Home appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators with decorative panels require full replacement to change the outer appearance, and lighting systems on refrigerator doors suffer from instability due to repeated opening and closing, and non-uniform brightness.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design featuring a panel assembly with a front plate that allows light to pass through, a light guide plate behind it, and a lighting device with multiple light sources that emit light of a set color, allowing for adjustable color and uniform brightness without replacing the door panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a decoration panel is mounted on the refrigerator door to change outer appearance, then the aesthetic appeal is improved, but the device complexity increases and the entire panel must be replaced to change the design
Solution Approach 1:
The decoration panel is divided into multiple detachable sticker elements that can be independently applied and removed from the door surface, allowing users to change the outer appearance without replacing the entire panel structure
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the door surface can be decorated with stickers having various colors, patterns, and transparency levels, allowing localized aesthetic changes while maintaining the overall door structure intact
2Illumination intensity
If light-emitting members are mounted on both ends of the reflective layer to make the transparent panel glow, then the illumination is improved, but the light distribution becomes non-uniform with dark areas at the bent ends
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective layer is designed with varying reflectivity characteristics at different positions, with enhanced reflection at the end portions to compensate for light loss due to bending, ensuring uniform light distribution across the entire panel surface
Solution Approach 2:
The light-emitting members are arranged in a specific three-dimensional configuration relative to the reflective layer, positioning them to optimize light reflection paths and eliminate dark areas at the panel ends
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transparent panel is made to glow with colored light to change appearance, then the aesthetic versatility is improved, but the stability of the light-emitting members deteriorates due to repeated door opening and closing
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into modular light-emitting members that can be independently secured to the door structure, allowing individual replacement or adjustment without affecting the entire assembly, thus maintaining stability despite repeated door operations
Solution Approach 2:
The light-emitting members are pre-positioned and secured to the door structure before final assembly, ensuring proper alignment and stable attachment that can withstand repeated door opening and closing cycles
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
Enables users to easily change the color of the refrigerator door's outer appearance to desired colors, provides uniform brightness across the entire front surface, and prevents shading at the outermost end portion, enhancing user convenience and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide plate provided behind the front plate and configured to guide light toward the front plate
Implementation Method 2
the front plate includes an inclined part formed at one end adjacent to the lighting device and having an inclined surface extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which the light source is arranged
Data Source
AI summary
The preset invention relates to a home appliance comprising: a cabinet having a storage space formed therein; a door for opening or closing an opened front surface of the cabinet; and a panel assembly mounted on a front surface of the door, wherein the panel assembly comprises: a front plate which forms the outer appearance of the door front surface and through which light passes; a light guide plate provided behind the front plate to guide light toward the front plate; and a lighting device including a plurality of light sources for emitting light having a configured color toward the light guide plate and a substrate on which the plurality of light sources are arranged, and the front plate is formed at one end adjacent to the lighting device and includes an inclination portion having an inclination surface formed to extend in a direction parallel to a direction in which the light sources are arranged.