Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684062-B2
Application number	US-201515327406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator is disclosed. The refrigerator includes a cabinet provided with a storage compartment, an inner case to define an appearance of the storage compartment, a first door ( 20 ) pivotally mounted to the cabinet, to open or close one side of the storage compartment, and a second door ( 40 ) pivotally mounted to the cabinet, to open or close the other side of the storage compartment. The second door ( 40 ) is provided with a pillar ( 100 ) rotatable to come into contact with the first door ( 20 ). The pillar ( 100 ) is spaced apart from a top wall of the inner case and a bottom wall of the inner case, to be prevented from coming into contact with the inner case when the second door ( 40 ) is maintained to seal the storage compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet provided with a storage compartment;
an inner case that defines an appearance of the storage compartment;
a first door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, and that is configured to open or close one side of the storage compartment, wherein the first door is provided with a first door magnetic member with magnetic force, and a door dike magnetic member with magnetic force; and
a second door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, and that is configured to open or close the other side of the storage compartment, wherein the second door is provided with a second door magnetic member with magnetic force and a pillar that is configured to rotate to come into contact with the first door, wherein the pillar is provided with a first pillar magnetic member that is configured to magnetically interfere with the first door magnetic member, and a second pillar magnetic member that is configured to magnetically interfere with the second door magnetic member,
wherein the pillar is spaced apart from a top wall of the inner case and a bottom wall of the inner case, and is configured to remain spaced apart from the inner case when the second door is maintained to seal the storage compartment, and
wherein the pillar is configured to rotate on the second door based on rotation angles of the first door and configured to rotate when the first door opens the storage compartment under a condition that the second door seals, by a magnetic force, the storage compartment,
wherein gaskets are installed at rear sides of the first and second doors, and
the first door does not contact any element that is installed in the storage compartment, and only the gasket of the first door contacts the inner case when the first door seals the storage compartment.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the pillar is configured to contact the first and second doors when the first and second doors are maintained to seal the storage compartment.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the pillar is configured to rotate when the first door rotates to open the storage compartment under a condition that the first and second doors have sealed the storage compartment.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first door magnetic member is installed at a gasket of the first door;
the door dike magnetic member is installed at a door dike provided at a rear side of the first door; and
the second door magnetic member is installed at a gasket of the second door.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a drive assembly is provided at the top wall of the inner case, and is configured to operate the pillar by magnetic force.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the drive assembly is provided with a drive magnetic member; and
the pillar is provided with a third pillar magnetic member that is configured to magnetically interfere with the drive magnetic member.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the drive magnetic member is configured to move laterally with respect to a front side of the storage compartment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the pillar is configured to rotate in a direction that the storage compartment is opened, when the drive magnetic member moves toward a hinge axis of the second door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein a portion of the top wall where the drive assembly is installed is flush with other portions of the top wall adjacent thereto.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first drawer arranged at a side of the first door; and
a second drawer arranged at a side of the second door,
wherein the first drawer and the second drawer have the same width.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first drawer and the second drawer are arranged to be flush with each other; and
the first drawer and the second drawer are independently withdrawable.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the first door and the second door have the same width.

13. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet provided with a storage compartment;
an inner case that defines an appearance of the storage compartment;
a first door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, and that is configured to open or close one side of the storage compartment; and
a second door pivotally mounted to the cabinet, and that is configured to open or close the other side of the storage compartment, the second door is provided with a pillar rotatable to come into contact with the first door,
wherein:
the first door is provided with a first door magnetic member having magnetic force, and a door dike magnetic member having magnetic force;

the second door is provided with a second door magnetic member having magnetic force; and
the pillar is provided with a first pillar magnetic member to magnetically interfere with the first door magnetic member, and a second pillar magnetic member to magnetically interfere with the second door magnetic member.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the pillar is arranged to be rotatable when the first door opens the storage compartment under a condition that the second door seals the storage compartment.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the pillar contacts the first and second doors when the first and second doors are maintained to seal the storage compartment.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the pillar is rotated when the first door rotates to open the storage compartment under a condition that the first and second doors have sealed the storage compartment.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the first door and the second door have the same width.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Minsub
• Lee Hangbok
• Son Jungkyu
• Suh Eugene

Classifications

• F25D23/02 Primary

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• E05C19/161

  magnetic gaskets · CPC title