Refrigerator and home appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913709-B2
Application number	US-202217859450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 7, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator and a home appliance include a cabinet with a storage space formed therein, and a door configured to open and close the storage space, and including a door body filled with an insulator and a door panel detachably mounted on a front surface of the door body, where the door panel includes a panel defining a front appearance of the door, and a panel bracket extending along at least one end of a perimeter of a rear surface of the panel and coupled to the door body, and the panel bracket includes a coupling part coupled to the rear surface of the panel, a support part formed along an end of the coupling part and configured to support an end of the panel, and a mounting part protruding rearward from a rear surface of the coupling part and coupled to the door body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space therein; and
a door assembly configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, the door assembly comprising (i) a door body that accommodates an insulator and (ii) a door panel that is detachably disposed at a front surface of the door body,
wherein the door panel comprises:
a front panel that defines a front appearance of the door assembly, and
a plurality of panel brackets disposed at a rear surface of the front panel and configured to couple the door panel to the door body, the plurality of panel brackets comprising (i) an upper bracket disposed at an upper end of the door panel and (ii) a lower bracket disposed at a lower end of the door panel, and

wherein each of the upper bracket and the lower bracket is a single body that comprises:
a coupling part having a front surface that is coupled to the rear surface of the front panel,
a support that extends along an end of the coupling part and supports an end of the front panel, the support defining an upper appearance or a lower appearance of the door panel, and
a mounting protrusion that protrudes rearward from a rear surface of the coupling part and is configured to be coupled to the door body.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the support is configured to, based on the door panel being coupled to the door body, be disposed at a position corresponding to an upper or lower end of the door body.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the support has a rear end that is configured to, based on the door panel being coupled to the door body, be in contact with a front end of the door body.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the support protrudes forward to a position corresponding to a front surface of the front panel.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the support decreases as the support extends forward to the front panel.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the support has:
a first surface that is in contact with the end of the front panel and parallel to the front panel, and
a second surface that is opposite to the first surface of the support, the second surface being inclined with respect to the first surface or rounded.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the front panel comprises a metal plate comprising:
a panel front part that defines a front surface of the front panel; and
bending parts that are curved rearward from the panel front part and extend along upper and lower ends of the panel front part, the bending parts being configured to be in contact with the support, and
wherein the support defines an accommodating groove that is recessed from and extends along a front side of the support, the accommodating groove being configured to receive the bending parts.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the support protrudes forward from the coupling part to the front panel.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein a protrusion length of the support from the coupling part corresponds to a thickness of the front panel.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the coupling part is adhered to the front panel by an adhesive.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door body comprises an upper cap deco that defines an upper surface of the door body, and
wherein an upper surface of the upper bracket is flush with an upper surface of the upper cap deco.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the door body further comprises a side deco that defines side surfaces of the door body,
wherein the side deco comprises a side support that protrudes from a front end of the side deco toward the front panel and is configured to support a right or left end of the front panel, and
wherein a protruding length of the side deco toward the front panel is equal to a protruding length of the support toward the front panel.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the side support protrudes forward to the front panel relative to the upper cap deco.

14. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the upper cap deco comprises:
an upper part that defines the upper surface of the door body; and
a front part that supports the coupling part from a rear side of the coupling part, and
wherein the front part of the upper cap deco defines an accommodation recess that is recessed from the front part and has a size and a shape corresponding to the mounting protrusion to thereby receive the mounting protrusion therein.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein an end of the upper bracket is flush with an end of the upper cap deco based on the mounting protrusion being coupled to the accommodation recess.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the accommodation recess comprises:
an accommodation part support surface that supports a bottom surface of the mounting protrusion and defines an accommodation part screw hole configured to couple to the mounting protrusion; and
an accommodation part edge that extends upward along a perimeter of the accommodation part support surface and is in contact with a perimeter of the mounting protrusion.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the mounting protrusion comprises:
a mounting protrusion support surface that extends along the coupling part and is supported by the accommodation part support surface, the mounting protrusion support surface defining a mounting protrusion screw hole configured to couple to the accommodation part screw hole; and
a plurality of reinforcing ribs that connect the mounting protrusion support surface to the coupling part.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the upper cap deco defines a deco opening at the upper surface of the upper cap deco, the deco opening being open to the accommodation recess, and
wherein the refrigerator further comprises a deco cover that is configured to cover the deco opening based on the mounting protrusion being coupled to the accommodation recess.

19. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the upper bracket further comprises a shielding part that protrudes reward from an upper end of the coupling part toward the mounting protrusion, the shielding part covering at least a portion of an open upper side of the accommodation recess.

20. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the door assembly further comprises a lower cap deco that defines a lower surface of the door assembly, and
wherein a lower surface of the lower bracket is flush with a lower surface of the lower cap deco.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hong Euddeum

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/10

  Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type · CPC title

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D23/02 Primary

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

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title