IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,504,174
Granted Patent B2
US 12,504,174 · App. 17/787,885 · Granted Dec 23, 2025

Home appliance provided with viewing window

Inventors: Kyu Sub Lee (Seoul, KR); Dong Hwa Her (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
F24C7/085F24C15/008G01P15/02F24C3/126F24C15/023F24C15/04H05B47/105
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,504,174
App. No.
17/787,885
Granted
Dec 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an implementation of the present disclosure, a home appliance includes a cabinet defining a reception space therein, a front plate disposed at a front part of the reception space and having an opening part, a door configured to open and close the opening part, the door having a viewing window provided at the door, a sensor assembly configured to detect a vibration and output a corresponding vibration signal, a lamp configured to illuminate an inside of the reception space, and a controller configured to operate the lamp based on the vibration signal output by the sensor assembly.

Claims (29)

1 . A home appliance comprising:

a cabinet defining a reception space that has a frontal opening;

a lamp configured to illuminate the reception space;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the frontal opening, the door having a viewing window;

a 3-axis sensor module configured to detect vibrations in three axis directions, the 3-axis sensor module being configured to detect a vibration that is generated by a user's knock in a direction corresponding to one of the three axis directions;

a sensor microcomputer configured to determine whether the vibration is generated by the user's knock based on a sensor signal output from the 3-axis sensor module; and

a controller configured to operate the lamp based on an output of the sensor microcomputer.

2 . The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the vibration generated by the user's knock is transmitted to the 3-axis sensor module through a plurality of different media connected to each other.

3 . The home appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a front plate disposed at a front part of the reception space.

4 . The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at the front plate.

5 . The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein a hinge bracket is disposed at a rear surface of the front plate so as to support the front plate.

6 . The home appliance of claim 5 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at the hinge bracket.

7 . The home appliance of claim 5 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at the rear surface of the front plate and is in contact with the hinge bracket.

8 . The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module comprises:

a base on which a PCB substrate is provided, and

a protruding part provided at a rear surface of the base,

wherein the protruding part is coupled to a rear surface of a front plate, the front plate being disposed at a front part of the reception space, by being in contact therewith, and the rear surface of the base is spaced apart from the rear surface of the front plate by a predetermined distance.

9 . The home appliance of claim 8 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module further comprises a bent part which protrudes in a lateral direction of the base and is bent in multiple steps.

10 . The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein a hinge arm is disposed at a front surface of the front plate so as to rotate the door.

11 . The home appliance of claim 10 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed to be in contact with the hinge arm.

12 . The home appliance of claim 10 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at a rear surface of the front plate and is in contact with the hinge arm.

13 . The home appliance of claim 10 , wherein an end part of the hinge arm passes through the front surface of the front plate and a rear surface of the front plate through a through hole defined in the front plate.

14 . The home appliance of claim 10 , wherein the hinge arm comprises a first hinge extension part disposed at the front surface of the front plate, and a second hinge extension part disposed at a rear surface of the front plate.

15 . The home appliance of claim 10 , wherein a hinge bracket is disposed at a rear surface of the front plate, the hinge bracket being coupled to the hinge arm and supporting the front plate.

16 . The home appliance of claim 15 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at the hinge bracket.

17 . The home appliance of claim 15 , wherein the 3-axis sensor module is disposed at the rear surface of the front plate and is in contact with the hinge bracket.

18 . The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on (i) the 3-axis sensor module detecting the vibration generated by the user's knock and (ii) the controller receiving the output of the sensor microcomputer and the lamp being in a turned-off state, turn on the lamp.

19 . The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on (i) the 3-axis sensor module detecting the vibration generated by the user's knock and (ii) the controller receiving the output of the sensor microcomputer and the lamp being in a turned-on state, turn off the lamp.

20 . The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn off the lamp based on a predetermined period of time elapsing after the lamp is turned on.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2022
From: LEE, KYU SUB; HER, DONG HWA
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 060848/0060 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0055051 · May 8, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230067958A1 · Mar 2, 2023
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