Refrigerator and Home Appliance

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/091,709, filed on Dec. 30, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 and 35 U.S.C. 365 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0194293, filed on Dec. 31, 2021, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0194298, filed on Dec. 31, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a home appliance.

In general, home appliances are disposed in an indoor space and may be disposed to be harmonized with the surrounding space. In addition, to further improve the appearance of the home appliance, a panel defining an outer appearance on a front surface of the home appliance may be provided.

Typically, structures that variously modify the outer appearance of the front surface of the refrigerator so as to be harmonized with environments in which the refrigerator is placed, surrounding furniture, or other home appliances are being developed, and this trend is being made throughout the home appliances.

In order to harmonize with an environment in which the refrigerator is disposed or with surrounding furniture or home Machine, structures for varying an outer appearance of a door front of the refrigerator are developed, and this trend is the same throughout the home appliance.

A structure in which a panel defining the outer appearance of the front surface of the door of the refrigerator is mounted is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6460832.

However, in such a technology according to the related art, it is not easy to attach or detach a glass panel in a state of being mounted, and thus, it is difficult to change an outer appearance of a front surface of a door according to the consumer's preference.

Embodiments provide a refrigerator a refrigerator, in which a panel is capable of being separately mounted on a door to improve an outer appearance, and a home appliance.

Embodiments provide a refrigerator, in which a panel is easily detachable, and a home appliance.

Embodiments provide a refrigerator which is maintained in a state, in which a panel is firmly mounted, and a home appliance.

Embodiments provide a refrigerator including a door having improved aesthetics, rigidity, and durability and a home appliance.

In one embodiment, The home appliance comprising: a cabinet configured to define a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space; wherein the door comprises: a door body; a door panel configured to define a front surface of the door; a cap decoration configured to define a lower surface of the door body; and a bracket provided on a rear surface of the door panel and coupled to the cap decoration; wherein the bracket comprises a buffer rib protruding from one surface of the bracket to form a space between the bracket and the cap decoration.

The cap decoration includes a restriction portion protruding upward. The bracket includes a mounting portion having a space into which the restriction portion is inserted.

The cap decoration is bent to extend from one surface and comprise a seating portion on which the plurality of restriction portions are disposed. The buffer rib is in contact with the seating portion in the state in which the panel bracket is mounted on the cap decoration.

The mounting portion comprising a body portion formed spaced apart from the front surface of the bracket; a connecting portion extending from both side ends of the body toward the front; and an opening into which the restraining part is inserted.

In a state in which the restriction portion is inserted into the mounting portion, the body portion is maintained in the state of being spaced apart from the seating portion.

The mounting portion extend along the left and right direction in which the body portion extends and comprise a hook protrusion protruding in the direction of the cap decoration. The hook protrusion is in contact with a front surface of the cap decoration.

The bracket comprise a partition portion is disposed inside the mounting portion and connecting the front surface of the bracket and the body portion.

The bracket comprise an inclined portion that is inclined toward the door panel from at the lower end of bracket. The cap decoration comprise a decoration inclined portion disposed to match the inclined portion at a position corresponding to the inclined portion.

The bracket comprise round portion formed to be rounded from one end of the inclined portion toward the door panel. The round portion configured to define at least a part of the front surface of the door.

The bracket comprise a coupling part coupled to the door panel on the front side, and an accommodation groove formed by being recessed backward at one end of the coupling part, a plurality of ribs are arranged in the accommodating groove in the left-right direction in which the panel bracket extends.

The door panel is bent backward at one end to form a bending portion, and the bending portion is inserted between the accommodation groove and the rib.

The bracket further comprise a bracket rib protruding rearward from a rear surface of the bracket and extending in a direction in which the mounting portion extends.

The door comprises a upper bracket on which a mounting protrusion provided on a rear surface of the plate to protrude backward is disposed, a upper cap decoration having a protrusion accommodation portion that is opened forward so that the mounting protrusion is inserted therein and a decoration cover mounted on the cap decoration to define an outer surface of the cap decoration. The decoration cover is mounted in a direction crossing an insertion direction of the mounting protrusion to restrict the protrusion accommodation portion that is in the state in which the mounting protrusion is inserted.

A decoration opening is defined in the cap decoration, and the decoration cover has a shape that shields the decoration opening.

A pair of restriction portions extending to an inside of the decoration opening are disposed on the decoration cover, and the protrusion accommodation portion and the mounting protrusion are restricted between the pair of restriction portions.

The protrusion accommodation portion is elastically deformable in the direction crossing the insertion direction of the mounting protrusion, and the restriction portion is configured to restrict an outer surface of the protrusion accommodation portion so as to limit the deformation of the elastic deformation of the protrusion accommodation portion.

The protrusion accommodation portion is constituted by a pair of accommodation members spaced apart from each other, and the accommodation members extend forward and are spaced an interval, at which the mounting protrusion is capable of being press-fitted, from each other.

The mounting protrusion comprises an extension portion extending backward from a rear surface of the bracket; and an insertion portion disposed on an end of the extension portion and having a width greater than a thickness of the extension portion so as to be inserted between the pair of accommodation members.

The insertion portion has a width that gradually decreases as the insertion portion protrudes backward.

Each of the accommodation member comprises an inlet portion configured to define an inlet, into which the insertion portion is inserted, the inlet portion extending outward as the inlet portion extends forward; and a fixing portion disposed on a rear end of the inlet portion and having a shape corresponding to an outer surface of the insertion portion to surround the outer surface of the insertion portion.

In one embodiment, a home appliance includes: a main body configured to define a storage space; a door configured to open and close the storage space and including a door body and a door panel mounted on the door body, wherein the door panel includes: a plate configured to define a front surface of the door; and a bracket on which a mounting protrusion provided on a rear surface of the plate to protrude backward is disposed, wherein the door body includes: a cap decoration having a protrusion accommodation portion that is opened forward so that the mounting protrusion is inserted therein; and a decoration cover mounted on the cap decoration to define an outer surface of the cap decoration, wherein the decoration cover is mounted in a direction crossing an insertion direction of the mounting protrusion to restrict the protrusion accommodation portion that is in the state in which the mounting protrusion is inserted.

A decoration opening may be defined in the cap decoration, and the decoration cover may have a shape that shields the decoration opening.

A pair of restriction portions extending to an inside of the decoration opening may be disposed on the decoration cover, and the protrusion accommodation portion and the mounting protrusion may be restricted between the pair of restriction portions.

A restriction portion accommodation groove in which a lower end of the restriction portion is accommodated may be defined in the decoration opening.

The protrusion accommodation portion may be elastically deformable in the direction crossing the insertion direction of the mounting protrusion, and the restriction portion may be configured to restrict an outer surface of the protrusion accommodation portion so as to limit the deformation of the elastic deformation of the protrusion accommodation portion.

The protrusion accommodation portion may be constituted by a pair of accommodation members spaced apart from each other, and the accommodation members may extend forward and be spaced an interval, at which the mounting protrusion is capable of being press-fitted, from each other.

The mounting protrusion may include: an extension portion extending backward from a rear surface of the bracket; and an insertion portion disposed on an end of the extension portion and having a width greater than a thickness of the extension portion so as to be inserted between the pair of accommodation members.

The insertion portion may have a width that gradually decreases as the insertion portion protrudes backward.

Each of the accommodation member may include: an inlet portion configured to define an inlet, into which the insertion portion is inserted, the inlet portion extending outward as the inlet portion extends forward; and a fixing portion disposed on a rear end of the inlet portion and having a shape corresponding to an outer surface of the insertion portion to surround the outer surface of the insertion portion.

A distance between the inlet portions disposed at both sides may be less than a width of the insertion portion, and a distance between the insertion portions disposed at both sides may be greater than the distance between the inlet portions and equal to or less than the width of the insertion portion.

A restriction portion accommodation groove into which a lower end of the restriction portion is inserted may be defined in each of both sides of the pair of accommodation members.

A distance between the pair of restriction portions may correspond to a distance between outer surfaces of the protrusion accommodation portion, and an inner surface of each of the pair of restriction portions may be in contact with each of the outer surface of the protrusion accommodation portion to restrict the protrusion accommodation portion.

An inclined surface having an inclination toward the outer surface of the protrusion accommodation portion as at least a portion of the inclined surface faces an upper side may be defined on an inner surface of the restriction portion.

An upper portion of the restriction portion, which is in contact with the outer surface of the protrusion accommodation portion, may be disposed on an inner surface of the restriction portion, and a lower portion of the restriction portion, which is spaced apart from the protrusion accommodation portion and inserted into the restriction portion accommodation groove, may be disposed on the inner surface of the restriction portion.

A plurality of reinforcing ribs disposed in an extension direction of the restriction portion may be disposed on an outer surface of the restriction portion.

A mounting guide extending backward between the plurality of mounting protrusions may be disposed on a rear surface of the bracket, and a seating portion stepped to support the mounting guide at a lower side in the state in which the mounting protrusion is inserted into the protrusion accommodation portion may be disposed on the cap decoration.

A cover coupling portion coupled to the cap decoration may be disposed on the decoration cover, and the cover coupling portion may be coupled to a hinge mounting portion to which a hinge configured to rotate the door is mounted.

The cap decoration may include: an upper decoration configured to define an upper portion of the door body; and a lower decoration configured to define a lower portion of the door body, and the protrusion accommodation portion may be defined in the upper decoration.

The bracket may include: an upper bracket which is provided on a lower portion of a rear surface of the plate and on which the mounting protrusion is disposed; and a lower bracket provided on the lower portion of the rear surface of the plate and coupled to the lower decoration.