US20120267992A1

US20120267992A1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: US20120267992A1
Application number: US13/090,728
Authority: US
Inventors: Namgyo LEE; Kyungseok Kim
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2011-04-20
Filing date: 2011-04-20
Publication date: 2012-10-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising a first food storage space and a second food storage space formed separately from each other into two, left and right compartments in a lower part of the main body; a machinery room formed in the rear of the first food storage space; a swing door installed in a rotatable manner at the first food storage space and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the first food storage space with rotational motion and opening or closing the first food storage space; and a drawing door installed in the second food storage space capable of sliding in a forward and backward direction and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the second food storage space with sliding motion and opening or closing the second food storage space, thereby improving user's accessibility to food and storing food more reliably.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention is related to a refrigerator where a machinery room and a plurality of food storage space formed in a lower part of the main body are designed effectively to improve user's accessibility to food and space utilization. At the same time, the present invention is related to the refrigerator where the food storage space disposed in the front of the machinery room disposed in the lower rear side of the main body is opened and closed by using a swing door, while the food storage space independent of the machinery room from among the plurality of food storage space is opened and closed by using a drawing door.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A refrigerator is a food storage apparatus for preventing food stored inside the main body from spoilage by circulating refrigerant through a cooling cycle and thus generating cool air from heat exchange inside the main body.
A conventional refrigerator provides frozen food storage space in the upper part of the main body, while chilled food storage space for storing food by using cold air without freezing the food is prepared in the lower part of the main body. The frozen food storage space and the chilled food storage space are opened or closed by using a frozen food storage space door and a chilled food storage space door respectively, each of which is combined in a rotatable manner to either of the left and right end of the main body.
Recent models of refrigerator separate the upper space of the inside of the main body into two, left and right compartments; the left compartment is prepared for the frozen food storage space and the right compartment for the chilled food storage space. The frozen food storage space is swing open or closed by using a frozen food storage space door combined in a rotatable manner to the left end of the main body; the chilled food storage space is swing open or closed by using a chilled food storage space door combined in a rotatable manner to the right end the main body.
A machinery room in which various components for running the cooling cycle is prepared in the rear side of the lower space of the main body; surplus food storage space for storing surplus food is prepared separately from the chilled food storage space in the front of the machinery room.
Because of the machinery room disposed in the rear side of the lower space of the main body, however, the surplus food storage space becomes small; at the same time, while a drawer type of drawing door (namely, drawing type) is usually installed, since length in a forward and backward direction is short, the drawing door may become inclined toward one direction when the drawing door is opened or closed, causing inconvenience against the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a refrigerator comprising a first food storage space and a second food storage space formed separately from each other into two, left and right compartments in a lower part of the main body; a machinery room formed in the rear of the first food storage space; a swing door installed in a rotatable manner at the first food storage space and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the first food storage space with rotational motion and opening or closing the first food storage space; and a drawing door installed in the second food storage space capable of sliding in a forward and backward direction and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the second food storage space with sliding motion and opening or closing the second food storage space, thereby securing space enough for storing surplus food for the drawing door and improving operational performance of the drawing door.
A refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first food storage space and a second food storage space formed separately from each other into two, left and right compartments in a lower part to of the main body; a machinery room formed in the rear of the first food storage space; a swing door installed in a rotatable manner at the first food storage space and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the first food storage space with rotational motion and opening or closing the first food storage space; and a drawing door installed in the second food storage space capable of sliding in a forward and backward direction and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the second food storage space with sliding motion and opening or closing the second food storage space.
At this time, the length in a forward and backward direction of the second food storage space can be formed to match the summed length of the first food storage space and the length in a forward and backward direction of the machinery room.
Also, the swing door can be installed at one side of the front part of the main body in such a way that one end is fastened to a hinge and the other end rotates around the hinge.
In addition, one end of the swing door can be disposed more distant from the drawing door than the other end of the swing door.
Moreover, the swing door can be formed in a single body so that two or more loading parts are separated from each other and the loading part can be formed to have a fan shape with 90 degrees.
Furthermore, the rear part of the second food storage space at which the drawing door is installed can be enclosed from the outside and a vent leading to the outside can be formed in the rear part of the machinery room.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompany drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this document and are incorporated on and constitute a part of this specification illustrate embodiments of this document and together with the description serve to explain the principles of this document.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the external appearance of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a simplified view of lower structure of the main body of a refrigerator according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a status where a first and a second food storage space of the refrigerator of FIG. 2 are opened; and

FIG. 4 is a rear view seen along the “IV” direction of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In what follows, one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to appended drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external appearance of a refrigerator according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a simplified view of lower structure of the main body of a refrigerator according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 illustrates a status where a first and a second food storage space of the refrigerator of FIG. 2 are opened; and FIG. 4 is a rear view seen along the “I” direction of FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention is disposed in indoor space such as a kitchen or a living room and includes a main body 10 in which internal space 10 where food is stored in the upper part is formed.
With respect to a middle part separating the main body in vertical direction, a frozen food storage space storing food by freezing is disposed in the left of the main body 10, while a chilled food storage space is disposed in the right, where food is stored by cold air without freezing.
In the upper front of the main body 10, a frozen food storage space door 21B (in the following, it is called “left-side door 21B” for the convenience of description) opening or closing the frozen food storage space and a chilled food storage space door 21A (in the following, it is called “right-side door 21A” for the convenience of description) opening or closing the chilled food storage space are installed.
The left-side door 21B and the right-side door 21A are fastened to a hinge (not shown) at the front left-side end and the front right-side end of the main body 10, respectively; the left-side door 21B and the right-side door 21A open and close the frozen food storage space and the chilled food storage space in such a way that the right-side end and the left-side end of the respective doors are rotated around the stationary part of the hinge (not shown)—namely, in a manner of swing-type door.
Meanwhile, in a lower part of the frozen food storage space and the chilled food storage space, namely in a lower part of the main body 10, surplus food storage space 30A, 30B for storing surplus food not stored in the frozen food storage space and the chilled storage space can be formed.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surplus food storage space 30A, 30B can be divided into two compartments. That is to say, as shown in FIG. 2, the surplus food storage space is divided into a first food storage space 30A corresponding to the left-side of the lower part of the main body 10 and a second food storage space 30B corresponding to the right-side thereof.
The length in left and right direction of the first food storage space 30A and the second food storage space 30B can be made to correspond respectively to the length in left and right direction of the lower part of the left-side door 21B and the right-side door 21A to keep uniformity of the frontal appearance of the main body 10.
In one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention, it is assumed that the length in left and right direction of the first food storage space 30A is made to be smaller than that of the second food storage space 30B.
Meanwhile, in the rear part of the first food storage space 30A, prepared is a machinery room 33 where various components for running a cooling cycle of the refrigerator 1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Traditionally, the machinery room 33 has been disposed across the whole rear part of the lower part of the main body 10. However, in one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention, it is assumed that the machinery room 33 is disposed compactly in the left-side of the rear part of the lower part of the main body 30A, namely in the immediate rear of the first food storage space 30A.
Therefore, the length (I) in a forward and backward direction of the second food storage space can be made to correspond to the summed length of the length (II) in a forward and backward direction of the first food storage space 30A and the length (III) in a forward and backward direction of the machinery room 33.
At this time, in the front of the first food storage space 30A, a swing door 35A capable of opening and closing the first food storage space 30A can be installed in a rotatable manner.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, one end of the swing door 35A is combined (fastened) to the left end of the lower part of the main body 10 comprising the front part of the first food storage space 30A in a rotatable manner by a hinge 37; the other end of the swing door 35A can be installed in one side of the front of the main body 10 to open or close the first food storage space 30A while rotating around the hinge 37.
At this time, one end of the swing door 35A is disposed more distant from the second food storage space 30B than the other end. In other words, one end is disposed more distant from a drawing door 35B described below.
Meanwhile, the swing door 35A can be formed in a single body with a loading part 36A to which surplus food is loaded. That is to say, the swing door 35A not only performs the function of opening or closing the first food storage space 30A but also the function of receiving food as the space for storing surplus food.
A single loading part 36A of the swing door 35A can be formed; however, depending on the height of the swing door 35A, multiple swing doors can also be disposed being separated with a predetermined space from each other.
Also, the loading part 36A can be formed in a fan shape with approximately 90 degrees.
One preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 as constituted above according to the present invention provides an advantage that food stored in the loading part 36A can be retrieved easily and safely since the loading part 36A is exposed by rotation to the outside when the swing door 35A is opened.
Meanwhile, in the front of the second food storage space 30B, a drawing door capable of opening or closing the second food storage space 30B is installed in a rotatable manner.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the drawing door 35B resembles a drawer of a desk; although not shown in this document, the drawing door 35B can have a handle and enters and comes out of the second food storage space 30B with sliding motion by an external force exerted to the handle by the user, opening or closing the second food storage space 30B.
Meanwhile, the second food storage space 30B is formed in the left-side separately from the first food storage space compared when the traditional machinery room 33 is disposed across the whole rear part of the lower part of the main body 10; therefore, since the length in a forward and backward direction has been elongated whereas the length in left and right direction has been shortened, the drawing door 35B entering and coming out of the second food storage space 30B also has such a shape that the length in left and right direction is shorter than that in forward and backward direction.
As described above, since the drawing door 35B has shorter length in left and right direction than in a forward and backward direction, one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention easily guides sliding motion of the drawing door 35B entering and coming out of the second food storage space 30B in a forward and backward direction. In other words, the longer the length of the drawing door 35B in a forward and backward sliding direction gets, the longer the length of a guiding part becomes, making the sliding motion more stable.
Also, one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention disposes the machinery room 33 compactly in the immediate rear part of the first food storage space 30A compared with the traditional art and enlarges the second food storage space 30B, obtaining an advantage of improving the function of receiving food.
Meanwhile, various components (not shown in this document) running a cooling cycle of the refrigerator 1 are disposed in the machinery room 33. With reference to FIG. 4, the rear part of the machinery room 33 leads to the outside through a vent 40 in the shape of a grill for discharging radiated heat.
At this time, one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention provides an advantage that while the rear part of the second food storage space 30B through which the drawing door 35B enters and comes out is formed to be shielded from the outside, the vent 40 is formed only in the area of the rear surface of the main body 10 where the machinery room 33 is disposed compactly in the immediate rear of the first food storage space 30A, improving external appearance.
At the same time, since the vent is formed in a compact way, the number of heat ventilating fans for discharging heat to the outside from the machinery room 33 can be reduced.
An example of operating a refrigerator 1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention as constituted above will be described with reference to appended drawings.
First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the user who uses a refrigerator 1 according to the present invention pulls the swing door 35A or the drawing door 35B in a front direction to store surplus food in the first food storage space 30A and the second food storage space 30B or to take out the stored surplus food.
Then, in the case of the swing door 35A, around one end of the door fastened to the hinge 37, the other end thereof is opened being rotated in a front direction; the loading part 36A is exposed to the outside being rotated in a front direction and the user can store food in the loading part 36A in a safe and convenient manner and take out the stored food from the loading part 35A.
On the other hand, in the case of the drawing door 35B, the loading part 36B moves with sliding motion in a front direction being exposed to the outside as if a drawer is pulled out. At this time, since the length in a forward and backward direction (I) of the drawing door 35B is formed to be longer than that in left and right direction, the drawing door 35B is moved with sliding motion in a front direction more reliably. While the drawing door 35B having moved as above, the user can store food in the loading part 36B or take out the stored food from the loading part 36B.
Finally, a refrigerator 1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention disposes the machinery room 33 compactly in the immediate rear part of the first food storage space 30A, thereby obtaining an effect of improving external appearance of the rear surface of the main body 10.
As described above, structure and operational example of one preferred embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention has been described in detail with reference to appended drawings. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above; it should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications and implementation of different embodiments belonging to the equivalent scope of the present invention would be possible. Therefore, actual scope of the present invention should be determined by what are defined by the appended claims.
A refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention separates lower space of the main body in which surplus food is stored into a first food storage space and a second food storage space; the first food storage space in the rear of which a machinery room is disposed opens or closes by using a swing door; and the second food storage space where a machinery room is not disposed in the rear opens or closes by using a drawing door, thereby securing sufficient space for storing surplus food and at the same time improving operational performance of the drawing door, removing inconvenience of the user.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a first food storage space and a second food storage space formed separately from each other into two, left and right compartments in a lower part of a main body;

a machinery room formed in the rear of the first food storage space;

a swing door installed in a rotatable manner at the first food storage space and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the first food storage space with rotational motion and opening or closing the first food storage space; and

a drawing door installed in the second food storage space capable of sliding in a forward and backward direction and formed in a single body with a loading part into which food is loaded, entering and coming out of the second food storage space with sliding motion and opening or closing the second food storage space.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the length in a forward and backward direction of the second food storage space is formed to match the summed length of the first food storage space and the length in a forward and backward direction of the machinery room.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the swing door is installed at one side of a front part of the main body in such a way that one end is fastened to a hinge and the other end rotates around the hinge.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein one end of the swing door is disposed more distant from the drawing door than the other end of the swing door.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the swing door is formed in a single body so that two or more loading parts are separated from each other and the loading part is formed to have a fan shape with 90 degrees.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the rear part of the second food storage space at which the drawing door is installed is enclosed from the outside and a vent leading to the outside is formed in the rear part of the machinery room.