Refrigerator and control method of refrigerator door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073327-B2
Application number	US-201815995684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A refrigerator may include a main body having a storage room, a door configured to open or close the storage room, a sensing lever configured to contact the door while the door is closed, where the sensing lever is movable in one of a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, a sensor configured to sense a movement of the sensing lever in one of the first direction and the second direction, and a controller configured to open the door when the sensor senses the movement of the sensing lever in the first direction, and to maintain the door closed when the sensor senses the movement of the sensing lever in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage room;
a door configured to open or close the storage room;
a sensing member configured to contact the door while the door is closed, the sensing member being movable in one of a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
a sensor configured to sense a movement of the sensing member and whether the movement of the sensing member is in one of the first direction and the second direction; and
a controller configured to control the door to be opened provided the movement of the sensing member sensed by the sensor is in the first direction, and to control the door to be maintained closed provided the movement of the sensing member sensed by the sensor is in the second direction.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gasket disposed on the door, the gasket being configured to seal off a gap between the door and the main body,
wherein the sensing member contacts the gasket.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the controller maintains the door closed, when the sensing member moves in the second direction according to a vibration of the gasket.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises:
a magnet disposed at one end of the sensing member, the magnet being configured to be movable; and
a hall device configured to sense a magnetic field change based on a movement direction of the magnet.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the controller determines whether the movement of the sensing member is in one of the first direction and the second direction based on a voltage value detected by the hall device.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the controller maintains the door closed based on a number of times a voltage value is detected when the sensing member moves in the second direction.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic member configured to elastically bias the sensing member to a predetermined position when the sensing member moves in the first direction.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operator configured to open the door,
wherein the controller controls the operator based on an amount of the movement of the sensing member while the sensing member is moving in the first direction.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the operator comprises:
a driving motor configured to provide a driving force; and
a push member configured to receive the driving force from the driving motor, and to push the door in the second direction.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the operator further comprises:
a deceleration gear configured to reduce rotation displacement of the driving motor, to amplify a driving force of the driving motor, and to transfer the driving force of the driving motor to the push member.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the operator further comprises:
a rack gear portion configured to convert the rotation displacement of the deceleration gear to a linear displacement, and to be engaged with the deceleration gear.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein when the sensing member moves in the first direction, the controller operates the driving motor, and when the sensing member moves in the second direction, the controller does not operate the driving motor.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing member and the sensor are disposed on a top or a bottom of the door.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises:
a magnet; and
a hall device disposed on one end of the sensing member, the hall device being configured to move,
wherein the controller determines whether the sensing member moves in the first direction or the second direction based on a voltage value detected by the hall device.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the magnet is installed in the door.

16. A method of controlling a door of a refrigerator, the method comprising:
sensing a movement of a sensing member contacting the door while the door is closed, the sensing including sensing of whether the movement of the sensing member is in one of the first direction and the second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
controlling the door to be opened based on sensing of the sensing member in the first direction; and
controlling the door to be maintained closed based on sensing of the sensing member in the second direction.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the controlling of the door to be maintained closed is based on a number of times the sensing member moves in the second direction.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the sensing of the movement of the sensing member in one of the first direction and the second direction comprises detecting a magnetic field change based on the movement of the sensing member.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the controlling of the door to be opened is based on an amount of the movement of the sensing member in the first direction.

20. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the controlling of the door to be opened comprises controlling a push member configured to move the door in the first direction.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Woo-Sung
• Cho Sung Ho
• Bae Il Sung

Classifications

• E05Y2400/304

  Voltage control · CPC title

• F25D29/00

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• E05Y2900/31

  for refrigerators · CPC title

• E05F15/75

  responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object · CPC title