Door for home appliance, home appliance, and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10228182-B2
Application number	US-201615310173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A door for a home appliance, a home appliance, and a method for manufacturing the same, are disclosed. The door for a home appliance comprises a panel assembly; and a frame assembly defining a predetermined space having an opening connected with an edge of the panel assembly, and making a foaming space for receiving a thermal insulator by means of the predetermined space of the frame assembly and the edge of the panel assembly, wherein a foaming injection hole through which the thermal insulator is injected is provided on at least one of ends of an upper surface, a lower surface, a left side and a right side of the frame assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage chamber therein; and
a door connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage chamber, the door comprising:
a panel assembly comprising:
a front panel;
an insulating panel spaced apart from the front panel; and
a spacer arranged between the front panel and the insulating panel of the panel assembly,

the panel assembly comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface; and

a frame assembly that is connected to the front panel of the panel assembly, and that is configured to cover a portion of a rear surface of the insulating panel of the panel assembly, the frame assembly comprising:
an upper frame and a lower frame;
at least one side frame that is connected to the upper frame and the lower frame, and that has a length that is longer than a length of the upper frame and longer than a length of the lower frame; and
a rear frame that is connected to the at least one side frame and that is in contact with the insulating panel of the panel assembly of the door,

wherein the panel assembly and the frame assembly together define an insulation space therebetween that extends along the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface of the panel assembly,
wherein at least one insulating material inlet is provided on at least one of the upper frame or the lower frame of the frame assembly, the at least one insulating material inlet configured to provide access for an insulating material to be injected into the insulation space that is defined between the panel assembly and the frame assembly, and
wherein the at least one insulating material inlet has a vertical projection that overlaps at least one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the panel assembly of the door.

2. The door of claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating material inlet is spaced apart from a first lateral end and a second lateral end of the upper frame or the lower frame of the frame assembly.

3. The door of claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulating material inlet comprises a plurality of insulating material inlets that are arranged on the lower frame of the frame assembly of the door, and that are spaced apart from each other.

4. The door of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of insulating material inlets are asymmetrically distanced from a lateral center of the lower frame of the frame assembly of the door.

5. The door of claim 1 , wherein the insulating material in the insulation space defined between the panel assembly and the frame assembly is arranged to surround lateral sides of the spacer of the panel assembly of the door.

6. The door of claim 1 , wherein the rear frame of the frame assembly of the door defines a gasket mounting groove configured to receive a gasket, and
wherein a bent hole is formed in the gasket mounting groove of the rear frame.

7. The door of claim 1 , wherein the at least one side frame of the frame assembly of the door comprises a pair of side frames, each of the pair of side frames connecting the upper frame to the lower frame of the frame assembly.

8. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage chamber therein; and
a door connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage chamber, the door comprising:
a frame assembly having an opening defined therethrough, and comprising an upper frame and a lower frame; and
a panel assembly configured to cover the opening of the frame assembly, and through which an interior of the storage chamber is visible from an outside of the refrigerator in a state in which the door is closed, the panel assembly comprising:
a front panel;
an insulating panel spaced apart from the front panel; and
a spacer that is arranged between the front panel and the insulating panel of the panel assembly,

the panel assembly comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface,

wherein the panel assembly and the frame assembly together define an insulation space therebetween that extends along the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface of the panel assembly,
wherein at least one insulating material inlet is formed on at least one of the upper frame or the lower frame of the frame assembly of the door, the at least one insulating material inlet configured to provide access for an insulating material to be injected therethrough into the insulation space defined between the panel assembly and the frame assembly,
wherein the insulating material in the insulation space covers the upper surface, the lower surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface of the panel assembly, and
wherein the at least one insulating material inlet has a vertical projection that overlaps at least one of the upper surface or the lower surface of the panel assembly of the door.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the frame assembly of the door further comprises:
at least one side frame that is connected to the upper frame and to the lower frame, and that has a length that is longer than a length of the upper frame and longer than a length of the lower frame.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the frame assembly further comprises a rear frame that is connected to the at least one side frame and that is in contact with the insulating panel of the panel assembly of the door.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the rear frame of the frame assembly defines a gasket mounting groove therein that is configured to receive a gasket, and
wherein a bent hole is formed in the gasket mounting groove of the rear frame.

12. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least one side frame of the frame assembly of the door comprises a panel connector that is connected to a rear surface of the front panel of the panel assembly, and
wherein the spacer that is arranged between the front panel and the insulating panel of the panel assembly is positioned between the panel connectors of the at least one side frame.

13. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the at least one insulating material inlet comprises a plurality of insulating material inlets that are arranged on the lower frame or on the upper frame of the frame assembly, and that are spaced apart from each other.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of insulating material inlets are asymmetrically distanced from a lateral center of the lower frame or the upper frame of the frame assembly.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage chamber therein;
a main door connected to the cabinet and having a first opening defined therethrough, the main door configured to open and close the storage chamber; and
a sub door configured to open and close the first opening of the main door, the sub door comprising:
a frame assembly having a second opening defined therethrough, and comprising an upper frame and a lower frame; and
a panel assembly configured to cover the second opening of the frame assembly, and through which an interior of the storage chamber is visible from an outside of the refrigerator in a state in which the sub door is closed, the panel assembly comprising:
a front panel;
an insulating panel that is spaced apart from the front panel; and
a spacer that is arranged between the front panel and the insulating panel,

the panel assembly comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface,

wherein the panel assembly and the

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Kwanghyun
• Park Hyungkyu
• Yi Myeongha

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/025

  Secondary closures · CPC title

• F25D23/065

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/02 Primary

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

• F25D23/06

  Walls (F25D23/08 takes precedence; containers with thermal insulation B65D81/38) · CPC title