Refrigerator door and manufacturing method of the same

• US 10,082,327 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyunki, Kim, Minchel, Park, Seungje, Park, Kihyun
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US15/699,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20180023877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 362 92- 94
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/18 Aesthetic features
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices

Abstract

A refrigerator door and a manufacturing method of the same are disclosed. The refrigerator door includes a front panel that includes a first through hole and an input unit, a door liner, an upper cap decoration unit configured to seal an upper side of a first space defined between the front panel and the door liner, a frame attached to an inside of the front panel and defining a second space, a display assembly provided between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the first through hole, and a touch sensor assembly provided between the frame and the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being fixed to a rear of the front panel at a position that corresponds to a location of the input unit. The upper cap decoration unit includes a communication hole for communicating with the second space and includes a cap cover.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door comprising:

a front panel made of a steel material, wherein the front panel is provided at a front of the refrigerator door to form a front appearance of the refrigerator door and includes through holes and an input unit;

a door liner forming a rear appearance of the refrigerator door;

an upper cap decoration unit configured to seal a space defined between the front panel and the door liner;

a frame disposed within the space and attached to a rear side of the front panel;

a display assembly provided between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the through holes; and

a touch sensor assembly provided between the frame and the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being fixed to a rear of the front panel at a position where the input unit is mounted,

wherein front and rear ends of the through hole are greater in size than a center of the through hole.

2. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the through hole increases from the center of the through hole towards the front and rear ends of the through holes.

3. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the display assembly comprises:

a cover display mounted at the front panel;

a frame display slidably coupled to the cover display; and

a display unit coupled to the frame display.

4. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the cover display is provided at opposite ends thereof with guide rails, into which the frame display is inserted and fixed.

5. The refrigerator door according to claim 4, wherein each of the guide rails is provided with a protruding guide member for guiding the display unit such that the display unit moves toward the front panel, and

wherein the frame display is provided with a protrusion for guiding the display unit such that the display unit moves toward the front panel.

6. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the cover display is provided with through holes communicating with the through holes of the front panel.

7. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the display unit comprises:

a reflector having a through hole; and

a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to the reflector,

wherein a light emitting diode (LED) is mounted at the PCB, the LED being disposed to emit light through the through hole of the reflector,

wherein the through hole of the reflector communicates with the through hole of the front panel and the through hole of the cover display, and

wherein the PCB is provided at a surface of the display unit facing the frame display.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the upper cap decoration unit comprises:

a communication hole communicating with a space defined between the frame and the front panel; and

a cap cover for sealing the communication hole.

9. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein each the through holes of front panel comprises:

a first through part located at the rear of the front panel, the first through part being formed by etching; and

a second through part located at a front of the front panel, the second through part being formed by etching,

wherein the first through part and the second through part communicate with each other, and

wherein the first through part and the second through part have different sectional sizes.

10. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the touch sensor assembly comprises:

a sensor unit mounted at the front panel in direct contact; and

a case in which the sensor unit is mounted.

11. The refrigerator door according to claim 10, wherein

the cover display is provided at a surface thereof facing the front panel with a receiving unit for receiving the touch sensor assembly, the receiving unit being depressed to a predetermined depth, and

the receiving unit is provided with an elastic member for elastically supporting the sensor unit such that the sensor unit is disposed at the front panel in tight contact.

12. The refrigerator door according to claim 10, wherein

the sensor unit comprises a plurality of push parts each for generating a signal when pushed, and

the display assembly comprises a controller for determining that, when the push parts are simultaneously pushed to generate signals, the push parts have not been pushed.

13. The refrigerator door according to claim 10, wherein

the sensor unit comprises a plurality of push parts each for generating a signal when pushed, and

the display assembly comprises a controller for selectively determining that, when one of the push parts generates a signal having a magnitude greater than that of a signal of generated by another of the push parts, all of the push parts have not been pushed.