Refrigerator having double doors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353984-B2
Application number	US-201414186714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Feb 21, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a first door that is rotatably provided so as to open/close a storage compartment, a second door that is rotatably provided in the front of the first door so as to open/close the first door, and a door anti-opening unit that prevents or allows opening of the second door depending on whether the first door is opened or closed. The door anti-opening unit prevents the second door from being unintentionally opened when the first door is opened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage compartment;
a first door that is rotatably provided in the front of the main body to open/close the storage compartment, the first door having an opening in which at least one door pocket is provided;
a second door that is rotatably provided in the front of the first door to open/close the opening, the second door being rotated in the same direction as a rotating direction of the first door; and
a door anti-opening unit that prevents or allows opening of the second door depending on whether the first door is opened or closed, the door anti-opening unit including:
a latch that is coupled to a lower face of the first door, wherein the latch includes:
a working bar that is pressurized by the main body and performs a linear motion, and
a rotating bar that is rotated in cooperation with the linear motion of the working bar, the rotating bar including a rotational shaft acting as a center of rotation and a connecting shaft, which is integrally formed with and connected to the rotational shaft, offset from the center of rotation, wherein the working bar is rotatably coupled to the connecting shaft.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the door anti-opening unit allows the second door to be opened in a state in which the first door is closed and prevents the second door from being opened in a state in which the first door is opened.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the door anti-opening unit includes a striker coupled to a lower face of the second door, and
wherein the latch is latched on or unlatched from the striker depending on whether the first door is opened or closed.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating bar has a hook at one end thereof, and the latch further includes a restoring spring that restores the working bar to its original position when pressurization of the main body against the working bar is released.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting shaft is connected to the working bar, receives a driving force from the working bar, and is provided so as to be parallel with the rotational shaft.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the working bar includes a connecting hole into which the connecting shaft of the rotating bar is rotatably inserted.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the door anti-opening unit includes a housing that accommodates the working bar, the rotating bar, and the restoring spring.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the housing is coupled to the lower face of the first door by a fastening member.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the striker includes a coupling plate coupled to the lower face of the second door and an arm bar formed in a ring shape.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein the coupling plate is coupled to the lower face of the second door by a fastening member.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the striker is integrally formed of a steel material.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the working bar includes a connecting hole in which the connecting shaft is rotatably coupled to the connecting hole.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the working bar is pressurized by the main body when the first door is closed, and wherein the rotating bar engages the second door when the first door is open.

14. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body having a storage compartment;
a first door that is rotatably provided in the front of the main body, opens/closes the storage compartment, and has an opening in which at least one door pocket is provided;
a second door that is rotatably provided in the front of the first door, opens/closes the opening, and is rotated in the same direction as a rotating direction of the first door;
a first gasket that is provided on a rear face of the first door so as to maintain airtightness between the main body and the first door and has a first magnet drawing the main body; and
a second gasket that is provided on a rear face of the second door so as to maintain airtightness between the first door and the second door and has a second magnet drawing the first door; and

a door anti-opening unit including a latch that is coupled to a lower face of the first door, the latch including:
a working bar is pressurized by the main body when the first door is closed and performs a linear motion, and
a rotating bar that is rotated in cooperation with the linear motion of the working bar, the rotating bar including a rotational shaft acting as a center of rotation and a connecting shaft, which is integrally formed with and connected to the rotational shaft, offset from the center of rotation, wherein the connecting hole of the working bar is rotatably coupled to the connecting shaft.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the main body includes an outer case, and
the outer case of the main body and a front face of the first door are formed of a steel material so as to be drawn by the first magnet and the second magnet, respectively.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein door anti-opening unit that prevents the second door from being unintentionally opened by inertia occurring when the first door is opened.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein a first magnetic force with which the first magnet draws the main body is stronger than a second magnetic force with which the second magnet draws the first door.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the working bar includes a connecting hole in which the connecting shaft is rotatably coupled to the connecting hole.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the working bar is pressurized by the main body when the first door is closed, and wherein the rotating bar engages the second door when the first door is open.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Byoung Mok
• Kim Seong Woo
• Kim Jae Hak
• Yang Seung Yong

Classifications

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• E05C7/02

  for wings which lie one behind the other when closed {(E05C7/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F25D23/025

  Secondary closures · CPC title