US 9,810,476 B2Granted

Refrigerator

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorsHyun Soo Kim, Jong-Hyub Lee, Seo Jin Park, Young Min Park

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Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator of which door is opened without interference by a structure positioned next to a side of the refrigerator. Since a main body and the door of the refrigerator are provided with hinge units, while the door is opening, the hinge units rotate in a direction in which the door rotates while protruding, and thus the structure positioned next to the side of the refrigerator is not positioned in a radius of rotation of the door, and the door may rotate without interference. In addition, hinge covers which move in conjunction with the movement of the hinge units are provided at one sides of the hinge units. When the hinge units protrude due to the opening of the door, since protrusions of the hinge units are provided not to be exposed by one ends of the hinge covers sliding.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a main body including a storage compartment;
a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
and
a hinge unit provided in the main body and configured to permit the door to be rotatably coupled to the main body, wherein the hinge unit includes:
a first fixed hinge axis portion and a second fixed hinge axis portion provided in the main body;
a first movable hinge axis portion and a second movable hinge axis portion provided in the door;
and
a link portion configured to connect the first and second fixed hinge axis portions and the first and second movable hinge axis portions, wherein the link portion includes a first link member having one end rotatably coupled to the first fixed hinge axis portion and a second link member that intersect each other and a third link member having one end rotatably coupled to the second fixed hinge axis portion, when the door is open, the first link member and the second link member protrude to a front of the refrigerator, and one side of the third link member rotates and contacts an axis portion of the first link member at which the first link member and the first fixed hinge axis portion are coupled to each other,
the third link member comprises a contact portion having a recessed shape corresponding to a circumferential surface of an axis portion of the first link member, such that the first link member rotates after the contact portion of the third link member contacts the axis portion of the first link member.

6 more elements

A refrigerator comprising:

a main body including a storage compartment;
a door configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a hinge unit that is provided in the main body and configured to rotatably couple the door to the main body, and wherein the hinge unit includes a plurality of hinge axis portions and a link portion;
and
a hinge cover provided at one side of the hinge unit and configured to cover at least a part of the hinge unit in conjunction with an opening operation of the main body,
wherein, the link portion comprises a first link member having one end rotatably coupled to a first fixed hinge axis portion, a second link member that intersects the first link member and is rotatably coupled to the first link member such that, when the door is opened, the first link member and the second link member extend away from the main body of the refrigerator, and a third link member having one end rotatably coupled to a second fixed hinge axis portion, and
the third link member comprises a contact portion having a recessed shape corresponding to a first end of the first link member such that, when the door is opened, the third link member rotates until the contact portion of the third link member contacts the one end of the first link member.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/986,531Filed 31 Dec 2015
Priority: KR 10-2015-00005515 Jan 2015
Published: US 2016/0195325 A17 Jul 2016
Granted: 7 Nov 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

F25D 23/028
Doors; Covers: details
E05D 3/08
With two or more pins: for swing-doors, i.e. openable by pushing from either side
E05D 3/16
With two or more pins: with seven parallel pins and four arms
E05D 7/04
Hinges or pivots of special construction: hinges adjustable relative to the wing or the frame