Refrigerator includes a second door disposed on a first door, a shelf disposed on the first door, a connection assembly connecting the shelf to the second door and linking opening of the second door to rotate the shelf

• US 8,944,534 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Kiyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doyle, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US13/817,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 312/404, 312405-4051, 312291-292, 163/09, 16312-313, 163/18
• US Class Current: 312/292
• 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 2323/023 Door in door constructions
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/027 Rotatable shelves

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage space, a first door opening or closing the storage space, an accommodation device defining an accommodation space opened toward a front surface of the first door, a second door disposed on the first door to open or close the accommodation device, a shelf disposed on the first door, the shelf being spread to the outside of the accommodation device by the rotation thereof, and a connection assembly connecting the shelf to the second door, the connection assembly being linked with the opening of the second door to rotate the shelf. Thus, convenience of use may be improved.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet;

a storage compartment within the cabinet;

a first door configured to open and close the storage compartment;

an accommodation device that defines an accommodation space opened toward a front surface of the first door and that is configured to move with the first door when the first door rotates between opened and closed positions;

a second door that is disposed on the first door, that is configured to open and close the accommodation device, and that enables access to the accommodation space when the first door is oriented in a closed position;

a shelf that is disposed on the first door, that is configured to, when the second door opens, rotate from a stored position located within the accommodation space to a supporting position extended out of the accommodation space, and that is configured to, when the second door closes, rotate from the supporting position to the stored position;

a connection assembly that connects the shelf to the second door, that is configured to, when the second door opens, cause the shelf to rotate from the stored position to the supporting position, and that is configured to, when the second door closes, cause the shelf to rotate from the supporting position to the stored position; and

a damping unit configured to absorb shock of the shelf during rotation of the shelf to reduce a rotation speed of the shelf,

wherein the refrigerator further comprises a ball-shaped joint member located at a first end of the connection assembly and coupled to a bottom surface of the shelf, and

wherein the first end of the connection assembly is rotatably coupled to the shelf by the joint member and a second end of the connection assembly is rotatably coupled to the second door.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein both left and right side surfaces of the shelf are shaft-coupled to an opening defined in the accommodation device.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second door has a shelf receiving part stepped to receive the shelf when the shelf is oriented in the stored position.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the connection assembly has a variable length.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the connection assembly comprises:

a joint rod rotatably coupled to the joint member;

a connecting rod in which the joint rod is received;

a mounting member mounted on the second door; and

a connection member rotatably connected to the mounting member and the connecting rod.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the connection member comprises:

a connection member rotation shaft that connects the mounting member to the connection member and that rotates the connection member in a same direction as that in which the second door is rotated; and

a rod shaft that connects the connection member to the connecting rod and that rotates the connecting rod in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the second door rotates.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a lower hinge assembly disposed on a rotation shaft of the second door, the lower hinge assembly being rotated along an inclined cam surface by weight of the second door when the second door opens.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the lower hinge assembly comprises:

a hinge fixing part that is fixed to an extending line of the rotation shaft of the second door;

a hinge rotation part that is configured to move vertically above the hinge fixing part, the hinge rotation part being rotated together with the second door; and

an elastic member that supports the hinge rotation part upward, the elastic member providing an elasticity to maintain a contact state between the hinge rotation part and the hinge fixing part.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein first and third cam surfaces inclined downward are disposed on the hinge fixing part and the hinge rotation part, respectively, and the first and second cam surfaces contact each other in a state in which the second door is closed to rotate the second door by weight of the second door during the opening of the second door.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein second and fourth cam surfaces inclined upward are disposed on the hinge fixing part and the hinge rotation part, respectively, and the second and fourth cam surfaces contact each other when the second door is opened at an angle greater than a preset angle to reduce and restrict the rotation of the second door.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first door and the second door rotate in a same direction and the shelf rotates in a direction that is perpendicular to the same direction in which the first door and the second door rotate.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation device comprises a housing that is detachably coupled to the first door and that defines the accommodation space.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first door comprises a horizontal recess that is defined at a center portion of the first door and that provides a handle that enables a user to pull open the first door.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second door aligns with an uppermost edge of the first door when the second door is oriented in a closed position and a height of the second door is about half of a height of the first door.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a gasket provided on at least one of a rear surface of the second door and a front surface of the accommodation device and configured to seal the accommodation space when the second door is oriented in a closed position.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first hinge that attaches an upper portion of the second door; and

a second hinge that attaches a lower portion of the second door to a center portion of the first door.