Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10598428-B2
Application number	US-201816236843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2018
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet; an upper door; a lower door that is a drawer type door; a draw-out rail that connects the lower door to a storage space in the cabinet and that guides insertion and withdrawal of the lower door in a front-rear direction; an elevation assembly that is located in the lower door, that elevates an object stored in the lower door in a state in which the lower door is withdrawn, and that elevates the object relative to the lower door; and a door restriction device configured to selectively restrict an opening movement of the upper door based on whether the lower door is opened or closed. The door restriction device is configured to restrict the opening movement of the upper door based on the lower door being opened, and to allow the opening movement of the upper door based on the lower door being closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space;
an upper door configured to open and close a first portion of the storage space;
a lower door that is located vertically below the upper door, the lower door being configured to open and close a second portion of the storage space and configured to insert into and withdraw from the second portion of the storage space;
a draw-out rail that connects the lower door to the storage space and that is configured to guide insertion and withdrawal of the lower door in a front-rear direction;
an elevation assembly that is located in the lower door, that is configured to elevate an object stored in the lower door in a state in which the lower door is withdrawn, and that is configured to elevate the object relative to the lower door;
a partition member that partitions a front end of the storage space, that extends in a horizontal direction to define the first portion and the second portion of the storage space, and that is disposed between the upper door and the lower door; and
a door restriction device located at the partition member and configured to selectively restrict an opening movement of the upper door based on whether the lower door is opened or closed,
wherein the door restriction device is configured to restrict the opening movement of the upper door based on the lower door being opened, and to allow the opening movement of the upper door based on the lower door being closed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the partition member is configured to:
contact a rear surface of the upper door in a state in which the upper door is closed, and
contact a rear surface of the lower door in a state in which the lower door is closed.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the door restriction device comprises:
a push member that is configured to protrude to a front side of the partition member and that is configured to contact the lower door and to move in forward and rearward directions based on the lower door opening and closing the second portion of the storage space; and
a slider that is configured to, based on the push member moving in the rearward direction, move upward and couple to the upper door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the upper door is rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the first portion of the storage space based on rotating relative to the cabinet.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the partition member partitions the storage space into an upper storage space that is configured to be covered by the upper door, and a lower storage space that is configured to be opened and closed by the lower door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door restriction device comprises:
a restriction device case;
a push member accommodated in the restriction device case and configured to move in forward and rearward directions in a state in which the push member contacts the lower door; and
a slider that is accommodated in the restriction device case and that is configured to, based on the push member moving in the forward and rearward directions, move in a vertical direction to restrict and release the opening movement of the upper door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the door restriction device further comprises an elastic member that connects the restriction device case to the push member and that is configured to provide elastic force to the push member.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the restriction device case is disposed between the upper door and the lower door,
wherein the push member is configured to be pushed in the rearward direction by a rear surface of the lower door, and
wherein the slider is configured to, based on the push member being pushed in the rearward direction, contact a bottom surface of the upper door and restrict the opening movement of the upper door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the upper door is configured to insert into and withdraw from the first portion of the storage space in the front-rear direction, and
wherein the upper door comprises a door restriction part that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the upper door and that is configured to couple to the slider in a state in which the upper door is closed.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the restriction device case comprises:
a push member accommodation part configured to accommodate the push member, the push member accommodation part defining a space that allows the push member to move in the forward and rearward directions; and
a slider accommodation part connected to the push member accommodation part in a direction crossing the push member accommodation part, the slider accommodation part defining a space that allows the slider to move in the vertical direction.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the restriction device case further comprises a movement guide that protrudes from an inner surface of the push member accommodation part and that extends along a front-rear direction, and
wherein the push member defines a guide groove that is recessed from at least one side surface of the push member, that is configured to receive the movement guide, and that is configured to guide a movement of the push member.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the push member comprises:
a first horizontal part configured to insert into and withdraw from the restriction device case and to contact the lower door;
a second horizontal part that extends in a direction parallel to the first horizontal part and that is located vertically above the first horizontal part;
a first inclined part that connects a rear end of the first horizontal part to a front end of the second horizontal part, the first inclined part being inclined with respect to the first horizontal part; and
a second inclined part that extends upward from a rear end of the second horizontal part, the second inclined part being inclined with respect to the second horizontal part, and
wherein the slider is configured to move in the vertical direction along the second inclined part.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the slider defines a through-hole configured to receive the second inclined part, the slider comprising an inner surface that defines the through-hole, that is configured to contact the second inclined part, and that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction corresponding to an inclination of the second inclined part.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the push member is inclined upward in a rearward direction toward the storage space, and
wherein the slider defines a through-hole configured to receive the push member, the slider comprising an inner surface that defines the through-hole and that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction corresponding to an inclination of the push member.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the push member comprises:
an inclined part configured to move in the front-rear direction within the restriction device case, the inclined part being inclined with respect to the front-rear direction;
a horizontal extension part that extends from an end of the inclined part toward a rear end of the lower door;
a vertical extension part that is bent from an end of the horizontal extension part and that extends to the rear end of the lower door; and
a contact part located at an end of the vertical extension part and configured to conta

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jeonggil

Classifications

• F25D29/006

  Safety devices · CPC title

• F25D23/069

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• F25D23/021

  Sliding doors · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• E05B65/0042

  For refrigerators or cold rooms (E05B17/0075 takes precedence; magnetic E05C19/16) · CPC title