Refrigerator capable of sound input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11832041-B2
Application number	US-202117359005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A door cover defines an upper surface of a door of a refrigerator. The door cover includes a microphone pocket in which a microphone mount is provided and a separate speaker pocket in which a speaker mount is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet having a storage space; and
a door configured to open or close the storage space,
wherein the door comprises:
a first space of the door defined by an outer plate, a door liner, and a cap deco;
a heat insulating material filled in the first space;
a microphone accommodator provided in the cap deco and having a second space;
a microphone mount shielded in the second space and having a protrusion and an inclination;
a microphone hole formed in the inclination; and
a microphone module provided within the second space, and
wherein the inclination is formed at a front end of the protrusion and the microphone module is positioned below the inclination.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the inclination is inclined downward in a forward direction.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the microphone hole is includes a plurality of microphone holes, and
wherein the microphone module is positioned such that a microphone of the microphone module faces the microphone hole.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising a hole guide that protrudes from the inclination and positioned above the microphone hole.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein a protruding length of the hole guide decreases in a direction toward a bottom of the inclination.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the microphone module comprises:
a microphone; and
a microphone substrate on which the microphone is mounted,
wherein the microphone is installed in an inner space of the microphone mount such that the microphone faces the microphone hole, and
wherein the microphone substrate is installed on the rear of the inclination at an angle.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising a seal surrounding the microphone,
wherein the seal is provided between the inclination and the microphone substrate and is formed of an elastic material having a hole in the center, and
wherein the microphone is positioned inside the hole of the seal.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the microphone module further includes a microphone connector provided at a rear 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 inclination 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.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein further comprising a microphone mounting boss that protrudes downward and is provided on a lower surface of the protrusion,
wherein the microphone supporter comprises:
a mounting surface that is connected to the support surface and faces the lower surface of the protrusion;
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; and
a screw that is fastened to the microphone mounting boss upward through the supporter through-hole.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the cabinet is partitioned vertically and horizontally, with a refrigerating compartment being formed at a top and a freezer compartment formed at a bottom,
wherein the door comprises a refrigerating compartment door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment, and a freezer compartment door that opens and closes the freezer compartment,
wherein the refrigerating compartment door includes a left refrigerating compartment door and a right refrigerating compartment door, and a dispenser being provided on a front of the left refrigerating compartment door,
wherein the right refrigerating compartment door includes a main door and a sub-door configured to open and close a central opening of the main door, and
wherein the cap deco is installed on a top of the left refrigerating compartment door.

11. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet having a storage space; and
a door configured to open or close the storage space,
wherein the door comprises:
a first space of the door defined by an outer plate, a door liner, and a cap deco;
a heat insulating material filled in the first space;
a speaker accommodator provided in the cap deco and having a second space;
a speaker mount shielding the second space and having a depression;
a speaker hole formed in the depression;
a speaker cover positioned above the speaker hole;
a speaker module disposed within the second space; and
a first drainage groove formed in the speaker accommodator and a second drainage groove formed in the speaker mount, the second drainage groove being formed in a side wall of the depression, and the first drainage groove being provided at a position corresponding to the second drainage groove.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the speaker module is located beneath the depression, and the speaker module comprises a sound output module configured to face the speaker hole.

13. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the speaker mount includes an annular lip protruding from an edge of the speaker hole,
wherein the annular lip protrudes both upward and downward, and
wherein the speaker cover is positioned above the annular lip, and the speaker module is positioned below the annular lip.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 ,
wherein:
the speaker cover includes a plate that covers the speaker hole,
an outer edge of the plate and an inner circumferential wall of the depression are spaced apart from each other, and
a lower surface of the plate and an upper end of the annular lip are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the plate bigger than the speaker hole.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , further comprising:
a ditch groove provided at an outer edge of the speaker accommodator, and
a fitting part configured to be inserted into the ditch groove is provided at an outer edge of the speaker mount.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein:
the ditch groove is defined between an outer wall and an inner wall;
a fitting groove is provided in the inner wall at a position aligned with the first drainage groove;
the second drainage groove is positioned to communicate with the fitting groove; and
a lower end of the fitting groove includes a threshold having a height higher than a bottom of the ditch groove.

17. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein an interior of the cabinet is partitioned vertically and horizontally, with a refrigerating compartment being formed at a top and a freezer compartment being formed at a bottom,
wherein the door comprises a refrigerating compartment door that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment, and a freezer compartment door that opens and closes the freezer compartment,
wherein the refrigerating compartment door includes a left refrigerating compartment door and a right refrigerating compartment door, and further comprising a dispenser provided on a front of the left refrigerating compartment door,
wherein the right refrigerating compartment door includes a main door and a sub-door configured to open and close a central opening of the main door, and
wherein the cap deco is installed on a top of the left refrigerating compartment door.

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

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon O Min
• Park Hyungkyu

Classifications

• H04R1/028 Primary

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D29/005 Primary

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• H04R1/025

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title

• H04R1/04

  Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title