KR20230014600A - Door assembly, refrigerator and home applice including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door assembly and a refrigerator and home appliance including the same. The present invention can include a door body (50) and a lighting panel (100) coupled to the front of the door body (50). In addition, the lighting panel (100) can be provided with a panel frame (110) having a coupling space (129) formed in the center, and a lighting device (130) can be installed in the panel frame (110). A light guide plate (150) is disposed in the coupling space (129), wherein an edge thereof can face the lighting device (130). Also, a front plate (170) can be disposed on the front side of the lighting panel (100) to be parallel to the light guide plate (150). Here, a diffusion plate (180) is disposed between the front plate (170) and the light guide plate (150) to transmit light from the light guide plate (150) toward the front plate (170). Therefore, a user can change a color on the front side of the door using the lighting device (130) without replacing the door panel, and the diffusion plate (180) can make the light of the light guide plate (150) uniform while diffusing the light once.

Description

Door assembly and refrigerator and home appliance having the same {Door assembly, refrigerator and home appliance including the same}

The present invention relates to a door assembly, and more particularly, to a door assembly having a lighting panel on the front surface of the door assembly, and a refrigerator and home appliance including the same.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance capable of storing food at a low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to cool the inside of the storage space using cool air generated through heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerating cycle, thereby storing stored food in an optimal state.

Refrigerators of recent years are gradually becoming multi-functional in accordance with changes in eating habits and the trend of high-end products, and refrigerators equipped with various structures and convenient devices that enable users' convenience and efficient use of internal space are being released.

In particular, as consumers' interest in the design of home appliances such as refrigerators increases, various products capable of changing the appearance of home appliances to suit the user's taste are being developed. For example, in order to harmonize with the installation environment of the refrigerator or surrounding furniture/home appliances, structures for diversifying the appearance of the front surface of the refrigerator door are being developed.

U.S. Patent No. 8789900 (Prior Document 1) and Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0007108 (Prior Document 2) disclose a structure in which a cover panel forming an exterior is mounted on the front surface of a refrigerator door, and the cover panel is It is configured to be detachable and can form the appearance of the front of the door that suits the user's taste.

However, in a refrigerator with such a structure, if the user wants to change the appearance, the entire decoration panel must be removed and replaced, so replacement is very inconvenient, and the number of parts for separation and installation increases, which increases production cost and makes assembly difficult. There is also the problem of falling. In addition, since it can be replaced only with a predetermined panel, there is a disadvantage in that the range of design choices is narrow.

Chinese Patent No. 103250018 (Prior Document 3) discloses a refrigerator in which a reflective layer and a transparent panel are provided on the front of the door of the refrigerator, and light emitting members having colors are mounted on both ends of the reflective layer so that the transparent panel can shine in a set color. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0003446 (Prior Document 4) discloses an edge-type LED lighting device in which a light emitting unit (LED module) irradiates light to the side of a transparent panel (transparent panel).

However, since light emitting units disposed on only one side or both sides of the transparent panel transmit light to the entire transparent panel, it is difficult to uniformly emit light across the entire area of the transparent panel. Particularly, some areas of the transparent panel close to the light emitting part are relatively bright, but the brightness decreases as the distance from the light emitting part decreases, thereby degrading the overall aesthetic.

And, the light emitting unit (LED module) is mounted on the bracket, and a relatively dark area is created along the edge of the door where the bracket exists. Therefore, it is difficult to make the entire brightness and color of the transparent panel uniform.

As described above, since there is a section in which light is not uniformly transmitted among the entire area of the door, there is a problem in that a unified aesthetic feeling is not provided to the user. Of course, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of shadows by arranging the light emitting unit outside the transparent panel, but in this case, there is a problem in that the overall size of the door increases.

In addition, the bracket installed inside is easily exposed to the user through the transparent panel, which deteriorates the aesthetics of the door.

Meanwhile, Korean Patent No. 10-1667630 (Prior Document 5) discloses a liquid crystal display device technology that evenly diffuses light from a light emitting unit to a liquid crystal panel using an optical sheet. However, in Prior Document 5, there is a frame structure surrounding the edge of the liquid crystal panel, and this frame structure becomes a part where light cannot be irradiated. Accordingly, the entire area of the front surface of the door does not emit light, and there is also a limit to enhancing aesthetics.

In addition, the door is installed in a refrigerator or the like and repeatedly opened and closed, and shaking and vibration occur in the process. There is a problem in that components such as a transparent panel constituting the door are distorted or separated from the installation position due to such shaking and vibration, and as a result, the durability of the door is deteriorated.

In particular, the above prior art document 5 relates to a liquid crystal display device to which a heavy liquid crystal panel is applied, and is mainly for a display device such as a TV used in a fixed state. When applied to the door of a refrigerator, shaking occurs during the door operation and more susceptible to vibration.

(Prior Document 1) US Patent No. 8789900 (Prior Document 2) Korean Patent No. 10-2005-0007108 (Prior Document 3) Chinese Patent No. 103250018 (Prior Document 4) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0003446 (Prior Document 5) Korean Patent No. 10-1667630

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to change the color of the front surface of the door using a lighting device without replacing the door panel.

Another object of the present invention is to uniformly emit light over the entire area of a door through a diffusion plate.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of shadows due to the panel frame and reduce the exposure of the panel frame by enabling the panel frame surrounding the lighting device to transmit light.

Another object of the present invention is to expose the circumferential surface of the front plate to the outside as much as possible by fixing the front plate (glass) to the panel frame through a diffusion plate instead of directly fixing it to the panel frame.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the gap between parts by continuously bringing parts such as a front plate (glass) and a panel frame disposed behind the front plate (glass) into close contact with each other.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention may include a door body and a lighting panel coupled to the front surface of the door body. In addition, a front plate may be disposed parallel to the light guide plate transmitting the light of the light source on the front surface of the lighting panel. In this case, a diffusion plate may be disposed between the front plate and the light guide plate, and the diffusion plate may adhere to the rear surface of the front plate. Therefore, the user can change the color of the front surface of the door using the lighting device, and the diffusion plate can make the light of the front plate uniform while diffusing the light of the light guide plate once.

In addition, one end of the diffusion plate located in front of the lighting device may be formed longer than one end of the front plate. Since the diffusion plate is longer than the front plate, a hot spot caused by a light source can be more effectively dispersed.

In addition, a front portion of the panel frame surrounding the circumference of the light guide plate may be disposed between the diffusion plate and the light guide plate, and the front portion of the panel frame may come into close contact with the diffusion plate and the light guide plate, respectively. In particular, the front plate, the diffusion plate, the front part of the panel frame, and the light guide plate may be continuously adhered to each other. In this way, even if the door is repeatedly opened and closed, it is possible to prevent parts from being twisted or separated, and the light of the light source can always be evenly diffused.

And, the panel frame may be a transparent or translucent material. Therefore, since the panel frame can transmit the light of the light source directly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of shadows on the front plate due to the panel frame.

In addition, the panel frame surrounds an edge of the light guide plate, and the diffusion plate may be coupled to a front surface of the panel frame. That is, the diffusion plate can be directly attached to the panel frame.

A front surface of the diffusion plate may be attached to a rear surface of the front plate, and a rear surface of the diffusion plate may be attached to the panel frame. Accordingly, not only does the panel frame not cover the circumferential surfaces of the front plate, but also it is not necessary to directly place the adhesive part for bonding with the panel frame on the front plate, so that shadows on the front plate caused by the adhesive part can be prevented. .

In addition, the diffusion plate may protrude more in a direction of expanding the area of the lighting panel than the light guide plate. Accordingly, the diffusion plate may transmit light more evenly to the front plate.

The diffusion plate and the light guide plate may be spaced apart from each other to form a diffusion space between the diffusion plate and the light guide plate. The diffusion space may diffuse light from the light guide plate transmitted to the diffusion plate.

In addition, a diffusion end in a curved or inclined shape may be formed at an edge of the panel frame facing the rear surface of the diffusion plate. Since a diffusion end is formed at the edge of the panel frame instead of a sharp corner, it is possible to prevent the formation of a dark boundary portion due to light not reaching the edge of the panel frame.

An area of the front plate may be smaller than that of the diffusion plate and larger than that of the light guide plate. Accordingly, even when the area of the light guide plate is small, the light widely diffused by the diffusion plate can be evenly transmitted to the entire area of the front plate.

Also, the lighting device may include a substrate extending along an edge of the light guide plate and a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate to face the light guide plate.

In addition, the front and rear surfaces of the front plate may be formed of flat parts, and round parts may be formed on the circumferential surface of the front plate. In this case, a boundary point between the flat part and the round part may be positioned equal to or higher than an upper surface of the light source of the lighting device. In this way, it is possible to reduce or eliminate hot spots caused by light from the light source on the lower part of the front plate.

Also, a boundary point between the flat part and the round part may be located within a range of 5 degrees upward to 5 degrees downward from the upper surface of the light source of the lighting device.

At this time, a frame cover may be coupled to a lower portion of the panel frame surrounding the lighting device, and the frame cover may support a circumferential surface of the front plate. The frame cover may cover the lower structure of the lighting panel and support the front plate from the lower part.

Further, the frame cover may include a shielding end protruding toward a circumferential surface of the front plate, and the front plate may protrude forward more than the shielding end. Accordingly, the area in which the frame cover is visible from the user's field of view is reduced, and aesthetics can be enhanced.

The panel frame may include a lower frame supporting a lower portion of the light guide plate, an upper frame supporting an upper portion of the light guide plate, and side frames respectively supporting both side surfaces of the light guide plate, the side frames comprising the lower frame And it may be composed of a pair connecting the upper frame.

Edges of the light guide plate may be inserted into mounting grooves respectively formed in the lower frame, the upper frame, and the pair of side frames.

In addition, the lighting device may be disposed on the lower frame, and a frame cover may cover a lower portion of the lower frame. Accordingly, the lower frame may provide an installation space for a lighting device and may be covered by a frame cover.

The shielding end of the frame cover supports the lower end of the front plate from below, and the shielding end may cover a part of the front edge of the diffusion plate.

Also, a height at which the shielding end protrudes toward a lower end of the front plate may be equal to or higher than a height of a light source of the lighting device. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent hot spots caused by the light source from being exposed to the user.

The lighting device may be respectively disposed on the lower frame and the upper frame, and a pair of frame covers may cover the lower frame and the upper frame, respectively. As such, since the lighting devices are disposed at symmetrical positions in pairs, the front plate can more evenly emit light.

In addition, the panel frame includes a front part located between the front surface of the light guide plate and the rear surface of the diffusion plate, a rear part spaced apart from the front part and supporting the rear surface of the light guide plate, and a connection part connecting the front part and the rear part. may include, and the connection part may cover an edge of the light guide plate.

Also, the rear portion may protrude more toward the central portion of the lighting panel than the front portion. Accordingly, the rear part can be more stably coupled with the back cover.

As seen above, the door assembly according to the present invention and the refrigerator and home appliance having the same have the following effects.

In the present invention, a lighting panel is disposed on the front of the door assembly, and the lighting panel can emit light by a built-in lighting device. Since the user can change the color of the front surface of the door using a lighting device without replacing the door panel, not only the aesthetics of the door is improved, but also the convenience of use is improved. In particular, since the color and brightness of the lighting panel can be adjusted through the control of the lighting device, the choice of door design can be widened.

Further, in the present invention, a diffuser plate is disposed between the front plate constituting the front surface of the lighting panel and the light guide plate that helps the light transmission of the light source. The diffusion plate makes the light of the light guide plate uniform while diffusing it once, so that the entire area of the door can emit more uniform light. Accordingly, the aesthetics of the front surface of the door may be further improved.

In particular, in the present invention, the front plate is not directly fixed to the panel frame, but the diffusion plate in close contact with the entire rear surface of the front plate can be fixed to the panel frame. Accordingly, not only does the panel frame not cover the circumferential surfaces of the front plate, but also it is not necessary to directly place the adhesive part for bonding with the panel frame on the front plate, so that shadows on the front plate caused by the adhesive part can be prevented.

In addition, according to the present invention, the panel frame (lighting bracket) surrounding the lighting device can be a medium through which light is transmitted. Since the panel frame can directly transmit the light of the light source, it is possible to prevent shadows from being generated on the front plate due to the panel frame, and uniform luminance can be obtained even in a region of the front plate close to the lighting device.

In particular, a curved diffusion end is formed at the edge of the panel frame instead of a sharp corner. The curved diffuser end prevents light from reaching the edge of the panel frame from forming a dark boundary and diffuses the light evenly, through which the front panel can emit light evenly as a whole.

And, in the present invention, since the rest of the circumferential surface of the front plate made of glass, except for the lower edge located in front of the lighting device, is not covered by a separate cover, the bezel area can be minimized. Therefore, it is possible to increase the aesthetics of the door by increasing the area ratio of the front plate to the front surface of the door. In particular, in the present invention, since the diffuser plate is not fixed to a separate frame but can be closely attached to and fixed to the panel frame surrounding the lighting device, the aesthetics can be further enhanced by reducing the frame structure.

In addition, the diffusion plate may be made of a translucent material and may serve to cover components such as a lighting device disposed behind the diffusion plate. Since the parts embedded in the lighting panel are not observed from the front of the door, the design of the door can be made luxurious.

In particular, since the diffuser plate covers the rear part, there is no need to perform excessive processing such as printing on the front plate made of glass in order to cover the part. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the processability of the front plate is also improved.

And, in the panel frame of the present invention, each frame constituting the four sides is made of a synthetic resin material, and these can be combined to form one panel frame. Therefore, the panel frame can be made lighter, and the door assembly can be prevented from becoming excessively heavy even when the lighting device is installed.

In particular, since the panel frame is made of a synthetic resin material, it is easy to process and has the advantage of being able to implement a more complex frame.

In addition, since the components constituting the lighting panel of the present invention are assembled together without separate fasteners such as screws, bolts, or rivets, the lighting panel can be made thin. Accordingly, an increase in the thickness of the door assembly is prevented and a sufficient filling space of the heat insulating material is secured to maintain heat insulation performance.

And, in the present invention, the lighting device is disposed closer to the center of the lighting panel relative to the height direction than the circumferential surface of the front plate. That is, the circumferential surface of the front plate is disposed outside the lighting device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the overall height of the lighting panel from being increased due to the lighting device while uniformly emitting light over the entire area of the front panel, and it is possible to reduce the size of the lighting panel.

In addition, in the present invention, since the frame cover disposed below the panel frame supports the lower portion of the front plate (glass), it is possible to prevent the entire front plate or lighting panel from being separated from the door due to the load of the front plate.

In particular, even if the door assembly of the present invention is applied to products whose doors are repeatedly opened and closed, such as refrigerators, stylers, and dishwashers, since the frame cover connected to the door body stably supports the front plate, It also has the effect of reducing vibration.

Further, in the present invention, the front plate constituting the lighting panel, the diffusion plate, the door frame, and the light guide plate disposed behind the front plate are continuously adhered to each other. If the parts are in close contact with each other without a gap, even if the door is repeatedly opened and closed, it is possible to prevent parts such as the light guide plate from being distorted or separated. Therefore, light from the light source can always be evenly diffused, and durability of the door can be improved.

In particular, in the present invention, the diffusion plate disposed behind the front plate may be longer than the front plate, and accordingly, the diffusion plate more stably supports the front plate, thereby further enhancing the durability of the door.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a refrigerator to which a door assembly according to the present invention is applied;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the door assembly shown in Figure 1;
3 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper edge portion of the door assembly shown in FIG. 2;
4 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower corner portion of the door assembly shown in FIG. 2;
5 is a perspective view showing a door body and a lighting panel constituting the door assembly shown in FIG. 2 in a separated state;
6 is a perspective view showing a door body and a lighting panel separated from each other at an angle different from that of FIG. 5;
7 is a perspective view showing a lower structure of the lighting panel shown in FIG. 6;
8 is a perspective view showing an upper structure of the lighting panel shown in FIG. 6;
9 is an exploded perspective view of parts constituting one embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention;
10 is a perspective view showing an enlarged lower structure after parts constituting one embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention are disassembled;
11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a panel module and a lighting device constituting one embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention are separated from a lighting module;
Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of a frame constituting one embodiment of the present invention.
13 is an exploded perspective view of each component constituting the frame shown in FIG. 12;
14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lower frame constituting the frame shown in FIG. 12;
15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lower frame constituting the frame shown in FIG. 12;
16 is a perspective view showing the configuration of side frames constituting the frame shown in FIG. 12;
17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII' of FIG. 2
18 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of FIG. 17;
19 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower portion of FIG. 17;
20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a lower structure of a lighting panel constituting one embodiment of the present invention.
21 is a conceptual view showing a support structure of a door assembly according to the present invention;
Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view along line XVII-XVII' of Fig. 2;
23 is a perspective view showing the structure of a diffusion strap constituting one embodiment of the present invention.
24 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper structure of a lighting panel constituting a second embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
25 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower configuration of a lighting panel constituting a third embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
26 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower configuration of a lighting panel constituting a second embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
27 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper structure of a lighting panel constituting a fifth embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
28 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper structure of a lighting panel constituting a sixth embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
29 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper configuration of a lighting panel constituting a seventh embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention.
Figure 30 is a perspective view showing other embodiments of the diffusion strap constituting the present invention.
31 to 35 are work flow charts sequentially showing a process of assembling one embodiment of the door assembly according to the present invention.
36 is a conceptual view showing a process in which light from a lighting device is transmitted to a front plate in one embodiment of a door assembly according to the present invention;
37 is a front view showing different shapes in which the front plate of the door assembly according to the present invention emits light;
38 is a front view sequentially showing how the front plate of the door assembly according to the present invention sequentially emits light;
39 is a graph showing brightness non-uniformity of a front plate according to a relative angle between a light source constituting an embodiment of the present invention and an edge portion of the front plate.
40 is a graph showing brightness non-uniformity of the front plate according to the relative heights of the panel frame and the diffusion strap constituting the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In addition, in describing an embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function hinders understanding of the embodiment of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

The door assembly 20 according to the present invention is used for home appliances, and is used to open and close the internal storage space of the home appliances. The front surface of the door assembly 20 may have various colors and brightness while being emitted by the lighting device 130 . Here, the lighting device 130 is built into the door assembly 20 .

The door assembly 20 can be applied not only to doors of home appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, kimchi refrigerators, plant growing devices, stylers, and washing machines, but also to doors and doors of furniture. Hereinafter, an example in which the door assembly 20 of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator will be described.

Prior to description, when defining the direction of the drawings, the front (front) of the door assembly 20 is the direction toward the user when the user looks at the refrigerator from the front, and the rear (rear) is the opposite direction. ( 1) and the left (left) and right (right) sides of the door assembly 20 are in the left and right width directions of the refrigerator (see the Y axis direction in FIG. 1), and the upper side (upper side) of the door assembly 20 ) and the bottom (downward) are the height direction of the refrigerator (refer to the Z-axis direction in FIG. 1).

1 shows an embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention. The door assembly 20 is provided in the cabinet 10 that makes the frame of the refrigerator. The door assembly 20 is for opening and closing the storage compartment of the cabinet 10, and in this embodiment, the door assembly 20 is composed of a total of four. More specifically, among the door assemblies 20, there are a first refrigerating compartment door 20A and a second refrigerating compartment door 20B for opening and closing the upper refrigerating compartment, and a first freezing compartment door 20C for opening and closing the lower freezing compartment. ) and a second freezer door 20D.

The first refrigerating compartment door 20A, the second refrigerating compartment door 20B, the first freezing compartment door 20C, and the second freezing compartment door 20D are just examples, and the number and arrangement of the door assemblies 20 may be changed, and each may have the same structure or a different structure. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the above four door assemblies 20A to 20D have the same structure, and reference numeral 20 will be given.

2 shows an embodiment of a door assembly 20 according to the present invention. The door assembly 20 has a substantially hexahedral shape. The door assembly 20 may be rotatably coupled to the cabinet 10 or slidably coupled to the cabinet 10 . A hinge module may be coupled to the door assembly 20 so that the door assembly 20 is rotatably coupled to the cabinet 10, but is omitted from the drawings.

A handle may be installed on the front surface of the door assembly 20 or on any one of four upper, lower, left, and right surfaces. Although omitted in the drawing, the handle allows the user to more easily grip, pull or push the door assembly 20 . Of course, the handle may be omitted or a part of the door assembly 20 may be recessed to function as a handle.

Looking at the structure of the door assembly 20 , the door assembly 20 includes a door body 50 and a lighting panel 100 . The door body 50 forms the skeleton of the door assembly 20, and is a part that functions as an insulation function of the door assembly 20 by filling the inside with an insulating material 80 (see FIG. 22). The door body 50 has a hexahedron shape with a thin front and rear thickness. In this embodiment, the lower plate 51, the upper plate 52, the side plate 53, the rear plate 55, and the front plate 57 of the door body 50 are each composed of a plane.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the rear surface of the door body 50 is also flat, but unlike this, a basket (not shown), which is a kind of storage space, may be mounted on the rear surface of the door body 50 . The rear surface of the door body 50 may be composed of a door liner. The door liner may be made of a synthetic resin material, and a basket or the like may be mounted on the rear surface of the door liner.

In addition, a gasket (not shown) is mounted around the door liner to contact the cabinet 10 when the door assembly 20 is closed to prevent leakage of cold air inside the storage space of the cabinet 10. can The door body 50 has the structure of a general refrigerator door, and the door body 50 of this embodiment is only one example and various modifications are possible.

Referring to FIG. 3 , an upper cover 52a protrudes from the front of the upper plate 52, and a side cover 53a protrudes from the front of the side plate 53. The upper cover 52a and the side cover 53a further protrude forward from the surface of the door body 50 . The upper cover 52a covers a part of the upper surface of the lighting panel 100, and the side cover 53a covers a part of the side surface of the lighting panel 100.

At this time, the upper cover 52a does not completely cover the circumferential surface 170a constituting the upper surface of the front plate 170 to be described below, but only the upper part of the diffusion plate 180 constituting the lighting panel 100. cover, or only a part of the upper part of the diffusion plate 180 and the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 is covered. 3 and 18, the front end of the upper cover 52a does not completely cover the upper circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, and the front plate 170 is larger than the upper cover 52a. It can be seen that it protrudes more forward. For reference, in this description, the circumferential surface 170a refers to an outer circumferential surface, which is a circumferential surface located between the front and rear surfaces of the front plate 170.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the side cover 53a does not completely cover the circumferential surface 170a forming the side surface of the front plate 170 . The side cover 53a covers the side surface of the diffusion plate 180 constituting the lighting panel 100, or only part of the side surface of the diffusion plate 180 and the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170. cover Accordingly, the portion of the front plate 170 exposed to the front increases, and most of the region observed by the user may be the front plate 170 . Referring to FIG. 22, the right circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 protrudes more forward (downward in the drawing) than the side cover 53a formed on the front of the side plate 53. And it can be seen that a predetermined gap (G) is formed therebetween.

A rear plate 55 is provided on the rear surface of the door body 50, and a front plate 57 is provided on the front surface. The rear plate 55 faces the cabinet 10, and the lighting panel 100 is coupled to the front plate 57. The front plate 57 has an area larger than or equal to that of the lighting panel 100 and has the same rectangular plate shape as the lighting panel 100 . The front plate 57 may have a flat structure or may have a partially recessed structure.

Although not shown, a connection hole is formed in the front plate 57, and a wire harness and a connector may be installed through the connection hole. The wire harness and the connector are for supplying power and signals to the lighting device 130 of the lighting panel 100 . In this embodiment, since the lighting device 130 is disposed below the lighting panel 100, the connection hole, the wire harness installed therein, and the connector are also disposed below the front plate 57. Unlike this, if the lighting device 130 is also disposed on the top of the lighting panel 100, the connection hole may also be formed on the top of the front plate 57.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a frame cover 70 is provided on the lower plate 51 of the door body 50 . The frame cover 70 may be formed separately from the lower plate 51 or integrally formed. The frame cover 70 further protrudes forward from the lower plate 51 and supports the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 .

Looking at the structure of the frame cover 70, the frame cover 70 includes a lower cover 71 connected to the lower plate 51 and a shielding end 73 connected upward from the lower cover 71 includes The lower cover 71 covers the lower part of the panel frame 110 surrounding the lighting device 130 to be described below. And the shielding end 73 supports the lower circumferential surface 170a, which is the end of the front plate 170.

The frame cover 70 may cover parts such as the panel frame 110 at the lower part of the front plate 170 so as not to expose the parts. In addition, since the shield end 73 of the frame cover 70 supports the lower end of the front plate 170, the entire front plate 170 or the lighting panel 100 is affected by the load of the front plate 170. It is also possible to prevent separation from the door body 50 .

In particular, even if the door assembly of the present embodiment is applied to products whose doors are repeatedly opened and closed, such as refrigerators, stylers, and dishwashers, the frame cover 70 connected to the door body 50 holds the front plate 170 at the lower part. Since it is stably supported by the door, it is also possible to reduce the vibration generated in the process of opening and closing the door. Reference numeral 73a denotes a seating portion of the shield end 73 engaged with the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, and the seating portion 73a is the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170. ) is formed as a curved surface corresponding to

Next, the lighting panel 100 will be described. The lighting panel 100 is coupled to the front side of the door body 50 and constitutes the front side of the door assembly 20 . The lighting panel 100 is a part exposed to the user, and in particular, since it constitutes the front of the refrigerator, it can be said to be the most exposed part to the user. More precisely, the lighting panel 100 is disposed in front of the door body 50. Here, the front of the door body 50 may include the front surface of the door body 50, and the door body It may also mean the recessed inner space of (50).

In the present invention, the lighting panel 100 can implement various colors and brightness while emitting light. Through this, it is possible to enhance the aesthetics of the refrigerator according to the user's taste. Hereinafter, the structure of the lighting panel 100 will be described focusing on the light emitting function of the lighting panel 100 .

5 and 6, the lighting panel 100 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. The lighting panel 100 is disposed in front of the front plate 57 of the door body 50 . Although the lighting panel 100 may be attached to the front plate 57 with an adhesive or adhesive tape, in this embodiment, the lighting panel 100 is caught and fixed to the front plate 57 by a hook 147 . Referring to FIG. 7 , a hook 147 is provided on the rear surface of the lighting panel 100, more precisely, the back cover 140, and the hook 147 is provided with a hook groove (shown) of the front plate 57. not installed) and is fixed. A plurality of hanging hooks 147 are disposed around the edge of the back cover 140 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the lighting panel 100 has a shape corresponding to the front plate 57 . The lighting panel 100 is composed of a plurality of parts, and these parts may be first assembled to be coupled to the front plate 57 of the door body 50 in a state in which the lighting panel 100 is completed.

Referring to FIG. 7 , a frame cover 70 is coupled to the lower portion of the lighting panel 100 as described above. The frame cover 70 surrounds the lower part of the lighting panel 100, more precisely, among the panel frames 110 of the lighting panel 100, the lower part of the lower frame 115 constituting the lower part and the diffusion plate Wrap the front of 180. The shielding end 73 of the frame cover 70 covers the front surface of the lower end 180a1 of the diffusion plate 180 extending further downward than the front plate 170, thereby preventing components from being exposed forward. In addition, the shielding end 73 prevents hot spots from being formed at the lower edge of the front plate 170 . This structure will be described again below. For reference, a hotspot means a part that looks relatively brighter than other parts.

At this time, the front plate 170 protrudes more forward than the shield end 73. Accordingly, when viewed from the user's eye level, the shielding end 73 can be further covered by the front plate 170, and the exposed area of the frame cover 70 including the shielding end 73 can be reduced. . Referring to FIG. 20 , it can be seen that the front plate 170 protrudes more than the shield end 73 and a predetermined gap G is formed therebetween.

As a result, the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 is larger than the covers constituting the door body 50, that is, the upper cover 52a, the side cover 53a, and the frame cover 70. The area of the front plate 170 that protrudes further forward and is exposed to the user increases, and a three-dimensional effect can be enhanced.

The lighting device 130 is installed inside the lower frame 115 . In FIG. 7 , the lighting device 130 is shielded by the lower frame 115 . A side frame 125 is connected to the upper part of the lower frame 115, and a back cover 140 is disposed behind the panel frame 110 formed by the lower frame 115 and the side frame 125. .

Referring to FIG. 8 , an upper frame 120 is disposed above the lighting panel 100 . In this embodiment, the frame cover 70 is not provided outside the upper frame 120 . An upper cover 52a (see FIG. 3) of the upper plate 52 of the door body 50 described above is positioned above the upper frame 120 . The upper cover 52a may pass through the upper frame 120 and further protrude forward to cover an upper portion of the diffusion plate 180 .

A separate lighting device 130 is not built into the upper frame 120 . In addition, side frames 125 are connected downward from both ends of the upper frame 120 . A back cover 140 is disposed behind the panel frame 110 formed by the upper frame 120 and the side frame 125 .

Referring to FIG. 9 , each component constituting the door assembly 20 according to the present embodiment is shown in an exploded state. Looking at the structure of the lighting panel 100, the lighting panel 100 includes the panel frame 110 forming a skeleton and five plate-like components. The five plate-like parts have similar sizes and shapes, and are stacked with each other.

Distinguishing the five plate-shaped parts, first, (i) a light guide panel (150) disposed facing the edge of the lighting device 130 and a reflector 160 disposed behind the light guide panel 150 (ii) a front plate 170 disposed in front of the first plate module (A) and constituting the front surface of the lighting panel 100; and the front plate 170 ) It can be divided into a second plate module (B) including a diffusion plate 180 attached to. And, the back cover 140 is disposed behind the first plate module (A) and the second plate module (B).

In this embodiment, the lighting device 130 is disposed below the lighting panel 100 . The lighting device 130 is disposed on the lower frame 115 of the panel frame 110 . The lighting device 130 is accommodated in the lower mounting groove 118 (see FIG. 11) formed in the lower frame 115. The light source 135 of the lighting device 130 faces upward, and light from the light source 135 is diffused in the light guide plate 150 disposed thereon. In addition, the second plate module (B) disposed in front of the light guide plate 150 receives the light transmitted from the light guide plate 150 and the light transmitted from the light source 135 through the lower frame 115 to emit light. will do

10, four parts constituting the panel frame 110 are coupled, and a first plate module A and a second plate module B are disposed in front of the panel frame 110. . Actually, before the lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the pair of side frames 125 constituting the panel frame 110 are assembled, the four parts are separated and the first plate module ( It is assembled by wrapping each edge of A).

In FIG. 10 , the frame cover 70 is shown coupled to the lower frame 115 disposed below the panel frame 110 . The frame cover 70 may be coupled to the lower plate 51 in a state of being coupled to the lower frame 115, but first, in a state of being coupled to the lower plate 51, on the frame cover 70 The lower frame 115 may be seated.

Referring to FIG. 11, the lower frame 115 constituting the panel frame 110 is disassembled downward, and the lighting device 130 and the diffusion strap 190 to be described below are exposed. As can be seen, the lighting device 130 is accommodated in the lower mounting groove 118 recessed in the lower frame 115, and the front of the lighting device 130 in the lower mounting groove 118 A diffusion strap 190 is disposed. In a state where they are accommodated in the lower mounting groove 118, the lower frame 115 may be coupled to the pair of side frames 125 while surrounding the lower portion of the first plate module (A).

The structure of the panel frame 110 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16 . First, referring to FIG. 12, the panel frame 110 has a substantially rectangular frame shape, and a coupling space 129, which is an empty space, is formed in the center. The coupling space 129 also has a rectangular shape, and the first plate module A is disposed in the coupling space 129 .

Referring to the enlarged view of FIG. 12, the front and rear surfaces of the panel frame 110 are not symmetrical, and the rear surfaces 116b' and 121b constituting the rear surface are longer than the front surfaces 116a and 121a constituting the front surface. You can see what is available. That is, the rear part protrudes more toward the center of the coupling space 129 than the front part. In this structure, the panel frame 110 can more stably support the first plate module A from the rear.

The lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the pair of side frames 125 constituting the panel frame 110 each have a 'c'-shaped cross section. In addition, the edge of the first plate module (A) may be wrapped through the recessed structure. The lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the pair of side frames 125 commonly include front parts 116a, 121a, and 126a, rear parts 116b, 121b, and 126b, and connection parts 116c and 121c. , 126c), and mounting grooves 118, 124, and 128 are formed therebetween, and the specific structure will be reviewed again below.

The panel frame 110 is made of a synthetic resin material and can transmit light. The panel frame 110 is made of a transparent or translucent synthetic resin material, so that the light emitted from the light source 135 of the lighting device 130 can be transmitted forward. That is, the panel frame 110 itself may be a transmission medium.

As such, since the panel frame 110 can transmit light, it is possible to prevent a shadow from being formed along the edge of the lighting panel 100 on which the panel frame 110 is disposed. If the panel frame 110 is made of an opaque material, the light of the light source 135 can be transmitted to the front plate 170 only through the light guide plate 150, and thus the front side of the panel frame 110 A dark area may be formed at the edge of the front plate 170 .

In this embodiment, the panel frame 110 is a white translucent material. Accordingly, the panel frame 110 can forward the light while diffusing it.

12 and 14, the lower frame 115 constituting the panel frame 110 has a substantially 'c'-shaped cross section and extends long in one direction. The lower frame 115 includes a lower front part 116a constituting the front, a lower rear part 116b spaced apart from the lower front part 116a and provided side by side, and a lower connection part 116c connecting them.

A recessed lower mounting groove 118 is formed between the lower front part 116a, the lower rear part 116b, and the lower connecting part 116c. The lighting device 130 and the diffusion strap 190 are accommodated in the lower mounting groove 118, and the lower edge of the first plate module A is inserted.

The lower front part 116a contacts the front surface of the light guide plate 150 . The lower front part 116a may directly contact the front surface of the light guide plate 150, but in this embodiment, the diffusion strap 190 is disposed between the front surface of the light guide plate 150 and the lower front part 116a. . Therefore, the lower front part 116a may be formed to be at least equal to or longer than the length of the diffusion strap 190 .

That is, the lower front part 116a surrounds the diffusion strap 190 and the light guide plate 150 and allows the diffusion strap 190 and the light guide plate 150 to be fixed without a gap.

19, the diffusion plate 180 is disposed in front of the lower front portion 116a, and the diffusion strap 190 and the light guide plate 150 are disposed behind the lower front portion 116a. That is, the lower front part 116a of the lower frame 115 surrounding the circumference of the light guide plate 150 is disposed between the diffusion plate 180 and the light guide plate 150, and at this time, the lower frame 115 The lower front part 116a may come into close contact with the diffusion plate 180 and the light guide plate 150, respectively.

In this embodiment, the front plate 170, the diffusion plate 180, the lower front part 116a, the diffusion strap 190, the light guide plate 150, and the lower rear part 116b are continuously in close contact with each other. . That is, these parts can be stacked without gaps between them. At this time, the front plate 170 and the diffusion plate 180 are also in close contact with each other without a gap. An adhesive may be applied between the front plate 170 and the diffusion plate 180, or they may be mutually charged by static electricity. may be attached.

As such, since parts are continuously closely adhered to each other, even if the door assembly 20 is repeatedly opened and closed while being used in a refrigerator or the like, the parts may not be distorted or separated. That is, the alignment of the components can be firmly maintained, and thus the light from the light source 135 can always be evenly diffused through the front plate 170 .

Referring to FIG. 21 , when the door assembly 20 is used in a refrigerator or the like, it may receive an external force in the forward and backward directions (direction of arrow F). In this embodiment, the front plate 170, the diffusion plate 180, the lower front part 116a, the diffusion strap 190, the light guide plate 150, and the lower rear part 116b are formed in the forward and backward directions (arrow ①). , ② direction), it is possible to maintain a firmly fixed state between each part.

In addition, the front plate 170, the diffusion plate 180, the lower front part 116a, the diffusion strap 190, the light guide plate 150, and the lower part of the lower rear part 116b are frame covers 70 ) can be disposed, and the frame cover 70 can support them from the bottom (see arrow ③). Therefore, the front plate 170 or the entire lighting panel B may be prevented from being separated from the door assembly 100 by the load of the front plate 170 .

Meanwhile, a diffusion end portion 116a' is formed at the edge of the lower front portion 116a. The diffusion end portion 116a' is formed along the protruding end portion of the lower front portion 116a. The diffusion end 116a' is formed of a curved surface or an inclined surface so that an angled corner is not formed at the end of the lower front surface 116a. As shown in FIG. 14, the diffusion end portion 116a' is continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the lower front portion 116a.

The diffusion end portion 116a' prevents a shadow from being formed at the end of the lower front portion 116a. When the end of the lower front part 116a becomes an angular corner, light cannot be transmitted to the corner and a shadow is formed, and a kind of boundary surface may be formed while contrasting with the bright part. The diffusion end portion 116a' allows the light source 135 to diffuse the light over the entire area of the lower front portion 116a, thereby preventing the light from being concentrated in a specific area or not being transmitted. .

Referring to FIG. 20 , the diffusion end 116a' is disposed closer to the central portion of the lighting panel 100 than the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 . Here, the center of the lighting panel 100 means the center of the area of the lighting panel 100 . In this embodiment, since the diffusion end 116a' is located above the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, the shadow formed at the end of the lower front part 116a is applied to the front plate 170. It can be dispersed from the circumferential surface (170a) to a distant position.

The lower rear surface portion 116b is spaced apart from the lower front surface portion 116a and supports the rear surface of the light guide plate 150 . The lower rear surface portion 116b protrudes more than the lower front surface portion 116a and has a high height. Since the front plate 170 is located in front of the lower front part 116a, a diffusion end 116a' is formed in the lower front part 116a to diffuse light, but the lower rear part 116b has a diffusion end 116b. The end 116a' may be omitted.

A lower stepped portion 116b' is connected to the lower rear surface portion 116b. The lower stepped portion 116b' is formed higher in the direction of increasing the height of the lower rear surface portion 116b. The lower stepped portion 116b' is located in front of the lower rear surface portion 116b. Accordingly, a step is formed between the lower rear surface portion 116b and the lower stepped portion 116b'. Referring to FIG. 17 , the edge of the back cover 140 is seated on the stepped portion.

The lower end of the lower front part 116a and the lower end of the lower rear part 116b are connected to each other by a lower connecting part 116c. The bottom of the lower mounting groove 118 becomes the lower connecting portion 116c.

Guide fences 117a are provided at both ends of the lower frame 115, respectively. The guide fence 117a is a part that protrudes upward from both ends of the lower frame 115, that is, in the direction of the side frame 125. The guide fence 117a has a high height surrounding the first plate module A so that the first plate module A can be stably inserted into the lower mounting groove 118 .

The diffusion end 117a' is also formed in the guide fence 117a. Since the guide fence 117a is also exposed forward toward the front plate 170, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which light is not transmitted to a specific part through the diffusion end 117a'. The diffusion end 117a' of the guide fence 117a is continuously connected to the diffusion end 116a' of the lower front part 116a.

Referring to FIG. 15 , an upper frame 120 constituting the panel frame 110 is shown. Like the lower frame 115, the upper frame 120 has a 'c'-shaped cross section and extends long in one direction. Although the upper mounting groove 124 is recessed in the upper frame 120, the lighting device 130 is not accommodated in the upper mounting groove 124. Only the edge of the first plate module (A) is fitted into the upper mounting groove 124 .

Looking at the structure of the upper frame 120, the upper frame 120 includes an upper front portion 121a constituting the front, an upper rear portion 121b spaced apart from the upper front portion 121a and provided side by side, and these It includes an upper connecting portion 121c that connects.

A recessed upper mounting groove 124 is formed between the upper front part 121a, the upper rear part 121b and the upper connection part 121c. Only the edge of the first plate module (A) is fitted into the upper mounting groove 124 . 18, an empty space is formed between the end of the light guide plate 150 and the bottom of the upper mounting groove 124, and this empty space may correspond to the expansion and contraction of the light guide plate 150. Alternatively, the empty space may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 18 , the upper front portion 121a contacts the front surface of the light guide plate 150 . The upper front part 121a is in contact with the upper front surface of the light guide plate 150, and unlike the lower front part 116a, there is a diffusion strap 190 between the upper front part 121a and the upper front surface of the light guide plate 150. ) is omitted.

A diffusion end portion 121a' is formed at the edge of the upper front portion 121a. The diffusion end portion 121a' is formed along the protruding end portion of the upper front portion 121a. Similar to the diffusion end 116a' of the lower front part 116a, the diffusion end 121a' is formed of a curved surface or an inclined surface so that no angular corner is formed at the end of the upper front part 121a. As shown in FIG. 15, the diffusion end portion 121a' is continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the upper front portion 121a.

The diffusion end portion 121a' prevents a shadow from being formed at the end of the upper front portion 121a. When the end of the upper front part 121a has an angled corner, light cannot be transmitted to the corner and a shadow may be formed. The diffusion end portion 121a' allows the light source 135 to spread the light over the entire area of the upper front portion 121a, thereby preventing the light from being concentrated in a specific area or not being transmitted. .

Unlike the lower front part 116a, although the light source 135 is not disposed adjacent to the upper front part 121a, the light from the light guide plate 150 is transmitted to the upper front part 121a, so that the upper Preferably, the diffusion end portion 121a' is also formed on the front portion 121a.

The upper rear surface portion 121b is spaced apart from the upper front surface portion 121a and supports the rear surface of the light guide plate 150 . The upper rear part 121b protrudes more than the upper front part 121a and has a long length. Since the front plate 170 is located in front of the upper front part 121a, a diffusion end 121a' is formed in the upper front part 121a to diffuse light, but the diffusion end 121a' is formed in the upper rear part 121b. The end 121a' may be omitted.

A lower end of the upper front part 121a and a lower end of the upper rear part 121b are connected to each other by an upper connection part 121c. And the bottom of the upper mounting groove 124 becomes the upper connecting portion 121c.

Guide fences 122a are provided at both ends of the upper frame 120, respectively. The guide fence 122a is a portion that further protrudes downward from both ends of the upper frame 120, that is, toward the side frame 125. The guide fence 122a has a high height surrounding the first plate module A so that the first plate module A can be stably inserted into the upper mounting groove 124 .

The diffusion end 122a' is also formed in the guide fence 122a. Since the guide fence 122a is also exposed forward toward the front plate 170, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which light is not transmitted to a specific part through the diffusion end 122a'. The diffusion end 122a' of the guide fence 122a is continuously connected to the diffusion end 121a' of the upper front part 121a.

A sideframe 125 is shown in FIG. 16 . Like the lower frame 115 and the upper frame 120, the side frame 125 has a 'c'-shaped cross section and extends long in one direction. Although the side mounting groove 128 is recessed in the side frame 125, the lighting device 130 is not accommodated in the side mounting groove 128. Only the side edge of the first plate module (A) is inserted into the side mounting groove 128 .

Looking at the structure of the side frame 125, the side frame 125 includes a side front part 126a constituting the front side, a side rear part 126b spaced apart from the side front part 126a and provided side by side, and these It includes a side connection portion 126c for connection.

A recessed side mounting groove 128 is formed between the side front part 126a, the side rear part 126b and the side connection part 126c. Only the edge of the first plate module (A) is inserted into the side mounting groove 128 . 22, an empty space is formed between the end of the light guide plate 150 and the bottom of the side mounting groove 128, and this empty space may correspond to the expansion and contraction of the light guide plate 150. Alternatively, the empty space may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 22 , the side front part 126a contacts the front surface of the light guide plate 150 . The side front part 126a is in contact with the upper front surface of the light guide plate 150, and unlike the lower front part 116a, there is a diffusion strap 190 between the side front part 126a and the upper front surface of the light guide plate 150. ) is omitted.

A diffusion end portion 126a' is formed at the edge of the side front portion 126a. The diffusion end portion 126a' is formed along the protruding end portion of the side front portion 126a. Like the diffusion end 116a' of the lower front part 116a and the diffusion end 121a' of the upper front part 121a, the diffusion end 126a' is at the end of the side front part 126a. It is composed of a curved or inclined surface so that angled corners are not formed. As shown in FIG. 16, the diffusion end portion 126a' is continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the side front portion 126a.

The diffusion end portion 126a' prevents a shadow from being formed at the end of the side front portion 126a. When the end portion of the side front portion 126a has an angled corner, light cannot be transmitted to the corner portion and a shadow may be formed. The diffusion end portion 126a' allows the light source 135 to diffuse the light over the entire area of the side front portion 126a, thereby preventing the light from being concentrated in a specific area or not being transmitted. .

Unlike the lower front part 116a, although the light source 135 is not disposed adjacent to the side front part 126a, the light from the light guide plate 150 is transmitted to the side front part 126a. Preferably, the diffusion end portion 126a' is also formed on the front portion 126a.

The side rear part 126b is spaced apart from the side front part 126a and supports the rear surface of the light guide plate 150 . The side rear part 126b protrudes more than the side front part 126a and has a long length. Since the front plate 170 is located in front of the side front part 126a, a diffusion end 126a' is formed in the side front part 126a to diffuse light, but the side rear part 126b is diffused. End 126a' may be omitted.

A lower end of the side front part 126a and a lower end of the side rear part 126b are connected to each other by a side connecting part 126c. And the bottom of the side mounting groove 128 becomes the side connection part 126c.

The lower and upper ends of the side frame 125 are connected to the lower frame 115 and the upper frame 120, respectively. Bonding between the side frame 125 and the lower frame 115 and between the side frame 125 and the upper frame 120 may be made of adhesive or adhesive tape. Unlike this, the coupling between the side frame 125 and the lower frame 115 and between the side frame 125 and the upper frame 120 is made in the form of an interference fit, or may be coupled by high-frequency welding or ultrasonic welding there is.

Next, the lighting device 130 mounted on the lower frame 115 will be described. The lighting device 130 is to finally emit light from the front plate 170 . The lighting device 130 irradiates light in the direction of the light guide plate 150 so that the light guide plate 150 transmits light to the second plate module (B), and at the same time, the lower frame 115 made of a transparent material Through this, light is directly irradiated to the second plate module (B). In addition, since the lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the side frames 125 surrounding the diffusion plate 180 transmit light, the edge of the front plate 170 is dark due to the panel frame 110. area can be prevented.

Looking at the structure of the lighting device 130 with reference to FIGS. 11 and 19 , the lighting device 130 includes a substrate 131 elongated along the lower end of the lighting panel 100 and the substrate 131 It may include a light source 135 mounted on. The light source 135 may be composed of an LED. A plurality of light sources 135 may be arranged in a line along the substrate 131 .

The light source 135 may be disposed at a position facing the lower end of the light guide plate 150 in a state where the lighting device 130 is mounted on the lower frame 115 . Also, the plurality of light sources 135 may be disposed below the lower end of the light guide plate 150 and may be continuously disposed at regular intervals along the light guide plate 150 .

And, the light source 135 may be configured to emit light of various colors. That is, the plurality of light sources 135 may be configured to emit light of different colors. For example, the light sources 135 may include a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source.

As such, among the plurality of light sources 135, a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source may be repeatedly disposed. Of course, arrangement according to color of the plurality of light sources 135 may be changed as needed. In addition, when the light sources 135 of different colors are combined and turned on, the exterior color displayed through the front plate 170 can be implemented in a variety of ways. And, if necessary, the light source 135 may be configured to selectively emit a plurality of colors.

The plurality of light sources 135 may be continuously arranged in one row along the upper surface of the substrate 131 . In this case, the light sources 135 may be arranged at equal intervals, and a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source may be configured as one set. Also, a plurality of sets of the light sources 135 may be repeatedly arranged continuously. In addition, a connector (not shown) of the board 131 to which the wires are connected may be further provided on the upper surface of the board 131 .

A heat dissipation block 138 is disposed under the substrate 131 . The heat dissipation block 138 serves to dissipate heat generated from the light source 135 and the substrate 131 to the outside. The heat dissipation block 138 has a bar shape extending along the substrate 131, and in this embodiment, the heat dissipation block 138 is made of aluminum. The heat dissipation block 138 is disposed on the opposite side of the light source 135 with the substrate 131 interposed therebetween, and thus is located at the bottommost side of the lower mounting groove 118 . A heat dissipation hole (not shown) for discharging heat from the heat dissipation block 138 may be formed on the bottom surface of the lower mounting groove 118 .

Although not shown, a plurality of heat dissipation fins may be provided in the heat dissipation block 138 . The heat dissipation fin may increase the heat dissipation performance of the heat dissipation block 138 by increasing a contact area between external air and the heat dissipation block 138 .

A back cover 140 is disposed behind the panel frame 110 . The back cover 140 may form a rear surface of the panel frame 110 and support the panel frame 110 . Since the back cover 140 has a substantially rectangular plate shape and has a size similar to that of the panel frame 110, it can support the panel frame 110 from the rear. In this embodiment, the back cover 140 is made of a metal material such as stainless or aluminum, but may be made of synthetic resin or other various materials.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the panel frame 110 adheres to the edge of the back cover 140 , but the light guide plate 150 adheres to the central portion of the back cover 140 . There is a cover protrusion 143 at the center of the back cover 140 , and the cover protrusion 143 protrudes in the direction of the light guide plate 150 and adheres to the rear surface of the light guide plate 150 . That is, the circumference of the light guide plate 150 is wrapped by the panel frame 110, and the central portion is supported by the cover protrusion 143 of the back cover 140. Therefore, the light guide plate 150 can maintain a stable mounting state.

Next, looking at the light guide plate 150 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the light guide plate 150 is located at a rear spaced apart from the front plate 170 . The light guide plate 150 is configured to emit light by the light emitted from the lighting device 130 disposed at the lower end of the light guide plate 150 and transmit it forward. That is, the light guide plate 150 diffuses the light of the light source 135 and transmits it to the second plate module B disposed in front.

The light guide plate 150 may be formed of a transparent or translucent polymer material such as acryl. As shown in FIG. 19, in this embodiment, the light guide plate 150 may be disposed above the light source 135. ) can be formed. Heat from the light source 135 may be dissipated to the outside through the heat dissipation space (S). Alternatively, the light guide plate 150 may adhere to the top of the light source 135 .

Also, a reflector 160 may be further provided on a rear surface of the light guide plate 150 . The reflector 160 reflects light diffused along the light guide plate 150 forward, that is, toward the front plate 170, and may be stacked with the entire rear surface of the light guide plate 150. The reflection plate 160 may be formed as a separate material, or may be formed on the rear surface of the light guide plate 150 by coating, depositing, or attaching a film. Previously, the light guide plate 150 and the reflector plate 160 were combined and defined as the first plate module (A).

In this case, the light guide plate 150 may be formed in the shape of the rectangular plate as a whole and may be slightly smaller than the size of the front plate 170 . Further, the light guide plate 150 may be supported from the rear by the back cover 140, and a circumferential portion may be wrapped by the lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the side frame 125. .

Referring to FIG. 17 , in this embodiment, the lower end of the light guide plate 150 adjacent to the lighting device 130 has a height equal to or similar to that of the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 . This is to have the height of the light source 135 equal to or similar to the height of the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, the specific structure of which will be described again below. Conversely, the upper end of the light guide plate 150 without the lighting device 130 has a lower height than the upper circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 . Since the upper end of the light guide plate 150 is covered by the upper frame 120, at least the thickness of the upper connection portion 121c of the upper frame 120 is located at the lower portion, and thus the upper portion of the front plate 170 It is located lower than the circumferential surface (170a).

Next, looking at the second plate module (B), the second plate module (B) includes a front plate 170 and a diffusion plate 180. The front plate 170 is disposed at the most front of the lighting panel 100 to form the front surface, and is a part directly observed by the user. The front plate 170 may have various colors and brightness through control of the lighting device 130 .

The diffusion plate 180 is disposed on the rear surface of the front plate 170 to more evenly transmit light to the front plate 170 . That is, the diffuser plate 180 itself emits light and can evenly diffuse light, and transmits the diffused light to the front plate 170 so that the front plate 170 can also emit light uniformly over the entire area. help

Looking at the front plate 170 first, the front plate 170 may be formed in a rectangular plate shape and may be made of a material capable of transmitting light. For example, the front plate 170 may be formed of glass or a transparent plastic material, or other materials capable of transmitting light. Also, the front plate 170 may be called a transparent plate or a light emitting plate.

The front plate 170 may be transparent so that light reflected by the diffusion plate 180 may pass through the light guide plate 150 . Here, transparency may mean the degree to which light is transmitted. Also, the front plate 170 may have a color as needed. For example, the front plate 170 may have a specific color such as white. In addition, a specific pattern or pattern may be printed on the surface of the front plate 170, and a film having a specific pattern or pattern printed thereon may be attached, coated, or deposited. In this way, when the front plate 170 is not completely transparent but translucent, parts embedded in the lighting panel 100, such as the lighting device 130, can be prevented from being exposed to the user.

The front plate 170 may be made of a translucent material. Here, 'semi-transparent' means that at least a part of the light of the light source 135 can be transmitted forward. In this embodiment, the front plate 170 is made of a white color capable of transmitting light. In addition, a diffusion agent may be added to the front plate 170 so that light incident on the front plate 170 may be diffused, or a pattern for light diffusion may be further formed. 29, the front plate 170 is expressed as a milky white translucent material.

The front and rear surfaces of the front plate 170 are composed of flat parts, and round parts are formed on the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 . 18, 19 and 22, it can be seen that the front plate 170 basically has a flat surface, but round portions are formed at the edges. The round portion is formed in a curved shape on the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, and round portions may be formed on all circumferential surfaces 170a of the front plate 170.

Looking at the way the front plate 170 emits light, the light diffused by the light guide plate 150 is transmitted to the front plate 170 via the front diffusion plate 180, but the light from the light source 135 This is also transmitted to the diffusion plate 180 and the front plate 170 through the lower frame 115 . As described above, since the lower frame 115 is made of a transparent or translucent material, light from the light source 135 can be transmitted therethrough.

In addition, since the upper frame 120 and the side frame 125 constituting the panel frame 110 are also made of a transparent or translucent material, even if the panel frame 110 surrounds the edge of the light guide plate 150, Light emitted from the edge of the light guide plate 150 may also pass through the upper frame 120 and the side frame 125 and be transmitted to the diffusion plate 180 .

The diffusion plate 180 may be disposed on the rear surface of the front plate 170 . In this embodiment, the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 is in close contact with the rear surface of the front plate 170 without empty space. In this case, light from the diffusion plate 180 may be transmitted to the front plate 170 as it is.

As will be described below, although an adhesive tape or adhesive may be provided between the diffusion plate 180 and the front plate 170, the adhesive tape or adhesive is not used between the diffusion plate 180 and the front plate 170. ), it can be seen that the diffusion plate 180 and the front plate 170 are continuously disposed with each other because the thickness thereof is very thin compared to . In addition, the adhesive tape or adhesive may be regarded as constituting a part of the diffusion plate 180 or the front plate 170 .

In addition, since the entire rear surface of the front plate 170 is completely adhered to the diffusion plate 180, the front plate 170 is not directly fixed to the panel frame 110, but via the diffusion plate 180 as a medium. It may be fixed to the panel frame 110. Therefore, there is no need to attach adhesive tape or adhesive for fixing to the panel frame 110 along the edge of the front plate 170, and when the front plate 170 emits light, a shadow area due to the adhesive tape does not occur. will not be

A transparent double-sided adhesive film (not shown) is attached to the entire rear surface of the front plate 170, and the rear surface of the front plate 170 and the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 are bonded to each other without air bubbles by the double-sided adhesive film. It can be. Accordingly, the diffusion plate 180 may be regarded as a kind of laminating paper.

Also, the diffusion plate 180 is attached to the panel frame 110, so that the front plate 170 can be fixed without a separate fastener. In this case, there is no need for the frame to surround and fix the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, and the lighting panel 100 has only a minimum bezel and the large area of the front plate 170 moves forward as it is. may be exposed. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the shielding end 73 of the frame cover 70 described above corresponds to the bezel.

The diffusion plate 180 may be made of a material that is thin and transmits light. In this embodiment, the diffuser plate 180 is made of a synthetic resin material and is milk-white, and can naturally and gently diffuse light. A transparent double-sided adhesive tape (not shown) is attached to the rear edge of the diffusion plate 180, and the diffusion plate 180 can be fixed to the front surface of the panel frame 110 by the double-sided adhesive tape. Alternatively, the diffusion plate 180 may be directly coupled to the light guide plate 150 instead of to the panel frame 110 .

The diffusion plate 180 may protrude more than the light guide plate 150 in a direction of widening the area of the lighting panel 100 . Referring to FIG. 17, the lower end 180a1 of the diffusion plate 180 extends further downward than the lower end of the light guide plate 150, and the upper end of the diffusion plate 180 extends upward than the upper end of the light guide plate 150. more extended Also, referring to FIG. 22 , it can be seen that the right end of the diffusion plate 180 extends further to the right than the right end of the light guide plate 150 . In other words, the diffusion plate 180 may have a larger area than the light guide plate 150 .

As such, since the diffusion plate 180 extends more outward than the light guide plate 150 , the diffusion plate 180 can more evenly transmit light to the front plate 170 . The light from the light guide plate 150 is once again dispersed throughout the diffusion plate 180 and then transmitted to the front plate 170 . As a result, the area of the front plate 170 is smaller than that of the diffusion plate 180 and wider than that of the light guide plate 150 . Referring to FIG. 20 , it can be seen that the height H3 of the lower end 180a1 of the diffusion plate 180 is lower than the height H2 of the lower end of the light guide plate 150 .

In this embodiment, a diffusion space may be formed between the diffusion plate 180 and the light guide plate 150 . The diffusion space is a space in which the diffusion plate 180 and the light guide plate 150 are spaced apart. The diffusion space allows the light from the light guide plate 150 to be further diffused while being transmitted to the diffusion plate 180 . The lower front part 116a, the upper front part 121a, and the side front part 126a are disposed between the diffusion plate 180 and the light guide plate 150, respectively, so that they can be naturally spaced apart from each other.

The diffusion plate 180 may extend more outward than the front plate 170 . That is, when the diffusion plate 180 and the front plate 170 are bonded, the entire rear surface of the front plate 170 may overlap the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 . Light diffused from the entire diffusion plate 180 can be evenly transmitted to the entire front plate 170, and dead space in which light cannot be transmitted can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 17, in this embodiment, the diffusion plate 180 extends more outward than the front plate 170 at the lower part of the lighting panel 100 where the lighting device 130 is located, but the lighting panel The upper part of the 100 and both sides of the lighting panel 100 (see FIG. 22) may extend to almost the same extent as the front plate 170. At a position close to the light source 135, the light amount of the light source 135 is the highest, so that the light amount is easily distorted, such as light being concentrated on the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170, adjacent to the light source 135 It is preferable that the diffusion plate 180 is wider than the front plate 170 in the lower part of the lighting panel 100 .

In this way, the diffusion plate 180 uniformly diffuses the light of the light guide plate 150 once, so that the entire area of the front plate 170 can emit more uniform light. In addition, the diffuser plate 180 is made of a translucent material such as white, so that the structure of the panel frame 110 is not visible to the user.

the maximum and minimum points
Brightness difference (nit) Brightness difference between the top and bottom of the front plate 170 (nit) Area outside the standard value (pcs) comparison 9.8 7.4 3.8 Example 2.4 1.9 0.7

Table 1 above shows brightness uniformity of the front plate 170 according to the presence or absence of the diffusion plate 180. First, the comparative example means a structure in which the diffusion plate 180 is omitted and the light guide plate 150 is disposed directly behind the front plate 170, and in the embodiment, the diffusion plate 180 described above is the front plate ( 170). Here, brightness means luminance, and the unit is nit. First, the brightness difference between the maximum point and the minimum point means the difference between the brightness of the brightest area and the brightness of the darkest area of the front plate 170 . In this test, brightness was measured a total of 10 times in various environments and the average value of the difference was calculated. 170) can realize more uniform brightness.

Second, the difference in brightness between the upper and lower parts of the front plate 170 is between the lower part of the front plate 170 where the lighting device 130 is disposed at the rear and the upper part without the lighting device 130 at the rear. represents the difference in brightness. In this test, brightness was measured a total of 10 times in various environments and the average value of the difference was calculated. 170) can realize more uniform brightness.

Finally, the area deviating from the reference value means a point on the front panel 170 having a brightness deviating from the average value by more than the reference value (2 nits) by measuring the average brightness of the area excluding the brightest point and the darkest point. For reference, the front plate 170 was divided into a total of 28 regions (4 columns * 7 rows) and the above test was conducted. As a result, in the comparative example, there was a difference of more than the reference value (2 nits) in 3.8 areas on average, whereas in this embodiment, a difference of more than the reference value (2 nits) occurred in 0.7 areas. Therefore, it can be seen that the front plate 170 can implement a more uniform brightness in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 19 , a diffusion strap 190 may be further provided in front of the light guide plate 150 . The diffusion strap 190 is disposed adjacent to one edge of the light guide plate 150 where the lighting device 130 is disposed. The diffusion strap 190 has a thin band structure extending along one edge of the light guide plate 150 . Like the diffusion plate 180, the diffusion strap 190 may be made of a synthetic resin material, and may be a transparent or translucent material.

The diffusion strap 190 can prevent hot spots generated by the light source 135 of the lighting device 130 . The lower part of the lighting panel 100 adjacent to the light source 135 tends to generate a hot spot where the light of the light source 135 appears brighter than other areas, and the diffusion strap 190 prevents this. More specifically, the diffusion strap 190 is disposed in front of the light source 135 to disperse the light of the light source 135. Therefore, the diffusion strap 190 can be regarded as a hot spot preventing member.

In this embodiment, the diffusion strap 190 is disposed between the light source 135 and the lower front portion 116a of the lower frame 115 . One surface of the diffusion strap 190 is in close contact with the lower front part 116a, and the other surface is in close contact with the light guide plate 150. Accordingly, the diffusion strap 190 can prevent the lower front part 116a and the light guide plate 150 from being spaced apart and lifting each other, and in this case, excessive light is emitted in the empty space formed in front of the light source 135. Spreading can also be prevented.

11 and 23, the diffusion strap 190 includes a strap body 191 extending along the lower portion of the light guide plate 150 and a mounting body 193 extending in a direction orthogonal to the strap body 191. ). The strap body 191 is disposed between the light guide plate 150 and the lower front part 116a of the lower frame 115 and has a thin plate shape. The seating body 193 extends in a direction orthogonal to the strap body 191 and is seated on the top of the lighting device 130 .

The diffusion strap 190 is formed to be longer than or equal to the length of the light guide plate 150 in the left and right directions. If the diffusion strap 190 is formed to be longer than the light guide plate 150 in the left and right directions, it can block strong light from forming on the lower side of the light guide plate 150 . Since the lower part of the light guide plate 150 is located closely to the light source 135, it can be relatively brighter than other areas, and the diffusion strap 190 can disperse and cover it.

Strap extensions 195 are provided at both ends of the strap body 191 . The strap extension part 195 extends upward from both ends of the diffusion strap 190, that is, in a direction increasing the vertical height of the diffusion strap 190. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the strap extension part 195 extends in the direction of the upper frame 120 . The strap extension part 195 can prevent a hot spot from occurring when light from the light source 135 shines relatively brightly at both ends of the lighting device 130 . The strap extension part 195 may distribute hot spots generated at both ends of the lighting device 130 in the vertical direction.

The strap extension part 195 overlaps both ends of the light guide plate 150 . The strap extension part 195 overlaps both ends of the light guide plate 150 in at least a portion without departing outward from both ends of the light guide plate 150 . Through this, a relatively bright portion may be dispersed at both ends of the light guide plate 150 and transmitted to the front plate 170 .

The strap extension part 195 is surrounded by the guide fence 117a of the lower frame 115 . Since the overall length of the diffusion strap 190 is equal to or shorter than the length of the lower mounting groove 118 of the lower frame 115, it can be accommodated inside the lower mounting groove 118, and thus the strap extension ( 195) is located at both ends of the lower mounting groove 118 and is surrounded by the guide fence 117a.

Referring to FIG. 19 , the seating body 193 and the strap body 191 each have an approximate 'L' shape. A light source hole 196 passes through the seating body 193 . The light source hole 196 is an empty space where the light source 135 of the lighting device 130 is disposed. When the expansion wrap is seated on the top of the lighting device 130, the light source 135 may be exposed through the light source hole 196 of the seating body 193. The upper surface 135a of the light source 135 exposed through the light source hole 196 faces the lower end of the light guide plate 150 .

Referring to FIG. 20 , the upper end of the strap body 191 has the same height H1 as the upper end of the lower front part 116a of the lower frame 115 . More precisely, the upper end of the strap body 191 is not an angular corner, but a curved or inclined surface, and is continuous with the diffusion end 116a' of the lower frame 115. In this embodiment, a strap diffusion surface 191' forming a continuous curved surface with the diffusion end 116a' of the lower frame 115 is formed at the upper end of the strap body 191. The strap diffusion surface 191' serves to disperse light from the light source 135 together with the diffusion end 116a'.

Brightness difference between the top and bottom of the front plate 170 (nit) Area outside the standard value (pcs) comparison 8.3 1.8 Example 1.5 0.3

Table 2 above shows the brightness uniformity of the front plate 170 according to the presence or absence of the diffusion strap 190. Here, the comparative example is a structure in which the diffusion plate 180 is installed but the diffusion strap 190 is omitted, and the embodiment has the diffusion plate 180 and the diffusion strap 190 described above together in front of the lighting device 130. This means that the structure is laid out. Here, brightness means luminance, and the unit is nit. First, the difference in brightness between the top and bottom of the front plate 170 is the lower part of the front plate 170 with the lighting device 130 disposed at the rear and the diffusion strap 190 installed at the front of the lighting device 130. And, it means the difference in brightness of the upper part of the front plate 170 without the lighting device 130 at the rear. In this test, brightness was measured a total of 10 times in various environments and the average value of the difference was calculated. 170) can realize more uniform brightness.

Second, the region deviating from the reference value means a lower portion of the front plate 170 having a brightness deviating from the average luminance value of the front plate 170 by more than the reference value (2 nits). For reference, the lower part of the front plate 170 was divided into a total of 8 regions (4 columns * 2 rows), and the above test was conducted. As a result, in the comparative example, there is a difference of more than the reference value (2 nits) in 1.8 areas on average, whereas in this embodiment, a difference of more than the reference value (2 nits) occurs in 0.3 areas. Therefore, it can be seen that the front plate 170 can implement a more uniform brightness in this embodiment.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 20 , the height of the upper end of the light source 135 and the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 is indicated as H2. Looking at the height relationship between the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 and the boundary point 170a' between the flat part and the round part constituting the front plate 170, in this embodiment, the boundary point 170a' The height of the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 is equal to the height of the light source 135 . Here, the boundary point 170a' is formed on the edge of the front plate 170, and can be regarded as a point at which a flat part and a round part constituting the front plate 170 are separated. In other words, the boundary point 170a' may be located in an area where the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 overlap each other.

Preferably, the boundary point 170a' between the flat part and the round part is located within a range α of 5 degrees upward to 5 degrees downward from the top surface 135a of the light source 135 . When the boundary point 170a' is located within the range α of 5 degrees upward to 5 degrees downward from the upper surface 135a of the light source 135, a hot spot by the light of the light source 135 is formed on the front plate 170. ) can be reduced or eliminated. (i) If the boundary point 170a' is disposed lower than the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 by a predetermined standard or more, the hot spot by the light source 135 is exposed as it is on the lower part of the front plate 170 , (ii) If the boundary point 170a' is disposed above a predetermined standard or more, shadows are generated along the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 away from the light source 135. In addition, since the lighting device 130 is positioned at a relatively lower portion, the lower bezel of the panel frame 110 becomes larger, which may deteriorate aesthetics.

Referring to FIG. 39 , a graph showing brightness non-uniformity of the front plate 170 according to a relative angle between the light source 135 constituting the present embodiment and the edge portion of the front plate 170 is shown. In this test, the lower part of the front plate 170 was divided into a total of 8 regions (2 rows * 4 columns), and the difference between the overall average brightness of the front plate 170 and the brightness of each region was calculated. In the graph, the X axis represents the relative angle between the boundary point 170a' and the upper surface 135a of the light source 135, and the Y axis represents the overall average brightness of the front plate 170 and the angle of the lower part of the front plate 170. It represents the sum of differences in brightness of an area.

Looking at the graph, when the boundary point 170a' is located within the range α of 5 degrees upward to 5 degrees downward from the upper surface 135a of the light source 135, the unevenness of the lower part of the front plate 170 is relatively It can be seen that there is a significant decrease in This difference is because, as described above, when the boundary point 170a' and the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 are arranged at an appropriate angle, the hot spot or shadow caused by the light source 135 is reduced.

Also, the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 is located in an area where the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 overlap each other. Referring to FIG. 20 , it can be seen that the height of the upper surface 135a of the light source 135 is located in an area where the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 overlap each other. Accordingly, in the lower part of the front plate 170 adjacent to the lighting device 130, the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 can double the light of the light source 135.

At this time, the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 may have different transmittances. Here, the transmittance is visible light transmittance through which the light of the light source 135 is transmitted, and means the degree to which the light of the light source 135 is transmitted through the front plate 170 . By varying the transmittance of the diffusion strap 190 according to the type, number, or arrangement of the light sources 135, light can be diffused more effectively.

Further, referring to FIG. 40, there is shown a graph showing brightness non-uniformity of the lower part of the front plate 170 according to the relative height between the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190 constituting the present embodiment. In this test, the lower part of the front plate 170 was divided into a total of eight regions (4 columns * 2 rows), and the difference between the overall average brightness of the front plate 170 and the brightness of each region was calculated. In the graph, the X-axis represents the relative height between the lower front part 116a and the diffusion strap 190, and the Y-axis represents the overall average brightness of the front plate 170 and the brightness of each region below the front plate 170. represents the sum of the differences.

Looking at the graph, it can be seen that when the height of the diffusion strap 190 is 10% lower or 10% higher than the height of the lower front part 116a, the unevenness of the lower part of the front plate 170 is relatively greatly reduced. can If (i) the height of the diffusion strap 190 is lower than the height of the lower front part 116a by 10% or more, the light from the light source 135 is not properly diffused and is transmitted to the lower front part 166a. (i) if the height of the diffusion strap 190 is higher than the height of the lower front part 116a by 10% or more, to the area beyond the lower front part 116a where the light source is not directly illuminated There is a problem of lowering the luminance. However, as a result of the previous test, the case where the height of the diffusion strap 190 was lower than the height of the lower front part 116a showed a more uniform luminance value than the case where it was higher. In this embodiment, the diffusion strap 190 has the same height as the lower front part 116a.

Meanwhile, as shown in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 24 , the lighting devices 130 and 230 may be disposed not only on the lower part of the lighting panel 100 but also on the upper part. The lighting devices 130 and 230 are respectively disposed on the lower and upper portions of the light panel 100 to emit light from the front plate 170 . The two lighting devices 130 can make the entire front plate 170 having a uniform brightness. For reference, the upper frame 220 and the lighting device 230 shown in FIG. 24 are given reference numerals in the 200th, and since they have the same structure as the lower frame 115 and the lighting device 130, detailed descriptions will be omitted. .

At this time, the lighting device 230 consists of a first lighting device 130 disposed on the lower frame 115 of the panel frame 110 and a second lighting device 230 disposed on the upper frame 220. It consists of Also, the first lighting device 130 and the second lighting device 230 may be independently controlled. When the first lighting device 130 and the second lighting device 230 are controlled independently of each other, the front plate 170 can have more diverse shapes. A structure in which the second lighting device 230 is disposed on the upper frame 120 may be the same as a structure in which the first lighting device 130 is disposed in the lower frame 115 .

Referring to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 25, the frame cover 70 may be provided with only the shielding end 73. That is, the lower cover 71 connected to the lower plate 51 is omitted from the frame cover 70 .

The shielding end 73 may support the lower circumferential surface 170a, which is an end portion of the front plate 170. At the same time, the shielding end 73 may be coupled to the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 . That is, the shielding end 73 can support the lower circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 while being coupled to the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 .

Referring to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 26, the lower front part 116a of the lower frame 315 constituting the panel frame 110 may be omitted. That is, the lower frame 315 includes only the lower rear part 316b and the lower connecting part 316c.

Accordingly, the diffusion plate 380 disposed behind the front plate 170 may be directly attached to the diffusion strap 190 . That is, the diffusion plate 380 and the light guide plate 150 are disposed close to each other as much as the lower front part 116a is omitted. Even if the lower front part 116a is omitted, light from the light guide plate 150 may be transmitted to the diffusion plate 380 . Reference numeral 381 denotes a lower end of the diffusion plate 380 disposed in front of the light guide plate 150 .

Unlike this, the lower rear part 116b and the lower connection part 116c of the previous embodiment are also omitted, and the structure may be provided in the diffusion plate 180. That is, the diffusion plate 180 is provided with a plate connection part (not shown) and a plate rear part (not shown), and the lower end of the lighting device 130 and the light guide plate 150 is formed in a space surrounded by the plate connection part and the plate rear part. that can be placed.

27 shows the upper structure of the lighting panel constituting the fifth embodiment of the door assembly according to the present invention. As can be seen, the circumferential surface 170a of the front plate 170 may have a flat surface without a round portion. At this time, among the circumferential surfaces 170a of the front plate 170, the upper circumferential surface 170a may be shorter than the upper circumferential surface 180a2 of the diffusion plate 180. Accordingly, the support area by the diffusion plate 180 and the diffusion area of light can be secured as wide as possible.

28 shows the upper structure of the lighting panel constituting the sixth embodiment of the door assembly according to the present invention. As can be seen, a first inclined surface IS may be formed on the rear surface of the diffusion plate 180, and a second inclined surface IS' may be formed on the upper front portion 121a facing the diffusion plate 180. The first inclined surface IS and the second inclined surface IS' may be in close contact with each other. The first inclined surface IS and the second inclined surface IS' can reduce shadows at the upper end of the front plate 170 by removing sharp corners.

30 shows another embodiment of the diffusion strap 490 described above. As shown in FIG. 30(a), the diffusion strap 490 includes a strap body 491 and a strap extension part 495, and the mounting body 193 of the previous embodiment may be omitted. In this case, the strap body 491 may be inserted and fixed between the lower front part 116a and the light guide plate 150 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 30(b), the diffusion strap 590 may be composed of only the strap body 591. That is, both the seating body 193 and the strap extension 195 of the previous embodiment can be omitted. Even in this case, the strap body 591 may be inserted and fixed between the lower front part 116a and the light guide plate 150 .

Next, a process of assembling the lighting panel 100 of the door assembly 20 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 to 35 . First, the second plate module (B) may be assembled. In the second plate module (B), a transparent double-sided adhesive film (not shown) is attached to the entire rear surface of the front plate 170, and the rear surface of the front plate 170 and the front surface of the diffusion plate 180 are The double-sided adhesive film can be bonded to each other without air bubbles. That is, the diffusion plate 180 may be referred to as a kind of laminating paper.

Separately, the lighting device 130 is installed in the lower frame 115 . The heat dissipation block 138 constituting the lighting device 130 is disposed in the lower mounting groove 118 of the lower frame 115, and the substrate 131 and the light source 135 are stacked thereon. Of course, after the heat dissipation block 138 , the substrate 131 , and the light source 135 are assembled together, they may be mounted together in the lower mounting groove 118 .

And, the panel frame 110 is assembled to the edge of the light guide plate 150 . Among the four edges of the light guide plate 150, three edges excluding the bottom are covered by the upper frame 120 and the pair of side frames 125, respectively. Such a state is shown in FIG. 32 .

Subsequently, the diffusion strap 190 is disposed in the lower mounting groove 118 . The diffusion strap 190 is seated in the lower mounting groove 118 in close contact with the lower front part 116a. In this process, the light source 135 is inserted into the light source hole 196 (see FIG. 19) of the diffusion strap 190 from the bottom and exposed.

In this way, the lower frame 115 into which the lighting device 130 and the diffusion strap 190 are inserted is assembled to the light guide plate 150 so as to surround the lower end of the light guide plate 150 . At this time, the lower frame 115 is connected to the lower end of the side frame 125 . Between the lower frame 115 and the side frame 125 and between the side frame 125 and the upper frame 120 may be fixed to each other by adhesive or adhesive tape. This appearance is shown in FIG. 33 .

And, the lower part of the lower frame 115, the frame cover 70 is assembled. The frame cover 70 is coupled to the lower part of the lower frame 115, and the cover lower part 71 of the frame cover 70 surrounds the lower part of the lower frame 115. The frame cover 70 may be attached to the lower portion of the lower frame 115 or fixed by fasteners. Alternatively, if the frame cover 70 is integrally formed with the lower plate 51 of the door body 50, the lower frame 115 may be seated on the frame cover 70 without separate bonding. there is. This appearance is shown in FIG. 34 .

In this state, as shown in FIG. 35, the second plate module (B) is coupled to the front of the panel frame 110. Among the second plate modules (B), an adhesive tape is attached to the rear surface of the diffusion plate 180 or the front surface of the panel frame 110, and when the diffusion plate 180 is brought into close contact with the panel frame 110, each other can be combined In this embodiment, the front plate 170 is not directly fixed to the panel frame 110, but the entire rear surface of the front plate 170 and the attached diffusion plate 180 can be fixed to the panel frame 110. . Accordingly, since the panel frame 110 does not cover the circumferential surfaces 170a of the front plate 170, and the adhesive part for bonding with the panel frame 110 does not need to be directly placed on the front plate 170, The occurrence of shadows on the front plate 170 is also prevented.

Next, a process of turning on the lighting device 130 will be described. In the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the front surface of the door may be illuminated by the operation of the lighting device 130 . Also, the front surface of the door may be illuminated in a specific color. The operation of the lighting device 130 may be performed through a user's manipulation of a manipulation unit (not shown). The control unit may be a switch provided on one side of the refrigerator or a touch panel.

The control unit may be provided on the top of the front of the cabinet 10 or inside the storage space. And, if necessary, the control unit may be provided in any one of the plurality of door assemblies 20 . Of course, the user can set the operating time, operating condition, and light emission color of the light source 135 of the lighting device 130 through manipulation of the control unit. The control unit may be configured as a display capable of displaying and manipulating information.

Also, the lighting device 130 may be operated and set through a remote device separate from the refrigerator. The refrigerator can communicate with the remote device through a communication unit connected to the controller, and the user can manipulate the operation of the lighting device 130 through the remote device. The communication unit can communicate with the remote device in various ways, and can communicate in various ways such as wired, wireless, and short-distance communication (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, NFC, etc.). At this time, simple manipulation and setting of the lighting device 130 may be possible through an application installed in the user's mobile phone or a dedicated program.

Meanwhile, the lighting device 130 may be operated by a sensor (not shown). For example, the sensor may be a user detection sensor that detects a user's proximity. That is, the user detection sensor may be various devices capable of detecting a user approaching the refrigerator, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a laser sensor.

Accordingly, when a user comes close to the refrigerator by a set distance to use the refrigerator, the user sensor detects this, transmits a signal to the control unit, and turns on the lighting device 130 . In addition, when the user moves away from the refrigerator, the user detection sensor may detect this, transmit a signal to the control unit, and turn off the lighting device 130 .

Referring to FIG. 36, when the lighting device 130 is turned on, the light emitted from the light source 135 is radiated to the lower end of the light guide plate 150, diffused and reflected along the light guide plate 150. It can be. Also, the light guided by the light guide plate 150 may be reflected forward by the reflector 160 and diffused once more through the diffuser plate 180 .

In this way, the lighting device 130 irradiates light in the direction of the light guide plate 150 so that the light guide plate 150 transmits light to the second plate module B again, and at the same time, the lower frame made of a transparent material ( 115) may directly irradiate the second plate module (B) with light. In addition, since the lower frame 115, the upper frame 120, and the side frames 125 surrounding the diffusion plate 180 transmit light, the edge of the front plate 170 is dark due to the panel frame 110. area can be prevented.

In particular, the diffusion strap 190 disposed in front of the light source 135 can prevent hot spots generated by the light source 135 more reliably. The lower part of the lighting panel 100 adjacent to the light source 135 tends to generate a hot spot where the light of the light source 135 appears brighter than other areas, and the diffusion strap 190 prevents this. More specifically, the diffusion strap 190 is disposed in front of the light source 135 to disperse the light of the light source 135.

As a result, the entire area of the front plate 170 is evenly illuminated, and the front surface of the door assembly 20 may be illuminated with a set brightness or color.

At this time, the lower frame 115 is transparent or translucent and directly transmits the light of the light source 135, but the lower frame 115, together with the diffusion strap 190, the lighting device 130 and other parts It also serves to prevent direct exposure to users. In addition, since the shielding end 73 of the frame cover 70 extends to the lower end of the front plate 170 and is disposed in front of the lighting device 130, the shielding end 73 of the frame cover 70 It may also serve to cover the lighting device 130 and the like.

In addition, when the user detection sensor detects that the user is very close to the refrigerator while the lighting device 130 is turned on and the front surface of the door assembly 20 is brightly shining, the user is prevented from glare. For this purpose, the lighting device 130 may be turned off or the brightness may be gradually dimmed. In addition, when the user moves away from the refrigerator again, the lighting device 130 may be turned on again or returned to its original brightness. Here, the sensor may be an illuminance sensor.

37 and 38 show various patterns in which the front plate 170 emits light. As shown in FIG. 37 , the refrigerator may be operated so that some of the plurality of door assemblies 20 are illuminated or illuminated in a specific color. That is, not all of the lighting devices 130 provided in the door assemblies 20 are operated, but only a part of the door assemblies 20 among the entire door assemblies 20 may be configured to light. For example, only the first refrigerating compartment door 20A may be illuminated.

At this time, a sensor provided in the refrigerator detects a user's approach, and the door assemblies 20 may sequentially emit light according to the user's movement. 37 shows (i) the first refrigerating compartment door 20A, (ii) the first refrigerating compartment door 20A and the second refrigerating compartment door 20B, (iii) the first refrigerating compartment door 20A according to the movement of the user. ), the second refrigerating chamber door 20B, the first freezing chamber door 20C, and the second freezing chamber door 20D sequentially emitting light.

Of course, the state in which light is irradiated from the front surface of some of the door assemblies 20 among the plurality of door assemblies 20 is not determined by the sensor, but various other conditions such as the operating state of the refrigerator and user settings. As a result, some of the door assemblies 20 among the plurality of door assemblies 20 may be set to shine.

Referring to FIG. 38 , a state in which the brightness of the front panel 170 is adjusted by controlling the lighting device 130 of one door assembly (the first refrigerating compartment door 20A) is shown. Rather than turning on or off the lighting device 130 as a whole, only some light sources 135 among the light sources 135 of the lighting device 130 are turned on, or a large number of light sources ( 135) can be turned on. 38 shows a state in which a kind of gradation effect is implemented on the front plate 170 as adjacent light sources 135 among a plurality of light sources 135 are sequentially turned on.

In the above, even though all the components constituting the embodiment according to the present invention have been described as being combined or operated as one, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the object of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively combined with one or more to operate. In addition, terms such as "comprise", "comprise" or "having" described above mean that the corresponding component may be present unless otherwise stated, and thus exclude other components. It should be construed as being able to further include other components. All terms, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, unless defined otherwise. Commonly used terms, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted as being consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present invention, they are not interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning.

10: cabinet 20: door assembly
50: door body 51: lower plate
52: upper plate 52a: upper cover
53: side plate 53a: side cover
55: rear plate 57: front plate
70: frame cover 71: lower cover
73: shielding end 80: insulator
100: lighting panel 110: panel frame
115: lower frame 120: upper frame
125: side frame 130: lighting device
131: substrate 135: light source
138: heat dissipation block 140: back cover
150: light guide plate 160: reflector
170: front plate 170a: circumferential surface
180: diffusion plate 190: diffusion strap
191: strap body 193: seating body
195: strap extension S: diffusion space

Claims (32)

door body;
Including; a lighting panel disposed in front of the door body,
The lighting panel
A panel frame with a coupling space formed in the center;
a lighting device installed on the panel frame and irradiating light;
a light guide plate disposed in the coupling space and having an edge facing the lighting device;
A front plate forming a front surface of the lighting panel and disposed parallel to the light guide plate;
A door assembly comprising: a diffusion plate disposed between the front plate and the light guide plate, adhered to a rear surface of the front plate, and transmits light from the light guide plate toward the front plate.
The door assembly of claim 1 , wherein one end of the diffusion plate located in front of the lighting device is longer than one end of the front plate.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a rear surface of the diffusion plate is closely attached to the panel frame, and the front plate, the diffusion plate, the front surface of the panel frame, and the light guide plate are continuously disposed.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel frame is made of a transparent or translucent material.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a diffusion end is formed at an edge of the panel frame facing the rear surface of the diffusion plate, and the diffusion end is located closer to the central portion of the lighting panel than a circumferential surface of the front plate.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the panel frame surrounds an edge of the light guide plate, and the diffusion plate is closely attached to the front surface of the panel frame.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the diffusion plate protrudes more in a direction of expanding an area of the lighting panel than the light guide plate.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a front portion of the panel frame surrounding the circumference of the light guide plate is disposed between the diffusion plate and the light guide plate, and the front portion of the panel frame is in close contact with the diffusion plate and the light guide plate, respectively.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a space is formed between a circumferential surface of the light guide plate and the light source.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the diffusion plate has a transparent or translucent plate shape.
The door assembly of claim 1 , wherein a diffusion space is formed between the diffusion plate and the light guide plate by being spaced apart from each other.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a diffusion end in a curved or inclined shape is formed at an edge of the panel frame facing the rear surface of the diffusion plate.
The door assembly of claim 1 , wherein an area of the front plate is smaller than that of the diffusion plate and larger than that of the light guide plate.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device
a substrate extending along an edge of the light guide plate; and
A door assembly including a plurality of light sources disposed on the substrate to face the light guide plate.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the front and rear surfaces of the front plate are composed of flat parts, round parts are formed on the circumferential surface of the front plate, and a boundary point between the flat part and the round parts is the same as the upper surface of the light source of the lighting device. or higher door assembly.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the front and rear surfaces of the front plate are composed of flat parts, a round part is formed on a circumferential surface of the front plate, and a boundary point between the flat part and the round part is upward from the upper surface of the light source of the lighting device. A door assembly located within the range of 5 degrees to 5 degrees downward.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a circumferential surface of the front plate protrudes forward more than a cover provided on the door body.
The door assembly of claim 1, wherein a frame cover is coupled to a lower portion of the panel frame surrounding the lighting device, and the frame cover supports a circumferential surface of the front plate.
The door assembly of claim 18, wherein the frame cover has a shielding end protruding toward a circumferential surface of the front plate, and the front plate protrudes forward more than the shielding end.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the panel frame
a lower frame supporting a lower portion of the light guide plate;
an upper frame supporting an upper portion of the light guide plate; and
A door assembly comprising: a pair of side frames supporting both side surfaces of the light guide plate and connecting the lower frame and the upper frame.
21. The door assembly of claim 20, wherein edges of the light guide plate are inserted into mounting grooves respectively formed in the lower frame, the upper frame, and the pair of side frames.
The door assembly of claim 20, wherein the lower frame, the upper frame, and the pair of side frames are made of a synthetic resin material and are coupled to each other with an adhesive or an adhesive film.
The door assembly of claim 20, wherein the lighting device is disposed on the lower frame, and a frame cover surrounds a lower portion of the lower frame.
The door assembly of claim 19 , wherein a shielding end of the frame cover supports a lower end of the front plate from a lower side, and the shielding end covers a part of a front edge of the diffusion plate.
The door assembly of claim 19, wherein the height of the shielding end protrudes toward the circumferential surface of the front plate is equal to or greater than the height of the light source of the lighting device.
The door assembly of claim 20, wherein the lighting device is respectively disposed on the lower frame and the upper frame, and a pair of frame covers surround the lower frame and the upper frame, respectively.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the panel frame
a front portion positioned between the front surface of the light guide plate and the rear surface of the diffusion plate;
a rear part spaced apart from the front part and supporting a rear surface of the light guide plate;
A door assembly including a connection portion connecting the front portion and the rear portion and surrounding an edge of the light guide plate.
The door assembly of claim 27, wherein the rear part protrudes more toward the center of the lighting panel than the front part.
The door assembly of claim 28, wherein a diffusion end in a curved or inclined shape is formed at an edge of the front portion facing the rear surface of the diffusion plate.
In the door assembly in which the lighting panel is disposed on the front side,
The lighting panel
a panel frame disposed around an edge of the lighting panel;
a lighting device installed on the panel frame and irradiating light;
a light guide plate surrounded by the panel frame around an edge and at least a part of the edge facing the lighting device;
A front plate forming a front surface of the lighting panel and disposed parallel to the light guide plate;
A door assembly including a diffuser plate that adheres to the rear surface of the front plate and transmits the light of the lighting device toward the front plate.
The door assembly of any one of claims 1 to 30; and
A refrigerator having a cabinet to which the door assembly is coupled and a storage space formed therein.
A home appliance having the door assembly of any one of claims 1 to 30.

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