Refrigerator appliance having a movable camera
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsMichael Goodman Schroeder, Sarah Virginia Morris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a door, and a camera module. The cabinet may define a chilled chamber. The door may be rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber. The camera module may be movably mounted to the cabinet (e.g., above a support shelf). The camera module may be movable on the cabinet along a predefined direction between a retracted position proximal to a first end of the cabinet and an extended position proximal to a second end of the cabinet. The camera module may be directed at the chilled chamber in the extended position to capture an image thereof.
Claims19
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
- a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;
- a support shelf mounted within the chilled chamber, the support shelf extending along a transverse direction between a front edge proximal to the door and a rearward edge distal to the door;
- and
- a camera module movably mounted to the cabinet above the support shelf, the camera module being movable on the cabinet along a predefined direction between a retracted position proximal to a first end of the cabinet and an extended position proximal to a second end of the cabinet, the camera module being directed at the chilled chamber in the extended position to capture an image thereof,
- wherein the camera module is disposed between the door and the front edge of the support shelf along the transverse direction in the extended position.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;
- a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber;
- a camera carriage movably mounted to the cabinet, the camera carriage being movable on the cabinet along a predefined direction between a retracted position proximal to a first end of the cabinet and an extended position proximal to a second end of the cabinet;
- a camera module supported on the camera carriage to move therewith between the retracted position and the extended position, the camera module being directed at the chilled chamber in the extended position to capture an image of the chilled chamber;
- and
- a light source supported on the camera carriage to move therewith between the retracted position and the extended position, the light source being directed at the chilled chamber in the extended position to illuminate the chilled chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.