Refrigerator including multiple storage compartments

• US 9,175,902 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Seungjin, Lee, Jonghwa, Choi, Changbong, Park, Manho, Lim, Kiyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gallego, Andres F
• Application Number:
  US14/165,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 312/405, 312/321.5, 312/291, 312/292, 312/293.1, 312/293.2, 312/326, 312/328, 312/329, 312/324, 312/204, 312/405.1, 163/65, 163/66, 163/17, 162/84, 49/61, 49/62, 49/63, 49/65, 491/42, 49/98, 491/04, 491/09, 292/197, 292/198
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0042 For refrigerators or cold rooms E05B17/0075 takes precedence; magnetic E05C19/16
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1078 the maintaining means acting parallel to the pivot
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/00 Construction of single parts, e.g. the parts for attachment
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/00 Hinges or pivots of special construction used for special suspension arrangements E05D15/00; so as to be self-closing E05F1/06, E05F1/12; with means for raising wings before being turned E05F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/081 the pivot axis of the wing being situated near one edge of the wing, especially at the top and bottom, e.g. trunnions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/00 Braking devices, e.g. checks; Stops; Buffers construction of pneumatic or liquid braking devices E05F3/00; braking devices, buffers or end stops on drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture A47B88/473; combined with devices for holding wings open E05C17/00; devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing E05C17/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/71 Secondary wings, e.g. pass doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• 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 23/025 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 23/085 Breaking strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/087 Sealing strips
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/027 Rotatable shelves

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a first storage compartment, a first door that is opened or closed to allow or prevent access to an interior of the first storage compartment, a storing device coupled to the first door to define a second storage compartment, and a second door connected to the first door that is opened or closed to allow or prevent access to an interior of the second storage compartment. The first door includes a plurality of first coupling parts to which the storing device is coupled. The storing device includes a frame and a basket installed on the frame, each including at least one second coupling part interacting with at least one of the plurality of first coupling parts. A front surface of the second door is positioned to be generally coplanar with at least a portion of a front surface of the first door.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet;

a first storage area within the cabinet;

a first door that has a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first door being rotatably connected to the cabinet, wherein when the first door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the first door contacts a front surface of the cabinet, the first door including;

a pair of door dikes protruding rearward, respectively, from both side edge portions of the rear surface of the first door, each of the pair of door dikes extending in a vertical direction, the pair of door dikes defining at least a first portion of a second storage area within the first door in which a plurality of vertically spaced shelves are arranged,

an access opening defined between the pair of door dikes and configured to enable access to the second storage area,

a plurality of first coupling parts disposed on inner side surfaces of the pair of door dikes, and

a first stepped portion defined as part of the upper surface of the first door, the first stepped portion being recessed downward from an uppermost portion of the upper surface of the first door;

a second door that has a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the second door being rotatably connected to the first door, wherein when the second door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the second door contacts the front surface of the first door to close the access opening, wherein the second door includes a second stepped portion defined as part of the upper surface of the second door, the second stepped portion being recessed downward from an uppermost portion of the upper surface of the second door;

a hinge assembly including;

a first hinge that rotatably couples the first stepped portion to an upper surface of the cabinet, and

a second hinge that rotatably couples the second stepped portion to the first stepped portion, wherein a rotation direction of the first door for opening the first storage area is the same as a rotation direction of the second door for opening the access opening;

a frame coupled to the pair of door dikes and defining at least a second portion of the second storage area that is different from the first portion of the second storage area defined by the pair of door dikes, the frame defining at least the second portion of the second storage area by covering at least a portion of side and rear surfaces of the second storage area such that, when the first door is oriented in the closed position, the frame provides at least a partial barrier between the second storage area and the first storage area, the frame including;

a pair of side surfaces that extend in the vertical direction and whose front ends are in contact with the rear ends of the pair of the door dikes,

a plurality of horizontal plates connecting the pair of the side surfaces, the plurality of horizontal plates being vertically spaced apart from each other, and

extension parts vertically extending from both side ends of each of the horizontal plates and protruding forward from the front ends of the pair of side surfaces,

a basket fixed to inner surfaces of the pair of side surfaces of the frame, wherein a portion of both side walls of the basket further protrude forward from the front ends of the pair of side surfaces of the frame; and

a plurality of second coupling parts provided at outer surfaces of the extension parts and the side walls of the basket, and configured to be detachably coupled to the plurality of first coupling parts,

wherein the extension parts further include upper extension parts on the side ends of an upper one of the plurality of horizontal plates and lower extension parts on the side ends of a lower one of the plurality of horizontal plates, the upper extension parts being vertically aligned and spaced apart from the lower extension parts, respectively, to thereby define respective openings therebetween.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first door includes:

a first part; and

a second part positioned above the first part and having a thickness less than a thickness of the first part.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the access opening is formed in the second part, and the second door is connected to the second part to selectively open and close the access opening.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the second door is oriented in a closed position, a front surface of the first part and the front surface of the second door are coplanar.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a grip part configured to be pulled by a user to open the first door, the grip part being positioned between the first part and a lower end of the second door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein when the first and second doors are closed, a second distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the second door is less than a first distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the cabinet, the first distance being defined as a thickness of the first door and the second distance being defined as a thickness of the second door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein a diameter of a hinge shaft of the first hinge is greater than a diameter of a hinge shaft of the second hinge.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first coupling parts includes a pair of projection parts that are horizontally spaced apart from each other, and wherein each of the plurality of second coupling parts includes:

an insertion part that extends vertically and is configured to be inserted between the pair of projection parts; and

a placement part that extends horizontally from an end of the insertion part.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the placement part is configured to be supported by at least one of the pair of projection parts.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a cover that covers at least a portion of a rear surface of the frame.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the cover is rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis located at an upper end of the cover.

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

a shelf rotatably coupled to an inner edge of the access opening; and

a connection assembly connecting the shelf to the second door.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein when the second door is opened, the connection assembly causes the shelf to rotate outward to a horizontal orientation.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a door basket coupled to the rear surface of the second door.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein the door basket has a depth such that, when the second door is closed, the door basket does not interfere with structures within the second storage area.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion are configured to be coplanar.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second stepped portion is recessed downward starting at a predetermined distance away from the front surface of the second door, such that when the second door is oriented in a closed position, the hinge assembly is not exposed through the front surface of the second door.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first door and the upper surface of the second door are configured to be coplanar.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of horizontal plates include a supporter and a lower surface of the frame.

20. A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet;

a first storage area within the cabinet;

a first door that has a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first door being rotatably connected to the cabinet, wherein when the first door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the first door contacts a front surface of the cabinet, the first door including;

a pair of door dikes protruding rearward, respectively, from both side edge portions of the rear surface of the first door, each of the pair of door dikes extending in a vertical direction,

a second storage area positioned at the rear surface of the first door,

an access opening defined between the pair of door dikes and configured to enable access to the second storage area, and

a first stepped portion defined as part of the upper surface of the first door, the first stepped portion being recessed downward from an uppermost portion of the upper surface of the first door;

a second door that has a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the second door being rotatably connected to the first door, wherein when the second door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the second door contacts the front surface of the first door to close the access opening, wherein the second door includes a second stepped portion defined as part of the upper surface of the second door, the second stepped portion being recessed downward from an uppermost portion of the upper surface of the second door;

a hinge assembly including;

a first hinge coupling the first stepped portion to an upper surface of the cabinet, and

a second hinge coupling the second stepped portion to the first stepped portion, wherein a rotation direction of the first door for opening the first storage area is the same as a rotation direction of the second door for opening the access opening;

a frame supported by the first door, the frame defining at least a portion of the second storage area by covering at least a portion of side and rear surfaces of the second storage area, the frame including;

a pair of side surfaces that extend in the vertical direction and whose front ends are in contact with the rear ends of the pair of the door dikes, and

a supporter disposed horizontally within the second storage area and connecting the pair of side surfaces of the frame;

a basket installation part placed on the supporter and disposed within the second storage area, the basket installation part including;

an upper surface that is horizontally oriented,

a pair of side surfaces each extending vertically from the side ends of the upper surface, and

a receiving part defined by the upper surface and the both side surfaces; and

a slidable basket configured to be slidably received in the receiving part of the basket installation part below the upper surface and to be slidably pulled out through the access opening.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein the first door includes:

a first part; and

a second part positioned above the first part and having a thickness less than a thickness of the first part.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein the access opening is formed in the second part, and the second door is connected to the second part to selectively open and close the access opening.

23. The refrigerator according to claim 22, wherein when the second door is oriented in a closed position, a front surface of the first part and the front surface of the second door are coplanar.

24. The refrigerator according to claim 21, further comprising a grip part configured to be pulled by a user to open the first door, the grip part being positioned between the first part and a lower end of the second door.

25. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein when the first and second doors are oriented in closed positions, a distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the second door is less than a distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the cabinet.

26. The refrigerator according to claim 25, wherein a diameter of a hinge shaft of the first hinge is greater than a diameter of a hinge shaft of the second hinge.

27. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein at least a portion of a rear surface of the frame is open, and the frame includes a cover that covers at least a portion of the open rear surface of the frame.

28. The refrigerator according to claim 27, wherein the cover is rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis located at an upper end of the cover.

29. The refrigerator according to claim 20, further comprising:

a shelf rotatably coupled to an inner edge of the access opening; and

a connection assembly connecting the shelf to the second door.

30. The refrigerator according to claim 29, wherein when the second door is opened, the connection assembly causes the shelf to rotate outward to a horizontal orientation.

31. The refrigerator according to claim 20, further comprising a door basket coupled to the rear surface of the second door.

32. The refrigerator according to claim 31, wherein the door basket has a depth such that, when the second door is closed, the door basket does not interfere with structures within the second storage area.

33. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion are configured to be coplanar.

34. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein the second stepped portion is recessed downward starting at a predetermined distance away from the front surface of the second door, such that the hinge assembly is not exposed through the front surface of the second door.

35. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein the upper surface of the first door and the upper surface of the second door are configured to be coplanar.

36. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein the basket installation part is detachably coupled to the supporter.

37. The refrigerator according to claim 20, further comprising:

a first guide part extending in a front-to-rear direction at both side surfaces of the slidable basket; and

a second guide part extending in a front-to-rear direction at both side surfaces of the basket installation part, the second guide part being slidably coupled to the first guide part to guide a sliding movement of the slidable basket.

38. The refrigerator according to claim 20, further comprises further comprising an additional basket disposed on the upper surface of the basket installation part.

39. The refrigerator according to claim 20, wherein a width of the slidable basket is less than a width of the access opening.