Multi-functional child care storage and inner case thereof

Abstract

A child care storage for storing an infant food and/or product includes a plurality of functional compartments for refrigerating, heating and/or sterilizing the infant food and/or product in a main body, wherein the plurality of the functional compartments include a refrigerating compartment and a sterilizing compartment; and a control unit for controlling the plurality of the functional compartments. The plurality of the functional compartments includes a refrigerating compartment. The refrigerating compartment, partitioned by partitions in the main body, includes a refrigerating space capable of being opened and closed by a first door and refrigerates the refrigerating space by a thermoelectric element.

1 . A child care storage for storing an infant food and/or product, comprising: 
 a plurality of functional compartments for refrigerating, heating and/or sterilizing the infant food and/or product in a main body, wherein the plurality of the functional compartments include a refrigerating compartment and a sterilizing compartment; and    a control unit for controlling the plurality of the functional compartments.    
   
   
       2 . The child care storage of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerating compartment, partitioned by partitions in the main body, includes a refrigerating space capable of being opened and closed by a first door, and refrigerates the refrigerating space by a first thermoelectric element.  
   
   
       3 . The child care storage of  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerating compartment further includes a heat radiation fan for discharging heat of the first thermoelectric element to an outside through a heat exhaust opening formed in the main body, the heat radiation fan being installed on a heat-emitting side of the thermoelectric element.  
   
   
       4 . The child care storage of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the functional compartments further include a heating compartment, 
 wherein the heating compartment, partitioned by partitions in the main body, includes a heating space capable of being opened and closed by a second door, and heats or keeps the heating space to be warm by a first heater.    
   
   
       5 . The child care storage of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the functional compartments further include a refrigerating/heating compartment, 
 wherein the refrigerating/heating compartment, partitioned by partitions in the main body, includes a refrigerating/heating space capable of being opened and closed by a second door, and heats or keeps the refrigerating/heating space to be warm by a first heater or refrigerates the refrigerating/heating space by a second thermoelectric element.    
   
   
       6 . The child care storage of  claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing compartment, partitioned by partitions in the main body, includes a sterilizing space capable of being opened and closed by a third door, and sterilizes the sterilizing space by a sterilizing device.  
   
   
       7 . The child care storage of  claim 6 , wherein the sterilizing compartment further includes a drying device for drying items stored in the sterilizing space on an inner side of the sterilizing space.  
   
   
       8 . The child care storage of  claim 7 , wherein the drying device has a second heater and a heat diffusion fan for diffusing heat generated from the second heater throughout the sterilizing space.  
   
   
       9 . The child care storage of  claim 6 , wherein the sterilizing compartment further includes a grill-shaped shelf and a water receptacle detachably installed in the sterilizing space such that the water receptacle is located below the grill-shaped shelf.  
   
   
       10 . The child care storage of  claim 6 , wherein the sterilizing compartment includes a grill-shaped shelf installed in the sterilizing space and a water outlet for collecting water flowing into the shelf to exhaust the collected water, and 
 wherein the refrigerating compartment further includes an evaporation vessel for collecting the exhausted water flowing through the water outlet is installed at a location contacting a heat travel path through which heat generated from the first thermoelectric element is transferred.    
   
   
       11 . The child care storage of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit receives signals from a first temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature in the refrigerating space and a refrigerating temperature input unit for being inputted thereto a desired temperature for the refrigerating space to control the first thermoelectric element such that the internal temperature in the refrigerating space reaches the desired temperature inputted to the refrigerating temperature input unit.  
   
   
       12 . The child care storage of  claim 11 , wherein the refrigerating temperature input unit can be used for selecting a preset refrigerating temperature for food, medicine or cosmetics.  
   
   
       13 . The child care storage of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit receives signals from a second temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature in the heating space and a heating temperature input unit for being inputted thereto a desired temperature for the heating space to control the first heater such that the internal temperature in the heating space reaches the desired temperature inputted to the heating temperature input unit.  
   
   
       14 . The child care storage of  claim 5 , wherein the control unit receives signals from a second temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature in the refrigerating/heating space and a refrigerating/heating temperature input unit for being inputted thereto a desired temperature for the refrigerating/heating space to control the first heater and the second thermoelectric element such that the internal temperature in the refrigerating/heating space reaches the desired temperature inputted to the refrigerating/heating temperature input unit.  
   
   
       15 . The child care storage of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit receives a detection signal from a door opening detection sensor installed in the sterilizing compartment for detecting whether the third door is opened, and stops the operation of the sterilizing device in response to the detection signal.  
   
   
       16 . The child care storage of  claim 6 , wherein the control unit receives an output signal outputted from a third temperature sensor for detecting an internal temperature of the sterilizing space, and, if the internal temperature of the sterilizing space is beyond a preset level, stops an operation of the second heater.  
   
   
       17 . The child care storage of  claim 3 , wherein the control unit drives the heat radiation fan when the sterilizing device is being operated.  
   
   
       18 . An inner case of a child care storage to be installed in an outer case whose front surface is opened, the outer case including a plurality of functional compartments for providing a space for refrigerating infant foods to be kept therein and a space for double-boiling or sterilizing infant products, wherein the inner case comprises: 
 a main body connected to the outer case, in which a front panel having thereon a U-shaped groove, a first functional compartment distanced apart from an inner side surface of the outer case, and a closed space between the main body and the outer case to be charged with an insulating material; and    a reinforcement plate connected to a rear side of the groove of the main body to close a top portion of the closed space, wherein the reinforcement plate is U-shaped such that a second functional compartment is extended toward the rear side of the groove to be distanced apart from the first functional compartment, and wherein the reinforcement plate has supporting portions on two opposite sides thereof to support inner side surfaces of the outer case.    
   
   
       19 . The inner case of  claim 18 , wherein the reinforcement plate has securing ribs formed along the front end portion to connect the reinforcement plate with the front panel of the main body by using bolts and nuts.