Refrigerator door and manufacturing method of the same

• US 9,791,204 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyunki, Kim, Minchel, Park, Seungje, Park, Kihyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Calvin C
• Application Number:
  US14/724,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 345174, 312403, 312405, 362 92
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices

Abstract

A refrigerator door and a manufacturing method of the same are disclosed. The refrigerator door includes a front panel that includes a first through hole and an input unit, a door liner, an upper cap decoration unit configured to seal an upper side of a first space defined between the front panel and the door liner, a frame attached to an inside of the front panel and defining a second space, a display assembly provided between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the first through hole, and a touch sensor assembly provided between the frame and the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being fixed to a rear of the front panel at a position that corresponds to a location of the input unit. The upper cap decoration unit includes a communication hole for communicating with the second space and includes a cap cover.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door comprising:

a front panel made of a steel material, the front panel being provided at a front of the refrigerator door and forming a front appearance of the refrigerator door, the front panel including a first through hole and an input unit;

a door liner forming a rear appearance of the refrigerator door;

an upper cap decoration unit configured to seal an upper side of a first space defined between the front panel and the door liner;

a frame attached to an inside of the front panel and defining a second space that is separated from the first space defined by the front panel, the door liner, and the upper cap decoration unit;

a display assembly provided between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the first through hole; and

a touch sensor assembly provided between the frame and the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being fixed to a rear of the front panel at a position that corresponds to a location of the input unit,

wherein the upper cap decoration unit includes a communication hole for communicating with the second space defined between the frame and the front panel and includes a cap cover configured to seal the communication hole.

2. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein the display assembly comprises:

a cover display mounted at the front panel;

a frame display slidably coupled to the cover display; and

a display unit coupled to the frame display.

3. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the cover display is provided at opposite ends of the refrigerator door via guide rails that are configured to receive and fix the frame display.

4. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, wherein

each of the guide rails includes a protruding guide member that is configured to guide the display unit such that the display unit moves toward the front panel, and

the frame display includes a protrusion that is configured to guide the display unit such that the display unit moves toward the front panel.

5. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the cover display includes a second through hole that communicates with the first through hole.

6. The refrigerator door according to claim 2:

wherein the display unit comprises a reflector including a third through hole and a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to the reflector, and a light emitting diode (LED) mounted at the PCB, the LED being disposed to emit light through the third through hole,

wherein the third through hole communicates with the first through hole and the second through hole, and

wherein the PCB is provided at a surface of the display unit facing the frame display.

7. The refrigerator door according to claim 6, wherein

the display unit further comprises a diffusion plate disposed between the reflector and the PCB, and

a size of the third through hole is less than that of the second through hole at a connection point between the third through hole and the second through hole.

8. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein

the frame display comprises a location piece on which the display unit is located, and a bar extending from the location piece, the bar having a step piece,

the frame includes an inclined part configured to change a distance between the frame and the front panel, and

the communication hole is spaced apart from a contact portion between the upper cap decoration unit and the front panel.

9. The refrigerator door according to claim 2, wherein the touch sensor assembly comprises:

a sensor unit mounted at the front panel, the sensor unit being in direct contact with the front panel; and

a case in which the sensor unit is mounted.

10. The refrigerator door according to claim 9, wherein

the cover display is provided at a surface of the refrigerator door to face the front panel, the cover display having a receiving unit configured to receive the touch sensor assembly, the receiving unit including a depression of a predetermined depth, and

the receiving unit includes an elastic member configured to elastically support the sensor unit such that the sensor unit is pressed against the front panel by the elastic member.

11. The refrigerator door according to claim 9, wherein

the sensor unit comprises a plurality of push parts each configured to generate a signal based on being pushed, and

the display assembly comprises a controller configured to determine, based on two or more of the push parts being simultaneously pushed to generate signals, that the push parts have not been intentionally pushed.

12. The refrigerator door according to claim 9, wherein

the sensor unit comprises a plurality of push parts each configured to generate a signal based on being pushed, and

the display assembly comprises a controller configured to selectively determine, based on one of the push parts generating a signal having a magnitude greater than that of a signal generated by another of the push parts, that at least one of the push parts has been unintentionally pushed.

13. The refrigerator door according to claim 1, wherein

the first through hole comprises a first through part located at a rear of the front panel, the first through part being formed by etching, and a second through part located at a front of the front panel, the second through part being formed by etching,

the first through part and the second through part communicate with each other such that the first through hole is formed through the front panel from the front to the rear of the front panel, and

the first through part and the second through part have different sectional sizes.

14. A manufacturing method of a refrigerator door comprising:

mounting, at a front panel, a cover display and a touch sensor assembly;

mounting, at the front panel, a frame configured to receive the cover display and the touch sensor assembly;

mounting, at the front panel, an upper cap decoration unit and a door liner;

filling a space defined by the front panel, the door liner, and the upper cap decoration unit with a foam liquid and foaming the foam liquid; and

mounting, at the cover display, a frame display having a display unit fixed to the frame display.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising slidably coupling the frame display to the cover display through a communication hole included at the upper cap decoration unit.

16. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising electrically connecting the display unit and the touch sensor assembly to each other via an electric wire after the foaming step.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, further comprising:

performing a primary etching step on a rear of the front panel; and

performing a secondary etching step on a front of the front panel before the step of mounting the cover display and the touch sensor assembly at the front panel,

wherein the secondary etching step is carried out after the primary etching step.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein:

the primary etching step comprises forming a first through part; and

the secondary etching step comprises forming a second through part such that a portion of the second through part disposed at the front of the front panel has a larger section than the first through part.

19. A refrigerator door comprising:

a front panel made of a steel material, the front panel being provided at a front of the refrigerator door and forming a front appearance of the refrigerator door, the front panel including a first through hole and an input unit;

a door liner forming a rear appearance of the refrigerator door;

an upper cap decoration unit configured to seal an upper side of a first space defined between the front panel and the door liner;

a frame attached to an inside of the front panel and defining a second space that is separated from the first space defined by the front panel, the door liner, and the upper cap decoration unit;

a display assembly provided between the frame and the front panel and configured to emit light through the first through hole; and

a touch sensor assembly provided between the frame and the front panel, the touch sensor assembly being fixed to a rear of the front panel at a position that corresponds to a location of the input unit; and

a diffusion plate provided between the inside of the front panel and the display assembly and configured to diffuse light, the diffusion plate being in contact with one side of the first through hole.

20. The refrigerator door according to claim 19, wherein the front panel includes a plurality of first through holes, and wherein the diffusion plate is attached to the front panel such that it covers one side of each of the plurality of first through holes.