Home appliance with panel assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator door designs face challenges in maintaining uniform light emission across the entire front surface, leading to uneven brightness and potential dark appearances due to the placement of light emitting members. Additionally, these designs often require disassembly for maintenance, which can be cumbersome and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A panel assembly for a home appliance door, comprising a lighting device at the edge, a panel for transmitting light, and a light guide plate that guides light from the lighting device to the panel. The light guide plate features different pattern portions to emit varying amounts of light, ensuring uniform luminance across the panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light emitting members are disposed on both side ends of the reflective layer, then the transparent panel can glow with set color, but the light emitting member cannot be stably mounted due to repeated door opening and closing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the light emitting member into multiple independent light emitting units that can be separately mounted on the reflective layer. This segmentation allows each unit to be independently secured, improving overall mounting stability while maintaining light emission functionality despite repeated door operations
Solution Approach 2:
The light emitting members are pre-mounted on the reflective layer before the decorative panel is installed on the refrigerator door. This preliminary mounting ensures proper positioning and secure attachment, preventing displacement during repeated door opening and closing operations
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire decoration panel is removed and replaced to change outer appearance, then the decoration panel can be customized, but the panel cannot be used again after replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the light emitting members from the decorative panel, mounting them independently on the reflective layer. This segmentation allows the decorative panel to be removed and replaced for appearance customization while the light emitting members remain in place, enabling panel reusability and reducing waste
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective layer serves multiple functions: it provides the mounting surface for light emitting members, maintains their positional stability, and enables appearance customization through panel replacement. This multi-functionality allows different decorative panels to be used with the same light emitting configuration, enhancing versatility
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transparent panel is used, then the outer appearance can be customized, but the internal configuration is exposed when light emitting member is turned off
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a light shielding layer positioned between the transparent panel and the internal components. This intermediary layer prevents the internal configuration from being visible through the transparent panel when the light emitting members are turned off, eliminating the aesthetic defect while preserving the appearance customization capability
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 solution achieves uniform light emission across the entire front surface of the door, improving the aesthetic appearance and user experience. It also allows for easy maintenance and color/brightness adjustments without disassembling the door, enhancing convenience and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide plate disposed at a rear side of the panel, the light guide plate being configured to guide light from the lighting device to the panel
Implementation Method 2
The light guide plate, in particular a front surface thereof, i.e. the surface of the light guide plate facing the panel, comprises different pattern portions being configured to emit different amounts of light to the panel
Implementation Method 3
a lighting device disposed at an edge portion of the panel assembly
Data Source
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AI summary
A home appliance includes a cabinet defining a storage region and a door to open and close the storage region. The door includes a door body comprising an upper cap decoration, a lower cap decoration, and a body plate coupled between the upper cap decoration and the lower cap decoration and a panel assembly disposed in front of the body plate and mounted by the upper cap decoration and the lower cap deco. The panel assembly includes a panel through which light is transmissible, a light guide plate spaced apart from the panel and having a pattern so that the light is irradiated onto the panel, an adhesion portion disposed between the panel and the light guide plate and through which the light is transmissible, and a light source installed to be spaced apart from a light entrance surface of the light guide plate.