KR102386577B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet forming a storage space and having a main control unit; a main door rotatably coupled to the cabinet by a main door hinge to open and close the storage space and having an opening; a main hinge cover covering the main door hinge; and a sub-door that is rotatable with respect to the main door by a sub-door hinge and opens and closes the opening.
The sub-door includes a panel assembly including a door frame having an opening, a front panel covering the opening and allowing light to pass through, and a sensing device for detecting a user input signal applied to the front panel. can do.
The sensing device and the main control unit are connected by an electric wire, the main hinge cover includes a connection hole positioned on the same line as a hinge axis of the main door hinge, and the electric wire is connected to the sub door in the sub door. It may be drawn out to the outside of the sub-door through the hinge shaft of the hinge. The electric wire drawn out of the sub-door may be guided toward the main controller by the main hinge cover after passing through the connection hole of the main hinge cover.

Description

refrigerator { Refrigerator }

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that can store food at a low temperature in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to store the stored food in an optimal state by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle.

Recently, refrigerators are gradually becoming larger and multifunctional in accordance with changes in dietary habits and the trend of luxury products, and refrigerators with various structures and convenience devices that allow users to conveniently use internal space and efficiently use refrigerators are being released. .

The storage space of the refrigerator may be opened and closed by a door. In addition, the refrigerator may be classified into various types of refrigerators according to the arrangement of the storage space and the structure of a door that opens and closes the storage space.

In addition, a separate storage space accessible from the outside may be provided in the door of the refrigerator. Through such a storage space, it is possible to access the storage space by opening some auxiliary doors or home bar doors without opening the entire refrigerator door.

Accordingly, frequently used foods may be stored in a separate storage space provided in the refrigerator door. Also, since the entire door of the refrigerator is not opened to accommodate food, there is an advantage in that it is possible to minimize the leakage of cold air in the refrigerator to the outside.

However, even in such a structure, there is a problem that the food inside cannot be checked unless the refrigerator door is opened fundamentally. That is, the door must be opened in order to check whether the desired food is stored in the space in the refrigerator or in a separate storage space provided in the door. In addition, if there is no desired food when the auxiliary door or home bar is opened, there is an inconvenience such as having to open the main door again, and there is a problem in that unnecessary leakage of cold air may occur.

In order to solve this problem, a part of the front surface of the refrigerator door may be formed of a transparent material, but in this case, an insulation problem in the refrigerator may occur. In addition, if the inside of the refrigerator can be seen through even when the refrigerator is not in use, the food is exposed to the outside as it is, which is very bad in appearance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which at least a part of the refrigerator door can be selectively made transparent by a user's manipulation so that the interior of the refrigerator can be seen through when the refrigerator door is closed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which a panel plate made of glass material can be securely fixed to a door and can minimize a step and a gap in the mounted state.

An object of the present invention is to enable a panel assembly that can see through the inside of a cabinet to be integrally mounted with an outer plate of a door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which an insulating material can be completely filled inside a door.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet forming a storage space and having a main control unit; a main door rotatably coupled to the cabinet by a main door hinge to open and close the storage space and having an opening; a main hinge cover covering the main door hinge; and a sub-door that is rotatable with respect to the main door by a sub-door hinge and opens and closes the opening.

The sub-door includes a panel assembly including a door frame having an opening, a front panel covering the opening and allowing light to pass therethrough, and a sensing device for detecting a user input signal applied to the front panel. can do.

The sensing device and the main control unit are connected by an electric wire, the main hinge cover includes a connection hole positioned on the same line as a hinge axis of the main door hinge, and the electric wire is connected to the sub door in the sub door It may be drawn out to the outside of the sub-door through the hinge shaft of the hinge. The electric wire drawn out to the outside of the sub-door may be guided toward the main control unit by the main hinge cover after passing through the connection part hole of the main hinge cover.

The main hinge cover may include an extension part extending in a hinge axis direction of the main door hinge, and a main connection part formed at an end of the extension part and provided with the connection part hole.

The main connection part may be formed to be stepped downward from the end of the extension part.

A sub-hinge cover that covers the sub-door hinge and guides the electric wire toward the connection part hole may be further included.

The sub hinge cover may further include a sub connection part extending toward the main door and positioned above the main connection part. A lower surface of the sub-connection unit may be opened.

The electric wire may include a first portion connected to the sensing device and drawn out of the sub-door, and a second portion connected to the main control unit and guided toward the first portion by the main hinge cover. .

A sub connector may be connected to the first part, and a main connector may be connected to the second part.

The main connector may be connected to the sub connector.

The second part may pass through the connection part hole, and the sub-hinge cover may cover the main connector and the sub-connector while the main connector is connected to the sub-connector.

The main door hinge may include an upper hinge and a lower hinge, and the main hinge cover may cover the upper hinge.

The sub-door hinge may include a sub-upper hinge and a sub-lower hinge, and the electric wire may pass through a hinge axis of the sub-upper hinge.

and a lighting unit illuminating the storage space, wherein the lighting unit is turned on based on the sensing device detecting a user input signal input to the front panel, and the main door and the sub-door are closed When the lighting unit is turned on, the inside of the storage space can be viewed from the outside by the front panel.

It may further include a lighting unit for illuminating the opening of the main door, and a storage case or shelf provided in the main door.

The lighting unit is turned on based on the sensing device detecting a user input signal input to the front panel, and when the lighting unit is turned on while the main door and the sub-door are closed, the storage case or shelf can be viewed externally by the front panel.

In the refrigerator according to the proposed embodiment, the following effects can be expected.

In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, a panel assembly for selectively transmitting and reflecting light is provided on a part of a door, and a door lighting unit that is turned on and off by a user's operation is provided inside the door, and the door is closed when the door is closed. The lighting unit is turned on by the user's manipulation to make it possible to see through the interior of the cabinet.

Accordingly, it is possible to check the space in the refrigerator even when the door is not opened, and it is possible to easily check the position of the food, thereby improving the convenience of use. In addition, it is possible to prevent unnecessary opening and closing of the door, thereby preventing loss of cold air, thereby improving power consumption and improving storage performance can be expected.

And, it has a structure in which heterogeneous out-panel and panel assembly are fixed together by a support frame, and with a simple structure, the panel assembly can be closely fixed to the out-plate, thereby minimizing the occurrence of steps or gaps to further enhance the appearance. .

In addition, the twin support frame has a structure that is fixedly coupled to the plate bent part, and when the foaming liquid is filled, the foaming liquid can be effectively introduced to the inside of the frame insertion part, thereby preventing the foaming liquid from being unfilled.

And, it is possible to fix the heater for heating the front edge of the panel assembly by the support frame. Accordingly, with a simple structure, the fixing of the out plate, the panel plate, and the heater is possible with one configuration, and thus productivity and assembly efficiency can be improved.

In addition, it is possible to prevent dew condensation by increasing the surface temperature of the outer portion of the interstitial rod vulnerable to dew condensation at the edge of the panel assembly by the heater.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing an open sub-door of the refrigerator.
3 is a perspective view showing an open main door of the refrigerator.
4 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the main door and the sub door.
5 is a partial perspective view illustrating a hinge coupling structure between upper ends of the main door and the sub door;
6 is a partial perspective view illustrating a state in which hinge covers are mounted on the main door and the sub-door.
7 is a partial perspective view showing the hinge coupling structure of the lower end of the main door.
8 is a perspective view of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator viewed from the rear.
9 is a perspective view of a door basket according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is an exploded perspective view of the door basket;
11 is a perspective view illustrating a use state of a dividing member of the door basket.
12 is a front view of the sub-door.
13 is an exploded perspective view of the sub-door.
14 is an exploded perspective view of a door lighting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a cross-sectional view 15-15' of FIG. 1 .
16 is a cross-sectional view 16-16' of FIG. 12 .
17 is a perspective view of a support frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the upper portion of the support frame.
19 is a perspective view of an upper frame constituting the support frame.
20 is a perspective view of a side frame constituting the support frame as viewed from the front.
21 is a perspective view of a side frame constituting the support frame as viewed from the rear.
22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a lower portion of the support frame.
23 is a perspective view of a lower frame constituting the support frame.
FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view 24-24' of FIG. 12 .
25 is a 25-25' cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 .
FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view 26-26' of FIG. 12 .
27 is a cross-sectional view 27-27' of FIG. 12 .
28 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling structure of the knock detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front.
29 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling structure of the knock detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear.
30 is an exploded perspective view of the knock detection device.
31 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the microphone of the knock detection device.
FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view 32-32' of FIG. 12 .
FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view 33-33' of FIG. 12 .
34 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of a control signal of the refrigerator.
35 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating sub-door operations of the refrigerator.
36 is a perspective view of the refrigerator before a knock operation.
37 is a perspective view of the refrigerator after a knock operation;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with drawings. However, the present invention cannot be said to be limited to the embodiments in which the spirit of the present invention is presented, and other inventions that are degenerative by addition, change, deletion, etc. of other components or other embodiments included within the scope of the present invention are easy. can suggest

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which the sub-door of the refrigerator is opened. And, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the refrigerator in which the main door is opened.

As shown in the drawings, the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have an external shape formed by a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door opening and closing the storage space.

The interior of the cabinet 10 may be divided vertically by a barrier 11 , a refrigerating compartment 12 may be formed at an upper portion of the cabinet 10 , and a freezing compartment 13 may be formed at a lower portion of the cabinet 10 . can be formed.

The door may include a refrigerator compartment door 20 and a freezer compartment door 30 . The refrigerating compartment door 20 may be configured to open and close the opened front of the refrigerating compartment 12 by rotating, and the freezing compartment door 30 may be configured to open and close the opened front of the freezing compartment 13 by rotating.

In addition, the refrigerating compartment door 20 may be provided with a pair of left and right so that the refrigerating compartment 12 is shielded by the pair of doors. In addition, the freezing compartment door 30 may be drawn out in a drawer type, and may be configured to open and close the freezing compartment 13 by drawing in and out.

In addition, various storage members such as shelves, drawers or baskets may be provided inside the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 13 . If necessary, the storage member may be pulled out and taken out with the refrigerating compartment door 20 and the freezing compartment door 30 open, and food can be accommodated and stored by taking out the storage member.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator to which a pair of doors is rotated to open and close a single space in a bottom freeze type refrigerator having a freezer compartment below is described as an example of a refrigerator to which a French type door is applied, but the present invention is applicable to any type of refrigerator provided with a door regardless of the shape of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator compartment door 20 and the freezer compartment door 30 form the overall exterior when viewed from the front, and the exterior is formed of a metal material, so that the entire refrigerator 1 has a texture of a metal material. And, if necessary, the refrigerator compartment door 20 may be provided with a dispenser 22 for dispensing water or ice.

Meanwhile, the refrigerating compartment door 20 on the right side (as seen in FIG. 1 ) among the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 may be configured to be double-opened. In detail, the refrigerating compartment door 20 located on the right side includes a main door 40 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 12 , and an opening formed in the main door 40 rotatably disposed on the main door 40 . 403) may be configured as a sub-door 50 that opens and closes. A portion forming an outer shape of the main door 40 may be referred to as a main door frame.

The main door 40 may have the same size as the refrigerating compartment door 20 on the left side (as seen in FIG. 1 ) among the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 , and include an upper hinge 401 and a lower hinge 402 . is rotatably mounted to the cabinet 10 to open and close at least a portion of the refrigerating compartment 12 . The upper hinge 401 and the lower hinge 402 may be referred to as a main door hinge.

In addition, an opening 403 opened to a predetermined size is formed in the main door 40 . A door basket 43 is mounted on the rear surface of the main door 40 including the inside of the opening 403 . Accordingly, the user can access the door basket 43 without opening the main door 40 through the opening 403 . In this case, the size of the opening 403 may occupy most of the front surface of the main door 40 except for a portion of the circumference of the main door 40 .

The sub door 50 is rotatably mounted on the front surface of the main door 40 to open and close the opening 403 . Accordingly, access to the opening 403 is possible even through the opening of the sub-door 50 .

The size of the sub-door 50 may be the same as the size of the main door 40 to shield the entire front surface of the main door 40 . In addition, when the sub-door 50 is closed, the main door 40 and the sub-door 50 are coupled to each other, so that the size and shape of the refrigerator compartment door 20 formed on the left side may be the same. . In addition, a sub gasket 591 is provided on the rear surface of the sub door 50 to seal between the main door 40 and the sub door 50 .

The sub-door 50 is provided with a panel assembly 54 formed of a transparent material such as glass in the center thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to see through the inside of the opening 403 even when the sub-door 50 is closed. The sub door 50 may be called a see-through door.

In addition, the panel assembly 54 is configured so that transmittance and reflectance of light can be adjusted. Accordingly, it may be configured to selectively change a transparent or opaque state according to a user's manipulation. Accordingly, it becomes transparent only in a state desired by the user to visualize the inside of the chamber, and in other states, it is possible to maintain an opaque state.

The sub-door 50 is provided with a sub-upper hinge 51 and a sub-lower hinge 52 at the upper end and lower end, respectively, and may be rotatably mounted on the front surface of the main door 40 . Accordingly, the sub-door 50 may be configured to open and close the opening 403 by independently rotating the main door 40 in a closed state. The sub-upper hinge 51 and the sub-lower hinge 52 may be collectively referred to as a sub-door hinge.

A handle 23 may be provided on the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 20 . The handle 23 may be formed at an end of the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20 adjacent to each other. Meanwhile, the handle 23 of the refrigerating compartment door 20 located on the right side may be provided on the front side of the sub door 50 .

In addition, an operation button 231 is provided on the handle 23 , and a locking unit 232 operated by the operation button 231 is provided on the sub-door 50 . The locking unit 232 protrudes to the rear of the sub-door 50 and can be selectively separated from the restraining member 404 of the main door by manipulating the operation button 231 .

Therefore, in the closed state of the sub-door 50, the locking unit 232 maintains a state coupled to the restraining member 404. In this state, when the handle 23 is pulled and pulled, the main door As the 40 is rotated, the refrigerating compartment 12 may be opened.

And, when the user presses the operation button 231 while the sub-door 50 is closed, the locking unit 232 is separated from the restraining member 404 and only the sub-door 50 rotates. can become The opening 403 may be opened by rotation of the sub-door 50 .

Meanwhile, a storage case 41 is formed on the rear surface of the main door 40 . The storage case 41 defines a storage space on the rear surface of the main door 40 , and a plurality of door baskets 43 are disposed therein.

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the main door and the sub door. And, Figure 5 is a partial perspective view showing the hinge coupling structure of the upper end of the main door and the sub door. And, FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which hinge covers are mounted on the main door and the sub-door.

As shown in the drawing, an upper hinge mounting part 405 (or a main door mounting part) on which the upper hinge 401 is mounted is recessed at the upper end of the main door 40 . The upper hinge 401 is fixedly mounted to the cabinet 10 , and a hinge shaft 4011 is inserted into the hinge hole 4051 of the upper hinge mounting part 405 so that the main door 40 is installed in the cabinet 10 . ) to be rotatably mounted.

In addition, the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 on which the sub-upper hinge 51 is mounted is depressed in the upper end of the sub-door 50 . The sub-upper hinge 51 is fixedly mounted to the upper hinge mounting part 405 , and a hinge shaft 511 is inserted into the hinge hole 5011 of the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 so that the sub-door 50 is opened. It is to be rotatably mounted on the main door 40 .

In this case, the hinge shaft 511 of the sub-upper hinge 51 may be formed in a tube shape having an open cross-section at one side. Such a cross-sectional structure provides a more expanded space inside the hinge shaft 511 . Accordingly, the electric wires (L) connected to the electric components (a heater, a knock detection device, and a door lighting unit to be described below) provided in the sub-door 50 are connected through the hinge shaft 511 of the sub-upper hinge 51 . It is guided to the outside of the sub door 50 so that it can be connected to the main control unit 2 on the cabinet 10 .

The upper hinge 401 (or the main door hinge) and the sub-upper hinge 51 (or the sub-door hinge) are shielded by the main hinge cover 45 and the sub hinge cover 53 . The main hinge cover 45 and the sub hinge cover 53 have a structure connected to each other, and the electric wire L guided to the outside through the sub upper hinge 51 passes the sub hinge cover 53 and the It may be guided toward the main control unit 2 through the inside of the main hinge cover 45 .

In detail, the main hinge cover 45 has a lower opening and a recessed space therein is formed to accommodate the entire upper hinge 401 . In addition, a separate PCB for controlling the electric components on the side of the sub-door 50 may be accommodated inside the main hinge cover 45 .

The main hinge cover 45 may be fixedly mounted on one side of the cabinet 10 in a mating structure or a coupling structure by a separate coupling member. In addition, a portion of the main hinge cover 45 is formed to extend toward the upper hinge mounting portion 405 of the main door 40 .

An extension portion 451 extending in a direction of a rotation axis of the upper hinge 401 may be further formed on one side of the main hinge cover 45 . In addition, a main connection part 452 may be formed at an end of the extension part 451 . The main connection part 452 may be formed to be stepped downward from the end of the extension part 451 . In addition, the main connection part 452 is formed in a circular shape, and the center of the main connection part 452 may be located on the same extension line as the hinge shaft 4011 of the upper hinge 401 . In addition, a connection part hole 453 is opened on the upper surface of the main connection part 452 to allow the electric wire L to enter and exit.

The sub-hinge cover 53 is formed to accommodate the entire sub-upper hinge 51 by opening the lower side and having a recessed space therein. The sub hinge cover 53 may be fixedly mounted to the upper hinge mounting part 405 . In addition, a portion of the sub-hinge cover 53 may extend toward the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 to shield the sub-upper hinge 51 .

A downwardly recessed cover fixing part 531 is formed on one side of the sub-upper hinge 51 , and a coupling member such as a screw passes through the cover fixing part 531 and is fastened to the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 . Thus, the sub-hinge cover 53 can be fixed.

On the other hand, the shape of the sub hinge cover 53 is formed in a shape corresponding to the space between the sub upper hinge mounting part 501 and the main hinge cover 45 when the sub door 50 is closed. Do not interfere with the opening and closing of the door 50 and the main door 40.

In addition, a sub connection part 532 is formed on one side of the sub hinge cover 53 . The sub connection part 532 is formed to extend toward the main door 40 and is seated on the upper surface of the main connection part 452 . At this time, the lower surface of the sub-connection part 532 is opened, so that the inside of the sub-connection part 532 may communicate with the inside of the main connection part 452 through the connection part hole 453 . The sub-connection part 532 . ) is formed to have a circular cross section like the main connection part 452 and is located on the same extension line as the center of the rotation axis of the upper hinge 401 .

That is, the center of the rotation shaft of the upper hinge 401 and the centers of the main connection part 452 and the sub connection part 532 are all concentric. Accordingly, in a situation where the main door 40 and the sub-door 50 are rotated, the rotation shaft of the upper hinge 401 and the main connection part 452 and the sub connection part 532 do not flow and stable rotation is possible. . Also, even when the main door 40 or the sub door 50 is rotated, the electric wire guided through the sub hinge cover 53 passes through the sub connection part 532 and the main connection part 452 in turn, and the main hinge It may be guided to the inside of the cover 45 .

In addition, the electric wires L may be connected by connectors 502 and 406 , and the connectors 502 and 406 may be located inside the sub-hinge cover 53 . Accordingly, the sub connector 502 is connected to the end of the electric wire L exposed to the outside through the rotation shaft of the sub upper hinge 51 , and is connected to the main control unit 2 and is connected to the main hinge cover 45 through the main hinge cover 45 . After connecting the main connectors 406 of the electric wires L guided toward the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 to each other, the sub-hinge cover 53 is covered to cover the electric wires L, the connectors 502 and 406, and the sub-upper hinge (51) can be shielded.

In summary, the electric wire (L) includes a first portion drawn out of the sub-door, and a second portion connected to the main control unit 2 and guided toward the first portion by the main hinge cover. .

The sub connector 502 is connected to the first part, and the main connector 406 is connected to the second part.

Meanwhile, a lower hinge 402 for supporting the lower end of the main door 40 is mounted on one side of the front side of the cabinet 10 . In addition, a sub-lower hinge 52 for supporting the sub-door 50 is mounted at a lower end of the main door 40 .

7 is a partial perspective view showing the hinge coupling structure of the lower end of the main door.

As shown in the drawing, the lower hinge 402 is mounted on the front side of the cabinet 10 so that the main door 40 can be rotatably supported.

The lower hinge 402 includes a main fixing part 4021 fixed to the front surface of the cabinet 10 , and a main support part bent vertically from the main fixing part 4021 to support the lower end of the main door 40 . 4022 and a hinge shaft 4023 extending upward from the main support part 4022 and inserted into the main door 40 may be configured. Accordingly, the lower end of the main door 40 is supported by the lower hinge 402 , and the main door 40 may be rotated around the hinge shaft 4023 .

In addition, the sub-lower hinge 52 is located in front of the lower hinge 402 and is provided at the lower end of the main door 40 . The sub-lower hinge 52 may be mounted on a sub-lower hinge mounting part 407 recessed in the lower front of the main door 40 .

The sub lower hinge 52 includes a sub fixing part 521 fixed to the sub lower hinge mounting part 407 , a sub support part 522 bent at the lower end of the sub fixing part 521 and extending forward, and the sub It may include a hinge shaft 523 extending upward from the support 522 and inserted into the sub-door 50 . Accordingly, the lower end of the sub-door 50 is supported by the sub-lower hinge 52 , and the sub-door 50 may be rotated about the hinge shaft 523 .

8 is a perspective view of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator viewed from the rear.

As shown in the drawing, the storage case 41 has an opened front side, and the opened front side of the storage case 41 may be formed to correspond to the size of the opening 403 . Accordingly, when the sub-door 50 is opened, the opening 403 is exposed, and the door basket 43 inside the storage case 41 can be accessed through the opening 403 .

In addition, a case door 42 that is opened and closed by rotation may be provided on the rear surface of the storage case 41 . Accordingly, in a state in which the main door 40 is opened, the case door 42 may be opened to access the door basket 43 .

A case opening 432 and a door opening 421 may be formed in the storage case 41 and the case door 42 to allow cool air in the refrigerator to flow into the storage case 41 . Accordingly, the temperature inside the storage case 41 may be maintained to be the same as the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12 .

Further, in more detail, on both sides of the opening 403 on the rear surface of the main door 40 , forming ends to which the door basket 43 can be mounted may be formed. The forming end may be formed in a concave-convex structure, and may be configured to enable detachment of the door basket 43 .

9 is a perspective view of a door basket according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the door basket. And, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the use state of the dividing member of the door basket.

As shown in the drawing, the door basket 43 is formed such that the upper surface is opened, and a mounting part 431 disposed inside the opening 403 is formed. The mounting part 431 has a width corresponding to the width of the opening 403 , and mounting grooves 4311 coupled to the molding end of the opening 403 may be formed on both sides of the mounting part 431 .

A rear surface (a front surface in FIG. 9 ) of the mounting part 431 facing the rear surface of the sub-door 50 may be inclined. Accordingly, a predetermined gap may be formed between the rear surface of the sub-door 50 and the rear surface of the mounting part 431 , and the opening 403 does not block the light emitted from the door lighting unit 49 to be described below. ) to reveal the whole.

In addition, the door basket 43 has a dividing member 432 and a stopper 433 allowing the dividing member 432 to be fixed at a set angle, and a stopper cap 434 for mounting the stopper 433 . ) may be included.

The dividing member 432 may be formed of a wire or a rod, and may have a circular cross-section having a predetermined diameter. And, the dividing member 432 includes a partition portion 4321 extending to cross the mounting portion 431, and a first bent portion 4322 vertically bent at both ends of the partition portion 4321, A second bent part 4323 bent vertically from the first bent part 4322 again, and an insertion part 4324 bent outwardly from both ends of the second bent part 4323 and inserted into the stopper 433 ) can be composed of

The stopper 433 is mounted on the inner surface of the mounting part 431 , and is disposed on both left and right side surfaces to fix the dividing member 432 . The stopper 433 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cap insertion hole 4331 in which the stopper cap 434 is mounted may be formed on one side contacting the mounting part 431 . In addition, a stopper hook 4332 for fixing the stopper 433 to the mounting part 431 may be formed outside the cap insertion hole 4331 .

In addition, a center hole 4333 into which the insertion part 4324 of the dividing member 432 is inserted may be formed in the center of the opposite surfaces of the stoppers 433 disposed on both sides. In addition, a fixing groove recessed inwardly around the stopper 433 with respect to the center hole 4333 may be formed. The fixing groove is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer surface of the dividing member 432 to accommodate and fix the second bent part 4323 of the dividing member 432 .

The fixing groove includes a first fixing groove 4334 that allows the dividing member 432 to be positioned in a first position, a second fixing groove 4335 that allows it to be positioned in a second position, and a third position. It may be configured with a third fixing groove 4336 that allows it to be positioned. The first fixing groove 4334 and the third fixing groove 4336 are formed at positions facing the stopper 433 in the vertical direction, and the second fixing groove 4335 is the first fixing groove 4334 . and the third fixing groove 4336 may be formed at an intermediate point. Each of the fixing grooves may be disposed at a point rotated by an angle of 90°, and the dividing member 432 may be fixed at a position fixed at an angle of 90°, respectively.

That is, in the first position, the second bent part 4323 is inserted into the first fixing groove 4334 . In such a state, as shown in FIG. 9 , the dividing part 4321 of the dividing member 432 has a structure in close contact with the inner wall surface of the door basket 43, so that the entire space inside the door basket 43 is one can be used as a storage space for

In the second position, the second bent part 4323 is inserted into the second fixing groove 4335 . In this state, the dividing part 4321 of the dividing member 432 is located at a position away from the inner wall surface of the door basket 43 to divide the inner space of the door basket 43 into two spaces. . In this case, the partitioning part 4321 is positioned further away from the stopper 433 by the length of the second bent part 4323 to partition the space.

In the third position, the second bent part 4323 is inserted into the third fixing groove 4336 . In this state, as in the second position, the dividing part 4321 of the dividing member 432 is located at a position away from the inner wall surface of the door basket 43 to divide the inner space of the door basket 43 into two. is partitioned into the space of

In this case, the partitioning part 4321 is positioned further away from the stopper 433 by the length of the first bent part 4322 to partition the space. Since the lengths of the first bent part 4322 and the second bent part 4323 are formed differently, the user can divide the space created by the difference in length between the first bent part 4322 and the second bent part 4323. It can be selected and used accordingly.

In particular, when dividing the inner space of the door basket 43 into two by positioning the dividing member 432 at the second and third positions as shown in FIG. 11, the width is narrow and the height is high. Perishable sauce bottles or tube containers can be stored effectively.

Meanwhile, stopper fixing holes 435 are formed on both sides of the mounting part 431 . A fixing groove 4351 is further formed in the stopper fixing hole 435 so that the stopper hook 4332 can be caught and constrained. Accordingly, the stopper 433 may be fixed to the inner surface of the mounting part 431 so as not to rotate. In addition, the stopper cap 434 may be provided outside the mounting part 431 . The stopper cap 434 is mounted in the stopper fixing hole 435 , and the cap hook 4341 at the center of the stopper cap 434 passes through the stopper fixing hole 435 and is caught in the cap insertion hole 4331 . arrested Accordingly, the stopper 433 can be more firmly fixed by the stopper cap 434 .

12 is a front view of the sub-door. And, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the sub-door.

As shown in the drawing, the sub door 50 is spaced apart from the out plate 55 forming the exterior, the panel assembly 54 mounted to the opening of the out plate 55, and the out plate 55. It may be composed of a door liner 58 to be mounted, and an upper cap deco 56 and a lower cap deco 57 forming the upper and lower surfaces of the sub door 50 . In this specification, the outer plate 55 , the door liner 58 , and the cap deco 56 and 57 may be collectively referred to as a door frame.

The out plate 55 is positioned in front of the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 to cover the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 .

The outer plate 55 forms a part of the front exterior and circumferential surface of the sub-door 50 and may be formed of a stainless material. In addition, a panel mounting hole 551 (or a first opening) in which the panel assembly 54 is formed is formed in the center of the out plate 55 . The panel mounting hole 551 is a space for seeing through the inside of the opening 403 of the main door 40 , and may be formed to have the same size as or similar to the size of the opening 403 . Then, along the circumference of the panel mounting hole 551, a plate bent portion 552 vertically bent inward is formed. The plate bent portion 552 is bent so as to be inserted into a support frame 60 to be described below, and plate holes 5521 opened at regular intervals may be continuously formed in the plate bent portion 552 .

The panel assembly 54 is formed to shield the panel mounting hole 551 , and in a state in which the panel assembly 54 is mounted, the front surface of the panel assembly 54 is the front surface of the out plate 55 . It may be formed on the same plane as The panel assembly 54 may be selectively transparent depending on the on/off of the door lighting unit 49 , and is configured to selectively see through the inside of the opening 403 . The configuration of the panel assembly 54 will be described in more detail below.

The upper cap deco 56 forms an upper surface of the sub door 50 and is coupled to the top of the outer plate 55 and the door liner 58 . In addition, the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 is formed at one end of the upper cap deco 56 , and the upper boss into which the hinge shaft 523 of the upper hinge 401 is inserted into the sub-upper hinge mounting part 501 . 5012 may be mounted.

The lower cap deco 57 forms a lower surface of the sub door 50 and is coupled to the lower end of the outer plate 55 and the door liner 58 . In addition, a hinge plate 571 is mounted on the lower cap deco 57 at a position where the sub lower hinge 52 is mounted, and the hinge shaft 523 of the sub lower hinge 52 is mounted on the hinge plate 571 . ) into which the lower boss 572 is inserted may be mounted.

Meanwhile, the lower cap deco 57 may have two foam injection holes 573 formed therein. The foaming liquid injection hole 573 is opened to inject the foaming liquid for forming a heat insulator on the peripheral side of the panel assembly 54 in the inner space of the sub-door 50 . At this time, in order to smoothly inject the foaming liquid into the sub-door 50 , it is formed to open vertically downwardly corresponding to the space between the outside of the panel assembly 54 and the inner surface of the sub-door 50 . Therefore, when the foaming liquid is injected, the foaming liquid can be effectively injected without backflow or unfilled due to interference from the surroundings. In addition, the foam injection hole 573 may be shielded by the injection hole cap 574 mounted on the lower cap deco 57 .

The door liner 58 forms the rear surface of the sub-door 50 , and a liner opening 581 (or a second opening) is formed in an area where the panel assembly 54 is disposed. A liner groove 582 for maintaining the shape of the door liner 58 may be formed along the liner opening 581 around the door liner 58, and the liner groove 582 is A sub gasket 591 that is recessed from the rear surface of the sub door 50 to seal between the sub door 50 and the main door 40 may be mounted. The panel assembly 54 may cover the liner opening 581 of the door liner 58 . A size of the second opening is smaller than a size of the first opening.

In addition, the locking unit 232 may be mounted on one side of the door liner 58 , and a knock detection device 82 and a door opening auxiliary device 588 , which will be described in detail below, may also be mounted.

Meanwhile, a heater 59 may be provided inside the sub-door 50 . The heater 59 is disposed along the circumference of the rear surface of the panel assembly 54 . In detail, the heater 59 may be disposed on the rear surface of the front panel 541 forming the front surface of the panel assembly 54 , and is mounted on the area of the bezel 5411 formed around the front panel 541 . It is installed so that it is not exposed to the outside.

A support frame 60 for fixing the out plate 55 and the panel assembly 54 is provided on the rear surface of the out plate 55 along the circumference of the panel mounting hole 551 . The support frame 60 may be configured by combining an upper frame 61 , a lower frame 63 , and a pair of side frames 62 . Also, it is formed along the edge of the panel mounting hole 551 to accommodate the plate bent portion 552 and may be adhered to the rear surface of the panel assembly 54 . In addition, the heater 59 disposed on the rear surface of the panel assembly 54 may be fixed. The support frame 60 will be described in more detail below.

Meanwhile, a door lighting unit 49 may be mounted on the upper end of the liner opening 581 . The door lighting unit 49 can illuminate the portion where the plurality of door baskets 43 mounted on the main door 40 are arranged, and the inside of the door is brighter than the outside of the door, so that the panel assembly 54 so that it can be seen transparently.

The door lighting unit 49 includes a lamp case 491 mounted on the door liner 58, and a lamp PCB 492 accommodated in the lamp case 491 and having a plurality of LEDs 4921 disposed therein. and a lamp cover 493 that shields the opened lower surface of the lamp case 491 and is exposed through the opening.

14 is an exploded perspective view of a door lighting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view 15-15' of FIG. 1 . And, Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view 16-16' of Figure 12.

Looking at the door lighting unit 49 in more detail with reference to the drawings, the door lighting unit 49 is mounted on a lighting unit mounting part 583 formed at the upper end of the liner opening 581 of the door liner 58. can be mounted

Case fixing parts 5831 are formed at both ends of the writing unit mounting part 583 , and case ribs 4911 protruding from both ends of the lamp case 491 are caught by the case fixing part 5831 and locked to the door. It allows the lighting unit 49 to be fixedly mounted.

The lamp case 491 is extended along the door liner 58 and includes a recessed portion 4912 forming a recessed space to accommodate the lamp PCB 492 therein. In detail, the recessed portion 4912 may be formed so that a surface facing the lamp PCB 492 is rounded, and the light irradiated from the lamp PCB 492 through the round surface 4913 having a predetermined curvature is emitted. It is reflected and directed toward the lamp case 491 . In addition, a film for increasing the reflectance of light may be attached or coated on the inner surface of the recessed portion 4912 , particularly the round surface 4913 .

A lamp PCB mounting part 4914 on which the lamp PCB 492 is mounted is formed on one surface facing the round surface 4913 . The lamp PCB mounting part 4914 is formed so that the lamp PCB 492 can be fixedly mounted inside the lamp case in a direction crossing the lamp cover 493 .

In addition, a wire entrance 4915 through which the electric wire L connected to the lamp PCB 492 enters and exits may be formed on one side of the lamp PCB mounting part 4914 . The wire entrance 4915 may be guided into the inner space of the sub-door 50 , and may be entered through the hinge shaft 523 of the sub-upper hinge 51 .

The lamp cover 493 is formed so that light reflected from the round surface 4913 of the recessed part 4912 can be transmitted, and shields the opening of the recessed part 4912 . The lamp cover 493 is formed to be transparent or translucent so that light that is reflected from the round surface 4913 and spread evenly can be transmitted. Accordingly, the light passing through the lamp cover 493 illuminates the inside of the cabinet in an indirect lighting method and has the same effect as surface light emission.

In addition, the lamp cover 493 may be coated with a film attached thereto in order to more effectively diffuse the light. In addition, particles or materials for diffusing light may be added during injection molding of the lamp cover 493 if necessary.

The lighting unit mounting portion to which the door lighting unit is mounted extends inside the opening, and the lamp cover irradiates light downward from the upper end of the opening when the door lighting unit is mounted.

The rear ends of the plurality of door baskets 43 mounted on the opening 403 are spaced apart from the rear surface of the sub-door 50 and are located further inside the cabinet than the door lighting unit 49 . Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 15 , the light irradiated downward from the door lighting unit 49 is prevented from being blocked by the door basket 43 or the food stored in the door basket 43 .

In addition, the front surface of the door basket 43 adjacent to the rear end of the panel assembly 54 is formed to be inclined so that the light irradiated downward by the door lighting unit 49 does not interfere and illuminates the entire opening. can be configured.

The door lighting unit 49 can be selectively turned on/off according to a user's operation, and when the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, the storage space formed in the main door 40 is revealed. will lose When the storage space of the main door 40, that is, the inside of the cabinet becomes brighter than the outside of the cabinet by lighting of the door lighting unit 49, the light irradiated by the door lighting unit 49 causes the sub-door 50 to be illuminated. will penetrate. Accordingly, the user can transparently recognize the sub-door 50 and can see the storage space inside the main door 40 through the sub-door 50 from the outside.

Meanwhile, the panel assembly 54 can be fixedly mounted on the sub-door 50 by the support frame 60 . One side of the support frame 60 may be fixed to the out plate 55 , and the other side of the support frame 60 is adhered to the panel assembly 54 so that the panel assembly 54 is fixed on the panel mounting hole 551 . make it possible

Looking in more detail with respect to the panel assembly 54 , the panel assembly 54 includes a front panel 541 , at least one heat insulation panel 542 disposed behind the front panel 541 , and the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 and the plurality of heat insulating panels 542 may be configured to include a bar 543 for supporting between.

The front panel 541 may be formed of a glass material that can selectively see the inside according to light transmittance and reflectance, and may be referred to as a half mirror.

That is, when the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, the light inside the cabinet passes through the front panel 541 so that the front panel 541 is transparent. Accordingly, the storage space formed in the cabinet space behind the sub-door 50 or the main door 40 can be viewed from the outside when the sub-door 50 is closed.

In addition, when the door lighting unit 49 is turned off, light does not pass through the front panel 541 and is reflected, and thus the front panel 541 becomes like a mirror surface. In this state, the storage space formed in the storage space behind the sub-door 50 or the main door 40 cannot be seen from the outside.

Various surface treatments may be applied to the front panel 541 so that the front panel 541 can have a half-mirror-like effect. For example, a titanium compound may be vacuum-deposited on the entire surface of the glass layer constituting the front panel 541 .

In addition, on the back surface of the glass layer constituting the front panel, a titanium compound (TiO ₂ ) as a main component and a printing ink comprising a resin for viscosity control, an organic solvent, and an additive are silk-screened to form a ceramic printing layer. You may.

In addition, a hard coating layer consisting of a triple layer of iron, cobalt, and chrome on the back of the glass layer constituting the front panel was applied to the atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (APCAVD) method. It may be formed by the method, or it may be formed by a spray method of spraying a liquid coating material.

When a ceramic printed layer or a hard coating layer is formed on the rear surface of the glass layer, the front panel 541 may be formed to have a transmittance of light from the outside of the front panel 541 of 20% to 30%. At this time, when the transmittance is less than 20%, it is not easy to see the inside even when the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, and when the transmittance is 30% or more, the door lighting unit 49 is turned off. Even in the closed state, the front surface of the panel assembly 54 does not look like a mirror when viewed from the outside, and the inside of the cabinet can be partially seen through.

On the other hand, the bezel 5411 formed along the periphery of the rear surface of the front panel 541 may be formed so that light cannot pass through, and the edge of the front panel 541 on which the bezel 5411 is formed is the It is configured to extend further outward than the thermal insulation panel 542 . Accordingly, on the rear surface of the front panel 541 on which the bezel 5411 is formed, the support frame 60 , the heater 59 , and the interstitial rod 543 are not exposed forward through the front panel 541 .

In addition, the knock detection device 82 may be disposed on the bezel 5411 formed at the lower end of the front panel 541 . Accordingly, the knock detection device 82 may also be covered by the bezel 5411 so as not to be exposed to the outside.

In detail, the support frame 60 may be disposed in the area of the bezel 5411 to fix the panel assembly 54 . In addition, the heater 59 fixed by the support frame 60 may also be positioned in the area of the bezel 5411 . Accordingly, both the heater 59 and the support frame 60 disposed along the edge of the panel assembly 54 are covered by the bezel 5411 so that they are not exposed to the outside.

In addition, an interstitial rod 543 is formed around the rear surface of the front panel 541 . The interstitial rod 543 separates the front panel 541 and the heat insulation panel 542 from each other, and allows the front panel 541 and the heat insulation panel 542 to be spaced apart from each other and seals the space therebetween. .

The interstitial rod 543 may also be disposed between the plurality of heat insulation panels 542 . In addition, the front panel 541, the heat insulation panel 542, and the plurality of interbars 543 may be attached to each other by an adhesive, and a sealant is applied to the front panel 541, the heat insulating panel 542, and the interstitial bar ( 543) and the outer surface of the panel assembly 54 to maintain an airtight state.

The heat insulation panel 542 may be formed to be smaller in size than the front panel 541 and may be located in an inner region of the front panel 541 . In addition, the heat insulation panel 542 is preferably chemically strengthened glass by immersing glass in an electrolyte solution above the glass transition temperature to be chemically strengthened.

In addition, a low-emission coating layer for reducing heat transfer into the storage chamber by radiation may be formed on the rear surface of the heat insulation panel 542 . The glass on which the low-emission coating layer is formed is called low-e glass, and the low-emission coating layer can be formed by depositing silver or the like on the surface of the glass by sputtering or the like.

In addition, the sealed space between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 formed by the interstitial rod 543 and the sealed space between the plurality of heat insulating panels may be formed in a vacuum state to be insulated. .

If necessary, an inert gas such as argon gas for insulation may be filled between the sealed space between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 and the closed space between the plurality of heat insulating panels 542 . Inert gas has better thermal insulation properties than general air. For this reason, it is possible to secure thermal insulation performance by forming a predetermined space filled with an inert gas between the front panel 541 and the thermal insulation panel 542 and between the plurality of thermal insulation panels 542 .

The heat insulation panel 542 may be formed as a single panel and mounted to be spaced apart from the front panel 541 , and if necessary, two or more heat insulation panels 542 may be configured to be spaced apart.

17 is a perspective view of a support frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the support frame 60 is disposed on the upper and lower sides of the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63, and a pair of sides between the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63 is provided. Frames 62 may be connected to form a rectangular shape.

The support frame 60 may be injection-formed from a plastic material. The support frame 60 may be formed so that the plate bent part 552 of the out plate 55 can be inserted in the assembled state, and at the same time, the heater 59 can be fixed.

In detail, plate inserting parts 611 , 621 , 631 into which the plate bent part 552 is inserted may be formed in the support frame 60 in an assembled state, and the plate inserting parts 611 , 621 , 631 are formed around the support frame 60 . It may be formed along the whole. In addition, a plurality of restraining projections 612 , 622 , and 632 may be formed at regular intervals on the plate insertion portions 611 , 621 , and 631 . A plurality of holes 614, 624, 634 are formed on the plate insertion portions 611, 621, 631 corresponding to the restraining projections 612, 622, 632 to facilitate the introduction of the foamed liquid into the plate insertion portions 611, 621, 631. In addition, the constraining protrusions 612 , 622 , and 632 are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of holes 614 , 624 and 634 , thereby facilitating molding of the constraining protrusions 612 , 622 , 632 during injection molding.

In addition, heater grooves 613 , 623 , and 633 are formed in the support frame 60 to correspond to the arrangement of the heater 59 , so that the heater 59 can be mounted thereon.

The entire width of the support frame 60 is formed to be covered by the bezel 5411 on which the panel assembly 54 is provided. In addition, it may be formed to extend to the outer end of the heat insulation panel 542 .

Hereinafter, each configuration constituting the support frame will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

18 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the upper portion of the support frame. And, Figure 19 is a perspective view of the upper frame constituting the support frame.

As shown in the drawings, the upper frame 61 forms an upper portion of the support frame 60 . Both ends of the upper frame 61 are bent downward, and may be coupled to the upper end of the side frame 62 . To this end, both ends of the upper frame 61 may be opened after being bent downward. In addition, upper hook grooves 615 into which side hooks 625 formed at the upper end of the side frame 62 are inserted may be formed at both ends of the upper frame 61 .

In addition, the upper insertion part 611 may be recessed on one surface of the upper frame 61 in contact with the rear surface of the out plate 55 . The upper insertion part 611 is formed so that a portion forming the upper end of the panel mounting hole 551 of the plate bending part 552 can be inserted.

In this case, the upper insertion part 611 may be formed to have a thickness greater than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruding height of the upper restraining protrusion 612 formed in the upper insertion part 611 . Accordingly, the plate bending part 552 may be inserted into the upper inserting part 611 , and after the insertion, the upper restraining protrusion 612 is inserted into the plate hole 5521 so that the outer plate 55 and the upper part are inserted. Frame 61 may be coupled to each other.

In addition, an upper heater groove 613 is formed on the inner side of the upper insertion part 611 , that is, on the opening side of the support frame 60 , and the upper part of the heater 59 is disposed along the edge of the front panel 541 . to accommodate a part of In addition, an electric wire in/out part 616 is opened at one side of the upper heater groove 613 so that the electric wire L connected to the heater 59 can be in and out.

On the other hand, an upper hole 614 is further formed on the upper inserting part 611 corresponding to the upper restraining protrusion 612 , and a foaming liquid for forming a heat insulator between the upper holes 614 can enter and exit. Thus, the foaming liquid can be completely filled up to the inside of the upper insertion part 611 of the upper frame 61 .

20 is a perspective view of a side frame constituting the support frame as viewed from the front. And, Figure 21 is a perspective view of the side frame constituting the support frame viewed from the rear.

As shown in the drawings, the side frame 62 forms both sides of the support frame 60 . The side frame 62 is formed with a length capable of connecting between the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63 . To this end, side hooks 625 are formed at the upper end and lower end of the side frame 62 . In addition, the side hook 625 may be coupled to the upper hook groove 615 of the upper frame 61 and the lower hook groove 635 of the lower frame 63 .

In addition, at the upper end and lower end of the side frame 62 , side ribs 626 that can be inserted into the upper inserting part 611 of the upper frame 61 and the lower inserting part 631 of the lower frame 63 are provided. can be formed. Accordingly, the side frame 62, the upper frame 61, and the lower frame 63 can maintain a stable coupling state with each other.

In addition, the side insertion part 621 may be recessed on one surface of the side frame 62 in contact with the rear surface of the out plate 55 . The side insertion part 621 is formed so that a portion forming both ends of the panel mounting hole 551 among the plate bending part 552 can be inserted.

In this case, the side insertion part 621 may be formed to have a thickness greater than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruding height of the side restraint protrusion 622 formed on the side insertion part 621 . Accordingly, the plate bent portion 552 may be inserted into the side insertion portion 621 , and after insertion, the side restraint protrusion 622 is inserted into the plate hole 5521 so that the out plate 55 and the side Frame 62 may be coupled to each other.

In addition, a side heater groove 623 is formed further inside the side insertion part 621 to accommodate a side part of the heater 59 disposed along the edge of the front panel 541 .

On the other hand, a side hole 624 is further formed on the side insertion part 621 corresponding to the side restraint protrusion 622, and the foam liquid can enter and exit between the side holes 624, so that the side frame ( 62), the foaming liquid can be filled to the inside of the side insertion part 621 without a gap.

22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a lower portion of the support frame. And, FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a lower frame constituting the support frame.

As shown in the drawings, the lower frame 63 forms a lower portion of the support frame 60 . Both ends of the lower frame 63 are bent upward, and may be coupled to a lower end of the side frame 62 . To this end, both ends of the lower frame 63 may be opened after being bent upward. In addition, lower hook grooves 635 into which side hooks 625 formed at the lower end of the side frame 62 are inserted may be formed at both ends of the lower frame 63 .

In addition, the lower insertion part 631 may be recessed on one surface of the lower frame 63 in contact with the rear surface of the out plate 55 . The lower insertion part 631 is formed so that a portion forming the lower end of the panel mounting hole 551 among the plate bending parts 552 can be inserted.

In this case, the lower inserting part 631 may be formed to have a thickness greater than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruding height of the lower restraining protrusion 632 formed in the lower inserting part 631 . Accordingly, the plate bending part 552 may be inserted into the lower inserting part 631 , and after the insertion, the lower restraining protrusion 632 is inserted into the plate hole 5521 to insert the outer plate 55 and the lower Frame 63 may be coupled to each other.

Further, a lower heater groove 633 is formed inside the lower insertion part 631 to accommodate a lower end of the heaters 59 disposed along the edge of the front panel 541 .

On the other hand, a lower hole 634 is further formed on the lower insertion part 631 corresponding to the lower constraining protrusion 632, and the foam liquid can enter and exit between the lower holes 634, so that the lower frame ( 63), the foaming liquid is filled to the inside of the lower insertion part 631, and a heat insulating material can be formed.

In addition, a detection device hole 636 through which a knock detection device 82, which will be described in detail below, is exposed is formed at one side of the lower frame 63 . Accordingly, the knock detection device 82 is provided at the rear of the lower frame 63 and can be in close contact with the rear surface of the front panel 541 through the detection device hole 636 .

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view 24-24' of FIG. 12 . And, Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view 25-25' of Fig. 12 . And, Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view 26-26' of Figure 12. And, FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view 27-27' of FIG. 12 .

Referring to these drawings, the upper frame 61 , the side frame 62 , and the lower frame 63 are all attached to the protruding edge of the front panel 541 . The upper frame 61 , the side frame 62 , and the lower frame 63 may be attached to the rear surface of the front panel 541 on which the bezel 5411 is formed using an adhesive sheet 5412 or an adhesive.

In addition, ends of the upper frame 61 , the side frame 62 , and the lower frame 63 may extend to the outer end of the heat insulation panel 542 , and the upper frame 61 and the side frame 62 . In addition, an upper heater groove 613 , a side heater groove 623 , and a lower heater groove 633 are formed at the end of the lower frame 63 , so that the temperature of the rear surface is relatively lower than that of the front edge of the front panel 541 . will heat up An aluminum sheet 5413 having a predetermined width may be disposed between the heater 59 and the front panel 541 . Accordingly, when the heater 59 generates heat, the area in which the bezel 5411 of the front panel 541 is formed can be uniformly heated.

In addition, the upper inserting part 611, the side inserting part 621, and the lower inserting part of the upper frame 61, the side frame 62, and the lower frame 63 attached to the front panel 541. At 631 , the plate bent part 552 of the out plate 55 is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 24 , the plate bent part 552 is in close contact with the front panel 541 while being inserted into the side insertion part 621 . And the plate hole 5521 of the plate bending part 552 is engaged with the side restraining protrusion 622 so that the out plate 55 and the side frame 62 can be fixedly coupled. That is, the front panel 541 may be positioned in an area formed by the plate bent part 552 .

In addition, the foaming liquid may be introduced into the side insertion part 621 through the side hole 624, and the flowing foaming liquid pushes the plate bent part 552 toward the front panel 541 to make it closely contact. do.

Due to this structure, the plate bent portion 552 formed on the out plate 55 can be in close contact with the outer end of the front panel 541 . Accordingly, when viewed from the front, a gap between the end of the out plate 55 forming the panel mounting hole 551 and the outer end of the front panel 541 may be minimized.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 24 , looking at the structure of the side frame 62 , which is one configuration of the support frame, once again, the side frame 62 is formed on the inner surface of the side insertion part 621 by the plate bending part ( A first surface for supporting and in contact with 522 is formed, a second surface for supporting the rear surface of the front panel 541 is formed, and a third surface for supporting the rear surface of the out plate 55 is formed. In addition, it can be seen that the second surface and the third surface are arranged parallel to each other, and the first surface and the second surface are arranged to cross each other. The terms of the first side and the third side are interchangeable with each other.

The second surface may be positioned between the interstitial rod and the plate bent part 522 . The second surface may be disposed at a position corresponding to the bezel 5411 of the front panel 541 . The plate bent part 522 may be positioned between the first surface and the second surface.

The front panel 541 and the heat insulation panel may be arranged in the first direction. The front panel 541 may include a front surface, a rear surface, and a side connecting the front surface and the rear surface.

A length of the plate bent portion 522 in the first direction is longer than a length of the front panel 541 in the first direction.

In the present embodiment, the portion including the second surface of the side frame 62 may be referred to as a first portion, and the portion including the third surface may be referred to as a second portion. A portion including the hole 624 may be referred to as a third portion.

Referring to the drawings, the first portion of the side frame 62 corresponds to the rear surface of the front panel 541 , and the second portion corresponds to one surface of the out plate 55 . For example, one surface of the out plate 55 may be a rear surface, and the second portion may be in contact with the rear surface of the out plate 55 .

The first portion of the side frame 62 may be located closer to the storage space than the second portion. The plate insertion part 611 may be positioned between the first part and the second part. The first part may be in contact with the bezel 5411 of the front panel 541, for example.

A third portion of the side frame 62 may be disposed to face the rear surface of the out plate 55 . The first portion and the third portion are offset with respect to the front-rear direction of the door. That is, the first part and the third part may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.

The outer plate 55 , the door liner 58 , and the panel assembly 54 may form an insulating space in which a foaming liquid for forming an insulating material is filled. The support frame 60 may be located in the insulating space.

The insulating material may be in contact with the side frame 62 . For example, the insulator may contact the first to third portions.

In such a structure, not only the side frame 62 but also the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63 are the same, and detailed description thereof will be omitted to prevent duplication of description.

28 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling structure of the knock detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front. And, Figure 29 is an exploded perspective view seen from the rear of the coupling structure of the knock detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, a sensor opening 584 into which the knock detection device 82 can be inserted is formed in the lower portion of the door liner 58 . The sensor opening 584 is formed so that the knock detection device 82 can be inserted and mounted from the outside. In addition, it is formed in a shape corresponding to the insert cover 585 on which the detection device PCB 83 for processing the knock detection signal of the knock detection device 82 is mounted so that it can be shielded by the insert cover 585 . is formed

An outer surface of the insert cover 585 has the same shape as an outer surface of the door liner 58 in a mounted state. Accordingly, the insert cover 585 is mounted at a position through which the liner groove 582 formed in the door liner 58 passes, and thus the insert cover 585 has a cover groove 5854 connected to the liner groove 582 . ) is formed. Accordingly, the sub gasket 591 may be mounted to pass through the liner groove 582 and the cover groove 5854 .

A sensing device receiving portion 586 may be formed along the periphery of the sensor opening 584 . The sensing device accommodating part 586 forms a part of a space accommodating the knock sensing device 82, is formed to extend toward the out plate 55, and is coupled to the receiving part case 587 to form the knock sensing device ( 82) forms a space to be accommodated.

The accommodating part case 587 is coupled to the front end of the sensing device accommodating part 586 to form the remaining space for accommodating the knock sensing device 82 . In addition, the case coupling parts 5871 to which screws are fastened are formed at both ends of the accommodating part case 587 so that the accommodating part case 587 can be coupled and fixed to the sensing device accommodating part 586 .

In addition, the receiving part case 587 is formed with a detection device insertion part 5872 into which the front end of the knock detection device 82 is inserted. In addition, an insertion hole 5873 is opened at the front of the sensing device insertion unit 5872 , and the sensing device insertion unit 5872 is inserted into the sensing device hole 636 of the lower frame 63 . Accordingly, the front of the knock detection device 82 inserted inside the detection device insertion part 5872 passes the insertion part hole 5873 and the detection device hole 636 and the rear surface of the front panel 541 . can be adhered to.

The end of the sensing device accommodating part 586 and the end of the accommodating part case 587, which are in contact with each other, are formed in a structure having a corresponding inclination to each other so that they can be coupled to each other with directionality. In addition, the space in which the knock detection device 82 and the detection device PCB 83 can be mounted is provided by the combination of the detection device accommodating part 586 and the accommodating part case 587 of the sub-door 50 . formed inside

When the sensing device accommodating part 586 and the accommodating part case 587 are coupled to each other, a space is formed inside the sub-door 50 independent of a space into which the foaming liquid is injected. Accordingly, the user may insert and mount the knock detection device 82 through the sensor opening 584 after foaming the sub door 50 .

Meanwhile, the insert cover 585 may include a cover portion 5851 for shielding the sensor opening 584 and a PCB insertion portion 5852 to which the sensing device PCB 83 is mounted. The cover part 5851 is formed in a shape corresponding to the sensor opening 584 to shield the sensor opening 584 and form a part of the exterior of the door liner 58 . In addition, a screw hole 5853 may be formed at one side of the cover portion 5851 to be fixed to the door liner 58 by a screw.

In addition, the PCB insertion part 5852 is formed to extend from the cover part 5851 and is formed to be inserted into the sensing device accommodating part 586 when the insert cover 585 is mounted. In addition, the cover portion 5851 is formed to correspond to the size of the sensing device PCB 83 , and the insert cover 585 is inserted into the sensor opening 584 while the sensing device PCB 83 is mounted. can be installed. And although not shown in detail, the electric wire L connected to the knock detection device 82 may be connected to the detection device PCB 83 at an adjacent position. Since the detection device PCB 83 may be disposed on the side of the knock detection device 82 , the detection device PCB 83 may be connected to the knock detection device 82 at an adjacent distance.

When a PCB that processes a signal is located at a long distance, there is a problem in that noise generated when a sensed signal moves through a signal line to be processed may increase. However, by arranging the detection device PCB 83 at a position where the knock detection device 82 is mounted, the main controller 2 receives only whether a valid knock-on signal is input. Through this, it is possible to minimize the effect of noise due to the signal line between the main control unit 2 and the sensing device PCB 83 . That is, the main control unit 2 receives a signal with minimized noise through the sensing device PCB 83 . Accordingly, it is possible to secure an accurate recognition rate.

In particular, in the case of the knock detection device 82, the signal output by the microphone 8211 is in mV units, whereas the main control unit 2 that controls the overall operation of the refrigerator basically receives a V unit signal. am. Therefore, it is not preferable for the main control unit 2 to determine whether the knock-on signal is a normal knock-on signal due to the scale difference between the physical signals.

A refrigerator is an electronic device that uses high voltage/high current. Accordingly, the amount of electrical noise generated is relatively large. This means that the mV unit signal output by the microphone 8211 may be more vulnerable to electrical noise.

Accordingly, by arranging the detection device PCB 83 at a position adjacent to the knock detection device 82 , it is possible to significantly reduce noise and thereby improve the recognition rate.

30 is an exploded perspective view of the knock detection device. And, Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the microphone of the knock detection device. And, FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view 32-32' of FIG. 12 . And, FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view 33-33' of FIG. 12 .

Referring to the drawings in detail with respect to the structure of the knock detection device 82 , the knock detection device 82 is a device for detecting a knock operation of the sub door 50 by a user.

The knock detection device 82 includes a microphone module 821 for detecting a knock-on signal, a holder 823 in which the microphone module 821 is accommodated, and the holder 823 and the microphone module 821 on the front side. It may be configured to include an elastic member 824 for pressing and closely contacting the panel 541 , and a support member 825 for supporting the elastic member 824 and the holder 823 .

The microphone module 821 includes a microphone 8211 for directly sensing sound waves and a microphone receiving unit 8212 for accommodating the microphone 8211 . The microphone 8211 directly senses sound waves, is formed in a circular shape having a predetermined thickness, and is fixedly mounted inside the microphone module 821 . One surface of the microphone 8211 may be referred to as a sound wave receiving unit 8213 for receiving sound waves, and the sound wave receiving unit 8213 is disposed to face the opening 8214 of the microphone receiving unit 8212 . A signal line 8216 is connected to the other side of the microphone 8211 , and the signal line 8216 may be connected to the sensing device PCB 83 .

The microphone receiving part 8212 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and is formed to be in close contact with the front panel 541 . To this end, an opening 8214 is formed on one side adjacent to the microphone 8211 mounted inside the microphone accommodating part 8212 in the microphone accommodating part 8212, and a circular protrusion ( 8215) may be formed. In addition, the protrusion 8215 does not tilt in one direction when the microphone receiving part 8212 is in close contact with the front panel 541 and the opened front surface of the opening 403 is in close contact with the front panel 541 as a whole. to maintain the status quo.

A sealed predetermined space may be formed between the opening 8214 in close contact with the protrusion 8215 and the sound wave receiving unit 8213 . Accordingly, the front of the close contact space is sealed by the medium, that is, the front panel 541 . Accordingly, the vibration transmitted through the inside of the medium vibrates the air in the predetermined space, and the sound wave by the vibration may be received by the microphone 8211 .

Due to this sealing, it is possible to minimize the introduction of external noise or vibration into the predetermined space. This can significantly reduce knock-on judgment errors and malfunctions due to external noise, and ensure a very accurate knock-on recognition rate. That is, when a knock-on input is applied, the accuracy of determining that the knock-on input is knock-on can be remarkably increased.

The holder 823 accommodates the microphone module 821 , and a module seating part 8231 opened toward the front panel 541 may be formed. The microphone module 821 may be formed so that at least the protrusion 8215 protrudes more than the front surface of the holder 823 in a state where it is seated on the module seating part 8231 .

In addition, a holder slot 8232 through which the signal line connected to the microphone 8211 enters and exits is formed in the holder 823 . The holder slot 8232 is formed to be opened from one side of the module seating part 8231 .

In addition, a first elastic member fixing part 8233 protruding so that the elastic member 824 is fixedly mounted is formed on the rear surface of the holder 823 . The first elastic member fixing part 8233 may be formed to extend through one end of the coil-shaped elastic member 824 .

Further, on both sides of the holder 823, a holder coupling portion 8234 which is formed in a hook shape and coupled to the support member 825 is formed. The holder 823 is coupled by the holder coupling part 8234 so as not to be detached by the support member 825 . Also, due to the hook shape of the holder coupling part 8234 , the holder 823 is not limited in movement in the direction in which it is inserted into the support member 825 .

The support member 825 is formed to have an open front surface, and is formed so that the holder 823 can be inserted through the open front surface. In addition, a second elastic member fixing part 8251 protruding so that the elastic member 824 is fixedly mounted may be formed inside the holder 823 . The second elastic member fixing part 8251 is positioned on the same extension line as the first elastic member fixing part 8233 and is inserted to penetrate one end of the elastic member 824 .

Therefore, even when the elastic member 824 is compressed to press the holder 823, the elastic member 824 does not buckle and stably press the holder 823 in the direction of the front panel 541. do.

The microphone module 821 is kept in close contact with the front panel 541 by the elastic member 824, and in particular, an impact generated when the main door 40 and the sub door 50 are opened and closed. Alternatively, the position of the microphone module 821 is not changed even by inertia when the main door 40 and the sub-door 50 are rotated, and the microphone module 821 can always maintain a state in close contact with the front panel 541 .

A support member slot 8252 may be formed at one side of the support member 825 . The support member slot 8252 may be formed on the same extension line as the holder slot 8232 . Accordingly, a signal line passing through the holder slot 8232 may pass through the support member slot 8252 to be connected to the sensing device PCB 83 .

A support member fixing part 8254 is formed on the other side of the support member 825 . The support member fixing part 8254 is extended to the outside, and may be fixedly mounted to the sensing device coupling boss 5874 on the receiving part case 587 by a screw. The sensing device coupling boss is formed to be exposed through the sensor opening, so that the knock sensing device can be fixedly mounted through the sensor opening after the sensing device is inserted.

Meanwhile, the knock detection device 82 is positioned at the edge of the front panel 541 , but an effective input part of the user's knock operation is not limited thereto. Due to the nature of the microphone 8211 that detects sound waves by vibration rather than vibration itself, in an environment in close contact with a medium, sound waves are transmitted through the same medium continuously and can be effectively detected no matter where a knock operation is performed. Accordingly, the position of the knock detection device 82 can be arranged at one end that maximizes the arrangement of wires and the visible area of the sub-door 50 . At the same time, even if the user knocks at any point on the front panel 541 , it is possible to sense through the microphone 8211 in close contact with the same medium.

In detail, the area to which the user applies the knock input may be all areas defined by the front surface of the front panel 541 . In addition, most of the front panel 541 except for the edge portion is a see-through area that is substantially selectively transparent, and the knock-on detection device cannot be disposed.

Accordingly, the knock detection device 82 is preferably located in the bezel 5411 area of the front panel 541 . In particular, being positioned at the lower end of the front panel 541 rather than on the left and right sides may be a method to minimize the bezels on the left and right sides and the top of the front panel 541 . The see-through area can be expanded by the shape of the bezel 5411 as described above, and the see-through area can be viewed more widely by the user because it is located at the lower end where the user's gaze does not go relatively much.

The knock detection device 82 is located in the area of the bezel 5411 and is not exposed to the outside, but has a structure in close contact with the front panel 541 , so that the user can select any position of the front panel 541 . Even if it knocks, it becomes possible to detect a user's knock.

Meanwhile, in addition to the knock operation, a very large number of environmental factors that apply vibration to the front surface of the front panel 541 may be generated. The front surface of the panel assembly 54 may vibrate due to impact caused by opening and closing of the main door 40 and the sub door 50, strong external noise, etc. There is also room.

Accordingly, the sensing device PCB 83 may determine that the user taps the front panel assembly 54 multiple times as a normal knock input. More specifically, tapping multiple times at a predetermined time interval may be determined as a normal knock input.

For example, when the user taps the front surface of the panel assembly 54 twice within a predetermined time, it may be determined as a normal knock input. Analyzing the knock pattern of a typical user, it can be seen that the interval between the first knock and the second knock is less than about 600 ms. That is, considering that 1 second (s) is 1000 ms, it is possible to determine that the first knock and the second knock are generated with an interval of less than 1 second as a normal knock input.

Therefore, by setting such a time interval, it is possible to significantly prevent an abnormal input from being mistaken for a knock signal.

Meanwhile, the strength of the knock may vary from user to user. However, since the medium is the same, it can be seen that the deviation of the intensity may be large, but the deviation of the vibration pattern is very small. Accordingly, the knock intensity deviation can be offset through an algorithm, and a normal knock input can be effectively recognized by using the time interval between the knock input pattern and the knock as a factor.

On the contrary, it means that the recognition of an abnormal input as a knock input can be significantly reduced.

On the other hand, a door opening auxiliary device 588 is provided under the door liner 58 . The door opening auxiliary device 588 includes an elastic member accommodating portion 5881 recessed inward of the door liner 58 , the elastic member 824 accommodated in the elastic member accommodating portion 5881 , and the elastic member may consist of a pressing member 5883 supported by 5882 .

The pressing member 5883 is supported by the elastic member 5882 and protrudes from the door liner 58 as shown in FIG. 33 in a state where no external force is applied. Accordingly, when the sub door 50 is closed, the pressing member 5883 comes into contact with the main door 40 to compress the elastic member 5882 . When the user operates the operation button 231 of the handle 23 to open the sub-door 50 while the sub-door 50 is closed, the locking unit 232 and the restraining member 404 The coupling is released, and the sub-door 50 is rotated and opened by the elastic force of the elastic member 5882 .

Hereinafter, the operation of the refrigerator having the above configuration will be described.

34 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of a control signal of the refrigerator. And, FIG. 35 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating the operation of the sub-door of the refrigerator. And, FIG. 36 is a perspective view of the refrigerator before a knock operation. And, FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the refrigerator after a knock operation.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 includes a main controller 2 that controls the operation of the refrigerator, and the main controller 2 may be connected to a door switch 21 . The door switch 21 is provided in the cabinet 10 to detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 20 or the main door 40 , and is provided in the main door 40 to the sub door 50 . It can also detect the opening of

In addition, the main control unit 2 may be connected to the door lighting unit 49 to be turned on when the sub-door 50 is opened or a knock-on signal is input. In addition, the main control unit 2 may be connected to the sensing device PCB 83 connected to the knock sensing device 82 .

On the other hand, the refrigerator 1 may be in a mirror-like state with the panel assembly 54 in an opaque state, as shown in FIG. 36 in a general situation without a separate operation. In such a state, it becomes impossible to see through the inside of the chamber.

And in this state, the knock detection device 82 maintains a state in which a user's manipulation input is possible at any time in an activated state. [S110]

In such a state, when the user performs a knock-on operation to knock on the front of the sub-door 50, that is, the front panel 541, from the front of the refrigerator, the knock detection device ( 82) detects this, and the sensing device PCB 83 determines whether the knock-on operation is a valid operation.

In detail, when the user taps the front panel 541, the wavelength of the vibration generated at this time moves along the front panel 541 of the same medium, and sound waves are emitted from the microphone 8211 in close contact with the front panel 541. will receive

The received sound wave is filtered and amplified as it passes through the filter and amplifier, and is transmitted to the detection device PCB 83, and the detection device PCB 83 determines the knock as a signal collected and analyzed to detect the knock signal. do.

That is, in the case of a sound wave generated by noise or impact inside or outside the box, there is a difference between the sound wave generated by the knock and the characteristics thereof. It is determined whether the user knocks.

Of course, a signal similar to a knock signal may be generated in a specific situation, and an impact similar to a knock may be generated on the front panel 541 due to a user's carelessness or inexperienced operation, and external noise may be similar to the wavelength of the knock signal. It may be recognized as a signal.

In order to prevent erroneous recognition in such a special situation, the sensing device PCB 83 checks whether the knock signal is continuously generated by a set pattern, and determines whether the knock signal is generated within a set time.

For example, in order to be detected as a valid knock-on signal, it may be set that a signal recognized as a knock is generated twice within 1 second. In general, as a result of analyzing the knock pattern of a general user, knocking is performed twice in a row and the time interval is within 1 second. be able to do Of course, the number and set time of the knock signal to be determined as such an effective knock-on signal may be variously changed.

When it is determined that a valid knock-on signal is not generated through the knock detection device 82 , the main controller 2 maintains a standby state without performing a separate control operation.

In addition, when the main door 40 or the sub-door 50 is opened, the knock detection device 82 may be deactivated or an input signal may be ignored to prevent malfunction. [S120]

On the other hand, when a valid knock-on signal is detected and the effective signal is transmitted from the sensing device PCB 83 to the main controller 2 , the main controller 2 turns on the door lighting unit 49 .

When the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, the inside of the opening 403 is brightened, and the light inside the cabinet passes through the panel assembly 54 . In particular, as it passes through the front panel 541 , the front panel 541 becomes transparent, so that the inside can be seen through as shown in FIG. 37 .

When the sub-door 50 becomes transparent, the user can check the storage space or the storage space inside the main door 40, and open the sub-door 50 to accommodate food or perform a necessary operation. [S130]

The lit door lighting unit 49 maintains the lit state for a set period of time, for example, 10 seconds, so that the user can sufficiently check the state of the interior of the refrigerator.

Then, it is determined whether a set time has elapsed while the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, and when the set time has elapsed, the door lighting unit 49 is turned off. [S140]

In addition, a valid knock-on operation signal may be input by the user before a set time elapses while the door lighting unit 49 is turned on.

That is, when the user performs a knock-on operation to check the interior of the refrigerator and no separate operation is required after checking the interior of the refrigerator, the door lighting unit 49 may be turned off before the set time elapses.

For example, if the user wants to make the sub-door 50 opaque within 5 seconds after the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, after confirming the storage state in the refrigerator, the A knock operation is performed on the front side, that is, the front panel 541 .

If it is determined that the knock operation at this time is valid, the door lighting unit 49 may be turned off before a set time elapses. Of course, the validity determination of the knock operation at this time may be set the same as in [S120], or may be set to a different knock input pattern if necessary. [S150]

When a set time elapses or a valid knock-on signal is input after the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, the door lighting unit 49 may be turned off.

When the door lighting unit 49 is turned off, the inside of the cabinet becomes dark, and the outside of the door becomes bright. In this state, the light outside the high is reflected from the front panel 541, so that the front of the sub-door 50 is in a mirror-like state, making it impossible to see the inside. Accordingly, the sub-door 50 maintains an opaque state until a new manipulation is input. [S160]

Claims (11)

a cabinet forming a storage space and having a main control unit;
a main door rotatably coupled to the cabinet by a main door hinge to open and close the storage space and having an opening;
a main hinge cover covering the main door hinge; and
and a sub-door that is rotatable with respect to the main door by a sub-door hinge and opens and closes the opening;
The sub-door comprises: a door frame having an opening;
a panel assembly covering the opening and having a front panel through which light can pass;
and a sensing device for detecting a user's input signal applied to the front panel,
The sensing device and the main control unit are connected by an electric wire,
The main hinge cover includes a connection hole positioned on the same line as a hinge axis of the main door hinge,
The electric wire passes through the hinge shaft of the sub-door hinge in the sub-door and is drawn out of the sub-door,
The electric wire drawn out of the sub-door is guided toward the main controller by the main hinge cover after passing through the connection hole of the main hinge cover. The method of claim 1,
The main hinge cover includes an extension portion extending in a hinge axis direction of the main door hinge;
A refrigerator formed at an end of the extension part and including a main connection part provided with the connection part hole. 3. The method of claim 2,
The main connection part is formed to be stepped downward from the end of the extension part. 4. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
The refrigerator further comprising a sub hinge cover covering the sub door hinge and guiding the electric wire toward the connection hole side. 5. The method of claim 4,
The sub hinge cover further includes a sub connection part extending toward the main door and positioned above the main connection part,
A refrigerator in which a lower surface of the sub connection part is opened. 5. The method of claim 4,
The electric wire includes a first part connected to the sensing device and drawn out of the sub-door;
and a second part connected to the main control unit and guided toward the first part by the main hinge cover,
A sub connector is connected to the first part,
A main connector is connected to the second part,
The main connector is connected to the sub-connector. 7. The method of claim 6,
The second part passes through the connection hole, and the sub-hinge cover covers the main connector and the sub-connector in a state in which the main connector is connected to the sub-connector. The method of claim 1,
The main door hinge includes an upper hinge and a lower hinge, and the main hinge cover covers the upper hinge. 9. The method according to claim 1 or 8,
The sub-door hinge includes a sub-upper hinge and a sub-lower hinge,
The electric wire passes through a hinge axis of the sub-upper hinge. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a lighting unit for illuminating the storage space,
On the basis of the sensing device detecting a user input signal input to the front panel, the lighting unit is turned on,
When the lighting unit is turned on in a state in which the main door and the sub-door are closed, the inside of the storage space can be viewed from the outside by the front panel. The method of claim 1,
a lighting unit for illuminating the opening of the main door;
Further comprising a storage case or shelf provided in the main door,
On the basis of the sensing device detecting a user input signal input to the front panel, the lighting unit is turned on,
When the lighting unit is turned on while the main door and the sub-door are closed, the storage case or the shelf can be viewed from the outside by the front panel.

Images