Refrigerator door and manufacturing method of the same

• US 10,401,078 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2019
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• 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 M
• Application Number:
  US16/358,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20190212050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 168 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 that is made of a steel material, that is disposed at a front side of the refrigerator door, and that defines a front appearance of the refrigerator door, the front panel defining a first through-hole and comprising an input unit;

a door liner that defines a rear appearance of the refrigerator door;

an upper cap decoration unit configured to provide sealing to a panel space that is defined between the front panel and the door liner;

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

a display assembly disposed between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the first through-hole;

a touch sensor assembly disposed between the frame and the front panel and fixed to the rear surface of the front panel at a position corresponding to a location of the input unit; and

a controller disposed at the display assembly and configured to receive signals generated at the touch sensor assembly,

wherein the touch sensor assembly comprises;

a case;

a sensor unit that is disposed at the case and that is in contact with the rear surface of the front panel at a position corresponding to a rear side of the input unit, the sensor unit comprising one or more push parts; and

an adhesive member disposed between the sensor unit and the case.

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

a display unit comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) and at least one light emitting diode, the at least one light emitting diode being disposed at a front surface of the PCB and configured to emit light;

a display frame having a front surface that seats the display unit; and

a display cover that is configured to receive at least a portion of the display frame, the display cover defining a receiving unit that is recessed from a front surface of the display cover and that receives the touch sensor assembly.

3. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, further comprising:

an electric wire connector disposed at a rear side of the PCB; and

a reflector disposed at the front side of the PCB and configured to guide the light emitted from the light emitting diode toward the first through-hole.

4. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, further comprising a PCB connection terminal disposed at a rear surface of the case,

wherein the electric wire connector is configured to electrically connect to the PCB connection terminal via an electric wire.

5. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerator door is disposed at a refrigerator comprising a central controller, and

wherein the electric wire connector is configured to electrically connect to the central controller of the refrigerator or an external power source.

6. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, further comprising a sensor unit terminal disposed at a rear surface of the case and configured to connect to an electric wire that extends from the sensor unit,

wherein the sensor unit and the PCB are configured to electrically connect to each other via an electric wire passing through a through-hole defined at the receiving unit of the display cover.

7. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the display cover defines a second through-hole that is laterally spaced apart from the receiving unit, that is disposed at a position corresponding to the first through-hole, and that is configured to transmit light from the display assembly passing through the first through-hole, and

wherein the second through-hole is disposed rearward of the first through-hole.

8. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the first through-hole comprises a plurality of first through-holes,

wherein the display cover defines a plurality of second through-holes that are laterally spaced apart from the receiving unit, that are disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of first through-holes, and that are configured to transmit light from the display assembly passing through the plurality of first through-holes, and

wherein each of the plurality of second through-holes is disposed rearward of one of the plurality of first through-holes.

9. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises sidewalls that protrude forward toward the rear surface of the front panel.

10. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the door liner comprises sidewalls that protrude forward toward the front panel.

11. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensor assembly is disposed between the rear surface of the front panel and the display assembly.

12. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the first through-hole and the input unit are laterally spaced apart from each other at a front surface of the front panel.

13. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the display unit is disposed between the display cover and the display frame.

14. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the display frame comprises a side protrusion that protrudes laterally outward from a side of the display frame,

wherein the display cover comprises guide rails that protrude rearward toward the display frame, and

wherein each of the guide rails extends laterally inward to define a guide space configured to receive the side protrusion of the display frame based on the display cover coupling to the display frame.

15. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the display cover is configured to slidably couple to the display frame in a vertical direction.

16. The refrigerator door according to claim 15, wherein the display frame comprises a lower edge that defines a guide groove configured to guide the receiving unit in the vertical direction based on the display cover coupling to the display frame.

17. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the case comprises:

a PCB connection terminal disposed at a rear surface of the case and configured to electrically connect to the PCB via a first electric wire; and

a sensor unit terminal disposed at the rear side of the case and configured to connect to the sensor unit via a second electric wire.

18. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting diode comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes that are spaced apart from each other, and

wherein the reflector is disposed between the plurality of light emitting diodes.

19. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein the electric wire connector protrudes upward from an upper edge of the PCB.