Colour panel, household appliance, and method for manufacturing a colour panel

Abstract

A home appliance can include a main body having an opening, a door to open and close the opening, and a color panel on at least one of the main body or the door, the color panel including a substrate including a front surface and a relief pattern portion on the front surface and having an upper side and a lower side having a height difference from the upper side, and a color layer on the relief pattern portion and including main dots and sub-dots having a size smaller than the main dots, wherein at least one sub-dot is between every two adjacent main dots, and at least some of the sub-dots are on at least one of a periphery of the upper side or a periphery of the lower layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a color panel, and more specifically, to a color panel suitable for a household appliance, a household appliance including the color panel, and a method for manufacturing the color panel. Background Technology

[0002] Household appliances such as refrigerators, garment care devices, dishwashers, and cooking appliances typically include a body for holding the items to be processed and a door for opening and closing the body.

[0003] For example, a refrigerator is a device used to keep food fresh by including a main body and a cooling air supply system. The main body includes a storage compartment, and the cooling air supply system is configured to supply cooling air to the storage compartment. The storage compartment includes a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment. The temperature of the refrigerator compartment is maintained at about 0°C to 5°C to keep food refrigerated, and the temperature of the freezer compartment is maintained at about -30°C to 0°C to keep food frozen. Typically, the storage compartment is configured such that the front side opens to allow food to be placed in and removed from the storage compartment, and the open front side of the storage compartment is closed by a door.

[0004] Whether or not household appliances are in use, the parts most frequently seen by users are doors or other panels that define the overall appearance. Therefore, when implementing panel colors based on user tastes, the aim is to enhance user aesthetic satisfaction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical issues

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure provides a color panel with a custom color, a household appliance including the color panel, and a method for manufacturing the color panel.

[0007] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a color panel, a household appliance including the color panel, and a method for manufacturing the color panel, the color panel allowing ink to be uniformly applied to a panel on which a pattern is formed on its front side.

[0008] Technical solution

[0009] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a household appliance may include: a body having an opening; a door configured to open and close the opening; and a color panel, wherein in at least one of the body or the door, the color panel includes: a substrate, the substrate including: a front surface and an embossed portion on the front surface having an upper side and a lower side having a height difference from the upper side; and a color layer on the embossed portion and including: a main ink dot having a main ink dot size and sub-ink dots having a sub-ink dot size smaller than the main ink dot size, wherein at least some of the sub-ink dots are located between every two adjacent main ink dots, and at least some of the sub-ink dots are located on at least one of the upper periphery or the lower periphery.

[0010] The raised and recessed pattern portion may include an embossed pattern forming at least some of the upper side and at least some of the lower side, at least some of the sub-ink dots may be on the periphery of the upper side formed by the embossed pattern, and some of the plurality of sub-ink dots may be on the periphery of the lower side formed by the embossed pattern.

[0011] The household appliance may also include a lateral side between the upper and lower sides, and at least some of the lateral sides may connect the upper side formed by the embossed pattern and the lower side formed by the embossed pattern, and some of the ink dots may be on the lateral side connected by the embossed pattern.

[0012] The raised and recessed pattern portion may include an engraved pattern forming at least some of the upper side and at least some of the lower side, at least some of the ink dots may be on the periphery of the lower side formed by the engraved pattern, and at least some of the ink dots may be on the periphery of the upper side formed by the engraved pattern.

[0013] The household appliance may also include a lateral side between the upper side and the lower side, and at least some of the lateral sides may connect the upper side formed by the engraved pattern and the lower side formed by the engraved pattern, and some of the ink dots may be on the lateral side connected by the engraved pattern.

[0014] The height difference is 30 micrometers or greater.

[0015] The main ink dot and sub-ink dot can include materials that can be cured by ultraviolet light.

[0016] Color panels may also include a transparent layer that at least partially covers the color layer.

[0017] The shape of the transparent layer can correspond to the shape of the raised or recessed pattern.

[0018] The transparent layer may include transparent ink.

[0019] The substrate may also include a coating on the front surface, and a color layer may be applied to the coating.

[0020] The coating can be white.

[0021] The shape of the coating can correspond to the shape of the raised or recessed pattern.

[0022] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a method for manufacturing a color panel may include: receiving color information, the color information including main region position information regarding a plurality of main regions on a raised / undone pattern portion on a front surface of a substrate, and sub-region position information regarding a plurality of sub-regions on the raised / undone pattern portion; applying at least one of a plurality of main ink dots to each of the plurality of main regions based on the main region position information, and applying at least one of a plurality of sub-ink dots to each of the plurality of sub-regions based on the sub-region position information, to form a color layer on the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of main ink dots has a main ink dot size, and each of the plurality of sub-ink dots has a sub-ink dot size smaller than the main ink dot size; and forming a transparent layer on the color layer.

[0023] The method may further include forming a coating on the front surface of the substrate, and a color layer may be formed on the coating.

[0024] The method may further include forming a raised or recessed pattern portion on the front surface of the substrate, wherein at least some of the plurality of sub-regions may be located on the periphery of the pattern portion.

[0025] The color layer can be formed by spraying multiple main ink dots and multiple sub-ink dots using an inkjet printer and then curing them with ultraviolet light.

[0026] The transparent layer can be formed by printing transparent ink and then heating and drying the transparent ink.

[0027] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a color panel may include: a substrate; a color layer including a plurality of main ink dots coated on the front surface of the substrate and a plurality of sub-ink dots coated between the plurality of main ink dots and having a size smaller than the main ink dots, at least a portion of the plurality of sub-ink dots being coated on the periphery of a patterned portion; and a transparent layer covering the color layer.

[0028] The substrate may also include a coating on the front surface of the substrate, and a color layer may be applied to the coating.

[0029] Beneficial effects

[0030] According to this disclosure, a home appliance can be provided with a panel having colors that consumers desire, thereby improving consumers' aesthetic satisfaction.

[0031] According to this disclosure, the main ink dot and smaller sub-ink dots can be applied to the desired locations on the panel.

[0032] According to this disclosure, ink can be evenly applied to a patterned panel by applying main ink dots and smaller sub-ink dots. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is an external view of a refrigerator, which is an example of a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0034] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The image shows a view of the refrigerator door.

[0035] Figure 3 This is an external view of a clothing care device, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 4 This is an external view of a dishwasher, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 5 This is an external view of a cooking apparatus, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0038] Figure 6 This is a side cross-sectional view of the color panel according to an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a view showing the orientation of the color panels arranged in a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including an operation of forming patterned portions.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a view illustrating an example of a method for forming a patterned portion of a color panel according to an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including an operation of forming a coating.

[0044] Figure 12 This is a control block diagram of a digital printing apparatus for manufacturing color panels according to an embodiment.

[0045] Figure 13 and Figure 14 This is a view illustrating an example process of forming a color layer according to a method for manufacturing a color panel, based on an embodiment.

[0046] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, wherein inkjet printing and UV curing are performed simultaneously.

[0047] Figure 16 and Figure 17 It is used to describe Figure 15 The view shown is of UV curing.

[0048] Figure 18 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, wherein UV curing is performed after ink spraying.

[0049] Figure 19 and Figure 20 It is used to describe Figure 18 The view shown is of UV curing.

[0050] Figure 21 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including the operation of forming a transparent layer.

[0051] Figure 22 This is a side cross-sectional view of a patternless color panel according to another embodiment.

[0052] Figure 23 This is a side cross-sectional view of an uncoated color panel according to yet another embodiment.

[0053] Figure 24 It is used to describe the receipt of color information to manufacture according to Figures 1 to 23 A control block diagram of the process for the color panel in an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The embodiments described in this disclosure and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples of embodiments of this disclosure, and various modifications can be made to replace the embodiments and drawings of this disclosure when this application is filed.

[0055] Furthermore, similar reference numerals or symbols shown in the accompanying drawings indicate components or parts that perform substantially the same function.

[0056] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. It should be understood that the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be understood that the terms “comprising” and “having” are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, portions or combinations thereof disclosed in this disclosure, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements.

[0057] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this document may use terms including ordinal numbers (such as "first," "second," etc.) to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish components from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0058] Furthermore, as used herein, terms such as “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B” include any one of the following: A, B, A and B.

[0059] Furthermore, as used herein, terms such as “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” include any of the following: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, A and B and C.

[0060] Furthermore, for ease of description, the following description uses household appliances as an example of product types using color panels, but the configuration of this disclosure is not limited to panels of household appliances and can be applied to various products such as automobiles and display devices. Additionally, the color panel is described below as a panel made of steel sheet, but the construction of this disclosure is not limited to this and can be applied to panels made of various materials such as plastic resin panels.

[0061] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] The household appliance according to the embodiments can be at least one of a variety of household appliances such as refrigerators, garment care devices, dishwashers, and cooking appliances. Hereinafter, some examples of household appliances according to the embodiments are described.

[0063] Figure 1 This is an external view of a refrigerator, which is an example of a household appliance according to an embodiment. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The image shows a view of the refrigerator door.

[0064] In the embodiments described below, the directions defined by the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are described relative to the household appliance. The width direction of the household appliance is defined as the X-axis, the depth direction as the Y-axis, and the height direction as the Z-axis. Additionally, the outward direction of the main body opening 10a is defined as the +Y direction, while the inward direction is defined as the -Y direction.

[0065] Meanwhile, the forward and backward directions of household appliances can be defined by the arrangement of the appliances or their position relative to the consumer or user. In this embodiment, the consumer who purchases and uses the household appliances is defined as the user.

[0066] When refrigerator 1 is Figure 1 In the arrangement shown, the user typically sees the main opening 10a (when the door is open) or the door 100 (when the door is closed). The +Y direction relative to the refrigerator 1 can be defined as the forward direction, and the -Y direction can be defined as the backward direction.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 The refrigerator 1 includes a main body 10, a storage compartment 13 divided into an upper storage compartment and a lower storage compartment in the main body 10, a door 100 configured to open and close the storage compartment 13, and a cooling air supply device (not shown) configured to supply cooling air to the storage compartment 13.

[0068] The main body 10 may include an inner cabinet 11 defining the storage room 13, an outer cabinet 12 connected to the outside of the inner cabinet 11 to define the appearance, and a main body insulation material (not shown) disposed between the inner cabinet and the outer cabinet to insulate the storage room 13.

[0069] Cooling air supply equipment can generate cooling air by utilizing the cooling cycle of refrigerant compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation.

[0070] The storage room 13 can be divided into multiple areas by partitions 15, and multiple shelves 14 and storage containers 16 can be installed in the storage room 13 to store food, etc.

[0071] The storage room 13 can be divided into a plurality of storage rooms 13a and 13b by a partition 15, and the partition 15 includes a first partition 17 arranged horizontally to vertically divide the interior of the storage room 13, and a second partition 19 arranged longitudinally to horizontally divide the interior of the storage room 13.

[0072] The above division of storage room 13 is an example, and storage room 13 can also be divided in any way other than the above example.

[0073] Storage room 13 can be opened or closed via door 100. Door 100 may include a pair of first doors (or upper doors) 101 for opening and closing upper storage room 13a and a pair of second doors (or lower doors) 102 for opening and closing lower storage room 13b.

[0074] The pair of first doors 101 and the pair of second doors 102 can open and close the main body opening 10a of the main body 10. Handles can be provided at the first door 101 and the second door 102, and the user can use the handles provided at the first door 101 and the second door 102 respectively to open the first door 101 and the second door 102.

[0075] A door shelf 105 for storing food may be provided on the rear surface of a first door 101. The door shelf 105 may include shelf supports 107 extending in a direction perpendicular to the first door 101 to support the door shelf 105 on both sides. The shelf supports 107 may be detachably provided to the first door 101 as a separate component, and in an embodiment, the shelf supports 107 are configured to extend vertically, projecting from the rear surface of the first door 101.

[0076] A first washer 109 may be disposed on the edge of the rear surface of the first door 101 to seal the gap between the first door 101 and the body 10 when the first door 101 is closed. The first washer 109 may be annular along the edge of the rear surface of the first door 101 and may include a first magnet (not shown).

[0077] The lower storage compartment 13b can be opened and closed via a second door 102 pivotally connected to the main body 10. A second washer 106 may be disposed on the edge of the rear surface of the second door 102 to seal the gap between the second door 102 and the main body 10 when the second door 102 is closed. The second washer 106 may be annular along the edge of the rear surface of the second door 102 and may include a second magnet (not shown).

[0078] Reference Figure 2 The door 100 may include a door panel 110 and a door body 120. The door panel 110 may be detachably connected to the door body 120. Figure 2 The door 100 shown is one of a pair of upper doors 101.

[0079] Door panel 110 can be located on the front side of door 100, and door body 120 can be located on the rear side of door 100, i.e., facing the interior of main body 10. The front side of door 100 can refer to the side shown to the user when door 100 is closed. The rear side of door 100 can refer to the side facing storage room 13 when door 100 is closed.

[0080] The door body 120 located on the rear side of the door 100 may include various components (such as chassis, cover, cap and housing) for defining the appearance of the door 100 and components for sealing the storage compartment 13 in the body 10 with the outside.

[0081] Figure 3This is an external view of a clothing care device, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment. Figure 4 This is an external view of a dishwasher, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment. Figure 5 This is an external view of a cooking apparatus, which is another example of a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0082] Reference Figure 3 The garment care device 2 may include a main body 20 defining its appearance and a door 200 pivotally connected to the main body 20. The garment care device 2 may include a garment care chamber disposed in the main body 20 to accommodate garments, a garment support member (not shown) disposed inside the garment care chamber and configured to hang garments, and a machine room (not shown) including a heat exchanger (not shown) for dehumidifying or heating the air inside the garment care chamber.

[0083] Door 200 can open and close the garment care compartment located inside the main body 20. Door 200 may include a door panel 210 and a door body 220, and the door panel 210 may be detachably connected to the door body 220. Figure 3 As shown, door panel 210 can be disposed on the front side of door 200, and door body 220 can be disposed on the rear side of door 200. The front side of door 200 refers to the side shown to the user when door 200 is closed. The rear side of door 200 refers to the side facing the interior of body 20 when door 200 is closed.

[0084] Reference Figure 4 The dishwasher 3 may include a body 30 with a defined appearance and a door 300 pivotally connected to the body 30.

[0085] A washing chamber (not shown) for holding tableware may be disposed in the main body 30. The dishwasher 3 may include various components such as multiple nozzles for washing tableware in the washing chamber, a drive device for driving the multiple nozzles, and a controller for controlling the drive device. A door 300 can open and close the washing chamber disposed inside the main body 30.

[0086] Door 300 may include door panel 310 and door body 320, and door panel 310 may be detachably connected to door body 320. For example... Figure 4 As shown, door panel 310 can be disposed on the front side of door 300, and door body 320 can be disposed on the rear side of door 300. The front side of door 300 refers to the side shown to the user when door 300 is closed. The rear side of door 300 refers to the side facing the interior of body 30 when door 300 is closed.

[0087] Reference Figure 5 The cooking device 4 may include a body 40 defining the appearance and a door 400 pivotally connected to the body 40.

[0088] A cooking chamber (not shown) for containing food ingredients may be provided in the main body 40, and the cooking device 4 may include various components such as heaters, heating wires, fans and controllers for heating and cooking the food ingredients contained in the cooking chamber.

[0089] Door 400 can open and close the cooking chamber located within the main body 40. Door 400 may include a door panel 410 and a door body 420, and the door panel 410 may be detachably connected to the door body 420. Figure 5 As shown, door panel 410 can be disposed on the front side of door 400, and door body 420 can be disposed on the rear side of door 400. The front side of door 400 refers to the side shown to the user when door 400 is closed. The rear side of door 400 refers to the side facing the interior of body 40 when door 400 is closed.

[0090] Although the oven is described as an example of cooking device 4 in the embodiments, an induction oven for heating a cooking container located on a plate by magnetic induction may also be included as cooking device 4. In the case where cooking device 4 is implemented as an induction oven, the color panel 500 may be applied to a control panel or plate with a user interface.

[0091] All household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4 according to the above embodiments include doors 100, 200, 300, and 400 for opening and closing the interior spaces of bodies 10, 20, 30, and 40, and doors 100, 200, 300, and 400 respectively include door panels 110, 210, 310, and 410 defining their appearance. That is, door panels 110, 210, 310, and 410 are shown to the user in the closed state of doors 100, 200, 300, and 400.

[0092] When household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4 are not in use, doors 100, 200, 300, and 400 are closed, and users need to approach and open doors 100, 200, 300, and 400 to use household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4. Therefore, it can be seen that door panels 110, 210, 310, and 410 are among the components that affect users' aesthetic satisfaction.

[0093] The colors of door panels 110, 210, 310, and 410 can be used as a factor to improve user aesthetic satisfaction without affecting the functionality of doors 100, 200, 300, and 400. Therefore, when door panels 110, 210, 310, and 410 are implemented in the colors desired by users, user aesthetic satisfaction with home appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4 can be improved.

[0094] Therefore, the color panel 500 according to the embodiment described below (see Figure 6It can be used for the door panels 110, 210, 310 and 410 of household appliances 1, 2, 3 and 4.

[0095] Furthermore, the aforementioned household appliances are merely examples of household appliances according to the embodiments. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned household appliances, any household appliance that includes the color panel 500 described below may also be included in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0096] In addition, the color panel 500 is not necessarily used only as a door panel. The color panel 500 can also be used as a panel included in the main bodies 10, 20, 30 and 40, or, apart from the main bodies 10, 20, 30 and 40, the color panel 500 can be used as any panel that defines the appearance of the home appliance and displays it to the user.

[0097] Hereinafter, a color panel 500 and a method of manufacturing the color panel 500 according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0098] Figure 6 This is a side cross-sectional view of the color panel according to an embodiment. Figure 7 This is a view showing the orientation of the color panels arranged in a household appliance according to an embodiment.

[0099] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The color panel 500 may include a substrate 510 and a color layer 520 formed on the front surface of the substrate 510.

[0100] The substrate 510 may be included in at least one of the bodies 10, 20, 30, and 40 or the doors 100, 200, 300, and 400 of the household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4. The substrate 510 may require predetermined physical and chemical properties to form the panels of the bodies 10, 20, 30, and 40 or the doors 100, 200, 300, and 400. For example, the substrate 510 may require a predetermined level of rigidity or heat resistance.

[0101] The substrate 510 may comprise a metallic material. Specifically, the substrate 510 may comprise a steel plate material. Therefore, the substrate 510 may have properties such as sufficient rigidity, and the patterned portion 512, which will be described later, can be readily formed on the substrate 510. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the substrate 510 may comprise various materials. For example, the substrate 510 may comprise a plastic resin material.

[0102] The substrate 510 may include a base 511 and a coating 513 formed on the base 511. Specifically, as described above, the base 511 may require physical and chemical properties such as rigidity or heat resistance above a predetermined level, and in particular, may include a metallic material such as a steel plate material. The coating 513 may be applied to the front surface of the base 511, and specifically may be applied to the front surface of the base 511 by comprising ink.

[0103] The substrate 510 may include a patterned portion 512 formed on its front surface. Specifically, the patterned portion 512 may be formed on the substrate 511 and may be formed before the coating 513 is applied to the substrate 511. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the coating 513 may be applied to the substrate 511 before (1023, see [reference]). Figure 11 Then, the patterned portions 512 (1021, 1022, see below) are formed on the substrate 511. Figure 9 ).

[0104] The pattern portion 512 can be formed as at least one of an embossed pattern 512a or an engraved pattern 512b. Various methods can be used to form the embossed pattern 512a or the engraved pattern 512b. For example, the embossed pattern 512a can be formed by a pressing process, and the engraved pattern 512b can be formed by an etching process. The processes for forming the embossed pattern 512a or the engraved pattern 512b will be described later.

[0105] Despite Figure 6 The diagram shows a pattern portion 512 formed on substrate 510, which includes both an embossed pattern 512a and an engraved pattern 512b, but the pattern portion 512 is not limited to this. For example, only the embossed pattern 512a or the engraved pattern 512b may be formed on substrate 510.

[0106] In order to improve the texture effect of the material that can be perceived by the user due to the unevenness of the patterned portion 512, a predetermined horizontal height difference can be achieved between the upper and lower sides of the patterned portion 512.

[0107] Reference Figure 6 The height difference between the upper and lower sides of the relief pattern 512a can be referred to as d1, and the height difference between the upper and lower sides of the engraved pattern 512b can be referred to as d2. In this example, d1 or d2 can be 30 micrometers (μm) or greater. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the upper and lower sides of the pattern portion 512 can be formed to have various height differences.

[0108] Because the pattern portion 512 is formed on the substrate 510, consumers can perceive a three-dimensional texture. However, if the pattern portion 512 is not formed on the substrate 510, a three-dimensional texture can be conveyed to consumers by applying multiple ink layers to the front surface of the substrate 510 to create an uneven surface. However, when creating an uneven surface by applying multiple ink layers, damage such as cracks may occur in the multiple ink layers during the bending process of the color panel 500. Therefore, by forming the pattern portion 512 on the substrate 510 and then applying inks 521 and 522 along the pattern portion 512 to form the color layer 520, damage to the color layer 520 during bending can be reduced.

[0109] Coating 513 may include a material having high bonding strength between inks 521 and 522 (described later) to promote bonding between inks 521 and 522 and the substrate 510 when inks 521 and 522 of color layer 520 are applied to the substrate 510. Therefore, color layer 520 can be stably formed on substrate 510. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and coating 513 may not be applied to substrate 510, as in... Figure 23 In one embodiment, for example, the substrate 510 may be formed to increase the bonding strength with inks 521 and 522 by plasma heat treatment, so that the color layer 520 can be stably formed on the substrate 510.

[0110] The coating 513 can be formed with a predetermined color to allow a user to easily determine the color of the color layer 520 to be formed on the substrate 510. Specifically, the coating 513 can have a white base color. In this case, the white base color of the coating 513 serves as the base for the color layer 520, thus achieving the same effect as printing on white paper.

[0111] Furthermore, with coating 513 having a white base color, when a user purchases home appliances 1, 2, 3, or 4, they can identify the color of color panel 500 via a computer, mobile device, or a display installed on digital signage or in a kiosk in a store. Since the color output to the display is also displayed on a white background, by arranging white coating 513 behind color layer 520, the visual color difference between the color identified by the user via the display and the actual color of color panel 500 can be minimized.

[0112] As an example of achieving the above effects, the white base color of coating 513 can satisfy L* = 90 to 100, a* = -5.0 to 5.0, and b* = -5 to 5 in the CIE LAB color space (L* is for luminance, and a* and b* are for indicating chroma and saturation). Additionally, the visible light transmittance of the white base color of coating 513 can be limited to 10% or less. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and coating 513 can be formed to have various colors. In cases where coating 513 does not have a white base color or substrate 510 does not include coating 513, when forming color layer 520, a separate white base color layer (not shown) can be included in color layer 520 to achieve the effect of coating 513 having a white base color as described above.

[0113] The coating 513 can be formed to include a shape that corresponds to the concavity and convexity of the pattern portion 512. Therefore, even if the coating 513 is applied to the substrate 511 on which the pattern portion 512 is formed, the visual effect caused by the height difference between the upper and lower sides of the pattern portion 512 will not be reduced.

[0114] The method of forming coating 513 on the front surface of substrate 510 will be described in detail later (1023, see [link]). Figure 11 ).

[0115] Color layer 520 can be formed on the front surface of substrate 510. Color layer 520 can be formed to include inks 521 and 522, and specifically, color layer 520 can be formed by spraying (spraying) ink dots 521 and 522 onto the front surface of substrate 510.

[0116] Color layer 520 may include a plurality of main ink dots 521 and a plurality of sub-ink dots 522 having a size smaller than the main ink dots 521.

[0117] On the front surface of substrate 510, the area where multiple main ink dots 521 are coated can be defined as multiple main regions A1, and the area where multiple sub-ink dots 522 are coated can be defined as multiple sub-regions A2. The multiple sub-regions A2 can be distinguished from the multiple main regions A1.

[0118] Multiple main regions A1 and multiple sub-regions A2 can be distinguished using various criteria. For example, such as... Figure 6 As shown, multiple sub-regions A2 can be arranged between multiple main regions A1. Specifically, when the substrate 510 includes a patterned portion 512, at least a portion of the multiple sub-regions A2 can be arranged on the periphery of the patterned portion 512. In other words, multiple sub-ink dots 522 can be applied between multiple main ink dots 521, and at least a portion of the multiple sub-ink dots 522 can be applied on the periphery of the patterned portion 512.

[0119] When the color layer 520 includes only a plurality of main ink dots 521, each main ink dot 521 is relatively large. Therefore, areas where the ink is not sufficiently coated may appear between the plurality of main ink dots 521 on the substrate 510. Specifically, on the periphery of the pattern portion 512, due to the size of the main ink dots 521, areas where the main ink dots 521 are not coated may appear. That is, when the color layer 520 includes only a plurality of main ink dots 521, unprinted areas (not shown) where the main ink dots 521 cannot be coated may appear, including areas on the periphery of the pattern portion 512.

[0120] In contrast, when the color layer 520 includes only multiple sub-ink dots 522 and not multiple main ink dots 521, the size of each sub-ink dot 522 is small. Therefore, it takes a long time to form the color layer 520 on the substrate 510, which reduces productivity.

[0121] To overcome the aforementioned problems, when forming the color layer 520 on the substrate 510, a plurality of main ink dots 521 can be uniformly coated on the front surface of the substrate 510, and a plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be coated on the areas between the plurality of main ink dots 521 and on the periphery of the pattern portion 512 where the plurality of main ink dots 521 are not sufficiently coated. In other words, a plurality of main regions A1 can be formed on the front surface of the substrate 510, a plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed between the plurality of main regions A1, and at least a portion of the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the periphery of the pattern portion 512. Furthermore, the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be coated on unprinted areas other than the periphery of the pattern portion 512. Therefore, the color layer 520 can be uniformly formed on the front surface of the substrate 510.

[0122] When the pattern portion 512 on the substrate 510 includes an embossed pattern 512a, at least a portion of the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be coated along the periphery of the upper surface of the embossed pattern 512a. At least another portion of the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be coated along the periphery of the lower portion of the embossed pattern 512a. In other words, at least a portion of the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the periphery of the upper surface of the embossed pattern 512a, and at least another portion of the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the periphery of the lower portion of the embossed pattern 512a.

[0123] Additionally, at least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 522 can be applied to the lateral side of the relief pattern 512a. For example... Figure 6 As shown, when the lateral side of the relief pattern 512a is formed perpendicular to the base 511, at least a portion of the plurality of ink dots 522 applied to the lateral side of the relief pattern 512a can be applied in layers. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the plurality of ink dots 522 can be arranged in various ways on the periphery of the relief pattern 512a.

[0124] When the pattern portion 512 on the substrate 510 includes an engraved pattern 512b, at least a portion of the plurality of sub-dots 522 can be coated along the periphery of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern 512b. At least another portion of the plurality of sub-dots 522 can be coated along the periphery of the upper portion of the engraved pattern 512b. In other words, at least a portion of the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the periphery of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern 512b, and at least another portion of the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the periphery of the upper portion of the engraved pattern 512b.

[0125] Additionally, at least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 522 can be applied to the lateral side of the engraved pattern 512b. For example... Figure 6 As shown, when the lateral side of the engraved pattern 512b is formed perpendicular to the substrate 511, at least a portion of the plurality of ink dots 522 applied to the lateral side of the engraved pattern 512b can be applied in layers. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the plurality of ink dots 522 can be arranged in various ways on the periphery of the engraved pattern 512b.

[0126] However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plurality of main ink dots 521 and the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be applied to the front surface of the substrate 510 in various ways. Depending on the surface shape of the substrate 510 and the color or shape (type) of the color layer 520 desired by the user to be applied to the substrate 510, the plurality of main ink dots 521 and the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 can be applied to the front surface of the substrate 510 in various ways. In other words, depending on the type of color layer 520 set by the user, the plurality of main regions A1 and the plurality of sub-regions A2 can be formed on the front surface of the substrate 510 in various ways. For example, when attempting to form a finer color layer 520 on the substrate 510, the user can set the corresponding positions as the plurality of sub-regions A2, regardless of the shape of the substrate 510 (such as the arrangement of the patterned portions 512), and can apply the plurality of sub-ink dots 522.

[0127] The main ink dot 521 can have a volume of approximately 12 plc (picoli). The sub-ink dot 522 can have a volume of 3 plc, which is smaller than the main ink dot 521. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the main ink dot 521 and the sub-ink dot 522 can be formed to have various sizes, as long as the size of the main ink dot 521 is larger than the size of the sub-ink dot 522. Furthermore, ink dots 521 and 522 can not only have the following dimensions... Figure 6 The two sizes shown can also be three or more sizes.

[0128] The color panel 500 may also include a transparent layer 530 that covers the color layer 520. The transparent layer 530 may be made of a transparent material to allow the user to see the color layer 520 through the transparent layer 530.

[0129] The transparent layer 530 may include a material with a hardness greater than that of the color layer 520. Therefore, the transparent layer 530 can protect the color layer 520 without blocking its color.

[0130] The transparent layer 530 may include a material having similar physical and chemical properties to the color layer 520 in order to effectively bond to the color layer 520. In addition, the transparent layer 530 may include a material having similar heat resistance to the color layer 520 to prevent damage to the color layer 520 when the transparent layer 530 is formed on the color layer 520.

[0131] The transparent layer 530 may include a transparent ink. Specifically, the transparent layer 530 may include a transparent ink made of a plastic resin material. For example, the transparent ink of the transparent layer 530 may include a polyester resin material. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the transparent layer 530 may include various materials that can provide the aforementioned functions and properties of the transparent layer 530.

[0132] The transparent layer 530 can be formed to include a shape corresponding to the unevenness of the patterned portion 512. Therefore, the texture of the color panel 500 perceived by the user due to the unevenness of the patterned portion 512 is not distorted by the transparent layer 530. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and the transparent layer 530 can have various shapes. Because the transparent layer 530 is made of a transparent material, even when the upper surface of the transparent layer 530 is formed in a horizontal shape, the texture caused by the patterned portion 512 is not significantly distorted.

[0133] like Figure 7 As shown, when the color panel 500 configured above is used in household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4, the substrate 510, including the base 511 and the coating 513, can be arranged at the rear (-Y direction) of household appliances 1, 2, 3, and 4. Based on the base 511 of the substrate 510, the coating 513, the color layer 520, and the transparent layer 530 can be arranged sequentially along the forward direction (+Y direction) of the base 511.

[0134] A user views the color panel 500 in front of the transparent layer 530 and can identify the color of the color layer 520 arranged behind the transparent layer 530 as the color of the color panel 500. Furthermore, depending on the shape of the patterned portion 512 of the substrate 510 arranged behind the color layer 520, the user can perceive the three-dimensional effect or texture of the color panel 500 differently.

[0135] The thickness T1 of the substrate 511 can be approximately 1 mm to 2 mm. As described above, the height differences d1 and d2 between the upper and lower sides of the patterned portion 512 can be 30 μm or greater. The thickness T2 of the coating 513 can be approximately 10 μm or less. The thickness T3 of the color layer 520 can be approximately 1 μm or less. The thickness T4 of the transparent layer 530 can be approximately 10 μm or less, and preferably 5 μm or less. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and each of the components 510, 520, and 530 included in the color panel 500 can be formed to have various thicknesses T1, T2, T3, and T4, depending on the purpose of the color panel 500.

[0136] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment.

[0137] The manufacturing of the color panel 500 may include operations (1010) of receiving color information (1011) and printing settings (1012) before applying the color layer 520. The color information may include position information on the front surface of the substrate 510 regarding a plurality of main regions A1 and position information regarding a plurality of sub-regions A2, in order to set the positions for applying a plurality of main ink dots 521 and a plurality of sub-ink dots 522. The color information may include information regarding the color, size, etc., of the plurality of main ink dots 521 to be applied to the plurality of main regions A1, and information regarding the color, size, etc., of the plurality of sub-ink dots 522 to be applied to the plurality of sub-regions A2. The color layer 520 can be formed (1030) by applying ink dots 521 and 522 to the front surface of the substrate 510 based on the color information including the above information.

[0138] Color layer 520 can be formed by digital printing. In this embodiment, digital printing is a printing method as opposed to screen printing (or silk screen printing).

[0139] Screen printing is a printing technique that involves placing a screen made of silk or similar material over the object to be printed, applying pre-mixed ink to the screen, squeezing and drying the ink, thereby printing the desired color onto the object. Because the ink needs to be pre-mixed, screen printing is suitable for mass production of small items.

[0140] When color information based on the CMYK or RGB color system is input into digital printing equipment such as inkjet or laser printers, the desired color can be printed onto the object by spraying inks or toners containing cyan, magenta, yellow, and black through multiple nozzles of the digital printing equipment. The type of ink can vary depending on the color system used in the digital printing equipment. Digital printing is a printing technology that utilizes this type of digital printing equipment.

[0141] In the method for manufacturing a color panel 500 according to the embodiment, a digital printing apparatus is used to form the color layer 520. When using a digital printing apparatus, there is no need to premix inks or toners because multiple colors of ink or toner are sprayed in appropriate proportions according to the input color information each time printing is performed. Furthermore, because the color information can be changed in each printing process, various colors can be easily printed, and high productivity can be achieved even when performing small-volume printing.

[0142] Therefore, even if a color panel 500 can be produced in the ordered quantity each time an order for a color panel 500 is received, high productivity can be maintained.

[0143] In the following embodiments, an inkjet printer is used as an example of a digital printing device for detailed description.

[0144] The ink used in inkjet printers is a liquid that includes solvents, pigments, binders, and other additives. The pigments adhere to the surface of the object to be printed via the binder, and the binder's flowability, surface energy, plasticization, etc., can be adjusted by additives.

[0145] In order for ink to adhere stably to the surface of the object to be printed, the surface needs to have a predetermined degree or higher of printability, and printability is determined by factors such as surface tension, roughness and surface porosity.

[0146] The configuration and operation of the digital printing equipment used to form color layer 520 will be described later.

[0147] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including an operation of forming patterned portions. Figure 10 This is a view illustrating an example of a method for forming a patterned portion of a color panel according to an embodiment.

[0148] The patterned portion 512 formed on the front surface of the substrate 510 of the color panel 500 may include at least one of forming an embossed pattern 512a (1021) or forming an engraved pattern 512b (1022). A color layer 520 (1030) may be formed on the front surface of the substrate 510 on which the patterned portion 512 is formed.

[0149] In the following text, refer to Figure 10 The operations 1021 and 1022 of forming a patterned portion 512 on the front surface of the substrate 510 are described in detail.

[0150] The operation (1021) of forming the embossed pattern 512a may include: pressing the front surface of the substrate 511 using the pressing device P1 to form the embossed pattern 512a. In the case where the substrate 511 comprises a steel plate material, to facilitate the pressing process, the operation (1021) of forming the embossed pattern 512a may include: first heating the substrate 511, pressing the substrate 511 using the pressing device P1 to form the embossed pattern 512a, and then cooling the substrate 511.

[0151] The operation (1022) of forming the engraved pattern 512b may include etching the front surface of the substrate 511 using an etching material P3. Specifically, a location for forming the engraved pattern 512b may be set on the substrate 511, an etching mask P2 may cover the area on the front surface of the substrate 511 where the engraved pattern 512b will not be formed, and then the etching material P3 may be injected to etch the front surface of the substrate 511. The etching material P3 may be an etching solution, such as ferric sulfate, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or nitric acid. The etching mask P2 may be a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film with low reactivity with the etching material P3. In addition to the above, the etching mask P2 and the etching material P3 may include various materials.

[0152] The method of forming the patterned portion 512 on the front surface of the substrate 510 is not limited to the operations described above (1021 and 1022), and the patterned portion 512 can be formed in various ways depending on its shape. For example, the engraved pattern 512b can also be formed by pressing using the pressing equipment P1. Alternatively, if the substrate 511 comprises a plastic material, the patterned portion 512 can be formed by a plastic injection molding process.

[0153] As described above, a color layer 520 (1030) can be formed on the front surface of the substrate 510 on which the pattern portion 512 is formed. Furthermore, a coating layer 513 can be formed on the pattern portion 512, and then the color layer 513 can be formed on the coating layer 513.

[0154] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including an operation of forming a coating.

[0155] A method for manufacturing a color panel 500 may include forming a coating 513 (1023) on the front surface of a substrate 510, and forming a color layer 520 (1030) on the coating 513.

[0156] Forming coating 513 (1023) may include applying coating ink to substrate 511. Specifically, the operation (1023) of forming coating 513 may include a screen printing process of applying coating ink to substrate 511 and heating and drying the applied coating ink. In this case, coating 513 can be formed faster and productivity can be improved compared to forming coating 513 by digital printing. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and coating 513 can be formed using digital printing. As mentioned above, coating ink may have a white base color.

[0157] The substrate 510 on which the coating 513 is formed can be referred to as a pre-coated (PCM) material.

[0158] Figure 12 This is a control block diagram of a digital printing apparatus for manufacturing color panels according to an embodiment.

[0159] Reference Figure 12 The digital printing apparatus 600 includes a transceiver 630 for receiving printing data, a memory 620 for storing the received printing data, a processor 610 for executing printing settings based on the printing data, a print head 640 for spraying (applying) ink 521 and 522 through a plurality of nozzles, and a print head moving assembly 650 for moving the print head 640.

[0160] For example, the types of inks 521 and 522 ejected through multiple nozzles may include cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink. However, some inks may be added or omitted if necessary. For example, white ink or transparent ink may be added, and black ink may be omitted.

[0161] A method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment may include: receiving color information (1011, see reference) via a digital printing apparatus 600. Figure 8 The printing data received by transceiver 630 may include color information.

[0162] According to an embodiment of the color panel 500, the color layer 520 can be implemented as a solid color or an image having various colors. Here, the image may include text. When the color layer 520 is implemented as an image, the color information may include image information, and the digital printing apparatus 600 can form an image corresponding to the received image information on the substrate 510.

[0163] Color information can be received in the form of a color code corresponding to the color selected by the consumer. However, the type of printing data received by the digital printing equipment 600 is not limited to this, and any information indicating CMYK or RGB values ​​can also be used as color information received by the digital printing equipment 600, regardless of the type.

[0164] Furthermore, the received color information can be defined by a color system that is the same as or different from the color system applied to the digital printing equipment 600. For example, if the digital printing equipment 600 uses the CMYK color system, the received color information can be color information indicating CMYK values ​​or color information indicating RGB values. In the latter case, the processor 610 can convert the color information indicating RGB values ​​into color information corresponding to the CMYK color system.

[0165] In addition, as mentioned above, the color information may include location information about multiple main regions A1 and multiple sub-regions A2.

[0166] Printing settings are executed based on the received color information (1012, see [reference]). Figure 8 The processor 610 can perform various data processing or data conversions based on the received color information to perform printing, and such operations are referred to as "printing settings" in the embodiments.

[0167] For example, the processor 610 can determine the concentration data of cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink based on the received color information and resolution.

[0168] In addition, the processor 610 can set resolution data, and the resolution data can be set to a high resolution greater than the predetermined reference value in the manufacturing process of the color panel 500.

[0169] The processor 610 can send a printing signal to the print head 640 based on density data and resolution data, and the print head 640 can spray ink 521 and 522 onto the substrate 510 through multiple nozzles according to the received printing signal to form a color layer 520 (1120) having a color corresponding to the received color information. That is, the color corresponding to the received color information can be printed onto the front surface of the substrate 510 using the digital printing equipment 600.

[0170] Figure 13 and Figure 14 This is a view illustrating an example process of forming a color layer according to a method for manufacturing a color panel, based on an embodiment.

[0171] Reference Figure 13 In the example shown, in order to form color layer 520, substrate 510 can be located on printing bed B and can be fixed thereto.

[0172] The printhead 640 can move above the substrate 510 located on the printing bed B along the X-axis (lateral direction) and Z-axis (longitudinal direction). For example, as Figure 13As shown, the printhead 640 can eject ink through multiple nozzles while moving along the X-axis.

[0173] The printhead moving assembly 650 for moving the printhead 640 may include a support 651 for supporting the printhead 640 and a guide rail 652 for guiding the support 651 to move along the Z-axis. Additionally, although not shown in the figures, the printhead moving assembly 650 may also include a motor for providing power for the movement of the support 651 along the Z-axis and the movement of the printhead 640 along the X-axis, and a drive circuit for driving the motor.

[0174] However, embodiments of the method for manufacturing color panels are not limited to... Figure 13 and Figure 14 The structure shown can be applied to any manufacturing apparatus other than those shown, provided that the colors of the color panel 500 are achieved through digital printing.

[0175] The area that can be printed by moving the print head 640 from the left end to the right end of the substrate 510 without moving along the Z-axis can be divided into rows.

[0176] In this scenario, when the print head 640 completes printing the first line, it can move along the Z-axis and then proceed with printing the next line along the X-axis, as shown below. Figure 14 As shown.

[0177] When printing the previous line while moving to the right (+X-axis direction), printing the next line can be performed while moving to the left (-X-axis direction). That is, printing can be performed while moving in a zigzag direction.

[0178] Alternatively, the print head 640 can move to the left without spraying ink, and then perform printing while moving to the right.

[0179] Alternatively, multiple printings can be performed on the same line while moving in opposite directions along the same line.

[0180] The lines being printed can overlap each other or not. When lines overlap, multiple printings are performed on the overlapping area, resulting in a clearer color in that area.

[0181] Meanwhile, in the case of using UV-curable inks in the digital printing equipment 600, the ink ejected from the printhead 640 needs to be cured by UV light. Therefore, as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, by installing UV lamps 660 on both sides of the printhead 640, the ink ejected from the printhead 640 can be cured by UV light.

[0182] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, wherein inkjet printing and UV curing are performed simultaneously. Figure 16 and Figure 17 It is used to describe Figure 15 The view shown is of UV curing.

[0183] Reference Figure 15 When using digital printing equipment 600, especially an inkjet printer using UV-curable inks, a color layer 520 (1031) can be formed by simultaneously performing UV curing while jetting UV-curable inks 521 and 522 onto the substrate 510. By performing ink jetting and UV curing simultaneously, color stability can be improved.

[0184] Reference Figure 16 and Figure 17 The printhead 640 can eject inks 521 and 522 while moving along the X-axis, and simultaneously, the UV lamp 660 can cure the ejected inks 521 and 522 by emitting UV light. For this purpose, at least one of the two UV lamps 660 installed on both sides (left and right sides) of the printhead 640 can be turned on.

[0185] However, the expression "simultaneous curing" does not mean that the exact time at which inks 521 and 522 are sprayed onto the substrate 510 is the exact same as the time at which UV light is emitted onto the sprayed inks. For example, an error in the time it takes for the UV lamp 660 to move to the position corresponding to the sprayed inks can be allowed. When UV curing is performed without separating it from the spraying of inks 521 and 522, the process can be described as "simultaneous curing" even though there is a time difference between ink spraying and UV curing.

[0186] Regardless of the direction of movement of the printhead 640, both UV lamps 660 can be turned on, or the UV lamps 660 can be turned on selectively depending on the direction of movement of the printhead 640.

[0187] For example, such as Figure 16 As shown, when the print head 640 moves to the right (in the +X axis direction) while spraying ink 521 and 522, the UV lamp 661 installed on the left side of the print head 640 can be turned on, and the UV lamp 662 installed on the right side of the print head 640 can be turned off.

[0188] Furthermore, when the print head 640 completes the spraying of inks 521 and 522 while moving to the right, it moves forward along the Z-axis and sprays inks 521 and 522 while moving to the left. The UV lamp 662 installed on the right side of the print head 640 can be turned on, and the UV lamp 661 installed on the left side of the print head 640 can be turned off.

[0189] That is, the sprayed inks 521 and 522 can be cured by turning on the UV lamp 660, which is installed in the opposite direction of the movement of the print head 640.

[0190] As described above, by selectively turning UV lamps 661 and 662 on / off according to the direction of movement of the printhead 640, unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0191] Although the example above describes the case where one UV lamp 660 is installed on each of the left and right sides of the printhead 640, the position and number of UV lamps 660 are not limited thereto. For example, at least one UV lamp 660 may be installed on each of the left and right sides of the printhead 640, and UV lamps 660 may be installed only on the left side of the printhead 640 or only on the right side of the printhead 640.

[0192] When the UV lamp 660 is installed only on the left or right side of the print head 640, the printing direction of the print head 640 can be limited to one direction. For example, when the UV lamp 660 is installed only on the left side of the print head 640, the print head 640 can spray inks 521 and 522 while moving to the right. When the UV lamp 660 is installed only on the right side of the print head 640, the print head 640 can spray inks 521 and 522 while moving to the left.

[0193] Figure 18 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, wherein UV curing is performed after ink spraying. Figure 19 and Figure 20 It is used to describe Figure 18 The view shown is of UV curing.

[0194] Reference Figure 18 The operations of receiving color information (1011) and performing printing settings (1012) have already been described above, so their description is omitted.

[0195] According to another example of the method for manufacturing a color panel, UV curing (1033) can be performed after inks 521 and 522 are sprayed onto substrate 510 (1032). By performing UV curing after spraying inks 521 and 522, the mixing time of ink droplets of different colors can be obtained to achieve the desired color.

[0196] In this case, such as Figure 19 As shown, when the printhead 640 ejects inks 521 and 522, the UV lamp 660 can be turned off. (As indicated...) Figure 20 As shown, when the inks 521 and 522 are sprayed, the UV lamp 660 can be turned on and the sprayed inks 521 and 522 can be cured while the print head 640 moves.

[0197] For example, when the print head 640 completes the spraying of inks 521 and 522 onto a single line while moving along the X-axis, UV curing can be performed on the same line when the print head 640 moves along the X-axis in the opposite direction to the direction of the sprayed inks 521 and 522 without moving forward along the Y-axis.

[0198] As another example, after the printhead 640 has finished spraying inks 521 and 522 onto the entire front surface of the substrate 510, the UV lamp 660 can be turned on and UV curing can be performed on the entire front surface of the substrate 510 while it is moving again.

[0199] As described above, two or more UV lamps 660 can be installed, or UV lamps 660 can be installed only on the left or right side of the printhead 640.

[0200] Figure 21 This is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a color panel according to an embodiment, the method further including the operation of forming a transparent layer.

[0201] As described above, after receiving color information and performing printing settings (1010), a color layer 520 (1030) can be formed on the front surface of the substrate 510 based on the color information.

[0202] A method for manufacturing a color panel 500 may include forming a color layer 520 (1030) on the front surface of a substrate 510, and then forming a transparent layer 530 (1040) covering the color layer 520.

[0203] The operation (1040) of forming the transparent layer 530 may include applying transparent ink to the color layer 520. Specifically, the operation (1040) of forming the transparent layer 530 may include a screen printing process (1040) of printing transparent ink onto the color layer 520 and heating and drying the printed transparent ink. In this case, the transparent layer 530 can be formed faster and productivity can be improved compared to forming the transparent layer 530 by digital printing. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the transparent layer 530 can be formed using digital printing.

[0204] Figure 22 This is a side cross-sectional view of a patternless color panel according to another embodiment.

[0205] Reference Figure 22 A color panel according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is described. In the description... Figure 22 In the embodiments shown, the same reference numerals may be assigned to... Figures 1 to 21 The components shown are the same as those in the original document, and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0206] Reference Figure 22 The color panel 1500 included in at least one of the bodies 10, 20, 30 and 40 or doors 100, 200, 300 and 400 of household appliances 1, 2, 3 and 4 may include a patternless substrate 1510, a color layer 1520 formed on the substrate 1510, and a transparent layer 1530 covering the color layer 1510.

[0207] The substrate 1510 may include a flat substrate 1511. In the above embodiment, a patterned portion 512 is formed on the front surface of the substrate 511 to represent a three-dimensional texture. However, as Figure 22 As shown, the pattern portion 512 may not be formed on the front surface of the substrate 511.

[0208] It may include a coating 1513 applied to the front surface of the substrate 1510. The coating 1513 may be formed on the substrate 1511 and may be applied to allow the coating 1513 to be formed in a flat shape corresponding to the flat substrate 1511.

[0209] When the inks 1521 and 1522 of the color layer 1520 are applied to the substrate 1510, the coating 1513 may include a material having high bonding strength between the inks 1521 and 1522 to promote bonding between the inks 1521 and 1522 and the substrate 1510. Therefore, the color layer 1520 can be stably formed on the substrate 1510. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the coating 1513 may not be applied to the substrate 1510, as in... Figure 23 In the embodiments described above.

[0210] The coating 1513 can be formed to have a predetermined color, allowing a user to easily determine the color of the color layer 1520 to be formed on the substrate 1510. Specifically, the coating 1513 can have a white base color. The white base color of the coating 1513 satisfies L* = 90 to 100, a* = -5.0 to 5.0, and b* = -5 to 5 in the CIE LAB color space (L* is for luminance, and a* and b* are for indicating the chroma and saturation of the color). Additionally, the visible light transmittance of the white base color of the coating 1513 can be limited to 10% or less. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the coating 1513 can be formed to have various colors.

[0211] The coating 1513 can be formed by screen printing, which includes applying coating ink and heating to dry.

[0212] The color layer 1520 of the color panel 1500 may include a plurality of main ink dots 1521 and a plurality of sub-ink dots 1522 smaller than the main ink dots 1521, and may be formed on the front surface of the substrate 1510. Specifically, the color layer 1520 may be formed by applying it to the front surface of the coating 1513 located on the front surface of the substrate 1510.

[0213] Color layer 1520 can be formed by digital printing. Ink dots 1521 and 1522 can be sprayed from an inkjet printing device and can include materials cured by ultraviolet light (UV).

[0214] On the front surface of the substrate 1510, the positions where multiple main ink dots 1521 are applied can be defined as multiple main regions A1, and the positions where multiple sub-ink dots 1522 are applied can be defined as multiple sub-regions A2 that are distinct from the multiple main regions A1.

[0215] Even if the raised and recessed patterned portions are not individually formed on the substrate 1510, depending on the shape, color, etc., of the color layer 1520 to be printed on the substrate 1510, it may be necessary to apply ink dots 1521 and 1522 of different sizes. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the color panel 1500 may include: generating color information including positional information about a plurality of main regions A1 and a plurality of sub-regions A2; receiving the corresponding color information; and forming the color layer 1520 based on the received color information. In this case, a color panel 1500 providing a finer image can be manufactured than one that only sprays ink of a single size.

[0216] Color panel 1500 may include a transparent layer 1530 covering color layer 1520. Transparent layer 1530 may be made of a transparent material to allow a user to see color layer 1520 through transparent layer 1530.

[0217] The transparent layer 1530 may include a material with a hardness greater than that of the color layer 1520. Therefore, the transparent layer 1530 can protect the color layer 1520.

[0218] The transparent layer 1530 may include a material having similar physical and chemical properties to the color layer 1520 in order to be effectively bonded to the color layer 1520.

[0219] The transparent layer 1530 may include a transparent ink. Specifically, the transparent layer 1530 may include a transparent ink made of a plastic resin material. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the transparent layer 1530 may include various materials that can provide the functions and properties of the transparent layer 1530 described above.

[0220] The transparent layer 1530 can be formed by screen printing, which includes printing transparent ink and heating to dry.

[0221] Figure 23 This is a side cross-sectional view of an uncoated color panel according to yet another embodiment.

[0222] Reference Figure 23 The following describes a color panel according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 23 In the embodiments shown, the same reference numerals may be assigned to... Figures 1 to 21 The components shown are the same as those in the original document, and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0223] Reference Figure 23 The color panel 2500 included in at least one of the bodies 10, 20, 30 and 40 or doors 100, 200, 300 and 400 of household appliances 1, 2, 3 and 4 may include an uncoated substrate 2510, a color layer 2520 formed on the substrate 2510, and a transparent layer 2530 covering the color layer 2520.

[0224] The substrate 2510 may include a metallic material. Specifically, the substrate 2510 may include a steel plate material. Therefore, the substrate 2510 may have properties such as sufficient rigidity, and the patterned portion 2512 may be easily formed on the substrate 2510. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the substrate 2510 may include various materials.

[0225] The substrate 2510 may include a patterned portion 2512 formed on its front surface. The patterned portion 2512 may include at least one of a forward-protruding embossed pattern 2512a or a rearward-recessed engraved pattern 2512b. The operation of forming the embossed pattern 2512a or the engraved pattern 2512b can be performed in conjunction with… Figure 9 and Figure 10 The operations shown are the same.

[0226] Color layer 2520 can be formed by coating a plurality of main ink dots 2521 and a plurality of sub-ink dots 2522 having a size smaller than the plurality of main ink dots 2521 on the front surface of substrate 2510.

[0227] Color layer 2520 can be formed by digital printing, and can also be formed by spraying ink dots 2521 and 2522 and UV curing ink dots 2521 and 2522.

[0228] Multiple sub-ink dots 2521 can be applied between multiple main ink dots 2522, and at least a portion of the multiple sub-ink dots 2521 can be applied to the periphery of the pattern portion 2512.

[0229] At least a portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the upper outer periphery of the relief pattern 2512a. At least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the lower outer periphery of the relief pattern 2512a. At least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the lateral outer periphery of the relief pattern 2512a.

[0230] At least a portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the lower outer periphery of the engraved pattern 2512b. At least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the upper outer periphery of the engraved pattern 2512b. At least another portion of the plurality of ink dots 2521 may be applied along the lateral outer periphery of the engraved pattern 2512b.

[0231] Color panel 2500 may include a transparent layer 2530 covering color layer 2520. Transparent layer 2530 is made of a transparent material and may include a material with a hardness equal to or greater than that of the material of color layer 2520. Transparent layer 2530 may include a material having similar physical and chemical properties to color layer 2520 in order to effectively bond to color layer 2520.

[0232] The transparent layer 2530 may include transparent ink. The transparent layer 2530 may be formed by screen printing, which includes printing transparent ink and heating to dry.

[0233] The transparent layer 2530 can be formed into a shape that corresponds to the concavity and convexity of the patterned portion 2512.

[0234] Unlike the embodiments described above, the coating may not be formed on the front surface of the substrate 2510.

[0235] To stably form the color layer 2520 on the front surface of the substrate 2510, a heat treatment process may be included on the front surface of the substrate 2510 before applying ink dots 2521 and 2522 to the front surface of the substrate 2510. Surface heat treatment can enhance the bonding strength between the surface of the substrate 2510 and the ink dots 2521 and 2522 of the color layer 2520. Specifically, the surface heat treatment may include plasma heat treatment. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and various processes may exist to ensure that the color layer 2520 is stably formed on the substrate 2510. Alternatively, the color layer 2520 may be formed on the front surface of the substrate 2510 without requiring a separate processing step.

[0236] Figure 24 It is used to describe the receipt of color information to manufacture according to Figures 1 to 23 A control block diagram of the process for the color panel in an embodiment.

[0237] According to the embodiments of the color panels 500, 1500, 2500 and their manufacturing methods described above, the color layers 520, 1520 and 2520 of the color panels 500, 1500 and 2500 can be formed by receiving color information desired by a consumer and performing digital printing based on the received color information. The process of receiving color information is described in detail.

[0238] First, consumers can use the consumer terminal 700 to select the color of home appliances. Available colors for home appliances can include the color of the door or the body.

[0239] Consumer terminal 700 can be an electronic device including input / output interfaces, such as a computer and mobile device used by a consumer, or a computer, mobile device, digital signage, or kiosk installed in a store for the sale of home appliances.

[0240] The consumer terminal 700 includes a user interface 740, at least one processor 710 for controlling the consumer terminal 700, a memory 720, and a transceiver 730. The user interface 740 includes a display and an input device.

[0241] The user interface 740 can display images to guide the selection of colors for home appliances and can receive color input by the user. For example, the user interface 740 can display a variety of colors available for each home appliance.

[0242] The processor 710 can store information about the selected color (hereinafter referred to as color information) in the memory 720, and the transceiver 730 can send the color information stored in the memory 720 to the server 800 via a network. In this example, information about household appliances that have applied the selected color can also be sent.

[0243] The transceiver 830 of the server 800 can receive color information and home appliance information from the consumer terminal 700, and the received information can be stored in the memory 820.

[0244] The processor 810 can transmit the stored color information and home appliance information to the manufacturing system of color panels 500, 1500, and 2500 via transceiver 830. The transmitted color information and home appliance information can be received by the computer of the manufacturing system, and the received color information can be transmitted to the digital printing equipment 600 of the manufacturing system.

[0245] The operations performed by the digital printing equipment 600 are as described above. Figure 12 As described.

[0246] In this way, the color information of the home appliance selected by the consumer terminal 700 is sent to the digital printing equipment 600 via the server 800. Therefore, the color panels 500, 1500, and 2500 of the home appliance can be manufactured using an order-based production method. Since color panels of the same color are not pre-manufactured in large quantities, the inventory problem can be solved, thus providing consumers with a variety of choices for the colors of home appliances.

[0247] Meanwhile, the color information sent from the consumer terminal 700 to the server 800 and the color information sent from the server 800 to the manufacturing system can be of the same or different types. For example, if the color information sent from the consumer terminal 700 does not correspond to the color system used in the digital printing equipment 600, the external server 800 or the manufacturing system can convert the color information into information that corresponds to the color system used in the digital printing equipment 600.

[0248] According to the above embodiments, the colors of color panels used in household appliances can be achieved through digital printing, such as inkjet printing. Therefore, each time printing is performed, multiple colors of ink can be sprayed in appropriate proportions based on the input color information, eliminating the need for pre-mixing inks or toners. Furthermore, because the color information can be changed during each printing process, various colors can be easily printed, and high productivity can be achieved even when performing small-volume print runs.

[0249] Based on the above advantages, a make-to-order manufacturing method can be applied to produce color panels when an order for a home appliance is received from a consumer. Since it eliminates the need for large-scale pre-production of color panels of the same color, inventory issues can be resolved, thus providing consumers with a wider range of color options for home appliances.

[0250] Furthermore, the ink dots forming the color layer (main ink dots and sub-ink dots) can have two or more sizes, and the color information can include information about the position (main area and sub-area) of each ink dot to be applied to the front surface of the substrate, thereby uniformly forming the color layer. Specifically, ink dots with two or more sizes can be used, thus reducing unprinted areas on the substrate where ink is not adequately applied.

[0251] Although this disclosure has been shown and described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that changes and modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and scope of this disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising: The main body has an opening; The door is configured to open and close the opening; as well as A color panel, on at least one of the main body or the door, the color panel comprising: The substrate includes: Front surface, and The raised and recessed pattern portion on the front surface includes at least one of an embossed pattern and an engraved pattern, and A color layer is present on the embossed pattern portion and includes: The main ink dot, having the main ink dot size, and Sub-ink dots have a smaller size than the main ink dot size. Wherein, at least one of the sub-ink dots is located between every two adjacent main ink dots. Wherein, when the raised and recessed pattern portion includes the embossed pattern, At least a portion of the sub-ink dots are applied along the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the relief pattern, such that at least a portion of the sub-ink dots are closer to the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the relief pattern than the main ink dots. At least another portion of the sub-ink dots is applied along the lower periphery of the relief pattern, such that at least another portion of the sub-ink dots is closer to the lower periphery of the relief pattern than the main ink dots. Wherein, when the raised / recessed pattern portion includes the engraved pattern, At least a portion of the sub-ink dots are applied along the outer perimeter of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern, such that at least a portion of the sub-ink dots are closer to the outer perimeter of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern than the main ink dots. At least another portion of the sub-ink dots is applied along the outer periphery of the upper part of the engraved pattern, such that at least another portion of the sub-ink dots is closer to the outer periphery of the upper part of the engraved pattern than the main ink dots.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, When the raised / concealed pattern portion includes the embossed pattern. The relief pattern also includes a lateral side located between the upper surface and the lower part of the relief pattern, and Some of the ink dots are on the lateral side of the relief pattern.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, When the raised / recessed pattern portion includes the engraved pattern. The engraved pattern also includes a lateral side located between the bottom surface and the top surface of the engraved pattern, and Some of the ink dots are on the lateral side of the engraved pattern.

4. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The height difference between the upper and lower sides of the embossed pattern portion is 30 micrometers or greater.

5. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The main ink dot and the sub-ink dot comprise materials that can be cured by ultraviolet light.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The color panel also includes a transparent layer that at least partially covers the color layer.

7. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein, The shape of the transparent layer corresponds to the shape of the raised / recessed pattern portion.

8. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein, The transparent layer includes transparent ink.

9. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate further includes a coating on the front surface, and The color layer is on the coating.

10. The household appliance according to claim 9, wherein, The coating is white.

11. The household appliance according to claim 9, wherein, The shape of the coating corresponds to the shape of the raised / recessed pattern portion.

12. A method for manufacturing a color panel, the method comprising: Receive color information, the color information including: Information regarding the main region positions of multiple main regions on the raised and recessed pattern portion of the front surface of the substrate, and Regarding the sub-region position information of the multiple sub-regions on the aforementioned embossed pattern portion. Based on the main region location information, at least one main ink dot from a plurality of main ink dots is applied to each main region of the plurality of main regions, and based on the sub-region location information, at least one sub-ink dot from a plurality of sub-ink dots is applied to each sub-region of the plurality of sub-regions to form a color layer on the substrate, wherein... Each of the plurality of master ink dots has a master ink dot size, and each of the plurality of sub-ink dots has a sub-ink dot size smaller than the master ink dot size. A transparent layer is formed on the color layer. The method further includes: forming the raised / recessed pattern portion on the front surface of the substrate, the raised / recessed pattern portion including at least one of an embossed pattern and an engraved pattern. Wherein, when the raised and recessed pattern portion includes the embossed pattern, At least a portion of the sub-ink dots are applied along the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the relief pattern, such that at least a portion of the sub-ink dots are closer to the outer perimeter of the upper surface of the relief pattern than the main ink dots. At least another portion of the sub-ink dots is applied along the lower periphery of the relief pattern, such that at least another portion of the sub-ink dots is closer to the lower periphery of the relief pattern than the main ink dots. Wherein, when the raised / recessed pattern portion includes the engraved pattern, At least a portion of the sub-ink dots are applied along the outer perimeter of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern, such that at least a portion of the sub-ink dots are closer to the outer perimeter of the bottom surface of the engraved pattern than the main ink dots. At least another portion of the sub-ink dots is applied along the outer periphery of the upper part of the engraved pattern, such that at least another portion of the sub-ink dots is closer to the outer periphery of the upper part of the engraved pattern than the main ink dots.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: A coating is formed on the front surface of the substrate. The color layer is formed on the coating.

Images