Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10524586-B2
Application number	US-201815963498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a control unit provided in the cabinet and controlling an operation of the refrigerator, a main door that opens or closes the cabinet and has an opening formed therein, a main hinge that couples the cabinet to the main door and allows the main door to be pivotably mounted, a sub-door that is formed on a front surface of the refrigerator and opens or closes the opening, a sub-hinge that couples the main door to the sub-door and allows the sub-door to be pivotably mounted, a sub-hinge cover that simultaneously shield a main hinge shaft of the main hinge and a sub-hinge shaft of the sub-hinge, and a wire disposed to extend from an inside of the sub-door, to be connected with the control unit, and to sequentially pass through the sub-hinge shaft and the main hinge shaft along an inside of the sub-hinge cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet;
a control unit located at the cabinet and configured to control operation of the refrigerator;
a main door configured to open and close at least a portion of the cabinet, the main door defining a door opening;
a main hinge that is configured to couple the main door to the cabinet and that comprises a main hinge shaft, the main door being configured to rotate about the main hinge shaft;
a main hinge cover that is mounted on a top surface of the cabinet and that covers the main hinge;
a sub-door located at a front of the refrigerator and configured to open and close at least portion of the door opening of the main door, the sub-door defining a hole;
a transparent panel assembly that closes the hole of the sub-door and that is configured to selectively visualize an inside of the door opening, the transparent panel assembly including a display;
a circuit board disposed vertically above the transparent panel assembly and configured to control the display;
a sub-hinge that is configured to couple the sub-door to the main door and that comprises a sub-hinge shaft, the sub-door being configured to rotate about the sub-hinge shaft;
a sub-hinge cover including a cover body configured to cover at least a portion of the sub-hinge and a shaft cover part disposed vertically above the sub-hinge shaft; and
a wire inserted into the sub-door or the main door, the wire including a first wire that is connected to the control unit and that passes through the sub-hinge shaft,
wherein the shaft cover part defines a through hole through which the first wire passes, and the main hinge cover includes a main extending part disposed vertically above the shaft cover part, and
wherein the first wire passes a space defined by the shaft cover part and the main extending part and is connected to the control unit.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the shaft cover part includes:
a main shaft cover part disposed vertically above the main hinge shaft; and
a sub-shaft cover part disposed vertically above the sub-hinge shaft, and
wherein the through hole comprises a first through hole defined at the sub-shaft cover part and a second through hole defined at the main shaft cover part.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising a cover connection part that is located between the main shaft cover part and the sub-shaft cover part and that connects the main shaft cover part to the sub-shaft cover part.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the cover connection part comprises:
a cut-out portion configured to receive the first wire; and
a wire restriction part that is located at an inside of the cover connection part, that protrudes from the inside of the cover connection part toward the sub-shaft cover part, and that is configured to restrict movement of the first wire disposed inside of the sub-shaft cover part.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3 , further comprising a connector,
wherein a width of the connector is greater than a diameter of the first through hole of the sub-shaft cover part and less than a diameter of the second through hole of the main shaft cover part, and
wherein the first wire is configured to insert into the first through hole and pass into the second through hole through the cover connection part.

6. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the wire further includes:
a second wire that passes through the main hinge shaft, and
wherein the first wire and the second wire connect to the control unit through the second through hole of the main shaft cover part.

7. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the sub-door comprises a hinge mounting part located at a side of the sub-door and configured to receive the sub-hinge shaft,
wherein the wire further includes a third wire that extends from the inside of the sub-door toward the hinge mounting part, and
wherein the hinge mounting part defines a wire entrance part configured to receive a portion of the third wire that extends from the inside of the sub-door toward the hinge mounting part.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , further comprising a sub-cover located in the hinge mounting part and configured to receive at least a portion of the third wire that extends from the wire entrance part to the sub-shaft cover part.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the sub-hinge shaft, the sub-shaft cover part, and the sub-cover are arranged along a direction parallel to the sub-hinge shaft, and are configured to communicate with each other.

10. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the sub-cover is configured to guide the third wire to the sub-hinge cover,
wherein the sub-hinge cover is configured to allow the third wire to enter the inside of the sub-hinge cover through the first through hole, and
wherein the third wire further extends from the inside of the sub-hinge cover toward the control unit through the second through hole.

11. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the main hinge cover is configured to cover an upper portion of the main shaft cover part, and
wherein the main hinge shaft, the main shaft cover part, and the main hinge cover are arranged along a direction parallel to the main hinge shaft, and are configured to communicate with each other.

12. The refrigerator of claim 11 , further comprising a connection cover that is located at a top surface of the cabinet, that is configured to receive the wire, and that extends from the main hinge cover to the control unit.

13. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the transparent panel assembly is configured to change between transparent and non-transparent states to selectively allow an inside of the cabinet to be visible through the door opening.

14. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the third wire includes a plurality of wires that extend from the inside of the sub-door to an outside of the sub-door through the wire entrance part.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the third wire further includes at least one of:
a touch sensor wire configured to connect to a touch sensor that is configured to detect a touch input from the transparent panel assembly;
a ground wire configured to discharge static electricity based on receipt of the touch input on the transparent panel assembly;
a heater wire configured to connect to a heater that is configured to reduce concentration of dew on a front surface of the sub-door; and
a microphone wire configured to connect to a microphone that is configured to receive voice input.

16. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the sub-door defines a decoration opening located at an upper end of the sub-door and configured to communicate with an upper portion of the transparent panel assembly, and
wherein the circuit board is located in an inner part of the decoration opening and configured to control the transparent panel assembly, the inner part of the decoration opening being configured to communicate with the wire entrance part.

17. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the sub-hinge cover defines a stopping part that is recessed inwardly between the main shaft cover part and the sub-shaft cover part, and
wherein the stopping part is configured to, based on an opening angle of the sub-door, receive a side end portion of the sub-door to limit rotation of the sub-door about the sub-hinge shaft.

18. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the main shaft cover part is interposed between the main hinge shaft and the main extending part.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Changseok
• Lee Sangmyung

Classifications

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title

• F25D2400/40

  Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring · CPC title