Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a door opening/closing the cabinet and having an opening that is penetrated in a front/rear direction, a transparent panel assembly mounted to cover the opening and through which the inside of the refrigerant is seen, and a lighting member provided in the door or the cabinet to brighten a rear side of the transparent panel assembly. The transparent panel assembly includes a front panel defining an outer appearance of a front surface, a rear panel defining an outer appearance of a rear surface, a spacer made of a metal material and disposed between the front panel and the rear panel to define a periphery of the transparent panel assembly. A heater mounting part on which a heater is mounted is disposed on the spacer, and when the heater generates heat, one side of the front panel, which comes into contact with the spacer, is heated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet defining a storage space; and   a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, the door comprising:
 an outer plate defining a side surface of the door and made of a metal material, 
 a door liner defining a liner opening and a rear surface of the door, 
 a transparent panel assembly coupled to the outer plate and the door liner, 
 an insulator provided in an insulation space that is defined by the outer plate, the door liner, and the transparent panel assembly, the insulator comprising a foam liquid that is injected into the insulation space, and 
 a shielding member disposed between the insulator and the transparent panel assembly and configured to block the insulator from spreading along a peripheral surface of the transparent panel assembly, 
   wherein the transparent panel assembly comprises:
 a front panel mounted on the outer plate and defining a front surface of the door, 
 a rear panel covering the liner opening and defining a rear surface of the door, 
 a spacer disposed between the front panel and the rear panel and defining a sealed space between the front panel and the rear panel, and 
 a sealant covering at least a portion of an outer surface of the spacer and disposed between the shielding member and the spacer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the shielding member contacts the rear panel and extends toward the front surface of the door. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the shielding member contacts the door liner and extends toward the front panel. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the shielding member includes a tape and contacts the insulator. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the shielding member is made of an attachable material. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a blocking member disposed between the insulator and the transparent panel assembly and configured to block the foam liquid from leaking along the peripheral surface of the transparent panel assembly,
 wherein the shielding member contacts the blocking member.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulator surrounds the transparent panel assembly, and the shielding member surrounds the outer surface of the sealant. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealant is disposed between the front panel and the rear panel and contacts the outer surface of the spacer. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the outer plate comprises:
 a side surface part defining the side surface of the door;   a front surface part extends from the side surface part;   a mounting part extends from the front surface part; and   a plate opening defined at the front surface part.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the front panel is disposed at the mounting part, and
 wherein the rear panel is configured to, based on the transparent panel assembly being received at the outer plate and the door liner, cover the liner opening.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel assembly further comprises a heater disposed behind the front panel. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the outer plate defines a plate opening that is covered by the front panel. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the outer plate further includes a bent plate part facing the side surface of the front panel. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , further comprising a support frame disposed at a rear surface of the outer plate and coupled to the transparent panel assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises a door light disposed between the rear panel and the door liner. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel assembly further comprises an insulation panel disposed between the front panel and the rear panel, and
 wherein the spacer comprises (i) a first spacer that supports the insulation panel and the front panel and (ii) a second spacer that supports the insulation panel and the rear panel.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent panel assembly comprises:
 a display provided within the sealed space and configured to output a screen, and   a cable connected to the display, arranged along a periphery of the spacer, and passing through the sealant.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises:
 an upper cap decoration coupled to an upper portion of the outer plate and defining an upper surface of the door, and   a lower cap decoration coupled to a lower portion of the outer plate and defining a lower surface of the door, and   wherein the insulation space is defined by the outer plate, the upper cap decoration, the lower cap decoration, the door liner, and the transparent panel assembly.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the front panel comprises a front protrusion and a bezel, the bezel covering a rear surface of the front protrusion, and
 wherein a size of the front panel is greater than a size of the rear panel by an amount of the front protrusion.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a main door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and a sub-door rotatably coupled to the main door, and
 wherein the transparent panel assembly is disposed at the sub-door.