REFRIGERATOR

• US 20180164026A1
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Published: 06/14/2018
• 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, KWON, Hyuk, KIM, Junghwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,619,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0077 Lighting for furniture, e.g. cupboards and racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/00 Show cases or show cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0434 Glass or transparent panels
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/03 Viewing layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/00 Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
• 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 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133 Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements arrangements or circuits for control of liquid crystal elements in a matrix, not structurally associated with these elements G09G3/36

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a door opening and closing the cabinet, and a transparent display assembly which covers an opening of the door and through which an inner space of the refrigerator is seen. The transparent display assembly includes a front panel defining at least a portion of a front surface of the door, a touch sensor disposed on a rear surface of the front panel, a rear panel defining at least a portion of a rear surface of the door, an insulation coating layer provided on a surface of the rear panel, an outer spacer disposed between the front panel and the rear panel, a display disposed in the sealed space, a light guide plate spaced apart from the display, and a spacer supporting the light guide plate and maintaining a distance between the display and the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet defining a storage space;

a door opening and closing the cabinet; and

a transparent display assembly which covers an opening of the door and through which an inner space of the refrigerator is seen,

wherein the transparent display assembly comprises;

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

a touch sensor disposed on a rear surface of the front panel to recognize touch manipulation on the front panel;

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

an insulation coating layer provided on a surface of the rear panel by a metal oxide to block heat from the outside;

an outer spacer disposed between the front panel and the rear panel to provide a sealed space between the front panel and the rear panel;

a display disposed in the sealed space;

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

a spacer supporting the light guide plate and maintaining a distance between the display and the light guide plate.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the front panel and the rear panel is made of blue glass, and

the insulation coating layer is disposed on a front surface of the rear panel.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation coating layer is disposed on each of both surfaces of the rear panel.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation coating layer comes into contact with an inner surface of the sealed space.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation coating layer is made of tin oxide (SnO₂) on the surface of the rear panel through chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation coating layer is provided by attaching a film made of tin oxide (SnO₂) to the surface of the rear panel.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an injection hole through which an inert gas for thermal insulation is injected is defined in the outer spacer, and

an insulation layer into which the inert gas is injected is disposed between the front panel and the rear panel.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a first insulation layer into which the inert gas is injected and which communicates with the sealed space inside the outer spacer is disposed between the front panel and the light guide plate.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising:

an insulation panel disposed between the light guide plate and the rear panel;

a third spacer disposed along a circumference of the insulation panel and coming into contact with the light guide plate to define a closed space between the light guide plate and the insulation panel; and

a fourth spacer disposed along the circumference of the insulation panel and coming into contact with the rear panel to define a closed space between the insulation panel and the rear panel.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the closed space defined by the third spacer and the fourth spacer communicates with the sealed space inside the outer spacer to provide a third insulation layer and a fourth insulation layer, into which the inert gas is injected.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein an insulation coating layer for blocking external heat is further disposed on a surface of the insulation panel by the metal oxide.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the insulation coating layer disposed on the insulation panel is made of tin oxide (SnO₂) and disposed on each of both surfaces of the insulation panel.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the insulation coating layer disposed on the insulation panel is made of tin oxide (SnO₂) and disposed on one surface of both surfaces of the insulation panel.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a source board passing between the front panel and the spacer to extend to the outside of the spacer is disposed on one end of the display.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the source board is disposed in a space defined by the spacer and the outer spacer.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein a display cable connecting the source board to a T-CON board disposed outside the transparent assembly passes between the outer spacer and the front panel.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the touch sensor is connected to a PCB disposed outside the transparent display assembly through a touch cable.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein a display light emitting light toward an end of the light guide plate is disposed on each of inner ends facing each other of the outer spacer, and

a display light cable connecting the display light to the display light to a PCB disposed outside the transparent display assembly passes between the outer spacer and the rear panel.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a cable disposed along a circumference of the transparent display assembly and connected to electronic components has a flexible film shape.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein a sealant is applied to an outer surface of the outer spacer, and

the injection hole is covered by the sealant.