Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767917-B2
Application number	US-201815934390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door opening/closing the cabinet and having an opening that is penetrated in a front/rear direction, a transparent panel assembly mounted to cover the opening and through which the inside of the refrigerant is seen, and a lighting member provided in the door or the cabinet to brighten a rear side of the transparent panel assembly. The transparent panel assembly includes a front panel defining an outer appearance of a front surface, a rear panel defining an outer appearance of a rear surface, a spacer made of a metal material and disposed between the front panel and the rear panel to define a periphery of the transparent panel assembly. A heater mounting part on which a heater is mounted is disposed on the spacer, and when the heater generates heat, one side of the front panel, which comes into contact with the spacer, is heated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a door opening/closing the cabinet and having an opening that is penetrated in a front/rear direction;
a transparent panel assembly which is mounted to cover the opening and through which the inside of the refrigerator is seen; and
a lighting member provided in the door or the cabinet to brighten a rear side of the transparent panel assembly,
wherein the transparent panel assembly comprises:
a front panel defining an outer appearance of a front surface;
a rear panel defining an outer appearance of a rear surface; and
a spacer made of a metal material and disposed between the front panel and the rear panel to define a periphery of the transparent panel assembly,
wherein a heater mounting part on which a heater is mounted is disposed on the spacer, and when the heater generates heat, one side of the front panel, which comes into contact with the spacer, is heated.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer is made of an aluminum alloy material.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater mounting part protrudes to an outside of the spacer to extend in a longitudinal direction of the spacer.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein a heater groove into which the heater is inserted is defined in a protruding end of the heater mounting part.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the heater mounting part is disposed between the front panel and a protruding end of the rear panel, and a sealant is filled into a space between the front panel, the rear panel, and the heater mounting part to a height corresponding to that of the heater mounting part.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the heater mounting part is exposed through a peripheral surface of the transparent panel assembly.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the heater mounting part is disposed on an end of the spacer, which comes into contact with the front plate, and
a heater groove into the heater is inserted is defined in the heater mounting part.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an insulation space that is in a sealed state is provided between the front panel and the rear panel,
an insulator is disposed in a periphery of the door outside the transparent panel assembly, and
the spacer is disposed in a non-insulation region between the insulation space and the insulator.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises an outer spacer coming into contact with the front panel and the rear panel to support the front panel and the rear panel.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door comprises:
an outer plate defining a front surface of the door and having a plate opening that is covered by the front panel;
a door liner defining a rear surface of the door and having a liner opening that is covered by the rear panel; and
a support frame disposed along the plate opening and extending toward the transparent panel assembly so that a protruding end of the front panel is seated.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein a spacer protrusion protruding outward and coupled to the support frame by a coupling member is disposed on the spacer.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the spacer protrusion and the heater mounting part are integrated with each other.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the spacer protrusion and the heater mounting part extend along the spacer in a state of being spaced apart from each other.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the spacer protrusion and the heater mounting part protrude at the same height, and
a sealant is applied at the same height as each of the spacer protrusion and the heater mounting part between the front panel and the rear panel and between the spacer protrusion and the heater mounting part.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein a coupling hole to which the coupling member is coupled is defined in the spacer protrusion, a heater groove into which the heater is inserted is defined in the heater mounting part, and the coupling hole and the heater groove are exposed between the the sealant.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the heater mounting part is disposed further rearward than the spacer protrusion and the support frame, and in the state in which the spacer protrusion and the support frame are coupled to each other, the heater mounting part is exposed to an outside.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a display for outputting a screen is disposed on a rear surface of the front panel, and
a light guide plate supported by the spacer is disposed at a rear side of the display.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an intermediate panel is further disposed between the front panel and the rear panel, and
an additional spacer is further provided between the front panel and the intermediate panel and between the rear panel and the intermediate panel inside the spacer to support the front and intermediate panels and the rear and intermediate panels.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the intermediate panel is provided in plurality, which are spaced apart from each other, and
an additional spacer is further provided between the plurality of intermediate panels to support the plurality of intermediate panels.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an intermediate panel is further provided between the front panel and the rear panel, and
the spacer comprises:
a spacer which is disposed between the front panel and the intermediate panel to support the front panel and the intermediate panel and on which the heater mounting part is disposed, and
a spacer disposed between the rear panel and the intermediate panel to support the rear panel and the intermediate panel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Junghwan
• Kang Chanuk
• Kwon Hyuk
• Lee Sangmyung
• Lee Ikkyu

Classifications

• F25D2201/10

  with respect to heat · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D27/005

  combined with control means · CPC title

• A47F3/0434

  Glass or transparent panels · CPC title

• F25D23/025

  Secondary closures · CPC title