Refrigerator and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10808990-B2
Application number	US-201715399097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage space, the door defining an opening that is in communication with the storage space, a detection device provided in the door and configured to detect a user's operation, a lighting unit configured to, based on the door being closed, turn on and off according to a signal from the detection device and to illuminate an inside of the refrigerator, and a panel assembly provided to the door and covering the opening, the panel assembly being configured to allow selective viewing of the inside of the refrigerator through the panel assembly. The panel assembly is configured to, based on the lighting unit being turned on, transmit light from the inside of the refrigerator to thereby allow viewing of the inside of the refrigerator through the panel assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage space;
a door connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage space, the door having an opening;
a lighting unit configured to, based on the door being closed, turn on and off according to a signal from a detection device and to illuminate an inside of the refrigerator; and
a panel assembly provided to the door and covering the opening, and comprising a front panel and an insulation panel spaced apart from the front panel by a spacer, wherein the front panel includes a first area through which light from the lighting unit passes and a second area disposed outside the first area to block transmission of the light therethrough,
wherein the detection device is disposed behind the front panel, is in contact with a rear surface of the second area of the front panel, and is configured to receive a knock input that is applied on the front panel,
wherein the door includes a door frame defining the opening and comprising a detection device accommodation part in which the detection device is accommodated, at least a portion of the detection device accommodation part being positioned between the front panel and a first portion of the detection device,
wherein a front surface of the detection device accommodation part defines a through part through which a second portion of the detection device passes to thereby contact the rear surface of the second area of the front panel,
wherein the detection device includes a microphone configured to detect sound waves from the knock input applied on the front panel,
wherein the lighting unit is turned on based on the detection device detecting a first knock input and a second knock input within a predetermined time applied on the front panel, and
wherein an inside of the refrigerator is visible through the first area of the front panel from an outside of the refrigerator based on the lighting unit being turned on.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device further includes a microphone accommodation part which accommodates the microphone, and the microphone accommodation part is in contact with the rear surface of the second area of the front panel.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the microphone is spaced apart from the rear surface of the second area of the front panel in a state in which the microphone is accommodated in the microphone accommodation part.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second area of the front panel is defined by a bezel layer printed along an edge of a rear surface of the front panel.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is provided closer to a boundary between the first area and the second area than an outer edge of the front panel.

6. The refrigerator according to 1 , wherein the door further includes an accommodation part cover to shield the detection device accommodation part.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door frame includes side frames, an upper cap decoration and a lower cap decoration, and
the detection device accommodation part is provided on the lower cap decoration.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit is turned off after being turned on for a predetermined period of time.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is configured to determine that the knock input is a normal input based on the detection device sensing a first sound signal and a second sound signal within the predetermined time, wherein the first sound signal is generated by the first knock input and the second sound signal is generated by the second knock input.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a first door rotatably connected to the cabinet and a second door rotatable with respect the first door and including the panel assembly and the detection device.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the detection device is a support member that supports the microphone.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the detection device is a holder that holds the microphone.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device further includes an elastic member that is configured to press the second portion toward the front panel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Koo Jahun

Classifications

• F25D2700/04

  Sensors detecting the presence of a person · CPC title

• F25D2700/00

  Means for sensing or measuring; Sensors therefor · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title