Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340741-B2
Application number	US-201615381402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Jan 4, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator for uniformly illuminating an inner space thereof. The refrigerator includes a cabinet including a storage compartment having a predetermined size, a shelf installed in the storage compartment, the shelf including a light source unit for illuminating an inside of the storage compartment, a transmitter connected to an external power supply for wirelessly transmitting power, the transmitter having a primary resonance frequency within a predetermined range, and a receiver for wirelessly receiving the power from the transmitter so as to supply the power to the light source unit of the shelf, the transmitter transmitting the power to the receiver using a secondary resonance frequency generated when the receiver is located close to the transmitter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a storage compartment provided inside the cabinet and defined by an inner case of the cabinet;
a shelf provided in the storage compartment, and comprising a shelf portion and at least one bracket configured to support the shelf portion, the shelf comprising a light source unit configured to illuminate an interior region of the storage compartment;
a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a transmitter located on an inner sidewall of the storage compartment and electrically connected to an external power supply;
a receiver located on a side surface of the shelf and having a position that corresponds to a position of the transmitter, the receiver being electrically connected to the light source unit, the transmitter and the receiver configured to generate a first resonance frequency and a second resonance frequency therebetween; and
at least one processor configured to:
detect whether the door of the refrigerator is open; and
based on a detection that the door is open, control a wireless supply of power to the light source unit of the shelf using the second resonance frequency, among the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency generated between the transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the light source unit comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED) pixel unit configured to emit light based on the wirelessly supplied power, and a housing configured to spatially separate the LED pixel unit from the storage compartment, and
wherein the shelf further comprises:
a housing end cap that is at least partially inserted into a first open end of the housing and that is mounted on a first bracket of the at least one bracket; and
a wire cover that is at least partially inserted into a second open end of the housing and that is mounted on a second bracket of the at least one bracket.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is located at a front portion of the shelf.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is configured to direct the light in a downward direction.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a transparent region disposed at a bottom of the housing.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an opaque region that is configured to blocks the light from the LED pixel unit from being directed to a front of the refrigerator.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit further comprises a holder disposed inside the housing and configured to hold the LED pixel unit, and a first sealing portion interposed between the holder and the housing to prevent moisture from entering the housing.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit further comprises a head disposed outside the housing and coupled to the shelf, and a second sealing portion provided in the head to prevent moisture from entering the housing.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit further comprises a third sealing portion interposed between the holder and the LED pixel unit to prevent moisture from entering the LED pixel unit.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf portion is made of transparent material.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the housing extends along a front portion of the shelf and is supported by the at least one bracket at a location below the shelf portion.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf further comprises at least one shelf-side wire that is inserted into the housing through the wire cover, and that is connected to the LED pixel unit disposed within the housing.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver is located on a rear portion of a side surface of the at least one bracket.

13. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a storage compartment provided inside the cabinet, the storage compartment defined at least in part by a sidewall of the cabinet forming at least one recess and a rear wall of the cabinet forming at least a first seating hole and a second seating hole arranged in a vertical direction;
a shelf provided in the storage compartment and comprising (i) a shelf portion, (ii) a bracket configured to support the shelf portion, and (iii) a light source unit configured to illuminate an interior region of the storage compartment, the shelf provided with a first catch piece and a second catch piece;
a transmitter located in the at least one recess of the sidewall of the cabinet and electrically connected to an external power supply; and
a receiver located on a side surface of the bracket and having a position that corresponds to a position of the transmitter in a non-contact manner to wirelessly transmit power that is directed from the external power supply to the light source unit,
wherein the first catch piece is disposed at an upper portion of a rear end of the bracket and the second catch piece is disposed at a lower portion of the rear end of the bracket,
wherein the first catch piece is coupled with the first seating hole and the second catch piece is coupled with the second seating hole disposed below the first seating hole, and
wherein the at least one recess located in the sidewall of the cabinet is formed proximal to a boundary of the sidewall and the rear wall of the cabinet, a height of the at least one recess satisfying a range from an upper end of the first seating hole to a lower end of the second seating hole.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the first catch piece is coupled with the first seating hole, while the second catch piece is coupled with the second seating hole.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the shelf portion is made of transparent material, and
wherein the light source unit is located on a front end of the bracket.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the receiver is located on a rear portion of the side surface of the bracket so as to be close to the first and second catch pieces.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the rear portion of the side surface of the bracket is a region having a length that is equal to one quarter of an entire length of the bracket.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein
the transmitter and the receiver are configured to generate a first resonance frequency and a second resonance frequency therebetween, and
the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the power to the receiver using the second resonance frequency, among the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency generated between the transmitter and the receiver.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein a size of the transmitter corresponds to a size of the receiver.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein
the height of the at least one recess satisfies the range from the upper end of the first seating hole to the lower end of the second seating hole by being lower than a height of the upper end of the first seating hole and higher than a height of the lower end of the second seating hole, and
a height of the receiver on the shelf satisfies a range from an upper portion of the first catch piece to a lower portion of the second catch piece by being lower than a height of an upper end of the first catch piece and higher than a height of a lower end of the second catc

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Seonghun
• Jung Byungsang
• Kim Hwanyong
• Park Seungje
• Ha Sangdoo
• Son Yongjun
• Park Seonwook
• Yang Jaesung
• Lee Wonbok
• Choi Gyoocheol
• JEONG Joonggil

Classifications

• H02J50/70

  involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields · CPC title

• H02J50/005

  Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title

• H01F38/14

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title