Refrigerator skin-touch glass panel and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator skin-touch glass panel and a preparation method thereof. The refrigerator skin-touch glass panel sequentially comprises a transparent skin-touch film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer and a primer layer from the front side to the back side, the transparent skin-touch film is made of a PET material; the surface of the transparent skin-touch film is a UV curing type skin-touch coating; the glass substrate is toughened glass; the adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive, and the transparent skin-touch film is laminated and covered on the front surface of the glass substrate through the adhesive layer and a film laminating machine; the pattern decoration layer is manufactured on the back surface of the glass substrate through a silk-screen printing, digital printing or UV transfer printing process; and the primer layer is a PU protective layer. The transparent skin-touch film covers the front surface of the glass, so that the ice-cold and stiff touch of the glass is thoroughly changed, the warm, smooth and skin-friendly fine touch is provided, the user experience is improved, meanwhile, the special microstructure on the surface of the skin-touch film can effectively reduce attachment of sweat and oil stains, and the glass is easier to clean even if the glass is contaminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigerator technology, and in particular to a skin-feel glass panel for refrigerators and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of home appliance exterior component technology, refrigerators, as core appliances that combine practicality and home decoration, have seen their door panels' performance and texture become key factors influencing users' purchasing decisions. With consumption upgrades and users' increasing demands for quality of life, traditional smooth and cold glass panels can no longer meet users' comprehensive needs for a skin-friendly touch, a high-end appearance, and convenient maintenance. Skin-feel glass panels with special surface textures and decorative effects have emerged and are widely used in mid-to-high-end refrigerator products, becoming an important medium for enhancing the refrigerator's appearance and user experience.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream processes for achieving a skin-like finish on refrigerator glass panels fall into two main categories: AG acid etching and AF skin-like coating. AG skin-like glass uses chemical etching to create a matte, frosted surface, effectively reducing glare from ambient light and giving the panel a smooth, skin-like texture. AF glass, on the other hand, coats the glass surface with a nano-coating, utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the coating to achieve a smooth feel and strong stain resistance. Furthermore, existing improvements largely focus on optimizing coating formulations, such as replacing traditional hydrofluoric acid etching with water-based inorganic nano-coatings, or using an excimer resin layer coated on the glass panel and cured to form a frosted structure, to improve the environmental friendliness of the process and the physical strength of the panel.

[0004] However, existing technologies still have many shortcomings that urgently need to be addressed. While AG acid etching can achieve a matte finish, the surface microstructure is prone to fingerprints and oil stains, making cleaning difficult. Furthermore, the acid etching process is complex and costly, and the hydrofluoric acid mist not only poses a serious health hazard to operators but also causes severe environmental pollution. AF coating, while highly stain-resistant, typically maintains a high gloss level, failing to achieve the matte texture and soft diffuse reflection of AG glass. Moreover, the coating is easily worn away by friction during use, leading to a continuous decline in the skin-feel effect. Even though some improved solutions enhance environmental friendliness and wear resistance through optimized coating formulations, they do not fundamentally solve the core problem of wear and tear failure in skin-feel coatings. Additionally, their processing procedures remain complex, resulting in high production costs and making it difficult to achieve a balance between practicality and economy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel and its preparation method to solve the problems that the skin-feel coating in the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel prepared by the prior art will gradually wear down with use, and that its processing process is relatively complicated.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel, which includes, from the front to the back, a transparent skin-feel film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer, and a primer layer.

[0007] The transparent skin-feel film is made of PET material with a thickness of 0.2–0.5 mm; the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is a UV-cured skin-feel coating.

[0008] The glass substrate is tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm;

[0009] The adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The transparent skin-feel film is laminated onto the front side of the glass substrate by pressing the adhesive layer and a laminating machine.

[0010] The patterned decorative layer is formed on the back of the glass substrate by screen printing, digital printing or UV transfer process, and has a thickness of 10 to 100 μm.

[0011] The primer layer is a PU protective layer with a thickness of 20-50 μm.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the UV-curable skin-feel coating on the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is treated with 172nm ultraviolet light excimer curing technology, with a surface friction coefficient of <0.15 and a contact angle of >150°.

[0013] In some embodiments, a nano-antibacterial layer is provided between the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer. The nano-antibacterial layer is made of silver-loaded nano-silica material with a thickness of 5-15 μm and is tightly bonded to the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer after UV curing treatment.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the glass substrate is embedded with uniformly distributed micron-sized glass microspheres, the glass microspheres having a particle size of 50–100 μm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the difference between the refractive index of the glass microspheres and the refractive index of the glass substrate is ≤0.02, and the light transmittance of the glass substrate is ≥85%.

[0016] In some embodiments, a light-shielding positioning layer is provided between the patterned decorative layer and the glass substrate. The light-shielding positioning layer is a black UV-curable ink layer with a thickness of 5 to 20 μm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the UV-curable skin-feel coating is doped with nano-titanium dioxide particles, the particle size of which is 20-50 nm, and the mass percentage of which is 2-5% in the coating.

[0018] In some embodiments, nanoscale thermally conductive particles are dispersed in the adhesive layer. The thermally conductive particles are made of alumina or boron nitride and have a particle size of 30–80 nm.

[0019] In some embodiments, the thermally conductive particles account for 3% to 8% of the mass of the adhesive layer, and the thermal conductivity of the adhesive layer is ≥0.3W / m·K.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a method for preparing a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel, the method being used to prepare the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel described in the first aspect; the method includes:

[0021] Select transparent glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm that has been ground and tempered as the glass substrate, and clean and dry it.

[0022] A decorative pattern layer is created on the back of a glass substrate using screen printing, digital printing, or UV transfer technology. After each creation, the ink is initially cured by baking in a low-temperature oven at 150–200°C.

[0023] Spray PU primer onto the cured patterned decorative layer to form a primer layer, and then cure at 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes;

[0024] Select a transparent skin-feeling PET film coated with hot melt adhesive, align its adhesive side with the front side of the glass substrate using a laminating machine, and press it together at a uniform speed with a pressure of 0.5MPa at room temperature, while removing air bubbles.

[0025] The laminated panel is left to mature at room temperature for 24 hours to obtain a refrigerator-feel glass panel.

[0026] As can be seen from the above, this application provides a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel and its preparation method. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel includes, from front to back, a transparent skin-feel film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer, and a primer layer. The transparent skin-feel film is made of PET material with a thickness of 0.2-0.5 mm. The surface of the transparent skin-feel film is a UV-curable skin-feel coating. The glass substrate is tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm. The adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of 0.1-0.3 mm. The transparent skin-feel film is laminated onto the front of the glass substrate by pressing the adhesive layer and a laminating machine. The pattern decoration layer is made on the back of the glass substrate by screen printing, digital printing, or UV transfer printing, with a thickness of 10-100 μm. The primer layer is a PU protective layer with a thickness of 20-50 μm. This application completely changes the cold and hard feel of glass by covering the front of the glass with a transparent skin-feeling film, providing a warm, smooth, and skin-friendly delicate touch, which greatly enhances the user's sense of luxury and comfort when interacting with the product. At the same time, the special microstructure on the surface of the skin-feeling film can effectively reduce the adhesion of sweat and oil, and even if it gets dirty, it is easier to clean. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the preparation method of the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel provided in this application embodiment.

[0030] Illustration:

[0031] 1- Primer layer; 2- Pattern decoration layer; 3- Glass substrate; 4- Adhesive layer; 5- Transparent skin-feel film layer. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described below do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. They are merely examples of systems and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the claims.

[0033] In the field of home appliance exterior component technology, refrigerators, as core appliances that combine practicality and home decoration, have seen their door panels' performance and texture become key factors influencing users' purchasing decisions. With consumption upgrades and users' increasing demands for quality of life, traditional smooth and cold glass panels can no longer meet users' comprehensive needs for a skin-friendly touch, a high-end appearance, and convenient maintenance. Skin-feel glass panels with special surface textures and decorative effects have emerged and are widely used in mid-to-high-end refrigerator products, becoming an important medium for enhancing the refrigerator's appearance and user experience.

[0034] Currently, the mainstream processes for achieving a skin-like finish on refrigerator glass panels fall into two main categories: AG acid etching and AF skin-like coating. AG skin-like glass uses chemical etching to create a matte, frosted surface, effectively reducing glare from ambient light and giving the panel a smooth, skin-like texture. AF glass, on the other hand, coats the glass surface with a nano-coating, utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the coating to achieve a smooth feel and strong stain resistance. Furthermore, existing improvements largely focus on optimizing coating formulations, such as replacing traditional hydrofluoric acid etching with water-based inorganic nano-coatings, or using an excimer resin layer coated on the glass panel and cured to form a frosted structure, to improve the environmental friendliness of the process and the physical strength of the panel.

[0035] However, existing technologies still have many shortcomings that urgently need to be addressed. While AG acid etching can achieve a matte finish, the surface microstructure is prone to fingerprints and oil stains, making cleaning difficult. Furthermore, the acid etching process is complex and costly, and the hydrofluoric acid mist not only poses a serious health hazard to operators but also causes severe environmental pollution. AF coating, while highly stain-resistant, typically maintains a high gloss level, failing to achieve the matte texture and soft diffuse reflection of AG glass. Moreover, the coating is easily worn away by friction during use, leading to a continuous decline in the skin-feel effect. Even though some improved solutions enhance environmental friendliness and wear resistance through optimized coating formulations, they do not fundamentally solve the core problem of wear and tear failure in skin-feel coatings. Additionally, their processing procedures remain complex, resulting in high production costs and making it difficult to achieve a balance between practicality and economy.

[0036] Based on this, such as Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel, which includes, from the front to the back, a transparent skin-feel film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer, and a primer layer.

[0037] The transparent skin-feel film is made of PET material with a thickness of 0.2–0.5 mm; the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is a UV-cured skin-feel coating.

[0038] The glass substrate is tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm;

[0039] The adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The transparent skin-feel film is laminated onto the front side of the glass substrate by pressing the adhesive layer and a laminating machine.

[0040] The patterned decorative layer is formed on the back of the glass substrate by screen printing, digital printing or UV transfer process, and has a thickness of 10 to 100 μm.

[0041] The primer layer is a PU protective layer with a thickness of 20–50 μm. Figure 1 1 is the primer layer; 2 is the pattern decoration layer; 3 is the glass substrate; 4 is the adhesive layer; 5 is the transparent skin-feel film layer.

[0042] This application completely transforms the cold, hard feel of traditional glass panels by applying a transparent, skin-friendly film layer made of PET material to the front of the glass substrate. The surface of this film is treated with a UV-cured skin-friendly coating, giving the panel a warm, smooth, and skin-friendly texture, greatly enhancing the user's sense of luxury and comfort when touching and using the refrigerator. The special microstructure design of the transparent skin-friendly film layer, combined with the characteristics of the UV-cured skin-friendly coating, effectively reduces the adhesion of stains such as sweat and oil. Even if stains do occur, the coating's non-removing properties make it easier to wipe clean, maintaining a clean and beautiful appearance of the panel for a long time.

[0043] The glass substrate uses tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3mm, which provides reliable structural strength and rigidity to the panel after tempering. Simultaneously, the transparent skin-feel film layer on the front forms a physical barrier, effectively resisting scratches and wear on the front of the glass substrate, extending the panel's lifespan. The decorative pattern layer is applied to the back of the glass substrate and is doubly protected by the glass substrate and primer layer, avoiding direct friction and scratches during daily use. This prevents the pattern from fading and wearing, ensuring the decorative effect remains new for a long time. The pattern on the back shows through the transparent glass substrate, creating a subtle visual effect, which, combined with the matte and smooth texture of the front, significantly enhances the refrigerator's appearance. The composite structure of the transparent skin-feel film layer and adhesive layer replaces the traditional AG acid etching process, eliminating the need for corrosive substances such as hydrofluoric acid, thus avoiding the harm to humans and environmental pollution from acid fumes. Furthermore, the entire process can be achieved through steps such as lamination, conventional printing, and curing, making the process relatively simple and helping to control production difficulty and costs.

[0044] The hot melt adhesive layer (0.1-0.3mm thick) enables a tight bond between the transparent skin-feel film layer and the glass substrate, avoiding problems such as bubbles and delamination; the PU primer layer (20-50μm thick) effectively protects the pattern decoration layer. The matching design of the materials and thicknesses of each layer ensures the stability of the overall panel structure and the reliability of use.

[0045] In some embodiments, the UV-curable skin-feel coating on the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is treated with 172nm ultraviolet light excimer curing technology, with a surface friction coefficient of <0.15 and a contact angle of >150°.

[0046] The 172nm ultraviolet excimer curing technology enables an extremely thin layer of coating to polymerize, cross-link, and shrink, forming a specific non-smooth microstructure. This microstructure, combined with a low surface friction coefficient of <0.15, completely changes the cold and harsh touch of traditional glass. When users touch the panel, the microstructure on the coating surface disperses contact pressure, producing a warm, delicate, and smooth skin-like texture, greatly enhancing the comfort and premium feel of the user's interaction with the refrigerator, meeting the needs of mid-to-high-end refrigerators for both aesthetic appeal and user experience.

[0047] A contact angle greater than 150° signifies that the coating surface possesses typical superhydrophobic and oleophobic properties. This characteristic stems from the combination of the microscopic rough structure formed by excimer curing and the chemical properties of the coating itself. Common stains such as sweat, cooking oil, and water stains are difficult to adhere to the panel surface. Even if a small amount of stains adheres, they will form spherical droplets that can easily slide off or be wiped away with a soft cloth. At the same time, the low coefficient of friction further reduces the adhesion between stains and the coating surface, avoiding the problems of fingerprints, oil stains, and difficult cleaning found in traditional AG glass, thus maintaining the cleanliness and aesthetics of the panel appearance for a long time.

[0048] 172nm ultraviolet excimer curing technology is a highly efficient surface curing method that acts on only an extremely thin layer of the coating surface. This allows for the precise construction of the microstructure necessary for a smooth feel and stain resistance, while preserving the flexibility and adhesion of the underlying layer. This curing method results in a dense and robust surface structure, and combined with a low coefficient of friction, reduces frictional wear during daily touching and wiping, effectively improving the coating's abrasion resistance. This avoids the problem of traditional AF coatings experiencing a decline in smoothness and stain resistance due to wear, extending the panel's lifespan and performance stability.

[0049] In some embodiments, a nano-antibacterial layer is provided between the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer. The nano-antibacterial layer is made of silver-loaded nano-silica material with a thickness of 5-15 μm and is tightly bonded to the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer after UV curing treatment.

[0050] In silver-loaded nano-silica materials, silver ions possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, effectively inhibiting the growth and reproduction of common pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, thus reducing bacterial growth on the panel surface at its source. Simultaneously, the nano-scale silica carrier enables the slow release of silver ions, preventing rapid consumption and ensuring the antibacterial effect persists throughout the panel's lifespan. This is particularly suitable for refrigerators used as food storage devices, reducing the risk of cross-contamination due to panel contact and enhancing user hygiene and safety.

[0051] After UV curing, the nano-antibacterial layer forms a tight chemical bond with the upper transparent skin-feel film layer and the lower adhesive layer, avoiding structural failures such as interlayer delamination and blistering. Its 5-15μm thickness design avoids stress concentration due to excessive thickness and compromises bonding strength due to insufficient thickness, further enhancing the connection stability between the transparent skin-feel film layer and the glass substrate. Combined with the adhesive layer's bonding effect, this improves the overall structural reliability, impact resistance, and bending resistance of the panel.

[0052] The nano-antibacterial layer uses transparent silver-loaded nano-silica material, with a thickness controlled within an ultra-thin range of 5–15 μm. This does not significantly affect the light transmittance of the transparent skin-feel film, ensuring that the patterned decorative layer on the back of the glass substrate can normally present a high-end visual effect. At the same time, the addition of this antibacterial layer does not change the surface friction coefficient and contact angle characteristics of the transparent skin-feel film, thus fully preserving the panel's original core advantages such as skin-friendly touch, stain resistance, and easy cleaning, achieving a harmonious balance between antibacterial function and original practical performance.

[0053] The silver-loaded nano-silica material is chemically stable, non-toxic, and harmless, meeting the safety standards for materials in contact with household appliances and posing no health risks to humans. After UV curing, the material has a dense structure and strong weather resistance, resisting temperature changes, humidity fluctuations, and wear from daily cleaning in the refrigerator's operating environment. This prevents the antibacterial layer from failing due to environmental factors or physical effects, ensuring that the antibacterial performance is synchronized with the panel's lifespan, meeting the needs of long-term refrigerator use.

[0054] In some embodiments, the glass substrate is embedded with uniformly distributed micron-sized glass microspheres, the glass microspheres having a particle size of 50-100 μm.

[0055] Micron-sized glass microspheres are uniformly embedded within the glass substrate, utilizing their optical properties to produce a gentle diffuse reflection of light. This diffuse reflection softens light passing through the glass substrate, and combined with the matte effect of the transparent skin-like film, further enhances the overall matte and soft texture of the panel, avoiding the localized glare or uneven reflection problems caused by direct light on traditional glass substrates. Simultaneously, the microscopic optical differences between the glass microspheres and the glass substrate create a more hazy and sophisticated visual presentation for the decorative pattern layer on the back, enriching the panel's texture and appealing to the aesthetic demands of mid-to-high-end refrigerators.

[0056] Glass microspheres are hollow or low-density micron-sized particles. When uniformly embedded, they can effectively reduce the unit volume weight of the glass substrate without significantly reducing the overall structural strength, thus achieving a lightweight design for the panel. For refrigerator doors, a lightweight panel reduces long-term stress on load-bearing components such as door hinges, extends the service life of the door opening and closing mechanism, and improves the convenience and smoothness for users when opening and closing the refrigerator door.

[0057] Glass microspheres with a particle size of 50–100 μm are uniformly distributed within the glass substrate, forming a micro-skeleton support structure. When the panel is subjected to external impact or vibration, the glass microspheres can disperse stress, preventing stress concentration that could lead to substrate cracking or breakage, thus significantly improving the impact resistance and structural toughness of the glass substrate. This structural optimization complements the high strength of the tempered glass substrate itself, further enhancing the panel's durability and reducing the risk of breakage during daily use.

[0058] If the refractive index of the glass microspheres matches the refractive index of the glass substrate well (e.g., the difference is ≤0.02), their embedding will not have a significant negative impact on the light transmittance of the glass substrate, ensuring that the details of the decorative pattern layer on the back are clearly presented and avoiding visual blurring or cloudiness. At the same time, the particle size design of 50-100μm can both play its role in structural and optical optimization, and will not cause obvious defects or abnormal feel inside the glass substrate due to excessively large particles, fully compatible with the original light transmittance and user experience of the panel.

[0059] In some embodiments, the difference between the refractive index of the glass microspheres and the refractive index of the glass substrate is ≤0.02, and the light transmittance of the glass substrate is ≥85%.

[0060] In some embodiments, a light-shielding positioning layer is provided between the patterned decorative layer and the glass substrate. The light-shielding positioning layer is a black UV-curable ink layer with a thickness of 5 to 20 μm.

[0061] The light-shielding positioning layer is made of UV-curable ink, which, after curing, forms a strong adhesion to the glass substrate surface, while providing a smooth and clean bonding base for the subsequent pattern decoration layer. Its 5-20μm thickness design provides good light-shielding and positioning without causing stress concentration between layers due to excessive thickness. Moreover, the UV-cured ink layer has a stable structure and strong weather resistance, which can block external moisture and impurities from eroding the interface between the glass substrate and the pattern decoration layer, reducing the risk of pattern layer delamination and fading, and improving the overall structural reliability and service life of the panel.

[0062] In some embodiments, the UV-curable skin-feel coating is doped with nano-titanium dioxide particles, the particle size of which is 20-50 nm, and the mass percentage of which is 2-5% in the coating.

[0063] Nano-sized titanium dioxide particles possess extremely high hardness and excellent mechanical stability. Their particle size of 20–50 nm allows for uniform dispersion within UV-curable skin-feel coatings, forming a microscopic reinforcing framework. After coating curing, these particles fill the micropores within the coating, enhancing its overall structural density and surface hardness, effectively resisting wear caused by daily touch, wiping, and minor friction. Simultaneously, this particle size and mass ratio does not disrupt the coating's original flexible structure, thus strengthening wear resistance while preserving the delicate tactile feel of the coating. This avoids the degradation of the skin-feel effect caused by wear in traditional coatings, extending the panel's lifespan and performance stability.

[0064] Nano-titanium dioxide possesses excellent photocatalytic properties, generating highly oxidizing active substances under light irradiation. These substances can decompose organic contaminants (such as oil stains and food residue) adhering to the coating surface. Its small particle size of 20–50 nm provides a larger specific surface area, maximizing photocatalytic activity. A mass percentage of 2%–5% ensures photocatalytic efficiency without compromising coating transparency due to excessive particle size. This characteristic, combined with the coating's low coefficient of friction (<0.15) and high contact angle (>150°), creates a synergistic effect, further reducing stain adhesion. Even if contaminants remain, they can be gradually decomposed under light, allowing for easy cleaning with simple wiping, thus enhancing the panel's anti-fouling and self-cleaning capabilities.

[0065] Nano-titanium dioxide is chemically stable and possesses excellent UV shielding capabilities. After doping, it can absorb or reflect UV rays reaching the coating surface, reducing the damage of UV rays to the molecular structure of UV-cured skin-feel coatings and delaying aging, yellowing, and embrittlement. Its particle size of 20–50 nm allows for uniform dispersion and tight bonding with the coating matrix. A 2%–5% mass percentage provides continuous UV protection without affecting the coating's light transmittance. This characteristic is suitable for the kitchen lighting and temperature fluctuations that refrigerators may face, ensuring the coating maintains stable physical properties and appearance over the long term.

[0066] The 20-50nm nano-titanium dioxide particles have a diameter much smaller than the visible light wavelength, and their mass percentage is controlled within a reasonable range of 2%-5%. This ensures that the particles are uniformly dispersed in the coating without causing light scattering, and does not significantly affect the transparency of the UV-cured skin-feel coating. This ensures that the patterned decorative layer on the back of the glass substrate is clearly displayed, without compromising the high-end visual effect of the panel. At the same time, this doping amount does not change the microstructure of the coating formed after 172nm ultraviolet excimer curing. The original friction coefficient of <0.15 and contact angle of >150° of the coating are preserved, ensuring that the skin-friendly and delicate touch and basic stain resistance are not affected, achieving a harmonious balance between enhanced functionality and core user experience.

[0067] In some embodiments, nanoscale thermally conductive particles are dispersed in the adhesive layer. The thermally conductive particles are made of alumina or boron nitride and have a particle size of 30-80 nm. The mass percentage of the thermally conductive particles in the adhesive layer is 3%-8%, and the thermal conductivity of the adhesive layer is ≥0.3 W / m·K.

[0068] Both alumina and boron nitride are excellent inorganic thermally conductive materials. Their nanoscale particle size (30–80 nm) allows them to be uniformly dispersed in the adhesive layer, forming a continuous thermal conductivity pathway. A mass percentage of 3%–8% ensures sufficient contact between the thermally conductive particles. Combined with a thermal conductivity of ≥0.3 W / (m·K), this significantly enhances the thermal conductivity of the adhesive layer. This design accelerates heat exchange between the refrigerator door and the external environment, helps maintain a stable low temperature inside the refrigerator, reduces the energy load on the refrigeration system, and indirectly improves the refrigerator's cooling efficiency and energy-saving performance.

[0069] During refrigerator use, the glass panel of the door is prone to uneven localized temperatures due to temperature differences between the inside and outside. This causes structural stress in the layers due to differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion and contraction, which may lead to problems such as delamination and blistering over time. A highly thermally conductive adhesive layer can quickly conduct and balance the temperature of the panel layers, reducing localized temperature differences and thus minimizing stress concentration between layers. Simultaneously, the alumina and boron nitride particles are chemically stable and have good compatibility with the hot melt adhesive substrate. Their 30–80 nm particle size does not damage the adhesive layer's bonding structure, ensuring strong adhesion between the transparent skin-like film layer and the glass substrate while enhancing thermal conductivity, thereby improving the overall structural stability of the panel.

[0070] Alumina and boron nitride nanoparticles possess high hardness and weather resistance. When dispersed in the adhesive layer, they form a micro-reinforcing structure, enhancing the adhesive layer's resistance to aging and deformation. In environments with frequent opening and closing of refrigerator doors and fluctuating temperature and humidity in kitchens, this structure reduces embrittlement and creep of the adhesive layer caused by environmental factors, extending its service life. Furthermore, the 3%-8% particle content does not excessively increase the brittleness of the adhesive layer, retaining a certain degree of flexibility to ensure synchronous deformation with the upper and lower layers during temperature changes, thus preventing structural failure.

[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, this application provides a method for preparing a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel, the method being used to prepare the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel described in the above embodiments; the method includes:

[0072] Select transparent glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm that has been ground and tempered as the glass substrate, and clean and dry it.

[0073] A decorative pattern layer is created on the back of a glass substrate using screen printing, digital printing, and UV transfer processes. After each production, the ink is initially cured by baking in a low-temperature oven at 150-200℃.

[0074] Spray PU primer onto the cured patterned decorative layer to form a primer layer, and then cure at 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes;

[0075] Select a transparent skin-feeling PET film coated with hot melt adhesive, align its adhesive side with the front side of the glass substrate using a laminating machine, and press it together at a uniform speed with a pressure of 0.5MPa at room temperature, while removing air bubbles.

[0076] The laminated panel is left to mature at room temperature for 24 hours to obtain a refrigerator-feel glass panel.

[0077] This application imparts a skin-like feel to glass by covering the glass panel with a transparent skin-feel film, replacing the traditional AG acid etching and AF coating processes. The process is simple and environmentally friendly. The skin-feel film layer on the front acts as a physical barrier, effectively preventing scratches and wear on the front of the glass substrate. The patterned decorative layer on the back is protected by the glass substrate itself and the back paint, avoiding direct wear and scratches during daily use, keeping the pattern looking new for a long time.

[0078] Example

[0079] 1. Substrate preparation: Select a piece of transparent glass with a thickness of 2.3mm that has been ground and tempered as the glass substrate, and thoroughly clean and dry it to ensure that the surface is free of dust and oil.

[0080] 2. Back Pattern Production: High-precision screen printing is used to print the designed pattern onto the back of the cleaned glass substrate, forming a decorative pattern layer. After each printing, the ink is baked at a low temperature of 150℃ to allow it to initially cure.

[0081] 3. Backside protection: Spray a layer of transparent PU primer onto the cured pattern decoration layer as a protective layer, and cure at 120℃ for 30 minutes.

[0082] 4. Applying a skin-like film to the front: Select a 0.3mm transparent PET skin-like film, one side of which is already coated with high-performance hot melt adhesive. Using a high-precision laminator, precisely align the adhesive side of the skin-like film with the front of the glass substrate. At room temperature, apply 0.5MPa pressure through the rollers of the laminator to uniformly press the skin-like film onto the front of the glass, while eliminating air bubbles to ensure a perfect, flawless bond.

[0083] 5. Curing and Inspection: The laminated panel is left to cure at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the adhesive to reach its final bonding strength. Finally, a quality inspection is conducted, including checking the surface feel, presence of bubbles, scratches, and the decorative effect on the back.

[0084] The preparation process of the nano-antibacterial layer is as follows:

[0085] The nano-antibacterial layer uses silver-loaded nano-silica powder as the core functional component, and adds UV-curable resin (such as acrylate resin) as the film-forming matrix in proportion. It is combined with appropriate amounts of reactive diluent (to adjust viscosity), photoinitiator (to initiate the UV curing reaction) and dispersant (to ensure uniform dispersion of powder). The mixture is formed by high-speed stirring or sand milling to form a uniform and stable antibacterial coating slurry. The solid content of the slurry is controlled to adapt to the subsequent coating thickness requirements.

[0086] Precision coating processes such as microgravure coating, slot coating, or spraying are used to uniformly coat the prepared antibacterial coating slurry onto the pretreated substrate surface. By adjusting parameters such as the blade gap and coating speed of the coating equipment, the wet film thickness is precisely controlled to ensure that the coating thickness reaches the design requirement of 5–15 μm after curing.

[0087] The coated substrate is fed into a UV curing machine and cured by irradiation with a UV light source (such as a mercury lamp or LED lamp) suitable for UV-curing resins. By controlling the UV light intensity, irradiation time, and substrate transport speed, the photoinitiator in the coating absorbs energy and initiates a resin polymerization and cross-linking reaction, forming a dense nano-antibacterial layer, while simultaneously achieving a tight chemical bond between it and the transparent skin-feel film layer and adhesive layer.

[0088] The fabrication process of the light-shielding positioning layer is as follows:

[0089] Select a black UV-curable ink suitable for glass substrates. A small amount of thinner can be added to adjust the viscosity according to the coating requirements to ensure that the ink has good leveling and coating properties, while ensuring that the expected light-blocking effect can be achieved after curing.

[0090] Precision Coating / Printing: Using processes such as screen printing, microgravure coating, or slot coating, black UV-curable ink is uniformly coated or printed onto a predetermined area on the back of the glass substrate. By adjusting parameters such as the screen mesh count, squeegee gap, or printing pressure, the wet film thickness is precisely controlled to ensure that the thickness of the light-shielding positioning layer after curing is within the range of 5–20 μm. If it is necessary to reserve cutouts for areas such as handle installation, this can be achieved through custom-made screens or pre-positioned masking.

[0091] UV curing treatment: The coated / printed glass substrate is fed into a UV curing device, where the black ink layer is irradiated and cured using an ultraviolet light source (such as a UV mercury lamp or an LED UV lamp). The UV light intensity, irradiation time, and substrate conveying speed are adjusted according to the ink characteristics to promote the photoinitiator in the ink to initiate a resin polymerization and cross-linking reaction, forming a dense, strongly adhesive black light-blocking positioning layer.

[0092] The refrigerator's skin-feel glass panel, produced using the aforementioned process, has a matte, soft texture on the front, providing a warm and delicate feel similar to skin to the touch, and is not prone to fingerprints; the pattern on the back is subtly visible through the glass, creating a high-end visual effect. This panel successfully combines excellent tactile feel with a beautiful appearance.

[0093] As can be seen from the above embodiments, this application provides a refrigerator skin-feel glass panel and its preparation method. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel includes, from the front to the back, a transparent skin-feel film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer, and a primer layer. The transparent skin-feel film is made of PET material with a thickness of 0.2-0.5 mm. The surface of the transparent skin-feel film is a UV-curable skin-feel coating. The glass substrate is tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm. The adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of 0.1-0.3 mm. The transparent skin-feel film is laminated onto the front of the glass substrate by pressing the adhesive layer and a laminating machine. The pattern decoration layer is made on the back of the glass substrate by screen printing, digital printing, or UV transfer printing, with a thickness of 10-100 μm. The primer layer is a PU protective layer with a thickness of 20-50 μm. This application completely changes the cold and hard feel of glass by covering the front of the glass with a transparent skin-feeling film, providing a warm, smooth, and skin-friendly delicate touch, which greatly enhances the user's sense of luxury and comfort when interacting with the product. At the same time, the special microstructure on the surface of the skin-feeling film can effectively reduce the adhesion of sweat and oil, and even if it gets dirty, it is easier to clean.

[0094] Similar parts between the embodiments provided in this application can be referred to mutually. The specific implementation methods provided above are only a few examples under the overall concept of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application. For those skilled in the art, any other implementation methods extended from the solution of this application without creative effort shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A skin-feel glass panel for a refrigerator, characterized in that, The refrigerator's skin-feel glass panel comprises, from front to back, a transparent skin-feel film layer, an adhesive layer, a glass substrate, a pattern decoration layer, and a primer layer. The transparent skin-feel film is made of PET material with a thickness of 0.2–0.5 mm; the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is a UV-cured skin-feel coating. The glass substrate is tempered glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm; The adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The transparent skin-feel film is laminated onto the front side of the glass substrate by pressing the adhesive layer and a laminating machine. The patterned decorative layer is formed on the back of the glass substrate by screen printing, digital printing or UV transfer process, and has a thickness of 10 to 100 μm. The primer layer is a PU protective layer with a thickness of 20-50 μm.

2. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UV-curable skin-feel coating on the surface of the transparent skin-feel film is treated with 172nm ultraviolet light excimer curing technology, with a surface friction coefficient of <0.15 and a contact angle of >150°.

3. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A nano-antibacterial layer is also provided between the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer. The nano-antibacterial layer is made of silver-loaded nano-silica material with a thickness of 5-15 μm, and is tightly bonded to the transparent skin-feeling film layer and the adhesive layer after UV curing treatment.

4. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass substrate is embedded with uniformly distributed micron-sized glass microspheres, the particle size of which is 50-100 μm.

5. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The difference between the refractive index of the glass microspheres and the refractive index of the glass substrate is ≤0.02, and the light transmittance of the glass substrate is ≥85%.

6. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A light-shielding positioning layer is provided between the patterned decorative layer and the glass substrate. The light-shielding positioning layer is a black UV-cured ink layer with a thickness of 5 to 20 μm.

7. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UV-curable skin-feel coating is doped with nano-titanium dioxide particles, the particle size of which is 20-50 nm, and the mass percentage of which is 2-5% in the coating.

8. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesive layer contains nanoscale thermally conductive particles, which are made of alumina or boron nitride and have a particle size of 30–80 nm.

9. The refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The thermally conductive particles account for 3% to 8% of the mass of the adhesive layer, and the thermal conductivity of the adhesive layer is ≥0.3W / m·K.

10. A method for preparing a skin-feel glass panel for a refrigerator, characterized in that, The method is used to prepare the refrigerator skin-feel glass panel according to any one of claims 1-9; the method includes: Select transparent glass with a thickness of 2-3 mm that has been ground and tempered as the glass substrate, and clean and dry it. A decorative pattern layer is created on the back of a glass substrate using screen printing, digital printing, or UV transfer technology. After each creation, the ink is initially cured by baking in a low-temperature oven at 150–200°C. Spray PU primer onto the cured patterned decorative layer to form a primer layer, and then cure at 120-150℃ for 30-50 minutes; Select a transparent skin-feeling PET film coated with hot melt adhesive, align its adhesive side with the front side of the glass substrate using a laminating machine, and press it together at a uniform speed with a pressure of 0.5MPa at room temperature, while removing air bubbles. The laminated panel is left to mature at room temperature for 24 hours to obtain a refrigerator-feel glass panel.

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