Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

• US 10,568,440 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• 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:
  US16/298,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20190216235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 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 to define a door storage and provided behind a rear surface of the second door;

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

a glass assembly configured to cover the opening of the second door and through which the door storage is viewable, wherein the glass assembly comprises;

a front panel formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the opening of the second door; and

a rear panel provided behind the front panel and formed of a transparent material, the rear panel being spaced apart from the front panel such that an insulating space is defined between the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the front panel includes a first region configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass assembly, the first region has 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, wherein the door basket is disposed to horizontally traverse and overlap the opening of the second door to be visible through the opening from the outside of the refrigerator, wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first region, and the door basket is visible through the viewing region, wherein the light unit is turned off after being turned on a predetermined period of time, and wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the door basket is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the front panel further comprises a second region provided along a circumference of the front panel and defining the viewing region therein, the second region having a second opacity that is more opaque than the first opacity of the first region, and configured to block the light emitted from the light unit.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein, the second state in which the light unit is turned off, the first region 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.

4. The refrigerator of 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.

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

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

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the opening of the second door consists of a single opening, and wherein the door storage 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.

8. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage area;

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

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

a door basket to define a door storage and provided behind the second door;

a light unit provided in the frame of the first door and configured to emit light toward the door storage;

a glass assembly that defines a front surface of the second door and that covers the second opening defined through the second door and through which the door storage is viewable, wherein the glass assembly comprises;

a front panel formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the opening of the second door; and

a rear panel provided behind the front panel and formed of a transparent material, the rear panel being spaced apart from the front panel such that an insulating space is defined between the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the front panel includes a first region configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass assembly, the first region has 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, wherein the door basket is disposed to horizontally traverse and overlap the opening of the second door to be visible through the opening from the outside of the refrigerator, wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first region, and the door storage is visible through the viewing region, wherein the light unit is turned off after being turned on a predetermined period of time, and wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the door storage is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, further comprising a second light unit disposed on the cabinet.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the second light unit emits light to the door storage at a rear side of the light unit.

11. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the light unit is closer to the front panel than the second light unit.

12. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the light unit extends along a vertical longitudinal direction of the first opening.

13. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the light unit is provided at a front portion of the inner side of the cabinet.

14. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the front panel further comprises a second region provided along a circumference of the front panel and defining the viewing region therein, the second region having a second opacity that is more opaque than the first opacity of the first region, and configured to block the light emitted from the light unit.

15. 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 to define a door storage and provided behind a rear surface of the second door;

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

a glass assembly configured to cover the opening of the second door and through which the door basket is viewable, wherein the glass assembly comprises;

a front panel formed of a transparent material and configured to cover the opening of the second door; and

a rear panel provided behind the front panel and formed of a transparent material, the rear panel being spaced apart from the front panel such that an insulating space is defined between the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the front panel includes a first region configured to cover an entirety of a viewing region of the glass assembly, the first region has 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, wherein the door basket is disposed to horizontally traverse and overlap the opening of the second door to be visible through the opening from the outside of the refrigerator, wherein, in a first state in which the light unit is turned on, the light from the light unit is emitted through the first region, and the door storage is visible through the viewing region, wherein the light unit is turned off after being turned on a predetermined period of time, and wherein, in a second state in which the light unit is turned off, the door storage is less visible through the viewing region as compared to the first state.