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US 12,692,740 B2Granted
Refrigerator having hinge and damper
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorHohyeang Yun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a cabinet forming a storage space; a door configured to open and close the cabinet; a hinge configured to connect the door and the cabinet and to support the door to be rotatable; and a damping mechanism providing a damping force to the door while the door rotates in a closing direction after opening the door, in which the damping force of the damping mechanism varies during a door closing process.
Claims10
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage space;
- a door configured to open and close the cabinet;
- a hinge configured to connect the door to the cabinet to rotatably support the door;
- and
- a damper configured to provide a damping force to the door while the door rotates from an open position to a closed position, the damper configured to vary the damping force while the door rotates from the open position to the closed position,
- wherein the damper includes:
- a housing having a space;
- a cylinder configured to move in the space of the housing while in contact with the door or the cabinet, the cylinder having a space to accommodate oil therein;
- a piston configured to move within the space of cylinder as the cylinder moves, the piston having an orifice through which the oil passes;
- and
- an elastic member configured to provide elastic force to the piston,
- wherein the cylinder includes a first portion having an inner diameter, a second portion having an inner diameter greater than the inner diameter of the first portion, and at least one rib protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the second portion,
- wherein, when the piston is within the second portion, the piston contacts the at least one rib,
- wherein a first damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the first portion, and
- wherein a second damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the second portion.
12 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage space;
- a door configured to open and close the cabinet;
- a hinge configured to connect the door to the cabinet to rotatably support the door;
- and
- a damper configured to provide a damping force to the door while the door rotates from an open position to a closed position, the damper configured to vary the damping force while the door rotates from the open position to the closed position,
- wherein the damper includes:
- a housing having a space;
- a cylinder configured to move in the space of the housing while in contact with the door or the cabinet, the cylinder having a space to accommodate oil therein;
- and
- a piston configured to move within the space of cylinder as the cylinder moves, the piston having an orifice through which the oil passes,
- wherein the cylinder includes a first portion having an inner diameter, a second portion having an inner diameter greater than the inner diameter of the first portion, and at least one rib protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the second portion,
- wherein the second portion includes:
- a first section in which the inner diameter increases from a first position adjacent the first portion to a second position spaced from the first portion;
- and
- a second section extending from the first section, the inner diameter of the second section being constant,
- wherein, when the piston is within the second portion, the piston contacts the at least one rib,
- wherein a first damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the first portion, and
- wherein a second damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the second portion.
15 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet having a storage space;
- a door configured to open and close the cabinet;
- a hinge configured to connect the door to the cabinet to rotatably support the door;
- and
- a damper configured to provide a damping force to the door while the door rotates from an open position to a closed position, the damper configured to vary the damping force while the door rotates from the open position to the closed position,
- wherein the damper includes:
- a housing having a space;
- a cylinder configured to move in the space of the housing while in contact with the door or the cabinet, the cylinder having a space to accommodate oil therein;
- and
- a piston configured to move within the space of cylinder as the cylinder moves, the piston having an orifice through which the oil passes;
- and
- at least one rib protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder,
- wherein the piston is configured to come into contact with the at least one rib over at least portion of a movement path of the cylinder,
- wherein the cylinder includes a first portion having an inner diameter, and a second portion having an inner diameter greater than the inner diameter of the first portion,
- wherein a first damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the first portion, and
- wherein a second damping force is generated when the piston is positioned within the second portion.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.