Home appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023243580-A1
Application number	US-202318104023-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2023
Priority date	Jan 31, 2022
Publication date	Aug 3, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A home appliance includes: a cabinet defining a storage space, and a door comprising (i) a door body configured to open and close the storage space and (ii) a panel assembly disposed at the door body. The panel assembly includes: a panel defining a front surface of the door and through which light is transmitted, a lighting device disposed at a rear side of the panel and configured to irradiate the light through the panel with a set color, an upper bracket supporting the panel from an upper side of the panel, and a lower bracket supporting the panel from a lower side of the panel. At least one of the upper bracket or the lower bracket includes a bracket protrusion that protrudes to face and cover an upper end or a lower end of the panel to thereby block the light from the lighting device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A home appliance comprising:
a cabinet defining a storage space; and a door comprising (i) a door body configured to open and close the storage space and (ii) a panel assembly disposed at the door body, wherein the panel assembly comprises:
a panel defining a front surface of the door and through which light is transmitted,
a lighting device disposed at a rear side of the panel and configured to irradiate the light through the panel with a set color,
an upper bracket supporting the panel from an upper side of the panel, and
a lower bracket supporting the panel from a lower side of the panel, and
wherein at least one of the upper bracket or the lower bracket includes a bracket protrusion that protrudes to face and cover an upper end or a lower end of the panel to thereby block the light from the lighting device.

2 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket protrusion covers a rear portion of the panel opposite of the front surface of the door.

3 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the bracket protrusion comprises:
a support portion configured to support the upper end or the lower end of the panel, and a blocking portion protruding at a greater distance than the support portion at a rear side of the support portion to cover a portion of a rear surface of the panel.

4 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the blocking portion protrudes toward a central portion of the panel via the upper end or the lower end of the panel.

5 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the upper bracket and the lower bracket include the bracket protrusion.

6 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein an upper surface of the panel has a rounded shape and a central portion of the upper surface protrudes at a greatest distance among portions of the upper surface.

7 . The home appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the support portion is configured to allow the upper end of the panel to contact the upper bracket, and
wherein the blocking portion has a rounded shape corresponding to the upper surface of the panel.

8 . The home appliance according to claim 7 , wherein the blocking portion extends downward from a rear side of the support portion.

9 . The home appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the blocking portion is disposed between an upper end and a lower end of the upper surface of the panel having the rounded shape.

10 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein a bottom surface of the panel has a planar shape perpendicular to a front portion of a bottom surface of the panel, and
wherein each of a front end and a rear end of the bottom surface of the panel is inclined.

11 . The home appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the support portion is disposed at the lower bracket and supports the bottom surface of the panel, and
wherein the blocking portion protrudes from a rear side of the support portion and supports the inclined rear end of the bottom surface of the panel.

12 . The home appliance according to claim 11 , wherein an upper surface of the blocking portion is inclined to correspond to the inclined rear end of the bottom surface of the panel and contacts the inclined rear end of the bottom surface of the panel.

13 . The home appliance according to claim 11 , wherein an upper end of the blocking portion extends between the bottom surface of the panel and an upper end of the inclined rear end of the bottom surface of the panel.

14 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the door further comprises a light guide plate disposed at a rear side of the panel and configured to guide the light irradiated from the lighting device toward the panel, and
wherein an upper end and a lower end of the light guide plate are disposed at a rear side of the blocking portion and protrude at a greater distance than the upper end and the lower end of the panel.

15 . The home appliance according to claim 14 , wherein the door further comprises a mounting member provided between the panel and the light guide plate and made of a material through which the light is transmitted,
wherein the mounting member comprises:
a front surface portion to which the panel is attached, and
a plurality of side surface portions extending rearward from both ends of the front surface portion and defining side surfaces of the panel assembly, and
wherein both ends of the light guide plate are mounted on the plurality of side surface portions, respectively.

16 . The home appliance according to claim 15 , wherein an upper end and a lower end of the front surface portion protrude at a greater distance than an upper end and a lower end of each of the light guide plate and the blocking portion.

17 . The home appliance according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of side surface portions are opaque.

18 . The home appliance according to claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of side surface portions includes a side blocking portion that is made of a material capable of blocking light and that covers the plurality of side surface portions.

19 . The home appliance according to claim 14 , wherein each of left and right surfaces of the light guide plate is coupled to a side blocking portion made of a material capable of blocking light and configured to block the light of the light guide plate from being emitted laterally.

20 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the lighting device is provided at an inside of the lower bracket, and
wherein the lighting device includes a light source disposed below support portion and the light blocking portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Seongmin

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D27/00 Primary

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• E06B3/7001

  Coverings therefor; Door leaves imitating traditional raised panel doors, e.g. engraved or embossed surfaces, with trim strips applied to the surfaces · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

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

• F21V9/00

  Elements for modifying spectral properties, polarisation or intensity of the light emitted, e.g. filters (coloured shades F21V1/00; elements characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/502) · CPC title