Home appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerator door designs face challenges such as the need to disassemble the entire door to change the outer appearance, unstable mounting of light emitting members due to repeated door opening and closing, uneven light emission, exposure of internal components, and hot-spot areas causing aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
A panel assembly for a home appliance, specifically a refrigerator door, that includes a front plate, a light guide plate, a lighting device, and a bracket system. The lighting device is positioned below the light guide plate and is aligned with its center line using the bracket system, which also restricts the movement of the lighting device and light guide plate, ensuring even light distribution and preventing hot-spot areas from being exposed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If light emitting members are mounted on the door front to enable appearance variation, then the outer appearance can be changed, but the mounting stability deteriorates due to repeated door opening and closing
Solution Approach 1:
The door front is divided into multiple sections: a fixed door body and a detachable panel assembly containing the light emitting members. This segmentation allows the panel with appearance elements to be easily removed and replaced without affecting the stable mounting of the door itself, resolving the contradiction between appearance adaptability and mounting stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel assembly containing light emitting members is nested within or coupled to the door front structure. This nested configuration allows the appearance elements to be integrated into the door while maintaining stable mounting through the door's robust structure, preventing the instability caused by direct mounting on the door front.
2Device complexity
If light emitting members are placed at both ends of the transparent panel, then the structure is simplified, but light distribution becomes uneven causing dark side ends
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide plate is introduced as an intermediary element between the light emitting members and the transparent panel. The light guide plate receives light from the emitting members positioned at the ends and distributes it uniformly across the entire panel surface, including the side ends, thereby achieving even light distribution without complicating the overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the entire deco panel is removed and replaced to change outer appearance, then appearance variation is achieved, but the deco panel cannot be reused and the process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The deco panel is segmented into a reusable base panel and interchangeable appearance elements (such as decorative strips or inserts). Only the appearance elements need to be replaced to change the outer appearance, while the base panel remains in place and can be reused, making the appearance change process simple and non-cumbersome.
4Device complexity
If light emitting members are exposed on the door front, then the structure is simplified, but the outer appearance deteriorates due to exposed components
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitting members are nested within the panel assembly structure, which is then coupled to the door front. This nested configuration conceals the light emitting members and other internal components within the panel assembly, presenting a clean and aesthetically pleasing outer appearance while maintaining structural simplicity internally.
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 allows for the variation of the refrigerator door's outer appearance without disassembling the door, ensures stable light emission with even brightness across the entire front surface, and prevents the exposure of hot-spot areas, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide plate spaced apart from the display and configured to guide light toward the display
Data Source
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AI summary
A home appliance comprising: a cabinet (10) having a space therein; and a door (20) for opening and closing the cabinet (10), wherein the door (20) includes a door body (40) and a panel assembly (30) coupled to a front surface of the door body (40), wherein the panel assembly (30) includes: a front plate (31) forming a front surface of the door (20); a light guide plate (33) spaced apart from a rear surface of the front plate (31); a lighting device (36) including a substrate (361) and a light source (362) on the substrate (361) to irradiate light to the light guide plate (33), wherein the lighting device (36) is spaced apart from the light guide plate (33); and a bracket (35) having a receiving space for accommodating the lighting device (36) therein, wherein the bracket (35) includes a support (351c, 355) supporting the light guide plate (33) and/or being in contact with the lighting device (36) for determining a position of the lighting device (36).