# US 10,871,322 B2 · Exterior member for home appliance and manufacture method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,322 B2 - Document ID: US10871322B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/712,171 - Filed: 2019-12-12 - Published: 2020-04-16 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-25 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Sunggab Kim; Byungchun Moon; Pojin Kim; Jahun Koo; Youngwoo Kim; Kuhyeong Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871322B2 ## CPC - F25D 29/005: {Mounting of control devices} - A47L 15/4293: {Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels} - F25D 23/028: {Details} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - D06F 34/32: characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens - D06F 2105/58: Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user - F25D 23/02: Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) - F25D 2323/021: French doors - F25D 2400/361: Interactive visual displays - F25D 2400/40: Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring - G06F 2203/04103: Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES ## Abstract An exterior member for a home appliance includes a front panel that defines an exterior of the home appliance, that is configured to cover a display assembly that includes a plurality of LEDs, and that includes a displaying part that defines a plurality of first through-holes at positions corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the displaying part being configured to display operating information of the home appliance by transmitting light from the plurality of LEDs through at least a portion of the plurality of first through-holes. The exterior member further includes a front surface coating layer that is located on a front surface of the front panel and that is configured to shield the plurality of first through-holes. The exterior member further includes a hole-filling member that is configured to fill the plurality of first through-holes by coating a rear surface of the displaying part with a material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exterior member of a home appliance, the home appliance comprising a display assembly comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the exterior member comprising: a steel plate that covers the display assembly, the steel plate comprising: a color layer that is disposed on a front surface of the steel plate and that defines a color and a texture of the home appliance, and a back coating layer disposed on a rear surface of the steel plate and configured to prevent corrosion of the steel plate; a plurality of first through-holes that are defined in the steel plate at positions corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the plurality of first through-holes extending from the rear surface of the steel plate to the color layer; and a hole-filling member provided in the plurality of first through-holes and configured to transmit light emitted from the LEDs, wherein the color layer is configured to: based on the LEDs being turned on, transmit light emitted from the LEDs through the plurality of first through-holes to thereby allow display of operating information of the home appliance to an outside of the steel plate, and based on the LEDs being turned off, make the plurality of first through-holes not visible from the outside of the steel plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the steel plate comprises a vinyl-coated material (VCM) steel plate or a pre-coated material (PCM) steel plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the back coating layer defines a plurality of apertures at positions corresponding to the plurality of first through-holes, an opening width of each of the plurality of apertures corresponding to a width of each of the plurality of first through-holes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the back coating layer defines an open area that spans an overall width of the plurality of first through-holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The exterior member according to claim 4, wherein the hole-filling member covers the open area of the back coating layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The exterior member according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of first through-holes has a first end facing a rear side of the color layer and a second end connected to the open area of the back coating layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the color layer is a film type layer attached to the steel plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the color layer is applied to the steel plate by painting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the back coating layer defines a plurality of apertures at positions corresponding to the plurality of first through-holes, and wherein the plurality of first through-holes are defined by etching the rear surface of the steel plate through the plurality of apertures of the back coating layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the steel plate comprises a vinyl-coated material (VCM) steel plate, and wherein the color layer comprises: a film color layer that defines the color of the home appliance; and a deposition layer that is disposed on a rear side of the film color layer and that defines a metal texture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the steel plate comprises a vinyl-coated material (VCM) steel plate, and wherein the color layer comprises a VCM type layer that defines the color of the home appliance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exterior member according to claim 11, wherein the color layer further comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer disposed on a frontmost surface of the color layer and configured to protect the color layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the hole-filling member is applied to the rear surface of the steel plate by screen printing, and covers a portion of the steel plate corresponding to an entire area of the display assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, wherein a rear surface of the exterior member is in contact with a display cover of the home appliance, the display cover accommodating the display assembly, and wherein the plurality of first through-holes are configured to receive and transmit light emitted from the LEDs through a plurality of second through-holes defined in the display cover. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The exterior member according to claim 14, wherein a width of each of the first through-holes is less than a width of one of the plurality of second through-holes, and wherein the plurality of first through-holes are configured to communicate with the plurality of second through-holes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The exterior member according to claim 15, further comprising a diffusion sheet that is disposed on the rear surface of the steel plate, that covers a portion of the steel plate corresponding to an entire area of the display assembly, and that is configured to diffuse light emitted from the LEDs. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator that is in contact with the back coating layer and that is filled by a foam solution. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The exterior member according to claim 1, further comprising: a base metal layer that is made of galvanized iron and that contacts a rear side of the color layer; and one or more preprocessed layers that contact a front side of the back coating layer, wherein the base metal layer and the one or more preprocessed layers are disposed between the color layer and the back coating layer. ### Claim 19 A refrigerator comprising: a display assembly comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs); and an exterior member that defines an appearance of the refrigerator, the exterior member comprising: a steel plate that covers the display assembly, the steel plate comprising: a color layer that is disposed on a front surface of the steel plate and that defines a color and a texture of the refrigerator, and a back coating layer disposed on a rear surface of the steel plate and configured to prevent corrosion of the steel plate, a plurality of first through-holes that are defined in the steel plate at positions corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, the plurality of first through-holes extending from the rear surface of the steel plate to the color layer, and a hole-filling member provided in the plurality of first through-holes and configured to transmit light emitted from the LEDs, wherein the color layer is configured to: based on the LEDs being turned on, transmit light emitted from the LEDs through the plurality of first through-holes to thereby allow display of operating information of the refrigerator to an outside of the steel plate, and based on the LEDs being turned off, make the plurality of first through-holes not visible from the outside of the steel plate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the steel plate further comprises: a base metal layer that is made of galvanized iron and that contacts a rear side of the color layer; and one or more preprocessed layers that contact a front side of the back coating layer, and wherein the base metal layer and the one or more preprocessed layers are disposed between the color layer and the back coating layer.