Refrigerator having height-adjustable door

• US 20060244351A1
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Myung Soo, Moon, Sun Nam
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/405
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2500/02 Geometry problems

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator having a height-adjustable door. The body of the refrigerator has at least one storage space having a front opening. The door is coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, and a hinge hole is formed on the bottom surface of the door. A hinge frame is fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body and has a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole so as to rotatably support the door. The hinge shaft is covered with a hinge bush, a part of which is inserted into the hinge hole. The hinge bush has a flange portion on its lower end for supporting the bottom surface of the door. A height adjustment screw is screw-coupled to a screw hole of the hinge frame so as to travel vertically. The upper end of the height adjustment screw abuts the bottom surface of the hinge bush so that, when rotated, the height adjustment screw lifts/lowers the hinge bush, in order to adjust the height of the door.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a height-adjustable door comprising:

a body having at least one storage space having a front opening;

a door coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, a hinge hole being formed on a bottom surface of the door;

a hinge frame fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body, the hinge frame having a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole so as to rotatably support the door;

a hinge bush interposed between the hinge frame and the door; and

a lifting/lowering means supported on the hinge frame and adapted to lift/lower the hinge bush so that the door is lifted/lowered.

2. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifting/lowering means has a height adjustment screw screw-coupled to a screw hole of the hinge frame, and an upper end of the height adjustment screw abuts a bottom surface of the hinge bush and lifts/lowers the hinge bush when the height adjustment screw is rotated.

3. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge bush has a stem portion fitted into the hinge hole, the stem portion being hollow so that the hinge shaft is inserted into the stem portion from below, and a flange portion extending from a lower end of the stem portion in a radial direction and abutting the bottom surface of the door.

4. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein a flange portion extends from the upper end of the height adjustment screw in a radial direction.

5. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 4, wherein a receiving hole is formed on a bottom surface of the hinge bush and receives the flange portion.

6. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hinge frame has a fixing portion fixed to the front surface of the body and a support portion extending forwards from an upper end of the fixing portion, and the hinge shaft is positioned on the support portion.

7. A refrigerator having a height-adjustable door comprising:

a body having at least one storage space having a front opening;

a door coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, a hinge hole being formed on a bottom surface of the door;

a hinge frame fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body, the hinge frame having a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole so as to rotatably support the door;

a door support plate inserted into the hinge shaft and adapted to abut the bottom surface of the door; and

a height adjustment screw screw-coupled to the hinge frame in a position corresponding to a lower portion of the door support plate, the height adjustment screw being adapted to travel upwards/downwards when rotated so that the door support plate is lifted/lowered.

8. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a plurality of washers fitted to the hinge shaft between the door support plate and the hinge frame.

9. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hinge frame has a fixing portion fixed to the front surface of the lower portion of the body and a support portion extending forwards from an upper end of the fixing portion, the hinge shaft is positioned on the support portion, and the height adjustment screw is screw-coupled to the support portion.

10. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 9, wherein a hole is formed on a bottom surface of the door support plate and receives an upper end of the height adjustment screw.

11. A refrigerator having a height-adjustable door comprising:

a body having at least one storage space having a front opening;

a door coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, a hinge hole being formed on a bottom surface of the door;

a hinge frame fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body so as to bear weight of the door;

a height adjustment plate supported on the hinge frame, the height adjustment plate having a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole so as to rotatably support the door; and

a lifting/lowering means for lifting/lowering the height adjustment plate with an upper end of the lifting/lowering means extending through the hinge frame.

12. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lifting/lowering means comprises:

a lift portion adapted to abut a bottom surface of the height adjustment plate with an upper end of the lift portion extending through the hinge frame, a thread being formed on an outer peripheral edge of the lift portion in a direction;

a support leg portion coaxially positioned with a predetermined spacing from the lift portion, a thread being formed on an outer peripheral edge of the support leg portion in a direction opposite to the direction of the thread of the lift portion; and

a lift block at least partially screw-coupled to the lift portion and the support leg portion, threads being formed on an inner peripheral edge of the lift block so as to be screw-coupled to the threads of the lift portion and the support leg portion, respectively.

13. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 11, wherein a support protrusion extends downwards from the bottom surface of the height adjustment plate, and an insertion hole is formed on the hinge frame so that the support protrusion is inserted into the insertion hole.

14. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 11, wherein the hinge frame has a fixing portion fixed to the front surface of the lower portion of the body and a support portion extending forwards from an upper end of the fixing portion, and the hinge shaft is positioned on the support portion.

15. A refrigerator having a height-adjustable door comprising:

a body having at least one storage space having a front opening;

a door coupled to the body so as to cover/uncover the storage space, a hinge hole being formed on a bottom surface of the door;

a fixing socket fixed to a front surface of a lower portion of the body and provided with a pocket portion having an upper opening;

a hinge bracket having a fixing portion extending vertically to be inserted into the pocket portion and a support portion extending forwards from an upper end of the fixing portion, a hinge shaft being formed on an upper surface of the support portion to be coupled to the hinge hole of the door;

a lifting/lowering means for lifting/lowering the hinge bracket; and

a fixing means for fixing the hinge bracket after position adjustment using the lifting/lowering means.

16. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 15, wherein the lifting/lowering means comprises:

a height adjustment plate extending forwards from the fixing portion of the hinge bracket;

a fixing piece extending forwards from a front surface of the fixing socket in a position corresponding to a lower portion of the height adjustment plate, the fixing piece having a screw hole having a threaded inner peripheral edge; and

an adjustment screw screw-coupled to the screw hole of the fixing piece, an upper end of the adjustment screw abutting a bottom surface of the height adjustment plate, the height adjustment plate being exposed forwards via a cutout formed on the front surface of the fixing socket, the cutout extending a predetermined distance vertically, so that the height adjustment plate is moved vertically by the adjustment screw.

17. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 15, wherein the fixing means comprises a number of fastening bolts screw-coupled to a front portion so as to extend to an inner portion of the pocket portion, the front portion defining a front surface of the pocket portion, and rear ends of the fastening bolts force the hinge bracket against a rear surface of the inner portion of the pocket portion and fix the hinge bracket to the rear surface.

18. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 15, wherein the fixing means comprises:

a number of fixing holes formed on a front portion defining a front surface of the pocket portion;

a number of fastening holes formed on a rear portion of the pocket portion in a position corresponding to the fixing holes, the fastening holes having threaded inner peripheral edges;

guide holes formed on the hinge bracket so as to extend vertically; and

fastening bolts fastened to the fastening holes so as to fix the hinge bracket inside the pocket portion, the fastening bolts extending through the fixing holes and the guide holes.