Home appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home appliances, such as refrigerators, face challenges in uniformly illuminating their front surfaces and changing the outer appearance without requiring the replacement of entire decoration panels, leading to poor aesthetic quality and limited customization options.
Innovation Solution
A home appliance design featuring a panel assembly with a lighting device behind the panel, spaced apart by a separation portion to create an air gap, allowing for even light distribution and customizable color changes, and enabling display of images or text on the front surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If light emitting members are mounted on both ends of the reflective layer to make the transparent panel shine in a set color, then the outer appearance can be customized, but the entire front surface cannot uniformly shine and both ends become dark resulting in poor outer appearance quality
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device is divided into multiple independent light emitting members (first and second light emitting members) positioned at different locations. Each light emitting member independently illuminates a specific region, allowing for segmented control of light distribution across the transparent panel to achieve uniform overall illumination while maintaining customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple light emitting members are combined in a single lighting device assembly that integrates both the first and second light emitting members along with the reflective layer. This merging of components allows coordinated operation to achieve uniform light distribution across the entire front surface while maintaining the ability to customize outer appearance through controlled illumination patterns.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire decoration panel is separated and replaced to change the outer appearance, then the user's taste can be satisfied, but the decoration panel before replacement can no longer be used and the process is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device is designed with a detachable structure that allows dynamic adjustment and replacement of only the lighting component rather than the entire decoration panel. The first and second light emitting members can be independently removed and replaced, enabling flexible customization of outer appearance through different lighting configurations while maintaining the structural integrity and reusability of the main panel assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device is extracted as a separate, independent component from the overall decoration panel assembly. This extraction allows the lighting device to be replaced individually without removing or damaging the main decoration panel, simplifying the customization process and enabling the original panel to be retained and reused while achieving different outer appearances through different lighting configurations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If light emitting members are disposed at both ends to enable color changes, then customization is achieved, but brightness is relatively dark in portions located far from the light emitting members
Solution Approach 1:
A reflective layer is introduced as an intermediary component between the light emitting members and the transparent panel. This reflective layer captures and redirects light from the first and second light emitting members toward the center and distant regions of the panel, ensuring uniform brightness distribution across the entire front surface while preserving the color customization capability provided by the light emitting members.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system utilizes the reflective layer to redirect light in additional spatial dimensions, bouncing light from the end-mounted light emitting members toward the center and far regions of the panel. This dimensional redirection of light paths ensures that all areas of the transparent panel receive adequate illumination while maintaining the color customization function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design allows for uniform illumination and customizable color changes of the appliance's front surface, enhancing aesthetic appeal and enabling display functions without the need for panel replacement, thus offering improved appearance and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a lighting device having a size corresponding to that of the panel and having a plurality of light sources arranged thereon to emit light toward the panel
Implementation Method 2
the separation portion maintains a state of being spaced apart from the lighting device, in particular the light source in a state of being in contact with the rear surface of the panel
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A home appliance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet forming a storage space; a door opening and closing the cabinet; in which the door includes a door body, and a panel assembly mounted on the door body to form a front surface of the door, in which the panel assembly includes a panel forming the front surface; a lighting device having a size corresponding to that of the panel and having a plurality of light sources arranged thereon to emit light toward the panel; and a separation portion provided between the panel and the lighting device; and in which the separation portion maintains a state of being spaced apart from the light source in a state of being in contact with the rear surface of the panel.