Refrigerator

• US 10,436,504 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sangmyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US15/838,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/40 Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door defining an opening in the door, and a transparent display assembly that covers the opening and allows an inner space of the refrigerator to be visible. The transparent display assembly includes a front panel, a rear panel, an outer spacer configured to maintain a first distance between the front panel and the rear panel, a display disposed on a rear surface of the front panel, a light guide plate spaced apart from the display, and a first spacer configured to support the light guide plate and to maintain a second distance between the display and the light guide plate. The outer spacer defines a first injection hole configured to allow introduction of an inert gas to the outer spacer, and a first insulation layer configured to receive the inert gas between the front panel and the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage space;

a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cabinet, the door comprising an outer plate that defines an opening therein; and

a transparent display assembly that covers the opening and that allows an inner space of the refrigerator to be visible through the transparent display assembly,

wherein the transparent display assembly comprises;

a front panel defining at least a portion of a front surface of the door,

a rear panel defining at least a portion of a rear surface of the door,

an outer spacer disposed along circumferences of the front panel and the rear panel, and configured to maintain a first distance between the front panel and the rear panel, the outer spacer defining a first sealed space between the front panel and the rear panel,

a display provided at a rear surface of the front panel in the first sealed space,

an insulation panel provided between the front panel and the rear panel,

an inner spacer that is disposed on a rear surface of the insulation panel, that is configured to maintain a second distance between the insulation panel and the rear panel, and that defines a second sealed space between the insulation panel and the rear panel, the second sealed space being provided within the first sealed space, and

a display cable that passes through the rear panel and the outer spacer and that is connected with the display,

wherein the display, the insulation panel, and the inner spacer are provided within the first sealed space, and

wherein the transparent display assembly is configured to have any one of a plurality of states, the plurality of states comprising;

a transparent mode state in which a light provided in the cabinet or the door is turned on to allow the inner space of the refrigerator to be visible through the transparent display assembly, the display being configured to not operate based on the transparent display assembly being in the transparent mode state,

an opaque mode state in which the light is turned off to make the inner space of the refrigerator invisible through the transparent display assembly, the display being configured to not operate based on the transparent display assembly being in the opaque mode state, and

a display mode state in which the light is turned off, the display being configured to, based on the transparent display assembly being in the display mode state, operate and output display information through the transparent display assembly.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent display assembly further comprises a touch sensor disposed on the rear surface of the front panel and configured to detect a user'"'"'s touch input, and

wherein the touch sensor is configured to connect, through a touch cable, to a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed outside of the transparent display assembly.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the display cable has a film shape and is flexible.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light guide plate spaced apart from the display and configured to guide light to the display; and

a first spacer configured to support the light guide plate in the first sealed space and to maintain a third distance between the display and the light guide plate.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the outer spacer defines:

a first injection hole configured to receive an inert gas; and

a first insulation layer disposed between the front panel and the light guide plate and configured to receive the inert gas.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the transparent display assembly further comprises a source board that is disposed at one end of the display between the front panel and the first spacer and that extends from the front panel toward the rear panel outside of the first spacer.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the source board is disposed in a space between the first spacer and the outer spacer.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the source board includes a surface perpendicular to the rear surface of the front panel.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the display cable is configured to connect the source board to a timing controller (T-CON) board that is disposed outside the transparent display assembly.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the transparent display assembly further comprises:

a display light configured to emit light to an end of the light guide plate, and disposed on at least one of a first inner side of the outer spacer or a second inner side of the outer spacer facing toward the first inner side of the outer spacer, and

a display light cable configured to connect to a PCB disposed outside of the transparent display assembly, the display light cable passing between the outer spacer and the rear panel.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the first spacer is configured to support lateral ends of the light guide plate, and

wherein the outer spacer includes a light guide plate support part that is configured to support at least one of upper or lower ends of the light guide plate and that protrudes from the outer spacer toward the at least one of upper or lower ends of the light guide plate.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the outer spacer includes an outer surface that contacts a sealant, and

wherein the first injection hole is configured to be covered by the sealant.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the first sealed space defined by the outer spacer is configured to communicate with a space between the front panel and the light guide plate.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second spacer disposed along a circumference of the insulation panel, the second spacer contacting the light guide plate and defining a third sealed space between the light guide plate and the insulation panel.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the second and third sealed spaces are configured to receive the inert gas and to provide a second insulation layer and a third insulation layer, respectively.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the transparent display assembly comprises:

a first module comprising the display, the first spacer, and the outer spacer that are mounted on the front panel; and

a second module comprising the inner spacer, the insulation panel, the second spacer, and the light guide plate that are mounted on the rear panel, the second module including the second insulation layer and the third insulation layer,

wherein the first module and the second module are coupled to each other.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the second spacer defines a second injection hole, and the inner spacer defines a third injection hole,

wherein the third sealed space is configured to receive the inert gas through the second injection hole and to provide a second insulation layer between the light guide plate and the insulation panel, and

wherein the second sealed space is configured to receive the inert gas through the third injection hole and to provide a third insulation layer between the insulation panel and the rear panel.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein each of the second spacer and the inner spacer comprises:

tube members each defining one of upper, lower, left, and right sides of each of the second spacer and the inner spacer, the tube members having open ends; and

a corner connection member connecting open ends of the tube members that are adjacent to each other,

wherein the corner connection member defines a connection member injection hole that is configured to communicate the inert gas with the first sealed space defined by the outer spacer, the third sealed space defined by the second spacer, and the second sealed space defined by the inner spacer.