US20220187008A1

US20220187008A1 - Domestic appliance with a digital camera, and method for operating a domestic appliance comprising a digital camera

Info

Publication number: US20220187008A1
Application number: US17/438,190
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans Peter Werner; Daniel Bihr; christopher Rodney; Stephan Kempfle
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2019-03-28
Filing date: 2020-03-27
Publication date: 2022-06-16
Also published as: DE102019204309A1; WO2020193749A1

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.

Description

The invention relates to a household refrigerator with a digital camera, and method for operating a household refrigerator which has a digital camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,568,241 A1 discloses a household refrigerator which comprises a heat-insulated housing, which defines a coolable interior for storing food, and a pivotable door leaf for opening and closing the coolable interior. A drawer which may be pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open is located in the lower region of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator comprises at least one digital camera which is fastened in the front region of the cover of the housing and which is oriented diagonally into the coolable interior in the direction of a rear wall of the housing relative to the vertical. The digital camera is provided to record an image of the coolable interior and the pulled-out drawer.
It is the object of the present invention to specify an improved household refrigerator, the coolable interior thereof being closable by a door leaf, said household refrigerator comprising a drawer which can be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and a digital camera which is arranged in or on the heat-insulated housing and which is provided to produce images of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior.
The object of the invention is achieved by a household refrigerator having a heat-insulated housing which comprises two lateral walls, a rear wall and a cover and delimits a coolable interior that is provided for storing food, a refrigerating device for cooling the coolable interior, at least one pivotally mounted door leaf which is provided 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 which is provided in or on the housing, in particular, in order to produce an image of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaf is open, and which is arranged in or on the cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls such that the digital camera faces diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical.
The household refrigerator according to the invention accordingly comprises the heat-insulated housing, with the two lateral walls running, in particular, parallel to one another and the coolable interior for storing food. The heat-insulated housing also comprises the cover which, in particular, runs horizontally and the rear wall which, in particular, runs vertically.
The heat-insulated housing, in particular, is heat-insulating by means of an insulating foam. The coolable interior is cooled by means of the refrigerating device which is preferably configured as a refrigerant circuit which is known to the person skilled in the art in principle and which is preferably designed such that it cools the coolable interior at least approximately to a predetermined temperature.
The household refrigerator according to the invention may be, for example, a household refrigerating appliance. In this case, the coolable interior may be cooled to temperatures of greater than 0° C. The household refrigerator according to the invention, however, may also be a fridge-freezer combination.
When the door leaf is open the coolable interior is accessible, in particular, via an opening of the heat-insulated housing. The opening and thus the coolable interior are closed when the door leaf is closed.
The household refrigerator according to the invention additionally comprises the drawer which is preferably arranged in a lower region of the coolable interior. When the door leaf is open the drawer may be at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, so that the food stored therein may be removed or, respectively, in order to load the drawer with food. When the door leaf is closed the coolable interior is closed and thus the drawer is also not accessible. The door leaf runs, in particular, vertically.
The household refrigerator according to the invention comprises the digital camera which is provided to produce images of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator is designed, in particular, such that the digital camera produces the images when the drawer moves from its pulled-out position in the direction of the coolable interior. The household refrigerator according to the invention is preferably designed such that the digital camera produces the images at a predetermined position of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. In order to detect the position and the direction of movement, the household refrigerator according to the invention may have suitable means or, respectively, a corresponding detection device.
The images recorded by the digital camera may be transmitted, for example, via the Internet to a portable terminal device, for example a smartphone.
So that it may be ensured that the pulled-out drawer or, respectively, the contents thereof is covered as fully as possible by the image, the digital camera is arranged in or on the cover, preferably in a front region of the cover or in or on one of the lateral walls in the upper region thereof, preferably in a front region of the lateral wall, and is oriented such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical.
Thus an optical axis assigned to the digital camera runs diagonally downwards in the direction of the closed door leaf at an angle of at least 20° relative to the vertical, whereby the pulled-out drawer is located more clearly in the field of view of the digital camera. As a result, as far as possible the entire pulled-out drawer may be photographed by the image. The digital camera is thus oriented, in particular, such that it faces diagonally downwards in the direction of the closed door leaf at the angle of at least 20°.
The digital camera may comprise a camera housing or, respectively, a panel by which the digital camera is arranged, for example, on the cover or on the lateral wall.
The camera housing or, respectively, the digital camera may be fastened, for example, to the cover of the coolable interior.
The camera housing or, respectively, the panel of the digital camera is preferably designed such that it does not have a horizontal surface. This housing may be shaped in a spherical, curved, diagonal or free manner, for example.
It may be provided that, at the point at which the digital camera is positioned, the housing thereof is not designed in a partially horizontal manner.
It may be provided that an opening is located in the camera housing, the front part of the digital camera protruding through said opening at the point of the camera housing at which the digital camera is located. The digital camera is fastened, in particular, in the interior of the camera housing.
The camera housing may be designed as a closed camera housing. The camera housing may be designed to be transparent at the point of the camera housing at which the digital camera is located. The camera housing may be of planar design at this point. In particular, the optical axis of the digital camera may be oriented perpendicular to this planar surface. As a result, it is possible that the camera housing maintains its original contour at this point.
The digital camera may be attached, for example, in the upper region of one of the lateral walls of the heat-insulated housing, optionally of an inner container or, respectively, a refrigerated goods container and, in particular, faces diagonally downwards. From this position, the drawer which is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior may also be depicted in its entirety. The distortion produced by the diagonal arrangement of the digital camera may be retrospectively corrected by means of software.
According to one embodiment of the household refrigerator according to the invention, at least one door rack which is provided for storing food may be arranged on the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior. In this case, the digital camera is preferably oriented such that it is able to record an image of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°.
So that the digital camera may also reliably create an image of the side facing the coolable interior at the predetermined opening angle, the digital camera is preferably arranged in or on the cover or in an upper region in or on one of the lateral walls such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall at an angle of 30° to 60° relative to the vertical. Thus the digital camera is oriented such that it faces diagonally downwards at the angle of 30° to 60° in the direction of the closed door leaf.
The viewing angle of the digital camera is, in particular, at least 80°, preferably at least 110°.
The household refrigerator according to the invention may be designed such that the coolable interior is closable by just one door leaf.
According to one embodiment of the household refrigerator according to the invention, this household refrigerator may comprise two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another for opening and closing the coolable interior, one of the door leaves thereof being pivotally mounted on the left-hand side and the other door leaf thereof being pivotally mounted on the right-hand side relative to the heat-insulated housing. In each case at least one door rack which is provided for storing food may be arranged on the sides of the door leaves facing the coolable interior. Thus when the left-hand door leaf is open the left part of the coolable interior is accessible and when the right-hand door leaf is open the right part of the coolable interior is accessible. The drawer may be designed such that it is only able to be pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior when both door leaves are open.
The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the drawer at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior when the door leaves are open and the drawer is at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior. The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the side of the door leaf mounted on the left-hand side and facing the coolable interior when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°. The digital camera may be designed to record an image of the side of the door leaf mounted on the right-hand side and facing the coolable interior when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60°.
According to a preferred variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention, the digital camera may be arranged centrally in or on the cover relative to the horizontal. This arrangement of the digital camera is particularly advantageous if images of the drawer which is open or, respectively, at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior, and of the sides of the two door leaves facing the coolable interior at the predetermined opening angles of the door leaves, are to be produced using just one digital camera.
The digital camera may be oriented, for example, such that the optical axis is oriented parallel to the lateral walls. In combination with a central arrangement of the digital camera in or on the cover and the variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, therefore, relatively high quality images may be produced in a relatively simple manner, depending on the state of the household refrigerator said images showing the drawer pulled out at least partly from the coolable interior or the side of the corresponding door leaf facing the coolable interior.
The digital camera may be arranged in or on the cover or, respectively, in or on the lateral wall such that the projection of the optical axis into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the door leaf when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. The projection of the optical axis into the horizontal thus encloses with the door leaf an angle of 90°, with a tolerance of, for example, ±10°. Such an orientation of the digital camera is advantageous for the quality of the images of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior.
The digital camera may be arranged in or on the cover or, respectively, in or on the lateral wall such that the optical axis strikes the door leaf at least approximately centrally relative to the horizontal when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle. Such an orientation of the digital camera is advantageous for the quality of the images of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior.
According to a variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, this household refrigerator may comprise two digital cameras which are arranged in or on the cover. One of the digital cameras is oriented in the direction of the door leaf mounted on the left-hand side when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle, and the other digital camera is oriented in the direction of the door leaf mounted on the right-hand side when this door leaf is open at a predetermined opening angle. Both digital cameras are oriented diagonally toward and away from the rear wall at an angle of at least 20°, preferably 30° to 60°, relative to the vertical. Preferably both digital cameras are arranged in a common camera housing.
Preferably, according to this variant, each door leaf is respectively assigned a digital camera, preferably in a common camera housing arranged, in particular, on the cover of the heat-insulated housing or, respectively, the coolable interior.
The two digital cameras are preferably oriented in each case such that the optical axes thereof face toward the center of the respective door leaves, in particular at the predetermined opening angle, and the projections thereof into the horizontal at the predetermined opening angle enclose an angle of 90°±5° with the respective door leaf. Vertically the digital cameras are downwardly inclined and also face with the optical axis toward the center of the door leaves. A further digital camera which is provided for recording an image of the drawers in the coolable interior may also be provided. This digital camera may also be arranged in the common camera housing. When using three digital cameras, therefore, the orientations thereof may be adapted to the respectively desired images.
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating the household refrigerator according to the invention, with the variant that at least one door rack which is provided for storing food is arranged on the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior of the household refrigerator, having the following method steps:

- recording an image with the digital camera when the door leaf is open and the drawer is partly pulled out of the coolable interior,
- recording an image with the digital camera of the side of the door leaf facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed.

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating the variant of the household refrigerator according to the invention with the two door leaves arranged adjacent to one another, having the following method steps:

- recording an image with the digital camera when the door leaf is open and the drawer is partly pulled out of the coolable interior,
- recording an image with the digital camera of the side of the door leaf pivotally mounted on the left-hand side and facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed,
- recording an image with the digital camera of the side of the door leaf pivotally mounted on the right-hand side and facing the coolable interior at a predetermined opening angle of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed.

Preferably the image data assigned to the images are post-processed such that, in particular, an image assigned to the post-processed image data may be viewed with a mobile terminal device.

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

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,

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,

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,

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,

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a household refrigerator 1 in a sectional view.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the coolable interior 4 in a sectional view.
The heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4 comprises, in particular, two lateral walls 2 a which are oriented, in particular, parallel to one another, a cover 2 b which, in particular, runs horizontally and a rear wall 2 c which, in particular, runs vertically.
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 5 a and a right-hand door leaf 5 b, 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 5 a, 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 5 b, the right-hand region of the coolable interior 4 is accessible via the opening.
The door leaves 5 a, 5 b are, in particular, heat-insulated door leaves 5 a, 5 b and comprise in the case of the present exemplary embodiment in each case an inner skin 6 a facing the coolable interior 4 and an outer skin 6 b facing away from the coolable interior 4, an insulating foam being arranged therebetween.
On the side of the door leaves 5 a, 5 b 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 6 a of the door leaves 5 a, 5 b.
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 5 a, 5 b are open. This is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When the door leaves 5 a, 5 b are closed, the drawer 9 is pushed into the coolable interior 4.
FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the household refrigerator 1 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4 when the door leaves 5 a, 5 b 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 5 a, 5 b 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2 b of the heat-insulated housing 2 or, respectively, the coolable interior 4, in particular in a front region of the cover 2 b.
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 2 b on the inner container 3. FIGS. 6 to 8 show different embodiments of the panel 62, 72, 82.
The panels 62, 72 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 comprise in each case an opening through which the digital camera 61 protrudes.
The panel 82 shown in FIG. 8 comprises a transparent window 83 through which the digital camera 61 is able to produce its images.
The digital camera 61 is fastened in or on the cover 2 b such that it is oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2 c 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.
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.
The viewing angle β of the digital camera 61 is, in particular, at least 80°, preferably at least 110°.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 is arranged centrally in or on the cover 2 b relative to the horizontal.
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.
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 5 a, 5 b facing the coolable interior 4 at a predetermined opening angle Ω of the open door leaves 5 a, 5 b. In order to detect the opening angle Ω of the door leaves 5 a, 5 b 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.
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.
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 5 a 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 5 b 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 5 a, 5 b 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.
FIGS. 11 to 14 show an embodiment of the household refrigerator 1 which comprises two further digital cameras 61 a, 61 b 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.
A first of the further digital cameras 61 a is provided to record an image of the side of the left-hand door leaf 5 a 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 61 b is provided to record an image of the side of the right-hand door leaf 5 b facing the coolable interior 4 at the predetermined opening angle Ω of, in particular, 30° to 60° whilst this door leaf is being closed.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the two further digital cameras 61 a, 61 b are fastened in or on the cover 2 b.
The two further digital cameras 61 a, 61 b are oriented such that they are oriented diagonally downwards and away from the rear wall 2 c 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.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the first further digital camera 61 a assigned to the left-hand door leaf 5 a is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63 a into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the left-hand door leaf 5 a when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the second further digital camera 61 b assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5 b is oriented such that the projection of its optical axis 63 b into the horizontal is oriented at least approximately at right-angles to the right-hand door leaf 5 b when this door leaf is open at the predetermined opening angle Ω.
In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61 a, 61 b are arranged inside a cover panel or, respectively, panel 62 a, 72 a, 82 a which is fastened to the cover 2 b on the inner container 3. FIGS. 12 and 14 show different embodiments of the panel 62 a, 72 a, 74 a.
The panels 62 a, 72 a shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 comprise in each case openings through which the digital cameras 61, 61 a, 61 b protrude.
The panel 82 a shown in FIG. 14 comprises transparent windows 84 a through which the digital cameras 61, 61 a, 61 b are able to produce their images.
It is also possible that the household refrigerator 1 does not have a digital camera 61 and the two further digital cameras 61 a, 61 b are provided to produce images together of the drawer 9 at least partly pulled out of the coolable interior 4.
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 61 a, 61 b, a digital camera 150 is fastened in the upper region of one of the lateral walls 2 a 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.
The digital camera 150 may be oriented, for example, such that its optical axis 151 runs parallel to the rear wall 2 c, as shown in FIG. 16.
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 5 a 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 5 a facing the coolable interior 4 which is pivotally mounted relative to the lateral wall 2 a 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 5 a is open at the predetermined opening angle.
According to this embodiment of the household refrigerator, a further digital camera, not shown, which is assigned to the right-hand door leaf 5 b may also be provided.
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

1 Household refrigerator
2 Heat-insulated housing
2 a Lateral wall
2 b Cover
2 c Rear wall
3 Inner container
4 Coolable interior
5 a, 5 b Door leaf
6 a Inner skin
6 b Outer skin
7 Door rack
8 Shelves
9 Drawer
10 Vertical
11 Electronic control device
21 Cold storage compartment
22 Freezer compartment
23, 23 Outer drawer
61 Digital camera
61 a, b Further digital camera
62, 62 a Panel
63, 63 a Optical axis
72, 72 a Panel
82, 82 a Panel
83, 83 a Window
150 Digital camera
151 Optical axis
α Angle
β Viewing angle
Ω Opening angle

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.