REFRIGERATOR

• US 20160061514A1
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: SEO, Woonkyu, PARK, Jinhee, JUNG, Soonho
• Granted Patent: US 9,696,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• 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: A47F 3/0478 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/003 by interposition of elements with electrically controlled variable light transmissivity, e.g. liquid crystal elements or electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0044 Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/02 with cooling compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/10 with respect to heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/12 using an insulating packing material
• 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 2400/361 : Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/00 : Lighting arrangements in general F21
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 27/005 : combined with control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/04 : Sensors detecting the presence of a person
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 : Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 : by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings

Abstract

There is disclosed a refrigerator including a case having a storage chamber provided therein; a lighting device provided in the storage chamber to light an inner space of the storage chamber, a first door rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, an auxiliary storage chamber (50) provided in the first door to define a storage space, the auxiliary storage chamber (50) accessible through an opening formed in the first door, a second door (30) rotatably coupled to the first door in the same direction as the first door, a front panel attached to a front surface of the second door (30), the front panel formed of a transparent material, an evaporation treatment unit evaporated on an overall back surface of the front panel to transmit lights partially, a variable transparency film (120) attached to a back surface of the evaporation treatment unit provided in the front panel to get transparent when the power is supplied, a frame unit of the second door (30) on which the front panel is mounted, with an opening having a corresponding size to an opening provided in the first door, an insulation panel provided in the frame unit of the second door (30), distant from the front panel, a power supply unit for supplying an electric power to the variable transparency film (120) and the lighting device, a proximity sensor provided in the second door (30) to sense a user'"'"'s approaching, and a control unit for controlling the power supply unit to simultaneously operate the variable transparency film (120) and the lighting device based on a sensing signal of the proximity sensor.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a case having a storage chamber provided therein;

a door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the door, the door comprising;

a front panel configured to form a front appearance of the door and to be selectively transparent, and

an insulation panel formed of a transparent material and provided in the hole and behind the front panel;

a lighting device to light an inner space of the storage chamber; and

a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole due to transmitting of the light inside the storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the door includes an outer case forming a front frame of the door and having the hole formed in a central portion of the outer case, the front panel is provided on a front surface of the outer case and the insulation panel is provided inside the hole to seal the hole.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15, further comprising an insulation space provided between the front panel and the insulation panel.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the insulation panel comprises a first glass panel and a second glass panel, and an insulation space is provided between the first glass panel and the second glass panel.

18. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the front panel is configured to cover all the front surface of the door, and the front panel is larger than the insulation panel.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the front panel has a convex shape in a direction of right and left.

20. The refrigerator of claim 14, further comprising a door switch to sense whether the door is opened or not,

wherein the control unit operates the lighting device when the door switch senses the door is opened.

21. The refrigerator of claim 14, further comprising a sensor to detect whether user is within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator,

wherein the control unit operates the lighting device to make the user see the inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole when the sensor senses the user within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator.

22. The refrigerator of claim 21, the control unit controls the lighting device to have a dimming effect.

23. The refrigerator of one of claim 14, further comprising an evaporation treatment unit that is provided in a rear surface of the front panel to transmit light partially.

24. The refrigerator of one of claim 14, further comprising a variable transparency film attached to a rear surface of the front panel to get transparent when power is supplied,

25. A refrigerator comprising:

a case having a storage chamber provided therein;

a first door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, the first door having a hole penetrating the first door and an auxiliary storage chamber provided therein;

a second door that is rotatably coupled to the case or the first door to open and close the auxiliary storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the second door;

the second door comprising;

a front panel that forms a front surface of the second door and is formed of transparent material, and

an insulation panel formed of a transparent material, the insulation panel being located behind the front panel and configured to seal the hole of the second door;

a lighting device to light an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber; and

a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the auxiliary storage chamber selectively through the hole of the second door due to transmitting of the light inside the auxiliary storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel.

26. The refrigerator of claim 25, further comprising a sensor to detect whether user is within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator or an operation button to put the lighting device into operation,

wherein the control unit operates the lighting device to make the user see an inside of the storage chamber through the holes when the sensor senses the user within the predetermined distance from the refrigerator or the operation button is pushed by the user.

27. The refrigerator of claim 25, further comprising a lighting device to light the storage chamber.

28. The refrigerator of claim 27, wherein, during the lighting device lighting the auxiliary storage chamber is in operation and the first door is closed, the lighting device lighting the auxiliary storage chamber is remained in the operation when the second door is opened.

29. The refrigerator of claim 28 wherein the lighting device lighting the auxiliary storage chamber is turned off after the remaining the operation.

30. The refrigerator of claim 27 wherein the lighting device lighting the auxiliary storage chamber is turned off and the lighting device lighting the storage chamber is turned on when the first door is opened during the operation of the lighting device lightening the auxiliary storage chamber.

31. The refrigerator of claim 25, wherein the second door includes an outer case forming a front frame of the second door and having the hole formed in a central portion of the outer case, the front panel is provided on a front surface of the outer case and the insulation panel is provided inside the hole to seal the hole.

32. The refrigerator of claim 31, wherein the lighting device to light an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber includes at least one LED module, and

the LED module is mounted inside the hole of the second door to be covered by a transparent cover.

33. A refrigerator comprising:

a case having a storage chamber provided therein;

a first door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, the first door having a hole penetrating the first door and an auxiliary storage chamber provided therein;

a second door that is rotatably coupled to the case or the first door to open and close the auxiliary storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the second door, the second door comprising;

an outer case that forms a front frame of the second door and has the hole of the second door in a central portion thereof,

a front panel formed of transparent material and provided on a front surface of the outer case to form a front surface of the second door, and

an insulation panel formed of a transparent material, located behind the front panel and configured to seal the hole of the second door;

a lighting device to light an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber; and

a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the auxiliary storage chamber selectively through the hole of the second door due to transmitting of the light inside the auxiliary storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel,

wherein the front panel is configured to cover all the front surface of the second door, and

wherein the front panel is larger than the insulation panel, and the front panel has a convex shape in a direction of right and left.

34. The refrigerator of claim 33, wherein an edge portion of the second door is not distinguishable from the central portion of the second door when the lighting device is turned off.

35. The refrigerator of claim 34, further comprising a variable transparency unit configured to make the central portion of the second door to be selectively transparent, and the variable transparency unit includes the front panel and the insulation panel.