Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9410734-B2
Application number	US-201314439443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body, a door, a shelf, a light source unit, and a light-guiding member. The main body includes a storage compartment. The door opens and closes the storage compartment. The shelf is detachably coupled to the storage compartment to partition the storage compartment into a plurality of spaces. The light source unit illuminates the storage compartment. The light-guiding member is disposed on at least one end of the shelf. Here, the light source unit is disposed such that a portion of light generated in the light source unit enters the light-guiding member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising a storage compartment;
a door opening and closing the storage compartment;
a shelf detachably coupled to the storage compartment to partition the storage compartment into a plurality of spaces;
a light source unit illuminating the storage compartment; and
a light-guiding member disposed on at least one end of the shelf,
wherein the light source unit is disposed such that a portion of light generated in the light source unit enters the light-guiding member,
wherein the storage compartment is divided into an internal rear space and an internal front space in which one end of the shelf is disposed, and the light-guiding member is disposed in the internal front space of the storage compartment,
wherein the main body comprises an inner case defining the storage compartment, and the light source unit is disposed on one surface of the inner case so as to face at least one region of the light-guiding member, and
wherein the shelf is horizontally disposed in the storage compartment, and the light source unit is disposed on the one surface of the inner case perpendicular to the shelf.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding member is disposed to surround at least a portion of an edge of the shelf.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the light-guiding member comprises a light receiving part for receiving light at one end thereof, and the light source unit is disposed adjacent to the light receiving part.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding member is disposed at a side of an edge of the shelf which faces the door.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , further comprising a front decoration at a side of the light-guiding member which faces the door.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the light source unit has a width of forward and backward directions greater than a sum of a width of the light-guiding member in forward and backward directions and a width of the front decoration in forward and backward directions.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the inner case further comprises a shelf holder to which the shelf is detachably coupled.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding member is longitudinally disposed at one end of the shelf in left and right directions, and the light source unit is longitudinally disposed at left and right side plates of the inner case in a vertical direction, respectively.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit comprises a substrate and a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed at different heights, and the number of light emitting diodes is larger than the number of the light-guiding members.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the plurality of light emitting diodes irradiates light to the light-guiding member at the same height as the light-guiding member, and the other light emitting diodes irradiate light to the storage compartment at heights different from the light-guiding member.

11. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the light source unit further comprises an illumination cover that protects the substrate and the light emitting diodes and is exposed to the storage compartment.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the illumination cover has at least a portion thereof protruding toward the storage compartment compared to an inner surface of the inner case.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the illumination cover comprises a first region that faces the light-guiding member in a horizontal direction and a second region that does not faces the light-guiding member in a horizontal direction.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is disposed in plurality to be spaced from each other across the light-guiding member.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the light-guiding member comprises a scattering agent formed on a rear surface thereof, and comprises a decoration pattern formed on a front surface thereof.

16. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body comprising a storage compartment;
a door opening and closing the storage compartment;
a shelf detachably coupled to the storage compartment to partition the storage compartment into a plurality of spaces;
a light source unit illuminating the storage compartment; and
a light-guiding member disposed on at least one end of the shelf,
wherein the light source unit is disposed such that a portion of light generated in the light source unit enters the light-guiding member,
wherein the storage compartment is divided into an internal rear space and an internal front space in which one end of the shelf is disposed, and the light-guiding member is disposed in the internal front space of the storage compartment, and
wherein the light-guiding member comprises a scattering agent formed on a rear surface thereof, and comprises a decoration pattern formed on a front surface thereof.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shin Dong Hun
• Kim Scott
• Choi Chang Bong
• Kim Seong Taik

Classifications

• F25D27/00 Primary

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/00 Primary

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title