KR20180054538A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed to be selectively transparent by operation of a user at least at a part of a refrigerator door such that the inside of the refrigerator can be seen through when the refrigerator door is closed. In particular, a transparent panel assembly capable of seeing through the inside of the refrigerator can be integrally installed with an out plate of the door.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that allows low-temperature storage of food in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to cool the inside of the storage space by using cool air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle, thereby storing the stored food in an optimum state.

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, refrigerators have become increasingly multifunctional in accordance with changes in diet and products, and refrigerators having various structures and convenience devices for efficiently utilizing the convenience and space of users have been introduced .

The storage space of the refrigerator can be opened or closed by a door. In addition, the refrigerator can be classified into various types of refrigerator according to the arrangement of the storage space and the structure of the door for opening and closing the storage space.

The door of the refrigerator may be provided with a separate storage space accessible from the outside. It is possible to access the storage space by opening a part of the auxiliary door or the home bar door without opening the entire refrigerator door through such a storage space.

Therefore, foods frequently used can be housed in a separate storage space provided in the refrigerator door. In addition, since the entire refrigerator door is not opened for storing food, there is an advantage that the outflow of cold air in the room to the outside can be minimized.

However, this structure also has a problem that if the refrigerator door is not opened, the food inside can not be confirmed. That is, the door must be opened to confirm whether the desired food is housed in the interior space or in a separate storage space provided in the door. In addition, if the auxiliary door or the home bar is opened, there is a disadvantage that the main door must be opened again when there is no desired food, and there is a problem that unnecessary leakage of the cold air may occur at this time.

In order to solve this problem, a part of the front surface of the refrigerator door may be formed of a transparent material, but in such a case, a problem of heat insulation in the hearth may occur. In addition, when the inside of the refrigerator can be seen while the refrigerator is not in use, the food is exposed to the outside as it is, and the appearance is not very good.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which allows at least a part of a refrigerator door to be selectively transparent by a user's operation so that the refrigerator door can be opened and closed in a closed state.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can securely mount a glass panel plate to a door and can minimize steps and gaps in a mounted state.

It is an object of the present invention to enable a panel assembly capable of inserting a door to be installed in an integrated manner with an outboard of a door.

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

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet forming a storage space; A door that opens and closes the storage space, the door including an out plate that forms a front surface of the door and forms an opening; A door liner disposed behind the out plate; A shieldable panel assembly; And a support frame disposed along the opening and supporting the out plate and the panel assembly at the same time, wherein a plate bending portion bent to the inside direction of the door is formed around the opening, A first surface for supporting the plate bending portion, and a second surface for supporting the panel assembly.

The first surface and the second surface may extend in directions intersecting with each other.

The panel assembly includes: a front panel that shields the first opening and forms a front appearance; An insulating panel shielding the second opening and forming a rear outer appearance; And a diaphragm for supporting a space between the front panel and the heat insulating panel to form a heat insulating space.

The support frame may further include a third surface supporting a back surface of the out plate, and the third surface may be formed parallel to the second surface.

The third surface may protrude further forward than the second surface, and the front surface of the out plate and the front surface of the front panel may be disposed on the same plane.

The front panel is formed to be larger than the heat insulating panel, and the second surface is capable of supporting the rear surface of the front panel protruding outside the heat insulating panel.

And the plate bending portion can be brought into close contact with the circumferential surface of the front panel.

The plate bending portion can be supported on both the outer end of the front panel and the first surface.

The support frame may be provided with a plate inserting portion which is recessed to insert the plate bending portion.

The first surface may be formed on an inner surface of the plate inserting portion.

A plurality of protrusions are formed on the inner side of the plate inserting portion, and a plate hole into which the plurality of protrusions are inserted may be formed in the plate bent portion.

It is possible to form a plurality of holes for introducing the foaming liquid along the plate inserting portion.

The hole may be formed at a position corresponding to the projection.

The support frame may be formed with a heater groove that receives a heater disposed along the edge of the front panel.

An aluminum sheet may be interposed between the support frame and the front panel.

An adhesive may be interposed between the support frame and the front panel.

And a bezel formed to be opaque to shield the heater and the support frame may be provided around the front panel.

The outer plate may be formed of a metal material, the front panel rear panel may be formed of a transparent material, and the support frame may be formed of a plastic material.

The following effects can be expected in the refrigerator according to the proposed embodiment.

In a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, a panel assembly for selectively transmitting and reflecting light is provided on a part of a door, and a door lighting unit that is turned on and off by a user's operation is provided inside the door. The lighting unit can be turned on by the user's operation and the inside of the room can be seen through.

Therefore, even when the door is not opened, the space inside the hood can be confirmed, and the position of the food can be easily checked, and the usability can be improved. In addition, it is possible to prevent unnecessary opening and closing of the door, thereby preventing loss of cool air, thereby improving power consumption and improving storage performance.

The outer panel and the panel assembly are fixed together by the support frame. The panel assembly can be closely fixed to the outer plate with a simple structure, thereby minimizing the occurrence of steps and gaps. .

In addition, the twin support frame has a structure in which it is fixedly coupled to the plate bending portion. Thus, the foamed liquid can be effectively introduced into the frame insertion portion when filling the foamed liquid, thereby preventing the foamed liquid from being completely filled.

A heater for heating the front edge of the panel assembly can be fixed by the support frame. Therefore, it is possible to fix the out plate, the panel plate and the heater with a simple structure, and the productivity and the assemblability can be improved.

Further, the surface temperature of the outer portion of the cabin, which is vulnerable to condensation at the edges of the panel assembly, is increased by the heater, thereby preventing condensation.

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

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and that other embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention may be easily devised by adding, .

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of the sub door of the refrigerator. 3 is a perspective view of the main door of the refrigerator.

As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be formed in a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door for opening and closing the storage space.

The interior of the cabinet 10 may be divided into upper and lower parts by a barrier 11. A refrigerating chamber 12 may be formed in the upper portion of the cabinet 10 and a freezing chamber 13 may be formed in a lower portion of the cabinet 10. [ Can be formed.

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

The refrigerator compartment door 20 may include a pair of right and left refrigerators, and the refrigerating compartment 12 may be shielded by a pair of doors. The freezing chamber door 30 may be drawn out in a drawer mode, and may be configured to open and close the freezing chamber 13 by a draw-out port.

Various storage members such as shelves, drawers or baskets may be provided in the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13. The storage member may be taken out of the refrigerator compartment door 20 and the freezer compartment door 30 in an opened state, if necessary.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator to which a French-type door is applied is described as an example in which a pair of doors are rotated to open and close one space in a bottom freeze-type refrigerator in which a freezing compartment is provided below, The present invention can be applied to all types of refrigerators having a door regardless of the shape of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator compartment door 20 and the freezer compartment door 30 form an overall appearance when viewed from the front and an outer appearance is formed of a metal material so that the entire refrigerator 1 can have a metallic texture. If necessary, the refrigerator compartment door 20 may be provided with a dispenser 22 for taking out water or ice.

On the other hand, the refrigerator compartment door 20 on the right side (as viewed in FIG. 1) of the pair of refrigerator compartment doors 20 can be configured to be opened and closed. The refrigerator compartment door 20 located on the right side includes a main door 40 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 12 and an opening portion 40 formed rotatably on the main door 40 And a sub door 50 for opening and closing the door 403.

The main door 40 may be formed to have the same size as that of the refrigerator compartment door 20 on the left side (as viewed in FIG. 1) of the pair of refrigerating compartment doors 20. The upper hinge 401 and the lower hinge 402, So that at least a part of the refrigerating chamber 12 is opened and closed.

The main door 40 is formed with an opening 403 having a predetermined size. A door basket (43) is mounted on a rear surface of the main door (40) including the inside of the opening (403). Therefore, the user can access the door basket 43 without opening the main door 40 through the opening 403. At this time, the size of the opening 403 may occupy most of the front surface of the main door 40 except a part of the circumference of the main door 40.

The sub door 50 is rotatably mounted on the front surface of the main door 40 so as to open and close the opening 403. Therefore, it is possible to access the opening 403 even when the sub door 50 is opened.

The size of the sub door 50 may be the same as the size of the main door 40 to shield the entire front surface of the main door 40. When the sub door 50 is closed, the main door 40 and the sub door 50 are coupled to each other and are configured to have the same size and shape as the refrigerator door 20 formed on the left side . A sub gasket 591 is provided on the rear surface of the sub door 50 to seal the space between the main door 40 and the sub door 50.

The sub door 50 is provided at its center with a panel assembly 54 formed of a transparent material such as glass. Therefore, even when the sub door 50 is closed, the inside of the opening 403 can be seen. The sub door 50 may be referred to as a see-through door.

The panel assembly 54 is configured to adjust the transmittance and reflectance of light. Therefore, it is possible to selectively change the transparent or opaque state depending on the user's operation. Therefore, it is transparent only in the state that the user desires, so that the inside of the image can be visualized, and the state of opaque can be maintained in a state where the inside is visible.

The sub door 50 may include a sub-upper hinge 51 and a sub-lower hinge 52 at the upper and lower ends thereof so as to be pivotally mounted on the front surface of the main door 40. Accordingly, the sub door 50 may be configured to pivot independently of the main door 40 to open and close the opening 403.

A handle (23) may be provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door (20). The handle 23 may be formed at each end of the refrigerator compartment door 20 adjacent to each other. On the other hand, the handle 23 of the refrigerator compartment door 20 located on the right side may be provided on the front surface of the sub door 50.

The handle 23 is provided with an operation button 231 and the sub door 50 is provided with a locking unit 232 operated by the operation button 231. The locking unit 232 protrudes rearward of the sub door 50 and can be selectively separated from the restraining member 404 of the main door by the operation of the operation button 231. [

Therefore, when the sub door 50 is closed, the locking unit 232 is maintained in a state of being engaged with the restraint member 404. In this state, when the handle 23 is pulled and pulled, The refrigerator compartment 12 can be opened while the refrigerator compartment 40 is rotated.

When the user depresses the operation button 231 while the sub door 50 is closed, the locking unit 232 is separated from the restraint member 404 so that only the sub door 50 rotates . The opening 403 can be opened by the rotation of the sub door 50.

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

4 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of the main door and the sub door. 5 is a partial perspective view showing a hinge connection structure between the main door and the sub door. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the hinge cover is mounted on the main door and the sub door.

As shown in the drawing, an upper hinge mounting portion 405 on which the upper hinge 401 is mounted is formed at the upper end of the main door 40. The upper hinge 401 is fixedly mounted to the cabinet 10 and the hinge shaft 4011 is inserted into the hinge hole 4051 of the upper hinge mounting portion 405 so that the main door 40 is inserted into the cabinet 10 As shown in Fig.

A sub-hinge mounting portion 501, in which the sub-hinge 51 is mounted, is recessed at an upper end of the sub-door 50. The sub hinge 51 is fixedly mounted on the upper hinge mounting portion 405 and the hinge shaft 511 is inserted into the hinge hole 5011 of the sub-upper hinge mounting portion 501, So as to be rotatably mounted on the main door (40).

At this time, the hinge axis 511 of the sub-upper hinge 51 may be formed into a tube shape having a cross section with one side opened. Such a cross-sectional structure provides a space inside the hinge shaft 511 which is further expanded. The electric wires L connected to the electric components (the heater, the knock sensing device, the door lighting unit, etc.) provided in the sub door 50 are electrically connected through the hinge shaft 511 of the sub- And guided outside the sub door 50 to be connected to the main control unit 2 on the cabinet 10.

The upper hinge 401 and the sub upper hinge 51 are shielded by the main hinge cover 45 and the sub hinge cover 53. The main hinge cover 45 and the sub hinge cover 53 are connected to each other and a wire L guided to the outside through the sub hinge cover 51 passes through the sub hinge cover 53, And can be guided to the main control unit 2 side through the inside of the main hinge cover 45.

In detail, the main hinge cover 45 is opened downwardly, and a space recessed inward is formed to accommodate the entire upper hinge 401. The main hinge cover 45 may receive a separate user fee for controlling the electrical components on the sub door 50 side.

The main hinge cover 45 may be fixedly attached to one side of the cabinet 10 with a coupling structure or a coupling structure by a separate coupling member. A portion of the main hinge cover 45 extends toward the upper hinge mounting portion 405 of the main door 40.

An extension 451 extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the upper hinge 401 may be further formed on one side of the main hinge cover 45. A main connection part 452 may be formed at the end of the extension part 451. The main connection part 452 may be stepped downward from the end of the extension part 451. The main connection part 452 is formed in a circular shape and the center of the main connection part 452 may be positioned on the same extension line as the hinge shaft 4011 of the upper hinge 401. A connection hole 453 is formed in the upper surface of the main connection part 452 so that the electric wire L can be inserted and removed.

The sub hinge cover 53 is formed in such a manner that the lower portion of the sub hinge cover 53 is opened and a space recessed inward is formed to accommodate the entire sub-hinge cover 51. The sub hinge cover 53 may be fixedly mounted on the upper hinge mounting portion 405. A part of the sub hinge cover 53 may extend toward the sub-hinge mounting portion 501 to shield the sub-hinge cover 51.

A cover fixing portion 531 is formed at one side of the sub-hinge 51 so that a coupling member such as a screw is inserted into the sub-hinge mounting portion 501 through the cover fixing portion 531, So that the sub hinge cover 53 can be fixed.

The shape of the sub hinge cover 53 is formed in a shape corresponding to the space between the sub hinge mounting portion 501 and the main hinge cover 45 in a state where the sub door 50 is closed, So as not to interfere with opening and closing of the door (50) and the main door (40).

A sub connecting portion 532 is formed on one side of the sub hinge cover 53. The sub connection portion 532 extends toward the main door 40 and is seated on the upper surface of the main connection portion 452. The lower surface of the sub connection part 532 is opened so that the inside of the sub connection part 532 can communicate with the inside of the main connection part 452 by the connection hole 453. The sub connection part 532 Has a circular cross section like the main connection part 452 and is positioned on the same extension line as the center of the rotation axis of the upper hinge 401.

 That is, the center of the rotational axis of the upper hinge 401 and the center of the main connecting portion 452 and the sub connecting portion 532 are concentric. Therefore, in a state in which the main door 40 and the sub door 50 are rotated, the rotating shaft of the upper hinge 401 and the main connecting part 452 and the sub connecting part 532 can be stably rotated without flowing . Also, even when the main door 40 or the sub door 50 is rotated, the electric wire guided through the sub hinge cover 53 sequentially passes through the sub connection part 532 and the main connection part 452, And can be guided to the inside of the cover 45.

The electric wires L may be connected by connectors 502 and 406 and the connectors 502 and 406 may be located inside the sub hinge cover 53. A sub connector 502 connected to an end of a wire L exposed to the outside via a rotation axis of the sub upper hinge 51 and a sub connector 502 connected to the main control part 2 and connected to the main hinge cover 45 The main connector 406 of the electric wire L guided to the sub-hinge mounting portion 501 side is connected to each other and then the sub hinge cover 53 is covered to cover the electric wires L and the connectors 502 and 406 and the sub- The shielding member 51 can be shielded.

A lower hinge 402 for supporting a lower end of the main door 40 is mounted on a front side of the cabinet 10. The sub door hinge 52 for supporting the sub door 50 is mounted on the lower end of the main door 40.

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

As shown in the figure, the lower hinge 402 is mounted on the front surface of the cabinet 10, and allows the main door 40 to be rotatably supported.

The lower hinge 402 includes a main fixing part 4021 fixed to the front surface of the cabinet 10 and a main supporting part 4030 bent perpendicularly from the main fixing part 4021 to support the lower end of the main door 40. [ And a hinge shaft 4023 which extends upward from the main support portion 4022 and is inserted into the main door 40. Accordingly, the lower end of the main door 40 is supported by the lower hinge 402, and the main door 40 can be rotated around the hinge shaft 4023.

The sub-floor hinge 52 is disposed in front of the lower hinge 402 and is provided at a lower end of the main door 40. The sub-floor hinge 52 may be mounted on the sub-floor hinge mounting portion 407 which is recessed at the lower front of the main door 40.

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

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

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

In addition, a case door 42 may be provided on the back surface of the storage case 41 to be opened and closed by rotation. Therefore, when the main door 40 is opened, the case door 42 can be opened to access the door basket 43.

The case 41 and the case door 42 may be formed with a case opening 432 and a door opening 421 through which cold air in the compartment can be introduced into the storage case 41. Therefore, the temperature inside the storage case 41 can be kept equal to the temperature inside the refrigerating chamber 12. [

More specifically, on the rear surface of the main door 40, a molding step on which the door basket 43 can be mounted may be formed on both sides of the opening 403. [ The forming step may be formed with a concave-convex structure, and the door basket 43 may be detachably attached.

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

As shown in the drawing, the door basket 43 is formed with a mounting portion 431, which is formed on an upper surface of the door basket 43 and is disposed inside the opening portion 403. The mounting portion 431 has a width corresponding to the width of the opening 403 and may have mounting grooves 4311 formed on both sides thereof to be engaged with the forming end of the opening 403. [

The rear surface (the front surface in FIG. 9) of the mounting portion 431 facing the rear surface of the sub door 50 may be inclined. A predetermined gap may be formed between the rear surface of the sub door 50 and the rear surface of the mounting portion 431 and the opening 403 may be formed without blocking the light emitted from the door lighting unit 49, ) To be able to reveal the whole.

A stopper 433 for fixing the dividing member 432 and the dividing member 432 at a predetermined angle and a stopper cap 434 for mounting the stopper 433 are installed in the door basket 43, ). ≪ / RTI >

The dividing member 432 may be formed of a wire or a rod, and may have a circular cross section having a predetermined diameter. The dividing member 432 includes a dividing portion 4321 extending across the mounting portion 431, a first bending portion 4322 bent perpendicularly at both ends of the dividing portion 4321, A second bent portion 4323 bent vertically again in the first bent portion 4322 and an insertion portion 4324 bent outward at both ends of the second bent portion 4323 and inserted into the stopper 433, ≪ / RTI >

The stopper 433 is mounted on the inner surface of the mounting portion 431 and is disposed on both left and right sides to fix the dividing member 432. [ The stopper 433 may be formed in a cylindrical shape and a cap insertion port 4331 on which the stopper cap 434 is mounted may be formed on one side of the stopper 433 in contact with the mounting portion 431. A stopper hook 4332 for fixing the stopper 433 to the mounting portion 431 may be formed on the outer side of the cap insertion port 4331.

A center hole 4333 through which the insertion portion 4324 of the dividing member 432 is inserted may be formed at the center of the opposing surface of the stopper 433 disposed on both sides. The stopper 433 may have a fixing groove recessed inwardly around the center hole 4333. The fixing groove is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the dividing member 432 to receive and fix the second bent portion 4323 of the dividing member 432.

The fixing groove may include a first fixing groove 4334 for allowing the dividing member 432 to be positioned at the first position, a second fixing groove 4335 for allowing the dividing member 432 to be located at the second position, And a third fixing groove 4336 for allowing the first fixing groove 4336 to be positioned. The first fixing groove 4334 and the third fixing groove 4336 are formed at positions facing each other in the vertical direction of the stopper 433. The second fixing groove 4335 is formed in the first fixing groove 4334, And the third fixing groove 4336, as shown in Fig. The fixing grooves may be disposed at positions rotated by 90 degrees, respectively, and the dividing members 432 may be fixed at fixed positions by 90 degrees.

That is, the first bent portion 4323 is inserted into the first fixing groove 4334 at the first position. 9, the dividing portion 4321 of the dividing member 432 is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the door basket 43, so that the entire space inside the door basket 43 is divided into one Can be used as a storage space for the user.

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

In the third position, the second bent portion 4323 is inserted into the third fixing groove 4336. The partitioning portion 4321 of the dividing member 432 is located at a position away from the inner wall surface of the door basket 43 so that the inner space of the door basket 43 is divided into two spaces As shown in FIG.

At this time, the position of the partition 4321 is located at a position further away from the position of the stopper 433 by the length of the first bent portion 4322, thereby partitioning the space. Since the lengths of the first bent portion 4322 and the second bent portion 4323 are different from each other, the user can adjust the length of the space formed by the length difference between the first bent portion 4322 and the second bent portion 4323 As shown in FIG.

11, when the dividing member 432 is positioned at the second position and the third position to divide the internal space of the door basket 43 into two, the width is narrow and the height is high, Squeezable source bottles or tubing containers can be effectively stored.

On the other hand, on both sides of the mounting portion 431, a stopper fixing hole 435 is formed. The stopper fixing hole 435 is further formed with a fixing groove 4351 so that the stopper hook 4332 can be locked. Therefore, the stopper 433 may be fixed to the inner surface of the mounting portion 431 so as not to be rotated. The stopper cap 434 may be provided on the outer side of the mounting portion 431. The stopper cap 434 is mounted on the stopper fixing hole 435 and the cap hook 4341 at the center of the stopper cap 434 passes through the stopper fixing hole 435 and is caught by the cap inserting hole 4331 . Therefore, the stopper 433 can be more firmly fixed by the stopper cap 434. [

12 is a front view of the sub door. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the sub door.

The sub door 50 includes an out plate 55 forming an outer appearance, a panel assembly 54 mounted to the opening of the out plate 55, And an upper cap decor 56 and a lower cab decor 58 which form the upper and lower surfaces of the sub door 50. The upper door decor 58 and the lower cab decor 55 are formed of a metal plate.

The out plate 55 forms a part of a front surface and a peripheral surface of the sub door 50 and may be formed of stainless steel. A panel mounting hole 551 is formed at the center of the out plate 55 to form the panel assembly 54. The panel mounting hole 551 may be formed to have the same or similar size as that of the opening 403 as a space for viewing the inside of the opening 403 of the main door 40. A plate bending portion 552 bent perpendicularly inward along the periphery of the panel mounting hole 551 is formed. The plate bending portion 552 is bent so as to be inserted into the support frame 60 to be described below and the plate bending portion 552 may be formed with a plate hole 5521 opened at regular intervals.

The panel assembly 54 is configured to shield the panel mount 551. When the panel assembly 54 is mounted on the front surface of the panel assembly 54, As shown in FIG. The panel assembly 54 may be selectively transparent according to the on / off state of the door lighting unit 49, and may be configured to selectively view the interior of the opening 403. FIG. The structure of the panel assembly 54 will be described in more detail below.

The upper cap decor 56 forms the upper surface of the sub door 50 and is coupled to the upper plate 55 and the upper end of the door liner 58. The sub-hinge mounting portion 501 is formed at one end of the upper cap decor 56. The sub-hinge mounting portion 501 is formed with an upper boss 503, into which the hinge shaft 523 of the upper hinge 401 is inserted. (5012) can be mounted.

The lower cab deco 57 forms a lower surface of the sub door 50 and is coupled to the lower end of the out plate 55 and the door liner 58. A hinge plate 571 is mounted on the lower cab deco 57 at a position where the subroiler hinge 52 is mounted and a hinge shaft 523 of the subroiler hinge 52 is connected to the hinge plate 571. [ The lower boss 572 can be mounted.

Meanwhile, two foamed liquid injection ports 573 may be formed in the lower cab deco (57). The foamed liquid injection port 573 is opened to inject a foaming liquid for forming a heat insulating material on the peripheral side of the panel assembly 54 in the inner space of the sub door 50. At this time, in order to smoothly inject the foamed liquid into the sub door 50, it is formed to open vertically downward corresponding to the space between the outer side of the panel assembly 54 and the inner side surface of the sub door 50. Therefore, when the foamed liquid is injected, the foamed liquid can be effectively injected without backflow or insufficiency by surrounding interference. The foamed liquid injection port 573 may be shielded by an injection port cap 574 attached to the lower cap deco (57).

The door liner 58 forms the back surface of the sub door 50 and a liner opening 581 is formed in a region where the panel assembly 54 is disposed. A liner groove 582 for maintaining the shape of the door liner 58 may be formed along the liner opening 581 around the door liner 58, A sub gasket 591 that is recessed from the back surface of the sub door 50 and hermetically seals the sub door 50 and the main door 40 can be mounted.

The locking unit 232 may be mounted on one side of the door liner 58 and the knock sensing device 82 and the door opening assist device 588 to be described in detail below may be mounted.

Meanwhile, a heater 59 may be provided inside the sub door 50. The heater 59 is disposed along the rear surface of the panel assembly 54. The heater 59 may be disposed on the rear surface of the front panel 541 forming the front surface of the panel assembly 54 and may be mounted on an area of the bezel 5411 formed around the front panel 541. [ So as not to be exposed to the outside.

A support frame 60 for fixing the outboard plate 55 and the panel assembly 54 is provided on the rear surface of the outboard plate 55 along the periphery of the panel mount hole 551. The support frame 60 may be constituted by a combination of the upper frame 61, the lower frame 63, and the pair of side frames 62. Further, it may be formed along the edge of the panel mounting hole 551 to receive the plate bent portion 552 and be adhered to the back surface of the panel assembly 54. The heater 59 disposed on the back surface of the panel assembly 54 may be fixed. The support frame 60 will be described in more detail below.

Meanwhile, a door lighting unit 49 may be mounted on the upper end of the liner opening 581. The door lighting unit 49 can illuminate a portion where a plurality of door baskets 43 mounted on the main door 40 are disposed and the panel assembly 54 can be illuminated, To be transparent.

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

14 is an exploded perspective view of a door lighting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 15-15 'in Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 16-16 'of Fig.

The door lighting unit 49 includes a lighting unit mounting portion 583 formed at an upper end of a liner opening 581 of the door liner 58, Can be mounted.

A case fixing portion 5831 is formed at both ends of the lighting unit mounting portion 583 and a case rib 4911 protruding from both ends of the lamp case 491 is engaged with the case fixing portion 5831, So that the lighting unit 49 can be fixedly mounted.

The lamp cover 493 is extended along the door liner 58 and includes a depression 4912 for forming a recessed space for receiving the lamp package 492 therein. In detail, the depression 4912 may be rounded so as to face the lamp housing 492, and the light irradiated from the lamp housing 492 through the round surface 4913 having a predetermined curvature And is directed toward the lamp case 491. [ A film for increasing the reflectance of light may be attached or coated on the inner surface of the depression 4912, particularly on the round surface 4913.

A lamp package mounting portion 4914 on which the lamp package 492 is mounted is formed on a surface facing the round surface 4913. The lamp package mounting portion 4914 is formed such that the lamp package 492 can be fixedly mounted in a direction crossing the lamp cover 493 from the inside of the lamp case.

One side of the lamp package mounting portion 4914 may be formed with a wire entry / exit port 4915 through which a wire L connected to the lamp package 492 enters and exits. The wire outlet 4915 can be guided to the inner space of the sub door 50 and can be guided through the hinge shaft 523 of the sub-upper hinge 51.

The lamp cover 493 is formed to transmit light reflected by the round surface 4913 of the depression 4912 and shields the opening of the depression 4912. The lamp cover 493 is formed to be transparent or translucent so that light that is reflected from the round surface 4913 and spreads evenly can be transmitted. Accordingly, the light passing through the lamp cover 493 is indirectly illuminated to illuminate the inside of the lamp, and has the same effect as the surface light emission.

Further, the lamp cover 493 can be attached to the film or can be coated to diffuse light more effectively. If necessary, particles or a material for diffusing light during injection molding of the lamp cover 493 may be added.

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

The rear ends of the plurality of door baskets 43 mounted on the opening 403 are separated from the rear surface of the sub door 50 and positioned further inside than the door lighting unit 49. 15, the light emitted downward from the door lighting unit 49 is prevented from being blocked by the food contained in the door basket 43 or the door basket 43, as shown in FIG.

The front surface of the door basket 43 adjacent to the rear end of the panel assembly 54 is inclined so that the light irradiated downward by the door lighting unit 49 is not interfered with, Lt; / RTI >

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

Meanwhile, the panel assembly 54 can be fixedly mounted on the sub door 50 by the support frame 60. One side of the support frame 60 may be fixed to the outboard plate 55 and the other side may be fixed to the panel assembly 54 so that the panel assembly 54 is fixed .

The panel assembly 54 includes a front panel 541 and at least one heat insulating panel 542 disposed behind the front panel 541, And a diaphragm 543 for supporting between the heat insulating panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 and the plurality of heat insulating panels 542.

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

That is, when the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, the front panel 541 is transparent while high-side light passes through the front panel 541. Therefore, the interior space behind the sub door 50 or the storage space formed in the main door 40 can be seen from the outside in a state where the sub door 50 is closed.

In a state where the door lighting unit 49 is off, the light is reflected without being transmitted through the front panel 541, so that the front panel 541 is like a mirror surface. In such a state, the intraluminal space behind the sub door 50 or the storage space formed in the main door 40 can not be seen from the outside.

The front panel 541 may be subjected to various surface treatments so that the front panel 541 may have the same effect as the half mirror. For example, a titanium compound may be vacuum-deposited on the entire surface of the glass layer constituting the front panel 541.

In addition, a ceramic printing layer is formed on the back surface of the glass layer constituting the front panel by silk screen printing using a printing ink composed mainly of a titanium compound (TiO ₂ ), a viscosity controlling resin, an organic solvent and an additive You may.

In addition, a hard coating layer composed of a triple layer of iron, cobalt, and chrome is formed on the back surface of the glass layer constituting the front panel by APCAVD (Atmospheric Pressure Cemical Vapor Deposition) Or may be formed by a spray method in which a liquid coating material is sprayed.

When a ceramic printing layer or a hard coating layer is formed on the back surface of the glass layer, the front panel 541 may have a light transmittance of 20% to 30% outside the front panel 541. At this time, if the transmittance is 20% or less, it is difficult to see through the inside of the door lighting unit 49 even when the door lighting unit 49 is turned on. When the transmittance exceeds 30%, the door lighting unit 49 is turned off The front surface of the panel assembly 54 can not be seen as a mirror surface, and the inside of the panel assembly 54 can be partially viewed.

Meanwhile, the bezel 5411 formed along the rear surface of the front panel 541 may be formed so as not to transmit light, and the edge of the front panel 541, on which the bezel 5411 is formed, And is configured to extend further outward than the heat insulating panel 542. Therefore, the support frame 60, the heater 59, and the base 543 are not exposed forward through the front panel 541 on the rear surface of the front panel 541 where the bezel 5411 is formed.

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

In detail, the support frame 60 is disposed in an area of the bezel 5411 to fix the panel assembly 54. The heater 59 fixed by the support frame 60 can also be positioned in the region of the bezel 5411. Therefore, both the heater 59 and the support frame 60 disposed along the edge of the panel assembly 54 are covered by the bezel 5411, so that the heater 59 and the support frame 60 are not exposed to the outside.

A base 543 is formed around the rear surface of the front panel 541. The front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 are spaced apart from each other and the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 are spaced apart from each other so that the gap between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 can be sealed .

 The base 543 may be disposed between a plurality of the heat insulating panels 542. The front panel 541, the heat insulating panel 542 and the plurality of the bases 543 can be attached to each other by an adhesive agent. The sealant is applied to the front panel 541, the heat insulating panel 542, 543 and the outer surface of the panel assembly 54 can be maintained in a hermetic state.

The heat insulating panel 542 may be formed to be smaller in size than the front panel 541 and may be located in an inner region of the front panel 541. Preferably, the heat insulating panel 542 is chemically strengthened glass in which the glass is immersed in an electrolyte solution and chemically strengthened at a glass transition temperature or higher.

A low radiation coating layer may be formed on the rear surface of the heat insulating panel 542 to reduce heat transfer into the storage room by radiation. The low-emission coating layer may be formed by depositing the low-emission coating layer on the surface of the glass by sputtering or the like, which is called low-ε glass.

The sealed space between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 formed by the barge 543 and the sealed space between the plurality of heat insulating panels may be formed in a vacuum state to be thermally insulated .

An inert gas such as argon gas for heat insulation may be charged between the sealed space between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 and the sealed space between the plurality of the heat insulating panels 542 as necessary. Inert gases have better thermal insulation than normal air. For this reason, it is possible to form a predetermined space between the front panel 541 and the heat insulating panel 542 and between the plurality of heat insulating panels 542 to fill the inert gas to secure the heat insulating performance.

The heat insulating panel 542 may be formed as a single panel and spaced apart from the front panel 541. If necessary, two or more of the heat insulating panels 542 may be spaced apart from each other.

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

As shown in the figure, the support frame 60 is disposed above and below the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63, and between the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63, And the frame 62 may be connected to form a rectangular shape.

The support frame 60 may be injection molded from a plastic material. The support frame 60 may be formed so that the plate bend portion 552 of the out plate 55 can be inserted while the heater 59 is fixed.

More specifically, the support frame 60 in an assembled state may be provided with plate inserting portions 611, 621, 631 for inserting the plate bent portions 552. The plate inserting portions 611, 621, Can be formed along the entire surface. The plate inserting portions 611, 621, and 631 may have a plurality of constraining protrusions 612, 622, 632 at predetermined intervals. A plurality of holes 614, 624, 634 are formed on the plate inserting portions 611, 621, 631 corresponding to the restraining protrusions 612, 622, 632 to facilitate the inflow of the foaming liquid into the plate inserting portions 611, 621, 631. The fixing protrusions 612, 622, 632 are formed at positions corresponding to the holes 614, 624, 634, thereby facilitating the molding of the restraining protrusions 612, 622, 632 during injection molding.

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

The entire width of the support frame 60 is formed so as to be covered by the bezel 5411 provided with the panel assembly 54. And may extend to an outer end of the heat insulating panel 542.

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

18 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure on the support frame. 19 is a perspective view of the upper frame constituting the support frame.

As shown in the figure, the upper frame 61 forms the upper part of the support frame 60. Both ends of the upper frame 61 are bent downward and can be engaged with the upper ends of the side frames 62. To this end, both ends of the upper frame 61 may be bent downward and then opened. Upper hook grooves 615 may be formed at both ends of the upper frame 61 to insert the side hooks 625 formed at the upper end of the side frames 62.

The upper inserting portion 611 may be formed on one side of the upper frame 61, which is in contact with the back surface of the out plate 55. The upper insertion portion 611 is formed such that a portion of the plate bending portion 552 forming the upper end of the panel mounting hole 551 can be inserted.

At this time, the upper inserting portion 611 may be thicker than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruding height of the upper fixing protrusion 612 formed on the upper inserting portion 611. The plate bending portion 552 can be inserted into the upper insertion portion 611 and the upper fixing protrusion 612 is inserted into the plate hole 5521 after the insertion, The frames 61 can be coupled to each other.

An upper heater groove 613 is formed on the inner side of the upper insert part 611, that is, on the opening side of the support frame 60 so that the upper part of the heater 59, which is disposed along the edge of the front panel 541, To be able to accommodate the portion of < / RTI > The electric wire L is connected to the heater 59 through the electric wire entry / exit part 616 at one side of the upper heater groove 613.

On the other hand, an upper hole 614 is further formed on the upper inserting portion 611 corresponding to the upper restraining protrusion 612, and a foaming liquid for forming a heat insulating material can be inserted and removed between the upper holes 614 So that the foamed liquid can be completely filled up to the inside of the upper inserting portion 611 of the upper frame 61.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view of a side frame constituting the support frame as viewed from the front. Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the side frame constituting the support frame as seen from the rear side.

As shown in the figure, the side frames 62 form both side surfaces of the support frame 60. [ The side frame 62 is formed to have a length that allows connection between the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63. For this, a side hook 625 is formed at the upper and lower ends of the side frame 62. The side hook 625 can be engaged with the upper hook groove 615 of the upper frame 61 and the lower hook groove 635 of the lower frame 63.

A side rib 626 which can be inserted into the upper insertion portion 611 of the upper frame 61 and the lower insertion portion 631 of the lower frame 63 is formed at the upper and lower ends of the side frame 62 . Therefore, the side frame 62, the upper frame 61, and the lower frame 63 can be stably coupled to each other.

The side inserting portion 621 may be formed on one side of the side frame 62, which is in contact with the back surface of the out plate 55. The side inserting portion 621 is formed such that portions of the plate bending portion 552 forming both side ends of the panel mounting hole 551 can be inserted.

At this time, the side inserting portion 621 may be thicker than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruding height of the side restraining protrusion 622 formed in the side inserting portion 621. Therefore, the plate bending portion 552 can be inserted into the side insert portion 621 and the side restraining protrusion 622 is inserted into the plate hole 5521 after the insertion, The frames 62 can be coupled to each other.

A side heater groove 623 is formed on the inner side of the side insert portion 621 to accommodate the side portion of the heater 59 disposed along the edge of the front panel 541.

On the other hand, a side hole 624 is further formed on the side inserting portion 621 corresponding to the side restraining protrusion 622, and the foamed liquid can be inserted and removed between the side holes 624, The foamed liquid can be completely filled up to the inside of the side inserting portion 621 of the side plate 62.

22 is an exploded perspective view showing the coupling structure of the lower part of the support frame. 23 is a perspective view of the lower frame constituting the support frame.

As shown in the figure, the lower frame 63 forms the lower part of the support frame 60. [ Both ends of the lower frame 63 are bent upward and can be engaged with the lower ends of the side frames 62. To this end, both ends of the lower frame 63 may be bent upward and then opened. At both ends of the lower frame 63, a lower hook groove 635 into which a side hook 625 formed at the lower end of the side frame 62 is inserted may be formed.

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

The lower insertion portion 631 may be thicker than the thickness of the out plate 55 and the protruded height of the lower fixing protrusion 632 formed in the lower insertion portion 631. Therefore, the plate bending portion 552 can be inserted into the lower insertion portion 631, and after the insertion, the lower fixing protrusion 632 is inserted into the plate hole 5521, The frame 63 can be coupled to each other.

Further, a lower heater groove 633 is formed on the inner side of the lower insertion portion 631 to accommodate the lower end of the heater 59 disposed along the edge of the front panel 541.

On the other hand, a lower hole 634 is further formed on the lower insertion portion 631 corresponding to the lower restraining protrusion 632, and the foamed liquid can be inserted and removed between the lower holes 634, The foamed liquid can be completely filled up to the inside of the lower side inserting portion 631 of the upper and lower side walls 63 and 63 and the heat insulating material can be formed.

One side of the lower frame 63 is formed with a sensing device hole 636 through which the knock sensing device 82, which will be described in detail below, is exposed. Therefore, the knock sensing device 82 is provided at the rear of the lower frame 63 and can be closely attached to the rear surface of the front panel 541 through the sensing device hole 636.

24 is a sectional view taken along line 24-24 'of Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 25-25 'of Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 26-26 'of Fig. FIG. 27 is a sectional view taken along line 27-27 'of FIG. 12. FIG.

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

The end portions of the upper frame 61, the side frames 62 and the lower frames 63 may extend to an outer end of the heat insulating panel 542. The upper frame 61 and the side frames 62 An upper heater groove 613, a side heater groove 623 and a lower heater groove 633 are formed at the end of the lower frame 63 so that the edge of the front panel 541, . An aluminum sheet 5413 having a predetermined width may be disposed between the heater 59 and the front panel 541. Therefore, the area where the bezel 5411 of the front panel 541 is formed can be uniformly heated when the heater 59 generates heat.

The upper frame 61 and the side frames 62 attached to the front panel 541 and the upper insertion portion 611 and the side insertion portion 621 of the lower frame 63, The plate bend portion 552 of the out plate 55 is inserted into the through hole 631. [

24, the plate bending portion 552 is closely attached to the front panel 541 in a state of being inserted into the inside of the side insertion portion 621. As shown in FIG. The plate hole 5521 of the plate bending portion 552 is engaged with the side restraining protrusion 622 so that the out plate 55 and the side frame 62 can be fixedly coupled.

The foamed liquid can be introduced into the side inserting portion 621 through the side holes 624 and the introduced foamed liquid pushes the plate bent portion 552 toward the front panel 541 do.

Due to such a structure, the plate bend portion 552 formed on the out plate 55 can be brought into close contact with the outer end of the front panel 541. [ Therefore, the clearance between the end of the out plate 55 forming the panel mount 551 and the outer end of the front panel 541 can be minimized when viewed from the front.

24, the support frame 62 is supported on the inner side surface of the side insertion portion 621 in contact with the plate bending portion 522 A first surface is formed, a second surface supporting the back surface of the front panel 541 is formed, and a third surface supporting the back surface of the out plate 55 is formed. The first surface and the second surface are arranged in parallel with each other, and the first surface and the second surface are arranged to intersect with each other.

Such a structure is the same for the upper frame 61 and the lower frame 63 as well as for the side frames 62, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted in order to avoid duplication of description.

28 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling structure of the knock sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling structure of the knock sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear side.

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

The insert cover 585 has the same shape as the outer surface of the door liner 58 when the insert cover 585 is mounted. Accordingly, the insert cover 585 is mounted at a position where the liner groove 582 formed in the door liner 58 passes, so that the insert cover 585 is provided with a cover groove 5854 connected to the liner groove 582 Is formed. Accordingly, the sub gasket 591 may be mounted to pass through the liner groove 582 and the cover groove 5854.

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

The receiving portion case 587 is engaged with the front end of the sensing device receiving portion 586 to form a remaining space for accommodating the knock sensing device 82. Both ends of the receiving portion case 587 are formed with the case engaging portions 5871 to which the screws are fastened so that the receiving portion case 587 can be coupled and fixed to the sensing device receiving portion 586.

The receiving portion case 587 is formed with a sensing device insertion portion 5872 into which the front end of the knock sensing device 82 is inserted. An insertion hole 5873 is opened in the front surface of the sensing device insertion portion 5872 and the sensing device insertion portion 5872 is inserted into the sensing device hole 636 of the lower frame 63. The knock sensing device 82 inserted into the sensing device inserting portion 5872 has its front surface passing through the inserting hole 5873 and the sensing device hole 636 and passing through the rear surface of the front panel 541 As shown in Fig.

The end of the sensing device receiving portion 586 and the end of the receiving portion case 587, which are in contact with each other, are formed in a structure having a corresponding inclination so that they can be directionally coupled to each other. A space in which the knock sensing device 82 and the sensing device housing 83 can be mounted by the combination of the sensing device accommodating portion 586 and the accommodating portion case 587 is formed in the lower portion of the sub- Respectively.

The sensing device accommodating portion 586 and the accommodating portion case 587 form a space independent from the space in which the foamed liquid is injected into the sub door 50 when they are coupled to each other. Accordingly, the user can insert the knock sensing device 82 through the sensor opening 584 after foaming the sub door 50.

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

The insert portion 5852 extends from the cover portion 5851 and is inserted into the sensing device receiving portion 586 when the insert cover 585 is mounted. The cover portion 5851 is formed to correspond to the size of the sensor device package 83 so that the insert cover 585 is inserted into the sensor opening 584 in a state where the sensor device package 83 is mounted. It can be mounted. Although not shown in detail, the wire L connected to the knock sensing device 82 may be connected to the sensor device 83 at an adjacent position. The sensor device 83 can be disposed at a side of the knock sensing device 82 so that the sensor device 83 can be connected to the knock sensing device 82 at an adjacent distance.

There is a problem that the noise generated when the detected signal moves through the signal line to be processed is increased. However, by disposing the sensing device package 83 at the position where the knock sensing device 82 is mounted, the main control unit 2 only receives a valid knock-on signal input or not. Thus, the influence of noise due to the signal line between the main control unit 2 and the sensing device package 83 can be minimized. That is, the main control unit 2 receives the noise-minimized signal through the sensing device package 83. Therefore, it is possible to secure an accurate recognition rate.

 Particularly, in the case of the knock sensing device 82, the signal output by the microphone 8211 is in units of mV. In general, the main control unit 2, which controls the overall driving of the refrigerator, to be. Therefore, it is not desirable to determine whether the main control unit 2 is a normal knock-on signal due to the scale difference of such a physical signal.

Refrigerators are electronic devices that use high voltage / high current. Therefore, the amount of electrical noise generated is relatively large. This means that the signal in units of mV output by the microphone 8211 may be more vulnerable to electrical noise.

Therefore, by disposing the sensor device 83 at a position adjacent to the knock sensing device 82, it is possible to remarkably reduce the noise and to improve the recognition rate.

30 is an exploded perspective view of the knock sensing apparatus. 31 is a cross-sectional view showing a microphone structure of the knock sensing apparatus. 32 is a sectional view taken along line 32-32 'of Fig. 33 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33-33 'in Fig.

The knock sensing device 82 is a device for sensing a knocking operation of the sub door 50 by a user.

The knock sensing device 82 includes a microphone module 821 for sensing a knock-on signal, a holder 823 for receiving the microphone module 821, and a holder 823 and a microphone module 821, An elastic member 824 for pressurizing the elastic member 824 toward the panel 541 side and a support member 825 for supporting the elastic member 824 and the holder 823.

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

The microphone receiving portion 8212 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber and is formed to be in close contact with the front panel 541. To this end, the microphone receiving portion 8212 is provided with an opening 8214 at one side adjacent to the microphone 8211 mounted in the microphone receiving portion 8212, and a circular projection 8214 is formed around the opening 8214 8215 may be formed. The protrusion 8215 does not tilt in one direction when the microphone receiving portion 8212 is in close contact with the front panel 541 and the open front of the opening 403 is in contact with the front panel 541 as a whole To be maintained.

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

Such sealing can minimize external noise or vibration from entering the predetermined space. This makes it possible to remarkably reduce the knock-on judgment error and malfunction due to the external noise, and to secure the knock-on recognition rate very accurately. That is, when the knock-on input is applied, it is possible to dramatically increase the accuracy of determining the knock-on.

The holder 823 accommodates the microphone module 821 and may have a module seating portion 8231 opened toward the front panel 541. The microphone module 821 may be formed so that at least the protrusion 8215 protrudes more than the front surface of the holder 823 while the microphone module 821 is seated in the module seating portion 8231.

The holder 823 is formed with a holder slot 8232 through which the signal line connected to the microphone 8211 enters and exits. The holder slot 8232 is formed to open at one side of the module seating portion 8231.

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

On both sides of the holder 823, a holder coupling portion 8234 formed in a hook shape and engaged with the support member 825 is formed. The holder 823 is coupled with the support member 825 so as not to be detached by the holder coupling portion 8234. The holder 823 is not restricted from moving in the direction of insertion of the support member 825 due to the hook shape of the holder engagement portion 8234.

The support member 825 is formed to be open at the front and inserted through the front surface of the holder 823. The second elastic member fixing portion 8251 may be formed on the inner side of the holder 823 so as to protrude to fix the elastic member 824. The second elastic member fixing portion 8251 is positioned on the same extension line as the first elastic member fixing portion 8233 and is inserted through one end of the elastic member 824.

Therefore, even if the elastic member 824 is compressed to press the holder 823, the elastic member 824 can stably support the holder 823 toward the front panel 541 without buckling do.

The microphone module 821 is maintained in a state of being in close contact with the front panel 541 by the elastic member 824 and the impact generated when the main door 40 and the sub door 50 are opened and closed Or the inertia of the main door 40 and the sub door 50 can maintain the state in which the microphone module 821 is always in close contact with the front panel 541 without changing its position.

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

On the other side of the support member 825, a support member fixing portion 8254 is formed. The support member fixing portion 8254 extends outward and can be fixedly attached to the sensing device engaging boss 5874 on the receiving portion case 587 by a screw. The sensing device engaging boss may be formed to be exposed through the sensor opening so that the knock sensing device can be fixedly mounted on the sensor opening after inserting the sensing device.

Meanwhile, the knock sensing device 82 is located at the edge of the front panel 541, but the effective input portion of the user's knocking operation is not limited thereto. In the environment where the microphone 8211 detects sound waves due to vibration rather than vibration itself, sound waves can be transmitted through the same continuous medium to be sensed effectively even when knocking at any position in an environment in which the microphone 8211 is in close contact with the medium. Accordingly, the position of the knock sensing device 82 can be arranged at a position where the arrangement of the electric wires and the visible area of the sub door 50 can be maximized. At the same time, even if the user knocks a certain point on the front panel 541, it is possible to detect the microphone 8211 in close contact with the same medium.

In detail, the area to which the user applies the knock input may be all of the area defined by the front surface of the front panel 541. Also, the knock-on sensing device can not be disposed in the see-through area where the majority of the front panel 541 except for the rim portion becomes substantially selectively transparent.

Therefore, it is preferable that the knock sensing device 82 is located in the area of the bezel 5411 of the front panel 541. Particularly, it is possible to minimize the bezel on both the left and right sides of the front panel 541 and the uppermost bezel at the lower end than the left and right sides of the front panel 541. The shape of the bezel 5411 can enlarge the see-through area, and the user can see the see-through area more widely by being positioned at the lower end where the user's gaze is not relatively large.

The knock sensing device 82 is located in the area of the bezel 5411 and is not exposed to the outside but has a structure in which the knock sensing device 82 is in close contact with the front panel 541. Therefore, It is possible to detect the knock of the user even when knocking.

On the other hand, in addition to the knocking operation, environmental elements that apply vibration to the front surface of the front panel 541 can be very much generated. The front of the panel assembly 54 may vibrate due to impacts caused by the opening and closing of the main door 40 and the sub door 50 and strong external noise and the input due to the external environment may be judged as a knock signal There is also room.

Therefore, in the sensing device user interface 83, the user may determine that knocking the front surface of the panel assembly 54 a plurality of times is a normal knock input. More specifically, knocking a plurality of times at predetermined time intervals can be determined as a normal knock input.

For example, if the user knocks the front surface of the panel assembly 54 twice within a predetermined time, it can be determined that the knock input is normal. Analysis of a typical user knock pattern reveals that the distance between the first knock and the second knock is less than about 600 ms. That is, considering that 1 second (s) is 1000 ms, it can be judged that the first knock and the second knock occur at intervals of less than 1 second as a normal knock input.

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

On the other hand, the intensity of the knock may vary from user to user. However, since the medium is the same, the deviation of the intensity can be large, but the deviation of the vibration pattern is very small. Therefore, the intensity deviation of the knock can be canceled by the algorithm, and the normal knock input can be effectively recognized by taking the time interval between the knock input pattern and the knock as a factor.

This, on the contrary, means that it is possible to significantly reduce the recognition of an abnormal input as a knock input.

Meanwhile, a door opening assisting device 588 is provided below the door liner 58. The door opening assisting device 588 includes an elastic member receiving portion 5881 recessed inwardly of the door liner 58, the elastic member 824 received in the elastic member receiving portion 5881, And a pressing member 5883 supported by the pressing member 5882.

The pressing member 5883 is supported by the elastic member 5882 and protruded from the door liner 58 as shown in FIG. 33 in a state in which no external force is applied. Accordingly, when the sub door 50 is closed, the pressing member 5883 contacts the main door 40 to compress the elastic member 5882. When the user operates the operation button 231 of the handle 23 to open the sub door 50 in the closed state of the sub door 50, the locking unit 232 and the restraint member 404 And the sub door 50 is pivoted and opened by the elastic force of the elastic member 5882.

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

34 is a block diagram showing a flow of a control signal of the refrigerator. 35 is a flowchart sequentially showing the sub door operation of the refrigerator. 36 is a perspective view of the refrigerator before the knocking operation. 37 is a perspective view of the refrigerator after knocking.

As shown in the figure, the refrigerator 1 includes a main control unit 2 for controlling the operation of the refrigerator, and the main control unit 2 can be connected to the door switch 21. The door switch 21 is installed in the cabinet 10 to sense the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 20 or the main door 40. The door switch 21 is provided in the main door 40, Lt; / RTI >

The main control unit 2 may be connected to the door lighting unit 49 so that the main control unit 2 is turned on when the sub door 50 is opened or when a knock on signal is input. The main control unit 2 may be connected to the sensing device package 83 connected to the knock sensing device 82.

Meanwhile, in a general situation in which the refrigerator 1 is not operated, the panel assembly 54 may be in the same state as a mirror surface in an opaque state, as shown in FIG. In such a state, it becomes impossible to see through the hood.

In this state, the knock sensing apparatus 82 remains in a state in which the user can input an operation at any time in the activated state. [S110]

In this state, if the user performs a knock-on operation on the front surface of the sub door 50, that is, the front panel 541, in front of the refrigerator, 82 detects that the knock-on operation is a valid operation.

In detail, when the user taps the front panel 541, the vibration caused by the vibration is transmitted along the front panel 541 having the same medium, and the sound waves are transmitted from the microphone 8211 in close contact with the front panel 541 .

The received sound wave is filtered and amplified by passing through the filter and the amplifier, and is transmitted to the sensing device 83. The sensory device 83 determines a knock with the collected and analyzed signal so as to sense the knocking signal do.

That is, in the case of a sound wave generated due to a noise or an impact at a high or high outside, there is a difference between the sound waves generated by the knock and the characteristics of the sound waves. Therefore, the sensing device 83 has a signal It is determined whether or not the user knocks.

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

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

For example, in order to be detected as a valid knock-on signal, a signal recognized as a knock can be set to occur twice within one second. Normally, when analyzing the knock pattern of a general user, the result shows that the knocking is performed twice in succession and the time interval corresponds to within one second. In this case, not only can a false recognition in a special situation be prevented, . Of course, the number of knock signals and the set time for determining such an effective knock-on signal may be variously changed.

If it is determined that no effective knock-on signal is generated through the knock sensing device 82, the main control unit 2 maintains the standby state without performing any separate control operation.

When the main door 40 or the sub door 50 is opened, the knock sensing apparatus 82 may be inactivated or the input signal may be ignored, thereby preventing malfunction. [S120]

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

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

When the sub door 50 is transparent, the user can check the storage space or the high space inside the main door 40, and the sub door 50 is opened or necessary work is performed to store the food. [S130]

The turned-on door lighting unit 49 keeps the lighting state for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds, so that the user can sufficiently check the state of the door.

Then, the door lighting unit 49 is turned on when it is determined that the set time has passed since the door lighting unit 49 is turned on. [S140]

Also, an effective knock-on operation signal may be input by the user before the predetermined time elapses in the state in which the door lighting unit 49 is turned on.

That is, if the user performs a knock-on operation to check the inside of the room and checks the inside of the room, if the user does not need a separate operation, the door lighting unit 49 can be turned off before the set time passes.

For example, if the user intends to make the sub door 50 opaque within a period of 5 seconds after the door lighting unit 49 is turned on, That is, the front panel 541 is knocked.

If it is determined that the knocking operation at this time is valid, the door lighting unit 49 may be turned off before the predetermined time elapses. Of course, the validity determination of the knocking operation at this time may be set in the same manner as in [S120], and may be set to another knock input pattern as required. [S150]

The door lighting unit 49 may be turned off when a predetermined time has elapsed after the door lighting unit 49 is turned on or an effective knock on signal is input.

When the door lighting unit 49 is turned off, the high inside becomes dark and the high outside becomes bright. In this state, the high-order light is reflected by the front panel 541, and the front surface of the sub-door 50 is in a mirror-like state and the inside can not be seen through. Therefore, the sub door 50 remains opaque until a new operation is input. [S160]

Claims (18)

A cabinet forming a storage space;
And a door for opening and closing the storage space,
The door
An out plate which forms a front surface of the door and forms an opening;
A door liner disposed behind the out plate;
A shieldable panel assembly; And
And a support frame disposed along the opening and simultaneously supporting the out plate and the panel assembly,
A plate bending portion that is bent inward in the door is formed around the opening,
The support frame includes:
A first surface for supporting the plate bending portion,
And a second surface for supporting the panel assembly.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first surface and the second surface extend in directions intersecting with each other.
The method according to claim 1,
The panel assembly includes:
A front panel shielding the first opening and forming a front appearance;
An insulating panel shielding the second opening and forming a rear outer appearance; And
And a diaphragm for supporting a space between the front panel and the heat insulating panel to form a heat insulating space.
The method of claim 3,
The support frame includes:
Further comprising a third surface for supporting a rear surface of the out plate, wherein the third surface is formed parallel to the second surface.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the third surface projects further forward than the second surface,
Wherein a front surface of the out plate and a front surface of the front panel are disposed on the same plane.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein the front panel is larger than the heat insulating panel,
And the second surface supports a rear surface of the front panel protruding outside the heat insulating panel.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein the plate bend is in close contact with a peripheral surface of the front panel.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the plate bending portion is supported on both the outer end of the front panel and the first surface.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the support frame is formed with a plate insertion portion that is recessed to insert the plate bending portion.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the first surface is formed on the inner surface of the plate insertion portion.
10. The method of claim 9,
A plurality of projections are formed inside the plate inserting portion,
And a plate hole into which the protrusions are inserted is formed in the plate bending portion.
10. The method of claim 9,
And a plurality of holes for introducing the foaming liquid are formed along the plate inserting portion.
10. The method of claim 9,
And the hole is formed at a position corresponding to the protrusion.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein the support frame is formed with a heater groove for accommodating a heater disposed along an edge of the front panel.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein an aluminum sheet is interposed between the support frame and the front panel.
15. The method of claim 14,
And an adhesive is interposed between the support frame and the front panel.
15. The method of claim 14,
And a bezel which is opaque to shield the heater and the support frame is provided around the front panel.
The method according to claim 1,
The out plate is formed of a metal material,
The front panel rear panel is formed of a transparent material,
Wherein the support frame is formed of a plastic material.

Images