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US 8,336,974 B2Granted
Door of refrigerator and method for manufacturing the same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsJeong Wook Lee, Sang Chul Ryu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a refrigerator door in which a decoration member is mounted to a door frame using a foam material, the foam material fills a space formed between the decoration member mounted to a front side of the door frame and a rear panel mounted to a rear side of the door frame. Accordingly, the decoration member can be fixed to the door frame through direct contact with the foam material.
Claims16
A door of a refrigerator comprising:
- a door frame including a front side and a rear side;
- a home bar door mounted to a central portion of the door frame;
- a first front panel fixed to the front side of the door frame at an upper portion of the door frame;
- a second front panel fixed to the front side of the door frame at a lower portion of the door frame;
- a rear panel mounted to the rear side of the door frame;
- a first front panel mounting part formed on the front side of the door frame at the upper portion of the door frame, to support the first front panel;
- a second front panel mounting part formed on the front side of the door frame at the lower portion of the door frame, to support the second front panel;
- an upper opening defined by the first front panel mounting part, the upper opening being closed by the first front panel;
- a lower opening defined by the second front panel mounting part, the lower opening being closed by the second front panel;
- a position fixing projection formed at the front side of the door frame along a periphery of the door frame, to guide mounting positions of the first and second front panels, wherein the position fixing projection includes gaps formed at every corner of the position fixing projection for contraction and expansion of the position fixing projection;
- and
- a foam material filling a space defined by the door frame, the first and second front panels, and the rear panel,
- wherein the first and second front panels are permanently fixed to the door frame by the foam material, which directly comes into contact with rear surface portions of the first and second front panels through the upper and lower openings, when the foam material cures, such that the first and second front panels are attached to the door frame without engaging any portion of the door frame with front surfaces of the first and second front panels, enabling the entire front surfaces of the first and second front panels to be visible from a front of the refrigerator.
10 more elements
A refrigerator door comprising:
- a door frame;
- at least one front panel fixed to a front side of the door frame;
- a rear panel mounted to a rear side of the door frame;
- and
- a foam material filling an inner space defined by the door frame, the at least one front panel and the rear panel,
- wherein the door frame includes a front panel mounting part and at least one opening provided at the front side of the door frame, wherein the door frame includes a position fixing projection formed at the front side of the door frame along a periphery of the door frame to guide the front panel to a position where the front panel is temporarily mounted, wherein the position fixing projection includes gaps formed at every corner of the position fixing projection for contraction and expansion of the position fixing projection,
- wherein the front panel is permanently fixed to the door frame by the foam material, which directly comes into contact with the front panel while expanding through the at least one opening, when the foam material cures, such that the front panel is attached to the door frame without engaging any portion of the door frame with a front surface of the front panel, enabling the entire front surface of the front panel to be visible from a front of the refrigerator door.
4 more elements
A method for manufacturing a refrigerator door, comprising:
- assembling a door frame including a front side, a rear side, a left lateral side, a right lateral side, a top side, and a bottom side;
- temporarily mounting a front panel to be fixed to the front side of the door frame;
- forming a mounting part on the front side of the door frame to support the front panel;
- forming at least one opening, defined by the mounting part, on the front side of the door frame;
- forming a position fixing projection at the front side of the door frame along a periphery of the door frame to guide the front panel to a position where the front panel is temporarily mounted, wherein the position fixing projection includes forming gaps at every corner of the position fixing projection for contraction and expansion of the position fixing projection;
- fixing a rear panel to the rear side of the door frame;
- and
- injecting a foam material into an inner space defined by the door frame and the front panel such that the foam material expands through the at least one opening formed on the front side of the door frame and comes into contact with a rear surface of the front panel to permanently fix the front panel to the door frame by adhesion of the foam material, such that the front panel is attached to the door frame without engaging any portion of the door frame with a front surface of the front panel, enabling the entire front surface of the front panel to be visible from a front of the refrigerator door.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.