Refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsHee Jun Lee, Jinho Chang, Jaehoon Shin, Jae Un Shin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a cabinet provided with a storage compartment; a door rotatably installed at the cabinet and configured to open and close the storage compartment; a hinge assembly configured to rotatably connect the door to the cabinet; and a damper configured to move in association with a rotation of the door, and to generate a damping force by contacting the hinge assembly. The damper is provided in such a way that the damper surface-contacts the hinge assembly.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage compartment;
- a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
- a hinge assembly configured to rotatably connect the door to the cabinet;
- and
- a damper provided on the door and configured to move in association with a rotation of the door, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the hinge assembly or the cabinet as the door is rotated towards a closed position, the damper including a contact end at a side of the damper,
- wherein the hinge assembly includes:
- a damper contact part configured to contact the contact end of the damper as the door is rotated towards the closed position;
- a hinge fixed to the cabinet, the hinge being connected to the door;
- and
- a hinge case configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge or the cabinet, the hinge case including:
- an upper part located at an upper side of the hinge;
- and
- a lateral part connecting the hinge and the upper part in an up-down direction,
- wherein the damper contact part is located on the lateral part and is located at the hinge case.
The refrigerator of 16, wherein the groove extends to a cover upper surface of the hinge case and does not extend to a cover lower surface of the hinge case.
The refrigerator of 17, wherein a shape of the contact end of the damper corresponds to a shape of the groove.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage compartment;
- a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
- a hinge assembly configured to rotatably connect the door to the cabinet;
- and
- a damper provided on the door and configured to move in association with a rotation of the door, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the hinge assembly or the cabinet as the door is rotated towards a closed position, and the damper including a contact end at a first side of the damper,
- wherein the hinge assembly includes:
- a damper contact part configured to contact the contact end as the door is rotated towards the closed position;
- and
- a reinforcement member connected to the damper contact part to support the damper contact part,
- wherein, in a state where the contact end contacts a first surface of the damper contact part, the damper is pressed by the hinge assembly, and
- wherein the reinforcement member is connected to a second surface of the damper contact part opposite the first surface.
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage compartment;
- a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
- a hinge assembly configured to rotatably connect the door to the cabinet;
- and
- a damper provided on the door and configured to move in association with a rotation of the door, the damper being configured to generate a damping force by contacting the hinge assembly or the cabinet as the door is rotated towards a closed position, and the damper including a contact end at a first side of the damper,
- wherein the hinge assembly includes:
- a damper contact part configured to contact the contact end as the door is rotated towards the closed position;
- a reinforcement member connected to the damper contact part to support the damper contact part;
- a hinge fixed to the cabinet, the hinge being connected to the door;
- and
- a hinge case configured to accommodate at least a portion of the hinge, the hinge case being connected to the hinge or the cabinet,
- wherein the damper contact part is located at the hinge case,
- wherein the damper contacts the damper contact part from outside the hinge case, and
- wherein the reinforcement member is located in the hinge case.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.