Refrigerator

A refrigerator comprising:

• a case having a storage chamber provided therein;
• a door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the door, the door comprising:
• a front panel configured to form a front appearance of the door and to be selectively transparent, and an insulation panel formed of a transparent material and provided in the hole and behind the front panel;
• a lighting device to light an inner space of the storage chamber;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole due to transmitting of the light inside the storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel,
• wherein the front panel is configured to cover all the front surface of the door, and the front panel is larger than the insulation panel,
• wherein the refrigerator further comprises a sensor to detect whether the user is within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator, and
• wherein the control unit operates the lighting device to make the user see the inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole when the sensor senses the user within a predetermined distance from the refrigerator.

A refrigerator comprising:

• a case having a storage chamber provided therein;
• a door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the door, the door comprising:
• a front panel configured to form a front appearance of the door and to be selectively transparent, and
• an insulation panel formed of a transparent material and provided in the hole and behind the front panel;
• a lighting device to light an inner space of the storage chamber;
• a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole due to transmitting of the light inside the storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel;
• and
• an evaporation treatment unit that is provided in a rear surface of the front panel to transmit light partially.

A refrigerator comprising:

• a case having a storage chamber provided therein;
• a door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the door, the door comprising:
• a front panel configured to form a front appearance of the door and to be selectively transparent, and
• an insulation panel formed of a transparent material and provided in the hole and behind the front panel;
• a lighting device to light an inner space of the storage chamber;
• a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the storage chamber selectively through the hole due to transmitting of the light inside the storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel;
• and
• a variable transparency film attached to a rear surface of the front panel and configured to become transparent when power is supplied.

A refrigerator comprising:

• a case having a storage chamber provided therein;
• a first door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, the first door having a hole penetrating the first door and an auxiliary storage chamber provided therein;
• a second door that is rotatably coupled to the case or the first door to open and close the auxiliary storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the second door;
• the second door comprising:
• a front panel that forms a front surface of the second door and is formed of transparent material, and
• an insulation panel formed of a transparent material, the insulation panel being located behind the front panel and configured to seal the hole of the second door;
• a lighting device to light an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the auxiliary storage chamber selectively through the hole of the second door due to transmitting of the light inside the auxiliary storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel.

A refrigerator comprising:

• a case having a storage chamber provided therein;
• a first door that is rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, the first door having a hole penetrating the first door and an auxiliary storage chamber provided therein;
• a second door that is rotatably coupled to the case or the first door to open and close the auxiliary storage chamber and has a hole penetrating the second door, the second door comprising:
• an outer case that forms a front frame of the second door and has the hole of the second door in a central portion thereof,
• a front panel formed of transparent material and provided on a front surface of the outer case to form a front surface of the second door, and
• an insulation panel formed of a transparent material, located behind the front panel and configured to seal the hole of the second door;
• a lighting device to light an inner space of the auxiliary storage chamber;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the lighting device to enable a user to see an inside of the auxiliary storage chamber selectively through the hole of the second door due to transmitting of the light inside the auxiliary storage chamber through the insulation panel and the front panel,
• wherein the front panel is configured to cover all the front surface of the second door, and
• wherein the front panel is larger than the insulation panel, and the front panel has a convex shape in a direction of right and left.