Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696083-B2
Application number	US-201514885551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 16, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator which has an improved structure to increase insulating properties. The refrigerator includes a body including an inner casing and an outer casing, a storage compartment formed in the inner casing, an insulator provided between the inner casing and the outer casing to insulate the storage compartment, and a frame unit which is disposed between the adjacent insulators to ensure stiffness of the body and includes at least one coupling surface coupled with at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a body comprising an inner casing and an outer casing;
a storage compartment formed in the inner casing;
insulators provided between the inner casing and the outer casing to insulate the storage compartment; and
a frame unit which is disposed between the insulators to ensure stiffness of the body and comprises at least one coupling surface coupled with at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing,
wherein the frame unit comprises a first frame which faces a first direction and a second frame which faces a second direction, both of which are arranged in a grid shape, and comprises a supporting frame which comprises an installation space in which the insulators are installed and is mounted between the first frame and the second frame,
wherein the at least one coupling surface is coupled with the supporting frame to form the installation space,
wherein the at least one coupling surface comprises:
a first coupling surface coupled with the supporting frame to face an inner wall of the outer casing; and
a second coupling surface coupled with the supporting frame to face an outer wall of the inner casing,

wherein the first coupling surface and the second coupling surface are alternately arranged in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first coupling surface is located between the insulators and the outer casing, and
wherein the second coupling surface is located between the insulators and the inner casing.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the at least one coupling surface is fixed to at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing by an adhesive member.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the supporting frame is disposed between the inner casing and the outer casing to be vertical to at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing.

5. A refrigerator comprising:
a body comprising an inner casing and an outer casing;
a storage compartment formed in the inner casing;
a vacuum insulator provided between the inner casing and the outer casing to insulate the storage compartment; and
a supporting frame which is provided between the inner casing and the outer casing and comprises an installation space in which the vacuum insulator is installed,
wherein the installation space comprises at least one side which is open to allow the vacuum insulator to face at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing,
wherein the supporting frame comprises:
at least one first frame which is elongated in a first direction; and
at least one second frame which is elongated in a second direction to form an intersection point with the at least one first frame; and

at least one coupling surface coupled with the at least one first frame and the at least one second frame to form the installation space,
wherein the at least one coupling surface is irregularly arranged in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the at least one first frame and the at least one second frame intersect each other at a right angle.

7. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the open side of the installation space is surrounded by the at least one coupling surface.

8. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the at least one coupling surface comprises:
a first coupling surface located between the vacuum insulator and the outer casing; and
a second coupling surface located between the vacuum insulator and the inner casing.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the first coupling surface and the second coupling surface are alternately arranged in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

10. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the installation space comprises:
a first installation space which has one surface open toward the first coupling surface and an outer wall of the inner casing; and
a second installation space which has one surface open toward the second coupling surface and an inner wall of the outer casing.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the first installation space and the second installation space are alternately arranged in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

12. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the at least one first frame, the at least one second frame, and the at least one coupling surface are integrally formed.

13. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the supporting frame is coupled with the body by fixing the at least one coupling surface to at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing by an adhesive member.

14. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the supporting frame is inserted into and coupled with at least one of the inner casing and the outer casing.

15. A refrigerator comprising:
a body comprising an inner casing and an outer casing;
a storage compartment formed in the inner casing;
a vacuum insulator provided between the inner casing and the outer casing to insulate the storage compartment; and
a reinforcing member which is provided between the inner casing and the outer casing to ensure stiffness of the body, comprises an installation space in which the vacuum insulator is installed and comprises a plurality of surfaces,
wherein the reinforcing member comprises:
a first frame which faces a first direction;
a second frame which faces a second direction; and
a third frame which faces a third direction, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of surfaces of the reinforcing member has an irregular grid structure formed by a coupling between one of the first frame, the second frame and the third frame and another one of the first frame, the second frame and the third frame so as to define various sized installation spaces.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 ,
wherein the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame are coupled with one another to surround to the inner casing.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein any one of the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame is vertical to another one of the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame.

18. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the reinforcing member is inserted into and coupled with the inner casing and the outer casing.

19. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the reinforcing member is directly coupled with the inner casing and the outer casing.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Kim Dae Whan
• Kuk Keon
• Song Tae-Ho
• Youn Sung-Kie
• Wonkyeong Kang
• Kang Pilseong
• Inseok Yeo
• Lee Jaehyug
• Jeong Gil-Eon
• Bongsu Choi

Classifications

• F25D2323/061

  Collapsible walls · CPC title

• F25D2201/14

  using subatmospheric pressure · CPC title

• F25D23/065 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• F25D23/062

  defining a cabinet · CPC title

• F25D11/00 Primary

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title