REFRIGERATOR

• US 20180031312A1
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Po Cheon, JOO, Sun Hwan, KIM, Sung Mo, SHIN, Youn Tae, LEE, Sang Cheol, LEE, Oun Gu, CHO, Woo Chul
• Granted Patent: US 10,345,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/022 Doors that can be pivoted either left-handed or right-handed
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/005 Mounting of control devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/008 Alarm devices

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a speaker assembly disposed on an upper side of the cabinet so as to be inclined forward, and the speaker assembly is disposed to be exposed to the outside to efficiently transmit sound to the outside of the refrigerator. Further, the cover member disposed on the upper side of the speaker assembly may prevent the penetration of water, foreign matter, etc. on the outside. The refrigerator also includes a rotatable USB port located above the door so that the user may easily connect the USB device to the USB port.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet;

a storage compartment formed inside of the cabinet;

a door having a recess portion and being rotatable with respect to the cabinet to open or close the storage compartment; and

a USB connector rotatably coupled to the recess portion and the USB connector comprising a USB port rotatable with respect to the USB connector.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein

the recess portion has an opening toward one side of the door,

the USB connector further comprises a rotating member configured to rotate the USB port, and

the rotating member rotates between a first direction in which the USB port faces the opening and a second direction in which the USB port faces the other side of the door.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein

the USB connector comprises an opening/closing portion extending from one side of the rotating member and configured to open or close the opening, and

the opening/closing portion opens the opening when the rotating member faces the first direction and the opening/closing portion is at a position corresponding to the opening when the rotating member rotates in the second direction to close the opening.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein

the USB connector further comprises a stopper configured to limit a rotation of the rotating member, and

the stopper limits the rotation of the rotating member by more than about 100 degrees from the first direction.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the USB port is provided to be located outside the opening in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating member when USB port faces toward the first direction.

6. The refrigerator of claim 3, further comprising:

a display unit mounted on the door to provide a user interface for functions of the refrigerator; and

a switch electrically connected to the display unit and disposed inside the recess portion.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the switch is disposed on the rotating member and rotates in conjunction with the rotating member.

8. The refrigerator of claim 2, further comprising:

a speaker assembly disposed on an upper surface of the cabinet to be inclined with respect to the upper surface of the cabinet; and

a cover member slidably disposed above the speaker assembly to cover the speaker assembly,

wherein the speaker assembly is selectively exposed to the outside of the refrigerator by sliding the cover member.