Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10234191-B2
Application number	US-201414898469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a cabinet ( 10 ) configured to define a first storage region in which food is stored, a door ( 20 ) rotatably connected to a first rotating shaft via a first hinge member ( 40 ) to open or close the first storage region, the first rotating shaft being located at the front of the cabinet ( 10 ), a gasket provided at the door ( 20 ) and a container ( 100 ) configured to define a second storage region, the second storage region being received in the first storage region, the container ( 100 ) being rotatably connected to a second rotating shaft via a second hinge member ( 200 ), the second rotating shaft being located at the door ( 20 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a first storage region and configured to store food;
a door rotatably connected to the cabinet via a first hinge member having a first rotating shaft located at a front of the cabinet to open or close the first storage region, the door having a storage member;
a gasket provided at the door; and
a container defining a second storage region that is configured to be received in the first storage region of the cabinet, the container being rotatably connected to the door via a second hinge member that comprises a second rotating shaft provided at the door,
wherein the container is provided with a centrally formed opening and comprises a body that defines a rectangular periphery of the centrally formed opening,
wherein the body comprises a frame and a frame cover configured to surround the frame,
wherein the frame comprises:
a first member defining a lower side of the frame;
a second member that is provided at one end of the first member and that extends in a perpendicular direction to the first member;
a third member that is provided at one end of the second member and that extends in a perpendicular direction to the second member; and
a fourth member provided in a perpendicular direction to the first member,
wherein the second hinge member is provided at the fourth member, and
wherein the first member, the second member, and the third member are portions of a single integrated structure,
wherein the fourth member comprises a hinge coupler coupled to the second hinge member,
wherein the hinge coupler is provided with a coupling slit through which the second hinge member is inserted and coupled,
wherein the first member and the third member have the form of a pipe provided with a cavity therein, and
wherein the hinge coupler is inserted into the cavity so as to be coupled to the first member or the third member.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the frame comprises a bent portion that defines an angled connection between the first member and the second member or between the second member and the third member,
a constituent material of the first member, the second member, and the third member is a first material, and
the bent portion is composed of the first material.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the bent portion comprises a first portion that faces towards the opening and a second portion that faces away from the opening, the first portion having a curvature that is greater than a curvature of the second portion.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the bent portion is provided with a recess that is indented in an outer surface of the bent portion.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first member, the second member, the third member, and the fourth member have a polygonal cross section.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first member, the second member, and the third member have a form of a hollow pipe.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge coupler is composed of a metal that is different from the constituent material of the first member, the second member and the third member.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge coupler is composed of a forged metal.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge coupler is configured to have surface contact with and to be coupled to the second hinge member in the coupling slit.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the second hinge member comprises:
an insert portion configured to be inserted into the coupling slit; and
a seat portion having a cross section that is greater than a cross section of the insert portion, the seat portion having a height that is raised relative to a height of the insert portion.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the coupling slit is greater than a width of the coupling slit.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge coupler comprises a first coupling portion in the form of a horizontally extending portion and a second coupling portion that is bent from the first coupling portion at a right angle.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises a cover configured to open and close a back surface of the container.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the cover is provided with a slot, that is configured to provide a passage for cold air to move from the first storage region into the second storage region.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , further comprising a coupling device configured to selectively maintain the cover in a fixed state such that the cover closes the back surface of the container.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the frame cover comprises:
a first frame cover located at one side of the body; and
a second frame cover mounted to the first frame cover and configured to surround the body.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a raised portion configured to protrude in an outer circumferential direction of the container, and
wherein the raised portion is configured to cover at least a portion of a gap between the container and the first storage region.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the raised portion is provided with a gas movement passage configured for gas assisted injection molding.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the raised portion is integrally provided at the container.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the raised portion is tapered by a predetermined angle.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the raised portion is coupled to a gasket, the gasket being composed of a rubber having predetermined elasticity.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises a rotatable roller at the bottom thereof.

23. The refrigerator according to claim 22 , wherein the roller contacts an inner case and is configured to support the container in an upward direction to counteract a sagging of the container, the inner case defining the first storage region.

24. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet defining a first storage region and configured to store food;
a first hinge member supported by the cabinet;
a door configured to open and close the first storage region, the door being connected to the first hinge member so as to be rotatable relative to the cabinet, the door having a gasket that is attached to an inner surface of the door and that defines a sealing boundary configured to maintain cold air within the first storage region, the door having a storage member;
a container defining an auxiliary storage region that is separate from the first storage region, the container being selectively received in the first storage region of the cabinet and being pivotally rotatable simultaneously with the door or independently of the door in a state in which the container is separated from the cabinet; and
a second hinge member configured to support the container so as to be pivotally rotatable relative to the door,
wherein the container is provided inside the sealing boundary in a state in which the door is closed, and the gasket of the door contacts a front surface of the cabinet so as to simultaneously seal the first storage region of

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Sungwoo
• Kim Myunghwan
• Park Jisu
• Kim Hyunbum
• Kim Jindong
• Im Jihyun

Classifications

• F25D2400/38

  Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels · CPC title

• B22D17/00

  Pressure die casting or injection die casting, i.e. casting in which the metal is forced into a mould under high pressure · CPC title

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D23/04

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title