Camera device for refrigerator and refrigerator comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018167589-A1
Application number	US-201815891945-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A camera device for use in a storage unit includes a case configured to be detachably installable inside the storage unit to a holder unit configured to hold the case inside the storage unit, an image capturing element provided inside the case and configured to capture an image inside the storage unit where the case is installed, an image capture window provided on a first surface portion of the case and configured for capturing the image inside the storage unit by the image capturing element, and a preventing element configured to prevent the case from being attached to the holder unit in an orientation other than a predetermined orientation. The image capture window is configured for capturing image inside the storage unit by the image capturing element. The holder unit holds the case inside the storage unit. The image capturing element captures the image inside the storage unit with the case being installed in the predetermined orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A camera device for use in a storage unit comprising:
a case configured to be installable inside a storage unit; an image capturing element provided inside the case and configured to capture an image inside the storage unit where the case is installed; an image capture window provided on a first surface portion of the case, the image capture window configured for capturing the image inside the storage unit by the image capturing element; and a communication element provided inside the case and configured to transmit the image captured by the image capturing element to the outside of the storage unit by wireless communication; wherein the communication element disposed in the case is located more toward an outer side of the storage unit compared to the image capturing element.

2 . The camera device according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate on which an image capturing device of the image capturing element is mounted, wherein the substrate is located more toward an inner side of the storage unit compared to the communication element.

3 . The camera device according to claim 2 , wherein the image capturing element, the substrate, and the communication element are organized into a unit, wherein the unit is provided with a battery disposed in a location not covering the communication element.

4 . The camera device according to claim 3 , wherein the image capturing element, the substrate, and the communication element are stored in the case, wherein the case is made of nonmetal material.

5 . The camera device according to claim 4 , wherein a metal member is not disposed on a portion of a door of the storage unit facing the communication element.

6 . The camera device according to claim 1 being installed in the storage unit configured to store food as a food storage unit camera device, the camera device comprising a water proof element configured to water-tightly seal between the inside of the case and the outside of the case.

7 . The camera device according to claim 6 , wherein a connection terminal, configured to connect an electrical component, or a battery is provided inside the case, wherein the connection terminal or the battery is distanced from an inner surface of the case, or
wherein the substrate located inside the case is distanced from the inner surface of the case.

8 . The camera device according to claim 1 installed on a door of the storage unit wherein a center of gravity of the camera device is displaced from the center of the case.

9 . The camera device according to claim 8 , further comprising a battery, wherein the case is provided with a preventing element on an outer surface thereof located on the opposite side of the case from where the battery is located, the preventing element being configured to prevent the case from being placed on another object through the outer surface.

10 . The camera device according to claim 8 , wherein the case is mounted on a holder case shaped like an open top box, a wall of the holder case located proximal to an inner side of the storage unit being longer than half of the height of the case.

11 . The camera device according to claim 8 , further comprising a switch, wherein the switch is not a slide switch, or
further comprising a first slide switch disposed on the door and being configured to be turned on and off by a sliding operation of an operator, wherein the operator of the first slide switch is configured to slide in the up and down direction, the first slide switch being turned on when the operator is slid downward, or further comprising a second slide switch disposed on the door and being configured to be turned on and off by a sliding operation, wherein the second slide switch is configured to slide in a direction other than the up and down direction, or further comprising a third slide switch configured to be turned on and off by a sliding operation, wherein the third slide switch is configured to slide in a direction in which the door is opened and closed, the direction in which the third slide switch is turned on being the direction in which the door is closed, or wherein the door comprises a revolving door, the camera device further comprising a fourth slide switch configured to be turned on and off by a sliding operation, wherein the fourth slide switch is configured to slide in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the door is opened and closed, the direction in which the fourth slide switch is turned on being the direction oriented toward an opening and closing end of the door from the center of rotation of the door.

12 . The camera device according to claim 8 , wherein when the image capturing element is located at the center of the door, a range of image capturing by the image capturing element includes left and right edges in a far side of the storage unit or the upper and lower edges in the far side of the storage unit, or
wherein when the image capturing element is located at the center of the door, a range of image capturing by the image capturing element includes left and right front end portions of a shelf disposed inside the storage unit, or front end portions of at least two adjacent shelves among multiple shelves disposed in the up and down direction inside the storage unit, or front end portions of the uppermost shelf and the lowermost shelf disposed inside the storage unit.

13 . The camera device according to claim 8 , wherein the image capturing element, the substrate, and the communication element are disposed in the listed sequence, wherein a battery is disposed below the image capturing element, the substrate, and the communication element.

14 . The camera device according to claim 1 being installed in the storage unit provided with a plate member for placement of a stored item, wherein the case is placed on the plate member with the first surface portion facing the interior of the storage unit.

15 . The camera device according to claim 14 , wherein the image capturing element is provided with a lens disposed at the image capture window, the lens not contacting the plate member.

16 . The camera device according to claim 15 , wherein the lens comprises a wide-angle lens, and the plate member comprises plural shelves each being substantially horizontal, and wherein when the first surface portion of the case is disposed facing downward at the center of an upper surface of the uppermost shelf, a range of image capturing by the image capturing element includes left and right edges of a bottom surface of the storage unit or front and rear edges of the bottom surface of the storage unit, or
wherein the lens comprises a wide-angle lens and the plate member comprises an upper storage container and a lower storage container, and wherein when the first surface portion of the case is disposed facing downward at the center of a bottom portion of the upper storage container, a range of image capturing by the image capturing element includes left and right edges of a bottom surface of the lower container or front and rear edges of the bottom surface of the lower container.

17 . The camera device according to claim 14 , wherein plural image capture lighting elements configured to illuminate the interior of the storage unit are provided on the first surface portion of the case in the periphery of the image capture window.

18 . A storage unit comprising the camera device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Izawa Hirokazu
• Furuta Kazuhiro
• Marutani Yuuki
• Watanabe Kota

Classifications

• G03B17/08

  Waterproof bodies or housings · CPC title

• G03B2206/00

  Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing · CPC title

• G03B29/00

  Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03) · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title

• F25D23/12

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title