Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

• US 10,271,668 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Eun Joo, Lee, Hang Bok
• Primary Examiner(s): Roersma, Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US15/212,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20160324337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 312405, 312204, 3124051, 3123215, 312296, 3121381, 312116, 312324, 362 92- 94, 527841, 5278412, 5278413, 5278415, 5278416, 62264, 62447, 49501, 49 70
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/005 with glass panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/043 Doors, covers A47F3/0434 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/02 with cooling compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/14 using subatmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/025 Secondary closures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/065 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/021 French doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/023 Door in door constructions
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/18 Aesthetic features
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 Lighting arrangements in general F21
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator, which includes a refrigerating compartment, a freezing compartment, and a door assembly. The freezing compartment is adjacent to the refrigerating compartment. The door assembly selectively opens the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. The door assembly includes a glass member defining a frontal exterior thereof and allowing an inside of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment to be seen therethrough when the door assembly is closed, a deposition treated layer formed on a rear surface of the glass member to allow light to partially pass through the glass member, and a transparent plate spaced a predetermined distance from the glass member. Gas for insulation is injected in a space formed between the glass member and the transparent plate, and the space is sealed.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a first storage area and a second storage area therein, the first storage area provided at a lateral side of the second storage area, the refrigerator configured to maintain the first storage area at a first operating temperature and the second storage area at a second operating temperature that is higher than the first operating temperature;

a first door configured to open and close the first storage area;

a second door configured to open and close the second storage area, and having an opening formed therein;

a door basket provided on a rear surface of the second door and disposed to horizontally traverse and overlap the opening of the second door to be visible through the opening from an outside of the refrigerator;

a light unit provided on an inner side of the cabinet and configured to emit light toward the door basket of the second door;

a glass unit forming a front surface of the second door and configured to cover the opening of the second door and through which the door basket is viewable;

wherein the glass unit comprises;

a glass member formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the opening of the second door;

a first layer formed on a surface of the glass member and configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass unit, the first layer being formed of a first color and a first opacity to partially block the light emitted from the light unit and to transmit a reduced intensity of the light to an outside of the refrigerator; and

a second layer formed along a circumference of the glass member and defining the viewing region therein, the second layer having a second opacity that is more opaque than the first opacity of the first layer, and configured to block the light emitted from the light unit,

wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first layer, and the door basket is visible through the viewing region, and

wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the first layer causes the viewing region to become darker than in the first state such that the door basket is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state, and a boundary between the first layer and the second layer becomes more obscure as compared to the first state.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein the second storage area of the cabinet comprises a receiving part configured to receive food, and

wherein the light unit is disposed in front of the receiving part of the second storage area.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light unit is arranged along a circumference of a front end of the second storage area of the cabinet.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light unit is disposed to emit light towards a center of the opening of the second door.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light unit is disposed to face the door basket at a left side and a right side of the door basket.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein the door basket protrudes toward the inside of the second storage area, and

wherein the light unit is disposed between front and rear ends of the door basket in a state in which the second door is closed.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of door baskets is disposed to be spaced apart from each other within the opening of the second door.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the light unit is disposed to emit light that passes through the plurality of door baskets to an outside of the refrigerator.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light unit comprises plurality of LEDs disposed at predetermined intervals.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of LEDs extends in a vertical direction.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the glass unit is formed on an entirety of the front surface of the second door.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11,

wherein the second door includes a rear glass that is transparent and spaced apart from the glass unit to form a portion of the rear surface of the second door, and

wherein a door body connects the glass unit with the rear glass to form a circumferential surface and forming an insulation space.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein, in a state in which the second door is closed, a front end of the light unit is disposed to be adjacent to a rear surface of the rear glass.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the rear glass has a smaller size than the glass unit.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is a deposition layer.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is a laminated layer.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second layer overlaps a portion of the first layer.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an internal light unit that is provided further towards a rear of the cabinet as compared to the light unit.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the light unit and the internal light unit are configured to be turned on and off together based on an operation of a timer.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second door includes a light emitting manipulator configured to turn the light unit on and off.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the second door consists of a single opening, and

wherein the door basket is disposed such that at least one of (i) a bottom portion of the door basket is arranged lower than a top of the single opening, or (ii) a top portion of the door basket is arranged higher than a bottom of the single opening.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second layer is formed along the circumference of the glass member and is configured to block the light emitted from the light unit such that:

in the first state in which the light unit is turned on, the door basket is visible through the viewing region that is defined by the second layer.

23. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage area;

a sub door configured to open and close the storage area and including a frame in which a first opening is formed

a door basket provided in the frame;

a main door configured to open and close the first opening of the sub door, the main door having a second opening defined therethrough that is communicative with the first opening;

a light unit provided in the frame of the sub door and configured to emit light toward the door basket;

a glass unit that defines a front surface of the main door and that covers the second opening defined through the main door and through which the door basket is viewable,

wherein the glass unit comprises;

a glass member formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the second opening of the main door;

a first layer formed on a surface of the glass member and configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass unit, the first layer being formed of a first color and a first opacity to partially block the light emitted from the light unit and to transmit a reduced intensity of the light to an outside of the refrigerator; and

a second layer formed along a circumference of the glass member and defining the viewing region therein, the second layer having a second opacity that is more opaque than the first opacity of the first layer, and configured to block the light emitted from the light unit,

wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first layer, and the door basket is visible through the viewing region,

wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the first layer causes the viewing region to become darker than in the first state such that the door basket is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state, and a boundary between the first layer and the second layer becomes more obscure as compared to the first state.

24. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the main door includes an opening-manipulator configured to open the main door according to a user'"'"'s operation.

25. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the light unit extends along a vertical longitudinal direction of the first opening.

26. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the light unit is disposed on an inner side surface of the frame and is disposed to face an opposite side of the frame.

27. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the door basket is arranged inside the frame and extends further rearward than the light unit.

28. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the light unit is disposed to face side surfaces of the door basket at left and right sides of the door basket.

29. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of door baskets is disposed to be spaced apart from each other within the first opening.

30. The refrigerator according to claim 29, wherein the light unit is disposed to emit light that passes through the plurality of door baskets to an outside of the refrigerator.

31. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the light unit comprises a plurality of LEDs disposed at predetermined intervals.

32. The refrigerator according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of LEDs is vertically disposed in a longitudinal direction of the opening.

33. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the glass unit is formed on an entire surface of the main door.

34. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the first layer is a deposition layer.

35. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the first layer is a laminated layer.

36. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the second layer overlaps a portion of the first layer.

37. The refrigerator according to claim 23, further comprising an internal light unit that is arranged further in rearward direction of the cabinet as compared to the light unit.

38. The refrigerator according to claim 37, wherein the light unit and the internal light unit are configured to be turned on and off together based on operation of a timer.

39. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the main door includes a light emitting manipulator configured to turn the light unit on and off.

40. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the second opening of the main door consists of a single opening, and

wherein the door basket is disposed such that at least one of (i) a bottom portion of the door basket is arranged lower than a top of the single opening, or (ii) a top portion of the door basket is arranged higher than a bottom of the single opening.

41. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the second layer is formed along the circumference of the glass member and is configured to block the light emitted from the light unit such that:

in the first state in which the light unit is turned on, the door basket is visible through the viewing region defined by the second layer.

42. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a first storage area and a second storage area therein, the first storage area provided at a lower side of the second storage area, the refrigerator configured to maintain the first storage area at a first operating temperature and the second storage area at a second operating temperature that is higher than the first operating temperature;

a first door configured to open and close a first portion of the second storage area;

a second door configured to open and close a second portion of the second storage area, the second door having an opening formed therein;

a door basket provided on a rear surface of the second door and disposed to horizontally traverse and overlap the opening of the second door to be visible through the opening from an outside of the refrigerator;

a light unit provided on an inner side of the cabinet and configured to emit light toward the door basket of the second door;

a glass unit forming a front surface of the second door and configured to cover the opening of the second door and through which the door basket is viewable;

wherein the glass unit comprises;

a glass member formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the opening of the second door;

a first layer formed on a surface of the glass member and configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass unit, the first layer being formed of a first color and a first opacity to partially block the light emitted from the light unit and to transmit a reduced intensity of the light to an outside of the refrigerator; and

a second layer formed along a circumference of the glass member and defining the viewing region therein, the second layer having a second opacity that is more opaque than the first opacity of the first layer, and configured to block the light emitted from the light unit,

wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first layer, and the door basket is visible through the viewing region, and

wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the first layer causes the viewing region to become darker than in the first state such that the door basket is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state, and a boundary between the first layer and the second layer becomes more obscure as compared to the first state.

43. The refrigerator according to claim 42, wherein the glass unit covers an entire surface of the second door.

44. The refrigerator according to claim 42, wherein the glass unit covers at least the opening of the second door.

45. The refrigerator according to claim 42, wherein the opening of the second door consists of a single opening, and

wherein the door basket is disposed such that at least one of (i) a bottom portion of the door basket is arranged lower than a top of the single opening, or (ii) a top portion of the door basket is arranged higher than a bottom of the single opening.

46. The refrigerator according to claim 42, wherein the second layer is formed along the circumference of the glass member and is configured to block the light emitted from the light unit such that:

in the first state in which the light unit is turned on, the door basket is visible through the viewing region defined by the second layer.

47. The refrigerator according to claim 42, wherein the light unit is provided at a front portion of the inner side of the cabinet.