Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024060708-A1
Application number	US-202218270821-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Jan 6, 2021
Publication date	Feb 22, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator of the present embodiment is characterized by comprising: a cabinet having a storage space; a refrigerator door which is rotatably connected to the cabinet by a hinge apparatus and opens and closes the storage space; an extension member which is drawn out from the cabinet and connected to the inside of the refrigerator door through a door opening spaced apart from the rotation center of the refrigerator door, the extension member including at least one of a wire and a pipe through which a liquid flows; and a guide housing for guiding the extension member positioned outside the refrigerator door and the cabinet, wherein the guide housing includes a plurality of individual housings which are rotatably connected to each other, and in the process in which the refrigerator door is opened, one or more individual housings among the plurality of individual housings moves linearly and then obliquely or rotationally.

First claim

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet having a storage space; a refrigerator door rotatably connected to the cabinet by a hinge apparatus and configured to open and close the storage space; a guide housing configured to define a pathway that guides at least one of a wire or a pipe, through which liquid tic s, between the cabinet and the refrigerator door, wherein the guide housing includes a plurality of housing segments rotatably connected to each other, and wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at least a prescribed angle, one of the housing, segments is configured to perform a linear movement and then perform at least one of an oblique movement or a rotational movement.

2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing segment moves in an X-axis direction perpendicular to a front surface of the cabinet during the linear movement.

3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein an X-axis direction is perpendicular to a front surface of the cabinet, and a Y axis direction is perpendicular to the X-axis in a horizontal direction, wherein the housing segment moves in both the X-axis and Y-axis directions during each of the oblique movement and the rotational movement, wherein an entirety of the housing segment has a common movement distance in the Y-axis direction during the oblique movement, and wherein different sections of the housing segment have different movement distances in the Y-axis direction movement distance during the rotational movement.

4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of housing segments include:
a door connection housing rotatably connected to the refrigerator door;
a cabinet connection housing connected to the cabinet; and
at least one intermediate housing positioned between the door connection housing and the cabinet connection housing and rotatable relative to the door connection housing and the cabinet connection housing.

5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is closed, the plurality of housing segments are positioned in a straight line form.

6 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened, a movement distance of the door connection housing in a first direction away from a front surface of the cabinet is smaller than a movement distance of the cabinet connection housing in the first direction.

7 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened, a rotation angle of the door connection housing is greater than a rotation angle of the cabinet connection housing.

8 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened, the at least one intermediate housing rotates in a first rotational direction with respect to the cabinet connection housing, and wherein the door connection housing rotates in the first rotational direction with respect to the at least one intermediate housing.

9 . The refrigerator of claim 8 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door opens at a maximum angle, a rotation angle of the door connection housing in the first rotational direction is greater than a rotation angle of the at least one intermediate housing in the first rotational direction.

10 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened between a particular range of angles, the cabinet connection housing moves linearly a way from a front surface of the cabinet, and the door connection housing moves rotationally.

11 . The refrigerator of claim 10 ,
wherein, the refrigerator door is opened between the particular range of angles, the at least one intermediate housing moves at least one of linearly away from the front surface of the cabinet or rotationally.

12 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened between a particular range of angles, the cabinet connection housing moves in an oblique direction relative to a front surface of the cabinet, and the at least one intermediate housing at least one of moves in the oblique direction relative to the front surface of the cabinet or moves rotationally, and wherein the cabinet connection housing and the at least one intermediate housing move rotationally.

13 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is closed, a first joint, which is a rotational center of the door connection housing with respect to the at least one intermediate housing, is located rearward of a front surface of the cabinet.

14 . The refrigerator of claim 13 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened by a first angle, the first joint moves to be positioned along the front surface of the cabinet, and when the refrigerator door is opened at a second angle that is greater than the first angle or more, the first joint is positioned forward of the front surface of the cabinet.

15 . The refrigerator of claim 14 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at a maximum angle, a distance between the first joint and the front surface of the cabinet is greater than a distance between a rotational center of the refrigerator door and the front surface of the cabinet.

16 . The refrigerator of claim 14 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at a maximum angle, a distance between the first joint and the front surface of the cabinet is larger than a distance between a second joint, which is a rotational center of the at least one intermediate housing with respect to the cabinet connection housing, and the front surface of the cabinet.

17 . The refrigerator of claim 16 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at the maximum angle, the second joint is positioned rearward of the front surface of the cabinet.

18 . The refrigerator of claim 14 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at a maximum angle, a distance between a second joint, which is a rotational center of the at least one intermediate housing with respect to the cabinet connection housing, and the front surface of the cabinet is smaller than a distance between a rotational center of the refrigerator door and the front surface of the cabinet.

19 . The refrigerator of claim 14 ,
wherein, when the refrigerator door is opened at a maximum angle, a distance between a rotational center of the refrigerator door and a second joint, which is a rotational center of the at least one intermediate housing with respect to the door connecting housing, is greater than a distance between the first joint and the rotational center of the refrigerator door.

20 . The refrigerator of claim 4 ,
wherein the hinge apparatus includes a hinge bracket fixed to an upper surface of the cabinet and extending toward the refrigerator door, and wherein a distance between a rotational center of the refrigerator door and a first joint, which is a rotational center of the door connection housing with respect to the at least one intermediate housing, is greater than a maximum width of the hinge bracket in left and right direction.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Sanggyun
• Lee Younseok
• Dong Yongwon

Classifications

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/126 Primary

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D2400/40

  Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring · CPC title

• F25D23/10

  Arrangements for mounting in particular locations, e.g. for built-in type, for corner type · CPC title

• E05D3/06

  with two or more pins (E05D7/08 takes precedence) · CPC title