REFRIGERATOR AND DOOR THEREOF

• US 20100313592A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Pae, Chanju
• Granted Patent: US 8,523,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/264
• 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

Abstract

This present embodiment relates to a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes an exterior member which defines the appearance of the refrigerator and in which a transmissive part, through which light is passed, is formed; a decoration member provided at a rear side of the exterior member; and a light-emitting unit which emits light toward the decoration member.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a refrigerator main body in which a storage chamber is formed, and a door which opens or closes the storage chamber, comprising:

an exterior member which defines the appearance of the refrigerator and in which a transmissive part, through which light is passed, is formed;

a decoration member provided at one side of the exterior member; and

a light-emitting unit which emits light, and which at least some of the light emitted therefrom passes through the transmissive part.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit passes through the decoration member.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transmissive part is trans-parently or semi-transparently formed.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the decoration member is installed at a transparent plate provided at a rear side of the exterior member.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting unit emits light from the rear part of the transparent plate to the decoration member.

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

a fixed plate on which the light-emitting unit is mounted, wherein the fixed plate is connected to the transparent plate.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting unit includes at least one LED.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the transmissive part, decoration member and light-emitting unit are arranged in a row.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the exterior member defines the appearance of the main body.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the exterior member defines the appearance of the door.

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

a sensor unit for detecting the intensity of illumination, wherein in case the intensity of illumination detected by the sensor unit is lower than a specific level, the light-emitting unit is turned on.

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

an operation unit for inputting ON or OFF signal of the light-emitting unit.

13. A refrigerator having a main body of the refrigerator in which a storage chamber is formed, and a door which opens or closes the storage chamber, the door comprises:

a door main body;

an exterior member provided at a front side of the door main body;

a decoration member provided at a rear side of the exterior member; and

a light-emitting unit which emits light such that the decoration member can be easily recognized from the outside.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein a transmissive part for transmitting the light emitted from the light-emitting unit is formed in at least some of the exterior member.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein a transparent plate through which the light emitted from the light-emitting unit is passed is provided at a rear side of the exterior member, and

wherein the decoration member is mounted on the transparent plate.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, further comprising:

a fixed plate on which the light-emitting unit is mounted, wherein the fixed plate is connected to the transparent plate.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the light-emitting unit is installed at the door main body.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting unit passes through the exterior member after passing through the decoration member.

19. A refrigerator, comprising:

a refrigerator main body in which a storage chamber is formed;

a door which opens or closes the storage chamber;

an exterior member provided outside of the refrigerator main body, and which is provided with a transmissive part for passing light;

a decoration member provided at a rear side of the exterior member; and

a light-emitting unit which emits light such that the decoration member can be easily recognized from the outside, wherein at least some of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit passes through the transmissive part.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein a transparent plate through which the light emitted from the light-emitting unit is passed is provided at a rear side of the exterior member,

wherein the exterior member is mounted on the transparent plate, and

wherein the light-emitting unit is disposed at a rear side of the transparent plate.