CN107003061B

CN107003061B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN107003061B
Application number: CN201680003665.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 长浓笃史; 滝本和利
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 2015-03-25
Filing date: 2016-01-26
Publication date: 2020-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2036-01-26
Also published as: JP2016183786A; WO2016152234A1; CN107003061A; JP6449073B2

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator, which can arrange a microphone at a position capable of reliably detecting sound without arranging a special structure. In the refrigerator (1), a microphone (5) is provided inside a hinge cover (6b) that connects a door (3) and a hinge section (6) of a main body section (2).

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a microphone.

Background

In recent years, in addition to the original functions of the refrigerator such as the contents in the cooling box, there are also refrigerators which have various functions for the purpose of supporting and assisting users, for example, a function which can be operated by voice and a function which can perform stock management by inputting article information by voice. Such a refrigerator is provided with a microphone (microphone) for sound reception. For example, in a refrigerator disclosed in patent document 1, a microphone is provided at an inner end of a door. However, when a microphone is provided inside the door of the refrigerator, the sound cannot be detected in a state where the door is closed. In contrast, in the case where a microphone is provided on the outer side of the door, the sound emitted when the user probes the inside of the case after opening the door is substantially not received. That is, when the position of the microphone is changed by opening and closing the door, sound detection cannot be reliably performed. In the refrigerator disclosed in patent document 2, since the microphone is provided in the casing in the upper region thereof, the position of the microphone is not changed by opening and closing the door, and omission of sound reception can be prevented.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2003-4368 (published 1/8/2003)

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-526116 (published 8/26 in 2004)

However, in the case of the case in which the microphone is provided in the upper region of the refrigerator, the case is formed in a special structure, and the height of the refrigerator is increased by the special structure. Therefore, the appearance of the refrigerator is deteriorated, and there is a disadvantage that the refrigerator cannot be placed in a place where there is a height restriction. Further, a structure such as a hole for exposing the microphone needs to be provided on the case, which may cause the appearance of the refrigerator to be deteriorated when exposed to the eyes.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator in which a microphone can be installed at a position where sound detection can be reliably performed without providing a special structure.

In order to solve the above problem, a refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a main body part forming an open box; a door section openably and closably disposed in front of the opening; and a microphone for inputting sound, wherein the microphone is provided at a position behind the door portion in the main body portion so that at least a part of the front side of the microphone is exposed to the outside, and a part of the door portion located in front of the microphone is tapered toward the microphone or is formed thinner than the other part.

According to an aspect of the present invention, since the microphone is provided at a position rearward of the door portion in the main body portion so that at least a part thereof is exposed to the outside, the following effects can be obtained: a refrigerator in which a microphone can be installed at a position where sound detection can be reliably performed without providing a special structure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 (a) is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1 of the present invention with a door closed, and (b) is a perspective view of the refrigerator with a door on an upper layer opened.

Fig. 2 (a) is a sectional view of the upper portion of the refrigerator, (b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the microphone in the sectional view of (a), and (c) is a perspective view of the upper portion of the refrigerator, showing a state where the hinge cover is removed.

Fig. 3 (a) is a sectional view of the upper part of the refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and (b) and (c) are plan views of the refrigerator according to a modification of embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 3 of the present invention with its door closed.

Description of the reference numerals

1. 1a, 1a-1, 1a-2, 1b refrigerator

2 main body part

3 door (door part)

3-1 to 3-6 the first to sixth doors (office department)

4 in the box

5 microphone (microphone)

5d exposing hole

6 hinge part

6a hinge base

6b hinge cover

7 loudspeaker

Detailed Description

(embodiment mode 1)

An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 1 (a) is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment with a door (door section) 3 in a closed state, and (b) is a perspective view of the refrigerator 1 with the door 3 in an open state.

As shown in fig. 1, a refrigerator 1 includes a main body 2 constituting an open box and a door 3 openably and closably provided to the main body 2.

The main body 2 is a box body filled with a heat insulating material between an inner box and an outer box. The space surrounded by the inner box is the inside of the refrigerator 1. An equipment room (not shown) is provided outside the case at the rear lower portion of the main body 2.

The door 3 is a heat insulating door and is disposed in front of the main body 2. A door gasket 30 is provided between the door 3 and the main body 2 to prevent the leakage of cold air. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the door 3 is composed of six doors (local door, first door 3-1 to sixth door 3-6). Hereinafter, the surface of door 3 facing the inside of refrigerator 1 will be referred to as the inside of door 3, and the surface of door 3 facing the outside of the refrigerator will be referred to as the outside of door 3.

The first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2 are right and left doors that are left and right split, respectively, and one set of the first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2 is opposed to one cabinet 4. Door frames are provided at inner sides of the first and second doors 3-1 and 3-2. The first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2 are mounted to the main body 2 by hinges. A hinge constituted by a hinge base 6a and a hinge bolt 6c on the upper part of the main body 2 described later is covered by a hinge cover 6 b.

The third door 3-3 and the fourth door 3-4 are single-door doors, respectively, are mounted to the main body 2 by hinges, and are opposed to one inside of the box, respectively. The fifth door 3-5 and the sixth door 3-6 are pull-out doors. The above is an example, and the number of doors, the shape of the doors, and the number of the inside of the box are not limited thereto.

The refrigerator 1 further includes a microphone 5 (microphone) for inputting sound, and the microphone 5 is provided at a position behind the door 3 in the main body 2 so that at least a part thereof is exposed to the outside. In the present embodiment, the microphone 5 is provided inside the hinge cover 6 b. The installation position will be described with reference to fig. 2. Fig. 2 (a) is a sectional view a-a of the upper portion of the refrigerator 1 shown in fig. 1 (a), (b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the microphone 5 in the sectional view of (a), and (c) is a perspective view of the upper portion of the refrigerator 1 showing a state in which the hinge cover 6b is removed.

The microphone 5 is held between the cushion sponges 5a and 5b, and is fixed to the hinge cover 6b by the microphone holder 5 c. The microphone 5, the cushion sponges 5a and 5b, the microphone holder 5c, the hinge base 6a, the hinge bolt 6c, and the hinge cover 6b may be any known members. Hereinafter, the structure including the hinge base 6a, the hinge bolt 6c, and the hinge cover 6b is referred to as a hinge portion 6.

The position where the microphone 5 is disposed is a position corresponding to the boundary of the first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2 in the inside (covered position) of the hinge cover 6b, but is not limited to the position, and may be disposed, for example, in a position near the end of the refrigerator 1 in the inside of the hinge cover 6 b. In addition, the hinge cover may be provided inside either of the left and right hinge covers.

The hinge cover 6b is configured to be enlarged in a lateral direction toward a position corresponding to a boundary between the first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2, and a microphone 5 is provided therein. However, a microphone cover for covering the microphone 5 may be provided at a position equal to or lower than the hinge cover 6b, independently of the hinge cover 6 b. That is, the microphone 5 may be disposed at a position not exceeding the height of the hinge portion 6.

The hinge cover 6b is provided with an exposure hole 5d for exposing the microphone 5 to the outside. The microphone 5 detects the user's voice through the exposure hole 5 d.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1, the microphone 5 is provided in the main body portion 2 of the general structure of the refrigerator at a position further rearward than the door 3. Therefore, no special configuration for mounting the microphone 5 is provided. Further, since the position of the microphone 5 is not moved by the opening and closing of the door 3, the sound detection is not affected by the opening and closing of the door 3. Further, since the microphone 5 is provided at a position rearward of the door 3, that is, at a position further to the rear side than the door 3, even if a hole for exposing the microphone 5 is provided, the hole is not excessively conspicuous due to the thickness of the door 3, and the appearance of the refrigerator 1 is not impaired. Thus, the refrigerator 1 can set the microphone 5 at a position where sound detection can be reliably performed without providing a special structure.

In particular, the microphone 5 is disposed inside the hinge cover 6b at a position not exceeding the height of the hinge portion 6. Here, the hinge portion 6 is disposed at the highest position of the main body portion 2. Therefore, by disposing the microphone 5 at a position not exceeding the height of the hinge portion 6, the microphone 5 does not exceed the highest position of the main body portion 2 of the refrigerator 1. Therefore, the microphone 5 can be provided without providing a special structure for heightening the height of the refrigerator 1. Further, since the microphone 5 is provided inside a component originally attached to the refrigerator, such as the hinge cover 6b, the appearance of the refrigerator 1 is not impaired, and the microphone 5 can be provided with a configuration that minimizes the components required for design changes from the existing model of the refrigerator.

Further, as shown in fig. 2, an exposure hole 5d for exposing the microphone 5 is provided toward the front of the refrigerator 1. The user usually comes to the front of the door 3 while using the refrigerator 1. Therefore, since the exposure hole 5d is provided toward the front of the refrigerator 1, the user's voice in front of the door 3 can be reliably received, and the use is convenient. The exposure hole 5d may be provided to the side. The exposure hole 5d is easily contaminated by dust when it is provided upward, and can be prevented from being formed forward or laterally.

Also, the refrigerator 1 has a structure capable of utilizing sound input from the microphone 5. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 has a voice recognition function of performing voice recognition on a voice input from the microphone 5. The voice recognized is applied to, for example, input of food management, communication with a user, operation input, and the like. Note that, the above description is illustrative, and any application may be made to the sound input from the microphone 5.

The refrigerator 1 may not have a voice recognition function, but may have a message leaving function capable of recording and reproducing a voice input from the microphone 5, or may have both functions. Or the refrigerator 1 may be provided with other functions capable of utilizing the sound inputted from the microphone 5.

The refrigerator 1 may have a function of transmitting the sound input from the microphone 5 to a server device for performing sound recognition. The transfer function may be built in the refrigerator 1 or may be implemented by an external wireless communication adapter. Such a wireless communication adapter may employ a known wireless communication adapter.

Further, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a speaker 7 inside the hinge cover 6 b. In this way, since the microphone 5 and the speaker 7 are provided inside the same hinge cover 6b, the structure can be made compact as compared with a case where they are provided in separate places. Since the user often speaks in a direction in which the user can hear the sound, when the microphone 5 and the speaker 7 are provided inside the same hinge cover 6b, the microphone 5 easily receives the sound of the user. The speaker 7 is used for sound output from the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator 1 may further include a display operation panel, a camera, a human body detection sensor, and the like.

The refrigerator 1 may adopt a known refrigerator structure in addition to the above structure.

Any configuration can be adopted as long as it is a known refrigerator (or freezer) provided with a microphone, and the installation position of the microphone 5 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment described above can be adopted. Of course, the present invention can be applied not only to a household refrigerator but also to a commercial refrigerator and the like.

The door 3 of the refrigerator 1 is described by taking a door that is opened in the left-right direction (french) as an example, but may be a single door. Further, the refrigerator 1 may be a structure of only a refrigerator, or a structure of only an ice chest. The refrigerator 1 may also function as a so-called network home appliance connected to an external communication network. In this case, the refrigerator 1 may communicate with a communication terminal device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone via a communication network, and the communication terminal device may remotely control the refrigerator 1 or may confirm an operation state of the refrigerator 1.

(embodiment mode 2)

Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 3. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof are omitted.

Fig. 3 (a) is a sectional view of the upper portion of the refrigerator 1a of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 3 (a), the refrigerator 1a includes a first door 3-1 and a second door 3-2, which are tapered toward a microphone 5 at portions thereof located in front of the microphone 5. Otherwise, the same as the refrigerator 1 of embodiment 1 is performed.

Although the first door 3-1 and the second door 3-2 exist in front of the microphone 5, since the first door 3-1a and the second door 3-2a around the microphone 5 of the refrigerator 1a are tapered toward the microphone 5, the sound collecting effect is improved and the microphone 5 easily detects sounds.

Next, fig. 3 (b) shows a plan view of the refrigerator 1a-1 as a modification of the refrigerator 1 a. As shown in fig. 3 (a), the tapered portions of the first door 3-1a and the second door 3-2a of the refrigerator 1a are inclined in the vertical direction from the front toward the rear. In contrast, as shown in fig. 3 (b), the tapered portions of the first door 3-1b and the second door 3-2b of the refrigerator 1a-1 are inclined in the horizontal direction from the front to the rear. With this shape, the sound reception effect is improved, and the microphone 5 easily detects sound.

Further, fig. 3 (c) shows a refrigerator 1a-2 as another modification of the refrigerator 1 a. In the refrigerator 1a-2, a portion of the first door 3-1c and the second door 3-2c located in front of the microphone 5 is formed to be thinner than other portions. By making the first gate 3-1c and the second gate 3-2c in the front portion of the microphone 5 thin, it is possible to suppress the first gate 3-1c and the second gate 3-2c from blocking sound to cause a decrease in sensitivity of the microphone 5, and the microphone 5 easily detects sound.

(embodiment mode 3)

Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 4. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in

embodiment

1 or 2 are given the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof are omitted. Fig. 4 is a front view of the refrigerator 1b of the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 4, the refrigerator 1b is configured such that a microphone 5 is provided in the main body 2 at a position corresponding to the boundary (gap) of the first door 3-1, the second door 3-2, the third door 3-3, and the fourth door 3-4. Otherwise, the same as the refrigerator 1 of embodiment 1 is performed.

In the refrigerator 1b, the microphone 5 is surrounded by four doors, i.e., the first door 3-1, the second door 3-2, the third door 3-3, and the fourth door 3-4, so that the sound-collecting effect is improved and the sound is easily detected. Further, the hole for exposing the microphone 5 is not excessively conspicuous due to the thicknesses of the first door 3-1, the second door 3-2, the third door 3-3, and the fourth door 3-4, and does not impair the appearance of the refrigerator 1 b.

In the present embodiment, the microphone 5 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary of the first door 3-1, the second door 3-2, the third door 3-3, and the fourth door 3-4 in the main body 2, but may be provided at any position as long as it is a position corresponding to the boundary of the local door constituting the door 3 in the main body 2. For example, the microphone 5 may be provided in the main body portion 2 at a position equivalent to the circumferential edge of the door 3. Further, such a position where the microphone 5 is provided may also be applied to a refrigerator having a door without a hinge portion, such as a slide type door.

In addition, in the refrigerator 1b, as in embodiment 2, a portion of the door 3 located in front of the microphone 5 may be tapered toward the microphone 5. By forming the taper shape, the sound pickup effect is further improved, and the microphone 5 easily detects sound.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Further, by combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments, new technical features can be formed.

(conclusion)

The refrigerator (1) according to embodiment 1 of the present invention includes: a main body part (2) which forms an open box body; a door section (door 3) disposed openably and closably in front of the opening; and a microphone (microphone 5) for inputting sound, the microphone being provided at a position behind the door section in the main body section so that at least a part of the microphone is exposed to the outside.

According to the above configuration, the microphone can be provided at an arbitrary position behind the door portion in the main body portion of the general structure of the refrigerator. Therefore, a special configuration for mounting the microphone is not necessary. That is, the microphone may be set in a configuration in which components required for design change from an existing model of the refrigerator are minimized. Further, since the position of the microphone does not move due to the opening and closing of the door portion, the sound detection is not affected by the opening and closing of the door portion. Further, since the microphone is provided at a position further to the rear than the door portion, that is, further to the back side than the door portion, even if a hole for exposing the microphone is provided, for example, the hole can be made inconspicuous by the thickness of the door portion, and the appearance of the refrigerator is not impaired.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a refrigerator in which a microphone can be provided at a position where sound detection can be reliably performed without providing a special structure.

The refrigerator according to mode 2 of the present invention includes a hinge portion (6) that connects the door portion to be openable and closable above the main body portion, and the microphone is provided at a position not exceeding the height of the hinge portion.

Generally, the hinge portion of the refrigerator is disposed at substantially the highest position of the main body portion. Therefore, according to the above configuration, by disposing the microphone at a position not exceeding the height of the hinge portion, the microphone does not normally exceed the highest position of the main body portion of the refrigerator. Therefore, the microphone can be provided without providing a special structure for heightening the height of the refrigerator.

A refrigerator according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the refrigerator according to aspect 2, wherein the hinge portion includes a hinge cover (6b), the hinge cover (6b) covers a hinge of the main body portion, and the microphone is provided inside the hinge cover.

According to the above configuration, the microphone is installed inside the refrigerator by using a member originally attached to the refrigerator such as a hinge cover, and thus the microphone can be installed without impairing the appearance.

In the refrigerator according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in addition to the refrigerator according to aspect 3, a speaker (7) that outputs sound is further provided inside the hinge cover.

According to the above configuration, since the microphone and the speaker are provided inside the hinge cover, the refrigerator can be formed compactly. Further, since the user often speaks in a direction in which the user can hear the voice, the microphone can easily receive the voice of the user according to the above configuration.

A refrigerator according to aspect 5 of the present invention is the refrigerator according to aspect 1, wherein the door section includes a plurality of local doors (a first door 3-1, a second door 3-2, a third door 3-3, and a fourth door 3-4), and the microphone is provided in the main body at a position corresponding to a boundary between the local doors.

According to the above configuration, since the microphone is provided at a position that is a boundary between the partial doors, that is, at a gap between the partial doors, the sound pickup effect is improved, and the microphone easily detects sound. Even if a hole for exposing the microphone is provided, the hole can be made inconspicuous by the thickness of the partial door portion, and the appearance of the refrigerator is not impaired.

A refrigerator according to aspect 6 of the present invention is the refrigerator according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein a portion of the door portion located in front of the microphone is tapered toward the microphone.

Although the door portion is present in front of the microphone, according to the above configuration, the door portion around the microphone is tapered toward the microphone, and therefore, the sound pickup effect is improved by the shape, and the microphone easily detects sound.

In addition, a portion of the door portion located in front of the microphone may be formed to be thinner than other portions. According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in sensitivity of the microphone due to the sound being blocked by the door portion, and the microphone can easily detect the sound.

A refrigerator according to aspect 7 of the present invention is the refrigerator according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein an exposure hole (5d) for exposing the microphone is provided toward a front of the refrigerator.

The user usually comes to the front of the door part when using the refrigerator. Therefore, when the exposure hole for exposing the microphone is arranged towards the front of the refrigerator, the sound of the user in front of the door part can be reliably received, and the refrigerator is convenient to use. Further, since the microphone exposure hole is provided facing forward, the above-described problem can be prevented from occurring.

A refrigerator according to aspect 8 of the present invention is the refrigerator according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, further including a function of recognizing a voice input from the microphone, or a function of transmitting the voice input from the microphone to a server device for performing voice recognition.

According to the above configuration, the present invention can be applied to a refrigerator that performs voice recognition on an input sound or a refrigerator that transmits an input sound to a server that performs voice recognition.

Further, the network home appliance system including the refrigerator of the above-described embodiment 8 and the server device for performing voice recognition is also included in the scope of the present invention.

Industrial applicability

The present invention is applicable to a refrigerator having a microphone, for example, a refrigerator that can be operated by voice, input of article information and the like by voice, recording (leaving a message), conversation and the like.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized by comprising:

a main body part forming an open box;

a door section openably and closably disposed in front of the opening; and

a microphone for inputting a sound, the microphone being adapted to input a sound,

the microphone is provided at a position behind the door section in the main body section so that at least a part of the microphone in front is exposed to the outside,

the door is tapered toward the microphone at a portion in front of the microphone, or is formed to be thinner than other portions.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

a hinge part for connecting the door part to be openable and closable is provided above the main body part,

the hinge part includes a hinge cover covering a hinge of the main body part,

the microphone is disposed inside the hinge cover.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

the door part is composed of a plurality of partial doors,

the microphone is provided in the main body portion at a position corresponding to a boundary between the partial doors.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by having a function of performing voice recognition of a voice input from the microphone or a function of transmitting a voice input from the microphone to a server apparatus performing voice recognition.