Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544984-B2
Application number	US-201715592532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	May 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a storage space, a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, a door dike protruding from a rear surface of the door toward the storage space along a circumference of the rear surface of the door, and a guide groove defined at an inside surface of the door dike. The refrigerator also includes a plurality of fixing grooves recessed from a first inner surface of the guide groove and vertically spaced apart from each other, a receiving member configured to mount to the door dike, and a restricting member located at an outside surface of the receiving member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space;
a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space;
a door dike protruding from a rear surface of the door toward the storage space along a circumference of the rear surface of the door;
a guide groove defined at an inside surface of the door dike, the guide groove extending in a vertical direction with respect to a bottom of the cabinet;
a plurality of fixing grooves recessed from a first inner surface of the guide groove and vertically spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of fixing grooves extending in a direction intersecting the guide groove;
a receiving member configured to mount to the door dike, the receiving member being movable in the vertical direction and being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the inside surface of the door dike; and
a restricting member that is located at an outside surface of the receiving member, the restricting member being configured to move along the guide groove,
wherein the restricting member comprises:
a rotational center part protruding from the outside surface of the receiving member and configured to insert into the guide groove, the receiving member being rotatable about the rotational center part,
a fixing part protruding from the outside surface of the receiving member and vertically spaced apart from the rotational center part, the fixing part being configured to selectively insert into a fixing groove among the plurality of fixing grooves based on the receiving member rotating about the rotational center part,
an extension part that has a rib shape, that connects the rotational center part to the fixing part, and that extends in the vertical direction from an upper end connected to the rotational center part to a lower end connected to the fixing part, and
an elastic part protruding toward a second inner surface of the guide groove opposite the first inner surface of the guide groove, the elastic part being configured to elastically deform based on the receiving member rotating about the rotational center part, deformation of the elastic part providing an elastic force that causes the fixing part to insert into the fixing groove,

wherein the elastic part extends from one side of the extension part in a direction away from the rotation center part, the elastic part having an end portion spaced apart from the fixing part.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the elastic part is configured to be pressed by the second inner surface of the guide groove based on the fixing part being received by the fixing groove.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the elastic part is configured to elastically deform by being pressed by the second inner surface of the guide groove based on the receiving member rotating about the rotating center part, and
wherein the fixing part is configured to separate from the fixing groove based on the elastic part being elastically deformed to a predetermined position.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the rotational center part is located vertically above the fixing part.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the extension part is configured to be in surface contact with the first inner surface of the guide groove based on the fixing part being received by the fixing groove.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the elastic part protrudes from a front surface of the extension part and extends downwardly toward the second inner surface of the guide groove, and
wherein the end portion of the elastic part is closer to the fixing part than to the rotational center part.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the elastic part includes:
a first part protruding from the front surface of the extension part and inclined downwardly toward the second inner surface of the guide groove;
a second part extending from a lower end of the first part and inclined downwardly toward the first inner surface of the guide groove; and
a round part connecting the first and second parts, the round part being configured to contact the second inner surface of the guide groove.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the elastic part has a rib shape and at least a portion of the elastic part is spaced apart from the outside surface of the receiving member to define a space between the elastic part and the outside surface of the receiving member.

9. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the elastic part and the extension part define a moving space therebetween, and
wherein the moving space becomes narrower based on the elastic part being elastically deformed.

10. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein a lower end of the second part of the elastic part is spaced apart from the front surface of the extension part.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the fixing part has an upper surface that slopes relative to the first inner surface of the guide groove, and
wherein the fixing groove has an upper surface that slopes relative to the first inner surface of the guide groove.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a mounting member that protrudes from the inside surface of the door dike, the mounting member defining the guide groove and the fixing groove.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the mounting member and the door dike are integrally formed by injection molding.

14. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the mounting member is detachably coupled to the inside surface of the door dike.

15. The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the mounting member includes:
a first body protruding from a first portion of the inside surface of the door dike; and
a second body protruding from a second portion of the inside surface of the door dike, the second portion being closer to the rear surface of the door than the first portion,
wherein at least a portion of the second body is spaced apart from the first body such that the guide groove is defined in a space between the first body and the second body.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the mounting member defines an opening at an upper end of the guide groove, the restricting member being configured to insert into the guide groove through the opening.

17. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the second body defines the plurality of fixing grooves.

18. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the receiving member protrudes toward the storage space relative to the door dike based on the receiving member mounting to the door dike.

19. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the rotational center part has a curved section, and
wherein at least a portion of the rotational center part contacts the second inner surface of the guide groove based on the receiving member rotating about the rotational center part.

20. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the restricting member is integrally formed with the receiving member.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Yoomin
• Jang Heonjae
• Son Jinho

Classifications

• F25D23/04

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

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D25/022

  Baskets · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title