Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9322592-B2
Application number	US-201514603445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator is discussed. The refrigerator includes a cabinet that includes a storage compartment. The refrigerator further includes a first door hinged on a first edge of the cabinet and configured to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment. The refrigerator further includes a first basket assembly supported by a first hinge mounted at a first inner wall of the storage compartment. The refrigerator further includes a first locking device configured to selectively couple the first basket assembly to the first door. The refrigerator further includes a first release device configured to release the first locking device and accessible from a first inner surface of the door and a first outer surface of the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that includes a storage compartment;
a first door hinged on a first edge of the cabinet and configured to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment;
a second door hinged on a second edge of the cabinet and configured to open and close a second portion of the storage compartment;
a first basket assembly supported by a first hinge mounted at a first inner wall of the storage compartment, the first basket assembly comprising:
a first frame fastened to an end of the first hinge;
a first plurality of baskets mounted to the first frame; and
a first plurality of basket location parts mounted to the first frame and configured to support the first plurality of baskets from a bottom of each basket such that each basket is located on a first respective basket location part;

a second basket assembly supported by a second hinge mounted at a second inner wall of the storage compartment, the second basket assembly comprising:
a second frame fastened to an end of the second hinge;
a second plurality of baskets mounted to the second frame; and
a second plurality of basket location parts mounted to the second frame and configured to support the second plurality of baskets from a bottom of each basket such that each basket is located on a second respective basket location part;

a first locking device configured to selectively couple the first basket assembly to the first door, the first locking device comprising:
a first slider vertically and slidably mounted at a lower part of the first door and configured to selectively engage with a lowermost basket location part of the first plurality of basket location parts; and
a first elastic member configured for pushing the first slider upward;

a second locking device configured to selectively couple the second basket assembly to the second door, the second locking device comprising:
a second slider vertically and slidably mounted at a lower part of the second door and configured to selectively engage with a lowermost basket location part of the second plurality of basket location parts; and
a second elastic member configured for pushing the second slider upward;

a first release device configured to release the first locking device and accessible from an inner surface of the first door and an outer surface of the first door, the first release comprising:
a first release lever pivotably mounted at a first handle groove located at a bottom of the first door and configured for pushing the first slider downward; and
a first release button slidably mounted at a rear of the first door and configured for pushing the first slider downward; and

a second release device configured to release the second locking device and accessible from an inner surface of the second door and an outer surface of the second door, the second release comprising:
a second release lever pivotably mounted at a second handle groove located at a bottom of the second door and configured for pushing the second slider downward; and
a second release button slidably mounted at a rear of the second door and configured for pushing the second slider downward.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first hinge is a first multi-articulated hinge connected to the first inner wall of the storage compartment and the first basket assembly via a first plurality of links, and
the second hinge is a second multi-articulated hinge connected to the second inner wall of the storage compartment and the second basket assembly via a second plurality of links.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first basket assembly and the second basket assembly are configured to define a gap when the first basket assembly is located adjacent to the first inner wall of the storage compartment and the second basket assembly is located adjacent to the second inner wall of the storage compartment,
the first basket assembly is configured to pivot and not interfere with the second basket assembly, and
the second basket assembly is configured to pivot and not interfere with the first basket assembly.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first frame is made of a metal material and comprises:
a first pair of vertical frame parts spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other; and
three horizontal frame parts that each connect to the first pair of vertical frame parts, and

the second frame is made of the metal material and comprises:
a second pair of vertical frame parts spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other; and
three additional horizontal frame parts that each connect to the second pair of vertical frame parts.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first slider comprises a first catching protrusion configured to be selectively inserted into a first catching groove located at a bottom of a first basket location part, and
the second slider comprises a second catching protrusion configured to be selectively inserted into a second catching groove located at a bottom of a second basket location part.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first release lever comprises:
a first pivoting shaft part pivotably mounted to the first handle groove,
a first lever part extending from the first pivoting shaft part, and
a first arm part extending from one end of the first pivoting shaft part and configured for pushing the first slider while the pivoting first shaft part is pivoted, and

the second release lever comprises:
a second pivoting shaft part pivotably mounted to the second handle groove,
a second lever part extending from the second pivoting shaft part, and
a second arm part extending from one end of the second pivoting shaft part and configured for pushing the second slider while the pivoting second shaft part is pivoted.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first door comprises a first concave part located at a rear of the first door and configured to receive a portion of a front of the first basket assembly,
when the first basket assembly is coupled to a rear of the first door, one side of the first basket assembly is located opposite of an inner side of the first concave part such that the one side of the first basket assembly is a first predetermined distance from the inner side of the first concave part,
the second door comprises a second concave part located at a rear of the second door and configured to receive a portion of a front of the second basket assembly, and
when the second basket assembly is coupled to a rear of the second door, one side of the second basket assembly is located opposite of an inner side of the second concave part such that the one side of the second basket assembly is a second predetermined distance from the inner side of the second concave part.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein:
when the first basket assembly is located in the storage compartment, a bottom of the first basket assembly is located opposite of a bottom of the storage compartment such that the bottom of the first basket assembly is a third predetermined distance from the bottom of the storage compartment, and
when the second basket assembly is located in the storage compartment, a bottom of the second basket assembly is located opposite of a bottom of the storage compartment such that the bottom of the second basket assembly is a fourth predetermined distance from the bottom of the storage compartment.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first repulsion member located at a rear of the first door and configured to separate the first basket assembly from the first doo

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Minsub
• Choi Kyukwan
• Park Kyusuh

Classifications

• F25D23/04 Primary

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/065

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/02

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title