first and second storage recesses 3A and 3B have a rectangular recess shape in plan view that opens toward the upper wall 3d. The plan view shapes of the first and second storage recesses 3A and 3B are not limited to a rectangle. The opening side of the first storage recess 3A is closed by a cover member 3a, and the opening side of the second storage recess 3B is closed by a cover member 3b.

The first storage recess 3A is capable of storing the display unit 51 described above. The first storage recess 3A is formed on one side in the width direction of the refrigerator 1 (the length direction of the functional unit storage section 3) near the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab (Figure 1).

The first storage recess 3A houses the display control board 51A of the display unit 51. The space housing the display control board 51A is closed by a cover member 3a that is arranged on the opening side of the first storage recess 3A.

The second storage recess 3B is capable of housing the speaker unit 52 and wired wireless communication module 61 described above. The second storage recess 3B is formed on the other side of the width direction of the refrigerator 1 (the length direction of the functional unit storage section 3) near the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa (Figure 1).

The second storage recess 3B accommodates the speaker control board 52A and the speaker 52B of the speaker unit 52, as well as the wired wireless communication module 61. The space accommodating the speaker control board 52A, the speaker 52B, and the wired wireless communication module 61 is closed by a cover member 3b arranged on the opening side of the second storage recess 3B.

In this embodiment, the display unit 51, the speaker unit 52, and the wired wireless communication module 61 are arranged separately on both sides in the width direction of the refrigerator 1. In particular, by arranging the display unit 51 and the wired wireless communication module 61 separately from each other, it is possible to prevent interference between their communications and the effects of noise, etc.

The functional unit storage section 3 of this embodiment has a sound emission hole group 4 for emitting the sound and/or music output from the speaker 52B housed in the second storage recess 3B to the outside. The sound emission hole group 4 is composed of a plurality of sound emission holes 4a. The sound emission hole group 4 is formed on the front wall 3c1 of the functional unit storage section 3 at a position on the left side in the width direction facing the second storage recess 3B. Each sound emission hole 4a opens on the front wall 3c1 and the inner wall of the second storage recess 3B, and connects the second storage recess 3B to the external space. This allows the sound and/or music output from the speaker 52B housed in the first storage recess 3A to be emitted to the outside (the front side of the refrigerator 1) through the sound emission hole group 4. In this embodiment, the speaker 52B is arranged on the front side of the upper wall 10a of the refrigerator 1, so that sound can be efficiently emitted to the front side of the refrigerator 1.

Of the speaker unit 52, the microphone 52C that is not accommodated in the second accommodation recess 3B is accommodated in the internal space K of the functional unit accommodation section 3, excluding the first accommodation recess 3A and the second accommodation recess 3B. The microphone 52C is accommodated in the center of the refrigerator 1 in the width direction, near the front wall 3c1 of the functional unit accommodation section 3.

The functional unit housing section 3 has a group of sound collection holes 5 for collecting the user's speech. The group of sound collection holes 5 is formed in the front wall 3c1 of the functional unit housing section 3, approximately in the center in the width direction. This makes it possible to recognize the voice uttered by the user via the microphone 52C, regardless of which side of the refrigerator 1 the user is on in the width direction.

The functional unit housing section 3 of this embodiment has a left hinge (door rotation support part) 6A that rotatably supports the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, and a right hinge (door rotation support part) 6B that rotatably supports the right refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, on both sides in the width direction. These left hinge 6A and right hinge 6B are formed to protrude from the left and right sides of the front wall 3c1 toward the front of the refrigerator 1.

The left hinge 6A is located above the outer end of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa and, together with another left hinge (not shown) provided below the outer end of the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa, rotatably supports the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa.
The right-side hinge 6B is located above the outer end of the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, and together with another right-side hinge (not shown) provided below the outer end of the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab, supports the right-side refrigerator compartment door 20Ab rotatably.

The functional unit housing section 3 of this embodiment further has the function of housing a door opening device 41. The door opening device 41 is housed in the internal space K of the functional unit housing section 3 excluding the first housing recess 3A and the second housing recess 3B, and is positioned on both sides of the width of the microphone 52C. A pair of insertion holes (not shown) are formed in the front wall 3c1 of the functional unit housing section 3 for inserting the plungers 41P of the first door opening device 41A and the second door opening device 41B.

In this way, the functional unit storage section 3 of this embodiment can simultaneously store the display control board 51A of the display unit 51, the speaker unit 52, the wired wireless communication module 61, and the door opening device 41, and is configured to integrate multiple storage sections that previously housed each separately. In this embodiment, it further has left and right hinges 6A, 6B that rotatably support the left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab, and by integrating these, it is possible to reduce the number of storage sections to be installed on the ceiling (upper wall 10a) of the refrigerator 1, making the installation work easier and creating a sense of unity throughout the refrigerator 1.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the height of the functional unit housing 3 in this embodiment is preferably a dimension that does not exceed the height of the power supply board housing 2. In other words, it is preferable that the cover member 2A for the power supply board housing and the cover members 3a, 3b for the speaker unit housing are the same height. This allows a part of the display unit 51 (display control board 51A) and the speaker unit 52 to be installed on the ceiling of the refrigerator 1 without significantly changing the height dimension of the refrigerator 1. The speaker 52B and microphone 52C are thin, but have sufficient performance to notify a user around the refrigerator 1 installed indoors of a sound or to recognize speech from the user.

The above-mentioned power supply board housing section 2, power supply board housing section cover member 2A, functional unit housing section 3, and cover members 3a and 3b are made of materials that are waterproof and flame-retardant, such as metal plate material or flame-retardant resin. Therefore, the internal space of the power supply board housing section 2 is an area where water leakage and fire spread are prevented. Therefore, even if water flows into the power supply board housing section 2, the water is prevented from leaking into the housing 10. Furthermore, even if a fire or the like occurs inside the power supply board housing section 2, the fire is prevented from spreading to the housing 10.

It is preferable that at least the power supply board housing section 2 and the cover member 2A for the power supply board housing section are made of metal or have flame retardant properties. This can improve the heat dissipation of the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 housed in the power supply board housing section 2, and can prevent the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 from causing noise effects on other devices.

The refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment described above includes a second power supply board 80 that supplies power to the display unit 51 and the speaker unit 52, in addition to the first power supply board 70 that mainly supplies power to the cooling unit 30.
According to this configuration, by independently providing a first power supply board 70 that supplies power to the main function equipment and a second power supply board 80 that supplies power to the sub-function equipment, it is possible to supply sufficient power to drive the display unit 51 and the speaker unit 52.

In addition, even if a failure occurs in the display control board 51A or the speaker control board 52A, the function of the first power supply board 70 can be maintained. Therefore, for example, even if a failure occurs in the display control board 51A or the speaker control board 52A, the cooling function of the refrigerator 1 can be maintained.

In addition, by configuring the wired wireless communication module 61 to be connected to the first power supply board 70, the user can view the information stored in the memory unit 74 of the first power supply board 70 (such as information I2 for when the refrigerator 1 breaks down and inventory information I3) on the screen of an external terminal device TD via the wired wireless communication module 61. Alternatively, the user can check the specific information stored in the memory unit 74 of the first power supply board 70 by operating the terminal device TD.

In addition, if the display control board 51A/speaker control board 52A fails, it is only necessary to replace the failed display control board 51A/speaker control board 52A, which reduces the effort and cost. This improves user convenience.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the above embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiment and its modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention.

For example, the speaker unit 52 and the wired wireless communication module 61 may be disposed on the left hinge 6A. Also, the display control board 51A may be disposed on the right hinge 6B.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the power cable 13 and signal line 14 that supply power from the second power supply board 80 to the display unit 51 are routed in the same area, but they may be routed in areas separated from each other. Similarly, the power cable 13 and signal line 14 that supply power from the second power supply board 80 to the speaker unit 52 may also be routed in areas separated from each other, rather than being routed in the same area. This reduces the effect of noise on each signal line 14.

1...refrigerator, 6A...left hinge (door rotation support), 6B...right hinge (door rotation support), 3d, 10a...upper wall (ceiling), 10...casing, 11...storage room, 30...cooling unit (cooling mechanism), 51...display unit (display mechanism), 51A...display control board (second control board), 51B...display device, 52...speaker unit (audio output mechanism), 52A...speaker control board (first control board), 52B...speaker (audio output section), 61...wired wireless communication module (communication module), 70...first power supply board, 80...second power supply board, NW...network, SD...server device

Claims (6)

A refrigerator comprising: a housing including a storage compartment; a plurality of doors attached to an opening side of the housing in an openable and closable manner; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the storage compartment,
a first power supply board that stores predetermined information including status history information of the refrigerator and supplies power to the cooling mechanism;
an audio output mechanism for outputting audio from the housing;
A display mechanism for displaying information;
a second power supply board provided separately from the first power supply board;
Equipped with
The audio output mechanism includes:
An audio output unit;
a first control board that stores sound information corresponding to the predetermined information and controls the audio output unit;
having
The display mechanism includes:
A display device;
A second control board that controls the display device;
having
The second power supply board supplies power to the audio output mechanism,
the first control board acquires the predetermined information from the first power supply board, and causes the sound output unit to output the sound information based on the predetermined information;
the first power supply board, the second power supply board, the first control board and the second control board are provided in a ceiling portion of the housing, the first control board and the second control board are disposed closer to a front side of the housing than the first power supply board and the second power supply board, and are disposed apart from each other on both sides in a width direction of the refrigerator,
refrigerator. A refrigerator comprising: a housing including a storage compartment; a plurality of doors attached to an opening side of the housing in an openable and closable manner; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the storage compartment,
a first power supply board that stores predetermined information including status history information of the refrigerator and supplies power to the cooling mechanism;
an audio output mechanism for outputting audio from the housing;
A display mechanism for displaying information;
a second power supply board provided separately from the first power supply board;
Equipped with
The audio output mechanism includes:
An audio output unit;
A first control board that controls the audio output unit;
having
The display mechanism includes :
A display device;
a second control board that stores image information corresponding to the predetermined information and controls the display device;
having
the second power supply board supplies power to the display mechanism;
the second control board acquires the predetermined information from the first power supply board, and causes the display device to display the image information based on the predetermined information;
the first power supply board, the second power supply board, the first control board and the second control board are provided in a ceiling portion of the housing, the first control board and the second control board are disposed closer to a front side of the housing than the first power supply board and the second power supply board, and are disposed apart from each other on both sides in a width direction of the refrigerator,
refrigerator. Among the plurality of doors, the first control board is disposed on a door rotation support portion side of one of the pair of left and right doors located at the top of the housing, and the second control board is disposed on a door rotation support portion side of the other door.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2 . A communication module capable of communicating with a server device through an external network,
The second control board is disposed at a position away from the communication module.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . the second control board is disposed on a door rotation support portion side of one of the pair of left and right doors located at the top of the housing, among the plurality of doors;
The communication module is disposed on the door rotation support portion side of the other door.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 . The first power supply board and the second power supply board are accommodated in a same metal accommodation portion.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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