Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

• US 9,516,955 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• 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 MARK
• Application Number:
  US14/926,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 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 configured to be 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 configured to face 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 layer formed on the transparent plate to allow at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting unit to be transmitted to an outside of the storage space;

a screening layer defined at an edge portion of a rear surface of the transparent plate; and

a viewing window defined in the transparent plate, an edge of the viewing window being defined by an inner edge of the screening layer, the viewing window configured to allow a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from the outside of the storage space 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;

a door body coupled with the inner door part and the outer door part, a front surface of the door body being coupled to the screening layer of the outer door part to be shielded by the screening layer, wherein a space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part; and

a door handle portion defined at an edge of the outer door part to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening, the door handle portion being defined as a part of the outer door part; and

a timer configured to measure a duration of time that the light emitting part has been on.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, 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.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the timer is used to count the duration time that the first and second light emitting parts have been on.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting manipulator configured to be manipulated to turn on the light emitting part.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the light emitting manipulator is disposed at an outside of the viewing window on a front surface of the outer door part.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising an opening-manipulator disposed at an outside of the viewing window on a front surface of the outer door part.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the layer is a lamination treated layer.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the lamination treated layer is formed on a front surface of the transparent plate.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the layer is a deposition treated layer.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the deposition treated layer is formed on the rear surface of the transparent plate.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the screening layer is formed on the deposition treated layer.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the inner door part and the transparent plate are glass members.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the light emitting part is disposed at a frontal end of the storage space.

14. 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 configured to be 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 configured to face 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 glass;

a layer formed on the transparent glass to allow at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting unit to be transmitted to an outside of the storage space;

a screening layer defined at an edge portion of a rear surface of the transparent glass; and

a viewing window defined in the transparent glass, an edge of the viewing window being defined by an inner edge of the screening layer, the viewing window configured to allow a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from the outside of the storage space 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;

a door body coupled with the inner door part and the outer door part, a front surface of the door body being coupled to the screening layer of the outer door part to be shielded by the screening layer, wherein a space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part; and

a door handle portion defined at an edge of the outer door part to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening, the door handle portion being defined as a part of the outer door part.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, 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.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the light emitting part is disposed at a frontal edge portion of the storage space.

17. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the light emitting part is disposed at an edge portion of the frame.

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 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 configured to be 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 configured to face 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 layer formed on the transparent plate to allow at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitting unit to be transmitted to an outside of the storage space;

a screening layer defined at an edge portion of a rear surface of the transparent plate; and

a viewing window defined in the transparent plate, an edge of the viewing window being defined by an inner edge of the screening layer, the viewing window configured to allow a user to see the second receiving part therethrough from the outside of the storage space 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;

a door body coupled with the inner door part and the outer door part, a front surface of the door body being coupled to the screening layer of the outer door part to be shielded by the screening layer, wherein a space is established between the inner door part and the outer door part; and

a door handle portion defined at an edge of the outer door part to cover a front surface of the sub door handle when the compartment door closes the opening, the door handle portion being defined as a part of the outer door part; and

a control unit configured to turn on or off the light emitting unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to turn on the light emitting part and turn off the light emitting part when a set time has been lapsed.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the light emitting part is disposed at a frontal edge portion of the storage space.