# US 10,480,228 B2 · Hinge supporting apparatus for door of refrigerator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,228 B2 - Document ID: US10480228B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/354,438 - Filed: 2016-11-17 - Published: 2017-05-18 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-18 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jin-ho Kim; Cheon-seok Ko; Sung-cheul Park - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480228B2 ## CPC - E05D 7/0415: {with adjusting drive means} - F25D 23/028: {Details} - E05D 2007/0484: {in a radial direction} - E05Y 2900/31: for refrigerators - F25D 2323/024: Door hinges - E05D: HINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS (pivotal connections in general F16C11/00) - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF ## Abstract A hinge supporting apparatus is provided, which includes a connection member configured to hinge-connect a door to a main body, a cam member configured to vary an installation position of the connection member in order to control a gap between the main body and the door, and a fixing member configured to fix the connection member to the main body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hinge supporting apparatus comprising: a connection member configured to hinge-connect a door to a main body; a cam member configured to vary an installation position of the connection member in order to control a gap between the main body and the door; and a fixing member configured to fix the connection member to the main body, wherein the connection member has an insertion hole which is formed thereon and into which the cam member is inserted, wherein the insertion hole includes a first end portion that corresponds to one flat side surface of the cam member and a second end portion which corresponds to another flat side surface of the cam member that forms a pair with the one flat side surface of the cam member, and wherein the first and second end portions are spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the door moves away from or approaches the main body, and form a gap that is equal to a gap between the one flat side surface and the other flat side surface of the cam member, so that the one flat side surface and the other flat side surface of the cam member are in contact with the first and second end portions, respectively, when the cam member is inserted into the insertion hole. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second end portions are arranged in parallel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cam member comprises at least two pairs of flat side surfaces that form pairs, and the flat side surfaces of any one of the at least two pairs of flat side surfaces are arranged at equal distances from one portion of the cam member, and the flat side surfaces of the other of the at least two pairs of flat side surfaces are arranged at different distances from the one portion of the cam member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a fastening member is penetratingly coupled to the one portion of the cam member, and fixes the cam member to the main body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main body has a fastening hole which is formed thereon and to which the fastening member is fastened, and a plurality of setting holes which are formed thereon in a circumferential direction around the fastening hole, and the cam member includes a setting projection that is inserted into at least one of the plurality of setting holes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the number of the plurality of setting holes is equal to or smaller than the number of flat side surfaces of the cam member by one. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the main body has a fastening hole which is formed thereon and to which the fastening member is fastened, and at least one setting projection that is adjacent to the fastening hole, and the cam member includes a plurality of setting holes into which the at least one setting projection is inserted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cam member comprises a plurality of indicating portions that correspond to postures of the cam member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of indicating portions are formed in positions that correspond to the respective flat side surfaces of the cam member on the cam member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises: a bracket that is fixed to the main body; and a pressing lever having one side that is rotatably connected to the bracket so as to clamp the connection member on the main body or to release clamping. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises a plurality of fastening screws configured to separably fasten the connection member to the main body. ### Claim 12 A hinge supporting apparatus comprising: a connection member having one side portion that is variably fixed to a main body of a refrigerator and the other side portion that is hinge-connected to a door of the refrigerator; and a cam member configured to be inserted into the one side portion of the connection member to control a gap between the main body and the door in accordance with variation of an installation position of the connection member, wherein the cam member has a plurality of flat side surfaces which are even-numbered to form pairs with the flat side surfaces that are arranged in opposite directions to each other, wherein the connection member has an insertion hole which is formed on the one side portion of the connection member and into which the cam member is inserted, wherein the insertion hole includes first and second end portions that correspond to the flat side surfaces of one of the pairs of flat side surfaces of the cam member, and wherein the first and second end portions of the insertion hole are spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the door moves away from or approaches the main body, and form a gap that is equal to a gap between the flat side surfaces of the one of the pairs of flat side surfaces of the cam member, so that the flat side surfaces of the one air of flat side surfaces of the cam member are in contact with the first and second end portions when the cam member is inserted into the insertion hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flat side surfaces that form the pairs of the cam member are arranged in parallel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cam member has a through-hole to which a fastening member that is separably fixed to the main body is penetratingly coupled, and any one of the flat side surfaces that form the pairs of the cam member is arranged at equal distances from the through-hole, and the flat side surfaces that form the remaining pairs are arranged at different distances from the through-hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cam member further includes: at least one setting projection for maintaining the cam member in any one of predetermined postures; and a plurality of setting holes into which the at least one setting projection is inserted. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the setting projection is formed on any one of the cam member and the main body, and the plurality of setting holes are formed on the remaining one of the cam member and the main body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The hinge supporting apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a fixing member configured to fix the connection member to the main body in order to maintain an installation position of the connection member.