Exterior member for home appliance and manufacture method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054361-B2
Application number	US-201615274731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An exterior member for a home appliance includes a front panel that defines an exterior of the home appliance, that is configured to cover a display assembly that includes a plurality of LEDs, and that includes a displaying part that defines a plurality of first through-holes at positions corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the displaying part being configured to display operating information of the home appliance by transmitting light from the plurality of LEDs through at least a portion of the plurality of first through-holes. The exterior member further includes a front surface coating layer that is located on a front surface of the front panel and that is configured to shield the plurality of first through-holes. The exterior member further includes a hole-filling member that is configured to fill the plurality of first through-holes by coating a rear surface of the displaying part with a material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An exterior member for a home appliance, comprising:
a front panel (i) that defines an exterior of the home appliance, (ii) that is configured to cover a display assembly that includes a plurality of LEDs, and (iii) that includes a displaying part that defines a plurality of first through-holes at positions corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the displaying part being configured to display operating information of the home appliance by transmitting light from the plurality of LEDs through at least a portion of the plurality of first through-holes;
a front surface coating layer that is located on a front surface of the front panel and that is configured to shield the plurality of first through-holes;
a hole-filling member that is configured to fill the plurality of first through-holes by coating a rear surface of the displaying part with a material that is configured to transmit light and that is configured to connect the plurality of first through-holes; and
a colored coating layer that is located on the front surface coating layer and that is configured to cover the plurality of first through-holes,
wherein a rear cross-sectional area of a respective first through-hole at a rear surface of the front panel is greater than a front cross-sectional area of the respective first-through hole at the front surface of the front panel.

2. The exterior member according to claim 1 , further comprising a rear surface coating layer that is located at the rear surface of the front panel and that is configured to shield the plurality of first through-holes,
wherein each of the plurality of first through-holes defines:
a front surface groove that is defined by an etching process through the front surface coating layer and that defines a front surface groove inner diameter that narrows towards the rear surface of the front panel; and
a rear surface groove that is defined by the etching process through the rear surface coating layer and that defines a rear surface groove inner diameter (i) that narrows towards the front surface of the front panel and (ii) that is larger than the front surface groove inner diameter.

3. The exterior member according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first through-holes are defined by a laser before the etching process and are defined by the front surface coating layer and the rear surface coating layer.

4. The exterior member according to claim 2 , wherein:
the front panel comprises a stainless material,
the front surface coating layer and the rear surface coating layer comprise a resin material, and
the etching process includes etching the front panel and not etching the front surface coating layer or the rear surface coating layer by using ferric chloride (FeCl2) as an etching solution.

5. The exterior member according to claim 2 , wherein an inner diameter of the first through-hole between the front surface groove and the rear surface groove is smaller than the front surface groove inner diameter.

6. The exterior member according to claim 5 , wherein a front surface groove depth is smaller than a rear surface groove depth.

7. The exterior member according to claim 2 , wherein:
the front surface groove inner diameter is predetermined, and
the rear surface groove inner diameter is proportional to a thickness of the front panel.

8. The exterior member according to claim 2 , wherein the front surface groove and the rear surface groove are simultaneously etched during the etching process and etched from at the front surface of the front panel and the rear surface of the front panel, respectively.

9. The exterior member according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of first through-holes continuously increases from the rear surface of the front panel to the front surface of the front panel.

10. The exterior member according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of first through-holes is circular and increases in diameter from the rear surface of the front panel to the front surface of the front panel.

11. A refrigerator comprising:
a front panel that defines an exterior of a front surface of a door and that defines a plurality of first through-holes that are each larger at a rear surface of the front panel than at a front surface of the front panel;
a displaying part that is configured to display operating information of the refrigerator by transmitting light through a least a portion of the plurality of first through-holes;
a front surface coating layer that is located on the front surface of the front panel and that is configured to shield the plurality of first through-holes;
a hole-filling member that is configured to fill the plurality of first through-holes by coating a rear surface of the displaying part with a material that is configured to transmit light and that is configured to connect the plurality of first through-holes;
a colored coating layer that is located on the front surface coating layer and that is configured to cover the plurality of first through-holes;
a door liner that is connected to the front panel, that defines a rear surface of the door, and that defines a space that is configured to receive insulation;
a display assembly that is located inside the door and that includes a plurality of LEDs; and
a display cover that:
is configured to contact the rear surface of the front panel,
defines a plurality of second through-holes that are located at positions that correspond to the first through-holes, and
is configured to align the plurality of first through-holes with the plurality of second through-holes by guiding installation of the display assembly.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a diffusion sheet that is located at a rear surface of the front panel, that is configured to shield the displaying part, and that is configured to diffuse light transmitted through the diffusion sheet.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of first through-holes defines:
a front surface groove that is recessed from the front surface of the front panel, and
a rear surface groove that is recessed from a rear surface of the front panel,
wherein the front surface groove is a same size as the rear surface groove at a location where the front surface groove connects with the rear surface groove.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an accommodation portion that is located on the display cover and that includes a touch sensor assembly that includes a touch sensor that is configured to detect a touch operation at the rear surface of the front panel at the display cover,
wherein the touch sensor assembly is configured to contact the front panel during installation on the display cover.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a door cap decoration member that is coupled to the front panel and an end of the door liner and that defines an insertion hole that is configured to receive the display assembly; and
a frame that is connected to the rear surface of the front panel, that is configured to receive the display cover, and that defines a space with the insertion hole that does not receive insulation.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a support plate that is configured to support a rear of the front panel and that is located at the frame above the display cover.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a cover supporting portion that is located at the frame, tha

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sunggab
• Moon Byungchun
• Kim Pojin
• Koo Jahun
• Kim Youngwoo
• Lee Kuhyeong

Classifications

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D23/02

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title