External member for home appliances having light transmitting through-holes and manufacturing method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11300352-B2
Application number	US-202016848616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an external member for home appliances and a manufacturing method therefor. The external member has through-holes in a metal layer for transmitting light emitted from a light source, such as a light-emitting device mounted rear of the external member, are not exposed to the outside by a film layer attached to a front surface of the metal layer when the light-emitting device is turned off. The external member for home appliances can provides appearance of home appliances with improved luxuriousness and aesthetic sensibility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An external member for a home appliance, the external member comprising:
a film layer that defines a color or a texture of an external appearance of the home appliance;
a metal layer that is coupled to a rear surface of the film layer and that covers a display assembly including a plurality of light-emitting devices; and
a display cover that is coupled to a rear surface of the metal layer and that is configured to accommodate the display assembly,
wherein the metal layer comprises:
a plurality of through-holes that penetrate predetermined regions of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting devices, and
an ink layer that fills each of the plurality of the through-holes and is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting devices,

wherein the display cover includes a plurality of guide holes through which light emitted from the light-emitting devices of the display assembly passes, the plurality of guide holes corresponding to the plurality of through-holes, respectively,
wherein, in a state in which at least one of the light-emitting devices is turned on to display operation information on a front surface of the home appliance, light emitted from the at least one of the light-emitting devices is transmitted through the ink layer and the film layer, and
wherein, in a state in which the light-emitting devices are turned off, the film layer is configured to block a front opening of each of the plurality of the through-holes to an outside of the home appliance.

2. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the ink layer is protruded from a rear opening of each of the plurality of through-holes.

3. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the ink layer is further configured to cover a part of the rear surface of the metal layer.

4. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the film layer comprises:
a primer layer that is coupled to a front surface of the metal layer, and a coating layer that is coupled to a front surface of the primer layer.

5. The external member of claim 4 , wherein the film layer further comprises:
a thin metal film layer that is coupled to a front surface of the coating layer, and a pattern layer that has an imprinting pattern on either a front surface of the pattern layer or a rear surface of the pattern layer.

6. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the ink layer comprises silica.

7. The external member of claim 1 , further comprising a light diffusion sheet that is located between the rear surface of the metal layer and the display cover.

8. The external member of claim 1 , wherein a guide hole of the plurality of guide holes is configured to guide light from the light-emitting devices to two or more of the plurality of through-holes.

9. The external member of claim 1 , wherein each of the guide holes has a front aperture that is located adjacent to a front surface of the display cover, and a rear aperture that is located adjacent to a rear surface of the display cover, and
wherein a width of the front aperture is larger than a width of the rear aperture.

10. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the film layer covers the predetermined regions of the metal layer at which the through-holes are defined and a neighboring region of the predetermined regions.

11. The external member of claim 1 , wherein the ink layer is further configured to cover an entire area that includes two or more unit sets of the plurality of through-holes.

12. A method for manufacturing an external member for a home appliance, the method comprising:
providing (i) a film layer that defines a color or a texture of the home appliance and (ii) a metal layer that is coupled to a rear surface of the film layer;
laminating a photosensitive resin on a rear surface of the metal layer;
positioning a masking film including a plurality of holes on a rear surface of the photosensitive resin;
after positioning the masking film, curing the photosensitive resin by irradiating ultraviolet through the plurality of holes of the masking film;
removing the masking film and an uncured portion of the photosensitive resin;
forming a plurality of through-holes by spraying an etching liquid onto the rear surface of the metal layer;
injecting, into the plurality of through-holes, an ink layer that is configured to transmit light; and
coupling a display cover to the rear surface of the metal layer, the display cover being configured to accommodate a display assembly including a plurality of light-emitting devices,
wherein the display cover includes a plurality of guide holes through which light emitted from the light emitting devices of the display assembly passes, the plurality of guide holes corresponding to the plurality of through holes, respectively.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the film layer is configured to block a front opening of each of the plurality of the through-holes to an outside of the home appliance.

14. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space; and
a refrigerator door disposed at the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage space,
wherein the refrigerator door comprises:
an external member that defines a front appearance of the refrigerator door, and
a display assembly that includes a plurality of light-emitting devices and is covered by the external member, and

wherein the external member comprises:
a film layer that defines a color or a texture of an external appearance of the refrigerator door,
a metal layer that is coupled to a rear surface of the film layer and that covers the display assembly, and

a display cover that is coupled to a rear surface of the metal layer and that is configured to accommodate the display assembly, and
wherein the metal layer comprises:
a plurality of through-holes that penetrate predetermined regions of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting devices, and
an ink layer that fills the through-holes and is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting devices,

wherein the display cover includes a plurality of guide holes configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting devices of the display assembly, the plurality of guide holes corresponding to the plurality of through-holes, respectively,
wherein, in a state in which at least one of the light-emitting devices is turned on to display operation information on a front surface of the refrigerator, light emitted from the at least one of the light-emitting devices is transmitted through the ink layer and the film layer, and
wherein the film layer covers the predetermined regions of the metal layer at which the through-holes are defined and a neighboring region of the predetermined regions such that, in a state in which the light-emitting devices are turned off, the film layer is configured to block a front opening of the through-holes to an outside of the refrigerator.

15. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a frame attached to the rear surface of the external member and providing a separate space inside the refrigerator door to receive the display cover and the display assembly, wherein the frame includes a front surface and an upper surface that are open, and defines a space having an opened upper surface when attached to the external member; and
a light diffusion sheet that is located between the rear surface of the metal layer and the display cover.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , further comprising a decorative member that defines an upper appearance of the refrigerator door, the decorative member includi

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sung Gab
• Bak So Hee
• Koo Ja Hun
• Kim Youngwoo
• Kim Pojin
• Moon Byungchun
• Lee Kuhyeong
• Jung Hye Sun

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D23/02

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

• H10H20/8506

  Containers · CPC title