Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12281841-B2
Application number	US-202217859698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Sep 10, 2021
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first inner case, a second inner case to be coupled to the first inner case, an outer case coupled to the first inner case and the second inner case, and an insulating material between the outer case, and the first inner case and the second inner case and the outer case. One of the first lower plate and the second upper plate includes an extension extending from the one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate, and a first coupler provided in the extension. An other one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate includes a second coupler to be coupled to the first coupler, and the first lower plate is coupled to the second upper plate by coupling the first coupler to the second coupler to prevent the insulating material from leaking between the first and second couplers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a first inner case comprising a first upper plate, a first lower plate, a first left plate, a first right plate, and a first rear plate;
a first storage compartment formed by the first inner case;
a second inner case comprising a second upper plate, a second lower plate, a second left plate, a second right plate, and a second rear plate, and to be coupled to the first inner case;
a second storage compartment formed by the second inner case;
an outer case coupled to an outer side of the first inner case and an outer side of the second inner case to form an exterior of the refrigerator; and
an insulating material provided between the first inner case and the outer case, and between the second inner case and the outer case,
wherein:
one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate comprises;
an extension extending from the one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate, the extension including a first coupler having a first coupling protrusion protruding from the extension; and
a second coupling protrusion protruding from a rear surface of the extension in a direction opposite to a protruding direction of the first coupling protrusion;

an other one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate comprises:
 a second coupler comprising:
a first coupling hole to allow at least a portion of the first coupling protrusion to be inserted thereinto so that the second coupler is coupled to the first coupler; and
a coupling groove into which the second coupling protrusion is inserted to be coupled to the second coupling protrusion; and

the first lower plate is coupled to the second upper plate by coupling the first coupler to the second coupler to prevent the insulating material from leaking between the first coupler and the second coupler.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the second coupler comprises:
a first protrusion having the first coupling hole formed therein, and protruding from the second upper plate; and
a second protrusion spaced apart from the first protrusion to form a receiving groove between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and protruding from the second upper plate.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein
the first coupling protrusion comprises a first sealing surface inclined at a first angle; and
the second protrusion comprises:
a second sealing surface provided in the second protrusion of the second coupler, is inclined at the first angle, and to be in contact with the first sealing surface, and

wherein the insulating material is prevented from passing between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface in response to contact between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the extension further comprises a second coupling hole arranged adjacent to one side end of the extension and a third coupling hole arranged adjacent to an other side end of the extension,
one of the first left plate and the second left plate comprises a third coupling protrusion corresponding to the second coupling hole to be inserted into the second coupling hole so that the one of the first left plate and the second left plate is coupled to the extension, and
one of the first right plate and the second right plate comprises a fourth coupling protrusion corresponding to the third coupling hole to be inserted into the third coupling hole so that the one of the first right plate and the second right plate is coupled to the extension.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the extension comprises:
a first flange member forming a portion of a front edge of the first inner case; and

a second flange member forming a portion of a front edge of the second inner case.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , further comprising:
a flange plate coupled to the extension to be arranged between the first flange member and the second flange member to connect the first flange member to the second flange member.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein
the flange plate comprises an engaging protrusion provided on a rear surface of the flange plate, and the extension further comprises an engaging hole to allow the engaging protrusion to be inserted thereto.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein
the engaging protrusion comprises:
an insertion member extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the flange plate to be inserted into the engaging hole; and
a hook extending laterally from the insertion member and engaged to the extension to prevent the flange plate from being separated from the extension.

9. A refrigerator comprising:
a first inner case comprising a first upper plate, a first lower plate, a first left plate, a first right plate, and a first rear plate;
a first storage compartment formed by the first inner case;
a second inner case comprising a second upper plate, a second lower plate, a second left plate, a second right plate, and a second rear plate, and to be coupled to the first inner case;
a second storage compartment formed by the second inner case;
an outer case coupled to an outer side of the first inner case and an outer side of the second inner case to form an exterior of the refrigerator; and
an insulating material provided between the first inner case and the outer case, and between the second inner case and the outer case,
wherein:
one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate comprises:
an extension extending from the one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate, the extension including a first coupler; and
a first sealing member arranged on a lateral side of the first coupler, the first sealing member including:
a cover forming a front portion thereof;
a sealing protrusion forming a lower portion of the first sealing member by protruding rearwardly from the cover; and
an insertion groove formed on a bottom surface of the sealing protrusion;

an other one of the first lower plate and the second upper plate comprises:
a second coupler to be coupled to the first coupler; and
a second sealing member arranged on a lateral side of the second coupler and coupled to the first sealing member to form a sealing space in which the insulating material is received to prevent leakage of the insulating material; and

the first lower plate is coupled to the second upper plate by coupling the first coupler to the second coupler to prevent the insulating material from leaking between the first coupler and the second coupler.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein
the second sealing member comprises:
a support arranged under the sealing protrusion to support the sealing protrusion; and
an insertion protrusion protruding from the support and to be inserted into the insertion groove.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein
a space is formed between the insertion protrusion and the insertion groove to allow the insertion protrusion to be movable therein in response to insertion of the insertion protrusion into the insertion groove.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein
the second sealing member further comprises a pressing member protruding from a bottom surface of the support, and
in response to the pressing member being pressed, the insulating material is prevented from leaking to an outside of the sealing space through a gap between the sealing protrusion and the support.

13. A refrigerator, comprising:
a first inner case including a first upper plate, first side plates, and a first lower plate;
a first storage compartment formed by the first inner case;
a second inner case including a second uppe

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Taeyun
• Kim Donghwa
• Park Younggon

Classifications

• F25D23/069

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• B29C44/18

  Filling preformed cavities {(B29C44/1204 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F25D2201/12

  using an insulating packing material · CPC title

• F25D23/087

  Sealing strips · CPC title

• F25D23/066

  Liners · CPC title