REFRIGERATOR

• US 20170234602A1
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SEO, Yong Bum, KOO, Keon Pyo, SHIN, Chun Youp, YOO, Woo Yeol, LEE, Jeong Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,852,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/021 French doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/02 Refrigerators including a heater
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/06 Sensors detecting the presence of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator which includes: a main body having an opening, and including a storage chamber therein; a door configured to open or close the opening; a camera unit disposed in the door, and configured to photograph the storage chamber, wherein the camera unit faces the storage chamber selectively by interworking with opening or closing of the door. With this configuration, it may look in the storage chamber of the refrigerator without opening any door and minimize exposure of the camera unit to the outside.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body having an opening, and having a storage room therein;

a first door configured to open or close an area of the opening;

a second door configured to open or close the other area of the opening; and

a rotation bar rotatably coupled with the first door, and configured to seal a gap between the first door and the second door,

wherein the rotation bar comprises;

a case having a through hole, and

a camera unit disposed inside the case, and configured to photograph the storage room through the through hole, and

wherein the camera unit selectively faces the storage room in correspondence to opening/closing operation of the first door, and photographs the storage room when facing the storage room.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first door comprises a door shelf formed on the rear surface of the first door, and configured to accommodate an object that is to be cooled, and

the camera unit faces the door shelf when the rotation bar is at a closed position.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the door shelf comprises a shelf support protruding from the first door, and configured to support the left and right ends of the door shelf, and

the camera unit faces the shelf support when the rotation bar is at the closed position.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rotation bar comprises:

a cover disposed in one side of the case, and configured to cover the side of the case; and

an insulating member disposed between the case and the cover, and configured to accommodate the camera unit in correspondence to the through hole.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hinge brackets provided in the first door such that the rotation bar is rotatable with respect to the first door,

wherein the camera unit comprises a plurality of camera units spaced apart from each other,

the uppermost camera unit of the plurality of camera units is located at a side portion of the uppermost hinge bracket of the plurality of hinge brackets, and

another camera unit located below the uppermost camera unit of the plurality of camera units is located at a lower position than another hinge bracket located below the uppermost hinge bracket of the plurality of hinge brackets.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises:

a camera configured to photograph the storage room; and

a heating unit located adjacent to the camera, and configured to heat the camera.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the camera is able to change a photographing angle such that the camera is directed to one direction of up, down, left, and right directions.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rotation bar extends vertically to correspond to the length in height direction of the first door, and

the camera unit comprises a plurality of camera units arranged vertically on the rotation bar in such a way to be spaced apart from each other.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage room comprises a first storage room, and a second storage disposed below the first storage room, and

the camera unit comprises a first camera configured to photograph the first storage room, and a second camera unit located below the first camera unit, and configured to photograph the second storage room.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising a display unit disposed on a front portion of at least one of the first door and the second door,

wherein information photographed by the camera unit is output to the display unit or an external communication device.