CN109863358B

CN109863358B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN109863358B
Application number: CN201880004000.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李正贤; 李承远; 具良烈; 尹硕浚
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-03
Filing date: 2018-01-03
Publication date: 2021-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-01-03
Also published as: AU2018206195B2; AU2018206195A1; KR102460243B1; EP3507553B1; KR20180080092A; CN109863358A; EP3507553A4; KR102385823B1; EP3507553A1; KR20220047944A

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a main body having a storage chamber; an inner door rotatably provided on the main body; and an outer door configured to open and close the storage compartment together with the inner door and rotatably provided on the inner door, wherein the inner door includes: and a connector seating part disposed at an upper portion of the inner door and configured to connect a first electric wire extending from the body to the inner door to a second electric wire extending from the outer door to the inner door. The connection between the electric wires is improved to be not affected by the inner door and the outer door, so that the durability of the electric wires can be improved.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an improved door structure.

Background

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance capable of freshly storing food by providing a storage chamber configured to store food and a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber.

Refrigerators may be classified according to types of storage compartments and types of doors.

There are a top freezer (TMF) type refrigerator in which a storage chamber is divided into upper and lower portions by a horizontal partition wall to form a freezing chamber at an upper side of the storage chamber and a refrigerating chamber at a lower side of the storage chamber; in the BMF type refrigerator, a storage chamber is divided into upper and lower parts by a horizontal partition wall to form a refrigerating chamber at an upper side of the storage chamber and a freezing chamber at a lower side of the storage chamber.

Further, there are side-by-side door (SBS) type refrigerators in which a storage chamber is divided into left and right sides by a vertical partition wall to form a freezing chamber at one of the left and right sides and a refrigerating chamber at the other of the left and right sides and a french door type refrigerator (FDR); in the FDR-type refrigerator, a storage compartment is divided into upper and lower parts by a horizontal partition to form a refrigerating compartment at an upper side of the storage compartment and a freezing compartment at a lower side of the storage compartment, wherein the refrigerating compartment at the upper side is opened and closed by a pair of doors.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

Recently, various electronic devices have been added to the refrigerator to supplement and improve functions of the refrigerator in addition to original functions of the refrigerator. However, as various devices are added to the refrigerator, a problem arises in that each of the various devices is effectively disposed in the refrigerator and the devices are electrically connected to a controller or a power source.

Technical scheme

In order to solve the above drawbacks, it is a main object to provide a refrigerator with an improved layout of the electronic devices and an improved connection between these electronic devices and the refrigerator.

Further, another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator in which an electric wire is minimally exposed.

Further, another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator having a display device.

Further, it is still another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a refrigerator in which a layout of electronic components is improved.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes: a main body having a storage chamber; an inner door rotatably provided on the main body; and an outer door configured to open and close the storage compartment together with the inner door and rotatably provided on the inner door, wherein the inner door includes: and a connector seating part disposed at an upper portion of the inner door and configured to connect a first electric wire, which is detachably connected to a main body electric wire of the main body and disposed to pass through the inner door, to a second electric wire, which extends from the outer door to the inner door.

The inner door and the outer door are movable between an open state for opening the storage compartment, a closed state for sealing the storage compartment, and a partially open state in which the outer door is opened from the inner door, and a length of the first electric wire from the body to the connector seating portion and a length of the second electric wire from the outer door to the connector seating portion may be kept constant when the inner door and the outer door are moved between the open state, the closed state, and the partially open state.

The connector seating part may form a seating space in which the first connector of the first electric wire and the second connector of the second electric wire are detachably coupled.

The outer door may be disposed such that the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other in the connector seating portion, so that the outer door becomes electrically disconnected from the inner door.

The inner door may further include a hinge assembly connected to the connector seating part and configured to form a rotation center of the outer door.

The hinge assembly may guide the second wire from a rotation center of the outer door to the connector seating part.

The hinge assembly may form a guide space from a rotation center of the outer door to the connector seating part to prevent the second electric wire from being exposed to the outside.

The hinge assembly may be configured to separate a rotation center of the outer door from the inner door.

The outer door may include an assembly insertion part formed on a surface facing the inner door and configured to allow the hinge assembly to be inserted into the assembly insertion part so as not to interfere with the rotation of the inner door.

The first wire may be disconnected from the main body wire or the second wire, so that the inner door or the outer door may be configured to be selectively separable.

The outer door may be provided to be detachable from the inner door together with the second electric wire, and the inner door may be provided to be detachable from the main body together with the first electric wire.

The outer door may further include a display device disposed on a front surface of the outer door and configured to be capable of outputting an image, and the second wire may be coupled to the display device.

The outer door may be disposed to cover a front surface of the inner door.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes: a main body having a storage chamber; an inner door rotatably mounted on the main body and having a main body wire connected to the main body and configured to pass through the inner door; and an outer door connected to an electronic device of the outer door, the outer door having an outer wire provided to be separable from the inner wire and being rotatably provided on the inner door, wherein the inner wire is disconnected from the main body wire or the outer wire such that the inner door or the outer door is configured to be selectively separable.

The outer door may be provided to be detachable from the inner door together with the outer electric wire, and the inner door may be provided to be detachable from the main body together with the inner electric wire.

The refrigerator may further include a connector seating part formed on an upper portion of the inner door to form a space in which the first connector of the outer electric wire and the second connector of the inner electric wire are combined.

The connector seating part may form a seating space in which the first connector of the outer electric wire and the second connector of the inner electric wire are detachably coupled.

The outer door may be disposed such that the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other in the connector seating portion such that the outer door becomes electrically disconnected from the inner door.

The outer door may further include a hinge assembly having a guide space extending from a rotation center of the outer door to the connector seating part to prevent an external wire connected to the connector seating part from being exposed to the outside, and the hinge assembly is configured to form the rotation center of the outer door.

The invention has the advantages of

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the connection between the electronic device and the refrigerator is improved, so that the durability of the electric wire can be improved.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the connection between the electric wires is improved to be not affected by the rotational movement of the door, so that the durability of the electric wires can be improved.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, exposure of the electric wire may be minimized so that damage from external influence may be significantly reduced.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, the display device is applied to a door, so that user convenience can be improved.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, a layout structure of electronic components is improved, so that space efficiency can be improved and insulation efficiency of a refrigerator can be improved.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers designate like parts:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is opened;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of some components of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is an exploded view of a door of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 is a view illustrating coupling between doors of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a coupling between doors of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a layout of electric wires in an inner door of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating an operation of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 11 is a perspective view of a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 13 is a view of a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from an upper side of the door;

fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 15 is a sectional view of a door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 16 is a perspective view of some components of a door of a refrigerator according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion a in fig. 16;

fig. 18 is a partial sectional view of a door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 19 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure is opened;

fig. 21 and 22 are exploded views of some components of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating a layout of electric wires in an inner door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion a in fig. 21;

fig. 25 is an enlarged view of a portion B in fig. 21;

fig. 26 is an enlarged view of a connector seating part and a wire guide of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 27 is an exploded perspective view of some components of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 28, 29 and 30 are diagrams illustrating an operation of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Best mode for carrying out the invention

Before proceeding with the following detailed description, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and "comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases "associated with … …" and "associated therewith," and derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, be connected to or with … …, be incorporated into or with … …, be in communication with … …, be fitted with … …, be staggered, juxtaposed, proximate, constrained to or by … …, have … … properties, and the like.

Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, as one of ordinary skill in the art would understand: in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior and future uses of such defined words and phrases.

Figures 1 through 30, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that: the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

The configurations shown in the embodiments and drawings described herein are merely preferred examples of the present disclosure, and various modified examples that can replace the embodiments and drawings of the present disclosure may be made at the time of filing this application.

Further, the same reference numerals or symbols given in the respective drawings of the present specification denote parts or components that perform substantially the same functions.

Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments and is not intended to be limiting and/or restrictive of the disclosure. The singular forms include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," and the like, are used to specify the presence of stated features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements, or combinations thereof, and they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, components, elements, or combinations thereof.

Furthermore, it should be understood that: terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc., may be used herein to describe various components, but the components are not limited to these terms, and the terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, a first component could be termed a second component, and, similarly, a second component could be termed a first component, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The term "and/or" includes a combination of the plurality of items listed in association with any one of the plurality of items.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is opened.

The refrigerator 1 includes: a main body 10; a storage chamber 20 formed in the main body 10 and partitioned into upper and lower portions; a door 30 configured to open and close the storage chamber 20; and a cold air supply device (not shown) configured to supply cold air to the storage chamber 20.

The main body 10 may include: an inner case 12 configured to form a storage chamber 20; an outer case 14 connected to the outside of the inner case 12 to form the external appearance of the body 10; and an insulator (not shown) foamed between the inner case 12 and the outer case 14 to insulate the storage chamber 20.

A body cover 76 may be provided at an upper portion of the body 10 to prevent the configuration of a power supply unit, a control unit, etc. (not shown) from being exposed to the outside.

The cool air supply device may generate cool air using a refrigeration cycle that compresses a refrigerant, condenses the refrigerant, expands the refrigerant, and evaporates the refrigerant.

The front surface of the storage chamber 20 may be provided to be open, and the storage chamber 20 may be partitioned into a refrigerating chamber 22 at an upper side of the storage chamber 20 and a freezing chamber (not shown) at a lower side of the storage chamber 20 by a horizontal partition 25. The refrigerating chamber 22 may be opened and closed by a pair of

doors

30 and 40 rotatably coupled to the main body 10, and the freezing chamber may also be opened and closed by a pair of doors 50 rotatably coupled to the main body. The shapes of the door 30, the door 40, and the door 50 are not limited, and a sliding door configured to slide to open and close may be applied.

A pair of

doors

30 and 40 configured to open and close the refrigerator compartment 22 may be laterally disposed thereto. In the following description, for convenience, the door 30 disposed on the right side in the drawings is referred to as a first door 30, and the door 40 disposed on the left side in the drawings is referred to as a second door 40. For convenience of description, in the relationship between the first and

second doors

30 and 40 of the refrigerating compartment 22 and the door 50 of the freezing compartment, the first and

second doors

30 and 40 of the refrigerating compartment 22 are referred to as

upper doors

30 and 40, and the door 50 of the freezing compartment is referred to as a lower door 50. The first door handle 38 is grippable on the first door 30 for opening and closing the first door 30, and the second door handle 48 is grippable on the second door 40 for opening and closing the second door 40. Further, a lower door handle 58 is grippably provided on the lower door 50 to open and close the lower door 50.

The first door 30 may open and close a right portion of the refrigerator compartment 22, and the second door 40 may open and close the remaining portion of the refrigerator compartment 22. A door shelf 35 may be provided on a rear surface of each of the first and

second doors

30 and 40 to accommodate food.

The door shelf 35 may include shelf supports 35a, the shelf supports 35a vertically extending from the first and

second doors

30 and 40 to support the door shelves 35 at left and right sides of the door shelf 35. The shelf support 35a may be detachably provided on each of the door 30, the door 40, and the door 50 as a separate configuration, and in the present embodiment, the shelf support 35a is provided so as to be formed to extend from each of the door 30, the door 40, and the door 50.

In addition, a gasket 36 may be provided on an edge of a rear surface of each of the first and

second doors

30 and 40 to seal a gap between the body 10 and the first and

second doors

30 and 40 in a state where the first and

second doors

30 and 40 are closed.

The gasket 36 may be installed in a ring form along an edge of the rear surface of each of the first and

second doors

30 and 40, and a magnet (not shown) may be included in the gasket 36.

In addition, a gap may occur between the first door 30 and the second door 40 in a state where the first door 30 and the second door 40 are closed, and thus a rod assembly (not shown) may be provided to seal the gap.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of some components of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; fig. 4 is an exploded view of a door of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The first door 30 may include a first inner door 31 and a first outer door 32. In the present embodiment, the second door 40 is illustrated as being formed as a single door, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the second door 40 may be configured to be divided into a second inner door and a second outer door, like the first door 30.

The first door 30 may include a first inner door 31 rotatably provided on the main body 10 and a first outer door 32 rotatably provided on the first inner door 31. The first outer door 32 may be configured to cover a front surface of the first inner door 31. The above-described door shelf 35, shelf support 35a, and gasket 36 may be formed on the first inner door 31. Each of the outer case 31a and the inner case 31b of the first inner door 31 may have a quadrangular frame shape, and may include a door opening 33 having an opened interior. The first outer door 32 may be configured to cover the door opening 33 of the first inner door 31.

More specifically, the first outer door 32 may include a protruding door surface 39, and the protruding door surface 39 is formed on a surface of the first outer door 32 facing the first inner door 31 to protrude toward a rear side of the first outer door 32. The protruding door surface 39 is configured to correspond to the door opening 33 of the first inner door 31, and when the first outer door 32 is placed in a position to close the first inner door 31, the protruding door surface 39 is configured to cover the door opening 33. The protruding door surface 39 may protrude from the rear side of the first outer door 32 toward the rear side of the first outer door 32 to allow an insulator to be easily disposed within the first outer door 32. That is, the thickness of the first outer door 32 at the portion where the protruding door surface 39 is provided inside the first outer door 32 may be thicker than the thickness of the adjacent portion thereof, so that the insulating property of the first outer door 32 may be enhanced.

To facilitate the following description of the present embodiment, the first inner door 31 is referred to as an inner door 31, and the first outer door 32 is referred to as an outer door 32. Further, the following description will be made with respect to the first door 30, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the following description may also be applied to the second door 40. To facilitate the following description of the present embodiment, the first door 30 is referred to as a door 30.

The refrigerator 1 may include a display device 60 having input and output functions. The display device 60 may be mounted on the front surface of the door 30 for user convenience. The display mounting portion 34 may be formed to be recessed on the front surface of the door 30 to allow the display device 60 to be mounted thereon. Since the display device 60 is formed in a substantially quadrangular shape, the display mounting portion 34 may also be formed in a quadrangular shape.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating coupling between doors of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating coupling between doors of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a layout of electric wires within an inner door of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The refrigerator 1 may include an electric wire 62 connecting the door 30 to the main body 10 for an electronic device mounted on the door 30. The electrical wire 62 may include: a first electric wire 64 extending from a body electric wire 77 (see fig. 2) of the body 10 to the inner door 31; and a second electric wire 66 extending from the outer door 32 to the inner door 31. The first electric wire 64 may be detachably connected to the main body electric wire 77, and may be disposed to pass through the inner door 31. The second electric wire 66 may be detachably connected to the first electric wire 64, and may extend from the outer door 32 to the inner door 31. The first and

second wires

64, 64 may be referred to as inner and

outer wires

64, 66, respectively. The first and

second wires

64 and 66 may include

connectors

64a and 66a configured to connect the first and

second wires

64 and 66 to each other. That is, the first and

second wires

64 and 66 may include first and

second connectors

64a and 66a, respectively.

The door 30 may include a connector receiving portion 37 to connect the first and

second wires

64 and 66. The first connector 64a and the second connector 66a, which are respectively formed at the end of the first electric wire 64 and the end of the second electric wire 66, may be configured to be connected to each other at the connector seating portion 37. The connector seating part 37 may be formed at an upper portion of the inner door 31 to form a seating space 37a at an upper surface of the inner door 31. In the seating space 37a, the first connector 64a and the second connector 66a may be detachably coupled to each other. The connector seating portion 37 may be formed to be recessed on the upper surface of the inner door 31. In the present embodiment, the connector seating part 37 is described as being disposed on the upper surface of the inner door 31, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the connector seating part 37 may be disposed on the upper surface of the outer door 32. When the connector seating part 37 is disposed on the upper surface of the outer door 32, the first electric wire 64 may be configured to be guided by a hinge assembly 80, which will be described below, to reach the connector seating part 37 disposed on the outer door 32.

The first electric wire 64 may be detachably connected to a main body electric wire 77 of the main body 10, and may be connected to a controller (not shown) or a power supply device (not shown) connected to the main body electric wire 77. The first wire 64 may extend to the inner door 31 to be connected to the second wire 66.

The second electrical cord 66 may be configured to connect to electronics mounted on the outer door 32. For example, the second wire 66 may be connected to the display device 60 to transmit information between the display device 60 and a controller or to supply power to the display device 60.

When the first and second

electric wires

64 and 66 are connected in the connector seating part 37 provided on the inner door 31, the outer door 32 can be easily separated from the inner door 31. That is, when the outer door 32 is separated from the inner door 31, the first connector 64a of the first electric wire 64 and the second connector 66a of the second electric wire 66 placed in the connector seating part 37 are separated from each other, so that the electrical connection may become disconnected or released, and the outer door 32 may become physically separated from the inner door 31.

For convenience of description, although each of the first and second

electric wires

62 and 62 is described as a single electric wire, a plurality of the first and second

electric wires

62 and 62 may be formed and applied.

The body wire 77 and the first and

second wires

64 and 66 may be connected in series. That is, the body wire 77, the first wire 64, and the second wire 66 may be provided to be connected in sequence. The outer door 32 is provided to be detachable from the inner door 31 together with the second electric wire 66, and the inner door 31 is provided to be detachable from the main body 10 together with the first electric wire 64.

The inner door 31 or the outer door 32 may be configured to be selectively separable by disconnecting the first electric wire 64 from the main body electric wire 77 or the second electric wire 66. That is, by disconnecting the main body electric wire 77 from the first electric wire 64, the inner door 31 is in a separable state from the main body 10. Since the outer door 32 is coupled to the inner door 31, both the inner door 31 and the outer door 32 are in a detachable state from the main body 10 through the above-described process. Further, by disconnecting the second electric wire 66 from the first electric wire 64, the outer door 32 is in a separable state from the inner door 31. With this configuration, assemblability of the refrigerator 1 can be improved when the door 30 is assembled to the main body 10 or separated from the main body 10. That is, when the door 30 is coupled to the main body 10, the inner door 31 and the outer door 32 may be sequentially coupled to the main body 10, or may be coupled to the main body 10 in a state in which the inner door 31 and the outer door 32 are coupled to each other. The separation of the door 30 from the main body 10 may be performed in an order reverse to the order in which the door 30 is coupled to the main body 10.

The refrigerator 1 may include a door hinge 70 (see fig. 3).

The door hinge 70 may include a door hinge bracket 72 and a hinge rotating shaft 74 formed on the door hinge bracket 72. The door hinge bracket 72 is mounted on the main body 10, and the door 30 is configured to rotate with respect to the hinge rotation shaft 74. More specifically, a hinge hole 31c corresponding to the hinge rotation shaft 74 may be formed on the inner door 31, and the hinge rotation shaft 74 may be configured to be inserted into the hinge hole 31c of the inner door 31 to allow the inner door 31 to rotate based on the hinge rotation shaft 74. The hinge rotation shaft 74 may be provided to be separated from the main body 10 to prevent interference with the main body 10 when the inner door 31 rotates.

The door 30 may include a hinge assembly 80. The hinge assembly 80 may be a component of the inner door 31. The hinge assembly 80 may be connected to the connector seating portion 37, and may be configured to form a rotation center of the outer door 32. The hinge assembly 80 may be configured to guide the second wire 66 from the rotation center of the outer door 32 to the connector seating part 37.

The hinge assembly 80 may include a hinge bracket 82. The hinge bracket 82 is provided on one 30 of the inner door 31 and the outer door 32, and is configured to allow the other 30 to be rotatable. In the present embodiment, the hinge bracket 82 is mounted on the inner door 31, and the outer door 32 is configured to rotate based on the rotation shaft 83 formed on the hinge bracket 82. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above description, the hinge bracket 82 may be mounted on the outer door 32, and the rotation shaft 83 formed on the hinge bracket 82 may be configured to be coupled to the inner door 31 to allow the outer door 32 to rotate with respect to the inner door 31. The hinge bracket 82 may be disposed adjacent to the connector seating portion 37.

The hinge bracket 82 may include a hinge body 82a and a rotation shaft 83.

The hinge body 82a is formed to be fixed on the inner door 31 and to protrude toward the outer door 32. The hinge body 82a may be formed using metal to support the weight of the outer door 32 and stably support the operation of the outer door 32.

The rotation shaft 83 may have a hollow 84 and may be provided on the hinge body 82a to allow the outer door 32 to be rotatable. The rotation shaft 83 may be configured to be inserted into a rotation hole 32a (see fig. 3) of the outer door 32 to allow the outer door 32 to rotate based on the rotation shaft 83. The rotation shaft 83 may be provided to be separated from the inner door 31 when the outer door 32 is rotated, to prevent interference with the inner door 31. That is, the hinge assembly 80 may be configured such that the rotation center of the outer door 32 is separated from the inner door 31.

The outer door 32 may include a component insertion portion 89 formed on a surface facing the inner door 31. Since the hinge assembly 80 is provided to protrude from the inner door 31, the assembly insertion portion 89 is provided to allow the hinge assembly 80 to be inserted thereinto, and thus the inner door 31 does not interfere with the rotation of the outer door 32.

The second wire 66 may be configured to pass through the hollow portion 84 of the rotation shaft 83. That is, the second wire 66 may be configured such that one side of the second wire 66 is connected to the display device 60 and the other side of the second wire 66 extends through the hollow portion 84 of the rotation shaft 83. Since the hinge bracket 82 is formed using a rigid body, the distance, angle, and layout between the rotation shaft 83 and the connector settling portion 37 can be kept constant even when the door 30 is rotated. That is, even when the inner door 31 or the outer door 32 is rotated, the distance, angle, and layout between the rotation shaft 83 and the connector placement portion 37 can be kept constant. With this configuration, the second electric wire 66 passing through the hollow portion 84 of the rotation shaft 83 can extend to the connector seating portion 37 without being affected by the rotational movement of the door 30.

The hinge assembly 80 may include a hinge cover 86.

The hinge cover 86 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the hinge main body 82a and cover the connector seat 37. The hinge cover 86 may be configured such that one side of the hinge cover 86 is opened to cover the hinge bracket 82 and the connector seating part 37. The inside of the hinge cover 86 may be recessed to form a guide space 87. The hinge cover 86 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the rotation shaft 83, cover the connector seating portion 37, and form a guide space 87 extending from the rotation shaft 83 to the connector seating portion 37. The shape of the guide space 87 formed within the hinge assembly 80 is not limited to a specific shape, and the shape of the guide space 87 may take any configuration that prevents the second electric wire 66 from being exposed to the outside and guides the second electric wire 66 from the rotation center of the outer door 32 to the connector seating part 37.

The second electric wire 66 may pass through the hollow portion 84 of the rotation shaft 83 and may extend to the connector seating portion 37 through a guide space 87 formed by the hinge cover 86 and the hinge bracket 82. That is, the hinge cover 86 may guide the second electric wire 66 from the hollow portion 84 to the connector seating portion 37.

Referring to fig. 7, the first electric wire 64 may be configured to extend from the main body 10 to pass through a hollow portion 74a formed in the hinge rotation shaft 74. The first electric wire 64 may pass through the hollow portion 74a and the lower portion of the upper surface of the inner door 31 to extend to the connector seating portion 37. The first electric wire 64 extending to the connector seating part 37 may be connected to the second electric wire 66 extending to the connector seating part 37.

The operation of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

Fig. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating an operation of the refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 shows a state in which both the outer door 32 and the inner door 31 are closed, fig. 9 shows a state in which the outer door 32 is opened and the inner door 31 is closed, and fig. 10 shows a state in which the inner door 31 is opened with respect to the main body 10 and the outer door 32 is opened with respect to the inner door 31. Although not shown in the drawings, both the inner door 31 and the outer door 32 may be operated in an opened state with respect to the main body 10. For convenience of description, the state of the door 30 in fig. 8 may be referred to as a closed state 30a, the state of the door 30 in fig. 9 may be referred to as a partially opened state 30b, and the state of the door 30 in fig. 10 may be referred to as an opened state 30 c. As shown in fig. 10, in the opened state 30c of the door 30, the inner door 31 and the outer door 32 may be separated from each other, or they may be operated together in the opened state with respect to the main body 10.

As shown in fig. 8, in the closed state 30a, the inner door 31 is rotatably provided on the main body 10 by the door hinge 70, and the outer door 32 is rotatably provided on the inner door 31 by the hinge assembly 80.

Description will be made with reference to fig. 9. In the partially opened state 30b, the outer door 32 is separated from the inner door 31 and is rotated based on the rotation shaft 83 of the hinge assembly 80. Since the hinge assembly 80 is mounted on the inner door 31, the hinge assembly 80 is fixed to the inner door 31 without movement even when the outer door 32 is rotated.

Description will be made with reference to fig. 10. In the open state 30c, the outer door 32 is separated from the inner door 31 and rotated based on the rotation shaft 83 of the hinge assembly 80, and the inner door 31 is separated from the main body 10 and rotated based on the hinge rotation shaft 74 of the door hinge 70. As shown in fig. 9, since the hinge assembly 80 is mounted on the inner door 31, the hinge assembly 80 is fixed to the inner door 31 without being operated even when the outer door 32 and the inner door 31 are rotated. With this configuration, even when the door 30 is rotated, the distance, angle, and layout between the rotation shaft 83 of the hinge assembly 80 and the connector seating portion 37 can be kept constant, so that the second electric wire 66 extending from the rotation shaft 83 of the outer door 32 to the connector seating portion 37 can be not affected by the operation of the door 30. Further, the length of each of the first and

second wires

64 and 66 may be maintained constant as the door 30 moves between the open state 30c, the closed state 30a, and the partially open state 30 b. Further, since the second electric wire 66 is connected to the first electric wire 64 without being affected by the operations of the outer door 32 and the inner door 31, electric power can be stably supplied to the electronic devices mounted on the outer door 32, and signal transmission between the electronic devices and the controller can be smoothly performed. Further, the second electric wire 66 is not affected by the repeated rotating operation of the door 30, so that the durability of the second electric wire 66 can be improved.

A refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a door of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of the door of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 13 is a view of the door of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from an upper side of the door, and fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view illustrating some components of the door of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The door 40 may include a mounting portion 90.

The mounting portion 90 may be provided to be recessed at an upper portion of the door 40 to form a mounting space 92, and the printed circuit board 99 is mounted in the mounting space 92. In the present embodiment, the door 40 provided with the mounting portion 90 is described as the second door 40, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the mounting portion 90 may be formed on the first door 30 on which the display device 60 is mounted. For convenience of the following description of the embodiment, the second door 40 is referred to as a door 40.

The mounting portion 90 may be formed at an upper portion of the door 40. The mounting portion 90 may be configured to form a main body of the door 40 together with the outer door housing 44 and the inner door housing 45 of the door 40 at an upper portion of the door 40. The mounting portion 90 may be formed on the upper surface panel 46 forming the upper surface of the door 40. The mounting portion 90 may be integrally formed with the upper surface plate 46. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the mounting portion 90 may be formed separately from the upper surface plate 46 to be a separate configuration.

The mounting portion 90 may include an edge portion 91, the edge portion 91 being formed along an edge of the mounting portion 90 and being formed higher than an upper surface of the adjacent upper surface panel 46. The edge portion 91 may be formed higher than the upper surface of the adjacent door 40, which may prevent water that may accumulate on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 46 from flowing into the installation space 92.

As described above, the mounting portion 90 may be formed to be recessed from the upper surface of the door 40 to form the mounting space 92. The mounting part 90 may be configured such that an opening is formed at one side of the mounting part 90 to allow the printed circuit board 99 to be inserted into the mounting part 90 and to be withdrawn from the mounting part 90.

The mounting portion 90 may be formed such that the width in the second direction W2 (the left-right direction of the door 40) is greater than the width in the first direction W1 (the front-rear direction of the door 40). That is, the mounting space 92 may be configured such that the width in the second direction W2 is greater than the width in the first direction W1.

The mounting portion 90 may include a guide rail 96 formed in a depth direction of the mounting space 92. The guide rail 96 may be formed in a depth direction of the mounting space 92, and may be formed to be recessed on an inner surface of the body of the mounting portion 90. The guide rail 96 is configured to guide insertion of the printed circuit board 99 when the printed circuit board 99 is mounted on the mounting portion 90.

The printed circuit board 99 may have a substantially plate shape. The mounting portion 90 has the above-described configuration such that the printed circuit board 99 is inserted into the door 40 in parallel with the front and rear surfaces of the door 40, and the size of the printed circuit board 99 may not be limited by the width of the door 40 in the front-rear direction.

The mounting portion 90 may include reinforcing ribs 98.

The reinforcing ribs 98 may be formed on the outer surface of the body of the mounting portion 90. At least one reinforcing rib 98 may be provided on an outer surface of the body of the mounting portion 90. In the present embodiment, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 98 are provided apart from and parallel to each other. The reinforcing ribs 98 may connect the lower surface of the upper surface plate 46 of the door 40 to the outer surface of the mounting portion 90, which may improve the durability of the mounting portion 90. The present disclosure is not limited to the above description, and the reinforcing rib 98 may be formed only on the outer surface of the mounting portion 90 regardless of the upper surface plate 46. The foaming agent for insulation of the door 40 is impregnated into the interior formed by the mounting portion 90, the upper surface plate 46, the outer door case 44, and the inner door case 45, and the reinforcing rib 98 may prevent deformation of the mounting portion 90 caused by the impregnation pressure.

The mounting portion 90 forms a main body of the door 40 in association with the upper surface plate 46 of the door 40, the outer door case 44, and the inner door case 45.

A refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of a door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 16 is a perspective view of some components of the door of the refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion a of fig. 16, and fig. 18 is a partial sectional view of the door of the refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The refrigerator 1 may include a display device 60 having input and output functions. The display device 60 may be mounted on the front surface of the door 30 for user convenience. The display mounting part 134 may be formed to be recessed at a front surface of the door 30 to allow the display device 60 to be mounted thereon. Since the display device 60 is formed in a substantially quadrangular shape, the display mounting portion 134 may also be formed in a quadrangular shape.

The display mounting portion 134 may include a heat sink 135, the heat sink 135 facing a rear surface of the display device 60 and configured to dissipate heat generated in the display device 60. The heat sink 135 may be provided to have a size corresponding to the rear surface of the display device 60. The heat sink 135 may form a gap between the display device 60 and the heat sink 135.

The display device 60 generates heat while performing input and output functions, and the heat sink 135 receives the heat generated from the display device 60 and dissipates the heat generated from the display device 60 by spreading the heat to the entire door 30. The heat sink 135 may be formed using metal.

The display mounting part 134 may include a mounting case 136, and the mounting case 136 is coupled to an edge of the heat sink 135 and forms a depth of a mounting space of the display mounting part 134. The mounting housing 136 may be formed by injection molding, and the heat sink 135 may be formed by press molding.

In the present embodiment, the mounting case 136 and the heat sink 135 are formed as separate configurations, but the mounting case 136 and the heat sink 135 may be integrally formed. Further, both the mounting case 136 and the heat sink 135 may be formed using metal.

The heat sink 135 includes: a unit body 135a corresponding to a rear surface of the display device 60; and a unit edge portion 135b provided at an edge of the unit main body 135a and coupled to the mounting case 136. The cell body 135a may be formed in a relief shape for strength enhancement.

The unit edge portion 135b may be formed to be bent from the unit main body 135a at the edge of the unit main body 135 a. The unit edge portion 135b may be bent from the unit main body 135a toward the rear surface of the display device 60.

The heat sink 135 may include a unit fixing piece 135c, and the unit fixing piece 135c is configured to be bent outward from the unit edge portion 135 b. The unit fixing piece 135c is configured to be fixed by a unit stopper 136b and a case holder 136c of the mounting case 136, which will be described below. The unit fixing member 135c may be formed along at least a portion of the edge of the unit body 135 a.

The mounting case 136 may include a case main body 136a, a unit stopper 136b, and a case holder 136 c.

The case body 136a is configured to be coupled to an edge of the heat sink 135, and forms a depth of the display mounting portion 134. The case body 136a may include a unit seating surface 136aa on which the heat sink 135 is seated on the unit seating surface 136 aa. The unit seating surface 136aa may be configured to contact at least a portion of the front surface of the heat sink 135. Further, the unit seating surface 136aa may be formed along at least a portion of an edge of the heat sink 135, and the unit seating surface 136aa may be configured to prevent the mounting position of the heat sink 135 from being deformed when the heat sink 135 is mounted on the mounting case 136. At least a portion of the front surface of the heat sink 135 contacts the unit seating surface 136aa and is seated on the unit seating surface 136aa, and thus the unit seating surface 136aa may serve as a stopper configured to limit the movement of the heat sink 135 toward the display device 60.

The unit stopper 136b is configured to be disposed on the mounting case 136 to restrict the movement of the heat sink 135, thereby preventing the heat sink 135 from moving in a direction toward the display device 60.

The housing holder 136c is formed to extend from the mounting housing 136 and restrict movement of the heat sink 135 to prevent the heat sink 135 from moving in a direction away from the display device 60. That is, the unit stopper 136b is configured to limit the movement of the heat sink 135 in the forward direction, and the case holder 136c is configured to limit the movement of the heat sink 135 in the backward direction. The housing holder 136c may be elastically operated. That is, when the heat sink 135 is seated on the unit seating surface 136aa, the unit edge portion 135b or the unit fixing piece 135c elastically presses the case holder 136 c. When the heat sink 135 has been seated on the unit seating surface 136aa, the case holder 136c elastically returns to its original position to restrict the movement of the unit fixing piece 135 c.

With this configuration, the heat sink 135 may be coupled to the mounting case 136 without a separate engagement structure, and the heat sink 135 may be configured not to be detached from the mounting case 136. Alternatively, a separate engagement structure, such as a screw coupling, may be added for coupling the heat sink 135 and the mounting housing 136.

A refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. A description of the configuration overlapping with the above configuration will be omitted.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a door of the refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure is opened.

The refrigerator 201 includes: a main body 210; a storage chamber 220 formed in the main body 210 and divided into upper and lower portions;

doors

230 and 240 configured to open and close the storage compartment 220; and a cool air supply device (not shown) configured to supply cool air to the storage chamber 220.

The main body 210 may include: an inner case 212 configured to form a storage chamber 220; an outer case 214 connected to the outside of the inner case 212 to form the appearance of the body 210; and an insulator (not shown) foamed between the inner case 212 and the outer case 214 to insulate the storage chamber 220.

The storage chamber 220 may be provided to have an open front surface, and may be partitioned into a refrigerating chamber 222 at one side of the storage chamber 220 and a freezing chamber 224 at the other side of the storage chamber 220 by a vertical partition (not shown). The locations of the refrigerating compartment 222 and the freezing compartment 224 are not limited, and for convenience of description, the left side may be referred to as the freezing compartment 224 and the right side may be referred to as the refrigerating compartment 222, based on a view from the front of the refrigerator 201. The refrigerating compartment 222 and the freezing compartment 224 may be opened and closed by

doors

230 and 240 rotatably coupled to the main body 210.

A pair of

doors

230 and 240 may be provided on the right and left sides, respectively. For convenience of description, the right door in the drawing is referred to as a first door 230, and the left door is referred to as a second door 240. A first door handle 238 is grippably provided on the first door 230 to open and close the first door 230, and a second door handle 248 is grippable on the second door 240 to open and close the second door 240.

The door shelf 235 may include shelf supports 235a vertically extending from each of the first door 230 and the second door 240 to support the door shelf 235 at left and right sides of the door shelf 235. The shelf support 235a may be detachably provided to each of the first and

second doors

230 and 240 as a separate configuration, and in the present embodiment, the shelf support 235a is provided to be formed to extend from each of the first and

second doors

230 and 240.

In addition, a gasket 236 may be disposed on an edge of a rear surface of each of the first and

second doors

230 and 240 to seal a gap between the body 210 and the first and

second doors

230 and 240 in a state where the first and

second doors

230 and 240 are closed.

The gasket 236 may be installed in a ring form along an edge of the rear surface of each of the first and

second doors

230 and 240, and a magnet (not shown) may be included in the gasket 236.

Fig. 21 and 22 are exploded views of some components of a refrigerator 201 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The first door 230 may include a first inner door 231 and a first outer door 232. In the present embodiment, the second door 240 is illustrated as being formed as a single door, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the second door 240 may be configured to be divided into a second inner door and a second outer door, like the first door 230.

The first door 230 may include a first inner door 231 rotatably provided on the main body 210, and include a first outer door 232 rotatably provided on the first inner door 231. The first outer door 232 may be configured to cover a front surface of the first inner door 231. The door shelf 235, the shelf support 235a, and the gasket 236 may be formed on the first inner door 231. Each of the outer case 231a and the inner case 231b of the first inner door 231 may have a quadrangular frame shape and have a door opening of an opened interior. The first outer door 232 may be configured to cover a door opening of the first inner door 231.

More specifically, the first outer door 232 may include a protruding door surface 239, the protruding door surface 239 being formed on a surface of the first outer door 232 facing the first inner door 231 to protrude toward a rear side of the first outer door 232. The protruding door surface 239 is configured to correspond to a door opening of the first inner door 231, and the protruding door surface 239 is configured to cover the door opening when the first outer door 232 is placed in a position to close the first inner door 231. The protruding door surface 239 may protrude from a rear side of the first outer door 232 toward a rear side of the first outer door 232 to allow an insulator to be easily disposed within the first outer door 232. That is, the thickness of the first outer door 232 at the portion where the protruding door surface 239 is disposed inside the first outer door 232 may be thicker than the thickness of the adjacent portion thereof, so that the insulating property of the first outer door 232 may be enhanced.

To facilitate the following description of the present embodiment, the first inner door 231 is referred to as an inner door 231, and the first outer door 232 is referred to as an outer door 232. Further, the following description will be made with respect to the first door 230, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the following description may also be applied to the second door 240. To facilitate the following description of the present embodiment, the first door 230 is referred to as a door 230.

Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating a layout of electric wires in an inner door of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, fig. 24 is an enlarged view of a portion a in fig. 21, fig. 25 is an enlarged view of a portion B in fig. 21, and fig. 26 is an enlarged view of a connector seating part and an electric wire guide of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The refrigerator 201 may include an electric wire connecting the door 230 to the main body 210 for an electronic device mounted on the door 230. The wires may include a first wire 264 and a second wire 266. The first and

second wires

264 and 266 may be referred to as inner and

outer wires

264 and 266, respectively. The first and

second wires

264 and 266 may include

connectors

264a and 266a configured to connect the first and

second wires

264 and 266 to each other.

The door 230 may include a connector seating portion 237 to connect the first and

second wires

264 and 266. The first connector 264a and the second connector 266a, which are respectively formed at the end of the first electric wire 264 and the end of the second electric wire 266, may be configured to allow the first connector 264a and the second connector 266a to be coupled to each other at the connector seating portion 237. The connector seating part 237 may be formed at an upper portion of the inner door 231, and a seating space 237a may be formed on an upper surface of the inner door 231. The connector seating portion 237 may be formed to be recessed on the upper surface of the inner door 231. The door 230 may include a cover 237b to cover the seating space 237a of the connector seating part 237. The cover 237b may be disposed on the same plane as the upper surface of the inner door 231. The upper surface of the inner door 231 and the upper portion of the connector seating part 237 may be configured not to have a height difference from the upper surface of the outer door 232. That is, the upper surface of the inner door 231, the upper surface of the connector seating portion 237, and the upper surface of the outer door 232 may be configured to be located at the same height. With this configuration, the aesthetic sense of the appearance of the door 230 can be improved, and the exposure of the connector seating portion 237 to the outside can be minimized to significantly reduce external influence.

The first wire 264 may be detachably connected to a main body wire 277 of the main body 210, and may be connected to a controller (not shown) or a power supply device (not shown) connected to the main body wire 277. The first wire 264 may extend to the inner door 231 to be connected to the second wire 266. The first wire 264 may be connected to the connector seating portion 237 through the first wire outlet 237c of the inner door 231. One end of the first wire 264 may be drawn out through the hollow 274a of the hinge rotation shaft 274 to be connected to the main body wire 277. The other end of the first wire 264 can be drawn out through the first wire outlet 237c formed on the connector seating portion 237 to be connected to the second wire 266.

The second wire 266 may be configured to connect to electronics mounted on the outer door 232. For example, the second wire 266 may be connected to the display device 260 to transmit information between the display device 260 and a controller or to supply power to the display device 260.

The first and second

electric wires

264 and 266 are combined at the connector seating portion 237 of the inner door 231 to facilitate the separation of the outer door 232 from the inner door 231. That is, when the outer door 232 is separated from the inner door 231, the first connector 264a of the first electric wire 264 and the second connector 266a of the second electric wire 266 (the first connector 264a and the second connector 266a are seated at the connector seating part 237) may be separated from each other, so that the electrical connection may be disconnected or released, and the outer door 232 may be physically separated from the inner door 231.

For convenience of description, each of the first and second

electric wires

264 and 266 is described as a single wire, but a plurality of the first and second

electric wires

264 and 266 may be formed.

The subject wire 277 and the first and

second wires

264 and 266 may be connected in series. That is, the main body wire 277, the first wire 264, and the second wire 266 may be disposed to be connected in sequence. The outer door 232 is provided to be detachable from the inner door 231 together with the second electric wire 266, and the inner door 231 is provided to be detachable from the main body 210 together with the first electric wire 264.

The inner door 231 or the outer door 232 may be configured to be selectively separable by disconnecting the first wire 264 from the main body wire 277 or the second wire 266. That is, by disconnecting the main body wire 277 from the first wire 264, the inner door 231 is in a separable state from the main body 210. Since the outer door 232 is coupled to the inner door 231, both the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 are in a detachable state from the main body 210 through the above-described process. Further, by disconnecting the second electric wire 266 from the first electric wire 264, the outer door 232 is in a separable state from the inner door 231. With this configuration, assemblability of the refrigerator 201 can be improved when the door 230 is assembled to the main body 210 or separated from the main body 210. That is, when the door 230 is coupled to the main body 210, the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 may be sequentially coupled to the main body 210, or both the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 coupled to each other may be coupled to the main body 210. The separation of the door 230 from the main body 210 may be performed in an order reverse to an order in which the door 230 is coupled to the main body 210.

The door 230 may include a hinge assembly 280. The hinge assembly 280 may be a component of the inner door 231. The hinge assembly 280 may be connected to the connector seating portion 237, and may be configured to form a rotation center of the outer door 232. The hinge assembly 280 may be configured to guide the second wire 266 from the rotational center of the outer door 232 to the connector seating portion 237.

The hinge assembly 280 may be provided to be detachable from the inner door 231. The hinge assembly 280 may guide the second wire 266 from the outer door 232 to the inner door 231, and may form a rotation center of the outer door 232 with respect to the inner door 231.

Hinge assembly 280 may include a hinge bracket 282. The hinge bracket 282 is provided on one 230 of the inner 231 and outer 232 doors and is configured to allow the other 230 to be rotatable. In the present embodiment, the hinge bracket 282 is mounted on the inner door 231, and the outer door 232 is configured to rotate based on a rotation shaft 283 formed on the hinge bracket 282. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above description, the hinge bracket 282 may be mounted on the outer door 232, and the rotation shaft 283 formed on the hinge bracket 282 may be configured to be coupled to the inner door 231 to allow the outer door 232 to rotate with respect to the inner door 231. The hinge bracket 282 may be disposed adjacent to the connector seating portion 237. The hinge bracket 282 may include a hinge body 282a and a rotation shaft 283.

The hinge assembly 280 may include a wire guide 286.

The wire guide 286 may form a guide space 287 that guides the second wire 266. The wire guide 286 may be configured to be separate from the hinge bracket 282. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above description, and the wire guide 286 and the hinge bracket 282 may be integrally formed. The wire guide 286 may be connected to the connector seating portion 237, and may be formed to extend to a rotation center of the outer door 232. With this configuration, the second wire 266 can be guided to the connector seating portion 237 from the rotation center of the outer door 232 through the guide space 287 of the wire guide 286.

The wire guide 286 may include a guide opening 286c connected to the seating space 237a of the connector seating part 237. The second electric wire 266 may be disposed in the seating space 237a of the connector seating portion 237 by passing through the guide space 287 of the wire guide 286 through the guide opening 286 c. The guide opening 286c can be maintained in the open state even if the cover 237b and the guide cover 286b are seated on the connector seating portion 237 and the guide main body 286a, respectively.

The wire guide 286 may include: a guide body 286a having one side opened; and a guide cover 286b configured to cover the opened side. The guide body 286a may be recessed to form a guide space 287.

The outer door 232 includes an assembly insertion part 289 disposed on an inner surface of the outer door 232, the assembly insertion part 289 facing the inner door 231 and being formed to be recessed to allow at least a portion of the hinge assembly 280 to pass through the assembly insertion part 289.

The assembly insertion part 289 is configured such that the hinge assembly 280 formed to protrude from the inner door 231 in a state where the outer door 232 and the inner door 231 are in close contact with each other does not interfere with the operation of the outer door 232. The assembly insertion part 289 may be formed to be recessed on an inner surface of the outer door 232.

The outer door 232 may include an extension guide 288, the extension guide 288 being disposed at an upper portion of the assembly insertion part 289 and the second electric wire 266 passing through the extension guide 288. The extension guide 288 is provided to be detachable from the outer door 232. The extension guide 288 is provided to guide the second wire 266 connected from the electronic device of the outer door 232 to the wire guide 286. When the extension guide 288 is mounted on the outer door 232, the extension guide 288 may be disposed to form a surface that coincides with an inner surface of the outer door 232.

The extension guide 288 may include a guide rib 288a, a guide cover 288b, and a guide space 288 c. The outer door 232 may include a second wire outlet 290 disposed at an end of the extension guide 288. The second wire 266 may be drawn out of the second wire outlet 290 to be guided through the guide space 288c of the extension guide 288. A guide rib 288a extending from the second wire outlet 290 to the rotation center of the outer door 232 may be formed on the inner side surface of the outer door 232. The guide cap 288b may be configured to cover the guide rib 288a to prevent the second electric wire 266 from being exposed to the outside. The guide rib 288a and the guide cover 288b are configured to guide the second wire 266 from the second wire outlet 290 toward the rotational center of the outer door 232. The guide rib 288a and the guide cap 288b may form a guide space 288c that guides the second electric wire 266.

The guide cap 288b may be configured to be fitted in the inner side surface of the outer door 232 and coupled to the inner side surface of the outer door 232. A coupling hole 232a may be formed on the outer door 232, and the guide cover 288b may include a coupling protrusion 288bb inserted into the coupling hole 232 a. The coupling protrusion 288bb may be elastically formed on the cover main body 288ba of the guide cover 288 b. The coupling hole 232a may be formed on an upper surface of the outer door 232, and the coupling protrusion 288bb may be formed on one side surface of the guide cover 288b, more specifically, on an upper surface of the cover main body 288 ba. When the guide cover 288b is mounted on the inner side surface of the outer door 232, the coupling protrusion 288bb is inserted to be fitted in the coupling hole 232a and coupled to the coupling hole 232 a.

In order to separate the guide cover 288b from the outer door 232, the coupling protrusion 288bb inserted into the coupling hole 232a is pressurized to protrude from the coupling hole 232 a. Since the coupling protrusion 288bb is provided to have elasticity with respect to the cover body 288ba, the coupling protrusion 288bb, which is pressurized and pressed, elastically returns to its original position when the guide cover 288b is separated from the outer door 232.

The extension guide 288 guides the second electric wire 266 to the rotation center of the outer door 232, and the wire guide 286 guides the second electric wire 266 to the connector seating part 237 from the rotation center of the outer door 232. With this configuration, the second wire 266 passing through the wire guide 286 may pass through the rotation center of the outer door 232 to extend to the hinge assembly 280.

With this configuration, even when the inner door 231 or the outer door 232 is rotated, the distance, angle, and layout between the rotation shaft 283 and the connector seating portion 237 can be kept constant. In this way, the length of the second wire 266 can be kept constant. The second wire 266 may extend to the connector seating portion 237 without being affected by the rotational movement of the door 230.

The first wire 264 may be connected to the main body wire 277 of the main body 210, and may be configured to pass through a hollow 274a formed in the hinge rotation shaft 274. The first wire 264 may extend to the connector seating portion 237 by passing through the hollow portion 274a and a lower portion of the upper surface of the inner door 231. The first electric wire 264 extending to the connector seating portion 237 may be connected to the second electric wire 266 extending to the connector seating portion 237.

Assembling and disassembling of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

Fig. 27 is an exploded perspective view of some components of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Reference is made to the preceding drawings.

A method of separating the outer door 232 from the inner door 231 will be described.

The cover 237b is opened from the connector seating portion 237, and the first connector 264a and the second connector 266a provided in the seating space 237a are separated from each other. When the guide cover 286b of the wire guide 286 is opened, the second wire 266 is exposed to the outside.

That is, when the first connector 264a and the second connector 266a are separated from each other and the cover 237b and the guide cover 286b are separated from the connector seating part 237 and the guide main body 286a, respectively, the second wire 266 is in a separable state from the inner door 231.

The hinge assembly 280 is separated from the inner door 231 such that the outer door 232 is separated from the inner door 231. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above description, and the outer door 232 may be separated from the rotation shaft 283 formed on the hinge bracket 282, so that the outer door 232 may be separated from the inner door 231. Alternatively, the guide cover 288b of the extension guide 288 may be separated from the outer door 232, and then the outer door 232 may be separated from the inner door 231.

Next, a method of separating the inner door 231 from the main body 210 will be described. In the case of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, when the inner door 231 is separated from the main body 210, a process of separating the outer door 232 from the inner door 231 is not necessarily preceded. Alternatively, the outer door 232 may be separated from the inner door 231, and then the inner door 231 may be separated from the main body 210. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the inner door 231 may be separated from the main body 210 in a state where the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 are coupled. In this case, the door 230 is separated from the main body 210.

After the main body cover 276 provided at the upper portion of the main body 210 is separated from the main body 210, the main body connector 277a of the main body wire 277 and the connection connector 264b of the first wire 264 are separated from each other. By this operation, the electrical connection between the door 230 and the main body 210 can be disconnected. Accordingly, the door 230 is in a detachable state from the main body 210. Thereafter, the door hinge 270 and the hinge rotation shaft 274 are separated from each other, and the door 230 may be separated from the main body 210.

The operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below.

Fig. 28 shows a closed state 230a in which both the outer door 232 and the inner door 231 are closed, fig. 29 shows a partially opened state 230b in which the outer door 232 is closed and the inner door 231 is opened, and fig. 30 shows an opened state 230c in which the inner door 231 is opened with respect to the main body 210 and the outer door 232 is opened with respect to the inner door 231. Although not shown in the drawings, both the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 may operate in an opened state with respect to the main body 210. For convenience of description, the state of the door 230 in fig. 28 may be referred to as a closed state 230a, the state of the door 230 in fig. 29 may be referred to as a partially opened state 230b, and the state of the door 230 in fig. 30 may be referred to as an opened state 230 c. In the opened state 230c of the door 230, the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 may be separated as shown in fig. 30, but both the inner door 231 and the outer door 232 may be in close contact with each other to operate in an opened state with respect to the main body 210.

In the closed state 230a as shown in fig. 28, the inner door 231 is rotatably provided on the main body 210 by the door hinge 270, and the outer door 232 is rotatably provided on the inner door 231 by the hinge assembly 280.

Description will be made with reference to fig. 29. In the partially opened state 230b, the outer door 232 and the inner door 231 are in close contact with each other and rotated based on the hinge rotation shaft 274 of the door hinge 270.

Description will be made with reference to fig. 30. In the open state 230c, the outer door 232 is separated from the inner door 231 and rotated based on the rotation shaft 283 of the hinge assembly 280, and the inner door 231 is separated from the main body 210 and rotated based on the hinge rotation shaft 274 of the door hinge 270. As shown in fig. 30, since the hinge assembly 280 is mounted on the inner door 231, the hinge assembly 280 is fixed to the inner door 231 without operating even when the outer door 232 and the inner door 231 are rotated. With this configuration, even when the door 230 is rotated, the distance, angle, and arrangement between the rotation shaft 283 of the hinge assembly 280 and the connector seating portion 237 may be kept constant, and thus the second wire 266 extending from the rotation shaft 283 of the outer door 232 to the connector seating portion 237 may not be affected by the operation of the door 230. Further, since the second wire 266 is connected to the first wire 264 without being affected by the operations of the outer door 232 and the inner door 231, power can be stably supplied to the electronic devices mounted on the outer door 232, and signal transmission between the electronic devices and the controller can be smoothly performed. Further, the second electric wire 266 is not affected by the repeated rotating operation of the door 230, so that the durability of the second electric wire 266 can be improved.

In the foregoing, specific embodiments have been shown and described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art can design various modified embodiments without departing from the gist of the technical spirit defined by the appended claims.

Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. The present disclosure is intended to embrace such alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a main body having a storage chamber;

an inner door rotatably provided on the main body; and

an outer door configured to open or close the storage compartment together with the inner door and rotatably provided on the inner door,

wherein, interior door includes:

and a connector seating part provided at an upper portion of the inner door and configured to connect a first electric wire detachably connected to a main body electric wire of the main body and passing through the inner door with a second electric wire extending from the outer door to the inner door.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein:

the inner door and the outer door are moved between an open state for opening the storage compartment, a closed state for closing the storage compartment, and a partially open state in which the outer door is opened from the inner door,

and when the inner door and the outer door are moved in the opened state, the closed state, and the partially opened state, a first length of the first electric wire extending from the main body to the connector seating portion is kept constant, and a second length of the second electric wire extending from the outer door to the connector seating portion is also kept constant.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the connector seating part forms a seating space in which the first connector of the first electric wire and the second connector of the second electric wire are detachably coupled.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the outer door is provided in such a manner that the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other in the connector seating part so that the outer door becomes electrically disconnected from the inner door.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the inner door further comprises a hinge assembly connected to the connector seating part at one side of the hinge assembly and configured to form a rotation center of the outer door at the other side of the hinge assembly.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the hinge assembly is configured to guide the second wire from a rotation center of the outer door to the connector seating part.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the hinge assembly is configured to form a guide space from a rotation center of the outer door to the connector seating part to prevent the second electric wire from being exposed to the outside.

8. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the hinge assembly is configured to form a rotation center of the outer door separate from the inner door.

9. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the outer door includes an assembly insertion part formed on a surface facing the inner door and provided to allow the hinge assembly to be inserted into the assembly insertion part so as not to interfere with the rotation of the inner door.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first wire is disconnected from the main body wire or the second wire in such a manner that the inner door or the outer door is configured to be selectively detachable.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein:

the outer door is provided to be separable from the inner door together with the second electric wire,

the inner door is provided to be detachable from the main body together with the first electric wire.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein:

the outer door further includes a display device disposed on a front surface of the outer door and configured to output an image,

the second wire is coupled to the display device.

13. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the hinge assembly comprises:

a hinge bracket fixed to the inner door and forming a rotation center of the outer door separated from the inner door; and

and a hinge cover configured to cover the hinge bracket and extend from the outer door to the connector seating part.