U.S. patent application number 12/747199 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-14 for exterior components of home appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC.. Invention is credited to Ja Hun Koo.
Application Number | 20100259147 12/747199 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40755696 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100259147 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Koo; Ja Hun |
October 14, 2010 |
EXTERIOR COMPONENTS OF HOME APPLIANCE
Abstract
Provided is an exterior component of a home appliance. The
exterior component of the home appliance includes a first exterior
component and a second exterior component. The first exterior
component defines one portion of the exterior of the home
appliance. The second exterior component defines the other portion
of the exterior of the home appliance. The second exterior
component has a material different from that of the first exterior
component. The second exterior component has the same surface
pattern as that of the first exterior component.
Inventors: |
Koo; Ja Hun;
(Gyeongsangnam-do, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.
P.O. BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Assignee: |
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
40755696 |
Appl. No.: |
12/747199 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
December 10, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR08/07317 |
371 Date: |
June 10, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/405 ;
312/352 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20130101;
F25D 2323/023 20130101; F25D 23/126 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/405 ;
312/352 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20060101
F25D023/02; A47B 97/00 20060101 A47B097/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 12, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0129128 |
Claims
1. An exterior component of a home appliance, the exterior
component being installed on the home appliance to define the
exterior of the home appliance, the exterior component comprising:
a first exterior component defining one portion of the exterior of
the home appliance; and a second exterior component defining the
other portion of the exterior of the home appliance, the second
exterior component having a material different from that of the
first exterior component, wherein the second exterior component has
the same surface pattern as that of the first exterior
component.
2. The exterior component according to claim 1, wherein the first
exterior component is formed of a metal material, and the second
exterior component is formed of a plastic material.
3. The exterior component according to claim 1, wherein the second
exterior component comprises: a base on which the surface pattern
is processed; and a colored layer having the same color tone as
that of the first exterior component, the colored layer being
fabricated using a plating or deposition process.
4. The exterior component according to claim 3, wherein a
protection layer fabricated by coating or printing a clear pigment
is further disposed on the colored layer.
5. The exterior component according to claim 3, wherein the surface
pattern of the base comprises a hairline pattern.
6. The exterior component according to claim 3, wherein the surface
pattern is disposed on a portion constituting the exterior of the
base of the home appliance.
7. The exterior component according to claim 3, wherein the base is
fabricated using an injection molding technology.
8. The exterior component according to claim 1, wherein the home
appliance comprises a refrigerator.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments relate to exterior components of a home
appliance.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In general, the exteriors of home appliances such as a
refrigerator, an air-conditioner, a washing machine, and an oven
are formed of a plastic or metal material. Recently, such a home
appliance has various colors, patterns and textures in order to
cater to consumer's various needs and propensities.
[0003] The exterior of the home appliance may be formed of
materials different from each other. That is, one portion of the
exterior of the home appliance may be formed of the metal material,
and the other portion of the exterior may be formed of the plastic
material.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0004] Embodiments provide an exterior of a home appliance in which
the same texture can be visualized at a variety of different
materials to improve a sense of beauty when the exterior of the
home appliance is formed of the different materials.
Technical Solution
[0005] In one embodiment, an exterior component of a home appliance
includes: a first exterior component defining one portion of the
exterior of the home appliance; and a second exterior component
defining the other portion of the exterior of the home appliance,
the second exterior component having a material different from that
of the first exterior component, wherein the second exterior
component has the same surface pattern as that of the first
exterior component.
Advantageous Effects
[0006] According to the proposed embodiments, since the exterior
components formed of materials different from each other constitute
a portion of the exterior of the home appliance, and also are
visualized as the same texture, a sense of beauty of the home
appliance can improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator to which an
exterior component of a home appliance is applied according to an
embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a
dispenser of a refrigerator, the dispenser constituting a portion
of the exterior of a home appliance according to an embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second exterior
component.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a process of
fabricating a second exterior component according to an
embodiment.
MODE FOR THE INVENTION
[0011] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of
the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator to which an
exterior component of a home appliance is applied according to an
embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating
a dispenser of a refrigerator, the dispenser constituting a portion
of the exterior of a home appliance according to an embodiment.
[0013] A home appliance applicable to an exterior component in this
embodiment is not limited. For example, a refrigerator to which the
exterior component is applied will be described as an illustrative
example.
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the exterior of a refrigerator
100 belonging to a home appliance includes a body and a door 120
coupled to the body.
[0015] For example, at least portions of the body and the door 120
may be formed of a metal material such as a stainless steel (STS)
plate to use natural texture of metal, i.e., STS for an exterior
image.
[0016] The exterior components formed of the metal material as one
example may refer to as a first exterior component. For example,
hairlines may be disposed on a portion of the exterior of the
exterior component. A surface form or pattern of the first exterior
component refers to as a surface pattern.
[0017] The door 120 additionally includes exterior components such
as a dispenser 200 and a home bar 300 for user's convenience.
[0018] For example, the dispenser 200 and the home bar 300 may be
formed of a plastic material. In this embodiment, the dispenser 200
and the home bar 300 are processed and fabricated such that them
have the same texture (surface pattern) as the first exterior
component.
[0019] The body includes an exterior component such as a hinge
cover 140 receiving a hinge to rotatably couple the door 120 to the
body. The exterior component has texture corresponding to that of
the first exterior component.
[0020] That is, in this embodiment, the exterior components, which
constitute the exterior of the home appliance, formed of materials
different from each other may be fabricated such that the exterior
components are visualized as the same texture to achieve an
entirely unified exterior image.
[0021] Hereinafter, among the above-described exterior components,
the dispenser 200 that is an exterior component constituting a
portion of a front exterior of the refrigerator 100 will be
described as one example. Descriptions with respect to the
dispenser 200 may apply equally to different exterior components
such as the home bar 300 and the hinge cover.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the dispenser 200 is installed in a
dispenser mounting part 160 provided in the door. The dispenser 200
includes a rear bracket 230 providing a space for dispensing water
or ice, a dispenser frame 210 disposed in a front direction of the
rear bracket 230 to define the exterior of the dispenser 200, and
an electronic part 250 disposed in a rear direction of the
dispenser frame 210. The electronic part 250 is protected by an
electronic part cover 232.
[0023] The rear bracket 230 includes a push button 220 which is
pushed by a user in order to dispense the ice or the water. The
rear bracket 230 includes a gutter mounting part 232 in which a
gutter 240 for collecting the water or ice when the dispensed ice
or water drops is installed.
[0024] For example, the push button 220, the gutter 240, and the
dispenser frame 210 may be formed of the plastic material and
constitute the exterior components defining the exterior of the
home appliance. The exterior components formed of the plastic
material as one example may refer to as a second exterior
component.
[0025] For example, the second exterior component may be fabricated
using an injection process. Hairline patterns are formed using an
injection molding technology such that the second exterior
component has the same texture as the first exterior component
formed of the metal material in the injection process.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second exterior
component.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 3, the second interior component (the push
button 220, the gutter, and the dispenser frame 210) includes a
base 320, a colored layer 340, and a protection layer 360. The base
320 is fabricated using the injection molding technology. A surface
of the base 320 is plated or deposited to form the colored layer
340. A surface of the colored layer 340 is coated or printed to
form the protection layer 360.
[0028] In detail, a coupling position and an entire configuration
of the base 320 are decided according to its installation position
at which the base 320 is installed in the body or the door 120 and
its function. The decided configuration is reflected in a mold.
Then, a fluid prepared by heating a plastic material is injected
into the mold, and then is cooled to fabricate the base 320.
[0029] A hairline part 322 is provided on a portion of the base 320
exposed to the outside in a state where the body or the door 120 is
installed.
[0030] That is, provided is the hairline part 322 having shapes
corresponding to those of the hairline patterns formed of the metal
material that is the material of the first exterior component,
e.g., the STS material. For this, a process for forming the
hairline patterns is also performed on only a portion of the mold
corresponding to the hairline part 322.
[0031] Of course, the hairline part 322 may be provided on an
entire surface of the base 320. The colored layer 340 is further
provided on the surface of the case 320. The plating process is
performed on the surface of the base 320 using a pigment having a
texture corresponding to that of the first exterior component, or
the deposition process is performed on the surface of the base 320
using a coating film having a texture corresponding to that of the
first exterior component to the colored layer 340 to form the
colored layer 340.
[0032] A clear pigment is coated on a surface of the colored layer
340, or a protection film is deposited on the surface of the
colored layer 340 to further form the protection layer 360, thereby
fabricating the exterior component.
[0033] Hereinafter, a process of fabricating the second exterior
component will be described in detail.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a process of
fabricating a second exterior component according to an
embodiment.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 4, in order to fabricating a second
exterior component, a mold fabrication process is performed in
operation S100. In the mold fabrication process (S100), a mold
having a shape corresponding to that of a base 320 to be formed is
fabricated.
[0036] Also, in the mold fabrication process (S100), an upper mold
and a lower mold are formed to provide an entire configuration of
the base 320 according to a position at which the base 320 is
installed on the first exterior component (body or door) and a
shape of the base 320.
[0037] A hairline formation process is performed to form the
hairline part 322 on the base to be formed on inner surfaces of the
upper mold and the lower mold.
[0038] That is, in the hairline formation process, striations are
formed on the inner surfaces of the molds such that the base has
the texture corresponding to that of the first exterior
component.
[0039] The mold fabrication process is completed in operation S100,
a projectile fabrication process in which a melted plastic material
is injected into the molds, and then is cooled is performed in
operation S200. As a result, the base 320 including the hairline
part 322 having hairline patterns corresponding to those of the
first exterior component on a portion of a surface thereof is
formed.
[0040] After the base 320 is formed, a colored layer formation
process is performed using a pigment or a coating film on the
surface of the base 320 such that the base 320 has the same texture
as that of the first exterior component in operation S300.
[0041] That is, in the colored layer formation process (S300), the
base 320 is immersed into the pigment having the same color tone as
that of the first exterior component to plate the pigment onto the
surface of the base 320, or the coating film having the same color
tone as that of the first exterior component is deposited onto the
surface of the base 320 to form a colored layer 340.
[0042] Since the colored layer 340 is formed along a surface of the
hairline part 322 formed on the base 320, it is not necessary to
perform a process in which separate hairline patterns are formed on
the colored layer 340 formed on the base 320.
[0043] After the colored layer 340 is formed, a protection layer
formation process is performed using a clear pigment or a
protection film to form a protection layer 360 in operation
S400.
[0044] That is, in the protection layer formation process (S400), a
coating layer is formed to prevent the colored layer 340 from being
damaged from an external impact and scratched. Here, the clear
pigment may be coated on an outer surface of the colored layer 340,
or the protection film may be printed on the colored layer 340.
[0045] When the second exterior component formed as the
above-described is installed on the first exterior component, the
hairline part 322 is disposed on a portion constituting the
exterior thereof. Thus, due to the hairline part 322 and the
colored layer 340, the second exterior component and the first
exterior component may have the same texture.
[0046] In this embodiment, the hairline patterns formed of the STS
material are disposed on the base in order to realize the texture
of the metal material, e.g., the STS material. The colored layer is
disposed on the base including the hairline patterns using the
pigment having the STS texture or the coating film. The protection
layer is disposed in order to protect the colored layer. However,
it may be possible to realize a texture different from that
realized with the STS material, and also, it is certainly within
the spirit and scope of this embodiment.
* * * * *