IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,407,966
Granted Patent B2
US 12,407,966 · App. 18/202,090 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Refrigerator

Inventors: Youngil Song (Suwon-si, KR); Byoungmok Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Ilsung Bae (Suwon-si, KR); Jisu Rhie (Suwon-si, KR); Inyong Hwang (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04R1/028F25D23/028H04R1/265
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,407,966
App. No.
18/202,090
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body including a storage compartment, a door body rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the storage compartment, and a front panel detachably coupled to the door body. The door body includes an upper cap including a trim receiving space. The front panel includes an upper trim inserted into the trim receiving space. A voice path is formed in the upper cap and a microphone module is provided in the upper trim to receive voice through the voice path.

Claims (47)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body having a storage compartment;

a door body rotatably coupled to the main body to open and close the storage compartment, the door body including:

a door outer plate forming a front surface of the door body, and

an upper cap coupled to an upper portion of the door outer plate, the upper cap having a fixer opening on an upper side of the upper cap, a trim opening on a front side of the upper cap, and a trim receiving space;

a front panel including an upper trim, the upper trim including an upper trim body and a microphone module mounting member extending rearward from the upper trim body, and the microphone module mounting member including a microphone module mounting space on a lower surface of the microphone module mounting member;

a fixer; and

a microphone module mounted on the microphone module mounting member to be received in the microphone module mounting space to thereby be coupled to the upper trim,

wherein the door body, the front panel, and the fixer are configured so that

the upper trim is insertable into the trim receiving space through the trim opening, and,

with the upper trim inserted into the trim receiving space through the trim opening, the fixer is insertable into the trim receiving space through the fixer opening to be coupled to the upper trim, to detachably couple the front panel to a front side of the door body with the microphone module disposed in the trim receiving space to receive voice through a voice path formed in the upper cap.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the upper cap includes:

a cap body,

a front upper wall on a front upper side of the cap body, so that the trim receiving space is below the front upper wall, and

a voice guide hole penetrating the front upper wall and forming a part of the voice path.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the upper cap includes a cap protrusion protruding upward from a periphery of the voice guide hole, and a voice guide space surrounded by the cap protrusion and forming a part of the voice guide path.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein

the cap protrusion includes a cap front protrusion in front of the voice guide space, and

a voice input hole is formed in the cap front protrusion and forms a part of the voice path.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein

the voice input hole is spaced apart from a lower surface of the front upper wall by a predetermined height.

6. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein

the upper cap includes a protrusion upper opening on an upper side of the voice guide space, and

the upper cap includes a cap cover that is coupleable to the upper cap to cover the protrusion upper opening.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the cap cover includes:

a cover body configured to cover the protrusion upper opening with a lower surface of the cover body forming at least a part of the voice path, and

a cover leg extending downward from the lower surface of the cover body and including a cover hooking member configured to hook to a lower surface of the front upper wall.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein

the upper trim includes a trim protrusion protruding upward and configured to be coupled to the cap cover in a state in which the upper trim is inserted into the trim receiving space and the cap cover is coupled to the upper cap.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the microphone module includes a microphone substrate, and a microphone on a mounting surface of the microphone substrate,

the microphone module is mounted in the microphone module mounting space with the mounting surface of the microphone substrate facing downward, and

the microphone substrate includes a substrate voice hole penetrating the microphone substrate at a position corresponding to the microphone.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein

the upper trim includes a trim voice hole at a position corresponding to the substrate voice hole.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , further comprising:

a sealing member between the microphone module mounting member and the microphone module,

wherein the sealing member includes a sealing member voice hole at a position corresponding to the trim voice hole and the substrate voice hole.

12. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein

the microphone module includes a connector electrically connected to an external circuit, and

the connector is on the mounting surface of the microphone substrate and positioned below the microphone substrate.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein

the upper trim includes a connector receiving member configured to receive the connector or other connector connected to the connector.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein

the microphone module includes a microphone substrate, and a plurality of microphones spaced apart from each other on a mounting surface of the microphone substrate, and

the voice path includes a plurality of voice paths separated from each other to correspond to the plurality of microphones.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2025
From: SONG, YOUNGIL; KIM, BYOUNGMOK; BAE, ILSUNG; RHIE, JISU; HWANG, INYONG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 071298/0819 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0111039 · Sep 1, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0136029 · Oct 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023006439 · May 11, 2023
Related Publication 20240080596A1 · Mar 7, 2024
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