Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12007161-B2
Application number	US-202318137161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet forming a storage space; a door for opening and closing the storage space and provided with a receiving space; a see-through portion extending through the door and communicating with the receiving space; a door light for illuminating a rear space of the door; a transparent panel assembly for shielding the see-through portion and becoming transparent or opaque so as to selectively visualize the see-through portion according to On/Off states of the door light; and a heat insulating member, formed along a perimeter of the transparent panel assembly, for insulating a perimeter portion of the transparent panel assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet that defines a storage space with an opening; and a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening of the storage space, the door comprising: a front panel that defines a front surface of the door, a rear panel that defines a rear surface of the door, an outer plate that defines a lateral surface of the door, an upper cap decoration that defines an upper surface of the door, a lower cap decoration that defines a lower surface of the door, a spacer that is disposed between the front panel and the rear panel and defines a sealed space between the front panel and the rear panel, a door liner that is disposed rearward relative to the rear panel and defines a liner opening having a rectangular shape, the door liner comprising (i) a liner protrusion that surrounds the liner opening and (ii) a door light mounting part disposed between the liner protrusion and the rear panel, an insulation member provided in a space defined by the outer plate, the upper cap decoration, the lower cap decoration, and the door liner, and a door light disposed at the door light mounting part, wherein the door light comprises: a light housing that defines a receiving space and an opening, the light housing having a slant surface inserted into the door light mounting part, a lighting module disposed in the receiving space, and a light cover that covers the opening of the light housing.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the liner protrusion protrudes rearward toward the storage space from lateral sides of the liner opening.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door light mounting part comprises a pair of mounting parts that are opened in a direction facing each other, and
wherein the door defines a see-through part between the pair of mounting parts.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door light contacts a rear surface of the rear panel, and
wherein the light cover defines a plane intersecting the rear surface of the rear panel.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door light extends from a top of the rear panel toward a bottom of the rear panel.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light housing comprises:
a mounting surface that supports the lighting module and is parallel to the rear panel; and
a reflection surface that faces the mounting surface and is configured to reflect light emitted from the lighting module toward the light cover, and
wherein the lighting module on the mounting surface is configured to emit light toward a rear side of the storage space.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the light housing further comprises a protrusion disposed at an edge of the mounting surface and coupled to the light module.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the light housing further comprises a reinforcement rib that is disposed at the reflection surface and contacts the door light mounting part.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light housing defines a wire entrance that receives a wire connected to the lighting module.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door light mounting part defines an opened portion that receives the door light, and
wherein the slant surface of the light housing is inserted into the door light mounting part through the opened portion and in contact with an inner surface of the door light mounting part.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light housing comprises a fixing protrusion configured to couple to the door light mounting part based on the door light being mounted to the door light mounting part.

12. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the light cover is made of a material configured to transmit or diffuse light, the light cover being configured to transmit or diffuse light that is emitted from the lighting module and reflected from the reflection surface.

13. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet that defines a storage space with an opening; and a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening of the storage space, the door comprising: a front panel that defines a portion of a front surface of the door, the front panel being made of a material configured to transmit light, an inner frame that defines a portion of the front surface of the door and supports a bottom of the front panel, a rear panel disposed rearward relative to the front panel and spaced apart from the front panel, a light guide plate disposed between the front panel and the rear panel and configured to guide light toward the front panel, a display light comprising (i) a board disposed below the light guide plate and (ii) light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are arranged at the board along a lower end of the light guide plate, the display light being configured to emit light toward a bottom of the light guide plate, and a lower frame that is disposed below the light guide plate and supports the display light, the lower frame being made of metal and in contact with the rear panel, wherein the lower frame comprises: a light mounting part that supports a lower side of the board, and a light accommodation part that is recessed into the light mounting part and receives the board such that the LEDs are aligned with the lower end of the light guide plate.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the lower frame is disposed between the front panel and the rear panel, and
wherein a front surface of the lower frame contacts a rear surface of the front panel, and a rear surface of the lower frame contacts a front surface of the rear panel such that the front panel is spaced apart from the rear panel.

15. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the lower frame extends upward from the light mounting part, the lower frame further comprising:
a spacer that contacts a rear surface of the front panel and a front surface of the light guide plate, the spacer being configured to maintain a distance between the front panel and the light guide plate.

16. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the inner frame comprises a lower rib that protrudes rearward and supports the bottom of the front panel.

17. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the door further comprises an outer plate that defines a portion of the front surface of the door, the outer plate defining a see-through part that exposes a portion of the front panel,
wherein the inner frame defines an accommodation groove at a front surface of the inner frame, and
wherein the outer plate comprises a bent part that defines a circumference of the see-through part and is inserted into the accommodation groove.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the front surface of the inner frame contacts a rear surface of the outer plate, the rear surface of the outer plate being located below the see-through part, and
wherein an upper end of the inner frame is exposed toward an inner side of the see-through part.

19. The refrigerator of claim 13 , further comprising a frame module that defines a frame opening,
wherein the frame module comprises:
the lower frame;
an upper frame that is spaced apart from the lower frame; and
a pair of side frames that connect the lower frame and the upper frame to each other, and

wherein the frame opening is defined by the lower frame, the upper frame, and the pair of side frames.

20. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the rear panel is made of a material configured to transmit light.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Kyutae
• Kim Minsub
• Oh Kyongsok
• Lee Sangmyung
• Lee Hangbok

Classifications

• F21V2200/20

  of light guides of a generally planar shape · CPC title

• F21V7/0008

  providing for indirect lighting · CPC title

• F21V3/049

  Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title

• F25D2327/001

  Lighting arrangements on the external side of the refrigerator, freezer or cooling box · CPC title