Patent Application
20170292772
This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0045017, filed on Apr. 12, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
The present disclosure generally relates to refrigeration, and more specifically, to a refrigerator and a refrigerator manufacturing method.
A refrigerator is an apparatus used to store food at a low temperature, for example, in a frozen state or a refrigerated state.
The interior of the refrigerator is typically cooled by a continuous supply of cold air. The cold air is generated by a heat exchange process using a refrigerant. The refrigerant is used in a freezing cycle consisting of compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation. Cold air supplied into the refrigerator is uniformly transferred to the interior of the refrigerator by convection, and the interior is used to store food at a desired temperature within the refrigerator.
In recent years, additional functional components have been added to refrigerators to enhance user convenience, such as water dispensers, in-home bars, ice-making devices, and the like. Moreover, new refrigerators often include new decorative components to enhance the visual appeal of the refrigerator. Thus, these refrigerators tend to have a distinguished design and are often attractive to consumers.
The refrigerator door of these refrigerators may have a unique color or printed pattern. In particular, the door is often manufactured using a metal plate to express a luxurious glossy or textured surface, which is appealing to consumers.
However, if the door is formed using a metal plate, fingerprints may be easily transferred to the door due to the specific characteristics of metal. This may mar the appearance of the refrigerator and make it difficult to maintain the refrigerator's clean and appealing aesthetic.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a refrigerator and a refrigerator manufacturing method, where the refrigerator's metallic appearance is improved by affixing a glass film member with enhanced fingerprint resistance and improved shock resistance to one or more doors of the refrigerator.
According to one embodiment, a refrigerator is disclosed including a main body having a storage space, a door disposed on a surface of the main body for selectively opening and closing the storage space, and a glass film member covering at least a portion of a front surface of the door. The glass film member includes a glass panel, a protection layer bonded onto the glass panel, and a film bonded onto the protection layer, where the film includes a transparent film layer having a pattern formed on a surface of the transparent film layer, a metal deposition layer deposited on the transparent film layer, and a coating layer coated on the transparent film layer.
According to another embodiment, a refrigerator is disclosed including a main body having a storage space, a door disposed on a surface of the main body, and a glass film member covering at least a portion of a front surface of the door. The glass film member includes a glass panel, and a film bonded to the glass panel, where the film includes a transparent film layer, a printing layer disposed on the transparent film layer, and a coating layer disposed on the transparent film layer, where the coating layer has a predetermined pattern.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.
One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.
It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size, and a predetermined size is merely exemplary and not limiting. The same reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit similar characteristics.
The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, may include modifications of form due to manufacturing.
The configuration and operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The main body 100 may include a storage space for storing food. Specifically, the main body 100 may include a refrigeration compartment 110 and a freezing compartment 120 divided by a vertical barrier 115, and a cold air generation compartment (not shown) disposed at a rear side of the refrigeration compartment 110 or the freezing compartment 120.
The refrigeration compartment 110 stores food in a refrigerated state using cold air generated in the cold air generation compartment. The internal space of the refrigeration compartment 110 may be sealed by the door 200.
The freezing compartment 120 stores food in a frozen state using cold air generated in the cold air generation compartment. The freezing compartment 120 may be separated from the refrigeration compartment 110 by the barrier 115. The internal space of the freezing compartment 120 may be sealed by the door 200.
The door 200 may be mounted to the main body 100 at an upper end and a lower end to seal the storage space, and may be mounted in a way that allows the door 200 to rotate about an edge of the door 200 for opening and closing the storage space, for example, using one or more hinges. A front surface of the door 200 may be at least partially covered by a glass film member 300.
A rear surface of the door 200 may be defined by a liner member 210. Side surfaces of the door 200 may be formed by a pair of side frames 220. An upper surface of the door 200 may be formed by an upper cap 230, and a lower surface of the door 200 may be defined by a lower cap 240.
Referring to
The glass panel 310 acts as a base layer for the glass film member 300 and may include, for example, reinforced glass having predetermined strength.
The protection layer 320 may be bonded onto the glass panel 310 and may include, for example, a poly vinyl chloride resin.
The glass panel 310 and the protection layer 320 may be bonded to each other by an adhesion layer 315 disposed between the glass panel 310 and the protection layer 320. The adhesion layer 315 may include, for example, an ultraviolet-curable resin including urethane, an acryl-based monomer, an acryl-based oligomer, a photo initiator, or additives for altering a physical property of the adhesion layer.
According to some embodiments, a thickness of the blades 300 is roughly between 10 μm and 20 μm to ensure that a bonding force between the adhesion layer 315 and the glass panel 310 is sufficiently strong.
According to some embodiments, the adhesion layer 315 has a haze value of less than 10 to ensure that a metal deposition layer 334 is visible from the outside of the film 330.
A bonding layer 325 may be formed on the protection layer 320. The bonding layer 325 is used to bond the film 330 to the protection layer 320. The bonding layer 325 may include, for example, an acryl-based resin, an acryl urethane-based resin, an epoxy-based resin, a polyurethane-based resin, a poly isocyanate-based resin, a polyester-based resin, an acrylate-based resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyamide-based resin, a melamine-based resin, a synthetic resin-based resin or a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin.
According to some embodiments, the thickness of the bonding layer 325 is between 1 μm and 5 μm to strengthen a bond between the film 330 and the protection layer 320, and to prevent the thickness of the glass film member 300 from becoming unnecessarily large.
The film 330 may include a transparent film layer 332 having a predetermined pattern 333 on a lower surface thereof, a metal deposition layer 334 deposited by filling the pattern 333, and a coating layer 336 coated on the transparent film layer 332. According to some embodiments, the metal deposition layer 334 is deposited when the pattern 333 is filled.
The transparent film layer 332 may be made of, for example, a polyethylene terephthalate resin, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a polyethylene terephthalate glycol resin, a polypropylene resin, a polybutylene terephthalate resin, a polycarbonate resin, or a polymethyl methacrylate resin.
According to some embodiments, the thickness of the transparent film layer 332 is between 20 μm and 100 μm to ensure that the transparent film layer 332 is able to support the coating layer 336, and to ensure that the metal deposition layer 334 is sufficiently visible from outside of the film 330.
The film 330 may include a metal texture formed by the pattern 333 on a lower surface of the transparent film layer 332. The pattern 333 may be an embossed pattern, an engraved pattern, hairline pattern, or the like. For example, the pattern 333 may include at least one of: a fine irregularity pattern, a mirror pattern, an etching pattern, a vibration pattern, and a bead blast pattern.
According to some embodiments, the thickness of the pattern 333 is between 3 μm and 20 μm to enhance a metallic appearance of the film 330.
The metal deposition layer 334 may be deposited by filling the pattern 333 of the transparent film layer 332.
The metal deposition layer 334 may be observed through the coating layer 336 and the transparent film layer 332. In this way, the film 330 provides a texture or finish similar to metal and may look metallic in appearance.
The metal deposition layer 334 may highlight or enhance the pattern 333 of the transparent film layer 332 and make the transparent film layer 323 appear more metallic. The metal deposition layer 334 enables the image of the pattern 333 of the transparent film layer 332 to be visible in different colors depending on the viewing angle. This is because the wavelength of the light reflected from the surface of the metal deposition layer 334 is changed after passing through the pattern 333 of the transparent film layer 332 depending on the wavelength of incident light. For example, the metal deposition layer 334 may include titanium (Ti) and chromium (Cr). A relatively low oxidation degree minimizes oxidation of an end surface of the metal deposition layer 334 and improves chemical resistance of the film 330.
The metal deposition layer 334 may be a mono-layered metal film layer or a multi-layered metal film layer. When the multi-layered metal film layer is used, it is possible to present a specific color or texture, such as a shiny metallic appearance or texture.
The coating layer 336 may be applied to the transparent film layer 332. The coating layer 336 may include, for example, an ultraviolet-curable resin including urethane, an acryl-based monomer, an acryl-based oligomer, a photo initiator, and other additives for compensating for certain physical properties. The coating layer 336 may be disposed on an uppermost layer of the film 330 to increase surface hardness of the film 330. According to some embodiments, the surface of the coating layer 336 is substantially smooth to enhance fingerprint resistance and contamination resistance of the film 330.
A method of manufacturing a refrigerator (e.g., refrigerator 10) will now be described with reference to
A storage space is formed in a main body 100 (S100), and a door 200 configured to selectively open and close the storage space is coupled to the main body 100 (S200).
To install the door 200, a glass panel 310 is prepared (S300), and a protection layer 320, which covers the glass panel 310, and a film 330 are prepared (S400).
The step of preparing the film 330 will now be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The metal deposition layer 334 is formed by a sputtering process, a vacuum thermal deposition process or the like. For example, when the metal deposition layer 334 is formed using a sputtering process, the metal deposition has a thickness of about 0.70 optical density (OD) due to metal nano particles coated on a lower surface of the transparent film layer 332 in a plasma state. Alternatively, the metal deposition layer 334 may be formed using a vacuum thermal deposition process, where vacuum deposition is performed under a pressure of about 10−4 Torr to about 10−6 Torr and at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 800° C. However, the method of forming the metal deposition layer 334 is not limited thereto.
If a surface of the metal deposition layer 334 is exposed, the exposed surface may become oxidized. The metal deposition layer 334 may be separated from the transparent film layer 332 due to oxidation. According to some embodiments, the metal deposition layer 334 includes titanium (Ti) and/or chromium (Cr), which are relatively low in oxidation degree.
As illustrated in
As the ultraviolet-curable resin is cured by the irradiation of the ultraviolet rays, the coating layer 336 is bonded to the transparent film layer 332.
The protection layer 320 is bonded onto the glass panel 310 through the adhesion layer 315 (S500). Then, the film 330 is bonded onto the protection layer 320 through the bonding layer 325 (S600).
At least a portion of the front surface of the door 200 is covered by the glass panel 310 to which the protection layer 320 and the film 330 are affixed (S700). According to some embodiments, the glass panel 310 to which the protection layer 320 and the film 330 are affixed includes the glass film member 300.
The glass film member 300, the side frames 220, the upper cap 230 and the lower cap 240 are fixed to a lower foaming jig (not shown). The liner member 210 is fixed to an upper foaming jig (not shown).
The lower foaming jig and the upper foaming jig are assembled together. A foaming liquid is injected into an internal space formed between the upper foaming jig and the lower foaming jig. The lower foaming jig and the upper foaming jig are heated. Thereafter, the door 200 is mounted to the main body 100, using a hinge, for example, thereby coupling the door 200 to the main body 100 so that the door 200 can selectively open and close the storage space of the main body 100.
The glass film member 300 covers at least a portion of the front surface of the door 200 of the refrigerator 10 illustrated in
An exemplary glass film member 301 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to
The film 321 may include a transparent film layer 322, a printing layer 326 disposed on a lower surface of the transparent film layer 322 and a coating layer 324 disposed on the transparent film layer 322.
Other than the lower surface structure, the transparent film layer 322 is substantially similar to the transparent film layer 332 described with reference to
The printing layer 326 may be disposed on the lower surface of the transparent film layer 322. The printing layer 326 may be printed on the entire lower surface of the transparent film layer 322 using pigments of different colors. Alternatively, a specific pattern may be printed.
In this regard, the printing layer 326 may be recognized visually through the coating layer 324 and the transparent film layer 322. This enables the glass film member 301 to express different colors or specific patterns.
The coating layer 324 may be disposed on the transparent film layer 322, and may include, for example, an ultraviolet-curable resin. The coating layer 324 may have a hair line 328 disposed on an upper surface thereof.
In this regard, the hair line 328 may be at least one selected from a group consisting of a vertical hair line pattern, a horizontal hair line pattern, a multi-directional hair line pattern, a non-directional hair line pattern and a circular hair line pattern.
The thickness of the hair line 328 may be about 5 μm to about 15 μm. If the thickness of the hair line 328 is smaller than about 5 μm, fine hair lines observed on a metal surface are barely visible, and may not be visible at all. This allows the printing layer to give an appearance of metal. If the thickness of the hair line 328 is larger than about 15 μm, the hair line 328 may not appear metallic. Furthermore, this may adversely affect the physical properties (e.g., strength or durability) of the final product.
The exemplary method of manufacturing a refrigerator described above will now be described with reference to
A storage space is formed in a main body 100 (S101). Then, a door 200 (see
To install the door 200, a glass panel 311 is prepared (S301), and the film 321, which covers the glass panel 311, is also prepared (S401).
A step of preparing the film 321 that covers the glass panel 311 will now be specifically described with reference to
Referring to
Specifically, a shaping roller 350 having a shaping-roller-side hair line 351 contacts an ink roller 340, and the ink of the ink roller 340 is transferred to the shaping-roller-side hair line 351. The ink may include, for example, an ultraviolet-curable ink.
The shaping roller 350 is rolled on the transparent film layer 322 and ultraviolet rays are irradiated. As a result, the coating layer 324 having the shaping-roller-side hair line 351 is directly imprinted is disposed on the transparent film layer 322.
The film 321 may then be bonded onto the glass panel 311 using the adhesion layer 316 (S501).
The adhesion layer 315 may include, for example, an ultraviolet-curable resin that is cured by the irradiation of ultraviolet rays to strengthen the adhesion. Thus, as compared with a typical adhesive agent, the adhesion layer 315 is capable of strongly bonding the film 321 to the glass panel 311.
Then, at least a portion of the front surface of the door 200 is covered by the glass panel 311 having the film 321 affixed (S601). In this regard, the glass panel 311 to which the film 321 is affixed refers to the glass film member 301.
Then, the glass film member 301, the side frames 220, the upper cap 230 and the lower cap 240 (see
A foaming liquid is injected into an internal space between the upper foaming jig and the lower foaming jig. The lower foaming jig and the upper foaming jig are heated. Thereafter, the door 200 is mounted to the main body 100, using a hinge, for example, to couple the door 200 to the main body 100 so that the door 200 can selectively open and close the storage space of the main body 100.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure.
Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting, but only an example in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2016-0045017 | Apr 2016 | KR | national |
