Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019257571-A1
Application number	US-201716329457-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present embodiment relates to a refrigerator comprising: 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

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space, the door having an accommodation space; a viewing part passing through the door to communicate with the accommodation space; a door light configured to illuminate a rear space of the door; a transparent panel assembly configured to cover the viewing part and being transparent or opaque so as to allow the viewing part to be selectively visible according to turn on/off of the door light; and an insulation member disposed along a circumference of the transparent panel assembly to thermally insulate a circumferential portion of the transparent panel assembly.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel assembly comprises:
a front panel made of a transparent material to define a front surface of the transparent panel assembly and exposed through the viewing part; a rear panel made of a transparent material to define a rear surface of the transparent panel assembly and spaced apart from the front panel; and an outer spacer configured to connect the front panel to the rear panel, defining an outer appearance of a circumferential surface of the transparent panel assembly, and configured to seal a gap between the front panel and the rear panel.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a low-emission coating layer for the insulation is disposed on the rear panel.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a space between the front panel and the rear panel is thermally insulated by vacuum or injecting an insulation gas.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising a transparent plate disposed between the front panel and the rear panel,
wherein a spacer for maintaining a distance between the front panel and the rear panel is disposed on a circumference of each of front and rear surfaces of the transparent plate, and the transparent plate and the spacer are disposed in an inner space of the outer spacer.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a heating member configured to heat a circumference of the front panel is disposed on a circumference of a rear surface of the viewing part contacting the circumference of the front panel.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an opaque bezel is disposed on a circumference of the front panel, and
a heating member configured to heat the circumference of the front panel is disposed on the bezel.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the front panel further protrudes outward than the rear panel, and
the bezel is disposed on a rear surface of the protruding portion of the front panel.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the door comprises an out plate which defines an outer appearance of a front surface and through which the viewing part is opened, and
an inner frame which is disposed along a circumference of the viewing part and on which a protruding end of the front panel is seated.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein a bent part that is bent along the viewing part is disposed on the out plate,
an accommodation groove into which an end of the bent part is inserted is defined in the inner frame, and a space between the viewing part and the front panel is covered by the inner frame.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel assembly comprises:
a display configured to output a screen and being transparent; and a display light configured to emit light for so as to output the screen on the display, wherein the door light and the display light are disposed along a circumference of the transparent panel assembly.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the door light is disposed along each of left and right ends of the transparent panel assembly, and
the display light is disposed along each of upper and lower ends of the transparent panel assembly.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein, when the viewing part is in the opaque state, the transparent panel assembly output a black screen, and the display light is turned on to heat the circumference of the transparent panel assembly.

14 . The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein, when the viewing part is in the opaque state, the display light is periodically turned on.

15 . The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein, when the viewing part is in the opaque state, all of the display light and the door light are turned on.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation member is assembled after being molded into a plurality of parts, and
when assembled, the insulation member has a rectangular frame shape surrounding a circumferential surface of the transparent panel assembly.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a supplement member configured to support the transparent panel assembly is further disposed between the insulation member and the transparent panel assembly.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the supplement member comprises an adhesive or a sealing member for fixing the insulation member and the transparent panel assembly.

19 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the supplement member is made of an elastic material to fix the transparent panel member and prevent an impact from being applied to the transparent panel member.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the supplement member comprises:
a first supplement member made of an elastic material to press and support the circumference of the transparent panel assembly; and a second supplement member disposed between the first supplement member and the insulation member to allow the first supplement member and the insulation member to adhere to each other.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D23/025

  Secondary closures · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D29/005

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title