KR102027146B1 - Door of refrigerator and refrigerator including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator including the same. In order to overcome the limitations of the flat display device and the image provided by the flat display device provided in the conventional refrigerator, the refrigerator door according to the present invention outputs a floating image in the front space of the refrigerator door. The refrigerator door and the refrigerator according to the present invention have an advantage of providing a new experience and value to a user by providing a floating image.

Description

Refrigerator door and refrigerator {DOOR OF REFRIGERATOR AND REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator including the same.

A refrigerator is a home appliance that can store food at low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a door. The refrigerator is configured to optimally store the stored foods by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the freezing cycle.

Recently, refrigerators are becoming larger and more versatile in accordance with the changes in dietary life and the quality of products, and refrigerators with various structures and convenience devices that enhance user convenience and make efficient use of internal space are available. It's coming out.

If the conventional refrigerator was simply a device for storing food without damaging it, the refrigerator has recently been changing into a home platform that can provide information and interact with users according to the advent of the Internet of Things. Accordingly, a refrigerator that provides a variety of information to a user by attaching a display device has been released. Through such a display device, information or an image of an internal temperature of the refrigerator, weather, news, recipe, etc. may be provided to the user.

However, a display device attached to a conventional refrigerator is mostly a flat display device, and there is a limit to the type and shape of an image that can be provided through the flat display device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door and a refrigerator that can provide a new experience and value to the user by providing a floating image in front of the door of the refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door and a refrigerator in which a user can quickly and intuitively recognize information related to the refrigerator through a floating image provided in front of the door of the refrigerator.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, which are not mentioned above, can be understood by the following description, and more clearly by the embodiments of the present invention. Also, it will be readily appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.

In order to overcome the limitations of the image provided by the flat display device and the flat display device as described above, the refrigerator door according to the present invention outputs a floating image in the front space of the refrigerator door. In the present invention, the "floating image" refers to an image displayed in a floating manner in a front space of the refrigerator door, that is, a position spaced apart from the surface of the refrigerator door. A typical example of the floating image may be a holographic image. In the present invention, the floating image displayed by the refrigerator door may be a 2D image or a 3D image.

The refrigerator door according to the present invention includes a first optical element that generates a floating image in a space in front of the door by using an image output from an image output unit provided at one side of the inside of the door. The first optical element is an element that forms a floating image by forming an image output from the image output unit in a space in front of the door. The first optical element may be a transmissive optical element or a reflective optical element. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffraction grating, a fresnel lens, a concave mirror, or the like may be used as the first optical element. Can be.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator door includes an image output unit provided at one side of the door, a front panel coupled to a panel frame, and having a transparent area formed on at least a portion thereof, and disposed at one side of the front panel and the image output unit. The first optical device may generate a floating image in a front space of the front panel by using an image output from the front panel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first optical element may be a transmissive optical element or a reflective optical element.

In addition, the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one agent disposed on one side of the front panel for changing the optical path of the image so that the image output from the image output unit reaches the first optical element It further comprises two optical elements.

In addition, the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a blocking unit disposed at one side of the front panel to block a virtual image generated when the first optical device generates the floating image.

In addition, the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a third optical element disposed to face the image output unit and to remove some wavelength components of the image output from the image output unit.

In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first optical element includes an antireflection layer for preventing reflection of light having a predetermined wavelength component.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the image output by the image output unit may be an image photographed by a camera installed in the refrigerator.

In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the image output unit may output the image when the user's approach is detected by a sensor disposed on one side of the refrigerator.

In addition, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet forming a storage space and a door for opening and closing the cabinet, wherein the door is coupled to an image output unit and a panel frame provided at one side of the door and at least And a first optical element disposed at one side of the front panel and generating a floating image in a front space of the front panel by using an image output from the image output unit.

The refrigerator door and the refrigerator according to the present invention have an advantage of providing a new experience and value to a user by providing a floating image.

In addition, the refrigerator door and the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage that the user can recognize the information related to the refrigerator more quickly and intuitively through the floating image.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing an open state of a sub-door constituting a door of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a detached state of a front panel constituting a sub door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view illustrating a detached state of a front panel constituting a sub door according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
7 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a virtual image that appears when a floating image is generated in a front space of a refrigerator door and a method for blocking the same in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing a method of blocking a virtual image that appears when a floating image is generated in a front space of a refrigerator door in another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a perspective view illustrating an open state of a main door constituting a refrigerator door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a floating image is generated in a space in front of a door when a refrigerator door is closed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, features, and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereby those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar components.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an open state of a sub-door constituting a door of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a door 10, 102, 104, 106 to open and close the cabinet 10 to form a storage space, and the storage space formed in the cabinet 10 108, the appearance is formed.

A barrier (not shown) for dividing the storage space up and down is disposed inside the cabinet 10. In the upper portion of the cabinet 10 shown in the drawing is formed a refrigerating chamber, the lower portion is formed a freezing chamber. That is, the doors 102 and 104 coupled to the upper part of the cabinet 10 open and close the refrigerating chamber, and the doors 106 and 108 coupled to the lower part of the cabinet 10 open and close the freezer compartment.

For reference, in the present specification, a configuration of the present invention is described by taking a bottom freeze type refrigerator in which a refrigerating compartment is formed at an upper portion and a freezer compartment is formed at the bottom thereof, but a refrigerator other than the bottom freeze type and a door coupled to the refrigerator are also described. The configuration of the present invention can be applied.

Referring back to the drawings, the interior of the refrigerating compartment and freezer compartment may be provided with a variety of storage members such as shelves, drawers or baskets (132). Such a receiving member may be pulled in and out as needed, for example, with the doors 102, 104, 106, and 108 open for storing food.

In addition, one side of the freezer compartment door 108 may be provided with a sensor 110 for detecting the user's approach. When a part of the user's body approaches the sensor 110 within a predetermined distance, the sensor 110 may transmit a signal indicating that the user has approached to use the refrigerator 1 to a controller (not shown). Various types of sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, and a camera may be used as the sensor 110 provided at one side of the door 108. In addition, the position of the sensor may vary depending on the embodiment.

The refrigerator compartment doors 102 and 104 and the freezer compartment doors 106 and 108 form the overall appearance of the refrigerator 1 when viewed from the front. The refrigerating compartment doors 102 and 104 and the freezing compartment doors 106 and 108 may be formed of a metallic material. In some embodiments, the refrigerating compartment doors 102 and 104 may be provided with a dispenser for taking out water or ice.

On the other hand, the refrigerator compartment door 104 according to the present invention may be composed of a main door 140 and a sub-door 150. The main door 140 is formed of a metallic material and is rotatably coupled with the cabinet 10 to open and close a part of the refrigerating chamber. The sub door 150 is rotatably coupled with the main door 140 to open and close the opening 120 formed in the main door 140.

The basket 132 is mounted on the rear surface of the main door 140 including the inside of the opening 120 formed in the main door 140. Accordingly, the user can access the basket 132 through the opening 120 without opening the main door 40 by opening only the sub door 150. The size of the opening 120 may be set to occupy most of the front surface of the main door 140 except a part of the circumference of the main door 140.

The sub door 150 is rotatably mounted inside the main door 140 to open and close the opening 120. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sub-door 150 is at least partially formed of a transparent material such as glass. Accordingly, the user may access the opening 120 through the opening of the sub door 150, and may view the inside of the opening 120 even when the sub door 150 is closed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the transmittance and reflectance of the light of the transparent material constituting the sub-door 150 may vary according to the user's operation. Accordingly, the user may manipulate the sub door 150 to be transparent only in a desired state to visualize the inside of the refrigerator, and otherwise operate the sub door 150 to maintain an opaque state.

Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, a floating image may be generated in the front space of the door 104 including the main door 140 and the sub door 150. The floating image is an image displayed in a floating manner at a position spaced apart from the surface of the door 140 by a predetermined interval according to a user's manipulation or under the control of a controller (not shown).

An example of the floating image may be a holographic image, but is not limited thereto. The floating image may be composed of a 2D image or a 3D image. The floating image may include information related to a refrigerator, for example, letters and numbers such as a current temperature of a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment. In addition, the floating image may be made of various symbols or images for controlling a refrigerator or an image inside a refrigerator compartment or a freezer compartment, which are photographed through a camera.

3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a main door 140 and a sub-door 150. As described above, the main door 140 is rotatably coupled to the cabinet of the refrigerator to open and close a part of the refrigerating compartment. In addition, the sub door 150 is rotatably coupled to one side of the main door 150 and opens and closes the opening formed in the main door 140. A plurality of baskets 132, 134, and 136 for storing food are disposed on the rear surface of the main door 140.

On the other hand, one side of the main door 140 of the refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with an image output unit 20 for outputting an image to be displayed as a floating image in the front space of the refrigerator door. The image output unit 20 may be configured with various types of display devices such as LCD and OLED, and outputs an image under the control of a controller (not shown). The image output unit 20 may be configured as a touch panel including a touch sensor having a function of outputting an image together with a touch recognition function for controlling a refrigerator or displaying information.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the image output unit 20 may be disposed on the lower side of the main door 150 as shown in FIG. As such, the image output unit 20 disposed on the lower side of the main door 140 may output an image in the direction of the front panel constituting the sub door 150 while the sub door 150 is closed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the image output unit may be provided in the image output unit receiving unit 152 formed at one lower side of the panel frame of the sub-door 150. The image output unit (not shown) provided in the image output unit accommodating unit 152 may output an image under the control of a controller (not shown) according to the direction in which the image output unit accommodating unit 152 is installed. . The size of the image output unit accommodation unit 152 may be set such that contact between the image output unit accommodation unit 152 and the basket 136 does not occur while the sub door 150 is closed.

The image output by the image output unit described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 is the front of the sub-door 150 by the first optical element disposed on one side of the front panel constituting the sub-door 150 as will be described later. It is displayed as a floating image in space.

5 is a perspective view illustrating a detached state of a front panel constituting a sub door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a detached state of a front panel constituting a sub door according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 5, the front panel of the sub door 150 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first panel 150a, a panel frame 150b, and a second panel 150c. At least a part of the first panel 150a and the second panel 150c may be made of a transparent material such as glass. The panel frame 150b supports the first panel 150a and the second panel 150c and forms an exterior of the front panel. The first panel 150a is coupled to the front of the panel frame 150b, that is, toward the outside of the refrigerator, and the second panel 150c is coupled to the rear of the panel frame 150b, that is, toward the interior of the refrigerator. do.

Inside the front panel of the sub-door 150 having the structure as shown in FIG. 5, a medium having a predetermined refractive index may be included. As described above, when the first panel 150a and the second panel 150c are respectively coupled to the front and the rear of the panel frame 150b, the panel frame may be formed by the first panel 150a and the second panel 150c. While the front and rear surfaces of the 150b are sealed, an inner space in the front panel surrounded by the first panel 150a, the second panel 150c, and the panel frame 150b is formed. This internal space may be filled with air or a gas for maintaining the temperature, and such gas may have a predetermined refractive index. In some embodiments, the inner space of the front panel may be maintained in a vacuum state.

The front panel of the sub door 150 according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration different from that shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 6, the front panel of the sub door 150 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be composed of a panel frame 152a and a third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the panel frame 152a. The third panel 152b may have the same thickness as that of the panel frame 152a or may have different thicknesses.

At least a part of the third panel 152b may be made of a transparent material such as glass. In this case, the third panel 152b may have a predetermined refractive index to generate a floating image as described below.

A first optical device, a second optical device, or a third optical device as described later may be disposed on one side of the front panel constituting the sub door 150 of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

For example, in the case of the front panel having the structure shown in FIG. 5, the first optical element and the second surface may be disposed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the first panel 150a or the inner surface or the outer surface of the second panel 150c. An optical element, or a third optical element may be disposed. Herein, an inner surface of the first panel 150a or the second panel 150c is a surface facing the panel frame 150b when the first panel 150a or the second panel 150c is coupled with the panel frame 150b. The outer surface of the first panel 150a or the second panel 150c refers to a surface opposite to the inner surface of the first panel 150a or the second panel 150c.

As another example, in the case of the front panel having the structure shown in FIG. 6, the first optical element, the second optical element, or the third optical element may be disposed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the third panel 152b. Here, the inner surface of the third panel 152b refers to a surface facing the inside of the refrigerator while the sub door 150 is closed, and the outer surface of the third panel 152 refers to the refrigerator when the sub door 150 is closed. It means the outer or front side of the.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a refrigerator door and a process of generating a floating image according to various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 14.

7 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the image output unit 20 is disposed at one lower side of the main door 140 as shown in FIG. 3 to output an image in a direction 51 toward the third panel 152b of the front panel. . In addition, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the front panel includes a panel frame 152a and a third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the panel frame 152a as shown in FIG. 6. For reference, only a part of the panel frame 152a is shown in FIG. 7 for convenience of description.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the first optical element 30 is disposed on an inner surface of the third panel 152b, that is, a surface of the refrigerator facing the inside of the refrigerator. The first optical device 30 generates a floating image FI in front of the third panel 152b, that is, in a direction toward the outside of the refrigerator, by using the image output from the image output unit 20.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a holographic optical element (HOE), a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a diffraction grating, a transmissive optical element such as a fresnel lens may include a first optical element ( 30).

The image output in the form of light from the image output unit 20 is diffracted or refracted while passing through the first optical element 30 made of such a transmissive optical element. The image diffracted or refracted by the first optical element 30 passes through a third panel 152b made of a transparent material such as glass (52), and as shown in FIG. 7, in front of the third panel 152b or the front panel. The floating image FI is generated by forming an image in a space of, i.e., a position spaced apart from the outer surface of the third panel 152b by a predetermined interval.

By adjusting the optical characteristics of the first optical element 30 as described above, when the image is output by the first optical element 30 as shown in FIG. 7, the output angle of the image is changed according to the position of the floating image FI. I can regulate it.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the remaining portion of the third panel 152b may be made of an opaque material except for a portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, a blocking unit (not shown) made of an opaque material is used to block the remaining portion of the third panel 152b except for the portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. It may be disposed on an outer surface or an inner surface of 152b.

In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is not only a front panel composed of a panel frame 152a and a third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the panel frame 152a, but also the first panel 150a as shown in FIG. The same applies to the front panel including the panel frame 150b and the second panel 150c.

8 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the image output unit 20 is disposed at one lower side of the main door 140 as shown in FIG. 3 and outputs an image in a direction 51 toward the front panel. In addition, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the front panel includes a first panel 150a, a panel frame 150b, and a second panel 150c as shown in FIG. 5. For reference, only a part of the panel frame 150b is shown in FIG. 8 for convenience of description.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the second optical element 40 is disposed on an outer surface of the second panel 150c, that is, a surface facing toward the outside of the refrigerator. In some embodiments, the second optical element 40 may be disposed on an inner surface of the second panel 150c.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an incident image is reflected, such as a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffraction grating, a transmissive optical element such as a Fresnel lens, a concave mirror, or a general mirror The optical device capable of adjusting the output path of the image may be used as the second optical device 40.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the image output from the image output unit 20 passes through the first panel 150a made of a transparent material and is reflected by the second optical element 40 (51). The image reflected by the second optical element 40 is incident to the first optical element 30 disposed on the outer surface of the first panel 150a (52). The first optical device 30 generates a floating image FI in front of the second panel 150c, that is, in a direction toward the outside of the refrigerator, by using the image output from the image output unit 20.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a reflective optical element such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a diffraction grating, a Fresnel lens or a concave mirror may be used as the first optical element 30. Can be. By adjusting the optical characteristics of the first optical device 30 as described above, when the image is reflected by the first optical device 30 as illustrated in FIG. 8, the reflection angle of the image is adjusted according to the position of the floating image FI. Can be.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the remaining portion of the second panel 150c may be made of an opaque material except for the portion where the image is passed by the first optical element 30. In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, a blocking unit (not shown) made of an opaque material is formed to block the remaining portion of the second panel 150c except for the portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. It may be disposed on an outer surface or an inner surface of 150c.

In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is not only a front panel composed of the first panel 150a, the panel frame 150b, and the second panel 150c as shown in FIG. 5, but also the panel frame 152a and the panel as shown in FIG. 6. The same may be applied to the front panel composed of the third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the frame 152a.

9 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the image output unit 20 is disposed in the image output unit receiving unit connected to the panel frame 152a constituting the sub door 150 as shown in FIG. 4. The image output unit 20 accommodated in the image output unit is arranged to output an image at a predetermined angle in a direction 51 facing the third panel 152b.

In addition, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the front panel includes a panel frame 152a and a third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the panel frame 152a as shown in FIG. 6. For reference, only a part of the panel frame 152a is shown in FIG. 9 for convenience of description.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, two second optical elements 40 and 42 are disposed on the outer surface of the third panel 152b, respectively. The second optical element 40 is disposed to reflect the image output by the image output unit 20 in the direction 52 of the second optical element 42, and the second optical element 42 is formed of the second optical element ( The light reflected by 40 may be disposed to reflect the incident image in the direction 53 of the first optical element 30.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an incident image is reflected, such as a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffraction grating, a transmissive optical element such as a Fresnel lens, a concave mirror, or a general mirror The optical element capable of adjusting the output path of the image may be used as the second optical element 40 or 42.

In addition, the first optical element 30 is disposed on the outer surface of the third panel 152b. The first optical element 30 forms a floating image FI by imaging an image reflected and incident by the second optical element 42 in the front space of the third panel 152b through diffraction or refraction.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffraction grating, a transmission optical element such as a Fresnel lens may be used as the first optical element 30. By adjusting the optical characteristics of the first optical element 30, the output angle of the image 54 when the image is output by the first optical element 30 may be adjusted according to the position of the floating image FI.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the remaining portion of the third panel 152b may be made of an opaque material except for a portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, a blocking unit (not shown) made of an opaque material is used to block the remaining portion of the third panel 152b except for the portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. It may be disposed on an outer surface or an inner surface of 152b.

In addition, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9 may be equally applied to a front panel including the first panel 150a, the panel frame 150b, and the second panel 150c.

10 illustrates a process of generating a floating image in a front space of a refrigerator door according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the image output unit 20 is disposed in the image output unit receiving unit connected to the panel frame 152a constituting the sub door 150 as shown in FIG. 4. The image output unit 20 accommodated in the image output unit is arranged to output an image at a predetermined angle in a direction 51 facing the second panel 150c.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, the front panel includes a first panel 150a, a panel frame 150b, and a second panel 150c as shown in FIG. 5. For reference, only a part of the panel frame 150b is shown in FIG. 10 for convenience of description.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, two second optical elements 40 and 44 are disposed on the outer surface of the second panel 150c, respectively. In addition, one second optical element 42 is disposed on an outer surface of the first panel 150a. The second optical element 40 is disposed to reflect the image output by the image output unit 20 in the direction 52 of the second optical element 42, and the second optical element 42 is formed of the second optical element ( The image reflected by the light source 40 is disposed to reflect the incident image in the direction 53 of the second optical element 44. In addition, the second optical element 44 is disposed to reflect the incident image reflected by the second optical element 42 in the direction 54 of the first optical element 30.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an incident image is reflected, such as a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffraction grating, a transmissive optical element such as a Fresnel lens, a concave mirror, or a general mirror The optical element capable of adjusting the output path of the image may be used as the second optical element 40, 42, 44.

In addition, the first optical element 30 is disposed on an outer surface of the first panel 150a. The first optical element 30 forms a floating image FI by imaging an image reflected and incident by the second optical element 44 in the front space of the second panel 150c through diffraction or reflection.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a reflective optical element such as a holographic optical element (HOE) or a diffractive optical element (DOE) such as a diffraction grating, a Fresnel lens or a concave mirror may be used as the first optical element 30. Can be. By adjusting the optical characteristics of the first optical element 30, the output angle of the image 54 when the image is output by the first optical element 30 may be adjusted according to the position of the floating image FI.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the remaining portion of the second panel 150c may be made of an opaque material except for the portion where the image is passed by the first optical element 30. In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, a blocking unit (not shown) made of an opaque material is formed to block the remaining portion of the second panel 150c except for the portion through which the image is passed by the first optical element 30. It may be disposed on an outer surface or an inner surface of 150c.

In addition, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10 may be equally applied to the front panel including the panel frame 152a and the third panel 152b coupled to the inside of the panel frame 152a.

As described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, the floating image FI may be generated by the first optical element 30 in the front space of the front panel constituting the sub door 150 of the refrigerator door according to the present invention. Can be. In such embodiments, the first optical device 30 may be a transmissive optical device that generates the floating image FI through diffraction or refraction, or a reflective optical device that generates the floating image FI through diffractive or reflective shapes. Can be used as

In addition, as described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, an optical path of an image output from the image output unit 20 is provided at one side of the front panel constituting the sub door 150 of the refrigerator door according to the present invention. One or more second optical elements may be arranged to adjust the control to allow the image to reach the first optical element 30.

In addition, as described above, the position and number of the first optical element and the second optical element disposed on the front panel constituting the sub-door 150 of the refrigerator door according to the present invention may be a floating image generated in the front space of the front panel ( FI), the position of the image output unit 20 and the image output angle may vary.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a virtual image that appears when a floating image is generated in a front space of a refrigerator door and a method for blocking the same in an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, an image output from the image output unit 20 is incident on the second optical element 40 disposed on the outer surface of the second panel 150c (51). An image incident on the second optical element 40 is reflected by the second optical element 40 and is incident on the first optical element 30 disposed on the outer surface of the first panel 150a (52). The first optical element 30 forms the incident image in the front space of the second panel 105c through diffraction or reflection to generate a floating image FI.

As shown in FIG. 11, the image diffracted or reflected by the first optical element 30 is formed as a real image FI in the front space of the second panel 105c to generate a floating image FI. The virtual image VI is formed in the direction 61 toward the rear space of the first panel 150a. In more detail, the first optical element 30 diffracts or reflects light having a specific wavelength component included in an incident image to form a real image FI, but the optical characteristics of the first optical element 30 As a result, the virtual image VI is generated behind the first optical element 30 by the light having some wavelength components.

When the virtual image VI as shown in FIG. 11 is made, the user looking at the refrigerator from the front of the second panel 150c may view the virtual image VI generated inside the refrigerator as well as the actual image FI generated in the front space of the refrigerator. There is a problem we see together.

In order to solve this problem, a blocking unit 70 for blocking the virtual image VI in the user's field of view may be disposed at one side of the second panel 150c according to the present invention. The blocking unit 70 is made of an opaque material and may be disposed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the second panel 150c according to the direction and angle 61 of the virtual image VI. According to an exemplary embodiment, the blocking part 70 may be disposed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the first panel 150a.

In addition, in order to remove the virtual image VI generated as shown in FIG. 11, the first optical element 30 may include an anti-reflection layer for preventing reflection of light having a predetermined wavelength component. For example, an anti-reflective coating is applied to the surface of the first optical element 30 to prevent reflection of light having the same wavelength component as the virtual image VI, or the same wavelength component as the real image FI is applied. It is possible to reduce or eliminate the virtual image VI by applying a bandpass filter that passes only the light having the light.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing a method of blocking a virtual image that appears when a floating image is generated in a front space of a refrigerator door in another embodiment of the present invention.

Another method for removing the virtual image as described above is to arrange the third optical element 80 facing the image output unit 20 on one side of the front panel as shown in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the third optical element 80 disposed to face the image output unit 20 has a wavelength component corresponding to the real image FI included in the image output from the image output unit 20 and incident 51. Reflects light having a predetermined angle and direction 52. The reflected light is incident on the first optical element 30 through the second optical element 40 and the second optical element 44, and the first optical element 30 is incident through diffraction or reflection. Light is imaged in the front space of the front panel to generate a floating image (FI).

At the same time, the third optical element 80 reflects light having a wavelength component corresponding to the virtual image at a predetermined angle and direction 61. Accordingly, the light having the wavelength component corresponding to the virtual image is not incident on the first optical element 30 but stays between the image output unit 20 and the third optical element 80. Therefore, the virtual image VI as shown in FIG. 11 is not generated.

In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the first optical element 30 may include an anti-reflection layer for preventing reflection of light having a predetermined wavelength component. For example, an antireflective coating is applied to the surface of the first optical element 30 to prevent reflection of light having the same wavelength component as the virtual image VI, or only light having the same wavelength component as the real image FI is allowed to pass. By applying a band pass filter, the likelihood of generating a virtual image VI can be further reduced.

13 is a perspective view illustrating an open state of a main door constituting a refrigerator door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a floating image is generated in a space in front of a door when the refrigerator door is closed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, a plurality of shelves 302, 304, and 306 for dividing and partitioning a storage space may be provided in the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The interior space of the refrigerator is divided into a plurality of storage compartments 332, 334, and 336 by the shelves 302, 304, and 306. A plurality of baskets 132, 134, and 136 for storing food and the like may be mounted on the rear surface of the main door 104 that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cameras 312, 314, and 316 for photographing the interiors of the storage compartments 332, 334, and 336 are provided at one side of the upper sides of the storage compartments 332, 334, and 336. Images of each of the storage compartments 332, 334, and 336 photographed by the cameras 312, 314, and 316 may be transmitted to a controller (not shown). The control unit (not shown) is a front space of the refrigerator as a floating image (FI), as shown in Figure 14 the respective images of the storage compartments 332, 334, 336 obtained by the respective cameras 312, 314, 316 Can be output to By providing the inside of the storage room as a floating image FI as described above, the user can intuitively and easily check the state of the inside of the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment without opening the door of the refrigerator 1.

The floating image FI may be output according to various preset scenarios. For example, when a part of the user's body is sensed through the sensor 110 provided at one side of the door 108, the controller (not shown) determines that the user has approached and displays a floating image in the front space of the refrigerator 1. FI) can be output. The floating image FI output at this time may be an internal image of each of the storage compartments 332, 334, and 336 captured by the cameras 312, 314, and 316, and information related to a refrigerator, for example, an internal temperature or a current temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The image may also indicate an operation mode of the refrigerator.

For another example, when a user approaching the refrigerator 1 touches the sub door 150, the floating image FI may be output to the front space of the refrigerator 1 as shown in FIG. 14. For this operation, the sub door 150 may be provided with a touch sensor for recognizing a user's touch operation.

As another example, the user controls the refrigerator 1 to output the floating image FI by using an operation button for controlling the refrigerator 1 provided on one side of the doors 102, 104, 106, and 108 of the refrigerator 1. You may.

The present invention described above is capable of various substitutions, modifications, and changes without departing from the spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is not limited by.

Claims (9)

An image output unit provided at one side of the door;
A front panel coupled to the panel frame and having a transparent area formed at least in part;
A first optical element disposed on one side of the front panel and generating a floating image in a front space at a position spaced apart from a surface of the front panel by using an image output from the image output unit; And
And a blocking part disposed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the front panel and formed of an opaque material according to the direction and angle of the virtual image generated in the rear space of the front panel by the first optical element.
Refrigerator door.
The method of claim 1,
The first optical element is a transmissive optical element or a reflective optical element
Refrigerator door.
The method of claim 1,
One or more second optical elements disposed on one side of the front panel and configured to change an optical path of the image so that an image output from the image output unit reaches the first optical element;
Refrigerator door.
delete The method of claim 1,
A third optical element disposed to face the image output unit and to remove some wavelength components of the image output from the image output unit;
Refrigerator door.
The method of claim 1,
The first optical element is
An antireflection layer for preventing reflection of light having a predetermined wavelength component
Refrigerator door.
The method of claim 1,
The image output by the image output unit is an image captured by a camera installed inside the storage compartment.
Refrigerator door.
The method of claim 1,
The image output unit
When the user's approach is detected by a detection sensor disposed on one side of the refrigerator to output the image
Refrigerator door.
A cabinet forming a storage space; And
A door for opening and closing the cabinet,
The door is
An image output unit provided at one side of the door;
A front panel coupled to the panel frame and having a transparent area formed at least in part;
A first optical element disposed on one side of the front panel and generating a floating image in a front space at a position spaced apart from a surface of the front panel by using an image output from the image output unit; And
And a blocking part disposed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the front panel and formed of an opaque material according to the direction and angle of the virtual image generated in the rear space of the front panel by the first optical element.
Refrigerator.

Images