Patent Publication Number: US-8984900-B2

Title: Refrigerator having a decorative member capable of displaying humidity and method for fabricating the decorative member

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a refrigerator, more specifically, to a refrigerator having a decorative member enabling a user to recognize humidity of a storage chamber, with turbidity formed uniformly. 
     Background Art 
     Generally, refrigerators are electric appliances that are able to preserve storage objects fresh or frozen by using a refrigerant cycle configured of compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation. A structure of such a refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage chamber, a door rotatably or sliding-movably coupled to the cabinet, and a shelf-type or drawer-type storage container installed in the storage chamber. 
     In addition, an evaporator and a cooling fan are mounted in the cabinet to exhaust cold air to the storage chamber. Such the configuration makes refrigerant to be sucked in the evaporator. Once the cooling fan rotates, the cold air is drawn into the storage chamber and the drawn cold air helps the storage objects preserved in the shelf and the storage container to be refrigerated and frozen freshly. 
     With trends of reconsidering designs of electric appliances, predetermined patterns or shapes trend to be introduced into external appearance and belonging parts of the electric appliances. For this, a predetermined pattern or shape is scratched in the external surface of the electric appliance on purpose. 
     To create such the scratch, thin sands have been blasted in a plastic injection-mold (referenced to as ‘Sand Blasting’) but this sand blasting method has difficulty in embodying uniform turbidity. 
     On the meanwhile, the drawer-type storage container provided in a refrigerator chamber composing the storage chamber is used to maintain humidity of the storage objects stored therein, for example, vegetables and fruits. The conventional refrigerator has no device enabling a user to recognize the humidity inside the storage chamber. As a result, the user cannot recognize how much the humidity is inside the storage container at the present. 
     Disclosure of Invention 
     Technical Problem 
     To solve the problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator enabling a user to recognize and determine humidity inside a refrigerator conveniently. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining the humidity therein in a predetermined range. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining turbidity uniformly, if a predetermined configuration having turbidity to improve a design thereof. 
     Solution to Problem 
     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a refrigerator includes a storage container provided in a storage chamber; and 
     a decorative member provided in the storage container, the decorative configured to generate light refraction and guide a movement of condensate condensed in the storage container, and configured to be capable of displaying humidity inside the storage container according to the movement degree of condensate. 
     The decorative member may include a path part formed in a capillary tube shape to generate a capillary phenomenon moving the movement of the condensate. 
     The path part may be configured to induce the refraction and the decorative member further may include a display plate comprising a plurality of path parts; a partition plate provided in rear of the display plate to cover rear portions of the path parts; and a transmitting part provided in a front portion of the display plate. 
     The path parts may be arranged vertically, spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other in parallel. 
     The path parts may be formed concavely in a rear surface of the display plate to fill condensate or air therein. 
     The path part may have a semicircular cross section to have a predetermined curvature. 
     The width of the path part may be 1˜100μm to induce the capillary phenomenon and light refraction. 
     The decorative member may include an accommodation part provided below the display plate to accommodate condensate condensed from the humidity inside the storage container. 
     The accommodation part may include an accommodating groove accommodating dewdrops condensedly formed from the humidity and a wall surrounding the accommodating groove to prevent the dewdrops from overflowing. 
     The decorative member may be provided to display humidity inside the storage container according to the height of condensate lifted upward along the path parts. 
     The refrigerator may further include a humidity adjusting part provided in the storage container, the humidity adjusting part accommodating the moisture inside the storage container or discharging the accommodated moisture to adjust the humidity inside the storage container. 
     The humidity adjusting part may include an extended portion extended from a side wall of the storage container in a forward/rearward direction; a plurality of projections projected from the extended portion downward, spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other; and a plurality of accommodating spaces formed between the projections to accommodate the condensate. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method for fabricating a decorative member includes (A) step of fabricating a master stamp generating refraction of a light transmitted from outside, the master stamp comprising a pattern of a decorative member displaying humidity inside a storage container according to movement of water because of an osmotic pressure; (B) step of fabricating a replication mold replicating the pattern formed in the master stamp; (C) step of fabricating the decorative member by replicating the pattern formed in the replication mould in a predetermined injection-mold. 
     The (A) step may include (A-1) step of coating photoresist on a substrate; (A-2) step of forming a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the path part on the substrate by emitting a beam to a mask placed on the substrate having the photoresist coated thereon; (A-3) step of waiting for a predetermined time period until a section of the pattern formed by the photoresist is formed concave by a surface tension of the photoresist, and hardening the pattern; (A-4) step of depositing a predetermined metal seed layer on the pattern and the substrate; and (A-5) step of forming the master stamp having the pattern replicated therein by plating a predetermined metal different from the metal seed layer on the deposited metal seed layer. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     The present invention has following advantageous effects. According to the present invention, the relative amount of humidity inside the storage container may be known efficiently according to the amount of condensate lifted upward inside the decorative member by the capillary phenomenon, the condensate condensedly formed from the humidity. 
     Furthermore, if the humidity inside the storage container is too much, the humidity adjusting part provided in the storage container performs a moisture sorption function to prevent the humidity from increasing too high. If the humidity is reduced too much, the humidity adjusting part performs a moisture-proofing function to maintain the humidity in a predetermined range. 
     A still further, if a configuration having a predetermined turbidity to improve a design, such a turbidity may be formed uniformly and the providing of such the uniform turbidity may be embodied by standardization and mass-productivity. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a storage container provided in the refrigerator; 
         FIG. 3  is a side-sectional view illustrating the storage container; 
         FIG. 4  is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating a decorative member provided in the refrigerator; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view illustrating the decorative member; 
         FIG. 6  is a side-sectional view illustrating operation of a humidity adjusting part of the storage container; and 
         FIGS. 7 to 9  are diagrams illustrating a method for fabricating the decorative member of the refrigerator according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     As follows, a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet  1 , a storage chamber  10  provided in the cabinet  1  and doors  14  and  15  closing the storage chamber  10 . The storage chamber  10  is configured of a refrigerator compartment  12  and a freezer compartment  11 . 
     A hinge device  16  is provided on the cabinet to install and support the doors  14  and  15  rotatably. 
     A shelf  30  and a storage container  32  are provided in the storage chamber  10  to allow storage objects put thereon and therein, respectively. 
     Here, the storage container  32  may be provided in a drawer-type and the present invention is not limited thereto. The storage container  32  may define predetermined space capable of accommodating storage objects additionally. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the storage container  32  includes a storage space  35  and a surrounding wall  38  surrounding the storage space  35 . A transparent window  42  is provided in a front wall  40  to make visible the storage objects accommodated in the storage space  35 . 
     A decorative member  100  is provided in an upper portion of the front wall  40  to decorate external appearance of the storage container  32  as well as to display humidity inside the storage container  32 . 
     The decorative member  100  has a structure capable of generating refraction of lights when lights are incident outside thereon. 
     The light refraction seen from the decorative member  100  creates difference between colors shown there from and colors shown from the other surfaces of the storage container  32 . This color difference generates external appearance difference enough to create a kind of an aesthetic quality. 
     The decorative member  100  includes capillary-shaped tubes provided therein densely and if it is seen from outside, it seems to present uniform turbidity. 
     If dewdrops form near the decorative member  100  because of humidity condensate inside the storage container  32 , the dewdrops ascends along the capillary-shaped tubes formed in the decorative member  100 . 
     That is, the dewdrops are lifted upward by the capillary phenomenon and a degree of the water ascending lets the user to know the humidity inside the storage container  32 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the decorative member  100  is provided in a rear surface of the upper portion of the front wall  40  provided in the storage container  32 . 
     The decorative member  100  includes a display plate  110  and a partition plate  120  and an accommodation part  130 . The display plate  110  has a path part  105  and the path part  105  generates the capillary phenomenon as well as the refraction to induce the ascending water. The partition plate  120  is provided in rear of the display plate  110  to partition off a rear portion of the path part  105 . The accommodation part  130  is provided below the display plate  110  to receive dewdrops condensed from some of the humidity inside the storage container  32 . 
     Here, the display plate  110  may be formed of resin material and a transmitting part  140  formed of transparent or semitransparent material is provided in a front surface of the display plate  110 . 
     As a result, the display plate  110  is provided in front of the path part  105  and the partition plate  120  is provided in rear of the path part  105 , such that all the portions except a lower portion of the path part  105  may be closed. 
     The accommodation part  130  includes an accommodating groove  131  accommodating the dewdrops condensed from the humidity and a wall  132  surrounding the accommodating groove  131  to prevent the accommodated condensate from overflowing. 
     A humidity adjusting part  200  is provided in the storage container  32  to maintain the humidity inside the storage container  32  in a predetermined range. 
     The humidity adjusting part  200  includes an accommodating space  210  accommodating minute water particles composing the humidity and projections  220  defining the accommodating space  210 , with spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other. 
     The projections  220  are provided in an extended part  230  extended forward and rearward. 
     Here, the accommodating space  210  is open downward such that the water particles may be drawn or the accommodated particles may be discharged via the open portion. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams illustrating a sectional view of the decorative member which is an arrow referenced to as A in  FIG. 2 . A plurality of path parts  105  of the decorative member  100  are provided distant from each other rightward/leftward. The flow of water drawn into one of the path parts  105  may not be affected by the flow of water drawn into another one. 
     Here, the cross section of the path part  105  may be semicircular-shaped and it may be concave toward a front surface of the display plate ( 110 , see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Of course, the cross section of the path part  105  is not limited to the semicircular shape and it may be a polygon shape including triangle and rectangular shapes. 
     This is because reflection should occur on a surface of the concave part  105   a  of the path part  105  and because refraction should occur in the concave part  105   a  at the same time. 
     That is, the display part  140  is formed of plastic material and the inside of the path part is filled with air, without water. 
     A refraction index of the display part  140  is approximately 1.5 and a refraction index of air is 1. As a result, the light transmitting the display part  140  is reflected as passing the concave part  105   a  of the path part  105  such that the decorative member  100  may be seen semitransparent or opaque from the outside. 
     At this time, if the condensate (W) is filling up the path part  105  because of the capillary phenomenon, such the refraction index may be weakened. 
     Since the refraction index of water is approximately 1.33, the reflection generated between the display plate  140  and the water is smaller than the reflection generated between the display plate and the air. 
     As a result, the opaque or semitransparent state formed without the water may be relieved when the water is filling up. Predetermined ones of the path part  105  filled up with the condensate (W) looks distinguished from the other ones of the path parts  105  filled up with the air (A). 
     In the meanwhile, as a radius of curvature of the path part  105  is getting smaller, the depth of focus of the refraction is getting closer enough to enlarge the refraction effect. As the path parts  105  are arranged closer to each other, the density of the path parts  105  is getting higher enough to enlarge the overall refraction amount of the light, such that the turbidity of the decorative member  100  may be increased. 
     In case the humidity inside the storage container is maintained to a predetermined degree as shown in  FIG. 5A , the predetermined amount of the condensate (W) condensed in the decorative member  100  may be lifted upward along the path part  105  by the capillary phenomenon. 
     However, if the humidity inside the storage container is increased higher as shown in  FIG. 5B  than the above humidity, the amount of the condensate (W) condensed in the decorative member  100  cannot but increase such that more condensate (W) may be lifted upward along the path part. 
     Because of that, the user may recognize relative change of the humidity efficiently. 
     Here, the width of the path part  105  may be approximately 1˜100μm to generate the capillary phenomenon. 
     Here, the width of the path parts  105  may be identical or in a predetermined range to allow the display plate  110  seen from outside to have the uniform turbidity. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the configuration of the humidity adjusting part  200  mounted in the storage container  32  will be described. 
     The storage container  32  includes the extended part  230  longitudinally extended from a side surface thereof in the forward/rearward direction, the projections  220  projected from the extended part  230  downward, spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other, and the accommodating spaces  210  formed between the projections. 
     Here, the accommodating space  210  has a minute micrometer size and the minute particles composing the humidity may be accommodated in the accommodating spaces  210 . 
     That is, if the humidity inside the storage container is increased as shown in  FIG. 6A , predetermined parts of the moisture spread in the inner space  35  of the storage container are condensed in entrance portions of both the projections  220  and the accommodating spaces  210 . 
     The condensate is re-drawn into and accommodated in the accommodating spaces  210  by the capillary phenomenon. 
     If the moisture inside storage container  32  is decreased as shown in  FIG. 6B , the condensate accommodated in the accommodating spaces  210  may move toward entrance portions of the accommodating spaces. 
     Hence, the condensate is evaporated into steam shaped material to surround the storage objects (S) stored in the storage container  32 . 
     That is, if the humidity inside the storage container  32  is increased, the humidity adjusting part  200  performs a moisture sorption function. If the humidity is decreased, the humidity adjusting part  200  performs a moisture-proofing function to be functioned to maintain the humidity. 
     As follows, a method of fabricating the decorative member  100  will be described. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A to 7D , a photoresist  52  is coated on a substrate  50  having a predetermined area and a mask  52  is arranged on the photoresist  51 . Hence, UV beam is emitted and then a minute pattern  53  is formed on the substrate by the photoresist, corresponding to a pattern line formed in the mask  52 . 
     As a predetermined time passes, a surface tension of the photoresist makes an end of the minute pattern curved circularly to be concave such that an upper end of the minute pattern may have a predetermined curvature. 
     Hence, as shown in  FIGS. 8A to 8E , the pattern  53  formed with the curvature and a predetermined metal seed layer  60  are formed on the substrate  50 . After that, the metal seed layer  60  is plated with metal such as Nickel to form a master stamp  70  and the formed master stamp  70  is isolated. 
     Such the master stamp  60  may be an original form of the display plate ( 110 , see  FIG. 3 ) composing the decorative member  100 . 
     As another metal different from the metal of the master stamp  70  is located below the master stamp  70 , a replication mold  75  may be fabricated, having an opposite pattern of the minute pattern  71  formed in the master stamp  70  replicated therein. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9A to 9D , fluidal resin material  80  is placed in the replication mold  75  having the opposite pattern replicated therein. After that, a pattern having a predetermined curvature may be formed in the resin material  80 . 
     If the resin material  80  having the curvature is hardened, the display plate  110  of the decorative member  110  according to the present invention is fabricated and the pattern having the curvature may be the path part  105 . 
     Hence, the partition plate  120  is attached to the display plate having the path part  105  to close the rear portion of the path part  105  and the accommodation part ( 130 , see  FIG. 3 ) is mounted to complete the decorative member  100 .