Door control device for refrigerators and refrigerator with the device

• US 7,192,105 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Tae Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens; Janet M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYRES, TIMOTHY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/646,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 312/405, 312/326, 312/329, 312/319.2, 312/319.1, 312/319.4, 163/34, 163/32, 163/31, 16/86.C
• US Class Current: 312/405
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/02 specially for preventing the slamming of swinging wings during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges

Abstract

A door control device for refrigerators and a refrigerator with the device. The door control device for a refrigerator having a refrigerator door includes a movable body coupled to the refrigerator door, wherein the movable body is arranged to move in opposite directions in accordance with opening and closing actions of the refrigerator door, and a control unit controlling an opposite directional movement of the movable body in a multi-stage manner.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a refrigerator door and a door control device for the refrigerator, comprising:

a movable body coupled to the refrigerator door, wherein the movable body is arranged to move in opposite directions in accordance with opening and closing actions of the refrigerator door; and

a control unit controlling an opposite directional movement of the movable body in a multi-stage manner such that the refrigerator door is maintained at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined positions between a closed position and a fully open position, wherein the movable body with an I-shaped cross section is provided with a plurality of grooves formed along a longitudinal upper side surface thereof, a lower portion of the movable body is slidably inserted into a C-shaped channeled guide rail and movable there along a longitudinal axis of the rail.

2. The door control device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide element containing the movable body and guiding the opposite directional movement of the movable body.

3. The door control device according to claim 1, further comprising a link bar hinged at a first end thereof to an end of the movable body, and connected at a second end thereof to the refrigerator door.

4. The door control device according to claim 3, wherein the link bar is hinged to the refrigerator door.

5. The door control device according to claim 4, wherein the link bar is further hinged to the refrigerator door in a position spaced apart from the rotating axis of the refrigerator door by a predetermined distance in a radial direction from the rotating axis.

6. The door control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a locking unit selectively engaging with the plurality of grooves provided to the movable body.

7. The door control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit further comprises an elastic member elastically supporting the locking unit.

8. The door control device according to claim 7, wherein the locking unit comprises a retractable roller selectively seated in the grooves of the movable body during a movement of the movable body.

9. The door control device according to claim 8, wherein the locking unit further comprises a roller bracket elastically supported at a first end thereof by the elastic member, and rotatably holding the roller at a second end thereof.

10. The door control device according to claim 9, wherein the roller is perpendicularly placed relative to the movable body, and wherein the roller is elastically retractable.

11. The door control device according to claim 1, wherein the grooves of the movable body are smoothly curved to form a waved configuration.

12. The door control device according to claim 1, wherein the device is disposed in a leg casing at a lower portion of the refrigerator.

13. The door control device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is disposed in a control chamber that is perpendicularly defined at a sidewall of the leg casing.

14. The door control device according to claim 13, wherein the control chamber is integrally formed on a sidewall of the leg casing by outwardly depressing the sidewall.

15. The door control device according to claim 13, wherein the control chamber is defined in a separate member provided at a predetermined position on a sidewall of the leg casing.

16. A refrigerator having a refrigerator door and a door control device for the refrigerator, comprising:

a movable body coupled to the refrigerator door, wherein the movable body is arranged to move along a longitudinal axis in opposite directions in accordance with opening and closing actions of the refrigerator door, wherein the movable body is provided with a plurality of grooves formed along a longitudinal side surface thereof;

a control unit to control an opposite directional movement of the movable body in a multi-stage manner such that the refrigerator door is maintained at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined positions between a closed position and a fully open position, wherein the control unit comprises a locking unit selectively engaging with the plurality of grooves provided to the movable body and an elastic member elastically supporting the locking unit; and

a dampening unit dampening a rearward movement of the movable body during the closing action, thus retarding energy generated from the refrigerator door closing, wherein the dampening unit comprises an elastic support unit elastically supporting a rear end of the movable body.

17. The door control device according to claim 16, wherein the elastic support unit comprises a support member supporting the rear end of the movable body, and further comprises an elastic member provided at a rear end of the support member.

18. The door control device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic member is connected to the rear end of the support member.

19. The door control device according to claim 17, wherein the support member is mounted to the rear end of the movable body.

20. The door control device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic member comprises one or more compression springs.

21. The door control device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic member is two or more compression springs arranged in parallel.

22. The door control device according to claim 17, wherein the support unit is disposed in a leg casing at a lower portion of the refrigerator.

23. The door control device according to claim 22, wherein the support unit is disposed on an inner surface of the rear end wall of the leg casing.

24. The door control device according to claim 22, wherein the support unit is disposed between the rear end wall of the leg casing and the rear end of the movable body.

25. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet with a storage compartment;

a door hinged to the cabinet to close the storage compartment;

a leg casing installed in a lower portion of the cabinet;

a movable body coupled to door, wherein the movable body is arranged in the leg casing so as to move in opposite directions in the leg casing; and

a control unit to control an opposite directional movement of the movable body in a multi-stage manner such that the refrigerator door is maintained at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined positions between a closed position and a fully open position,

wherein the movable body with an I-shaped cross section is provided with a plurality of grooves formed along a longitudinal upper side surface thereof, a lower portion of the movable body is slidably inserted into a C-shaped channeled guide rail and movable there along a longitudinal axis of the rail.

26. The refrigerator according to claim 25, further comprising a guide element installed in the leg casing to contain the movable body and to guide the opposite directional movement of the movable body.

27. The refrigerator according to claim 25, further comprising a link bar hinged at a first end thereof to an end of the movable body, and connected at a second end thereof to the door.

28. The refrigerator according to claim 27, wherein the link bar is hinged to the door.

29. The refrigerator according to claim 28, further comprising a hinge bracket mounted to the door, wherein the link bar is connected to the hinge bracket.

30. The refrigerator according to claim 28, wherein the link bar is hinged to the door in a position spaced apart from the rotating axis of the door by a predetermined distance in a radial direction from the rotating axis.

31. The refrigerator according to claim 25, wherein the control unit comprises a locking unit selectively engaging with the plurality of grooves provided to the movable body.

32. The refrigerator according to claim 31, wherein the control unit further comprises an elastic member elastically supporting the locking unit.

33. The refrigerator according to claim 32, wherein the locking unit comprises a retractable roller selectively seated into the grooves of the movable body during a movement of the movable body.

34. The refrigerator according to claim 33, wherein the locking unit further comprises a roller bracket elastically supported at a first end thereof by the elastic member, and rotatably holding the roller at a second end thereof.

35. The refrigerator according to claim 34, wherein the roller is perpendicularly placed relative to the movable body, and the roller is elastically retractable.

36. The refrigerator according to claim 25, wherein the grooves of the movable body are curved to form a waved configuration.

37. The refrigerator according to claim 25, further comprising a control chamber perpendicularly defined at a sidewall of the leg casing, wherein the control unit is disposed in the control chamber.

38. The refrigerator according to claim 37, wherein the control chamber is integrally formed on a sidewall of the leg casing by outwardly depressing the sidewall.

39. The refrigerator according to claim 37, wherein the control chamber is defined in a separate member provided at a predetermined position on a sidewall of the leg casing.

40. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet with a storage compartment;

a door hinged to the cabinet to close the storage compartment;

a leg casing installed in a lower portion of the cabinet;

a movable body coupled to the door, wherein the movable body is arranged in the leg casing so as to move along a longitudinal axis in opposite directions in the leg casing in accordance with door opening and door closing actions, wherein the movable body is provided with a plurality of grooves formed along a longitudinal side surface thereof;

a control unit to control an opposite directional movement of the movable body in a multi-stage manner such that the refrigerator door is maintained at a selected one of a plurality of predetermined positions between a closed position and a fully open position, wherein the control unit comprises a locking unit selectively engaging with the plurality of grooves provided to the movable body and an elastic member elastically supporting the locking unit; and

a dampening unit provided in said leg casing to dampen a rearward movement of the movable body during a door closing action, thus retarding energy generated from the door closure, wherein the dampening unit comprises an elastic support unit elastically supporting a rear end of the movable body.

41. The refrigerator according to claim 40, wherein the elastic support unit comprises a support member supporting the rear end of the movable body, and further comprises an elastic member provided at a rear end of the support member.

42. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the support member is mounted to the rear end of the movable body.

43. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the elastic member is connected to the rear end of the support member.

44. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the elastic member comprises one or more compression springs.

45. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the elastic member is two or more compression springs arranged in parallel.

46. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the support unit is disposed on an inner surface of the rear end wall of the leg casing.

47. The refrigerator according to claim 41, wherein the support unit is disposed between the rear end wall of the leg casing and the rear end of the movable body.