IP Library Granted Patent US 11,143,450
Granted Patent B2
US 11,143,450 · App. 15/974,952 · Granted Oct 12, 2021

Refrigerator and camera device

Inventors: Katsushi Sumihiro (Tokyo, JP); Yuuki Marutani (Tokyo, JP); Kazuhiro Furuta (Tokyo, JP); Hirokazu Izawa (Tokyo, JP); Kota Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Ryo Kawada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
F25D23/028F25D11/00F25D23/04F25D23/12F25D27/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,143,450
App. No.
15/974,952
Granted
Oct 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator ( 1 ) is provided with an image capturing camera 18 (image capturing unit) configured to capture an image of an interior of a storage chamber (such as a refrigeration chamber 3 ); a communication portion ( 52 ) (communication unit) configured to transmit image of the interior of the storage chamber captured by the image capturing camera ( 18 ) to an exterior device; wherein the image capturing unit is stored in a recess provided in the interior of the storage chamber.

Claims (15)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator body;

a storage chamber formed in the refrigerator body;

a pair of biparting double doors configured to open and close the refrigerator, wherein the first one of the double doors includes a storing portion and a revolving vertical partition configured to rotate to fill a clearance from the second one of the double doors;

a lighting unit configured to illuminate an interior of the refrigerator;

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the interior of the refrigerator, the image capturing unit being provided on the vertical partition on the lateral center of the refrigerator and being configured to change orientation by the rotation of the vertical partition; and

a control portion configured to control the image capturing unit,

wherein when the first one of the doors is closed, the image capturing unit faces the refrigerator so that it is capable of capturing an image of the refrigerator, and when the first one of the doors is opened the image capturing unit faces toward an opposite side of the opened side of the first one of the doors and faces the storing portion of the first one of the doors so that the image capturing unit is capable of capturing an image of the storing portion of the first one of the doors.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of image capturing units and a shelf provided in the interior of the refrigerator are located at different elevations.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a front portion of the shelf is glossed, and a lighting unit and a shelf provided in the interior of the refrigerator are located at different elevations.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a gloss is applied to a front portion of a shelf provided in the interior of the refrigerator and an irradiation direction of a lighting unit is not oriented towards the front portion of the shelf.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of image capturing units are oriented downward from an upward direction.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein plural shelves are provided in the interior of the refrigerator and the plurality of image capturing units are located between the shelves.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing unit captures an image at a timing in which instructions have been received from an external device when the first one of the doors is closed, and without instructions from the external device when the first one of the doors is opened.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit is provided at a position where it does not face the image capturing unit when the first one of the doors is closed.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2018
From: SUMIHIRO, KATSUSHI; MARUTANI, YUUKI; FURUTA, KAZUHIRO; IZAWA, HIROKAZU; WATANABE, KOTA; KAWADA, RYO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046045/0562 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2018
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046045/0579 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 11, 2018
From: TOSHIBA HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION
To: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046335/0899 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2013-049073 · Mar 12, 2013 · national
JP 2013-147562 · Jul 16, 2013 · national
JP 2013-225439 · Oct 30, 2013 · national
JP 2014-038460 · Feb 28, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14776729
Related Publication 20180259242A1 · Sep 13, 2018
Cited By (4)
US 12,210,602 US 12,254,113 US 12,393,108 US 12,718,600