Refrigerator having wireless charger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788786-B2
Application number	US-202117374283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2021
Priority date	Mar 8, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: an inner casing having a storage chamber defined therein; a middle plate surrounding an outer surface of the inner casing; a thermal-insulating material disposed between the inner casing and the middle plate; a module mounting casing fixed to the middle plate and having a top opening and an inserting opening; a cabinet cover to cover the top opening and to define a top appearance of the refrigerator; and a wireless charging module mounted on the module mounting casing through the inserting opening, wherein the wireless charging module includes an coil part for wirelessly-charging a battery of a mobile device placed on the cabinet cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
an inner casing that defines a storage chamber;
a door configured to open and close the storage chamber;
a cabinet cover disposed at an upper side of the inner casing;
a wireless charger including a coil configured to wirelessly charge a battery of a mobile device placed on the cabinet cover; and
a module mounting casing that supports the wireless charger,
wherein the cabinet cover defines a module-receiving recess configured to receive a portion of the wireless charger,
wherein the module mounting casing defines an opening between the module mounting casing and the cabinet cover and a space configured to receive another portion of the wireless charger, and
wherein the wireless charger is configured to, based on the module mounting casing being connected to the cabinet cover, pass through the opening and then insert into the space of the module mounting casing and the module-receiving recess.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the module-receiving recess is recessed upward from a bottom surface of the cabinet cover.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the opening is defined at a rear side of the module mounting casing and configured to receive the wireless charger from the rear side of the module mounting casing, and
wherein the wireless charger includes a first portion disposed in the module-receiving recess and a second portion disposed in the space of the module mounting casing.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the module-receiving recess is disposed closer to a rear end of the cabinet cover than to a front end of the cabinet cover.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the module mounting casing comprises a horizontal extension that extends in a horizontal direction from a top edge of the module mounting casing and that contacts a bottom surface of the cabinet cover.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the module mounting casing comprises a bottom wall, side walls extending upward respectively from opposing sides of the bottom wall, and a front wall extending upward from a front end of the bottom wall.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the module mounting casing comprises a support protrusion that protrudes from the bottom wall, the support protrusion having a top surface inclined with respect to the bottom wall and configured to raise the wireless charger above the bottom wall based on the wireless charger being inserted into the module mounting casing, and
wherein the wireless charger is spaced apart from the bottom wall based on the wireless charger being supported by the support protrusion.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the support protrusion is integrally formed with the bottom wall and the front wall of the module mounting casing.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the wireless charger comprises:
a charging body including the coil; and
a frame that supports the charging body and that is fixed to the module mounting casing.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the charging body comprises a housing that receives the coil, the housing defining a lateral recess that is recessed from a lateral side surface of the housing,
wherein the housing comprises a plurality of frame-engagement portions that are located at the lateral recess and that are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the frame comprises a plurality of housing-engagement portions that are engaged with the plurality of frame-engagement portions, respectively.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein a vertical length of each of the plurality of frame-engagement portions is less than a vertical length of the housing,
wherein each of the plurality of frame-engagement portions is spaced apart from a top surface of the housing and a bottom surface of the housing.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the frame further defines a receiving groove that receives a portion of the housing, and
wherein the plurality of housing-engagement portions protrude upward from the receiving groove and are positioned in the lateral recess of the housing.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the frame further comprises a connection rib that protrudes upward from a bottom surface of the receiving groove and that connects the plurality of housing-engagement portions to one another.

14. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the frame further comprises:
a handle that extends downward from a top surface of the frame; and
an extended rib that extends downward from a lower end of the handle and that is spaced apart from a bottom wall of the housing.

15. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the frame further comprises:
a positioning protrusion located at a first side of the frame; and
an engagement portion coupled to the module mounting casing and located at a second side of the frame, the second side being opposite of the first side of the frame, and
wherein the module mounting casing defines a protrusion-receiving groove that receives the positioning protrusion and an engagement-receiving groove that receives the engagement portion.

16. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet cover comprises a position guide mark that indicates a charging location for charging the mobile device.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the position guide mark is attached to the cabinet cover, or a portion of the cabinet cover is deformed to define the position guide mark.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16 , further comprising a display located at a rear side of the cabinet cover, and
wherein the position guide mark is located adjacent to the display.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18 , further comprising a pair of side panels that define a side exterior of the refrigerator,
wherein the cabinet cover and the display are located between the pair of side panels.

20. The refrigerator of claim 18 , wherein the display comprises a charging port configured to connect to a charging cable that is connected to the mobile device.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Kihyun
• Yoo Daehyun
• Lim Kiyoung

Classifications

• F25D23/12 Primary

  Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D15/00

  Devices not covered by group F25D11/00 or F25D13/00, e.g. non-self-contained movable devices · CPC title

• F25D23/006

  for mounting refrigerating machinery components · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title