Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859307-B2
Application number	US-201916575910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a body defining a storage compartment therein, a first door hingedly provided at the body so as to open and close the storage compartment, the first door including a door frame having a hinge hole formed therein, and a second door hingedly provided at the first door by means of a hinge, the second door including a lateral side surface, the lateral side surface being at least partially fitted into the door frame, wherein the hinge includes a hinge shaft disposed in the first door so as to define a rotational center of the second door, a hinge bracket coupled to the second door, and an indented member provided between the hinge shaft and the hinge bracket, the indented member being moved through the hinge hole so as to allow the entire second door to escape from the door frame when the second door is opened.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a body defining a storage compartment therein;
a first door coupled to the body so as to open or close the storage compartment, the first door including a door frame having an opening; and
a second door configured to be rotatably coupled to the first door by a hinge so as to open or close the opening, the second door including one or more panels that are positioned in the opening when the second door closes the opening,
wherein the hinge includes:
a hinge shaft received in the first door so as to define a rotational axis of the second door;
a horizontal wall to which the hinge shaft is connected;
a vertical wall extended from the horizontal wall in a first direction; and
a hinge bracket extended from the vertical wall in a second direction that crosses the first direction and is coupled to the second door.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door frame further includes internal surfaces to receive the second door, and
wherein the opening of the door frame is provided between the internal surfaces and the storage compartment.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the internal surfaces include an internal lower surface, an internal upper surface and internal side surfaces, and
a hinge hole into which the hinge shaft is configured to be inserted is provided on one of the internal side surfaces.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the door frame includes an internal vertical surface that is positioned to face a gasket positioned on an internal surface of the second door, and
wherein the opening is provided between the internal vertical surface and the storage compartment.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge is an upper hinge coupled to an upper surface of the second door, and
the hinge bracket of the upper hinge is positioned higher than the horizontal wall of the upper hinge when coupled to the second door.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the hinge shaft of the upper hinge is extended downward from the horizontal wall of the upper hinge.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the hinge bracket of the upper hinge contacts the upper surface of the second door, and the vertical wall contacts a lateral side surface of the second door.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the hinge bracket of the upper hinge is coupled to the upper surface of the second door, and the vertical wall is coupled to the lateral side surface of the second door.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the hinge is coupled to the second door via fastening holes included in the hinge bracket and the vertical wall.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a lower hinge, and the hinge bracket of the lower hinge is positioned lower than the horizontal wall of the lower hinge.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the hinge shaft of the lower hinge extends downward from the horizontal wall of the lower hinge.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the hinge bracket of the lower hinge contacts a lower surface of the second door, and the vertical wall contacts with a lateral side surface of the second door.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the hinge bracket of the lower hinge is coupled to the lower surface of the second door, and the vertical stepped wall is coupled to the lateral side surface of the second door.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the lower hinge is coupled to the second door via fastening holes included in the hinge bracket and the vertical wall.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge further includes:
a first extension attached to the horizontal wall and extending from the hinge shaft in a lateral direction away from a center of the second door when the second door is closed;
a second extension attached to the horizontal wall and extending rearward from the first extension; and
a third extension attached to the horizontal wall and extending from the second extension and toward the second door.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the first door includes a space that receives the hinge shaft and in which the horizontal wall moves when the second door rotates to close the opening.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the horizontal wall includes, at an outer surface thereof spanning between the second extension and the third extension,
a first linear region that is positioned parallel to a lateral side surface of the second door,
a first curved region, and
a second linear region that is positioned parallel to a front surface of the second door,
the first linear region, the first curved region and the second linear region being connected to each other.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first linear region, the first curved region, or the second linear region comes into contact with an inner surface of the space of the first door when the second door is rotated to close the opening.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the horizontal wall includes a second curved region and a third curved region, the second curved region and the third curved region having different radii of curvature and being connected to each other, and
wherein the radius of curvature of the second curved region is larger than the radius of curvature of the third curved region.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge bracket and the horizontal wall are integrally formed with each other, and the hinge shaft is fitted into an end of the horizontal wall.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yi Myeongha

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• E05Y2600/41

  Concealed · CPC title

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title

• E05Y2900/31

  for refrigerators · CPC title