DOMESTIC APPLIANCE WITH A DIGITAL CAMERA, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE COMPRISING A DIGITAL CAMERA

Abstract

A domestic appliance has a heat-insulated housing with two lateral walls, a rear wall, and a cover. The housing delimits a coolable interior for storing food. The appliance has a refrigerating device for cooling the coolable interior, at least one pivotally mounted door leaf for opening and closing the coolable interior, a drawer which can be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and a digital camera in or on the housing in order to produce an image of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open. The digital camera is arranged in or on the cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls. The digital camera faces diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A household refrigerator, comprising: a heat-insulated housing having two lateral walls, a rear wall, and a cover delimiting a coolable interior for storing food; a refrigerating device for cooling the coolable interior; at least one pivotally mounted door leaf for selectively opening and closing the coolable interior; a drawer configured to be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when said door leaf is open; and a digital camera disposed in or on said cover, or in an upper region in or on one of said lateral walls, said digital camera facing diagonally downwards and away from said rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical, and said digital camera being configured to produce an image of said drawer while said drawer is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior and said door leaf is open.

14. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, which comprises at least one door rack for storing food arranged on a side of said door leaf facing the coolable interior, and wherein said digital camera is oriented to be capable of recording an image of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of said at least one door leaf.

15. The household refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined opening angle of the at least one door leaf lies between 30° and 60°.

16. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein said digital camera is arranged in or on said cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls to be oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of 30° to 60° relative to the vertical.

17. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein said digital camera is arranged in or on said cover centrally relative to the horizontal, and/or said digital camera has a viewing angle of is at least 80°.

18. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the viewing angle of said digital camera is at least 110°.

19. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein an optical axis assigned to said digital camera runs parallel to said lateral walls.

20. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein said digital camera is arranged in or on the cover or, respectively, in or on the lateral wall such that: a projection of an optical axis assigned to said digital camera into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at a right angle to said door leafwhen said door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle; and/or the optical axis assigned to said digital camera strikes said door leaf at least approximately centrally relative to the horizontal when said door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle.

21. The household refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein said at least one door leaf is one of two door leaves arranged adjacent one another for opening and closing the coolable interior, wherein one of said door leaves is pivotally mounted on a left-hand side and another of said door leaves is pivotally mounted on a right-hand side relative to said heat-insulated housing, and wherein each of said two door leaves carries at least one door rack for storing food on a side thereof facing the coolable interior.

22. The household refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein: said digital camera is configured to record an image of said drawer that is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when said door leaves are open and said drawer is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior; and/or said digital camera is configured to record an image of the side of said door leaf mounted on the left-hand side and facing the coolable interior when said door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle; and/or said digital camera is configured to record an image of the side of said door leaf mounted on the right-hand side and facing the coolable interior when said door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle.

23. The household refrigerator according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined opening angle lies between 30° and 60°.

24. The household refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein said digital camera is one of two digital cameras arranged in or on said cover, wherein one of said digital cameras is oriented in a direction of said door leaf that is mounted on the left-hand side when said door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle, and another of said digital cameras is oriented in a direction of said door leaf that is mounted on the right-hand side when said door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle.

25. A method, comprising: providing a household refrigerator according to claim 13 with at least one door rack for storing food on a side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior of the household refrigerator; recording an image with the digital camera when the door leaf is open and the drawer is partly pulled out of the coolable interior; and recording an image with the digital camera of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle while the door leaf is being closed.

26. The method according to claim 25, which comprises recording the image with the digital camera while the opening angle lies between 30° and 60°.

27. The method according to claim 25, which further comprises post-processing image data assigned to the image or to a plurality of images and enabling the image or images of the post-processed image data to be viewed with a mobile terminal device.

28. A method, comprising: providing a household refrigerator according to claim 13 with two door leaves arranged adjacent one another, one of the door leaves being a left-hand door leaf and another being a right-hand door leaf, and the door leaves carrying at least one door rack for storing food on a side thereof facing the coolable interior; recording an image with the digital camera when the door leaves are open and the drawer is partly pulled out of the coolable interior; recording an image with the digital camera of a side of the left-hand door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle while the right-hand door leaf is being closed; and recording an image with the digital camera of a side of the right-hand door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle while the door leaf is being closed.

29. The method according to claim 28, which comprises recording the image with the digital camera while the opening angle lies between 30° and 60°.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising post-processing image data assigned to the image or to a plurality of images and enabling an image with the post-processed image data to be viewed with a mobile terminal device.

Description

[0042] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example in the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a household refrigerator with a plurality of chilling zones, one thereof being a coolable interior, in a sectional view,

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the coolable interior which is closed by means of two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, in a sectional view,

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the coolable interior with the open door leaves and a drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, in a sectional view,

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the coolable interior with the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, in a sectional view,

[0047] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the coolable interior, in a sectional view,

[0048] FIGS. 6-8 show a digital camera of the household refrigerator with different panels,

[0049] FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the coolable interior with door leaves open at a predetermined opening angle, in a sectional view,

[0050] FIG. 10 shows a side view of one of the door leaves, in a sectional view,

[0051] FIG. 11 shows a plan view of the coolable interior with the door leaves of an alternative embodiment of the household refrigerator open at a predetermined opening angle, in a sectional view,

[0052] FIGS. 12-14 show different panels of the alternative embodiment, and

[0053] FIGS. 15-17 show further embodiments of the household refrigerator.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a household refrigerator 1 in a sectional view.

[0055] The household refrigerator 1 comprises a heat-insulated housing 2 with an inner container 3 which defines a coolable interior 4. The coolable interior 4 is provided for storing food, not shown.

[0056] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 has three chilling zones arranged one above the other. The uppermost chilling zone is formed by the coolable interior 4. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, a cold storage compartment 21 is arranged below the coolable interior 4 and a freezer compartment 22 is arranged therebelow, said compartments being provided for storing food.

[0057] The household refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a first outer drawer 23 which may be pushed into the cold storage compartment 21 in order to close the cold storage compartment 21. In the pulled-out state, the first outer drawer 23 may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food stored therein may be removed.

[0058] The household refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a second outer drawer 24 which may be pushed into the freezer compartment 22 in order to close the freezer compartment 22. In the pulled-out state the second outer drawer 24 may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food stored therein may be removed.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the coolable interior 4 in a sectional view.

[0060] The heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4 comprises, in particular, two lateral walls 2a which are oriented, in particular, parallel to one another, a cover 2b which, in particular, runs horizontally and a rear wall 2c which, in particular, runs vertically.

[0061] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, i.e. a left-hand door leaf 5a and a right-hand door leaf 5b, which in the closed state close an opening of the heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4. In the open state of the left-hand door leaf 5a, the left-hand region of the coolable interior 4 is accessible via the opening and in the open state of the right-hand door leaf 5b, the right-hand region of the coolable interior 4 is accessible via the opening.

[0062] The door leaves 5a, 5b are, in particular, heat-insulated door leaves 5a, 5b and comprise in the case of the present exemplary embodiment in each case an inner skin 6a facing the coolable interior 4 and an outer skin 6b facing away from the coolable interior 4, an insulating foam being arranged therebetween.

[0063] On the side of the door leaves 5a, 5b facing the coolable interior 4, i.e. in the case of the present exemplary embodiment, a plurality of door racks 7 for storing food are arranged on the inner skins 6a of the door leaves 5a, 5b.

[0064] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises a plurality of shelves 8 which are arranged one above the other in the coolable interior and a drawer 9 which is arranged in a lower region of the coolable interior 4. The drawer 9 is provided for storing food and may be pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior 4 when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open. This is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the door leaves 5a, 5b are closed, the drawer 9 is pushed into the coolable interior 4.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the household refrigerator 1 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4 when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open and the drawer 9 is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4 in a sectional view, FIG. 4 shows a side view of the household refrigerator 1 when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open and the drawer 9 is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4 in a sectional view, and FIG. 5 shows a front view of the household refrigerator 1 when the drawer 9 is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4.

[0066] When the drawer 9 is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4, this drawer may be loaded with food or, respectively, the food may be removed from the drawer 9.

[0067] The household refrigerator 1 comprises a refrigerating device, not shown in more detail and known to the person skilled in the art in principle, preferably in the form of a refrigerant circuit for cooling the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22. The refrigerant circuit comprises, for example, a compressor, a condenser arranged downstream of the compressor, a throttle device which is arranged downstream of the condenser and which is designed, in particular, as a throttle or capillary tube and an evaporator which is arranged between the throttle device and the compressor.

[0068] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises an electronic controller, not shown in more detail, which is designed to activate the refrigerating device, in particular the compressor of the refrigerant circuit in a manner generally known by the person skilled in the art, such that the coolable interior 4 has at least approximately a predetermined or predeterminable target temperature of, for example, ca. 8° C., the cold storage compartment 21 has a temperature of approximately 1° C. and the freezer compartment 22 has a temperature of significantly lower than 0° C. The electronic controller is preferably designed such that it regulates the temperatures of the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22. In order to obtain, as required, the actual temperatures of the coolable interior 4, the cold storage compartment 21 and the freezer compartment 22, the household refrigerator 1 may have temperature sensors which are not shown in more detail and which are connected to the electronic controller.

[0069] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 comprises a digital camera 61, which is designed to produce images of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is fastened in or on the cover 2b of the heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4, in particular in a front region of the cover 2b.

[0070] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is arranged inside a cover panel or, respectively, panel 62, 72, 82 which is fastened to the cover 2b on the inner container 3. FIGS. 6 to 8 show different embodiments of the panel 62, 72, 82.

[0071] The panels 62, 72 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 comprise in each case an opening through which the digital camera 61 protrudes.

[0072] The panel 82 shown in FIG. 8 comprises a transparent window 83 through which the digital camera 61 is able to produce its images.

[0073] The digital camera 61 is fastened in or on the cover 2b such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2c at an angle α of at least 20°, in the case of the present exemplary embodiment between 30° and 60° relative to the vertical 10, i.e. an optical axis 63 assigned to the digital camera 61 encloses the α with the vertical 10. As a result, the digital camera 61 may produce images from above of the drawer 9 which is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. The household refrigerator 1 is designed, in particular, such that the digital camera 61 produces the images when the drawer 9 moves from its pulled-out position in the direction of the coolable interior 4. Preferably the household refrigerator 1 is designed such that the digital camera 61 produces the images at a predetermined position of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4. In order to detect the position and the direction of movement, the household refrigerator 1 comprises suitable means, not shown in more detail, or, respectively, a corresponding detection device. The drawer 9 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in the predetermined position relative to the coolable interior.

[0074] The household refrigerator 1 is designed such that the images recorded by the digital camera 61 may be transmitted, for example, via the Internet to a portable terminal device, for example a smartphone.

[0075] The viewing angle β of the digital camera 61 is, in particular, at least 80°, preferably at least 110°.

[0076] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is arranged centrally in or on the cover 2b relative to the horizontal.

[0077] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is oriented such that the optical axis 63 runs parallel to the lateral walls.

[0078] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is also provided to produce an image of the sides of the door leaves 5a, 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at a predetermined opening angle Ω of the open door leaves 5a, 5b. In order to detect the opening angle Ω of the door leaves 5a, 5b and the pivoting directions thereof the household refrigerator 1 comprises suitable devices, not shown in more detail. This is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0079] The digital camera 61 is controlled, in particular, by an electronic control device 11 which is preferably designed to post-process the image data assigned to the images. The electronic control device 11 comprises, in particular, an interface for connecting to the Internet such that, for example, the images assigned to the post-processed image data may be viewed via a mobile terminal device.

[0080] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the household refrigerator 1 is designed such that it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5a facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed, such that it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the side of the right-hand door leaf 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed, and such that when the door leaves 5a, 5b are open and when the drawer 9 is partly pulled out of the coolable interior, it records with the digital camera 61 an image of the drawer 9.

[0081] FIGS. 11 to 14 show an embodiment of the household refrigerator 1 which comprises two further digital cameras 61a, 61b in addition to the digital camera 61. In this case, the digital camera 61 is provided to produce only an image of the drawer 9 pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior 4.

[0082] A first of the further digital cameras 61a is provided to record an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5a facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60°0 whilst this door leaf is being closed, and a second of the further digital cameras 61b is provided to record an image of the side of the right-hand door leaf 5b facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed.

[0083] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are fastened in or on the cover 2b.

[0084] The two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are oriented such that they are oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2c at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, this angle is less than the angle α which the digital camera 61 encloses with the vertical 10.

[0085] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the first further digital camera 61a assigned to the left-hand door leaf 5a is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63a into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the left-hand door leaf 5a when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.

[0086] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the second further digital camera 61b assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5b is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63b into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the right-hand door leaf 5b when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.

[0087] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are arranged inside a cover panel or, respectively, panel 62a, 72a, 82a which is fastened to the cover 2b on the inner container 3. FIGS. 12 and 14 show different embodiments of the panel 62a, 72a, 74a.

[0088] The panels 62a, 72a shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 comprise in each case openings through which the digital cameras 61, 61a, 61b protrude.

[0089] The panel 82a shown in FIG. 14 comprises transparent windows 84a through which the digital cameras 61, 61a, 61b are able to produce their images.

[0090] It is also possible that the household refrigerator 1 does not have a digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61a, 61b are provided to produce images together of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4.

[0091] FIGS. 15 to 17 show a further embodiment of the household refrigerator 1 in which, instead of the digital camera 61 or, respectively, the digital cameras 61a, 61b, a digital camera 150 is fastened in the upper region of one of the lateral walls 2a of the heat-insulated housing 2. This digital camera 150 faces diagonally downwards and thus is oriented such that it encloses at least an angle of 20° relative to the vertical. From this position the drawer 9 which is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4 may also be depicted in its entirety by the digital camera 150. The distortion produced by the diagonal arrangement of the digital camera 150 may be corrected retrospectively by means of software.

[0092] The digital camera 150 may be oriented, for example, such that its optical axis 151 runs parallel to the rear wall 2c, as shown in FIG. 16.

[0093] The digital camera 150 may be oriented, for example, such that the projection of its optical axis 151 is oriented at right-angles to one of the door leaves 5a when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. Such an orientation of the digital camera 150 is shown in FIG. 17. In this case the digital camera 151 may also be provided to record an image of the side of that door leaf 5a facing the coolable interior 4 which is pivotally mounted relative to the lateral wall 2a opposing the digital camera 150. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 16 the digital camera 151 is arranged to the right and may accordingly be designed to record an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5 facing the coolable interior 4 when this door leaf 5a is open at the predetermined opening angle.

[0094] According to this embodiment of the household refrigerator, a further digital camera, not shown, which is assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5b may also be provided.

[0095] The household refrigerator 1 may also be designed such that the coolable interior 4 may be opened and closed only by a single door leaf.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0096] 1 Household refrigerator [0097] 2 Heat-insulated housing [0098] 2a Lateral wall [0099] 2b Cover [0100] 2c Rear wall [0101] 3 Inner container [0102] 4 Coolable interior [0103] 5a, 5b Door leaf [0104] 6a Inner skin [0105] 6b Outer skin [0106] 7 Door rack [0107] 8 Shelves [0108] 9 Drawer [0109] 10 Vertical [0110] 11 Electronic control device [0111] 21 Cold storage compartment [0112] 22 Freezer compartment [0113] 23, 23 Outer drawer [0114] 61 Digital camera [0115] 61a, b Further digital camera [0116] 62, 62a Panel [0117] 63, 63a Optical axis [0118] 72, 72a Panel [0119] 82, 82a Panel [0120] 83, 83a Window [0121] 150 Digital camera [0122] 151 Optical axis [0123] α Angle [0124] β Viewing angle [0125] Ω Opening angle