Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829241-B2
Application number	US-201615209961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

There is disclosed a refrigerator; a lighting device provided in the storage chamber, a first door rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, an auxiliary storage chamber provided in the first door, a second door, a front panel formed of a transparent material, an evaporation treatment unit evaporated on an overall back surface of the front panel to transmit lights partially, a variable transparency film attached to a back surface of the evaporation treatment unit provided in the front panel to get transparent when the power is supplied, a frame unit with an opening having a corresponding size to an opening provided in the first door, an insulation panel distant from the front panel, a power supply unit for supplying an electric power to the variable transparency film and the lighting device, a proximity sensor provided in the second door to sense a user's approaching.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a case that defines a first and second storage chamber;
a first door that is rotatably coupled to the case, that is configured to open and close the first storage chamber;
a second door that is rotatably coupled to the case, that is configured to open and close the second storage chamber, and that defines a hole that penetrates the second door, wherein the second door comprises:
a frame unit having the hole;
a front panel that covers the hole and is formed of transparent material; and
an insulation panel formed of a transparent material, the insulation panel being located behind the front panel and configured to seal the hole of the second door;

a lighting device that is configured to illuminate an inner space of the storage chamber so that the inner space of the second storage chamber is viewable through the hole and from outside the refrigerator based on an activation state of the lighting device;
a sensor configured to detect whether a user is within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator; and
a control unit that is configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the second storage chamber selectively through the hole,
wherein the control unit is configured to operate the lighting device to make the user see the inside of the second storage chamber selectively through the hole when the sensor senses the user within the predetermined distance from the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the insulation panel comprises:
a first glass panel;
a second glass panel that defines an insulation space with the first glass panel; and
a sealing member that is coupled to edges of the first glass panel and the second glass panel and that forms an airtight seal of the insulation space.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the door increases from right and left.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the frame unit includes:
an outer case that defines a front frame of the door;
an inner liner that defines a back surface of the door; and
an insulation material that is located in a space that is defined between the outer case and the inner liner and that is located outside of the hole.

5. A refrigerator comprising:
a case that defines a storage chamber;
a first door that is rotatably coupled to the storage chamber, that is configured to open and close the storage chamber, and that defines an auxiliary storage chamber in a first hole that penetrates the first door;
a second door that is rotatably coupled to the first door, that is configured to open and close the auxiliary storage chamber, that defines a second hole that penetrates the second door, and that comprises an insulation panel that is configured to cover the second hole;
a lighting device that is configured to illuminate an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber; and
a control unit that is configured to control the lighting device,
wherein the inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber is viewable through the first hole and the second hole from outside the refrigerator based on an activation state of the lighting device.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the second door comprises:
a frame unit that defines the second hole of the second door; and
a front panel that defines a front appearance of the second door.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the frame unit includes:
an outer case that defines a front frame of the second door;
an inner liner that defines a back surface of the second door; and
an insulation material that is located in a space that is defined between the outer case and the inner liner and that is located outside of the second hole.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the front panel comprises a transparent material and is connected to a front surface of the frame unit.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the insulation panel comprises a transparent material, is located behind the front panel, and defines an insulation space with the front panel.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the front panel is larger than the insulation panel and is configured to cover a front surface of the second door.

11. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising a variable transparency film that is located on a rear surface of the front panel and that is configured to vary a level of transparency based on an amount of power received.

12. The refrigerator of claim 5 , further comprising a sensor that is configured to detect (i) whether a user is within a predetermined distance of the refrigerator or (ii) a selection of an operation button that is configured to control the lighting device,
wherein the control unit is configured to activate the lighting device in response to the sensor detecting the user within the predetermined distance of the refrigerator or selection of the operation button.

13. The refrigerator of claim 5 , further comprising:
a latch device that is located in the first door; and
a hook member that projects from a back surface of the second door,
wherein the latch device is configured to lock the first door and the second door by engaging the hook member.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , further comprising a latch unlocking button that is configured to unlock the latch device.

15. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the insulation panel comprises:
a first glass panel;
a second glass panel that defines an insulation space with the first glass panel; and
a sealing member that is coupled to edges of the first glass panel and the second glass panel and that forms an airtight seal of the insulation space.

16. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the second hole is located in front of the first hole.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Seo Woonkyu
• Jung Soonho
• Park Jinhee

Classifications

• F25D23/025

  Secondary closures · CPC title

• F25D2700/04

  Sensors detecting the presence of a person · CPC title

• F21V23/0471

  the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

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

• A47F3/0434

  Glass or transparent panels · CPC title