公开(公告)号：US20170211874A1

公开(公告)日：2017-07-27

申请号：US15306862

申请日：2015-10-19

Applicant: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Inventor： Sangoh KIM ,  Hangbok LEE ,  Jaeyoul LEE ,  Minsub KIM ,  Jungkyu SON ,  Jaehyun SOH ,  Eugene SUH ,  Nami KIM

IPC: F25D27/00 ,  G01D5/02 ,  F25D11/00 ,  A47F3/04 ,  F25D23/02 ,  F25D29/00

CPC classification number: F25D27/005 ,  A47F3/0434 ,  F25D11/00 ,  F25D23/025 ,  F25D23/028 ,  F25D29/005 ,  F25D2323/021 ,  F25D2323/023 ,  F25D2700/04 ,  G01D5/02 ,  G01H1/00 ,  G01H3/00

Abstract: A refrigerator equipped with a door that becomes transparent as necessary to make the interior thereof visible is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage compartment defined therein, a lighting device for illuminating the interior of the storage compartment, a door, which is hingedly coupled to the cabinet to open and close the storage compartment, and has an opening and a panel assembly including a front panel disposed on the front surface thereof, a sensor for detecting sound waves, which are generated by a knock input applied to the door and are transmitted through the front panel, and a controller for controlling the lighting device to allow light to be transmitted through the panel assembly, thus making the storage compartment visible from outside the door through the opening when a predetermined knock input is detected.