Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025085044-A1
Application number	US-202418960578-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2024
Priority date	Aug 18, 2020
Publication date	Mar 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a mounting bracket disposed at a top surface of the cabinet, a door configured to rotate relative to the cabinet, a hinge cover that is disposed at the top surface of the cabinet and covers the mounting bracket, a hinge including a door bracket disposed at the door, a hinge bracket disposed at the mounting bracket, and a plurality of links that connect the door bracket to the hinge bracket, a guide device having a first side disposed at the door and a second side that passes through a cover opening at a front surface of the hinge cover and is disposed inside the hinge cover, and an electric wire or a water pipe disposed along an inside of the guide device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space; a door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space; a hinge rotatably connecting the door to the cabinet and including a plurality of links; a water pipe configured to supply water to the door; and a guide device configured to guide the water pipe between the cabinet and the door, wherein the guide device comprises a pipe guide extended form the cabinet to the door, and configured to accommodate the water pipe therein, and wherein the pipe guide slides in and out and rotates according to opening and closing of the door.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe guide comprises:
a slide guide that extends from the cabinet and slides forward and backward when the door is opened and closed; and a rotation guide that has (i) a first end rotatably connected to a front end of the slide guide and (ii) a second end rotatably connected to the door and rotates when the door is opened and closed.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the front end of the slide guide and a rear end of the rotation guide are axially coupled to each other and rotate in an opening direction of the door when the door is opened.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the front end of the slide guide and a rear end of the rotation guide are open,
wherein, when the door is in a closed state, the slide guide and the rotation guide communicate with each other, and, wherein, when the door is in an open state, the slide guide and the rotation guide partially separate from each other.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the front end of the slide guide protrudes further forward than a front surface of the cabinet.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the hinge comprises:
a door bracket mounted on the door; a mounting bracket mounted on the cabinet; and the plurality of links rotatably connected to the door bracket and the mounting bracket.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the guide device extends past above the door bracket, the mounting bracket, and the plurality of links.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising a hinge cover that is disposed at an upper surface of the cabinet and configured to cover a part of the hinge and a part of the slide guide provided to the cabinet.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the hinge cover has a cover opening that is defined at a front of the hinge cover and through which the hinge and the slide guide pass.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein a slide accommodation portion is formed on the hinge cover to guide movement of the slide guide, and the slide accommodation portion extends rearward from the cover opening.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the slide accommodation portion includes a pair of ribs protruding downward from an inner upper surface of the hinge cover, and the slide guide moves forward and backward between the pair of ribs.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 10 , wherein the slide guide moves forward and backward while being spaced apart from the upper surface of the cabinet.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a hinge mounting portion is recessed on an upper surface of a cap deco, and the hinge is mounted on the hinge mounting portion,
wherein a guide device mounting portion is recessed on the upper surface of the cap deco, and the pipe guide is rotatably coupled to the door, and wherein the guide device mounting portion is formed with a step from the hinge mounting portion and is positioned further upward and forward than the hinge mounting portion.

14 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the guide device further comprises a wire guide that guides an electric wire from the cabinet to the door, and
wherein the wire guide includes a plurality of guide links rotatably connected to each other and rotated according to opening and closing of the door.

15 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of guide links comprises:
a first guide member rotatably connected at an end to the cabinet; a second guide member rotatably connected to another end of the first guide member; and a third guide member disposed on the second guide member and providing a passage communicating with an inside of the door, and wherein the electric wire inside the cabinet is guided through the first guide member, the second guide member and the third guide member to the inside of the door.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of guide links is rotated based on opening and closing of the door, and
the first guide member and the second guide member rotate with each other to be folded or unfolded when the plurality of links is rotated.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the wire guide further comprises:
a first rotation shaft that is provided at a first end of the first guide member and defines a rotation shaft of the first guide member; and a second rotation shaft that is provided at a second end of the first guide member and defines a rotation shaft of the second guide member.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the pipe guide and the wire guide are both positioned upward away from the hinge.

19 . The refrigerator according to claim 13 , wherein the guide device further comprises a wire guide that guides an electric wire from the cabinet to the door,
wherein an end of the wire guide and the end of the pipe guide are rotatably connected to each other at the guide device mounting portion, and wherein an inside of the wire guide and the pipe guide are communicated with each other.

20 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the door is provided with a guide bush having opened upper and lower surfaces, and
wherein an end of the wire guide and an end of the pipe guide and the guide bush are connected to have a same rotation center, and the electric wire and the water pipe are both introduced into an inside of the door through the guide bush.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Changseok

Classifications

• F25D25/021

  combined with trays · CPC title

• F25D23/061

  with conduit means · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title

• E05Y2900/31

  for refrigerators · CPC title

• E05D2011/0072

  for the gap between hinge parts · CPC title