Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

• US 9,046,294 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROERSMA, ANDREW MARK
• Application Number:
  US13/390,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 312/405, 312/204, 312/405.1, 312/321.5, 312/296, 312/138.1, 312/116, 312/324, 362 92- 94, 527/841, 527/841.2, 527/841.3, 527/841.5, 527/841.6, 622/64, 624/47, 495/01, 49/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 main body defining a storage space of which a front surface is open, wherein a first receiving part is disposed in the storage space;

a sub door rotatably coupled to the main body, the sub door including;

a frame having an opening;

a second receiving part including a receiving basket, the second receiving part being removably mounted to the frame; and

a sub door handle protruding from a front surface of the frame and having a recess part;

a light emitting part which emits light toward the first receiving part and the second receiving part, the light emitting part comprising at least one light emitting diode;

a compartment door configured to be opened by rotating in a same direction as a rotational direction of the sub door for opening the storage space, and configured to be opened to allow access through the opening of the frame to the second receiving part including the receiving basket, the compartment door including;

an inner door part in contact with a front portion of the sub door to close the opening of the frame when the compartment door is in a closed position;

an outer door part comprising;

a transparent plate;

a reflective lamination layer in front of the transparent plate; and

a viewing window formed in a region of the transparent plate, the viewing window configured to enable a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from an outside based on the light emitting part being turned on and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position, and configured to be unidentified by the user from the outside based on the light emitting part being turned off and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position; and

a door body coupling the inner door part to the outer door part such that an insulation space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part, the outer door part configured to be coupled to a front surface of the door body to cover the front surface of the door body,

wherein the outer door part is configured to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening,

wherein the light emitting part includes;

a first light emitting part configured to emit light toward the first receiving part;

and

a second light emitting part configured to emit light toward the second receiving part,

wherein the outer door part further comprises;

a lamination treated layer formed on a front surface of the transparent plate; and

a deposition treated layer formed on a rear surface of the transparent plate to

transmit a portion of the light emitted from the first and second light emitting parts,

wherein the transparent plate includes a transparent glass.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting manipulator provided to manipulate the first light emitting part and the second light emitting part.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting manipulator is disposed on a front surface of the compartment door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit configured to turn on or off the first and second light emitting parts according to command input by the light emitting manipulator, and turns off the first and second light emitting parts when a predetermined set time is lapsed.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting manipulator includes a button-type or touch-type input part.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a third light emitting part disposed within the sub door handle to show the sub door handle in a dark indoor space.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second light emitting part is disposed in an inner surface of front border of the frame of the sub door.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the outer door part comprises a door handle configured to cover a front surface of the sub door handle such that the sub door handle is not exposed in a state where the compartment door closes the opening of the sub door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lamination treated layer includes:

a lamination layer formed on the front surface of the transparent glass;

the reflective lamination layer formed on a front surface of the lamination layer to reflect at least a portion of the light passing through the lamination layer; and

a protective coating part formed on a front surface of the reflective lamination layer.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a screening layer formed on an edge portion of the rear surface of the deposition treated layer to screen the light emitted from the first and second light emitting parts.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein an inner area of the transparent plate formed by the screening layer is defined as the viewing window to prevent the light emitted from the first and second light emitting parts from being transmitted outside the compartment door.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing member disposed on a rear surface of the door body which is in close contact with a frontal edge portion of the sub door when the compartment door is in a closed position.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation space is configured to be maintained in a vacuum state.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the insulation space comprises one of air, argon and krypton.

15. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body defining a storage space of which a front surface is open, wherein a first receiving part is disposed in the storage space;

a sub door rotatably coupled to the main body, the sub door including;

a frame having an opening;

a second receiving part including a receiving basket, the second receiving part being removably mounted to the frame; and

a sub door handle protruding from a front surface of the frame and having a recess part;

a light emitting part which emits light toward the first receiving part and the second receiving part, the light emitting part comprising at least one light emitting diode;

a compartment door configured to be opened by rotating in a same direction as a rotational direction of the sub door for opening the storage space, and configured to be opened to allow access through the opening of the frame to the second receiving part including the receiving basket, the compartment door including;

an inner door part in contact with a front portion of the sub door to close the opening of the frame when the compartment door is in a closed position;

an outer door part comprising;

a transparent plate;

a reflective lamination layer in front of the transparent plate; and

a viewing window formed in a region of the transparent plate, the viewing window configured to enable a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from an outside based on the light emitting part being turned on and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position, and configured to be unidentified by the user from the outside based on the light emitting part being turned off and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position; and

a door body coupling the inner door part to the outer door part such that an insulation space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part, the outer door part configured to be coupled to a front surface of the door body to cover the front surface of the door body,

wherein the outer door part is configured to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening; and

a display unit disposed in a region corresponding to the viewing window,

wherein the light emitting part includes;

a first light emitting part configured to emit light toward the first receiving part; and

a second light emitting part configured to emit light toward the second receiving part,

wherein the display unit is configured to be displayed based on the first and the second light emitting parts being turned off.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, further comprising a driving unit disposed at a rear side of the outer door part, for driving the display unit,

wherein the driving unit comprises:

an LCD panel;

a back light unit emitting light towards the LCD panel; and

a power supply for supplying power to the backlight unit.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, further comprising a timer used to count a duration time that the light emitting part has been on.

18. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body defining a storage space of which a front surface is open, wherein a first receiving part is disposed in the storage space;

a sub door rotatable coupled to the main body, the sub door including;

a frame having an opening;

a second receiving part including a receiving basket the second receiving part

being removably mounted to the frame; and

a sub door handle protruding from a front surface of the frame and having a recess part;

a light emitting part which emits light toward the first receiving part and the second receiving part, the light emitting part comprising at least one light emitting diode;

a compartment door configured to be opened by rotating in a same direction as a rotational direction of the sub door for opening the storage space, and configured to be opened to allow access through the opening of the frame to the second receiving part including the receiving basket, the compartment door including;

an inner door part in contact with a front portion of the sub door to close the opening of the frame when the compartment door is in a closed position;

an outer door part comprising;

a transparent plate;

a reflective lamination layer in front of the transparent plate; and

a viewing window formed in a region of the transparent plate, the viewing window configured to enable a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from an outside based on the light emitting part being turned on and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position, and configured to be unidentified by the user from the outside based on the light emitting part being turned off and the compartment door being oriented in the closed position; and

a door body coupling the inner door part to the outer door part such that an insulation space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part, the outer door part configured to be coupled to a front surface of the door body to cover the front surface of the door body,

wherein the outer door part is configured to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening,

wherein the light emitting part includes;

a first light emitting part configured to emit light toward the first receiving part; and

a second light emitting part configured to emit light toward the second receiving part,

a timer configured to measure a duration of time that the first and second light emitting parts have been on.