Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025044019-A1
Application number	US-202418767330-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2024
Priority date	Aug 2, 2023
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet and a door. The door includes: a door liner forming a rear of the door and having a liner opening; a panel assembly including a plurality of transparent panels; and an insulating material filled inside the door excluding the panel assembly, the panel assembly includes a first panel forming a front surface of the door; a second panel provided at a rear side spaced apart from the first panel and forming a first insulating layer between the second panel and the first panel; and a third panel provided at the rear side spaced apart from the second panel to cover the liner opening and forming a second insulating layer between the third panel and the second panel, and the first insulating layer is formed to be larger than the second insulating layer and protrudes further than an end portion of the second insulating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space; and a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, wherein the door comprises:
a door liner that defines a rear surface of the door, the door liner having a liner opening,
a panel assembly comprising a plurality of transparent panels that are configured to allow a rear space of the door to be visible from an outside of the door, and
an insulating material provided inside the door excluding the panel assembly, wherein the panel assembly comprises:
a first panel that defines a front surface of the door,
a second panel disposed rearward relative to the first panel and spaced apart from the first panel,
a third panel disposed rearward relative to the second panel and spaced apart from the second panel, the third panel covering the liner opening,
a first insulating layer disposed between the first panel and the second panel, and
a second insulating layer disposed between the second panel and the third panel,
wherein the first insulating layer extends outward relative to an end portion of the second insulating layer in a width direction of the door, and wherein a width of the first insulating layer is greater than a width of the second insulating layer in the width direction.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly further comprises:
a first spacer disposed between the first panel and the second panel; and a second spacer disposed between the second panel and the third panel, and wherein the first spacer is disposed farther from a center of the panel assembly than the second spacer in the width direction.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer is in a vacuum state,
wherein the second insulating layer includes insulating gas, and wherein a thickness of the first insulating layer is less than a thickness of the second insulating layer.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises:
an upper frame that defines an upper surface of the door; a lower frame that defines a lower surface of the door; and a side frame that connects the upper frame and the lower frame to each other and defines left and right sides of the door, wherein the door liner is coupled to rear ends of the upper frame, the lower frame, and the side frame, and wherein the panel assembly is coupled to front ends of the upper frame, the lower frame, and the side frame.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are supported by the upper frame, the lower frame, and the side frame, and
wherein the third panel is supported by the door liner.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the upper frame, the lower frame, and the side frame define a front opening of the door, and
wherein the first panel covers the front opening of the door.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the door further comprises a heater that is in contact with the second panel and disposed along a perimeter of the first insulating layer.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the side frame is made of a metal material and defines a heater groove that is recessed from the side frame and accommodates the heater.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the heater comprises:
a heating part configured to generate heat, the heating part being in contact with the side frame at the left and right sides of the door; a lower connection part connected to lower ends of the heating part at the left and right sides of the door; and an upper connection part connected to upper ends of the heating part at the left and right sides of the door, and wherein an electrical resistance of each of the lower connection part and the upper connection part is less than an electrical resistance of the heating part.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the heater comprises:
a heating part that is arranged in a plurality of rows extending along the side frame; and a connection part connected to upper ends of the heating part at the left and right sides of the door, the connection part being configured to supply power to the heating part.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , further comprising:
a power line connected to an end portion of the heater and configured to supply power to the heater; and a connector that is disposed in a recess of the upper frame and connects the power line and the heater to each other.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the heater is in contact with a rear side of the first panel and an end portion of the second panel.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the lower frame defines a handle groove that is recessed upward from the lower surface of the door, and
wherein a vertical extension line of a rear surface of the third panel passes through the handle groove.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the lower frame comprises a lower support that extends upward from one side of the handle groove and supports a rear surface of the second panel.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the door liner comprises a door dike that protrudes rearward from left and right sides of the liner opening,
wherein the door dike comprises storage member mounting parts that protrude from an inner surface of the door dike toward each other and are configured to support a door storage member, and wherein a front end of the door storage member is located forward relative to a rear end of the lower frame.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises:
an upper frame that defines an upper surface of the door; and a display configured to display an operating state of the refrigerator, wherein the upper frame defines:
a frame recess that is recessed downward from an upper surface of the upper frame, and
a frame opening that is opened at a front surface of the frame recess and exposes a rear surface of the first panel to the frame recess, and
wherein the display is inserted into the frame recess and in contact with the rear surface of the first panel through the frame opening.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the display comprises a touch sensor configured to detect a touch manipulation on the first panel.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein an upper end of the second panel extends upward relative to the third panel and is in contact with a lower end of the upper frame.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a perimeter of the first panel is round, and the first panel extends outward relative to an end portion of the second panel in the width direction.

20 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises:
a main door configured to open and close at least the portion of the storage space, the main door having a door opening; and a sub door disposed at a front side of the main door and configured to open and close the door opening, and wherein the panel assembly is disposed at the sub door.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Song Seongmin
• Park Yoomin
• Chung Myungjin
• Cha Kyunghun

Classifications

• F25D2400/40

  Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title