Guard assembly and refrigerator including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448005-B2
Application number	US-201514591414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

Provided are a guard assembly that is rotatably installed at a rear side of a door of a refrigerator and the refrigerator including the same. The guard assembly in accordance with an embodiment, is installed at a rear side of a door of a refrigerator. The guard assembly includes a body portion which is placed at the rear side of the door and to which a supporting tray is coupled, and a rotation unit that causes the body portion to be rotatably coupled to the door. The rotation unit includes a guide member having a coupling hole and coupled to one side of the rear side of the door, and a hinge member having one side coupled to the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the coupling hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A guard assembly installed at a rear side of a door of a refrigerator, the guard assembly comprising:
a body portion which is placed at the rear side of the door and to which a supporting tray is coupled; and
a rotation unit that causes the body portion to be rotatably coupled to the door,
wherein the rotation unit comprises:
a guide member having a coupling hole and coupled to one side of the rear side of the door; and
a hinge member having one side coupled to the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the coupling hole; and

a tilting hanging member disposed below the supporting tray and configured to move forward or backward independently from a bottom surface of the supporting tray.

2. The guard assembly of claim 1 , wherein the guide member comprises:
a guide body coupled to the one side of the rear side of the door;
a first coupling portion having the coupling hole and installed at an upper portion of the guide body; and
a second coupling portion having a coupling hole and installed at a lower portion of the guide body.

3. The guard assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are disposed in a position in which the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion overlap, when viewed from an upward direction.

4. The guard assembly of claim 2 , wherein the hinge member comprises:
a first hinge having one side coupled to an upper portion of the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the first coupling portion; and
a second hinge having one side coupled to a lower portion of the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the second coupling portion.

5. The guard assembly of claim 2 , wherein the hinge member comprises:
a hinge body coupled to the body portion; and
a hinge coupling portion that extends from the hinge body and is rotatably inserted into the coupling hole, and
wherein the hinge coupling portion has a rotation limitation portion that maintains rotation of the body portion at an angle.

6. The guard assembly of claim 5 , wherein the coupling hole comprises:
a hanging portion disposed on a rotation path of the rotation limitation portion, the rotation limitation portion being hung in the hanging portion so that rotation of the body portion is maintained at the angle.

7. The guard assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotation unit comprises:
a lever that is installed in a position of the body portion in which the lever faces the guide member and the lever adjusts the body portion to be coupled or separated from the rear side of the door.

8. The guard assembly of claim 7 , wherein the lever comprises:
a lever coupling portion that is placed at an inside of the body portion and is provided to be coupled to or separated from one side of the rear side of the door;
a handle that is disposed at an outside of the body portion and moves a position of the lever coupling portion; and
a restoration member that restores the position of the lever coupling portion to a position.

9. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body including an inner case and an outer case;
a storage compartment which is placed at an inside of the body and having a front side enabled to open;
a door that opens/closes the front side of the storage compartment; and
a guard assembly installed at a rear side of the door,
wherein the guard assembly comprises:
a body portion which is placed at the rear side of the door and to which a supporting tray is coupled; and
a rotation unit that causes the body portion to be rotatably coupled to the door,

wherein the rotation unit comprises:
a guide member having a coupling hole and coupled to one side of the rear side of the door; and
a hinge member having one side coupled to the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the coupling hole; and

a tilting hanging member disposed below the supporting tray and configured to move forward or backward independently from a bottom surface of the supporting tray.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the guide member comprises:
a guide body coupled to the one side of the rear side of the door;
a first coupling portion having the coupling hole and installed at an upper portion of the guide body; and
a second coupling portion having a coupling hole and installed at a lower portion of the guide body.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are disposed in a position in which the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion overlap, when viewed from an upward direction.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the hinge member comprises:
a first hinge having one side coupled to an upper portion of the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the first coupling portion; and
a second hinge having one side coupled to a lower portion of the body portion and another side rotatably coupled to the second coupling portion.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the hinge member comprises:
a hinge body coupled to the body portion; and
a hinge coupling portion that extends from the hinge body and is rotatably inserted into the coupling hole, and
the hinge coupling portion has a rotation limitation portion that maintains rotation of the body portion at an angle.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the coupling hole comprises:
a hanging portion disposed on a rotation path of the rotation limitation portion, the rotation limitation portion being hung in the hanging portion so that rotation of the body portion is maintained at the angle.

15. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the rotation unit comprises:
a lever that is installed in a position of the body portion in which the lever faces the guide member and the lever adjusts the body portion to be coupled or separated from the rear side of the door.

16. A guard assembly provided to a door of a refrigerator, comprising:
a body portion placed inside the door, the body portion being coupled to a tray to form a storage space; and
a movable member configured to cause the body portion to be selectively moved relative to the door using a rotation unit as an axis; and
a tilting hanging member disposed below the tray and configured to move forward or backward independently from a bottom surface of the tray.

17. The guard assembly of claim 16 , wherein the body portion comprises:
a guard portion that opens and closes the storage space.

18. The guard assembly of claim 16 , wherein the body portion is rotatably coupled to a rear plate of the door.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Tae Youl
• Kim Byoung Mok
• Kang Hyo Sik
• Kim Dae Young
• Park Jong Sun

Classifications

• F25D23/126

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D2323/024

  Door hinges · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D23/028 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D2400/361

  Interactive visual displays · CPC title