REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD OF FABRICATING INNER DOOR THEREOF

• US 20140132143A1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Yong Man, Song, Young Jae, Lee, Jae Hyun, KIM, Byoung Mok
• Granted Patent: US 9,810,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/405
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/025 Secondary closures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/087 Sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/021 French doors

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment, an inner door including an opening having a size corresponding to the size of the storage compartment, a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening, and an outer door that opens or closes the opening, wherein the inner door includes inner sidewalls that are disposed at both sides of the opening and are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening without any curve.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment formed in the body;

an inner door comprising an opening corresponding to the storage compartment, an inner plate, an outer plate in which a foaming space between the outer plate and the inner plate is formed, and a heat insulating material that foams in the foaming space, the inner door rotatably combined with the body;

a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening; and

an outer door rotatably combined with the body so as to open or close the opening,

wherein the inner plate comprises a plurality of inner sidewalls that constitute the opening and support the plurality of door guards,

the plurality of inner sidewalls are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening and a distance between the plurality of inner sidewalls is uniform from the inlet of the opening to the outlet of the opening, and

the inner plate is integrally injection-molded.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the inner door further comprises a door trim combined in a space between the inner plate and the outer plate so as to prevent a foaming solution in the foaming space from leaking toward the opening.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the door trim comprises a first insertion groove in which an end portion of the inner plate is closely adhered and inserted, and a second insertion groove in which an end portion of the outer plate is closely adhered and inserted.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the door trim is combined in a space between the inner plate and the outer plate before the foaming solution is injected and foams in the foaming space.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the outer plate comprises a combination protrusion via which the outer plate is combined with the door trim, and

the door trim comprises a combination groove in which the combination protrusion is inserted.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising support protrusions that protrude from the inner sidewalls so as to support the door guards.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein no additional door guard is disposed in the external door.

8. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment formed in the body;

an inner door comprising an opening corresponding to the storage compartment, an inner plate, an outer plate, and a heat insulating material that is disposed between the inner plate and the outer plate, the inner door rotatably combined with the body;

an outer door rotatably combined with the body so as to open or close the opening; and

a plurality of door guards arranged in the opening in a vertical direction,

wherein the inner plate comprises a plurality of inner sidewalls that are disposed at both sides of the opening so as to support the plurality of door guards, the plurality of inner sidewalls being flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening,

the inner plate is integrally injection-molded, and

the door guards are disposed between the plurality of inner sidewalls.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the door guards each comprises a front wall, a rear wall, both sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a storage space.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the front wall of each door guard is not covered by the inner door and is fully exposed when the outer door is opened.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the front wall of each door guard constitutes a part of a front portion of the inner door.

12. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment formed in the body;

an inner door comprising an opening corresponding to the storage compartment and rotatably combined with the body;

a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening; and

an outer door rotatably combined with the body so as to open or close the opening,

wherein the inner door comprises;

an inner plate having a plurality of inner sidewalls that are disposed at both sides of the opening so as to support the plurality of door guards and that are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening;

an outer plate in which a foaming space between the outer plate and the inner plate is formed; and

a door trim combined in a space between the inner sidewalls of the inner plate and the outer plate so as to prevent a foaming solution that foams in the foaming space from leaking toward the opening.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the door trim comprises a first insertion groove in which an end portion of the inner sidewall of the inner plate is closely adhered and inserted, and a second insertion groove in which an end portion of the outer plate is closely adhered and inserted.

14. A method of fabricating an inner door of a refrigerator comprising a body, a storage compartment formed in the body, the inner door comprising an opening corresponding to the storage compartment and rotatably combined with the body, a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening, and an outer door rotatably combined with the body so as to open or close the opening, the method comprising injection-molding an inner plate having inner sidewalls that are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

preparing an outer plate in which a foaming space between the outer plate and the inner plate is formed;

preparing a door trim combined in a space between the inner plate and the outer plate so as to prevent a foaming solution that foams in the foaming space from leaking toward the opening;

combining the inner plate, the outer plate, and the door trim with each other; and

injecting and foaming the foaming solution in the foaming space to secure the inner plate, the outer plate, and the door trim with each other.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment formed in the body;

an inner door comprising an opening corresponding to the storage compartment, an inner plate, an outer plate in which a foaming space between the outer plate and the inner plate is formed, and a heat insulating material that foams in the foaming space, the inner door rotatably combined with the body;

a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening; and

an outer door rotatably combined with the body so as to open or close the opening,

wherein the inner plate comprises a plurality of inner sidewalls that constitute the opening and support the plurality of door guards, and

the plurality of inner sidewalls are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening and are parallel to each other.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the inner plate has a rectangular shape such that the plurality of inner sidewalls has no curved portions.