Display device for refrigerator door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11047614-B2
Application number	US-201716303528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a display device for a refrigerator door. The display device for a refrigerator door, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a first panel made of a transparent material; a second panel made of a transparent material, and disposed so as to be spaced apart from the first panel by a predetermined interval; and a display module disposed between the first panel and the second panel, wherein the display module comprises a plurality of light emitting elements disposed in a predetermined pattern, a first wire electrically connected to the light emitting elements, and a second wire electrically connected to the light emitting elements, and disposed so as to intersect with the first wire. The present invention has benefit of enabling user to easily visually check, from the outside of a refrigerator, information related to the refrigerator and stored goods stored inside the refrigerator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator door having a display device, the refrigerator door comprising:
a first panel made of a transparent material;
a second panel made of a transparent material and spaced apart from the first panel by a predetermined distance; and
a display provided between the first panel and the second panel,
wherein the display comprises:
a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a predetermined pattern;
at least one first wire electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting elements; and
at least one second wire electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting elements and arranged to cross over the first wire at the intersections of the at least one first wire and the at least one second wire.

2. The refrigerator door of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second wire is divided into a plurality of segments, and the display further comprises a plurality of electrical connectors that electrically connect adjacent segments of the second wire at each light emitting element to prevent an electrical contact between the at least one first wire and the at least one second wire.

3. The refrigerator door of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connectors is connected to at least two segments of the at least one second wire, and wherein the at east one first wire passes either above or below each of the plurality of electrical connectors.

4. The refrigerator door of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connectors is spaced apart from the at least one first wire.

5. The refrigerator door of claim 2 , wherein the display further comprises an insulation layer provided between each of the plurality of electrical connectors and the at least one first wire.

6. The refrigerator door of claim 1 , wherein the display further comprises a first power connector connected to the at least one first wire, and a second power connector connected to the at least one second wire.

7. The refrigerator door of claim 1 ,
wherein the display comprises:
a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which the plurality of light emitting elements, the at least one first wire, and the at least one second wire are arranged;
a guide plate that includes a plurality, of holes corresponding to the pattern of the plurality of light emitting elements mounted on the PCB; and
at least one cover plate mounted on a front surface or a rear surface of the PCB.

8. The refrigerator door of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light emitting elements, the at least one first wire, and the at least one second wire are directly mounted on a surface of the second panel.

9. The refrigerator door of claim 1 ,
wherein the display comprises a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) on which the plurality of light emitting elements, the at least one first wire, and the at least one second wire are arranged, and
wherein the FPCB is attached to a surface of the second panel.

10. The refrigerator door of claim 1 , wherein a first space formed between the first panel and the second panel is filled with a thermal insulating gas.

11. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet that forms a refrigerating space;
a door, configured to open and close the cabinet;
a display device that forms at least a part of the door and displays information related to the refrigerator; and
a controller that controls a supply of an electrical signal to the display device to display the information,
wherein the display device comprises:
a first panel made of a transparent material;
a second panel made of a transparent material and spaced apart from the first panel by a predetermined distance; and

a display provided between the first panel and the second panel,
wherein the display comprises:
a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a predetermined pattern;
at least one first wire electrically connected to each of the plurality of light emitting elements; and
at least one second wire electrically connected to each of the plurality of light emitting elements, wherein the at least one second Tire is divided into a plurality of segments, and wherein the at least one first wire runs between sequential segments of the at least one second wire.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the display further comprises a plurality of electrical connectors that electrically connect sequential segments of the second wire at each light emitting element so as to prevent an electrical contact of the at least one first wire and the at least one second wire.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connectors is connected to at least two segments of the at least one second wire, and wherein the at least one first wire passes above or beneath each of the plurality of electrical connectors.

14. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical connectors is spaced apart from the at least one first wire.

15. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the display further comprises an insulating layer provided between the connecting element and the first wire.

16. A refrigerator door, comprising:
a first pane of glass;
a second pane of glass spaced apart from the first pane of glass by a predetermined distance;
a frame that supports the first and second panes of glass; and
a display provided between the first and second panes of glass, wherein the display comprises:
a predetermined pattern of pixels;
at least one first wire electrically connected to the predetermined pattern of pixels, the at least one first wire extending in a first direction; and
at least one second wire electrically connected to the predetermined pattern of pixels, the at least one second wire extending in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the display is configured to allow an item behind the second pane of glass to be seen when viewed from a front of the first pane of glass.

17. The refrigerator door of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of electrical connectors, wherein the at least one second wire is divided into a plurality of segments, and wherein each of the plurality of electrical connectors electrically connects two segments of the plurality of segments.

18. The refrigerator door of claim 17 , further comprising an insulation layer provided between the at least one first wire and each of the plurality of electrical connectors such that the at least one first wire does not contact the plurality of electrical connectors or the at least one second wire.

19. The refrigerator door of claim 16 , further comprising a first power connector connected to the at least one first wire and a second power connector connected to the at least one second wire.

20. The refrigerator door of claim 16 , further comprising a third pane of glass spaced apart from the second pane of glass by a predetermined distance, wherein a first space between the first and second panes of glass and a second space between the second and third panes of glass are filled with a thermally insulating gas.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sang Oh
• Min Dul Lae
• Yun Junsang

Classifications

• F25D2400/36

  Visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2201/00

  Insulation · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D23/063

  formed by an assembly of panels · CPC title

• F25D23/04 Primary

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title