REFRIGERATOR

• US 20150260445A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SHIN, Youn Tae, KIM, Beom Gon
• Granted Patent: US 9,429,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/00 Suspension arrangements for wings arrangements of wings not characterised by the construction of the supporting means E06B3/32
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/04 Hinges adjustable relative to the wing or the frame
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment, a first door that is rotatably disposed in front of the main body and has an opening, a door guard disposed in the opening, a second door that is rotatably disposed in front of the first door, opens/closes the opening, and is rotated in the same direction as the first door, first hinges coupling the first door rotatably to the main body, and second hinges coupling the second door rotatably to the first door, elastic levers coupled to the first door applying an elastic force in a direction in which the first door is closed, and a first stopping member coupled to the first door to limit an angle at which the first door is opened and a second stopping member coupled to the second door to limit an angle at which the second door is opened.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body having a storage compartment;

a first door that is rotatably disposed in front of the main body, opens/closes the storage compartment, and has an opening formed therein, wherein at least one door guard is disposed in the opening;

a second door that is rotatably disposed in front of the first door, opens/closes the opening, and is rotated in a same direction as the first door;

a hinge unit including a first upper hinge and a first lower hinge coupled to an upper portion of the main body and a lower portion of the main body corresponding to a lower portion of the first door, respectively, such that the first door is rotatably coupled to the main body, and a second upper hinge and a second lower hinge coupled to an upper portion of the first door and the lower portion of the first door, respectively, such that the second door is rotatably coupled to the first door;

elastic levers coupled to the upper portion and the lower portion of the first door, respectively, and upon the first door being closed, configured to transfer an elastic force in a direction in which the first door is closed; and

a stopping member including a first stopping member coupled to the lower portion of the first door to limit an angle at which the first door is opened and a second stopping member coupled to a lower portion of the second door to limit an angle at which the second door is opened.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the elastic lever includes a first elastic lever coupled to the upper portion of the first door and a second elastic lever coupled to the lower portion of the first door.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein a cam member having a cam surface is coupled to the first upper hinge such that the first elastic lever makes contact with the cam surface and accumulates an elastic force when the first door is closed, and transfers the elastic force to the first door.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the first upper hinge comprises:

a first coupling portion coupled to the main body;

a first hinge shaft allowing the first door to be rotatably coupled to the main body; and

a cam member coupling portion which extends from the first coupling portion toward the first door and to which the cam member is coupled.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the second upper hinge comprises:

a second coupling portion coupled to the upper portion of the first door; and

a second hinge shaft allowing the second door to be rotatably coupled to the first door.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein

the first elastic lever is provided to be bent in a ‘

’

shape to have elasticity, and has one side thereof fastened to the upper portion of the first door by a fastening member and the other side thereof on which a roller is provided to move along a shape of the cam surface by being in contact with the cam surface of the cam member when the first door is closed.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the first door is provided at the upper portion thereof with a first fastening hole to which the first elastic lever is fastened, and the first elastic lever is provided with a second fastening hole allowing the first elastic lever to be fastened to the first fastening hole by a fastening member.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the cam surface includes an inflection point that is a base point when the first door is opened/closed, and a first contact surface and a second contact surface disposed at lower and upper sides of the inflection point, respectively, so as to have opposite inclined surfaces based on the inflection point.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the first elastic lever, while the first door is closed, has the roller come into contact with the first contact surface so as to accumulate an elastic force until reaching the inflection point, and when the roller comes into contact with the second contact surface after passing through the inflection point, transfers the elastic force in a direction in which the first door is closed.

10. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the first lower hinge comprises:

a third coupling portion coupled to the main body;

a third hinge shaft allowing the first door to be rotatably coupled to the main body;

an elastic lever contact portion configured to come into contact with the second elastic lever when the first door is closed such that the second elastic lever accumulates an elastic force and transfers the elastic force to the first door; and

a first contact portion configured to limit the angle at which the first door is opened, by coming into contact with the first stopping member when the first door is opened.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the second lower hinge comprises:

a fourth coupling portion coupled to the first door;

a fourth hinge shaft allowing the second door to be rotatably coupled to the first door; and

a second contact portion configured to limit the angle at which the second door is opened by coming into contact with the second stopping member when the second door is opened.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the first door is provided at the lower portion thereof with a protrusion to which the second lower hinge is fixed, and the second lower hinge is provided with a first insertion hole inserted around and fixed to the protrusion.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the first stopping member and the second elastic lever are provided with a second insertion hole and a third insertion hole that are inserted around and fixed to the protrusion, such that the first stopping member and the second elastic lever are inserted around the protrusion together with the second lower hinge, and a hole is provided in the protrusion such that the first stopping member and the second elastic lever are fixed to the protrusion together with the second lower hinge by a fastening member fastened to the hole.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the first stopping member coupled to the lower portion of the first door is rotated together with the first door when the first door is opened, and when the first stopping member comes into contact with the first contact portion, rotation of the first door is stopped and the angle at which the first door is opened is limited.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the second stopping member coupled to the lower portion of the second door is rotated together with the second door when the second door is opened, and when the second stopping member comes into contact with the second contact portion, rotation of the second door is stopped and the angle at which the second door is opened is limited.

16. A method of accessing a refrigerator, comprising:

disposing a first door rotatably in front of a storage compartment in a main body, the first door opening and closing the storage compartment, forming an opening in the first door, and disposing at least one door guard in the opening;

disposing a second door rotatably in front of the first door, the second door opening and closing the opening, and rotating the second door in a same direction as the first door;

coupling a first upper hinge and a first lower hinge to an upper portion of the main body and a lower portion of the main body corresponding to a lower portion of the first door, respectively, such that the first door is rotatably coupled to the main body, and coupling a second upper hinge and a second lower hinge to an upper portion of the first door and the lower portion of the first door, respectively, such that the second door is rotatably coupled to the first door;

coupling elastic levers to the upper portion and the lower portion of the first door, respectively, and upon the first door being closed, applying an elastic force in a direction in which the first door is closed; and

coupling a first stopping member to the lower portion of the first door and limiting an angle at which the first door is opened and coupling a second stopping member to a lower portion of the second door and limiting an angle at which the second door is opened.