WO2009061069A1

WO2009061069A1 - Refrigerator and opening/closing door thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2009061069A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/005357
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sun-Myung Hwang
Original assignee: Lg Electronics Inc.
Priority date: 2007-11-05
Filing date: 2008-09-10
Publication date: 2009-05-14

Abstract

Present embodiments provide a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a main body, a refrigerator door, an opening, and an opening/closing door. The main body defines a storage compartment. The refrigerator door opens and closes the storage compartment. The opening is defined in the refrigerator door. The opening/closing door opens and closes the opening, and includes a door frame, an insulating material, and at least one supporting member. The door frame defines an exterior shape. The insulating material is filled within the door frame. The supporting member is provided on an inside of the door frame to minimize deformation of the door frame.

Description

REFRIGERATOR AND OPENING/CLOSING DOOR THEREOF

Technical Field

[1] The present embodiments relate to a refrigerator and an opening/closing door of the refrigerator. Background Art

[2] In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus that preserves foods at low temperatures.

[3] A refrigerator includes a main body defining a storage compartment, and a refrigerator door that opens and closes the storage compartment.

[4] Some recently manufactured refrigerators include a home bar installed on the refrigerator door to prevent unnecessary, excessive loss of cold air from opening and closing the refrigerator door.

[5] Here, a home bar allows removal of beverages or food stored in the storage compartment without having to open the refrigerator door.

[6] However, in related art home bars, filling the inside of an opening/closing door with an insulating material during the assembly process of the opening/closing door that seals an opening of the home bar can lead to the opening/closing door warping or twisting.

[7] If the degree of warpage of the opening/closing door is severe, the opening/closing door will be unable to completely seal the opening of the home bar, causing leakage of cold air from the refrigerator to the outside. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[8] Embodiments provide an opening/closing door that is prone to minimal contraction and twist, and a refrigerator provided with the opening/closing door. Technical Solution

[9] In one embodiment, a refrigerator includes: a main body defining a storage compartment; a refrigerator door opening and closing the storage compartment; an opening defined in the refrigerator door; and an opening/closing door opening and closing the opening, wherein the opening/closing door includes: a door frame defining an exterior shape; an insulating material filled within the door frame; and at least one supporting member provided on an inside of the door frame to minimize deformation of the door frame.

[10] In another embodiment, an opening/closing door of a refrigerator includes: a door frame defining an exterior shape and opening and closing a storage compartment; a supporting member extending from one inner side to an opposite side of the door frame; and an insulating material filled within the door frame.

Advantageous Effects

[11] According to the provided embodiments, contraction and twist of a door frame can be minimized through the use of a supporting member during the process of filling the inside of an opening/closing door with an insulating material.

[12] Also, by minimizing contraction and twist of a door frame, the appearance of an opening/closing door is not compromised, and the opening/closing door is able to completely seal the inside of a refrigerator storage compartment from the outside. Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a home bar, according to a first embodiment.

[14] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line A-A.

[15] Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line B-B.

[16] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a supporting member provided on an opening/closing door according to the first embodiment.

[17] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line A-A, according to a second embodiment.

[18] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line B-B, according to a third embodiment. Mode for the Invention

[19] Below, a detailed description of embodiments of the present invention will be provided with reference to the drawings.

[20] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a home bar, according to a first embodiment.

[21] Referring to Fig. 1, a refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 10 defining a storage compartment for storing foods and having an open front, refrigerator doors 11 and 12 for selectively sealing the front of the main body 10, and a home bar 120 formed in a refrigerator door.

[22] In detail, the storage compartments of the main body 10 may include a refrigeration compartment (not shown) and a freezer compartment (not shown).

[23] Also, the refrigerator doors 11 and 12 may include a freezer compartment door 11 for selectively opening and closing the freezer compartment, and a refrigeration compartment door 12 for selectively opening and closing the refrigeration compartment.

[24] As one example, Fig. 1 shows the home bar 120 provided on the refrigeration compartment door 12. Alternatively, the home bar 120 may be provided on the freezer compartment door 11, or provided respectively on the freezer compartment door 11 and the refrigeration compartment door 12. [25] The home bar 120 includes an opening 121 defining an open portion of the refrigerator door 11 or 12 for the storing or removal of food, a home bar frame 122 formed around the perimeter of the opening 121 to define the exterior of the home bar 120, and an opening/closing door 123 for opening or closing the opening 121.

[26] The opening/closing door 123 includes an opening/closing door liner 124b. The opening/closing door liner 124b is formed in a stepped configuration to contact the home bar frame 122 and seal the inside of the refrigerator when the opening/closing door 123 is closed against the opening 121.

[27] The opening/closing door 123 is pivotably coupled to the refrigerator door 11 or 12 about a hinge portion 127.

[28] Also, a locking member 126 is provided on the upper rear surface of the opening/ closing door 123 to fix the opening/closing door 123 to the home bar frame 122 when the opening/closing door 123 is sealing the opening 121.

[29] Further, a latch assembly 125 is provided on the home bar frame 122 to couple with the locking member 126 when the opening/closing door 123 is closed.

[30] Here, when the opening/closing door 123 is being closed, the locking member 126 inserts into and latches onto the latch assembly 125 to retain the closed state of the opening/closing door 123. The locking member 126, together with a pressing portion (described below) that a user manipulates, may be collectively referred to as an "opening device" that opens the opening/closing door 123.

[31] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line A-A, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of

Fig. 1 cut along line B-B, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a supporting member provided on an opening/closing door according to the first embodiment.

[32] Referring to Figs. 2 through 4, an opening/closing door 123 according to the present embodiment includes door frames 124a and 124b defining the exterior shape of the home bar, a locking member 126 formed to latch to the latch assembly 126 when the opening/closing door 123 is closed, a pressing portion 128 that guides pressing by a user to open the opening/closing door 123, an insulating material 129 provided in the inner space of the door frame, and a supporting member 130 provided on the inside of the door frames 124a and 124b for minimizing contraction and twist of the door frames 124a and 124b from heat deformation during the process of filling the insulating material 129 in the assembly process of the opening/closing door 123.

[33] Specifically, the door frames 124a and 124b include a front portion 124a defining the front external surface of the opening/closing door 123, and an opening/closing door liner 124b defining the rear surface of the opening/closing door 123.

[34] The supporting member 130 includes a fixing portion 131 fixed to the front portion

124a, and a plurality of protruding portions extending from the top and bottom of the fixing portion 131 toward the opening/closing door liner 124b. That is, the supporting member 130 is bent a plurality of times to reinforce its strength.

[35] The plurality of protruding portions includes a first protruding portion 132a projecting from the top of the fixing portion 131, and a second protruding portion 132b projecting from the bottom of the fixing portion 131.

[36] However, the plurality of protruding portions 132a and 132b according to present embodiments is not limited in number to two, and the number of protruding portions and their positions may also vary.

[37] Here, the length of the second protruding portion 132b may be greater than the length of the first protruding portion 132a. However, the lengths of the plurality of protruding portions 132a and 132b are not restricted to the described examples. That is, the first protruding portion 132a and the second protruding portion 132b may be formed the same in size, or the first protruding portion 132a may be formed larger than the second protruding portion 132b.

[38] The supporting member 130 is coupled to the front portion 124a to perform the function of distributing a contracting tendency of the opening/closing door 123.

[39] The supporting member 130 is coupled to the front portion 124a at a portion closer to the top than the bottom of the opening/closing door 123.

[40] The fixing portion 131 is coupled to the front portion 124a by means of a fixing member. The fixing member may include an adhesive or a double-sided tape 135.

[41] However, there is no restriction on the method for coupling the fixing portion 131 and the front portion 124a according to present embodiments, and the fixing portion 131 may be coupled to the front portion 124a through a variety of methods. For example, the fixing portion 131 and the front portion 124a may be coupled through a fastening member.

[42] The reason for disposing the supporting member 130 close to the top of the opening/ closing door 123 is because contraction and twist of the opening/closing door 123 occurs most severely at the top of the opening/closing door 123.

[43] That is, because the locking member 126 and the latch assembly 128 function when a user presses the pressing portion 128 to open the opening/closing door 123, the pressing portion 128 and the surrounding area are subjected to the greatest amount of external force. Accordingly, the supporting member 130 is provided in proximity to the pressing portion 126.

[44] That is, the supporting member 130 according to the present embodiment functions to minimize contraction and twisting of the front portion 124a during the process of filling insulating material, and also functions to minimize contraction and twist of the front portion 124a during use of the opening/closing door 123.

[45] The supporting member 130 may be elongatedly formed horizontally along the front portion 124a. Also, to facilitate assembly of the supporting member 130 to the opening/closing door 123, either side of the supporting member 130 is formed to be separated from either side of the opening/closing door 123, as shown in Fig. 3.

[46] Below, a brief description will be provided on the assembly process of the supporting member 130 to the opening/closing door 123 and the function of the supporting member 130.

[47] First, the supporting member 130 is fixed to the inside of the front portion 124a of the opening/closing door 123. Of course, the supporting member 130 may be, as described above, fixed to the front portion 124a by means of an adhesive or a double- sided tape 135.

[48] Next, the front portion 124a and the opening/closing door liner 124b are coupled.

Then, an insulating material in liquid form is filled in the space between the front portion 124a and the opening/closing door liner 124b. Over time, the insulating material hardens to a solid state. During the hardening process of the insulating material, a predetermined amount of force is transmitted to the opening/closing door 123. However, because the supporting member 130 according to the present embodiment is provided on the opening/closing door 123, a contracting force on the opening/closing door 123 caused by the force transmitted to the front portion 124a is diffused by the supporting member 130, so that the contracting force imparted on the front portion 124a can be minimized.

[49] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line A-A, according to a second embodiment.

[50] The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in all aspects except for a difference in the structure of the supporting member. Therefore, only the characterizing aspects of the present embodiment will be described below.

[51] Referring to Fig. 5, according to the present embodiment, a supporting member 140 is formed to extend from the front portion 124a of the opening/closing door in order to minimize contraction or twist of the front portion 124a.

[52] In detail, the supporting member 140 is formed to project from the inside of the front portion 124a toward the opening/closing door liner. The supporting member 140 is injection molded integrally with the front portion 124a.

[53] Also, the thickness of a portion 142 where the supporting member 140 is formed on the front portion 124a is greater than the thickness of the remaining portion 141.

[54] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 cut along line B-B, according to a third embodiment.

[55] The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in all aspects except for a difference in the number of supporting members. Therefore, only the characterizing aspects of the present embodiment will be described below.

[56] Referring to Fig. 6, a first supporting member 130 and a plurality of second supporting members 150 are provided on the front portion 124a of the opening/closing door 123 according to the present embodiment.

[57] The first supporting member 130 is formed in the same shape as the supporting member described in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will not be provided.

[58] The plurality of second supporting members 150 may be elongatedly provided horizontally along the front portion 124a, and the second supporting members 150 may include a protrusion (not shown) projecting toward the opening/closing door liner.

[59] Also, the plurality of second supporting members 150 may be manufactured as separate components and coupled to the front portion 124a, or may be integrally formed with the front portion 124a.

[60] In the present embodiment, one or more supporting members have been described as provided on the front portion 124a. Also, one or more supporting members may be provided on the opening/closing door liner 124b. Further, as a portion exposed to the outside, the front portion 124a must necessarily be provided with the supporting member, while the opening/closing door liner may selectively be provided with the supporting member.

Claims

[ 1 ] A refrigerator comprising: a main body defining a storage compartment; a refrigerator door opening and closing the storage compartment; an opening defined in the refrigerator door; and an opening/closing door opening and closing the opening, wherein the opening/ closing door comprises: a door frame defining an exterior shape; an insulating material filled within the door frame; and at least one supporting member provided on an inside of the door frame to minimize deformation of the door frame. [2] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door frame comprises: a front portion defining a front surface exterior; and a door liner defining a rear surface exterior. [3] The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the at least one supporting member is provided on a rear surface of the front portion. [4] The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the at least one supporting member is fixed to the front portion through a fixing member. [5] The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the at least one supporting member is integrally formed with the front portion. [6] The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein a thickness at a region of the front portion where the supporting member is formed is greater than a thickness at other regions of the front portion. [7] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member is elongatedly formed horizontally along the opening/closing door. [8] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member is bent a plurality of times. [9] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member comprises at least one protrusion projecting from one inner side toward an opposite side of the opening/closing door. [10] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting member is disposed closer to a top than a bottom of the door frame. [11] The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door frame comprises a pressing portion at a front surface thereof to guide pressing by a user, and the at least one supporting member is disposed proximate to the pressing portion. [12] An opening/closing door of a refrigerator, comprising: a door frame defining an exterior shape and opening and closing a storage com- partment; a supporting member extending from one inner side to an opposite side of the door frame; and an insulating material filled within the door frame. [13] The opening/closing door according to claim 12, wherein the one inner side is a front portion of the door frame, and the opposite side is a rear portion of the door frame. [14] The opening/closing door according to claim 12, wherein the supporting member is coupled to the door frame or is integrally formed with the door frame. [15] The opening/closing door according to claim 12, wherein the supporting member is bent a plurality of times.