Patent Publication Number: US-8523374-B2

Title: Refrigerator and door thereof

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates to a refrigerator and a door thereof. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Generally, a refrigerator is a device that allows foods to be stored at a low temperature. 
     The refrigerator includes a main body in which a storage chamber is formed, and a door which opens or closes the storage chamber as it is connected to the main body. And, an exterior member which defines the appearance thereof to improve an aesthetic stylish appearance may be provided in the door or main body. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     An object of the present embodiment is to propose a refrigerator which improves an aesthetic appearance as light is emitted therefrom by a light-emitting unit. 
     Technical Solution 
     According to an aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator including an exterior member which partially defines the appearance of the refrigerator and has a transmissive part through which light is passed; a decoration member provided at one side of the exterior member; and a light-emitting unit which emits lights, wherein at least some of the light emitted therefrom passes through the transmissive part. 
     According to another aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator including a refrigerator main body in which a storage chamber is formed; and a door for opening/closing the storage chamber, wherein the door includes a door main body, an exterior member provided ahead of the door main body, a decoration member provided at the rear of the exterior member, and a light-emitting unit for emitting light so that the decoration member can be easily recognized from the outside. 
     According to further another aspect of the present embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator including a refrigerator main body in which a storage chamber is formed; and a door for opening/closing the storage chamber; an exterior member provided at an outer side of the refrigerator main body and in which a transmissive part for transmitting light is formed; a decoration member provided at the rear of the exterior member; and a light-emitting unit for emitting light to the decoration member, wherein at least some of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit passes through the transmissive part. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to the embodiments described above, there is an advantage in that an aesthetic appearance of a refrigerator is improved, since light emitted from a light-emitting unit emits to the outside after passing through a decoration member. 
     Also, there is an advantage in that users may recognize patterns expressed on the exterior member, even though, in a dark state where luminous intensity is low. 
     Furthermore, there is an advantage in that users may easily recognize positions of the refrigerator and handle in a dark state because of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit. That is, the light-emitting unit may serve as an indoor light. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerator door according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the refrigerator door according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a control structure of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view showing a state where a light-emitting unit according to the first embodiment is turned-on. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing a control structure of the refrigerator according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of a refrigerator door according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  shows a refrigerator according to a first embodiment in a front view. 
     Even though a side by side type refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are horizontally arranged side-by-side is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , however the scope of the present invention is not restricted thereto, it should be noted that the present invention may be applied to a top mount type refrigerator in which a freezing chamber is disposed above a refrigerating chamber and to a bottom freezer type refrigerator in which a freezing chamber is disposed below a refrigerating chamber. 
     Furthermore, the scope of the present invention may be applied to a refrigerator in which only one of a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber is formed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator  1  of the present invention includes a main body  10  having at least one storage chamber, and a door  30  for opening/closing the storage chamber. The door  30  is movably, for example rotatably, connected to the main body  10 , and it defines at least some of the appearance of the refrigerator  1 . 
     The door  30  may be provided with a handle  31  for allowing users to grasp it, a display assembly  33  for showing operational state of the refrigerator, and a home bar  35  for easily taking out foodstuffs in the storage chamber, and a dispenser (not shown) for dispensing water or ice. 
     Meanwhile, a front surface of the door  30  is configured to have an aesthetic appearance because various colors and patterns are embodied thereon, and is configured to emit light of a light-emitting unit (see reference numeral  800  in  FIG. 3 ) to the outside of the door  30  via the patterns formed on the front surface of the door  30  when operating the light-emitting unit (see reference numeral  800  in  FIG. 3 ), which will be mentioned later. 
       FIG. 2  shows a refrigerator door according to the first embodiment in an exploded perspective view, and  FIG. 3  shows the refrigerator door according to the first embodiment in a cross-section view. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the door  30  includes a door main body. 
     The door main body includes an outer case  100 , an inner case  200 , and a thermal insulator  300  interposed between the outer and inner cases  100 ,  200 . 
     The outer case  100  may be formed of, for example, metallic material. In a front surface of the outer case  100 , a display mounting portion  110  for accommodating the display assembly  33  is depressed and formed. 
     The inner case  200  may be formed of, for example, plastic material. 
     In case the outer case  100  and inner case  200  are connected to each other, a space in which the thermal insulator  300  is to be filled is formed between the outer and inner cases  100 ,  200 . The thermal insulator  300  may be formed of, for example, a foaming material such as expandable poly-styrene (EPS). 
     After the thermal insulator  300  has been foamed and filled, a decoration member  400  and an exterior member  500  are connected to the door main body. 
     The decoration member  400  serves to connect the exterior member  500  to the door main body, and it defines edges of the door. 
     In detail, the decoration member  400  includes a cap deco  410  provided at upper/lower parts of the door main body, and a side deco  430  provided at left/right sides of the door main body. 
     The exterior member  500  defines a front appearance of the door  30 . The exterior member  500  may include one plate or a plurality of plates. 
     The exterior member  500  is formed of tempered glass or plastic material which is transparent to light. Various colors may printed on front or rear surfaces of the exterior member  500 , and various patterns, for example such as a floral shape, may be printed thereon. 
     Patterns expressed on the exterior member  500  are formed by a transmissive part  510 . The transmissive part  510  serves to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting unit  800  and is transparently or semi-transparently formed. On the other hand, the transmissive part  510  may be a hole. 
     Other parts, except the transmissive part  510 , of the exterior member  500  may be opaquely formed, or they may be printed with various colors after being transparently or semi-transparently formed. Therefore, light generated by the light-emitting unit  800  may not pass through the other parts, except the transmissive part  510 , of the exterior member  500  to the outside. 
     That is, the exterior member  500  may includes an anti-transmissive part  530  through which light cannot pass, and a transmissive part  510  through which light can pass. 
     A light-transparent colored sheet may be attached to the transmissive part  510  such that the amount and color of the light passing through can be controlled. Also, the transmissive part  510  may be printed such that the amount and color of the light passing through can be controlled. 
     Also, a transparent plate  600  is provided at a rear of the exterior member  500 . A plurality of decorative parts  630 , for example jewels, are mounted on the transparent plate  600 . The transparent plate  600  may be formed of, for example, transparent materials such as transparent acryl. 
     A plurality of accommodating portions  610  for receiving the decorative parts  630  are formed in the transparent plate  600 . The accommodating portions  610  may be grooves or holes. 
     The plurality of accommodating portions  610  may be formed correspondingly to the shape of the transmissive part  510 , or some of them may be formed correspondingly to the shape of the transmissive part  510 . That is, at least part of the shape of the plurality of accommodating portions  610  corresponds to the shape of the plurality of transmissive parts  510 . 
     And, colors different from colors of the anti-transmissive part may be printed on the accommodating portion  610 . 
     The decorative part  630 , mounted on the accommodating portion  610 , is formed of light transparent materials such as glass, crystal and cubic. 
     Meanwhile, a fixed plate  700  provided at a rear side of the transparent plate  600 . A plurality of light-emitting units  800  are installed at the fixed plate  700 . The light-emitting units  800  may be, for example, LEDs, and the fixed plate  700  may be a printed circuit board on which a plurality of LEDs are mounted. Unlike this case, the light-emitting units  800  may be lamps, and it should be noted that any structure for emitting light can be used. 
     The fixed plate  700  may be fixed to the transparent plate  600  by a connection member  650 , in a state that a part  701  in which the light-emitting unit  800  is installed is spaced apart from the transparent plate  600 . 
     Therefore, the transparent plate  600  and fixed plate  700 , in a state that the decorative part  630  and light-emitting units  800  are installed therein, may be constituted as an assembly. 
     Further, the transparent plate  600  and fixed plate  700  may be fixed to the outer case  100 . In detail, a mounting portion  130 , in which the transparent plate  600  and fixed plate  700  are to be installed, is formed at a front surface of the outer case  100 . 
     The mounting portion  130  supports at least one edge of the transparent plate  600  and fixed plate  700 . 
     Meanwhile, the plurality of light-emitting units  800  are positioned correspondingly to the plurality of decorative parts  630  such that light emitted from the light-emitting units  800  can pass through the decorative parts  630 . 
     And, the number of the plurality of light-emitting units  800  may be the same as the number of the plurality of decorative parts. 
     And, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the light-emitting unit  800 , decorative part  630  and transmissive part  510  may be positioned on the same line, and therefore light emitted from the light-emitting unit  800  may be emitted out of the door  30  via the decorative part  630  and transmissive part  510 . 
     Meanwhile, a gasket  210  is provided around the periphery of a rear surface of the inner case  200 . The gasket  210  is to seal a space between the door  30  and the storage chamber, and is made of a material having elasticity. 
     And, a power line for supplying electric power into the light-emitting unit  800  may be disposed along a hinge for ratating the door  30  around the main body  10 . 
     According to the present embodiment, the light-emitting unit  800  is installed at the fixed plate  700 , however the light-emitting unit  800  may also be installed at the outer case  100 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a control structure of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment in a block diagram, and  FIG. 5  shows a state where a light-emitting unit according to the first embodiment is turned-on in a front view. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the refrigerator  1  includes a control unit  900  for controlling the operation of the light-emitting unit, and a sensor unit  910  for detecting the intensity of illumination at the site where the refrigerator  1  is installed. 
     The control unit  900  may control the operation of the whole refrigerator, or the control unit  900  may be provided separately from a main control unit for controlling the operation of the main body of the refrigerator  1 . 
     Meanwhile, in case the intensity of illumination at the site where the refrigerator  1  is installed is higher than a standard value, the light-emitting unit  800  maintains the off state. In this state, users can recognize the patterns expressed on the exterior member  500  from the outside of the door  30  without operating the light-emitting unit  800 . 
     However, in case the intensity of illumination at the site where the refrigerator  1  is installed is lower than the standard value, it is hard for the users to recognize the patterns expressed on the exterior member  500 . Accordingly, in case the intensity of illumination at the site is lower than the standard value, the light-emitting unit  800  is turned on. 
     After that, light is emitted from the light-emitting unit  800 . And, the emitted light passes through the decorative part  630  and transmissive part  510  to the outside of the door  30 . Accordingly, the light-emitting unit serves as a light since users may recognize the light emitted from the door, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance of the door. Here, the intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit  800  may be changed with respect to the intensity of illumination, which is detected by the sensor unit  910 . 
     Meanwhile, in order to emphasize the patterns expressed on the exterior member  500 , the decorative parts  630  may be localized into a specific site or may be arranged on a specific line, and the light-emitting unit  800  may also be concentrated or continually arranged according to the arrangement of the decorative part  630 . 
     And, in order to control the transmissivity of light, semi-transparent paints may be applied to the transmissive part  510  or semi-transparent sheets may be attached thereto. 
       FIG. 6  shows a control structure of the refrigerator according to a second embodiment in a block diagram. 
     The present embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment, except that the operation of the light-emitting unit is selected by the users. Hereinafter, characteristic parts of the present embodiment will be explained. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a light-emitting unit  800 , an operation unit  940  for selecting whether the light-emitting unit  800  operates or not, and a control unit  930  for controlling at least the operation of the light-emitting unit  800  in accordance with the signal inputted through the operation unit  940 . 
     In detail, in case the “ON” signal of the light-emitting unit  800  is inputted through the operation unit  940 , the light-emitting unit  800  is operated by the control unit  930 . And, in case the “OFF” signal of the light-emitting unit  800  is inputted through the operation unit  940 , the light-emitting unit  800  is turned-off by the control unit  930 . 
     Unlike these cases, the period of the ON state of the light-emitting unit  800  reaches a certain period of time without the operation of the operation unit  940 , the light-emitting unit  800  may be turned-off. 
       FIG. 7  shows a refrigerator door according to a third embodiment in a cross-section view. 
     The present embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment, except for a structure of mounting the light-emitting unit. Hereinafter, characteristic parts of the present embodiment will be explained. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the light-emitting unit  800  is mounted on the outer case  100 . The light-emitting unit may be spaced apart from the transparent plate  600  or be closely contacted therewith, in a state where it is mounted on the outer case. 
       FIG. 8  a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment in an exploded perspective view. 
     The present embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment, except for locations where the exterior member and light-emitting unit are mounted. Hereinafter, characteristic parts of the present embodiment will be explained. Further, since structures of the light-emitting unit, transparent plate and exterior member are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a main body  20  in which a storage chamber is formed, and a door  40  which opens or closes the storage chamber as it is connected to an upper portion of the main body  20 . 
     The main body  20  includes an outer case  120  and an inner case  220 . An exterior member  500  is provided at an outer side of the outer case  120 . The exterior member  500  defines a front appearance of the main body  20 , and it is fixed by a decorative part  420  and a mounting bracket  122 . 
     And, the transparent plate  600  is provided at a rear side of the exterior member  500 , and the fixed plate  700  in which the light-emitting unit  800  is installed is located at a rear side of the transparent plate  600 . 
     That is, according to the present embodiment, the light-emitting unit  800  is not provided at the door  40 , but is provided at the outside of the main body  20 .