Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528748-B2
Application number	US-201414554558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body, a storage chamber provided in the main body, and a door opening and closing the storage chamber, wherein the door includes a front panel comprising a front portion forming a front exterior of the door, an edge portion bent from the front portion and a side portion bent from the edge portion and forming a side exterior, a rear panel coupled to a rear side of the front panel, an insulation material provided at an inner space defined by the front panel and the rear panel, and a decorative member coupled to the edge portion and forming an exterior. Due to such a configuration, the edge portion of the door has enhanced aesthetic appeal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body;
a storage chamber provided in the main body; and
a door opening and closing the storage chamber,
wherein the door comprises:
a front panel comprising a front portion forming a front exterior of the door, an edge portion bent from the front portion, and a side portion bent from the edge portion and forming a side exterior of the door;
a rear panel coupled to a rear side of the front panel;
an insulation material provided at an inner space defined by the front panel and the rear panel;
a decorative member coupled to the edge portion and forming an edge exterior of the door; and
a fixing member which is disposed at an inner side of the edge portion to fix the decorative member.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the front portion, the edge portion, and the side portion are integrally formed by bending the front panel.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the front panel is formed from a steel plate material.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the edge portion is formed to be flat.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative member extends from an upper end of the door to a lower end thereof.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative member comprises a supporting surface which is in contact with and supported by an outer surface of the edge portion and a decorative surface which is provided at an opposite side to the supporting surface to form the edge exterior of the door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the decorative surface is formed to be rounded.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative member comprises a supporting layer formed from at least one of a resin material and an aluminum material, and a gloss layer which is provided on the supporting layer to generate a gloss.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the supporting layer is formed by at least one of injection-molding the resin material and extruding the aluminum material, and the gloss layer is formed by plating the supporting layer with a metallic material.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the decorative member is formed by dual-extruding the resin material and a gloss film having the gloss.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative member comprises a hooking protrusion protruding toward the fixing member.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the fixing member comprises a corresponding protrusion which protrudes toward the decorative member to be coupled to the hooking protrusion and thus to fix the decorative member.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12 , wherein the edge portion comprises a through-hole through which at least one of the hooking protrusion and the corresponding protrusion passes.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member is supported by the insulation material.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body;
a storage chamber provided in the main body; and
a door opening and closing the storage chamber,
wherein the door comprises:
a front panel comprising a front portion forming a front exterior of the door, an edge portion bent from the front portion, and a side portion bent from the edge portion and forming a side exterior of the door;
a rear panel coupled to a rear side of the front panel;
an insulation material provided at an inner space defined by the front panel and the rear panel;
a decorative member coupled to the edge portion and forming an edge exterior of the door; and
a fastening member which passes through the decorative member and the edge portion to fix the decorative member, and a reinforcing member which is provided at the inner side of the edge portion to reinforce a fastening force of the fastening member.

16. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body;
a storage chamber provided in the main body; and
a door opening and closing the storage chamber,
wherein the door comprises:
a front panel;
a rear panel coupled to a rear side of the front panel;
an insulation material provided at an inner space defined by the front panel and the rear panel;
an edge portion formed at an edge of the door;
a decorative member coupled to the edge portion and forming an edge exterior of the door; and
a fixing member which is provided at the inner space of the door to fix the decorative member and supported by the insulation material.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16 , wherein the edge portion has a through-hole through which a coupling structure coupling the decorative member and the fixing member passes.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Joo Sun Hwan
• Yang Seung Yong
• Jung Sang Gyu

Classifications

• F25D2400/18

  Aesthetic features · CPC title

• Y10T29/49906

  Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F25D23/02 Primary

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

• F25D23/06 Primary

  Walls (F25D23/08 takes precedence; containers with thermal insulation B65D81/38) · CPC title