Home appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12253297-B2
Application number	US-202217987538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2022
Priority date	Nov 16, 2021
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

An appliance includes a cabinet in which a storage space is defined and a door configured to open and close the storage space. The door includes a door body and a panel assembly mounted on a front surface of the door body. The panel assembly includes a panel which is configured to define a front surface of the door and through which light is transmitted, a lighting device configured to allow the panel to shine with a set color, a back cover configured to define a rear surface of the panel assembly, and a panel holder configured to fix the panel assembly to the door body. The panel holder includes a base fixed inside the panel assembly and a holder protrusion protruding from the base to pass through the back cover and coupled to the door body when the panel assembly is mounted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space; and
a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, the door comprising a door body and a panel assembly that is disposed on a front surface of the door body,
wherein the panel assembly comprises:
a lighting device configured to output light,
a panel that defines a front surface of the door and is configured to transmit the light with a set color,
a back cover that defines a rear surface of the panel assembly, and
a panel holder that fixes the panel assembly to the door body, and

wherein the panel holder comprises:
a base that is fixed to an inside of the panel assembly, and
a holder protrusion that protrudes from the base, the holder protrusion passing through the back cover and being coupled to the door body.

2. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly further comprises:
a light guide plate disposed rearward relative to the panel and configured to guide the light emitted from the lighting device; and
a mounting member that accommodates ends of the light guide plate and faces the panel holder.

3. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the base is in contact with a rear surface of the light guide plate.

4. The appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the base and the light guide plate are inserted into the mounting member.

5. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the base comprises:
a base insertion portion inserted into the mounting member; and
a base exposed portion that is exposed to an outside of the mounting member, and
wherein the holder protrusion is disposed at the base exposed portion.

6. The appliance according to claim 5 , wherein the base further comprises a base stepped portion that defines a boundary between the base insertion portion and the base exposed portion, the base stepped portion being in contact with an end of the mounting member.

7. The appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the mounting member defines a holder restriction groove that is recessed from an end of the mounting member toward one of the ends of the light guide plate, and
wherein the base further comprises a holder restriction protrusion disposed at the base stepped portion and inserted to the holder restriction groove.

8. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting member comprises:
a front surface portion that is disposed between the panel and the light guide plate and supports the panel; and
a side surface portion that extends rearward from an end of the front surface portion and is coupled to one of the ends of the light guide plate, and
wherein the base is disposed at the side surface portion.

9. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the side surface portion comprises:
a first part that extends rearward from the end of the front surface portion and defines a side surface of the panel assembly; and
a second part that extends laterally inward from an end of the first part to thereby define a space that accommodates the light guide plate and the panel holder.

10. The appliance according to claim 9 , wherein the side surface portion further comprises a third part that is disposed between the first part and the second part and defines a step between the first part and the second part,
wherein the mounting member defines:
a first insertion space that receives the light guide plate at a position between the front surface portion and the third part, and
a second insertion space that receives the base at a position between the second part and the third part.

11. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the second insertion space has an upper end and a lower end that define openings, respectively, and
wherein the panel assembly further comprises:
an upper bracket that defines a top surface of the panel assembly and is inserted into the upper end of the second insertion space, and
a lower bracket that defines a bottom surface of the panel assembly and is inserted into the lower end of the second insertion space.

12. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the panel assembly further comprises:
an upper bracket that defines a top surface of the panel assembly and is disposed at an upper end of the mounting member; and
a lower bracket that defines a bottom surface of the panel assembly and is disposed at a lower end of the mounting member.

13. The appliance according to claim 12 , wherein the panel holder is one of a plurality of panel holders that are disposed between the upper bracket and the lower bracket and arranged along the mounting member.

14. The appliance according to claim 13 , wherein the upper bracket comprises an upper protrusion coupled to the door body, and wherein the lower bracket comprises a lower protrusion coupled to the door body.

15. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the back cover comprises:
a cover protrusion that protrudes forward and supports a rear side of the light guide plate; and
a cover circumferential portion disposed along a circumference of the cover protrusion and supported on the mounting member, and
wherein the panel holder passes through the cover circumferential portion of the back cover and protrudes toward the door body.

16. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the holder protrusion comprises:
a holder extension portion that extends from the base; and
a holder hook portion disposed at an end of the holder extension portion and coupled to an inside of the door body, and
wherein a thickness of the holder hook portion is greater than a thickness of the holder extension portion.

17. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the panel holder further comprises:
an upper boss disposed at the base above the holder protrusion;
a lower boss disposed at the base below the holder protrusion;
an upper screw that passes through the back cover and is coupled to the upper boss to thereby restrict movement of the panel holder; and
a lower screw that passes through the back cover and is coupled to the lower boss to thereby restrict movement of the panel holder.

18. The appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the front surface of the door body defines a plate opening that receives the panel holder, and
wherein the door body comprises a holder case that is disposed inside the door body and coupled to an end of the panel holder inserted through the plate opening.

19. The appliance according to claim 18 , wherein the holder case comprises:
a case body that defines a front surface of the holder case and is in contact with the door body, the case body defining a holder accommodation portion recessed into the case body; and
a pair of case restriction portions that protrude from an inside of the case body toward the back cover, and
wherein the pair of case restriction portions are spaced apart from each other and receive the holder protrusion therebetween.

20. The appliance according to claim 19 , wherein the door body comprises:
a body plate that defines the front surface of the door body; and
a side decoration that defines a left surface of the door body or a right surface of the door body, and
wherein the holder case is coupled to the body plate and the side decoration.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Seongmin

Classifications

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21W2131/305

  for refrigerators · CPC title

• E06B2003/7049

  Specific panel characteristics · CPC title