Refrigerator and transparent panel assembly for refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298059-B2
Application number	US-202418596013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2024
Priority date	Jan 23, 2017
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a transparent panel assembly. The transparent panel assembly includes a front panel defining at least a part of a front appearance of a refrigerator door and made of a glass material, a rear panel defining at least a part of a rear appearance of the refrigerator door and made of a transparent material, and an intermediate member connected between the front panel and the rear panel and made of a transparent plastic member. The intermediate member includes an edge portion having both ends connected to a screening area formed at peripheries of the front panel and the rear panel, and a partition portion formed to cross an inner surface of the edge portion to partition a gap between the front panel and the rear panel to thereby form a sealed insulation layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A panel assembly comprising:
a front panel that is made of a glass material and defines a front appearance of the panel assembly;
an intermediate member made of a transparent plastic material and disposed rearward relative to the front panel; and
a rear panel spaced apart from the front panel and coupled to the intermediate member,
wherein the intermediate member comprises:
an adhesive portion attached to a rear surface of the front panel by an adhesive,
an edge portion that extends rearward from the adhesive portion to the rear panel, and
a partition portion that extends from the edge portion and is parallel to the front panel, and

wherein the panel assembly has a sealed space defined by the intermediate member and the rear panel.

2. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the partition portion extends from a portion of the edge portion between the front panel and the rear panel toward the sealed space.

3. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the edge portion connects between the front panel and the rear panel and defines an outer surface of the panel assembly.

4. The panel assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the edge portion extends along an end of the rear panel.

5. The panel assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the edge portion defines a recessed portion at a rear end thereof, the recessed portion supporting the end of the rear panel.

6. The panel assembly according to claim 5 , wherein a rear surface of the rear panel and the rear end of the edge portion are disposed along one plane.

7. The panel assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the edge portion is disposed laterally outward relative to the rear panel and covers a side end of the rear panel.

8. The panel assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the front panel protrudes laterally outward relative to an end of the intermediate member.

9. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive comprises an ultraviolet (UV) adhesive configured to be cured by ultraviolet light.

10. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent plastic material of the intermediate member comprises a resin material, and
wherein the intermediate member is a single body including the adhesive portion, the edge portion, and the partition portion.

11. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the sealed space is defined between the front panel and the rear panel, and
wherein the partition portion divides the sealed space into (i) a front insulated space and (ii) a rear insulated space that is disposed rearward relative to the front insulated space.

12. The panel assembly according to claim 11 , further comprising an insulation gas provided in the sealed space.

13. The panel assembly according to claim 12 , further comprising a moisture absorbent case that accommodates a moisture absorbent and is disposed within the front insulated space and the rear insulated space.

14. The panel assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising a mounting protrusion that protrudes from the partition portion and fixes the moisture absorbent case in the sealed space.

15. The panel assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the moisture absorbent case is disposed along the partition portion, and
wherein the moisture absorbent case is fixed in the sealed space and supported by the edge portion, the partition portion, the front panel, and the rear panel.

16. The panel assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising a bezel disposed at the rear surface of the front panel and deposed forward relative to the adhesive portion and the moisture absorbent case, and
wherein the bezel covers front sides of the adhesive portion and the moisture absorbent case.

17. The panel assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly is configured to allow a rear side of the rear panel to be visible from an outside of the front panel through the intermediate member, and
wherein the rear panel is made of a glass material and has a shape corresponding to a periphery of the edge portion.

18. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space therein;
a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, the door having an opening; and
a panel assembly that covers the opening of the door and is configured to allow a rear space of the door to be visible from an outside of the door,
wherein panel assembly comprises:
a front panel that is made of a glass material and defines a front appearance of the panel assembly,
an intermediate member made of a plastic material and disposed rearward relative to the front panel, and
a rear panel spaced apart from the front panel and coupled to the intermediate member,

wherein the intermediate member comprises:
an adhesive portion attached to a rear surface of the front panel by an adhesive,
an edge portion that extends rearward from the adhesive portion to the rear panel, and
a partition portion that extends from the edge portion and is parallel to the front panel, and

wherein the panel assembly has a sealed space defined by the intermediate member and the rear panel.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the edge portion connects between the front panel and the rear panel and defines an outer surface of the panel assembly.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 18 , wherein the edge portion extends along an end of the rear panel, and
wherein the edge portion defines a recessed portion at a rear end thereof, the recessed portion supporting the end of the rear panel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Seungjin
• Ha Jaehoon

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• A47F3/0434

  Glass or transparent panels · CPC title