Refrigerator and refrigerator door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018218-B2
Application number	US-201615274004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator and refrigerator door in which the door includes a door panel that includes metal and that defines a first surface of the door and a second surface of the door. The door also includes a bending portion that is bent from the door panel toward a first side of the door panel and a cap panel that includes metal, that defines a third surface of the door and a fourth surface of the door, that is coupled to the door panel and a first surface of the bending portion, and that includes a recess. The door further includes a fixing member that is configured to press a second surface of the bending portion and that is coupled to the cap panel. The bending portion of the door is configured to be pressed between the cap panel and the fixing member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a storage compartment that is located in the cabinet and that defines an interior area; and
a door configured to cover the interior area of the storage compartment,
wherein the door includes,
a door panel that includes metal and that defines a first surface of the door and a second surface of the door;
a bending portion that is bent from the door panel toward a first side of the door panel;
a cap panel that is made of metal, that defines a third surface of the door and a fourth surface of the door, that is coupled to the door panel and a first surface of the bending portion, and that includes a recess provided in the cap panel to function as a handle; and
a fixing member that is made of plastic and coupled to the cap panel to press a second surface of the bending portion,

wherein a shape of the fixing member substantially corresponds to a shape of a first surface of the cap panel,
wherein the fixing member includes a pressing portion projected from an edge of the fixing member to press the bending portion,
wherein the cap panel is made of metal and an edge portion of the cap panel covers the pressing portion, and
wherein the bending portion is configured to be inserted between the cap panel and the pressing portion of the fixing member.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion includes a plurality of ribs.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member includes a support portion configured to support an inner surface of the door panel.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the bending portion includes:
a first bending portion that is bent from the second surface of the door panel toward the first side of the door panel and that is slanted at a first angle;
a second bending portion that is bent from the second surface of the door panel toward the first side of the door panel and that is slanted at a second angle; and
a third bending portion that is bent from the first surface of the door panel toward the first side of the door panel, and
wherein the cap panel includes:
a first cap panel that is supported by the first bending portion and the third bending portion; and
a second cap panel that is supported by the second bending portion.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the first cap panel includes the recess.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the recess is extended in parallel to the first surface of the door.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel includes a fixing projection that is projected from a first surface of the cap panel,
wherein the fixing member includes a fixing groove that is recessed in the fixing member, and
wherein the fixing projection is configured to be inserted into the fixing groove.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member includes a penetrating hole, a portion of the cap panel being exposed to an internal area of the door panel through the penetrating hole, and
wherein the portion of the cap panel exposed through the penetrating hole is coupled to a blowing agent provided in the door panel.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the cap panel includes a fixing projection that is projected from a first surface of the cap panel, and
wherein the fixing projection is exposed to an internal area of the door panel through the penetrating hole.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel is coupled to the fixing member using an adhesive or adhesive tape.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel includes a die casting mold panel.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel includes a press mold panel.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the fixing member includes a protecting portion that is configured to cover a cut surface of the cap panel.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel includes an extrusion molding panel.

15. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the cap panel includes a fixing rib that is projected from a first surface of the cap panel and that is in parallel to the first surface of the door,
wherein the fixing member includes a fixing groove that is recessed on a first surface of the fixing member and that is in parallel to the first surface of the door, and
wherein the fixing rib is configured to be inserted into the fixing groove.

16. A refrigerator door, the refrigerator door being configured to cover an interior area of a compartment and comprising:
a door panel that includes metal and that defines a first surface of the door and a second surface of the door;
a bending portion that is bent from the door panel toward a first side of the door panel;
a cap panel that is made of metal, that defines a third surface of the door and a fourth surface of the door, that is coupled to the door panel and a first surface of the bending portion, and that includes a recess provided in the cap panel to function as a handle; and
a fixing member that is made of plastic and coupled to the cap panel to press a second surface of the bending portion,
wherein a shape of the fixing member substantially corresponds to a shape of a first surface of the cap panel,
wherein the fixing member includes a pressing portion projected from an edge of the fixing member to press the bending portion,
wherein the cap panel is made of metal and an edge portion of the cap panel covers the pressing portion, and
wherein the bending portion is configured to be inserted between the cap panel and the pressing portion of the fixing member.

17. The refrigerator door of claim 16 , wherein the cap panel includes a die casting mold panel.

18. The refrigerator door of claim 16 , wherein the cap panel includes a press mold panel.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Jaehun

Classifications

• F25D11/02 Primary

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• F16B47/003 Primary

  using adhesives for attaching purposes (using adhesives for connecting constructional elements F16B11/006) · CPC title