IP Library Granted Patent US 11,604,023
Granted Patent B2
US 11,604,023 · App. 17/234,036 · Granted Mar 14, 2023

Refrigerator

Inventors: Chanuk Kang (Seoul, KR); Dongrim Woo (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
F25D29/005F25D23/025F25D23/028F25D27/005F25D2201/14F25D2400/18F25D2400/361F25D2400/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,604,023
App. No.
17/234,036
Granted
Mar 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet and a door configured to open and close a storage space of the cabinet. The door includes an outer plate defining a plate opening, a door liner defining a liner opening, a panel assembly configured to shield the plate opening and the liner opening. The panel assembly includes a first display through which the inside thereof is visible, and a screen is output, a second display disposed at a position that is spaced apart from the first display, and a frame provided between the outer plate and the door liner. The frame includes a first mounting part that mounts the panel assembly, a second mounting part that mounts the second display, and a wire guide part that connects the first mounting part to the second mounting part and accommodates a wire connected to the second display.

Claims (53)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage space; and

a door configured to open and close the storage space,

wherein the door comprises:

an outer plate that defines a front surface of the door and that defines a plate opening,

a door liner that defines a rear surface of the door and that defines a liner opening,

a panel assembly configured to shield the plate opening and the liner opening, the panel assembly comprising a first display configured to (i) permit an inside of the refrigerator to be visible from an outside of the panel assembly, and (ii) output a screen,

a second display being spaced apart from the first display, and

a frame provided between the outer plate and the door liner, the frame including:

a first mounting part that mounts the panel assembly thereat,

a second mounting part that mounts the second display thereat, and

a wire guide part that connects the first mounting part to the second mounting part and that accommodates a wire connected to the second display and

wherein a front surface of the panel assembly comprises:

a see-through part disposed at a first position corresponding to the first display, the see-through part configured to permit the inside of the panel assembly to be visible therethrough,

a transmission part disposed at a second position corresponding to the second display, the transmission part configured to permit light of the second display to be transmitted therethrough, and

an opaque bezel disposed at a third position being different from the first position and the second position, and

wherein the wire guide part is disposed at the opaque bezel.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the wire guide part is recessed from a front surface of the frame.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second mounting part extends in parallel with the first mounting part and is spaced downward from a lower end of the first mounting part.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second mounting part is recessed from a front surface of the frame and accommodates the second display.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second mounting part has an area that is smaller than an area of the first mounting part.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting part passes through the frame and supports a lateral surface of the panel assembly.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the wire is disposed between an outer surface of the panel assembly and an inner surface of the first mounting part.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the first mounting part includes a mounting part wire guide part being recessed along a periphery of the first mounting part and configured to guide the wire therealong, and

wherein the mounting part wire guide part is connected to the wire guide part.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the frame includes:

a barrier disposed at an upper portion of the frame, the barrier dividing an inside of the door into (i) a first space that positions a printed circuit board (PCB), and (ii) a second space that positions an insulator, and

a barrier wire guide part including an opening at the barrier, the opening receiving the wire that is guided along the mounting part wire guide part.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission part extends in parallel with the see-through part and has a same horizontal width as the see-through part.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly includes a diffusion sheet configured to shield the transmission part and allow light irradiated from the second display to be illuminated in a form of surface light.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the panel assembly comprises:

a front panel configured to shield the plate opening;

a rear panel spaced backward from the front panel and configured to shield the liner opening; and

an outer frame connecting the front panel to the rear panel and defining a lateral surface of the panel assembly,

wherein the front panel has an area being greater than an area of the rear panel and is configured to shield a front side of the second display.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the first mounting part passes through a front surface of the frame and contacts a periphery of the outer frame, and

wherein a rear surface of the front panel contacts the front surface of the frame and is configured to shield the second mounting part.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the outer plate includes a bent plate part that is bent along the plate opening,

wherein a periphery of the frame defines a bent part accommodating groove into which the bent plate part is inserted, and

wherein the second mounting part is disposed between the first mounting part and the bent part accommodating groove.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second display comprises:

a substrate accommodated in the second mounting part; and

a plurality of LEDs that are arranged continuously at the substrate and configured to irradiate light, the light configured to pass through the panel assembly,

wherein the wire is connected to the substrate.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein a display support member is disposed inside the second mounting part and protrudes to support the substrate at a rear side, and

wherein the display support member is provided in plurality along the second mounting part, the substrate being spaced apart from an inner surface of the display support member.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the second mounting part comprises:

an elastic fixing part protruding from an inside of the second mounting part, the elastic fixing part pressing a front surface of the substrate and fixing the substrate; and

a coupling boss that supports a rear surface of the substrate and couples to a screw passing through the substrate.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door comprises:

a main door configured to open and close the storage space and defining a main door opening; and

a sub-door configured to open and close the main door opening,

wherein the panel assembly and the second display are provided at the sub-door.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2022
From: KANG, CHANUK; WOO, DONGRIM
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 061107/0946 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0046631 · Apr 17, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210325107A1 · Oct 21, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,405,049