Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429124-B2
Application number	US-201615523217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator, which includes a main body having an opening, and including a storage chamber therein, a door configured to open or close the opening and a speaker assembly disposed in the bottom of the door, and configured to output sound to the outside. With this configuration, it is possible to minimize exposure of the speaker to thereby reduce influences by an external environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage chamber therein;
a door having an upper door and a lower door provided below the upper door and configured to open or close the storage chamber; and
a speaker assembly disposed in a recess in a bottom of the upper door in such a way to face an upper surface of the lower door, and configured to output sound to an outside of the refrigerator,
wherein the speaker assembly comprises:
a base unit configured to be a portion of an outer cabinet of the door and comprising a base portion forming the bottom of the upper door by extending from a lower front portion of the recess to a lower rear portion of the recess, and a unit installing portion recessed from the base portion and forming an installing space;
a speaker disposed in the installing space and inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the base portion; and
a speaker resting unit configured to cover the installing space to prevent exposure of the speaker, and

wherein the recess is covered from the outside of the refrigerator by the speaker assembly.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle satisfies 0°<θ≤45°.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the speaker resting unit includes an inclined resting portion having the speaker disposed on a rear surface thereof and formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle toward a front direction of the upper door from the bottom of the upper door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the inclined resting portion further comprises a speaker hole configured to transfer sound output from the speaker to the outside.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the speaker resting unit further comprises a guide portion extending from the inclined resting portion, and configured to guide sound generated from the speaker to be directed toward the front direction of the upper door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the guide portion and the inclined resting portion form an obtuse angle.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the unit installing portion comprises an installing recess which is recessed along a periphery thereof; and
the speaker resting unit is configured such that a periphery thereof is inserted into the installing recess.

8. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage chamber therein;
a door having an upper door and a lower door provided below the upper door and configured to open or close the storage chamber; and
a speaker assembly disposed in a recess in a bottom of the upper door in such a way to face an upper surface of the lower door, and configured to output sound to an outside of the refrigerator, wherein the speaker assembly comprises:
a base unit forming a portion of a lower surface of the upper door by extending from a lower front portion of the recess to a lower rear portion of the recess and forming an installing space recessed from the lower surface of the upper door;
a speaker resting unit configured to cover the installing space; and
a speaker provided inside the speaker resting unit,

wherein the recess is sealed from the outside of the refrigerator by the speaker assembly.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the speaker resting unit comprises an inclined resting portion having the speaker disposed on a rear surface thereof and formed in parallel to the speaker for resting of the speaker.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the inclined resting portion further comprises a speaker hole configured to transfer sound output from the speaker to the outside.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the speaker resting unit further comprises a guide portion extending from the inclined resting portion, and configured to guide sound generated from the speaker to be directed toward the front direction of the upper door.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the guide portion and the inclined resting portion form an obtuse angle.

13. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having an upper storage chamber and a lower storage chamber therein;
a first door configured to open or close the upper storage chamber and having a lower surface and a recess extending from the lower surface;
a second door configured to open or close the lower storage chamber; and
a speaker assembly disposed in the recess in the bottom of the first door in such a way to face an upper surface of the second door, wherein the speaker assembly comprises:
a speaker configured to output sound; and
an inclined resting portion in which the speaker is rested, and inclined at a predetermined angle toward a front direction of the first door from a lower surface of the first door such that the speaker is inclined at the predetermined angle towards a front surface of the first door,

wherein the recess is sealed from an outside of the refrigerator by the speaker assembly.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Yong Bum
• Koo Keon Pyo
• Shin Chun Youp
• Yoo Woo Yeol
• Lee Jeong Hyun

Classifications

• F25D23/02 Primary

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

• F25D2323/02

  Details of doors or covers not otherwise covered · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H04R5/02

  Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers · CPC title

• F25D29/008

  Alarm devices · CPC title