Patent Description:
Generally, refrigerators are home appliances which each include a storage compartment for storing food and a cool air supply device to keep food fresh for a long time. Exemplary embodiments of refrigerators of the prior art are disclosed in <CIT> and <CIT>.

A rack is provided in the storage compartment to put food thereon. The storage compartment may be provided to allow a front side thereof to be opened to put food in or take food out, and the open front side of the storage compartment may be opened and closed by a main door pivotably coupled with the body. A door guard capable of storing food in addition to the rack disposed in the storage compartment may be provided on a rear side of the main door.

Since the door guard described above is provided at the rear side of the main door, generally, it is possible to approach the door guard by opening the main door. Meanwhile, there are refrigerators which include an additional auxiliary door provided at the main door in order to approach the door guard without opening the main door. In the case of refrigerators including the auxiliary door described above, since it is possible to approach the door guard provided at the rear side of the main door by opening only the auxiliary door, a diversity of food-storing options may increase and an effect of preserving cool air may be provided.

Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a refrigerator in which a control unit which controls an internal environment of a storage compartment of the refrigerator is installed at a main door and it is possible to approach the control unit provided at the main door by opening an auxiliary door.

Additional aspects of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present disclosure.

The present invention defines a refrigerator according to claim <NUM>.

The control unit may include an operational portion and a display portion.

The control unit may be configured to control a temperature, humidity, smell, lighting, etc. of the storage compartment.

The control unit may include a circuit board which comprises an operational portion and a display portion, and a cover which covers the circuit board and comprises an opening which exposes a button portion operating on the operational portion and the display portion.

The control unit may include a housing which accommodates the circuit board and the cover and is coupled with the mounting portion of the inner door.

The control unit may include a transparent member which covers the cover and on which a function of the button portion is displayed.

The inner door may include an upper frame, a lower frame, a left frame, and a right frame which form the opening. The control unit may be disposed on at least one of the upper frame, the lower frame, the left frame, and the right frame.

The inner door may include an inner panel, an outer panel forming an interposing space with the inner panel, and an insulator foamed in the space. The control unit may be disposed between the inner panel and the outer panel.

The inner panel may include an inner wall which forms the opening and supports the plurality of door guards.

The plurality of door guards each may include a front wall, a rear wall, both side walls, a bottom, and a storage space.

The front wall of each of the plurality of door guards may form a part of a front side of the inner door.

As is apparent from the above description, since a control unit is provided at an inner door of a dual door, a misoperation of a user may be prevented and contaminations caused by external foreign substances, etc. may be prevented. Also, since the control unit is operated by opening only an outer door of the dual door while the inner door is closed, it is possible to reduce thermal loss of a storage compartment while the control unit is operated. Also, by having the outer door be formed overall as a transparent window or providing a transparent window which allows displaying a portion of the control unit of the inner door for externally checking, environment setting condition of the storage compartment may be checked without opening the outer door.

These and/or other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

<FIG> is a view of a refrigerator in a state with both an inner door and an outer door closed, <FIG> is a view illustrating a state with the inner door and the outer door of the refrigerator of <FIG> separately opened, <FIG> is a view illustrating a state in which only the outer door of the refrigerator of <FIG> is opened, and <FIG> is a view illustrating a state with the inner door of the refrigerator of <FIG> is opened.

Referring to <FIG>, a refrigerator <NUM> includes a body <NUM>, storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM> provided inside the body <NUM>, and a cool air supply device which supplies cool air to the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>.

The body <NUM> includes an inner casing <NUM> which has an approximately box shape and forms the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>, an outer casing <NUM> which is coupled with an outside of the inner casing <NUM> and forms an exterior, and an insulator provided between the inner casing <NUM> and the outer casing <NUM>. The inner casing <NUM> may be formed of a resin material, and the outer casing <NUM> may be formed of a metal material.

The cool air supply device may include a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), an expansion valve (not shown), and an evaporator (not shown) and may generate cool air using evaporating latent heat.

The storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM> may be divided into a freezing compartment <NUM> on the left and a refrigerating compartment <NUM> on the right by an intermediate wall <NUM>. However, positions of the freezing compartment <NUM> and the refrigerating compartment <NUM> are changeable. Racks <NUM> on which food may be put are provided in the refrigerating compartment <NUM>.

The freezing compartment <NUM> and the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may each have an open front side to allow putting food in or taking food out. The open front side of the freezing compartment <NUM> may be opened and closed by a freezing compartment door <NUM>, and the open front side of the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may be opened and closed by a dual door formed of an outer door <NUM> and an inner door <NUM>. As shown in the drawings, the freezing compartment door <NUM> is formed as a single door but may also be formed as a dual door.

The freezing compartment door <NUM> may be pivotably coupled with the body <NUM> by an upper hinge member <NUM> and a lower hinge member (not shown). The outer door <NUM> and the inner door <NUM> may also be pivotably coupled with the body <NUM> by an upper hinge member <NUM> and a lower hinge member (not shown). Particularly, the outer door <NUM> may be disposed to be relatively pivotable with respect to the inner door <NUM>.

Here, although not shown in the drawings in detail, the outer door <NUM> and the inner door <NUM> may have different rotation axes or may share a single rotation axis.

The freezing compartment door <NUM>, the outer door <NUM>, and the inner door <NUM> may include handles <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, respectively.

Meanwhile, the inner door <NUM> includes an opening <NUM> having a size approximately corresponding to a size of the refrigerating compartment <NUM> and a door frame <NUM> which forms the opening <NUM>. Accordingly, the door frame <NUM> may have an approximately quadrangular frame shape.

The opening <NUM> includes a plurality of door guards <NUM> (which may also be referred to as a door bins) capable of storing food. The door guards <NUM> may generally store low-profile and small food items or food items which is frequently put in or taken out. The plurality of door guards <NUM> may be arranged in a row in a vertical direction at the opening <NUM>.

A control unit <NUM> capable of controlling internal environments of the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM> is disposed at the inner door <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> may include a display portion <NUM> which displays environment information including temperature, humidity, smell, illuminance, etc. in the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM> and an operational portion <NUM> for controlling temperature and humidity, deodorization, and setting illuminance, power saving, operation-locking, etc..

The outer door <NUM> does not include an opening and may have an approximately flat panel shape. Accordingly, the outer door <NUM> opens and closes the opening <NUM> of the inner door <NUM>.

Considering an operation of using the inner door <NUM> and the outer door <NUM> with a configuration described above as shown in <FIG>, when the inner door <NUM> and the outer door <NUM> are closed, the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may be sealed and cool air in the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may be preserved.

As shown in <FIG>, when the inner door <NUM> is closed and only the outer door <NUM> is opened, a user may approach the plurality of door guards <NUM> and may put food into or take food out of the plurality of door guards <NUM>. In this case, loss of cool air in the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may be reduced compared to the case for an open inner door <NUM>.

Also, since the control unit <NUM> is not installed in the storage compartment <NUM> or <NUM> but is installed in the inner door <NUM>, when the inner door <NUM> is closed and only the outer door <NUM> is opened, the user may approach the control unit <NUM> and control the internal environments of the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>. Here, loss of cool air in the refrigerating compartment <NUM> may also be reduced compared to the case for an open inner door <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, when the inner door <NUM> is open, the user may approach an inside of the refrigerating compartment <NUM> and put in or take out food stored on the racks <NUM>. Here, the user may approach the plurality of door guards <NUM> and put food into or take food out of the plurality of door guards <NUM>.

As described above, in the case of the refrigerator <NUM> in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, food may be put in or taken out by various methods according to the user's need. Also, since only the outer door <NUM> is opened when food stored in the plurality of door guards <NUM> is put in or taken out, loss of cool air may be minimized.

In addition, since the door guards <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure have enlarged storage spaces compared to conventional door guards, a diversity of options for storing food and an effect of reducing loss of cool air may be enhanced.

Also, since the control unit <NUM> is installed at the inner door <NUM> and is not visible when the outer door <NUM> is closed, the refrigerator <NUM> in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure may have a clean and aesthetic external appearance. Since only the outer door <NUM> needs to be opened to change internal environment settings of the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>, the loss of cool air may be minimized. Also, the display portion <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> is turned on only when the outer door <NUM> is opened, thereby reducing power consumption.

Detailed configurations of the inner door <NUM>, the outer door <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

<FIG> is a view of the inner door and the door guards of the refrigerator of <FIG>, <FIG> is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of the inner door of the refrigerator of <FIG>, and <FIG> is an exploded perspective view from a different angle illustrating the configuration of the inner door of the refrigerator of <FIG>. <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of a control unit disposed at the inner door of the refrigerator of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a partial cross-sectional view of the inner door of the refrigerator of <FIG>.

As is well shown in <FIG>, the door guards <NUM> may have an approximately box shape. Accordingly, each of the door guards <NUM> may include a front wall <NUM>, a rear wall <NUM>, a left wall <NUM>, a right wall <NUM>, a bottom <NUM>, and a storage space <NUM> which stores food. A supporting groove <NUM> may be formed at each of the left wall <NUM> and the right wall <NUM> of the door guard <NUM>.

The inner door <NUM> may include an inner wall <NUM> provided at each sides of the opening <NUM> to support the door guard <NUM>. A supporting protrusion <NUM> to be inserted into the supporting groove <NUM> of the door guard <NUM> may protrude from the inner wall <NUM>.

Accordingly, the supporting protrusion <NUM> is inserted into the supporting groove <NUM>, thereby the door guard <NUM> is mounted in the opening <NUM>. The door guard <NUM> described above may be detached from the opening <NUM>. Also, although not shown in the drawings, the door guard <NUM> may be provided to be slidable back and forth or up and down.

Meanwhile, as is well shown in <FIG>, the inner door <NUM> may include an inner panel <NUM>, an outer panel <NUM> coupled with the inner panel <NUM> between which a foam space <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) interposes, a plurality of installation members <NUM> coupled with a rear side of the inner panel <NUM> at which a gasket <NUM> (refer to <FIG>) is installed, a plurality of reinforcing members <NUM> and <NUM> which prevent a twisting of the inner door <NUM>, and a door trim <NUM> coupled between an end portion of the inner panel <NUM> and an end portion of the outer panel <NUM> to prevent a bubble solution foamed at the foam space <NUM> from leaking outward.

The inner panel <NUM> may include an upper frame <NUM>, a lower frame <NUM>, a left frame <NUM>, and a right frame <NUM> and may be formed of an integrally injection-molded resin material.

The outer panel <NUM> may be formed of a metal material and may include an upper frame <NUM>, a lower frame <NUM>, a left frame <NUM>, and a right frame <NUM>.

The inner panel <NUM> may include a pair of such inner walls <NUM> provided at both sides of the opening <NUM>. The inner walls <NUM> may form the opening <NUM> and simultaneously may support the door guards <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the door guards <NUM> may be disposed to be in contact with the outer door <NUM> of the opening <NUM> to allow the front wall <NUM> thereof to approximately form a part of a front side of the inner door <NUM>.

By this structure, the door guards <NUM> may occupy the whole area of the opening <NUM>, and a size thereof may be maximized. Also, since the door guards <NUM> are completely exposed when viewed from an outside of the inner door <NUM>, a condition of food stored in the door guards <NUM> may be easily checked.

Meanwhile, as described above, the door guards <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> are provided at the opening <NUM> of the inner door <NUM>.

The outer door <NUM> may include an insulator provided between an inner panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM> and an outer panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM>.

The inner panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM> may be formed by vacuum-molding a resin material, and the outer panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM> may include a metal material.

Meanwhile, the plurality of installation members <NUM> are for installing the gasket <NUM> at the inner panel <NUM> while minimizing use of a complicated mold inclusing a slide core, etc. during an injection molding of the inner panel <NUM> and are coupled with a rear side rim of the inner panel <NUM>.

The plurality of installation members <NUM>, as is well shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, may include a first installation member <NUM> coupled with the upper frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, a second installation member <NUM> coupled with the lower frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, a third installation member <NUM> coupled with the left frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, and a fourth installation member <NUM> coupled with the right frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>.

Here, the first installation member <NUM>, the second installation member <NUM>, the third installation member <NUM>, and the fourth installation member <NUM> may be provided to be spaced apart rather than connected. Accordingly, the first installation member <NUM>, the second installation member <NUM>, the third installation member <NUM>, and the fourth installation member <NUM> may be prevented from mutually interrupting by expansion due to heat.

As shown in <FIG>, the control unit <NUM> may include a circuit board <NUM> which transmits a control signal according to an input of the user and displays internal environment information of the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>. In detail, an operational portion <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> may recognize the input of the user, and the display portion <NUM> may display the internal environment information of the storage compartments <NUM> and <NUM>.

The circuit board <NUM> may further include a locking setting function for preventing a misoperation of the operational portion <NUM>, a power-saving setting function for saving power of a refrigerator, etc. Recently, with the development of mobile communications, a wireless communication function capable of wirelessly operating settings of the refrigerator using a mobile device may be further included.

The circuit board <NUM> may be contained in a housing <NUM> and may be fixed by a cover <NUM>. The cover <NUM> may include a coupling hook <NUM> for coupling with the housing <NUM>, and the housing <NUM> may include a hook holding portion <NUM> for coupling with the coupling hook of the cover <NUM>.

The cover <NUM> which covers the circuit board <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> may include a button portion <NUM> which operates on the operational portion <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> and an opening <NUM> provided to expose the display portion <NUM>. The user may input desired settings into the operational portion <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> by pressurizing the button portion <NUM>. Since the display portion <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> is exposed through the opening <NUM> of the cover <NUM>, the user may check environment information displayed on the display portion <NUM> even when the circuit board <NUM> is covered with the cover <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM> may be disposed in a space between the outer panel <NUM> and the inner panel <NUM> of the inner door <NUM> and may be mounted on the outer panel <NUM>. The outer panel <NUM> of the inner door <NUM> may include the upper frame <NUM>, the lower frame <NUM>, the left frame <NUM>, and the right frame <NUM>, and at least one of among them may be provided with a mounting portion <NUM> for mounting the control unit <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> may include a coupling hook <NUM> to be coupled with the mounting portion <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may include a cable connecting portion <NUM> for connecting a cable to the circuit board <NUM> accommodated therein.

The mounting portion <NUM> may include a hook holding portion <NUM> capable of being coupled with the coupling hook <NUM> of the housing <NUM> and may include an opening <NUM> to expose the cover <NUM> of the control unit <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM> may further include a transmission member (which may also be referred to as a transparent member) <NUM> for finishing of the cover <NUM>. Since the transmission member <NUM> is an outermost component of the control unit <NUM>, the transmission member <NUM> may not only have a function of preventing foreign substances from penetrating the control unit <NUM> but also an aesthetic function. Accordingly, not only a function of the button portion <NUM> corresponding to the button portion <NUM> of the cover <NUM> but also other elements of design may be printed on the transmission member <NUM>.

The transmission member <NUM> may be formed of a material through which light shown on the display portion <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> may pass and may be formed of a flexible resin material to pressurize the button portion <NUM>. The transmission member <NUM> may include an adhesive layer formed on a rear side thereof to be adhered to the cover <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the door trim <NUM> is for preventing the bubble solution in the foam space <NUM> between the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> from leaking outward. As shown in <FIG>, the door trim <NUM> may include an insertion groove in which an end portion <NUM> of the inner wall <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> is press fittingly inserted and an insertion groove in which an end portion <NUM> of the outer panel <NUM> is press fittingly inserted. Also, a coupling groove in which a coupling protrusion <NUM> of the outer panel <NUM> is inserted may be formed to reinforce a coupling force between the door trim <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM>. A foaming process of the inner door <NUM> including the door trim <NUM> is as follows.

First, the control unit <NUM> is disposed at the mounting portion <NUM> of the outer panel <NUM>. The housing <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> are sealed not to allow the bubble solution to penetrate. Also, the cable connecting portion <NUM> provided to connect the cable to the circuit board <NUM> accommodated in the housing <NUM> may also be sealed.

Next, the inner panel <NUM>, the outer panel <NUM>, and the door trim <NUM> are preliminarily coupled, the inner panel <NUM> is disposed to face a bottom surface, and the outer panel <NUM> is disposed to face upward, and then the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> are pressurized in a vertical direction F using a fixing jig (not shown).

Then, the bubble solution is inserted into the foam space <NUM> formed between the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> for foaming. Here, since the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> are pressurized in the vertical direction F, the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> are not forced apart due to a foaming pressure in the vertical direction F. Accordingly, the bubble solution may not leak in the vertical direction.

Also, since the door trim <NUM> tightly holds the end portion of the inner panel <NUM> and the end portion of the outer panel <NUM>, the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> are not forced apart by a foaming pressure in a horizontal direction, and the bubble solution may not leak.

Without the door trim <NUM>, even though the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> next to the opening <NUM> are provided to overlap with each other, the bubble solution may leak through a gap formed due to a foaming pressure.

When foaming of the bubble solution for foaming in the foam space formed between the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM> is completed, the inner panel <NUM>, the outer panel <NUM>, and the door trim <NUM> may be strongly coupled and the control unit <NUM> may also be strongly coupled with the outer panel <NUM> by an adhesive force of the bubble solution.

Meanwhile, the inner door <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure is vulnerable to a twisting due to the opening <NUM>. Also, a twisting may occur or the inner wall <NUM> may be not formed even due to a foaming pressure in a foaming process of the inner door <NUM>. The plurality of reinforcing members <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided at the inner door <NUM> to overcome the above described vulnerability.

The plurality of reinforcing members <NUM> and <NUM> may include a first reinforcing member <NUM> which crosses the opening <NUM> and connects the left frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> with the right frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> and a second reinforcing member <NUM> provided at the upper frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, the lower frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, the left frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, and the right frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>.

The second reinforcing member <NUM> may include an upper reinforcing portion <NUM>, a lower reinforcing portion <NUM>, a left reinforcing portion <NUM>, and a right reinforcing portion <NUM> and may be provided in an approximate quadrangular frame shape. The second reinforcing member <NUM> may be integrally formed of a metal material having hardness.

As shown in <FIG>, an accommodating space <NUM> which accommodates the second reinforcing member <NUM> and the hook portion <NUM> which fixes the second reinforcing member <NUM> may be formed at the inner panel <NUM>. Accordingly, the second reinforcing member <NUM> may be coupled with the inner panel <NUM> and may be disposed between the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM>. Accordingly, the second reinforcing member <NUM> may be not exposed to the outside.

The second reinforcing member <NUM> may be fixed to the inner panel <NUM> before the bubble solution is foamed in the foam space formed between the inner panel <NUM> and the outer panel <NUM>.

The first reinforcing member <NUM> prevents the twisting of the inner door <NUM> by directly connecting the relatively long left frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> and the right frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> across the opening <NUM>. The second reinforcing member <NUM> is provided at each of the upper frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, the lower frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, the left frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM>, and the right frame <NUM> of the inner panel <NUM> to reinforce four sides, thereby preventing the twisting of the inner door <NUM>.

However, although both the first reinforcing member <NUM> and the second reinforcing member <NUM> are provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, only one of the first reinforcing member <NUM> and the second reinforcing member <NUM> may be provided as necessary.

<FIG> is a view of a refrigerator in accordance with an example which is not part of the invention, in which a transparent window is provided at the outer door.

Referring to <FIG>, a transparent window <NUM> may be provided at the outer door <NUM> of the refrigerator <NUM> for checking the display portion <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> with the outer door <NUM> closed. With the outer door <NUM> closed, the transparent window <NUM> is provided at a position corresponding to a position of the control unit <NUM> disposed at the inner door <NUM>. The transparent window <NUM> is provided to be through both the outer panel <NUM> and the inner panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM>.

When the control unit <NUM> is manufactured using an electrostatic touch panel, the transparent window <NUM> may be formed of a conductive material for operating the control unit <NUM> even with the outer door <NUM> closed.

<FIG> is a view of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure in which an outer door is totally formed with a transparent window.

According to the present invention, the outer door (<NUM>) comprises a transparent or translucent material (<NUM>). Referring to <FIG>, the outer door <NUM> may be formed of a transparent or translucent material to check not only the control unit <NUM> but also an inside of the refrigerating compartment <NUM> with the outer door <NUM> closed. As shown in <FIG>, the entire outer door <NUM> may be formed of the transparent or translucent material, or a part of the outer door <NUM> may be formed of the transparent or translucent material.

In detail, both the outer panel <NUM> and the inner panel <NUM> of the outer door <NUM> may be formed of a transparent or translucent panel <NUM> including a glass material, etc. and an insulating layer including an air layer, etc. may be included between panels. Also, there may be formed a single transparent panel <NUM>.

When the control unit <NUM> is manufactured using an electrostatic touch panel, the transparent panel <NUM> may be formed of a conductive material for operating the control unit <NUM> even with the outer door <NUM> closed.

Claim 1:
A refrigerator comprising:
a body (<NUM>);
a storage compartment (<NUM>) formed in the body (<NUM>);
an inner door (<NUM>) comprising a frame (<NUM>) forming an opening (<NUM>) and pivotably coupled with the body (<NUM>), wherein the opening (<NUM>) of the inner door (<NUM>) provides access to the storage compartment (<NUM>) and wherein the opening (<NUM>) includes a plurality of door guards (<NUM>) capable of storing food;
an outer door (<NUM>) pivotable with respect to the inner door (<NUM>) and which opens and closes the opening (<NUM>) of the inner door (<NUM>);
a mounting portion (<NUM>) provided on the frame (<NUM>) of the inner door (<NUM>); and
a control unit (<NUM>) configured to control an internal environment of the storage compartment (<NUM>), and mounted on the mounting portion (<NUM>);
wherein the control unit (<NUM>) is covered by the outer door (<NUM>) when the outer door (<NUM>) is closed,
wherein the outer door (<NUM>) comprises a transparent or translucent material (<NUM>), and
wherein the inner door (<NUM>) and the outer door (<NUM>) are configured so that,
while the outer door (<NUM>) is closed, the control unit (<NUM>) and food stored on the door guards (<NUM>) are visible to a user through the transparent or translucent material (<NUM>), and
while the inner door (<NUM>) is closed and the outer door (<NUM>) is opened, the control unit (<NUM>) and food stored on the door guards (<NUM>) are accessible by a user from outside the refrigerator.