KR20180013125A - Outplate for home appliance and method for manufacturing thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an outer plate for a home appliance and a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, as a through hole enabling light emitted from a light source such as a light emitting element mounted on a rear surface to be penetrated is not exposed to the outside when turning off the light emitting element by a film layer attached to a front surface of a metal layer, luxury and an aesthetic with respect to appearance of a home appliance can be improved in the outer plate for a home appliance.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION [0002] OUTPLATE FOR HOME APPLIANCE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THEREOF [0003]

The present invention relates to an outer member for a home appliance and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an outer member for an appliance for preventing the display unit for displaying operation information of the appliance from being exposed to the outside when the operation information is not displayed And a method for producing the same.

Generally, household appliances are provided with a display assembly for indicating the operating state of household appliances. The display assembly may display various information according to the operation of the household appliance in the form of numbers, letters, symbols, or pictures. Accordingly, the user can check the information output through the display assembly to determine the operating state of the home appliance, and perform operations for operating the home appliance.

In recent household appliances, an exterior member made of a metal material is used to make the appearance more luxurious, or an exterior member made of a material coated with a steel material such as steel to make the exterior appearance is used. So that the operation of the appliance can be indicated.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2014-0121753 discloses a refrigerator having a display unit on a rear surface of a front surface of a metal material of a refrigerator door and a display unit of the display unit through a plurality of through- A refrigerator having a structure is disclosed. The through holes are formed through etching or laser drilling so as to be formed into a minute size.

However, even if the hole is processed to a small size, the through hole can be identified to the outside, and in particular, when the display portion is viewed closely, the through hole where light does not pass through is visible.

Particularly, even if a hole is machined with a small size, a variation in hole size may occur, and there is a problem that user's dissatisfaction may be caused due to the deviation of the hole size.

Further, even if the hole filling process is performed inside the through hole, a concavo-convex shape may be formed on the front surface portion, so that there is a problem that foreign substances may be adhered or contaminated.

According to the technical background described above, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of through holes passing through a metal layer are disposed on an exterior member used for a front panel which realizes a front appearance of a home appliance, The present invention provides an exterior member for an electric appliance in which a through hole disposed in a metal layer when the light emitting element is turned off is not exposed to the outside by attaching a film layer that realizes a texture, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Further, the present invention adopts a structure of a through hole that can reduce the effects of process errors and deviations when forming a through hole in a metal layer, thereby improving the quality of operation information displayed through the through hole at the time of lighting the light emitting element It is an object of the present invention to provide an exterior member for a home appliance and a manufacturing method thereof.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising: a film layer for realizing color or texture of a front surface of an electronic appliance; a display assembly attached to a rear surface of the film layer, There is provided an exterior member for household appliances including a metal layer to be covered.

At this time, the metal layer passes through the metal layer in a predetermined region corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the display assembly, and the width of the front opening formed on the front surface of the metal layer is smaller than the width of the rear opening formed on the rear surface of the metal layer And a light-permeable ink layer filling the through-hole and the through-hole.

The through hole passing through the metal layer is provided so that the width of the front opening is smaller than the width of the rear opening so that the front opening and the rear opening of the through hole do not exactly coincide with each other, Or light can be prevented from being emitted irregularly.

The through hole passing through the metal layer has a tapered shape or a stepped shape in which the width becomes narrower from the back surface to the front side of the metal layer, for example, so that the light permeable ink layer is less affected by the viscosity of the ink upon filling of the through hole. It can be effectively filled without forming an empty space in the through hole.

In one embodiment, the ink layer may be printed so as to protrude from the rear opening of the through hole by a predetermined height. Further, in another embodiment, the ink layer may be printed so as to cover some of the rear surface of the metal layer while filling the through holes.

As described above, since the ink layer is provided to protrude at least from the rear opening of the through hole, it is possible to prevent the light transmission quality from being degraded by the incompletely filled ink layer in the through hole, It is possible to perform a guiding function of the light.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a through hole in a metal layer by spraying an etchant onto a back surface of a metal layer to reduce influences of process errors and deviations in forming a through hole in the metal layer; And forming a plurality of through holes having a width smaller than the width of the rear opening formed on the rear surface of the metal layer.

At this time, by adjusting the injection density, injection speed, injection time, etc. of the etching liquid sprayed to the rear surface of the metal layer, the through holes passing through the metal layer are formed in a tapered or stepped shape .

According to the present invention, a front surface of a metal layer covering a display assembly in which a plurality of light emitting elements are disposed is covered by a film layer that implements the color or texture of the front surface of the appliance. Here, a plurality of through-holes (particularly, the front openings of the through-holes) arranged in a predetermined region of the metal layer for transmitting the light emitted from the light-emitting element can be covered by the film layer.

Accordingly, the light emitted from the light emitting element when the light emitting element is turned on sequentially transmits the ink layer filling the through hole and the film layer, thereby displaying the operation information of the household appliance on the front face of the home appliance. However, The front opening of the hole is not exposed to the outside. This makes it possible to realize the appearance of a more luxurious and aesthetic consumer electronics product.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the damage of the film layer adhered to the entire surface of the metal layer by using an etching solution of a ferric chloride component that selectively reacts with the metal layer in the etching process for forming the through hole in the metal layer. Accordingly, there is an advantage that it is possible to carry out the process of directly forming the through hole in the metal layer to which the film layer is adhered without forming the through hole in the metal layer and then attaching the film layer thereon.

In general, a metal layer for use as an external member for household appliances is provided with a film layer on the front side and a back coating layer on the rear side in order to prevent contamination such as corrosion of the metal layer. At this time, when the etching process for forming the through holes from the back surface of the metal layer is performed, the position where the through holes are formed in the back coating layer is marked, so that there is no need to perform an operation such as a separate film laminating process or development. Accordingly, manufacturing cost can be lowered by improving workability and productivity.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door in a state in which the display unit shown in Fig. 1 is lighted.
Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the display portion of the refrigerator door shown in Fig. 1 is turned off (a) and turned on (b).
4 is a rear view of the refrigerator door shown in Fig.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of the display assembly in the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the front panel of the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 2; FIG.
7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a combined structure of a touch sensor assembly, a display cover, a display assembly, a frame display, and a frame according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator door taken along the cutting line 12-12 'of FIG. 2, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area A of FIG.
10 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a relationship between an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance, a display cover, and a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the cutting line 8-8 'of FIG. 4, and FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross- (Front panel) according to the present invention.
Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an ink layer is filled in an exterior member (front panel) for a home appliance shown in Fig. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. (Front panel) for a household appliance shown in the figure is a sectional view showing a state in which the ink layer is filled.
16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a display cover and a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention are combined.
17 to 19 are sectional views showing a state where an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance, a display cover, and a display assembly according to various embodiments of the present invention are combined.
20 is an exploded perspective view of an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figs. 21 and 22 are cross-sectional views of the film layer of Fig.
23 and 24 show a procedure of a method of manufacturing an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figs. 25 to 27 show steps of printing an ink layer on through-holes formed in the metal layer.
28 is an enlarged view showing the relationship between the mesh of the plate making used in printing the ink layer and the through holes formed in the metal layer.
29 and 30 show a procedure of a method for manufacturing an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.
31 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
32 is an exploded perspective view of a washing machine using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
33 is an exploded perspective view of a dishwasher using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.
34 is an exploded perspective view of a cooking appliance using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is to be understood that the exterior member for household appliances here is a member which forms the appearance of the appliance and has the same meaning as the front panel. Therefore, in the following description, an exterior member for household appliances and a front panel may be used in combination to describe the present invention as needed, but this should be understood to refer to the same member as merely for convenience of explanation.

Further, the steel sheet in the present application is a metal sheet which provides rigidity to an outer member for household appliances, hereinafter referred to as a steel sheet or a metal sheet. However, the steel sheet may be referred to as a VCM steel sheet or a PCM steel sheet in which a film layer is attached to the entire surface of the metal sheet.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, It is provided to inform.

In addition, although various embodiments of the exterior member for household appliances disclosed below will be described as being mounted on a door of a refrigerator for convenience of explanation and understanding, the present invention can be applied to a variety of appliances Applicable to home appliances.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 is formed by a cabinet forming a storage space and a refrigerator door 10 which is installed in a cabinet and opens and closes a storage space therein. Here, the refrigerator door 10 is provided using an exterior member that realizes the color or texture of the exterior of the refrigerator 1. [

The internal storage space may be divided into left and right sides and / or upper and lower portions as necessary. A plurality of refrigerator doors 10 may be provided on the opened front of the storage space to open and close the respective spaces. The refrigerator door 10 is configured to open and close the storage space by sliding or rotating, and is configured to form the front surface of the refrigerator 1 in a closed state.

One of the refrigerator doors 10 on one side of the refrigerator doors 10 is provided with the display portion 11 and the touch operation portion 12 at a height that facilitates user's operation and identification.

The display unit 11 is an area for externally showing the operating state of the refrigerator 1 (for example, temperature, humidity, operation mode, etc.). The display unit 11 transmits light radiated from the inside to the outside of the refrigerator door 10 and is displayed in symbols or numbers so that the user can check the operating state of the refrigerator through the information displayed on the display unit 11 do.

In addition, according to the present invention, when no light is irradiated from the inside to the outside of the refrigerator door 10, the display portion 11 does not appear outside as shown in Fig. That is, when the display section 11 does not need to display an arbitrary operating state, the display section 11 is not observed with the naked eye. Therefore, the refrigerator door 10 has an appearance that can be felt as if the refrigerator 1 is not provided with an arbitrary structure for displaying the operating state of the refrigerator 1, like the display unit 11.

The touch operation unit 12 is a touch operation, a switch operation, or a button operation for the user to check the operation state of the refrigerator 1 or to change the operation mode or the like.

The touch operation portion 12 is provided in a part of the front surface of the refrigerator door 10 and the portion where the pressing operation can be sensed can be printed or displayed by a method such as surface processing such as etching.

The touch operation unit 12 may be provided in the refrigerator door 10 other than the refrigerator door 10 in which the display unit 11 of the plurality of refrigerator doors 10 is provided, May be provided on one side of the cabinet.

The touch operation section 12 may be provided so as not to be visually observed when light is not radiated outward from the inside of the refrigerator door 10 like the display section 11. [

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door in a state in which the display unit shown in FIG. 1 is lit, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a display unit of the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 1 is turned off (a) and turned on (b).

Referring to FIG. 2, the refrigerator door 10 is entirely formed with a front surface by an exterior member 20.

The refrigerator door 10 includes an exterior member 20 forming a front surface (color, texture, etc.), a door liner 30 forming a rear exterior appearance, and a decor member (not shown) provided at the upper and lower ends of the refrigerator door 10 40, and 43, the overall appearance is formed.

More specifically, the exterior member 20 forms the front surface of the refrigerator door 10, and may further include the entire front surface of the refrigerator door 10 as well as a side surface portion of the refrigerator door 10. A front panel for forming the sheathing member 20 may be subjected to a fingerprint prevention process, a specific pattern or pattern may be expressed, and a hairline may be formed to have a metal texture.

The display portion 11 may be defined by a plurality of through holes 21 formed in a part of the exterior member 20. The display unit 11 may be composed of a set of a plurality of through holes 21 punctured in a predetermined arrangement so as to represent letters, numbers, figures or symbols (hereinafter referred to as "segments"). For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the set of the plurality of through holes 21 may be arranged in the shape of the number "4" And may be arranged to represent a specific symbol, a shape of a pattern, or a character.

The display portion 11 is configured so that the light emitted from the inside of the exterior member 20 toward the outside is transmitted through the through hole 21 to display the above-described segment.

The plurality of through holes 21 constitute one unit set, and one unit set including the plurality of through holes 21 may be formed into a single segment, or a plurality of unit sets may be formed into a single segment (for example, , And a set of four units shapes each side of the rectangle).

The light emitting device mounted inside the sheathing member 20 emits light through a plurality of through holes 21 constituting one unit set by irradiating light toward a unit set of through holes 21 corresponding thereto. . At least one light emitting element disposed inside the sheathing member 20 may be disposed at a position corresponding to one unit set of the plurality of through holes 21. [ As the number of the light emitting elements disposed per one unit set increases, the brightness of the segment displayed by lighting of the light emitting element may be improved.

In addition, when one unit set made up of the plurality of through holes 21 forms one segment as a whole, the number of the light emitting elements arranged per one unit set is arranged in plural to realize a sufficient brightness of the segments Lt; / RTI > However, when a plurality of unit sets form one segment (for example, four unit sets form each side of a rectangle), an area occupied by one segment is a unit set that forms one segment as a whole The number of the light emitting elements arranged per one unit set may be sufficient.

The through hole 21 is etched at the back of the sheathing member 20 so that the open front (i.e., the front opening) of the through hole 21 is formed by the film layer forming the surface of the sheathing member 20 Shielded.

Here, the film layer has light transmittance while realizing the color or texture of the front surface of the refrigerator 1. Therefore, in the state where the light emitting element mounted inside the sheathing member 20 is turned off, the inside of the sheathing member 20 is relatively darker than the outside, so that the through hole 21 is obscured. In particular, if the hue of the film layer is somewhat darker or if the film layer comprises a metal foil layer, the through hole 21 can be effectively covered.

3 (a), the through hole 21 forming the display portion 11 at the time of turning off the light emitting element is not visually observed from the outside. Therefore, the exterior member 20 has an appearance that allows the exterior member 20 to feel that the through hole 21 does not exist.

In this state, when the user touches the touch operation section 12 or the light emitting element mounted inside the exterior member 20 is turned on by an operation that has been set in advance, the light emitted from the light emitting element passes through the through hole 21 and is discharged to the outside.

At this time, the segments arranged on the upper part of the light-emitting elements which are lit up according to the selective lighting and the light-off of the light-emitting elements are displayed, and the segments arranged on the upper part of the light-

For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), information according to a set of segments such as 4, -12 ° C can be displayed by selectively turning on and off the light emitting device. That is, a beautiful effect that only a specific segment is displayed on the refrigerator door 10 in a state where a separate display is not visible on the front surface of the refrigerator door 10 can be obtained.

4 is a rear view of the refrigerator door shown in Fig.

As shown in FIG. 4, the exterior member 20 may be formed in a plate-like shape and may be bent so as to implement at least part of the side surface of the refrigerator door 10. [ Further, since the exterior member 20 forms the appearance of the refrigerator door 10, it is preferable that the exterior member 20 is formed to have such a thickness that a sufficient strength can be ensured. The front surface of the exterior member 20 is provided with a film layer for realizing the color or texture of the exterior of the appliance and the rear surface of the exterior member 20 shows the overall shape of the refrigerator door 10, A steel plate that provides rigidity is located. The back surface of the steel sheet may be provided with a back coating layer 232 to prevent contamination such as corrosion of the steel sheet.

The display portion 11 of the exterior member 20 is provided with a plurality of through holes 21 and the empty space formed by the through holes 21 is filled with the ink layer 22. [ The ink layer 22 may be formed on the rear surface of the front surface of the exterior member 20 corresponding to the display portion 11 by a screen printing method or the like. If the back coating layer 232 is provided on the rear surface of the exterior member 20, the back coating layer 232 is removed only in a region corresponding to the display portion 11, Layer 22 may be printed.

The ink layer 22 may be printed so as to fill only the empty space formed by the through holes 21, but is preferably printed so as to protrude from the rear opening of the through holes 21 by a predetermined height. 4, the ink layer 22 may be provided to cover a part of the rear surface of the covering member 20 at the same time as filling the through-hole 21. [

That is, the ink layer 22 protrudes from the rear opening of the through hole 21 by a predetermined height or protrudes from the rear opening by a predetermined height, and at the same time covers a part of the rear surface of the exterior member 20, It is possible to prevent the layer 22 from being incompletely filled in the through hole 21. [

Particularly, even if the inner circumferential surface or the rear surface opening of the through hole 21 is not smoothly etched in the etching process for forming the through hole 21, since the ink layer 22 can be filled, the through hole 21 Can be prevented from being deteriorated by the ink layer 22 that imperfectly fills the ink layer 22.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the mounting structure of the display assembly in the refrigerator door shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the front panel of the refrigerator door shown in FIG.

5 and 6, the door liner 30 forming the rear surface of the refrigerator door 10 is coupled with the exterior member 20 and forms a surface facing inward of the storage space. The door liner 30 is injection molded from a plastic material and can provide a structure in which a gasket can be placed along the periphery, or a basket or the like can be mounted. The door liner 30 forms a space between the door liner 30 and the sheathing member 20 when the door liner 30 is coupled with the sheathing member 20 and a foam member for forming the heat insulating material 24 is filled in the space .

The frame 100 may be attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 20. The frame 100 provides a separate space inside the refrigerator door 10 where the foam liquid is not filled and the display cover 200, the display assembly 300, the touch sensor assembly 500, and the frame display 400, And the like.

The deco members 40 and 43 form the upper and lower outer surfaces of the refrigerator door 10 and the upper and lower or upper and lower ends of the refrigerator door 10, So as to shield the inner space of the refrigerator door (10).

The decor member 40 at the upper end of the refrigerator door 10 among the decor members 40 and 43 is provided with an insertion port 41 and an insertion port cover 42 for opening and closing the insertion port 41. The insertion port 41 penetrates through the decor member 40 and communicates with the space formed by the frame 100. The display assembly 300 can be inserted into the frame 100 through the insertion port 41 while being coupled to the frame display 400 when the refrigerator door 10 is assembled. For this purpose, the insertion port 41 is formed to have a size allowing the frame display 400 to pass therethrough, and may be positioned vertically above the display cover 200.

On the other hand, a hinge hole is formed on one side of the decor member 40, on which a hinge serving as a rotation axis of the refrigerator door 10 is mounted. An electric wire guided to the inside of the frame 100 through a hinge hole is inserted to supply electric power to the electronic parts disposed inside the frame 10 or to transmit and receive operation signals.

The deco member 43 under the refrigerator door 10 may be provided with a door handle 44. The door handle 44 is recessed in the form of a pocket so that the refrigerator door 10 can be rotated. The decor member 43 under the refrigerator door 10 is further provided with a lever 45 for opening and closing the refrigerator door 10 and the latch assembly 31 is driven by the operation of the lever 45 So that the refrigerator door 10 can be opened or closed.

A display cover 200 is attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 20. The display cover 200 is for guiding the mounting of the display assembly 300 on which the plurality of light emitting devices are mounted and may be attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 20 by the adhesive layer 25. [ A touch sensor assembly 500 is mounted on one side of the display cover 200 to detect a pressing operation of the user's exterior member 20. [ The display cover 200 has a structure that can be attached to the exterior member 20 while being coupled with the touch sensor assembly 500.

In addition, the display assembly 300 is inserted into the space inside the frame 100 through the insertion port 41 while being mounted on the frame display 400. [ The display assembly 300 is positioned inside the display cover 200 while the frame display 400 is fully inserted and the light emitted by the lighting of the light emitting element passes through the display cover 200 and the display unit 11 Passes through the hole (21) and is discharged to the outside.

7 is an exploded perspective view showing a combined structure of the touch sensor assembly, the display cover, the display assembly, the frame display, and the frame.

Referring to FIG. 7, the frame 100 is formed such that the front surface and the upper surface thereof are opened, and forms a space 110 having an opened top surface when attached to the case member 20. To this end, the periphery of the frame 100 except for the upper end thereof is bent toward the sheathing member 20, and the ends thereof are bent outward to form the frame bonding portion 120. The frame adhesive portion 120 is provided with a double-sided tape or an adhesive so that the frame 100 can be attached to the back surface of the sheathing member 20.

The frame 100 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the decorative member 40 with the upper end thereof attached to the exterior member 20. [ The opened upper surface of the frame 100 can communicate with the insertion port 41 and forms a separate space inside the refrigerator door 10. [ Accordingly, even when the foamed liquid for forming the heat insulating material 24 is injected into the interior of the refrigerator door 10, the foamed liquid does not flow into the space inside the frame 100.

In addition, on both sides of the upper portion of the frame 100, a plate supporting portion 140 on which the support plate 141 is mounted is provided. The support plate 141 is installed on the upper portion of the display cover 200 in a state where the display cover 200 is mounted to support the exterior member 20 from the rear. As a result, the shape of the sheathing member 20 can be prevented from being deformed by an external impact or the like.

An electric wire entry / exit port 150 is provided at the upper side of the frame 100. The wire entrance 150 forms a passage through which electric wires connecting the electronic parts provided inside the frame 100 and the power supply unit on the cabinet enter and exit. The wire entrance 150 may be formed adjacent to the hinge of the refrigerator door 10 and adjacent the hinge hole of the refrigerator door 10.

On both left and right sides of the frame 100, a restricting groove 160 is provided. The restricting groove 160 is provided to insert the restricting portion 230 protruded from both ends of the display cover 200.

A cover supporting portion 170 for supporting the display cover 200 is provided at a position where the display cover 200 is positioned below the restraining groove 160. [ The cover supporting portion 170 protrudes from both left and right sides of the frame 100 to support both side ends of the display cover 200 from behind.

The display cover 200 is formed of a plate-shaped plastic material and is provided so as to be received in the frame 100 in a state of being attached to the exterior member 20. A restricting portion 230 protruding outwardly and inserted into the restricting groove 160 is provided at the upper portions of both ends of the display cover 200. The display cover 200 further includes a receiving portion 210 to which the touch sensor assembly 500 is mounted.

The display cover 200 includes a plurality of guide holes 220 at positions corresponding to the display portion 11. The guide hole 220 is provided at a position corresponding to the through hole 21 when the display cover 200 is attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 20. That is, the display cover 200 penetrates the display cover 200 in a predetermined area corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the display assembly 300, and transmits the light emitted from the light emitting element through the exterior member 20 A plurality of guide holes 220 for guiding a hole 21 or a unit set (segment) composed of a plurality of through holes 21 are arranged.

The guide hole 220 communicates the light emitting element and the through hole 21 so as to guide the light emitted from the at least one light emitting element disposed in the display assembly 300 into a segment and the guide hole 220 communicates with the light emitting element corresponding to the segment Or the like.

The display assembly 300 includes a substrate 310 on which a plurality of light emitting devices are mounted and a reflector 320 disposed on a front surface of the substrate 310. The substrate 310 includes a control unit for driving a plurality of light emitting devices, and a sensor control unit for driving the touch sensor assembly 500 is mounted. The sensor control unit processes an operation signal of the exterior member 20 sensed through the touch sensor assembly 500 on the substrate 310. To this end, the sensor package (not shown) inside the touch sensor assembly 500 and the substrate 310 are connected to each other through connection means such as a cable connector 600 or the like.

The cable connector 600 includes a first cable connector 610 connected to the sensor package inside the touch sensor assembly 500 and a second cable connector 620 connected to the board 310. The first cable connector 610 and the second cable connector 620 may be connected to each other. The first cable connector 610 and the second cable connector 620 may be connected to each other on the outside of the refrigerator door 10 in the process of mounting the display assembly 300 on the refrigerator door 10. The overall length of the cable connector 600 is formed to be longer than the distance from the touch sensor assembly 500 to the insertion port 41 so that the length of the insertion hole 41 is increased in a state where the touch sensor assembly 500 is mounted on the display cover 200. [ So that the display assembly 300 can be mounted.

A reflector 320 is provided on the front surface of the substrate 310 to guide the light emitted from the light emitting element toward the guide hole 220 of the display cover 200 and the through hole 21 of the exterior member 20. The reflector 320 not only guides the light emitted from the light emitting device but also allows the substrate 310 and the display terminal 311 to be separated from the sheathing member 20 by the thickness of the reflector 320 itself. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the various electronic components mounted on the substrate 310 and the substrate 310 from being damaged by the static electricity generated from the outside.

Particularly, when the exterior member 20 is formed of stainless steel and the display assembly 300 is disposed adjacent to the display unit 11, static electricity can easily occur during use of the household appliance. Therefore, when the substrate 310 and the exterior member 20 are structurally separated from each other by the reflector 320, the substrate 310 can be protected. The reflector 320 may be formed of a reflective material or at least the inner circumferential surface thereof may be coated with a reflective material to reflect light emitted in various directions from the reflective element 320 to the guide hole 220 of the display cover 200, .

The reflector 320 corresponds to the position of the light emitting element mounted on the substrate 310 and is provided with a supplementary through hole 342 which can communicate with the guide hole 220 of the display cover 200 and the through hole 21 of the sheathing member 20 A hole 321 is provided. The frame display 400 is mounted on the display cover 200 with the display assembly 300 mounted thereon and the through hole 21, the guide hole 220 and the auxiliary through hole 321 are all spaced apart from each other And have a structure in which they are in close contact with each other. As a result, light emitted from the light emitting element can be emitted to the outside without being lost inside the sheathing member (20).

The frame display 400 has a plate-like structure for mounting the substrate 310 and a frame 410 that is bent frontward along the periphery of the frame display 400 is formed to form a space for receiving the substrate 310 . In addition, sliding insert portions 415 which are bent in the lateral direction are provided on both sides of the frame display 400 and are inserted into the guide rails 240 provided on the display cover 200. Accordingly, the frame display 400 is mounted on the display cover 200 by the sliding insertion portion 415. [

In addition, a frame handle 420 is provided at an upper end of the frame display 400 at an upper portion thereof. The frame handle 420 is a portion for the user to hold and operate when the frame display 400 is coupled to the display cover 200 and has a suitable length for the user to grasp. When the insertion opening cover 42 is closed with the frame display 400 fully inserted, the insertion opening cover 42 is brought into contact with the frame handle 420.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator door taken along a cutting line 12-12 'of FIG. 2, FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region A of FIG. 8, A display cover, and a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 to 10, the through hole 21 and the guide hole 220 are communicated with each other in a state in which the display cover 200 is attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 20 by the adhesive member 25, . Here, the guide hole 220 serves to guide the light emitted from the light emitting element 313 to the through hole 21. The through holes 21 are formed to be smaller than the guide holes 220 so that the plurality of through holes 21 are disposed in the inner region of one guide hole 220, The plurality of through-holes 21 disposed in the inner region of the first through-hole 220 may form one segment. Accordingly, when the light emitting element 313 disposed on the rear surface of the guide hole 220 is lit, the guide hole 220 allows the light emitted from the light emitting element 313 to pass through a plurality of through holes 21, the segments displayed on the exterior member 20 can improve the display quality.

The auxiliary through hole 321 is communicated with the guide hole 220 in a state where the frame display 400 is fully inserted and the display assembly 300 is positioned inside the display cover 200. The guide hole 220 and the auxiliary through hole 321 are formed to have the same size and the reflector 320 is brought into close contact with the rear surface of the display cover 200 to form the guide hole 220 and the auxiliary through hole 321, Are completely overlapped with each other.

Accordingly, the auxiliary through-hole 321, the guide hole 220, and at least one, and preferably, a plurality of the through-holes 21 are all in tight contact with each other. Light emitted from the light- The guide hole 220, and the through hole 21, and is discharged to the outside of the refrigerator door 10 in this state.

According to another variant of the invention, it is also possible for the exterior member 20 to be attached to the front of the reflector 320 by replacing the role of the display cover 200 with the reflector 320 of the display assembly 300. At this time, an insulating layer may be additionally provided between the exterior member 20 and the reflector 320 to prevent static electricity from being generated between the exterior member 20 and the reflector 320.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention cut along the cutting line 8-8 'of FIG. 4, and FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross- (Front panel) according to the present invention.

11 to 13, a metal layer 231 is formed on the metal layer 231 in the steel sheet 23 having the film layer 235 attached to the front surface of the metal layer 231, A plurality of through holes 21 are formed in a predetermined area corresponding to a plurality of light emitting devices arranged on a rear surface of the display assembly.

At this time, the distance d1 between the front openings of the two neighboring through holes 21 can be ensured to be at least 0.1 mm or more, preferably 0.2 mm or more, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm. Here, the thickness 11 of the metal layer 231 is preferably 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm in view of accuracy and the like in the etching process for forming the through-hole 21.

When the distance d1 between the front openings of the adjacent two through holes 21 is less than 0.2 mm, when the distance d1 between the front openings is too close to allow light to be emitted from the outside through the two through holes 21 There is a possibility that the distinction between the two through holes 21 becomes unclear. In addition, since the distance d1 between the front openings is too narrow, a defect may occur that the adjacent two through holes 21 are connected to each other in the process of forming the through holes 21. [ On the other hand, when the distance d1 between the front openings of the adjacent two through holes 21 exceeds 0.7 mm, the distance between the two through holes 21 is too large, There is a fear that the quality is deteriorated.

Further, the distance d2 between the rear openings of the adjacent two through holes 21 can be ensured to be at least 0.01 mm or more, preferably 0.05 mm or more to 0.5 mm or so.

When the distance d2 between the rear openings of the neighboring two through holes 21 is less than 0.05 mm, the distance d2 between the rear openings is too narrow. Therefore, in the process of forming the through holes 21, The through holes 21 may be connected to each other. On the other hand, in order to secure the proper distance d1 between the front openings of the two through holes 21 when the distance d2 between the rear openings of the adjacent two through holes 21 exceeds 0.5 mm, There is a problem in that the size of the optical fiber 21 becomes unnecessarily large.

According to the present invention, the through hole 21 is formed through the metal layer 231 such that the width of the front opening formed on the front surface of the metal layer 231 is different from the width of the rear opening formed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231 .

The through hole 21 preferably has a width d3 of the front opening formed on the front surface of the metal layer 231 smaller than a width d4 of the rear opening formed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231. [ The width d3 of the front opening formed on the front surface of the metal layer 231 may be 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm and the width d4 of the rear opening formed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231 may be 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm. have.

The through hole 21 penetrating through the metal layer 231 is formed to have the width d3 of the front opening smaller than the width d4 of the rear opening so that the front opening and the rear opening of the through hole 21 do not exactly coincide with each other Accordingly, when viewed from the outside, light can be emitted in a form different from that of the front opening, and light can be prevented from being irregularly emitted.

The through hole 21 passing through the metal layer 231 may have a tapered shape or a stepped shape in which the width thereof becomes narrower from the rear surface to the front surface of the metal layer 231, for example. According to another modification, the through hole 21 vertically penetrates the metal layer 231, and as a result, as the width of the through hole 21 becomes narrower in the region adjacent to the film layer 235, The width of the front opening formed in the rear surface of the metal layer 231 may be smaller than the width of the rear opening formed in the rear surface of the metal layer 231. The width of the through hole 21 is not constant along the thickness direction of the metal layer 231 and the width of the opening formed on the entire surface of the metal layer 231 is smaller than that of the rear surface, Permeable ink layer 22 can be effectively filled without forming a void space in the through-hole 21, because the ink layer 22 is less influenced by the viscosity of the ink layer 22. The contact area between the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 21 and the ink layer 22 is increased so that the through hole 21 and the ink layer 22 are in contact with each other by increasing the contact area between the through hole 21 and the metal layer 231, It is possible to prevent the problem that the ink layer 22 is leaked or separated from the through-hole 21.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an ink layer is filled in an exterior member (front panel) for a home appliance shown in Fig. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. (Front panel) for a household appliance shown in the figure is a sectional view showing a state in which the ink layer is filled.

14 and 15, the ink layer 22 may be printed so as to protrude from the rear opening of the through hole 21 by a predetermined height 12. Further, in another embodiment, the ink layer 22 may be printed so as to cover a part of the rear surface of the metal layer 231 while filling the through-hole 21. The ink layer 22 has a convex shape from the rear surface of the metal layer 231 so that the ink layer 22 is leaked from the through hole 21 by contact or friction between the ink layer 22 and another member, It is possible to reduce the deviation. The ink layer 22 covers the rear surface of the metal layer 231 at the same time so that the area of contact with the metal layer 231 is increased so that the ink layer 22 in the through hole 21 is stably supported .

That is, the ink layer 22 protrudes from the rear opening of the through hole 21 by a predetermined height or protrudes from the rear opening by a predetermined height, and at the same time covers a part of the rear surface of the metal layer 231, It is possible to prevent incomplete filling of the through-holes 21 in the through-holes 21. In addition, it can serve as a guide for light emitted from the light emitting element toward the through hole 21. [

Particularly, even if the inner circumferential surface or the rear surface opening of the through hole 21 is not smoothly etched in the etching process for forming the through hole 21, since the ink layer 22 can be filled, the through hole 21 Can be prevented from being deteriorated by the ink layer 22 that imperfectly fills the ink layer 22.

It is also possible to prevent the backside of the metal layer 231 from being corroded by contact with the air or moisture by covering the rear surface of the metal layer 231 while filling the through hole 21 with the ink layer 22. [

The height 12 at which the ink layer 22 protrudes is preferably at least 0.1 mm or less in order to prevent excessive separation from occurring with the display cover attached to the rear surface of the steel plate 23. [

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a display cover and a display assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention are combined. FIGS. 17 to 19 are views showing an external member (front panel) for a household appliance according to various embodiments of the present invention, A display cover, and a display assembly.

16, a display cover 200 is attached to a front surface of a display assembly 300 on which a light emitting device 313 is mounted. The display cover 200 and the display assembly 300 can be firmly attached to each other via an adhesive member 221 such as double-sided tape or the like. The display cover 200 may be provided to prevent the light emitted from the light emitting element 313 through the gap between the display cover 200 and the display assembly 300 from leaking through a gap created by the adhesive member 221. [ And the display assembly 300 is 0.5 mm or less, preferably 0.3 mm or less, and more preferably 0.1 mm or less.

17, a film layer 235 is attached to the front surface of the metal layer 231 to realize the color or texture of the front surface of the electronic appliances. A display assembly 231 is disposed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231, A plurality of through holes 21 are provided in a predetermined region corresponding to the plurality of light emitting devices 313 mounted on the substrate 300. Each of the plurality of through holes 21 is filled with an ink layer 22. The display assembly 300 is also provided with a reflector 320 for structurally separating the display assembly 300 from the display cover 200 and the sheathing member 20. The reflector 320 is formed of a reflective material or at least the inner circumferential surface thereof is coated with a reflective material to reflect light emitted in various directions from the reflective element 313 to reach at least the guide hole 220 of the display cover 200 The light can be prevented from being lost. For this, the reflector 320 corresponds to the mounting position of the light emitting element 313 and is provided with a supplementary through hole 341 which can communicate with the guide hole 220 of the display cover 200 and the through hole 21 of the exterior member 20 Hole < / RTI >

The light emitted from the light emitting element 313 is diffused between the metal layer 231 and the display assembly 300 to prevent static electricity and to secure a light path that can uniformly reach the plurality of through holes 21. [ A plastic display cover 200 is interposed. The metal layer 231 and the display cover 200, the display cover 200 and the display assembly 300 or the reflector 320 of the display assembly 300 can be firmly attached to each other via an adhesive member such as a double-sided tape or the like. In order to prevent the light emitted from the light emitting element 313 from leaking through the metal layer 231 and the display cover 200 and between the display cover 200 and the display assembly 300, The distance between the cover 200, the display cover 200 and the display assembly 300 is 0.5 mm or less, preferably 0.3 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or less.

The display cover 200 is provided with a plurality of through holes 21 at the front surface and a guide hole 220 at a position corresponding to the light emitting device 313 at the rear surface. The guide hole 220 serves to guide the light emitted from the light emitting device 313 mounted on the display assembly 300 to pass through the print layer 22 filled in the plurality of through holes 21. [

In this case, the inner circumferential surface of the guide hole 220 is coated with the reflective material, thereby allowing light passing through the guide hole 220 to pass in various directions, thereby reducing light loss.

Here, it is preferable that the guide hole 220 vertically penetrates at least the display cover 200 to reduce the loss of light passing through the guide hole 220. The width d5 of the front opening of the guide hole 220 is greater than the width d6 of the rear opening so that unnecessary reflection or loss of light at the rear opening of the guide hole 220 can be prevented .

Referring to FIG. 18, a light diffusion sheet 28 may be attached between the metal layer 231 and the display cover 200.

The light diffusion sheet 28 diffuses the light emitted from the light emitting element 313 and disperses the light passing through the through hole 21 evenly so as to improve the brightness of displayed numbers, characters, figures, . Further, by providing the light diffusion sheet 28, it is possible to provide a sufficient light diffusion effect even when the light path is short, so that it is advantageous that the thickness of the display cover 200 can be made thinner. The light diffusion sheet 28 preferably has a thickness of 0.5 mm or less in order to prevent light emitted from the light emitting element 313 from leaking through the space between the metal layer 231 and the display cover 200. [

19, it is possible to form the reflector 320 thicker than the example shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, and to omit the display cover 200. FIG. The shortened light path can be sufficiently compensated by the light diffusing sheet 28 by omitting the display cover 200.

20 is an exploded perspective view of an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The steel sheet 23 used in the exterior member shown in Fig. 20 can be provided in a PCM type using a VCM type or a paint layer using a film layer to realize the color or texture of the front exterior of the household appliance.

Hereinafter, an example of a VCM type steel sheet will be described.

As described above, the exterior member 20 is attached to the rear side of the light-transmissive film layer 235 and the film layer 235 while simultaneously realizing the color or texture of the front surface of the appliance, And a steel plate 23 covering the display assembly 300 in which the display panels 300 and 313 are disposed.

The steel sheet 23 refers to a hot dip galvanized steel sheet GI or an electrogalvanized steel sheet EGI or a metal layer 231 corresponding to a hot dip galvanized steel sheet GI or an electrogalvanized steel sheet EGI, (Acid or base treatment) or coating treatment on the entire surface on the basis of the primer layer 234 and the primer layer 234 and the film layer 235 as an adhesive layer.

A film layer 235 is attached to the front surface of the primer layer 234 to realize the color or texture of the front surface of the electrical appliance and the rear surface of the metal layer 231 is covered with a back layer 231 for preventing contamination such as corrosion of the metal layer 231 A coating layer 232 is formed. The back coating layer 232 forms the rear surface of the exterior member 20 and contacts the heat insulating material 24 filled in the refrigerator door 10 to prevent the metal layer 231 from coming into contact with moisture or air.

In order to form the through hole 21 in the metal layer 231, a part of the back coating layer 232 formed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231 is removed to expose the rear surface of the metal layer 231, .

Then, when the etching of the metal layer 231 is completed and the through hole 21 is formed, the light transmitting ink layer 22 is printed on the rear surface of the metal layer 231 on which the through hole 21 is disposed, 21). The ink layer 22 prevents the inner surface of the through hole 21 from being in contact with air or moisture thereby to prevent the inner surface of the through hole 21 from being contaminated, Layer 235 from the backside.

It is also possible for the ink layer 22 to simultaneously perform the role of the back coating layer 232 by printing so as to cover the area where the back coating layer 232 is removed from the rear surface of the metal layer 231. [

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the PVC-type and PVC-free type film layers 235 may be used for the covering member 20 provided in the VCM type.

Figs. 21 and 22 are sectional views of a film layer used in an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance provided with the VCM type of Fig.

21 shows a PVC-free type film layer 235 which includes a first adhesive layer 235a contacting the metal layer 231 or optionally the pretreatment layer 233 or the primer layer 234, And a pattern layer 235f for determining the texture of the front surface of the electronic appliance are sequentially deposited or adhered to the metal foil layer 235d and the metal foil layer 235d.

The film layer 235 optionally includes a primer layer 234 or an adhesive layer 235a and both layers serve to securely adhere the metal layer 231 and the remaining layers of the film layer 235. As the first adhesive layer 235a, various heat or photocurable resin adhesives may be used.

The paint layer 235b is a resin layer optionally containing a paint to determine the hue of the front surface of the appliance. If the paint is not included, the color of the front surface of the appliance will be determined by the metal thin layer 235d . The film layer 235 may selectively include a metal thin film layer 235d and may include a metal thin film layer 235d and a metal layer 235b for solid adhesion between the metal thin film layer 235d and other layers. Adhesive layers 235c and 235e may be disposed between the thin film layer 235d or between the metal thin film layer 235d and the pattern layer 235f.

In addition, if a specific texture is desired to be applied to the front surface of the household appliance, a pattern layer 235f imprinted with various patterns such as a piano, a hair line, and the like may be attached to the front surface of the metal thin film layer 235d.

The pattern layer 235f may be provided by imprinting a pattern on at least one side selected from the front side and the back side of the PET film. When the pattern is imprinted on both the front side and the rear side, The pattern can be imprinted.

For example, it is possible to imitate a piano pattern that provides a touch like leather on the front side and imprint the hairline pattern on the rear side to achieve a sense of luxury and aesthetics that can be provided through various senses.

22 shows a PVC-type film layer 235 which includes a PVC layer 235g in contact with a metal layer 231 or optionally a pretreatment layer 233 or primer layer 234, a metal foil layer 235d, And a pattern layer 235f for determining the texture of the substrate 235 are sequentially deposited or attached.

The PVC layer 235g may optionally include a paint to determine the color of the front exterior of the appliance, and if the paint is not included, the color of the front exterior of the appliance may be determined by the metal foil layer 235d.

23 and 24 show a procedure of a method of manufacturing an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

23 and 24, a film layer 235 for realizing the color or texture of the front surface of the electrical appliance is attached to the front surface, and a back coating layer 232 for preventing contamination such as corrosion of the metal layer is formed on the rear surface ) Is cut to an appropriate length and supplied (S110).

The steel sheet 23 can be pretreated with an acidic or basic solution for removing foreign substances on the surface and planarizing the surface.

Subsequently, a part of the back coating layer 232 attached to the rear surface of the steel sheet 23 (that is, a region where the through hole 21 is to be formed) is irradiated with laser light from the laser irradiation device 2, Can be removed from the rear surface. Accordingly, the metal layer 231 is exposed in a portion where the back coating layer 232 is removed from the rear surface of the steel sheet 23 (S120).

The back coating layer 232 is then removed to laminate the photosensitive resin 26 on the exposed metal layer 231 and the masking film 27 having a plurality of holes patterned thereon is placed on the photosensitive resin 26 for selective curing (S130, S140). Then, ultraviolet rays are irradiated through the holes of the masking film to selectively cure the photosensitive resin 26 irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

After the curing of the photosensitive resin 26 is completed by exposure, the masking film 27 is removed, and the uncured photosensitive resin is removed through development processing (S150). Thus, the back coating layer 232 is removed, so that the photosensitive resin 26 is cured so as to have a predetermined pattern on the entire surface of the exposed metal layer 231.

Also, the metal layer 231, which is still exposed in the absence of the photosensitive resin 26, corresponds to the position where the through hole 21 is formed (S150). After the development is completed, heat treatment may be selectively performed to remove fine bubbles in the photosensitive resin 26 or to improve adhesion between the photosensitive resin 26 and the metal layer 231. [

Subsequently, after the partial development of the photosensitive resin 26, an etching solution which is not reactive with the photosensitive resin 26, the film layer 235, and the back coating layer 232 is sprayed to form a metal layer (not covered by the photosensitive resin 26) 231 are etched (S160). As the etching solution, ferric chloride (FeCl ₃ ) or the like may be used.

That is, according to the present invention, an etchant such as ferric chloride can be formed on the entire surface of the metal layer 231 by using an etchant such as ferric chloride that selectively reacts with the metal layer 231 during an etching process for forming a through hole in the metal layer 231 It is possible to prevent the damage of the attached film layer 235.

For example, when the film layer 235 is a PVC-free type film layer, the primer layer 234 and the first adhesive layer 235a are formed of a resin composition which is not reactive with an etchant such as ferric chloride, It can be prevented from being damaged by the etching liquid during the etching process of forming the through hole in the through hole 231. In the case where the film layer 235 is a PVC type film layer, the primer layer 234 and the PVC layer 235g are formed of a resin composition which is not reactive with an etching solution such as ferric chloride or the like, .

At this time, by adjusting the concentration of the etching liquid used for etching, the jetting rate of the etching liquid, or the exposure time for the etching liquid, the width of the front opening of the through hole 21 passing through the metal layer 231 is made smaller than the width of the rear opening . Alternatively, a mask having a size smaller than the size of the exposed metal layer 231 may be deposited and etched so that the width of the front opening of the through hole 21 is smaller than the width of the rear opening.

After the etching is completed, a step of removing the photosensitive resin 26 from the metal layer 231 and printing the ink layer 22 so as to fill the void formed by the through hole 21 is performed (S170).

At this time, according to the present invention, since the through hole 21 has a tapered shape or a stepped shape that becomes narrower at least from the rear surface to the front surface of the steel sheet 23 or the metal layer 231, 21, the ink can be sufficiently filled from the front opening of the through hole 21 which abuts the film layer 235 by gravity. Particularly, in the case of the ink used for filling the through hole 21, since the ink has a predetermined viscosity, when the through hole 21 is vertically penetrated, the ink is uniformly filled in the empty space formed by the through hole 21 It can happen. Therefore, as described above, the through hole 21 has an advantage in that filling efficiency of ink through screen printing can be improved by adopting an inclined shape.

As the ink used for forming the ink layer 22, a thermal drying type printing ink such as an acrylic resin type ink may be used.

Further, the ink used for forming the ink layer 22 by screen printing preferably has a viscosity of 20,000 cps to 40,000 cps. If it is smaller than 20,000 cps of the ink used for screen printing, there is a possibility that ink will leak from the through hole 21 during the process because it is difficult to ensure sufficient viscosity of the ink under normal conditions. Accordingly, when the subsequent process is carried out in a state in which the ink is leaked and the through hole 21 is not sufficiently filled, there arises a problem that the display quality of the light passing through the through hole 21 or the through hole 21 is lowered . On the other hand, when the viscosity of the ink used for screen printing is larger than 40,000 cps, there is a possibility that the ink is not sufficiently filled in the through hole 21 of a minute size.

In addition, it is preferable that the ink used for screen printing further contains 1 to 5% by weight of silica relative to the weight of the total ink. The silica is dispersed evenly in the ink layer 22 filled in the through hole 21 so that the light has a light scattering effect when the light passes through the ink layer 22 so that the through hole 21 It is possible to further increase the luminance of the light emitted through the light emitting layer.

The ink is filled from the front opening portion of the through hole 21 which comes into contact with the film layer 235 through the screen printing using the ink so that the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 21 is prevented from being corroded by contact with air or moisture, It is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the empty space formed by the hole 21. The film layer 235 which shields the front opening of the through hole 21 by the ink layer 22 filled in the through hole 21 can be supported from behind.

The ink layer 22 is preferably printed so as to completely cover the through hole 21 and to cover a part of the rear surface of the metal layer 231 (that is, the area where the back coating layer 232 is removed) Do. Accordingly, since the ink is not sufficiently filled in the through hole 21, it is possible to prevent the display quality of the light passing through the through hole 21 from deteriorating. Further, the back layer of the exposed metal layer 231 can be prevented from being in contact with air or moisture and being corroded by performing the function of the back coating layer 232 with the ink layer 22 removed.

25 to 27 show steps of printing an ink layer on the through-holes formed in the steel sheet.

25 to 27, the steel sheet 23 having the through holes 21 is in a state in which the front openings of the through holes 21 are shielded by the film layer 235 and the rear openings are opened The ink for forming the ink layer 22 through the rear opening can be received.

At this time, it is preferable to perform screen printing after preheating the steel plate 23 formed in the through-hole 21 before the screen printing (S171, S172). When the steel sheet is preheated to a predetermined temperature, the surface energy of the metal layer 231 is reduced to reduce the surface tension of the ink to be printed, so that the ink can be sufficiently filled from the front opening of the through hole 21 . When the ink is printed with the metal layer 231 preheated to a predetermined temperature, the viscosity of the ink temporarily decreases to improve the fluidity of the ink in the surface of the metal layer 231 and the through hole 21 It is possible.

If the drying is performed after the screen printing is completed, the viscosity of the ink is recovered again to deteriorate the fluidity, resulting in a stable cured ink layer 22.

Referring to FIG. 27, the process of screen printing from the rear surface of the steel sheet 23 having the through-holes 21 can be confirmed in detail.

The preheated steel sheet 23 is disposed such that the film layer 235 faces downward, so that the rear opening of the through hole 21 faces upward. Then, the ink is filled in the through hole 21 by letting the ink flow down through the mesh in a state where the through holes 21 are all located under the mesh of the plate 51.

The ink layer 22 formed by screen printing is filled with the through hole 21 and is protruded by a predetermined height from the opening of the rear surface of the through hole 21 or a predetermined thickness is formed on the rear surface of the steel plate 23 The ink layer 22 may be further formed. At this time, the thickness of the ink layer 22 protruding from the rear surface of the steel sheet 23 is preferably such that light does not leak through the ink layer 22 in the lateral direction.

28 is an enlarged view showing a relationship between a mesh of a plate making used in printing an ink layer and a through hole formed in the steel plate.

Unlike the screen printing for printing a pattern, the plate 51 used for screen printing is important to fill ink in the through hole 21, so that the number of meshes for one through hole 21 is larger than that of a general screen plate It is preferable to use a plate 51 having a 45 ° string angle.

28, the string 55 formed on the plate 51 has a string angle of 45 degrees, which allows a total of 13 squares of the mesh 55 to be arranged in one of the through holes 21, It is possible to effectively fill the ink inside the through hole 21.

In addition, the plate 51 is seated adjacent to the rear surface of the steel plate 23 within about 5 mm, thereby preventing the plate 51 from being heard during screen printing. Accordingly, it is possible to uniformly fill the inside of the through hole 21 by minimizing the gap between the rear surface of the steel plate 23 and the screen during printing.

A squeeze 52 for filling ink into the through hole 21 with a physical force may be provided on the upper side of the plate 51 at the time of screen printing. The squeeze 52 moves while pressing the plate 51 while the ink is supplied to the plate 51 so that the ink passes through the mesh 55 of the plate 51 and is filled into the through hole 21 . At this time, the end portion 53 of the squeeze 52, which is in contact with the plate 51, has a round shape to increase the amount of ink falling through the mesh 55 of the plate 51, The efficiency of screen printing can be improved.

Further, the squeezing member 52 may further include a support member 54. The support member 54 is attached to one side of the squeeze 52 and has a shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the squeeze 52. The support member 54 serves to support the squeeze 52 to prevent deformation that may occur when the squeeze 52 of the elastic material is moved on the upper side of the plate 51 with physical force applied thereto, Thereby preventing the reliability and reproducibility of printing from being lowered. Further, the support member 54 may be inserted into the squeeze 52 as required, or may be provided in a material or shape other than the high-strength steel plate.

In addition, after the ink layer 22 is printed on the rear surface of the steel sheet 23, an additional printed layer may be formed along the circumference of the ink layer 22, and the additional printed layer may be different from the ink layer 22 It is possible to prevent light from leaking to a region other than the ink layer 22 by being formed into a light-impermeable form.

29 and 30 show a procedure of a method for manufacturing an exterior member (front panel) for a household appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention.

29 and 30, unlike the procedure shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, when the back coating layer 232 is removed from the rear surface of the steel sheet 23, the back coating layer 232 is formed in one through hole 21 ), There is no need for additional steps such as laminating, exposure and development of the photosensitive resin.

The back coating layer 232 can be removed in a size corresponding to one through hole 21 through hole marking using the laser irradiation apparatus 2 and the diameter or width of the hole formed in the back coating layer 232 It is preferable that the diameter of the rear opening of the through hole 21 coincides with the diameter or the width of the rear opening of the through hole 21 (S220).

Accordingly, when a subordinate etching process is performed, the metal layer 231 is etched through the holes formed in the back coating layer 232, and the size of the rear opening of the through holes 21 formed in the metal layer 231 is And substantially coincides with the size of the holes formed in the back coating layer 232 (S230).

The ink layer 22 is then printed by screen printing so as to protrude from the rear opening of the through hole 21 by a predetermined height, do. Preferably, the thickness of the ink layer 22 protruding from the rear opening of the through hole 21 is made to substantially coincide with the thickness of the back coating layer 232, thereby reducing the step height of the rear surface of the steel sheet 23.

31 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 31, the entire outer shape of the indoor unit 60 of the air conditioner is formed by the case. The case includes a base 61, a rear cabinet 62 disposed above the rear portion of the base 61, and a front cabinet 63 disposed above the front portion of the base 61, An exterior member 64 may be disposed on the front surface.

The base 61, the rear cabinet 62, and the front cabinet 63 are coupled to each other to form a predetermined space therein. A blowing fan and a flow path for air suction and discharge are provided, and a filter assembly for filtering the intake air, a heat exchanger for heat exchange of the intake air, and a configuration for driving the refrigeration cycle are accommodated. The base 61, the rear cabinet 62, and the front cabinet 63 are provided with a plurality of air outlets for discharging the heat exchanged air and an air inlet for sucking outside air.

The exterior member 64 is mounted to the front cabinet 63. [ The front surface of the front cabinet 63 can be opened by pivoting or detaching the configuration in which the exterior member 64 or the exterior member 64 is mounted and the operation and maintenance of the components provided inside and outside the front cabinet 63 Maintenance is possible. The exterior member 64 may be mounted on one side of the case as a part constituting the external appearance of the indoor unit 60. [

The exterior member 64 may be provided with a display unit 65 for indicating the operating state of the air conditioner. The display portion 65 may be formed as a unit set of fine through holes as in the above-described embodiments.

The through holes are configured in the same manner as the embodiment related to the refrigerator described above and can be formed in the same way. If necessary, a touch operation portion 66 may be formed on one side of the display portion 65 by printing or surface processing.

A display assembly 67 is disposed behind the display unit 65 and a light emitting device mounted on the display assembly 67 illuminates the display unit 65 to display operation information of the air conditioner. The display assembly 67 is configured as a combination of light emitting elements to display operational information in the form of numbers, letters, figures or symbols.

When the light emitting element of the display assembly 67 is turned on, operating information is displayed on the front surface of the exterior member 64 by the light passing through the through holes, as in the embodiment related to the refrigerator. However, The presence of the through hole as well as the display portion is not visually observed by the film layer of the member 64.

The touch sensor assembly 500 may be attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 64 corresponding to the touch operation unit 66. The touch sensor assembly 500 is adhered by an adhesive such as an adhesive or double-sided tape, and the touch sensor assembly 500 closely contacts the touch operation unit 66 to recognize the touch operation of the user.

32 is an exploded perspective view of a washing machine using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 32, the washing machine 70 includes a washing machine main body 71 for forming an outer tube, a tub for storing washing water, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub for receiving laundry, A driving device, a washing water supplying device for supplying the washing water to the tub, and a discharging device for discharging the washing water.

A part of the front surface of the washing machine main body 71 is opened so that the laundry can be inserted into the drum, and the opening of the washing machine body 71 can be opened and closed by the door 72. To this end, the door 72 is rotatably mounted on the main body 71.

The exterior member 73 may be provided on the front and top surfaces of the washer main body 71 except for the door 72. The display unit 74 and the touch operation unit 75 may be formed on at least a part of the exterior member 73.

The display unit 74 indicates the operating state of the washing machine 70 and may be formed as a unit set of fine through-holes as in the above-described embodiments. The through holes are configured in the same manner as the embodiment related to the refrigerator described above and can be formed in the same way. The touch operation unit 75 is provided to operate the washing machine 70 by a touch operation of the user and may be provided with a dial type knob 76 for operating the washing machine 70.

A display assembly 77 is disposed behind the display unit 74 and a light emitting device mounted on the display assembly 77 illuminates the display window 74 to display operation information of the washing machine 70. The display assembly 77 is configured of a combination of light emitting elements to display operational information in the form of numbers, letters, figures or symbols.

When the light emitting element of the display assembly 77 is turned on, the operation information is displayed on the front surface of the exterior member 73 by the light passing through the through holes, The presence of the through hole as well as the display portion is not visually observed.

The touch sensor assembly 500 may be attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 73 corresponding to the touch operation unit 75. The touch sensor assembly 500 is adhered by an adhesive such as an adhesive or a double-sided tape, and the touch sensor assembly 500 closely contacts the touch operation unit 75 to recognize a touch operation of the user.

33 is an exploded perspective view of a dishwasher using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention.

33, the dishwasher 80 having the touch sensor assembly 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed in an outer shape by the dish washer main body 81 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, .

The dishwasher 80 includes a main body 81, a cavity in which a tableware for washing is received in the main body 81, a rack member which is drawn out from the cavity and on which the tableware is seated, A water supply device, a discharge device for discharging the washed water, and the like.

The main body 81 is provided with a door 82. The door 82 selectively shields the opened front face of the main body 81 and forms the front face of the dishwasher 80 in a state in which the door 82 is closed. do.

The door 82 is composed of an upper door and a lower door, and can be formed to have a structure in which the upper door can be opened and closed when the lower door is operated. In addition, the lower door may be provided with a handle 83 for opening and closing the door 82.

The front surface of the door 82, that is, the front surface of the upper door and the front surface of the lower door may be attached with an exterior member 84, or the exterior member 84 may form the upper door and the lower door itself. The exterior member 84 forms at least a part of the front surface of the door 82 and the exterior member 84 is provided with a display unit 85 for indicating the operating state of the dishwasher 80.

The display unit 85 may be formed as a set of fine through-holes as in the above-described embodiment, and the through-holes may be formed in the same manner as in the embodiment related to the refrigerator described above.

A display assembly 87 is provided behind the display unit 85 and illuminates the display unit 85 with light by the light emitting device mounted on the display assembly 87 to display operation information of the dishwasher 80. The display assembly 87 is composed of a combination of a plurality of light emitting elements and is displayed in the form of numbers, letters, figures or symbols.

When the light emitting element of the display assembly 87 is turned on, operating information is displayed on the front surface of the exterior member 84 by the light passing through the through holes, as in the embodiment related to the refrigerator. However, The presence of the through hole as well as the display portion is not observed with the naked eye because it is shielded by the film layer of the member 84. [

On one side of the display portion 85, a touch operation portion 86 can be formed by printing or surface processing. The touch sensor assembly 500 may be attached to the rear surface of the outer casing member 84 corresponding to the touch operation unit 86. The touch sensor assembly 500 is bonded by an adhesive such as an adhesive or double-sided tape, and the touch sensor assembly is closely attached to the touch operation unit to recognize a touch operation of the user.

34 is an exploded perspective view of a cooking appliance using an exterior member (front panel) for household appliances according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the cooking apparatus may be an oven, a microwave oven, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 34, the cooking device 90 provided with the touch sensor assembly 500 is formed in an outer shape by the cooking device body 91 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, but the shape is not limited.

The cooking apparatus 90 includes a main body 91, a cavity in which food for cooking is contained in the main body 91, a heating means or magnetron for cooking the food inside the cavity, and a fan assembly for convection inside the cavity .

The main body 91 is provided with a door 92. The door 92 selectively shields the opened front face of the main body 91 and forms the front face of the cooking appliance 90 in a state in which the door 92 is closed. do.

The door 92 is hingedly coupled to the main body 91 and is rotatable. The door 92 is rotated in the left-right direction or the up-down direction to selectively open and close the opened front face of the cooking device 90. The door 92 is provided with a handle 93 for opening and closing the door 92.

The front surface of the door 92 may be provided with a covering member 94 which forms the front surface of the door 92. The exterior member 94 is not necessarily limited to the door 92 and may form one side of the cooking apparatus main body 91. [

The exterior member 94 may be provided with a display unit 95 for displaying the operating state of the cooking apparatus 90. The display portion 95 may be formed as a collection of fine through-holes as in the above-described embodiment. The through holes are configured in the same manner as the embodiment related to the refrigerator described above and can be formed in the same way.

A display assembly 97 is provided behind the display unit 95. The operation of the cooking appliance 90 can be displayed by irradiating the display window 95 with light by the light emitting device mounted on the display assembly 97 have. The display assembly 97 consists of a combination of light emitting elements to display information in the form of numbers, letters, figures or symbols.

When the light emitting element of the display assembly 97 is turned on, operating information is displayed on the front surface of the exterior member 94 by the light passing through the through holes, as in the embodiment related to the refrigerator. However, The presence of the through hole as well as the display portion is not visually observed by the film layer of the member 94.

Further, on one side of the display portion 95, a touch operation portion 96 may be formed by printing or surface processing. The touch sensor assembly 500 may be attached to the rear surface of the exterior member 94 corresponding to the touch operation unit 96. The touch sensor assembly 500 is adhered by an adhesive such as an adhesive or a double-sided tape, and the touch sensor assembly 500 is brought into close contact with the touch operation unit 96 to recognize the touch operation of the user.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. It is obvious that a transformation can be made. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the effects of the present invention are not explicitly described and described, but it is needless to say that the effects that can be predicted by the configurations should also be recognized.

Claims (21)

A film layer that implements the color or texture of the front exterior of the appliance; And
A metal layer which is attached to the rear surface of the film layer and covers a display assembly in which a plurality of light emitting devices are arranged;
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The metal layer may include,
Wherein a width of a front opening formed on a front surface of the metal layer is smaller than a width of a rear opening formed on a rear surface of the metal layer, hall; And
A light-transmitting ink layer filling the through-hole;
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Wherein the light emitted from the light emitting element when the light emitting element is lit passes through the ink layer and the film layer filling the through hole,
Wherein the film layer does not expose a front opening of the through hole when the light emitting element is turned off,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a cross-section of the through-hole has a tapered shape in which a width thereof decreases from a rear surface to a front surface of the metal layer,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cross-section of the through-hole has a stepped shape in which the width becomes narrower from the rear surface to the front surface of the metal layer,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein an interval between the rear openings of adjacent through holes is 0.05 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a distance between front openings of neighboring through holes is 0.3 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ink layer is provided to protrude from the rear opening of the through hole by a predetermined height,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ink layer is formed to cover the through hole and to cover a part of the rear surface of the metal layer,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the film layer comprises:
A primer layer disposed on the front surface of the metal layer; And
A coating layer disposed on the front surface of the primer layer;
/ RTI >
Exterior members for household appliances.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the film layer comprises:
A metal thin film layer disposed on the entire surface of the coating layer; And
A pattern layer having an imprinting pattern on at least one side selected from the front side and the rear side;
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Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ink layer comprises silica,
Exterior members for household appliances.
The method according to claim 1,
A display cover to which the display assembly is received is attached to the rear surface of the metal layer,
The display cover is provided with a plurality of guides which penetrate the display cover in a predetermined area corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the display assembly and guide light emitted from the light emitting elements mounted on the display assembly to the through holes Holes,
Exterior members for household appliances.
12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising a light diffusion sheet interposed between a rear surface of the metal layer and the display cover,
Exterior members for household appliances.
12. The method of claim 11,
One guide hole communicates the light emitting element and the through hole so as to guide the light emitted from the at least one light emitting element to the plurality of through holes,
Exterior members for household appliances.
12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the guide hole has a width of a front opening formed on a front surface of the display cover is larger than a width of a rear opening formed on a rear surface of the display cover,
Exterior members for household appliances.
Providing a film layer that implements color or texture and a metal layer attached to the back surface of the film layer;
Laminating a photosensitive resin on the rear surface of the metal layer;
Placing a masking film patterned with a plurality of holes on the rear surface of the photosensitive resin, and curing the photosensitive resin by irradiating ultraviolet rays through the holes of the masking film;
Removing the masking film and the uncured photosensitive resin;
Forming a plurality of through holes having a width of a front opening formed on a front surface of the metal layer smaller than a width of a rear opening formed on a rear surface of the steel sheet by spraying an etchant onto the rear surface of the metal layer; And
Injecting a light-transmitting ink layer into the through-hole;
Lt; / RTI >
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the metal layer is etched to have a tapered shape in which the width of the through-hole is narrowed from the rear surface to the front surface of the metal layer,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the metal layer is etched to have a stepped shape in which a width of the through hole is narrowed from the rear surface to the front surface of the metal layer,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the ink layer is formed by screen-printing ink on a rear surface of the metal layer,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the ink layer is printed so as to protrude from the rear opening of the through hole by a predetermined height,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the ink layer is printed so as to cover a part of the rear surface of the metal layer while filling the through hole,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.
19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the ink comprises silica,
A method of manufacturing an exterior member for household appliances.

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