REFRIGERATOR

• US 20140239790A1
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Byoung Mok, KIM, Seong Woo, YOO, Woo Yeol, YOO, Hyun Sang
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/404
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/467 self-closing
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/04 with arms fixed on the wing pivoting about an axis outside of the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/18 with counteracting springs double-acting springs E05F1/14
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/00 General constructional features F25D21/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/02 Doors; Covers F25D23/08 takes precedence locks or fastenings E05B65/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/021 Sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/025 Secondary closures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers

Abstract

A refrigerator capable of varying the positions of a plurality of door guards provided at an opening of a refrigerating door, in which when an outer door configured to open and close the opening is closed in a state that a door guard is withdrawn, the door guard comes into contact with the outer door and thus is automatically inserted.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment provided at an inside of the body so as to be open at a front surface thereof, and having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment;

an inner door formed with an opening in which a plurality of door guards are provided, the inner door being configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment;

an outer door to open and close the opening provided at the inner door;

a guide rail allowing at least one of the plurality of door guards to be inserted and withdrawn in a sliding manner;

a slide unit connected to the at least one door guard, wherein the slide unit is capable of sliding along the guide rail such that the at least one door guard can be inserted or withdrawn;

an elastic unit coupled to the slide unit to transmit a tensile force in a direction of the at least one door guard being inserted; and

an automatic closing unit coupled to the at least one door guard, and configured to allow the elastic unit to transmit the tensile force to the at least one door guard when the outer door is closing, whereby the closing outer door comes into contact with the at least one door guard when the at least one door guard is withdrawn.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the guide rail comprises a support part supported by both side walls of the opening, and a rail part extending from the support part to guide the at least one door guard.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rail part comprises a first rail part provided adjacent to a left side wall of the side walls, and a second rail part provided adjacent to a right side wall of the side walls, and a locking part protruding upward is provided on the second rail part.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a case is coupled to a lower portion of the at least one door guard, and the slide unit is coupled to the case to move along the rail part such that the at least one door guard can be inserted or withdrawn.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the slide unit comprises a first sliding part coupled to a lower portion of the case to correspond to the first rail part, a second sliding part coupled to a lower portion of the case to correspond to the second rail part, first slide rails coupled to the first rail part and the second rail part, respectively, and second slid rails coupled to lower portions of the first sliding part and the second sliding part, respectively, so as to be slid along the first slide rails.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the elastic unit comprises an elastic member having one end fixed to the second sliding part to transmit the tensile force to the at least one door guard, a connection member having a coupling part, to which other end of the elastic member is coupled, and configured to move back and force so as to allow the elastic member to generate the tensile force, and a rotator rotatably coupled to a first rotation hole formed through the connection member.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the rotator comprises a first rotating shaft rotatably coupled to the first rotation hole, a hook part locked with and released from the locking part provided on the second rail part, and a protrusion part protruding from the rotator downward.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the second sliding part comprises a fixing part to which the one end of the elastic member is fixed, an accommodation part in which the elastic unit is accommodated, and a guide rail to guide the protrusion part.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the guide rail comprises a straight line path along which the protrusion part performs a straight linear motion in a front and back direction, and a locking groove provided at an end portion of the straight line path so as to allow the protrusion part, while performing a straight linear motion on the straight line path, to be locked with the locking groove as the rotator rotates on the first rotating shaft.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the rotator moves in the same direction as the at least one door guard together with the at least one door guard when the at least one door guard is withdrawn, such that the hook part is locked with the locking part, and if the at least door guard is withdrawn in a state in which the hook part is locked with the locking part, the protrusion part moves in an opposite direction to the at least one door guard along the straight line path, such that the tensile force is generated from the elastic member coupled to the connection member.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the rotator, if the withdrawing of the at least one door guard is completed, rotates on the first rotating shaft clockwise as the protrusion part having moved along the straight line path moves along the locking groove, and according to the rotation of the rotator, the hook part is released from the locking part and the protrusion part is locked with the locking groove, so that the tensile force of the elastic member is maintained.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the automatic closing unit comprises a first lever rotatably coupled to the case to come into contact with the outer door, a second lever rotatably coupled to the case to come into contact with the rotator, and a link connecting the first lever to the second lever.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the case comprises a second rotating shaft, a third rotating shaft, and an opening formed adjacent to the second rotating shaft, and the first lever is formed with a second rotation hole rotatably coupled to the second rotating shaft, and the second lever is formed with a third rotation hole rotatably coupled to the third rotating shaft.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein if the at least one door guard is withdrawn, the rotator rotates clockwise to allow the second lever to rotate on the third rotating shaft clockwise, and as the second lever rotates clockwise, the first lever connected to the second lever through the link rotates on the second rotating counterclockwise such that a part of the first lever protrudes outside the case through the opening of the case.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein if the outer door is closed in a state in which the at least one door guard is withdrawn, the first lever protruding outside the case rotates on the second rotating shaft clockwise by the outer door, and as the first lever rotates clockwise, the second lever connected to the first lever through the link, while rotating on the third rotating shaft counterclockwise, pushes the rotator to rotate on the first rotating shaft counterclockwise, so that the protrusion part is released from the locking groove and the at least one door guard is inserted by the tensile force of the elastic member.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a body;

a storage compartment provided at an inside of the body so as to be open at a front surface thereof, the storage compartment comprising a plurality of storage containers;

a door to open and close the storage compartment;

a guide rail allowing at least one of the plurality of storage containers to be inserted and withdrawn from the storage compartment in a sliding manner;

a slide unit coupled to the at least one storage container, wherein the slide unit is capable of sliding along the guide rail such that the at least one storage container can be inserted or withdrawn;

an elastic unit coupled to the slide unit to transmit a tensile force in a direction of the at least one storage container being inserted; and

an automatic closing unit coupled to the at least one storage container and allowing the elastic unit to transmit the tensile force to the at least one storage container when the door is being closed and the automatic closing unit comes into contact with the closing door when the at least storage container is withdrawn.

17. A sliding device allowing a door guard provided at an opening provided at an inner door to be inserted and withdrawn in a sliding manner, the inner door being configured to open and close a storage compartment of a refrigerator and an outer door of the refrigerator being configured to open and close the opening, the sliding device comprising:

a guide rail supported by both side walls of the opening and adapted to allow at least one of the plurality of door guards to be inserted and withdrawn in a sliding manner;

a case coupled to a lower portion of the at least one door guard;

a slide unit coupled to the case so as to be slid along the guide rail such that the at least one door guard can be inserted or withdrawn;

an elastic unit coupled to the slide unit to transmit a tensile force in a direction of the at least one door guard being inserted; and

an automatic closing unit coupled to the case, and capable of allowing the elastic unit to transmit the tensile force to the at least one door guard if the outer door is being closed, whereby the automatic closing unit comes into contact with the outer door being closed when the at least one door guard is withdrawn, so as to assist in the inserting of the at least one door guard.

18. The sliding device of claim 17, wherein the guide rail comprises a support part supported by both side walls of the opening, and a rail part extending from the support part toward inside the storage compartment to guide the at least one door guard.

19. The sliding device of claim 18, wherein the rail part comprises a first rail part provided adjacent to a left side wall of both side walls, and a second rail part provided adjacent to a right side wall of both side walls, and a locking part protruding upward is provided at the second rail part.

20. The sliding device of claim 19, wherein the elastic unit comprises an elastic member having one end fixed to the sliding unit to transmit the tensile force to the at least one door guard, a connection member having a coupling part, to which other end of the elastic member is coupled, and configured to move back and force so as to allow the elastic member to generate the tensile, and a rotator rotatably coupled to a first rotation hole formed through the connection member.

21. The sliding device of claim 20, wherein the rotator comprises a first rotating shaft rotatably coupled to the first rotation hole, a hook part locked with and released from the locking part provided on the second rail part, and a protrusion part protruding from the rotator downward.

22. The sliding device of claim 21, wherein the slide unit comprises a second sliding part coupled to the case to correspond to the second rail part, and the second sliding part comprises a fixing part to which the one end of the elastic member is fixed, an accommodation part in which the elastic unit is accommodated, and a guide rail to guide the protrusion part.

23. The sliding device of claim 22, wherein the guide rail comprises a straight line path along which the protrusion part performs a straight linear motion in a front and back direction, and a locking groove provided at an end portion of the straight line path so as to allow the protrusion part, while performing a straight linear motion on the straight line path, to be locked with the locking groove as the rotator rotates on the first rotating shaft.

24. The sliding device of claim 23, wherein the automatic closing unit comprises a first lever rotatably coupled to the case to come into contact with the outer door, a second lever rotatably coupled to the case to come into contact with the rotator, and a link connecting the first lever to the second lever.

25. The sliding device of claim 24, wherein the case comprises a second rotating shaft, a third rotating shaft, and an opening formed adjacent to the second rotating shaft, and the first lever is formed with a second rotation hole rotatably coupled to the second rotating shaft, and the second lever is formed with a third rotation hole rotatably coupled to the third rotating shaft.

26. A sliding device configured to allow a storage container, which is provided inside a storage compartment of a refrigerator, to be inserted and withdrawn in a sliding manner, the sliding device comprising;

a case coupled to a lower portion of the storage container;

a guide rail capable of allowing the storage container to be inserted and withdrawn in a sliding manner;

a sliding unit coupled to the case so as to be slid along the guide rail;

an elastic unit coupled to the slide unit so as to transmit a tensile force in a direction of the storage container being inserted; and

an automatic closing unit coupled to the case and configured to allow the elastic unit to transmit the tensile force to the storage container if a door of the refrigerator is being closed, whereby the automatic closing unit comes into contact with the door that is being closed when the storage container is withdrawn, so as to assist in the inserting of the storage container.