IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,313,334
Granted Patent B2
US 12,313,334 · App. 18/094,685 · Granted May 27, 2025

Refrigerator and home appliance

Inventors: Yonghyun Cho (Seoul, KR); Sanghyun Cheon (Seoul, KR); Changjae Lee (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
F25D29/005F25D23/028F25D29/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,313,334
App. No.
18/094,685
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A home appliance includes a refrigerator. The home appliance includes a cabinet configured to define a storage space with a front surface opened, a door configured to open and close the storage space, and a speaker disposed on a top surface of the cabinet and configured to communicate with an external device, where the speaker includes a sound output portion configured to output sound. The sound output portion is inclined with respect to the top surface of the cabinet.

Claims (49)

1. An appliance comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage space;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space;

a hinge cover that is disposed at a top surface of the cabinet; and

a speaker disposed at the top surface of the cabinet and configured to communicate with an external device, the speaker comprising:

a sound output portion that is inclined with respect to the top surface of the cabinet and configured to output sound,

a case that is disposed at the hinge cover and defines a space accommodating the sound output portion, and

a position fixing portion coupled to sides of the case,

wherein the hinge cover comprises:

a front surface portion,

a top surface portion that extends rearward from an upper end of the front surface portion, and

a recessed portion that is recessed downward from a portion of the top surface portion and defines a space accommodating the case, and

wherein the sound output portion is spaced apart from the recessed portion by the position fixing portion.

2. The appliance according to claim 1 ,

wherein the case defines a sound output hole at a position facing the sound output portion.

3. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the sound output portion is inclined in a direction away from a front surface of the case such that one of an upper end or a lower end of the sound output portion is disposed away from the front surface of the case relative to the other of the upper end or the lower end of the sound output portion.

4. The appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the sound output hole defines a plane inclined in a direction away from the front surface of the case such that one of an upper end or a lower end of the sound output hole is disposed away from the front surface of the case relative to the other of the upper end or the lower end of the sound output hole.

5. The appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising hinge devices that are disposed at sides of the top surface of the cabinet and rotatably couple the door to the cabinet, and

wherein the speaker is disposed between the hinge devices and spaced apart from the hinge devices.

6. The appliance according to claim 5 , wherein the position fixing portion is disposed between the speaker and at least one of the hinge devices.

7. The appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the position fixing portion defines an opening that faces the speaker and receives at least a portion of the speaker, and

wherein the position fixing portion is in contact with a surface of one of the hinge devices.

8. The appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the case comprises:

a first case that defines at least a portion of a top surface of the case; and

a second case that is disposed below the first case and coupled to the first case, the second case defining at least a portion of a bottom surface of the case.

9. The appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the sound output hole is defined at a front surface of the first case.

10. The appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a microphone mounting portion disposed at a top surface of the door and configured to support a microphone module, the microphone mounting portion defining a microphone hole,

wherein the microphone mounting portion and the speaker are spaced apart from each other in a left-right direction.

11. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the microphone mounting portion is disposed at a first side of a center of the cabinet in the left-right direction, and

wherein the speaker is disposed at a second side of the center of the cabinet in the left-right direction, the second side being opposite to the first side.

12. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the door is one of a left door disposed at a left side of the cabinet or a right door disposed at a right side of the cabinet,

wherein the microphone mounting portion is disposed at a top surface of one of the left door or the right door, and

wherein a center of the speaker is disposed closer to the other of the left door or the right door.

13. The appliance according to claim 12 , further comprising hinge devices that are disposed at sides of the top surface of the cabinet and rotatably couple the left door and the right door to the cabinet,

wherein the speaker is disposed between the hinge devices and spaced apart from the hinge devices, and

wherein the microphone mounting portion is disposed closer to one of the hinge devices coupled to the one of the left door or the right door than to a space between the left door and the right door.

14. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the microphone mounting portion is disposed closer to a front end of the door than to a rear end of the door.

15. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the door is one of a left door disposed at a left side of a center of the cabinet in the left-right direction or a right door disposed at a right side of the center of the cabinet,

wherein the microphone mounting portion is disposed at the left door, and

wherein a center of the speaker is offset to the right side from the center of the cabinet in the left-right direction.

16. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the microphone mounting portion comprises:

a protrusion that protrudes upward relative to the top surface of the door; and

an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the top surface of the door and extends forward from a front end of the protrusion and downward to the top surface of the door, and

wherein the inclined portion defines a pair of microphone holes including the microphone hole.

17. The appliance according to claim 10 , wherein the hinge cover further comprises a cover portion that is disposed at a front of one side of the speaker adjacent to the microphone mounting portion, and

wherein a height of the cover portion corresponds to a height of the top surface portion in a vertical direction.

18. The appliance according to claim 17 , wherein the cover portion extends from an end of the top surface portion toward the speaker.

19. The appliance according to claim 17 , wherein the cover portion is disposed between a front surface of the speaker and a rear surface of the door, the cover portion being spaced apart from the top surface portion, and

wherein the cover portion is a single cover portion of the hinge cover or one of a plurality of cover portions of the hinge cover.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2023
From: CHO, YONGHYUN; CHEON, SANGHYUN; LEE, CHANGJAE
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 062935/0217 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0006021 · Jan 14, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0013729 · Jan 28, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230228482A1 · Jul 20, 2023
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