# US 2019/0170434 A1 · Refrigerator and out plate for refrigerator door > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170434 A1 - Document ID: US20190170434A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/212,022 - Filed: 2018-12-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Youngwoo KIM; Chijung KIM; Pojin KIM; Hyesun JUNG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170434A1 ## CPC - F25D 29/005: {Mounting of control devices} - F21V 11/00: Screens not covered by groups F21V1/00, F21V3/00, F21V7/00 or F21V9/00 (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/502) - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - F25D 23/02: Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) - F25D 2400/361: Interactive visual displays - 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) - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED ## Abstract A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door, an out plate that defines a front surface of the door, a display part at the out plate that defines plate holes configured to display operation information of the refrigerator by transmission of light through the out plate, light emitting members in the door at positions corresponding to the plate holes, hole filling members that fill the plate holes, and a first layer located at a surface of the hole filling members. The first layer includes a light blocking part, and light transmission parts positioned in an inner region of the plate holes. The display part is configured to transmit light having passed through one or more of the light transmission parts corresponding to one or more of the light emitting members. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet that defines a storage space; a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space; an out plate that is made of a metal material and that defines a front surface of the door; a display part located at the out plate and configured to display operation information of the refrigerator by transmission of light, the display part defining a plurality of plate holes that pass through the out plate; a plurality of light emitting members located in the door and configured to emit light at positions corresponding to the plurality of plate holes; a plurality of hole filling members that fill the plurality of plate holes, the plurality of hole filling members being made of a material configured to transmit light; and a first layer located at a surface of the plurality of hole filling members, the first layer comprising: a light blocking part configured to block light, and a plurality of light transmission parts positioned in an inner region of the plurality of plate holes and configured to transmit light, wherein the display part is configured to transmit light that has been emitted from one or more of the plurality of light emitting members and that has passed through one or more of the plurality of light transmission parts corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of light emitting members. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the display part is further configured to display a figure, a character, or a pattern based on transmission of light through one or more of the plurality of plate holes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate holes define one or more multi-segment displays, each multi-segment display comprising a plurality of segments that are configured to indicate a figure, a character, a pattern, or a number. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light transmission parts are arranged at each of the plurality of plate holes along a plane, and wherein a length of each of the plurality of light transmission parts along the plane is less than an opening size of each of the plurality of plate holes at the plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a touch sensor assembly that is located at the door at a position spaced apart from the display part, that contacts the out plate, and that is configured to detect touch manipulation at the out plate. ### Claim 6 An out plate for a refrigerator door, comprising: a steel plate made of a metal, the steel plate defining a plurality of plate holes that pass through the steel plate and that are configured to display a figure, a character, or a pattern; a plurality of hole filling members that fill the plurality of plate holes, the plurality of hole filling members being made of a material configured to transmit light; a first layer located at a surface of the plurality of hole filling members, the first layer comprising: a light blocking part configured to block light; and a plurality of light transmission parts positioned in an inner region of the plurality of plate holes and configured to transmit light emitted from a plurality of light emitting members, wherein the plurality of plate holes are configured to display the figure, the character, or the pattern by transmitting light that has been emitted from one or more of the plurality of light emitting members located at positions corresponding to the plurality of plate holes and that has passed through one or more of the plurality of light transmission parts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein a size of each of the plurality of light transmission parts is greater than or equal to 100 micrometers and less than 1 millimeter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein the steel plate comprises a stainless steel plate or a vinyl coated material (VCM) steel plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, further comprising a second layer that is located at a front surface of the steel plate, that is configured to transmit light, and that provides a color of the refrigerator door or a texture of the refrigerator door. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The out plate according to claim 9, further comprising a third layer located between the second layer and the steel plate and configured to provide a metal texture of the refrigerator door. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The out plate according to claim 9, further comprising a fourth layer located between the second layer and the steel plate and configured to structurally reinforce a strength of at least a portion of the steel plate, the fourth layer being made of a material configured to transmit light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The out plate according to claim 9, wherein the first layer is located between the second layer and the steel plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of plate holes are defined by etching, and wherein the light blocking part is printed on a surface of the first layer at an area outside of the plurality of light transmission parts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The out plate according to claim 13, further comprising an attachment guide part defined at the steel plate and configured to guide alignment of the plurality of light transmission parts to the plurality of plate holes based on the first layer being attached to the steel plate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein an inner side surface of each of the plurality of plate holes has an inclined shape or a round shape. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, further comprising a back coating layer located at a rear surface of the steel plate and configured to reduce corrosion of the steel plate and a chemical damage of the steel plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein the first layer is made of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film material, wherein the light blocking part and the plurality of light transmission parts are manufactured by a printing process, and wherein the first layer is attached to the steel plate based on the first layer including the light blocking part and the plurality of light transmission parts manufactured by the printing process. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The out plate according to claim 17, wherein the first layer is located at a front surface of the steel plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The out plate according to claim 17, wherein the light blocking part and the plurality of light transmission parts are located at a surface of the first layer that contacts the plurality of hole filling members. ### Claim 20 (depends on 6) The out plate according to claim 6, wherein the first layer is made of a material configured to block light and located at a rear surface of the steel plate, and wherein each of the plurality of light transmission parts has a hole shape that passes through the first layer.