Refrigerator and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970703-B2
Application number	US-201615148577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2012
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof including processes of separately manufacturing partitions dividing a storage space into a plurality of storage chambers from a main body including an inner casing and an outer casing, coupling the partitions to an inner surface of the inner casing, filling a space between the inner casing and the partitions with an insulator, and filling the partitions with the insulator by filling a space between the inner casing and the outer casing with the insulator. Since the insulator uniformly fills the partitions dividing the storage space into the plurality of storage chambers, the partitions may possess improved insulating qualities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
an inner casing defining a storage space and including a plurality of walls;
an outer casing coupled to the inner casing to define an appearance of the refrigerator;
an insulation material disposed in a space between the inner casing and the outer casing;
a partition coupled to an opening provided in a groove which is provided on the at least one of the plurality of walls of the inner casing to divide the storage space defined by the inner casing into a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, the partition including a first plate and a second plate coupled to the first plate; and
a reinforcing frame coupled to the partition to reinforce the partition,
wherein
the reinforcing frame includes a front portion, a first side portion, and a second side portion,
the first side portion and the second side portion are integrally formed with the front portion,
the first side portion extends from one end of the front portion in a front to rear direction,
the second side portion extends from another end of the front portion in the front to rear direction, the one end and the another end of the front portion being on opposite sides of the front portion,
the front portion of the reinforcing frame is coupled to a front portion of one of the first plate and the second plate,
the first side portion is disposed adjacent to a first side wall of one of the first plate and second plate, and
the second side portion is disposed adjacent to a second side wall of one of the first plate and the second plate, the first side wall and the second side wall being on opposite sides of the partition.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a prefabricated insulator disposed between the first plate and the second plate.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the insulation material is further disposed in a space provided between a side of the prefabricated insulator disposed between the first plate and the second plate and one of the first and second side portions of the reinforcing frame.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the partition is coupled to the opening by a protrusion disposed on the first side wall of the one of the first plate and the second plate of the partition, the protrusion passing through the opening, and
the insulation material disposed in the space between the inner casing and the outer casing contacts an outer side of the protrusion which passes through the opening.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the partition includes another protrusion disposed on the second side wall of the one of the first plate and the second plate of the partition which passes through another opening on another groove of at least one other of the plurality of walls of the inner casing.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the partition includes an opening through which the insulation material extends into the partition, in a space formed by the first plate and the second plate.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the partition is coupled to a plurality of openings respectively provided in a plurality of grooves which are respectively provided on at least two of the plurality of walls.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the partition is coupled to the inner casing by a plate protrusion, extending outward from the first side wall of one of the first plate and the second plate, inserted into and passing through the opening on the groove of one of the plurality of walls, and
the first side portion of the reinforcing frame includes a side portion protrusion, protruding from the first side portion of the reinforcing frame into a space provided between the plate protrusion and
the first side wall of one of the first plate and the second plate.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the partition is coupled to the inner casing by a plate protrusion, extending outward from the first side wall of one of the first plate and the second plate, inserted into and passing through the opening on the groove of one of the plurality of walls, and
an outer side of the protrusion which is in contact with the insulation material is substantially flat and substantially rectangularly shaped.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein
the partition is coupled to the inner casing by a plate protrusion, extending outward from the first side wall of one of the first plate and the second plate, inserted into and passing through the opening on the groove of one of the plurality of walls, and
an outer side of the plate protrusion which is in contact with the insulation material is substantially flat and substantially parallel to the at least one of the plurality of walls of the inner casing.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cha Kwang Hyuk
• Park Ho Sang
• Yun Kwon Chul

Classifications

• F25D2400/06

  Refrigerators with a vertical mullion · CPC title

• F25D2201/10

  with respect to heat · CPC title

• F25D23/069 Primary

  Cooling space dividing partitions · CPC title

• F25D25/02

  by shelves · CPC title

• B23P15/26

  heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} · CPC title