Refrigerator capable of sound input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11076212-B2
Application number	US-201916553430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A cap deco which is installed at an upper portion of a door of a refrigerator. There is provided a cap deco, in which a portion of a door cover that defines an upper surface of the cap deco includes a microphone pocket in which a microphone is accommodated and a speaker pocket in which a speaker is accommodated and the microphone pocket and the speaker pocket are defined as separate spaces from each other. A microphone mount is installed in the microphone pocket and a speaker mount 514 manufactured as a separate part from the microphone mount 511 is installed in the speaker pocket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door for a refrigerator, the door comprising:
a front panel and a rear panel having insulation therebetween;
a door cover that covers an upper surface of the refrigerator door, the upper surface of the refrigerator door extending between the front and rear panels, wherein the door cover comprises:
a microphone pocket provided in an upper cover of the door cover;
a speaker pocket provided in the upper cover,
a microphone mount provided in the microphone pocket;
a speaker mount provided in the speaker pocket;
a microphone mounted in the microphone mount; and
a speaker mounted in the speaker mount, wherein the microphone pocket and the speaker pocket are separated from each other,
wherein the microphone mount comprises:
a protrusion that protrudes from the top of the microphone mount and including an inclined surface that is inclined downward from the front of a top surface of the protrusion toward a front of the refrigerator and connects a top surface of the microphone mount and the top surface of the protrusion;
a microphone hole formed in the inclined surface; and
a microphone module including the microphone and installed in an inner space of the microphone mount so that the microphone faces the microphone hole.

2. The door of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the microphone and the speaker is 85 mm or more and 200 mm or less.

3. The door of claim 1 , wherein the microphone module further comprises a microphone substrate on which the microphone is mounted, and
wherein the microphone module is fixed to the microphone mount so that the surface of the microphone substrate faces a rear surface of the inclined surface.

4. The door of claim 3 , wherein a seal that surrounds the microphone is provided at a circumference of the microphone, and
wherein the seal is interposed between the rear surface of the inclined surface and the surface of the microphone substrate.

5. The door of claim 3 , wherein the microphone mount further comprises a microphone supporter that supports the microphone module, and
wherein a microphone mounting boss that protrudes downward is provided on a lower surface of the protrusion,
wherein the microphone supporter comprises:
a support surface that faces a rear surface of the inclined surface with the microphone module interposed therebetween;
a mounting surface that is connected to the support surface and faces the lower surface of the protrusion; and
a supporter through-hole provided on the mounting surface and engaged upward from a lower portion of the microphone mounting boss toward the microphone mounting boss,
wherein a screw is fastened to the microphone mounting boss upward through the supporter through-hole.

6. The door of claim 3 , wherein the microphone module further comprises a microphone connector mounted on the rear surface of the microphone substrate,
wherein the microphone mount further includes a microphone supporter that supports the microphone module, and
wherein the microphone supporter comprises:
a support surface that faces the rear surface of the inclined surface with the microphone module interposed therebetween; and
a connector hole provided on the support surface that exposes the microphone connector of the microphone substrate supported by the support surface downward.

7. The door of claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface includes a hole guide that at least partially surrounds the microphone hole.

8. The door of claim 1 , wherein the microphone hole faces toward a front of the refrigerator, and
wherein an inner space of the microphone mount is not exposed through the microphone hole.

9. The door of claim 1 , wherein a substrate is installed in the microphone mount and is electrically connected to the microphone element installed in the microphone mount and is configured to process a signal of the microphone element.

10. The door of claim 9 , wherein the substrate mount is detachably installed in the microphone mount, and wherein the substrate is mounted on the substrate mount.

11. A door for a refrigerator, the door comprising:
a front panel and a rear panel having insulation therebetween;
a door cover that covers an upper surface of the refrigerator door, the upper surface of the refrigerator door extending between the front and rear panels, wherein the door cover comprises:
a microphone pocket provided in an upper cover of the door cover;
a speaker pocket provided in the upper cover,
a microphone mount provided in the microphone pocket;
a speaker mount provided in the speaker pocket;
a microphone mounted in the microphone mount; and
a speaker mounted in the speaker mount, wherein the microphone pocket and the speaker pocket are separated from each other, wherein the speaker mount includes a depression depressed from a surface of the speaker mount,
wherein a speaker hole is formed on a bottom surface of the depression,
wherein a speaker module is installed under the depression and a sound output module of the speaker module faces the speaker hole, and
wherein an annular lip protruding upward is provided at an edge of the speaker hole.

12. The door of claim 11 , wherein a speaker cover including a plate that covers the speaker hole is installed over the depression,
wherein an outer edge of the plate and an inner circumferential wall of the depression are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein a lower surface of the plate and an upper end of the annular lip are spaced apart from each other.

13. The door of claim 11 , further comprising a first drainage groove and a second drainage groove formed in the speaker mount, wherein the second drainage groove is formed on a side wall of the depression.

14. The door of claim 13 , wherein a ditch groove is provided at an outer circumference of the speaker accommodator, and
wherein a fitting part configured to be inserted into the ditch groove is provided at an outer edge of the speaker mount.

15. The door of claim 14 ,
wherein the second drainage groove is arranged in a fitting groove provided in an inner member of the ditch groove,
wherein the lower end of the fitting groove includes a threshold having a height higher than the bottom of the ditch groove, and
wherein the first drainage groove faces the fitting groove, in the outer member of the ditch groove.

16. The door of claim 11 , wherein a substrate configured to control the refrigerator is installed in the speaker mount.

17. The door of claim 16 , wherein a substrate mount is detachably installed on the speaker mount, and wherein the substrate is mounted on the substrate mount.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon O Min
• Park Hyungkyu

Classifications

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D29/003

  for movable devices · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• H04R1/08

  Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title