KR101653316B1

KR101653316B1 - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: KR101653316B1
Application number: KR1020150043053A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박동우
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-03-27
Filing date: 2015-03-27
Publication date: 2016-09-01

Abstract

According to the present invention, a refrigerator comprises: a cabinet defining a storage chamber therein, wherein an upper surface thereof is opened; a door mounted on the cabinet to be rotated vertically to open and close the storage chamber; and a hinge assembly mounted between the cabinet and the door. The hinge assembly comprises: a first bracket mounted on the cabinet; a second bracket mounted on the door and rotatably connected to the first bracket by a hinge shaft; a rotary shaft wherein an upper end is rotatably supported on a lower end of the second bracket, and a lower end thereof is mounted on the inside of the first bracket to be rotated and vertically moved; a first elastic member mounted on the rotary shaft to apply an elastic force for pushing the second bracket upwards to rotate the second bracket; and a second elastic member mounted between a middle portion of the rotary shaft on which the upper end of the first elastic member is supported and the inside of the first bracket to apply an elastic force to the second bracket in a direction in which the same is compressed after being extended by the first elastic member.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a hinge assembly for pivotally opening and opening the door on an upper portion of a cabinet.

Generally, a refrigerator discharges cold air generated by a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, etc. to lower the temperature of the inside of the refrigerator and freeze or refrigerate food or the like.

The refrigerator generally includes a freezer compartment inside the cabinet for storing food or beverage as a storage compartment, and a refrigerator compartment for storing the food or beverage at a low temperature.

However, there is also a refrigerator having one storage room maintained at a predetermined temperature range.

The door for opening and closing the storage compartment is often mounted on the open front face of the cabinet by a vertical hinge shaft so as to be rotatable in forward and backward directions. However, when the upper surface of the cabinet is opened and a vertical hinge shaft .

The door mounted by the horizontal hinge axis may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet by a hinge assembly coupled between the rear wall of the cabinet and the rear wall of the door.

Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2003-0037039 discloses a hinge assembly structure of a conventional kimchi reservoir.

The hinge assembly includes a hinge body fixed to a side wall of a main body and having a supporting piece and an elastic means therein, a pressing piece coupled to the hinge body via a hinge shaft and contacting the supporting piece, And a rotating member fixed to one side of the frame.

And a pin hole formed in both side walls of the rotary member for fitting the pin for fixing the pressing piece to the shaft coupling hole into which the hinge shaft is inserted is formed on an inclined line spaced apart from the outside by a predetermined angle.

When the door is closed, the pushing piece receives a force toward the vertical center line of the shaft coupling hole by the supporting piece receiving the elastic force, so that the front portion of the door receives the downward force to more closely maintain the closed state of the door have.

However, in the conventional hinge assembly, the hinge is fixed to the cover plate of the refrigerator by bolts, and when the door is closed after the door is closed, the hinge body may be detached by the load of the spring or the door.

Further, when the elastic force of the elastic means acts only on the opening side of the door and the elastic force is small, it is difficult to open the door. On the contrary, when the elastic force of the elastic means is increased, the door is not closed well and the door is repelled.

In addition, since the door can not be pivoted until the door is fully opened, the hinge assembly or its fastening portion is damaged by the impact.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which is rotatably mounted to open and close an upper surface of a cabinet, And it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a hinge assembly capable of preventing damage due to impact.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet defining a storage chamber therein and having an opened upper surface; A door rotatably mounted on the cabinet to open and close the storage chamber; And a hinge assembly coupled between the cabinet and the door, the hinge assembly comprising: a first bracket coupled to the cabinet; a second bracket coupled to the door and pivotally connected to the first bracket by a hinge shaft; A rotary shaft rotatably supported at an upper end portion of the second bracket and having a lower end rotatably and vertically movably mounted at an inner side of the first bracket; And a second elastic member which is mounted between an intermediate portion of the pivot shaft on which the upper end of the first elastic member is supported and an inner side of the first bracket and is extended and compressed by the first elastic member And a second elastic member for applying an elastic force to the second bracket.

Wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a guide shaft which is inserted into a lower end portion of the second bracket and which is rotatably guided by guide grooves provided at both ends of a side wall of the first bracket, It is preferable to be rotatably supported.

The hinge assembly may further include a guide cover mounted between the guide shaft and the upper end of the rotation shaft so as to surround the lower portion of the guide shaft.

A protrusion inserted into the through hole provided at the center bottom of the guide cover is provided at the bottom of the groove cover so that the protrusion of the guide cover and the pivot shaft Is preferably rotated together with the guide shaft.

The hinge assembly may further include a washer which is mounted on a step portion provided in the middle of the pivot shaft and is pushed upward by the first elastic member to be brought into close contact with the step portion.

The second elastic member is preferably a pair of spring springs mounted between a pair of extending portions extending laterally from both sides of the washer and a pair of locking projections provided on the inner wall of the first bracket.

The hinge assembly may further include a supporter that supports both ends of the hinge assembly on a pair of support protrusions provided on the inner wall of the first bracket so as to support the lower end of the first elastic member.

The supporter is preferably provided with a through hole through which the pivot shaft passes.

The hinge assembly may further include a bush installed between the supporter and the first elastic member to reduce noise generated by the expansion and contraction of the first elastic member.

Preferably, the bush includes a through hole through which the pivot shaft passes, and a protrusion protruded downward from the bottom of the through hole, the protrusion being inserted into the through hole of the supporter.

Preferably, the hinge assembly further includes a first cover mounted to cover the first bracket from the rear, and a second cover to cover the second bracket from the rear.

Preferably, the first bracket and the second bracket are respectively provided with coupling holes on their side walls, and the first cover and the second cover have coupling protrusions respectively inserted into the coupling holes on the inner side walls thereof.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the structure of the hinge assembly that rotatably mounts the door in the cabinet of the refrigerator is simple, but the strength is excellent and the user can easily open and close the door.

Further, the second elastic member can perform the damping action before the door is opened to the end, so that breakage due to impact can be prevented. Even when the door is closed, the second elastic member acts on the elastic force of the first elastic member in the direction opposite to the elastic force of the first elastic member, so that the force of closing the door by the user can be reduced. When the door is completely closed, The elastic force of the first elastic member can prevent the door from being impacted by the cabinet.

Also, wear is minimized between the operating parts of the hinge assembly, thereby providing excellent durability and preventing noise.

1 is a rear perspective view showing a refrigerator according to the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating the hinge assembly mounted in FIG.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the hinge assembly of Figure 2 with covers removed.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a hinge assembly except for the covers.
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge assembly of Figure 4;
6 is a perspective view showing the guide cover.
7 is a perspective view showing the washer.
8 is a perspective view showing the supporter.
9 is a perspective view showing a bush.
10 is a perspective view showing an operating state of the hinge assembly.

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

1 is a rear perspective view showing a refrigerator according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator of the present invention has a storage room inside a cabinet 10, and a pair of doors 20 are rotatably mounted on an opened upper surface thereof.

The pair of doors 20 are each mounted by a pair of hinge assemblies 100 which can be fastened to the rear wall of the door 20 and the rear wall of the cabinet 10, have.

1, a pair of doors are vertically rotatably mounted. In the refrigerator of the present invention, however, one door may open and close the entire upper surface of the cabinet 10 depending on the size of the cabinet 10 .

In this way, the refrigerator having the door pivoted up and down is called a chest type refrigerator because the upper surface of the cabinet is opened and the user takes his or her bosom and draws the contents stored in the storage compartment.

Figures 2 and 3 show a hinge assembly for use in the present invention.

The hinge assembly 100 includes a first bracket 110 coupled to the cabinet 10 and a second bracket 130 coupled to the door 20.

The second bracket 130 is rotatably connected to the first bracket 110 by a hinge shaft 150 (see FIG. 4) to be described later.

A first cover 120 is coupled to the first bracket 110 so as to enclose the first bracket 110 from behind.

The second cover 140 is coupled to the second bracket 130 so as to wrap the second bracket 130 from the rear.

The first bracket 110 may have a front surface and right and left side walls integrally formed.

2, the upper portion of the front surface of the first bracket 110 may be cut open, and a lateral connection portion 114 may be provided between the front ends of the left and right side walls at a middle height of the cut portion. .

Also, the second bracket 130 may have a front surface and right and left side walls integrally formed.

When the door 20 is closed, the front surface of the second bracket 130 may be disposed directly above the lateral connection portion 114 of the incision.

The rear edge of the left and right side walls of the second bracket 130 may have a curved surface shape having a larger width as it goes down from the upper end to the lower end.

This is to prevent the second bracket 130 from rotating with respect to the first bracket 110 and interfering with other components.

A plurality of first fastening holes 111 and a plurality of second fastening holes 112 may be formed on the front surface of the first bracket 110.

The plurality of first fastening holes 111 may be formed in the middle part of the front surface of the first bracket 110, and the first fastening holes 111 may be elongated holes formed in a lengthwise direction.

Since the first fastening hole 111 is formed in the shape of a long hole, a predetermined dimensional tolerance can be allowed at the position of the fastening hole provided on the rear wall of the cabinet 10 when fastening the screw.

The lower end of the first fastening hole 111 may have a circular shape having a larger diameter than the top width.

The plurality of second fastening holes 112 may be elongated in the vertical direction so as to be in contact with the lower end of the front surface of the first bracket 110.

The lower end of the first fastening hole 111 is formed to have a larger diameter than the head of the screw and the lower end of the second fastening hole 112 is formed to be in contact with the lower end of the front surface of the first bracket 110 A plurality of screws are first inserted into the cabinet 10 and then the first bracket 110 is screwed into the plurality of first fastening holes 111 and the plurality of second fastening holes 112, In order to be inserted in the upper and lower portions.

In this state, the first bracket 110 can be fixed to the cabinet 10 by precisely aligning the first bracket 110 and fastening the plurality of screws.

The second bracket 130 is also provided with a plurality of fastening holes 131. The plurality of fastening holes 131 may be provided on the front surface of the second bracket 130. [

The plurality of fastening holes 131 may have a circular shape with a smaller diameter than the head of the screw.

The second bracket 130 is fastened to the rear wall of the door 20 so that the second bracket 130 is first fastened to the rear wall of the door 20 and the first bracket 110 May be positioned in the cabinet 10 and then the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130 may be connected to each other.

The first cover 120 is integrally formed with a rear wall and right and left side walls.

The upper portion of the rear wall is incised so as not to interfere with the rotation of the second bracket 130.

The second cover 140 also includes left and right side walls and a rear wall integrally formed with a curved surface corresponding to the curved surface of the rear wall of the second bracket 130.

A plurality of engaging projections 123 are provided on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the first cover 120 and a plurality of engaging projections 123 formed on the right and left side walls of the first bracket 110, A coupling hole 113 may be provided.

The left and right side walls of the second cover 140 are respectively provided with engaging projections 142 and engaging holes 132 and 132 formed in the right and left side walls of the second bracket 130, 4) can be provided, respectively.

Since the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130 receive a large load, it is preferable that the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130 are made of a metal material having high strength.

Meanwhile, the first cover 120 and the second cover 140 may be made of plastic since they cover and cover the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130, respectively.

When the first cover 120 and the second cover 140 are coupled to the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130 respectively, the first cover 120 And the second protrusions 123 and 142 can be inserted into the coupling holes 113 and 132, respectively.

When the first cover 120 is mounted on the first bracket 110, the first cover 120 is provided on the upper front edge of the open side of both side walls of the first bracket 110, A pair of support protrusions 125 extending inwardly to be supported can be provided.

A pair of support ribs 126 extending inwardly and supported on the front surface of the first bracket 110 may be provided on the front edge of the middle portion of both side walls of the first cover 120.

The pair of support protrusions 125 and the pair of support ribs 126 can be installed by resiliently spreading both side walls of the first cover 120 when the first cover 120 is attached to the first bracket 110 have.

A hinge shaft 144 through which the hinge shaft 150 can pass is provided at the lower ends of both side walls of the second cover 140. The second cover 140 is mounted on the second bracket 130 So that it can be prevented from interfering with the hinge shaft 150 when it is rotated.

The specific structure of the hinge assembly 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

The hinge assembly 100 includes a pivot shaft 180 rotatably supported at the lower end of the second bracket 130 and rotatably mounted on the inner side of the first bracket 110 so as to be rotatable and vertically movable, A first elastic member 200 mounted on the pivot shaft for applying an elastic force to push up and rotate the second bracket, and a second elastic member 200 mounted between the upper end of the first elastic member and the inner side of the first bracket, And a second elastic member 220 for applying an elastic force to the second bracket 130 in a direction in which the elastic member 220 is stretched and compressed by the member.

The second bracket 130 is disposed inside both side walls of the first bracket 110 and has hinge shaft holes 115 and 135 formed on the side walls of the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130, The first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130 can be pivotally connected to each other by a hinge shaft 150 mounted to pass through the first bracket 110 and the second bracket 130, respectively.

The hinge shaft 150 may have a circular pipe shape and the hinge shaft hole 135 of the second bracket 130 may protrude inward.

Since the periphery of the hinge shaft hole 135 protrudes inward, the area of the second bracket 130 supporting the hinge shaft 150 can be increased to enhance the supporting force.

The upper end of the pivot shaft 180 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the second bracket 130.

For this, a guide shaft 160 may be coupled between the lower ends of both side walls of the second bracket 130.

The guide shaft 160 may be inserted into a guide shaft hole 136 provided at the lower ends of both side walls of the second bracket 130, respectively.

A guide groove 116 may be formed on both side walls of the first bracket 110 in the form of an arc with the hinge shaft hole 115 as a turning center.

The guide shaft 160 is inserted into the hinge shaft hole 115 so that both ends of the guide shaft 160 do not protrude from the outer surfaces of both side walls of the first bracket 110 and can be rotated within a predetermined angle range.

Both end portions of the guide shaft 160 are provided with a step portion 162 having a reduced diameter and the guide groove 116 can be formed to have a width corresponding to the diameter of the step portion 162.

The guide shaft hole 136 may have an inner diameter corresponding to a large outer diameter of the guide shaft 160.

The hinge shaft hole 115 of the first bracket 110 and the hinge shaft hole 135 of the second bracket 130 into which the hinge shaft 150 is inserted have the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 150 The hinge shaft 150 can be assembled by inserting the hinge shaft hole 115 of the first bracket 110 and the hinge shaft hole 135 of the second bracket 130 in an aligned state from the outside.

Since the guide shaft 160 can not be inserted from the outside of the first bracket 110, the first bracket 110 can be inserted into the hinge shaft hole 135 of the second bracket 130, By inserting the step portion 162 of the guide shaft 160 into the guide groove 116 with a slight inclination from the inside of the guide groove 160.

Therefore, the guide shaft 160 is first mounted on the second bracket 130 and the first bracket 110, and then the hinge shaft 150 is mounted.

Below the guide shaft 160, a pivot shaft 180 is installed to be rotatable and vertically movable between the lower end of the second bracket 130 and the inside of the first bracket 110.

The pivot shaft 180 is rotatably supported at a central portion of the guide shaft 160.

The pivot shaft 180 is vertically long bar shaped and its lower end is rotatably mounted on the inner lower portion of the first bracket 110 and is mounted so as to freely move up and down.

To this end, as described later, the lower end portion of the pivot shaft 180 passes through a pair of supporters 118 provided on the inner side surface of the first bracket, through a supporter 230 rotatably supported at both ends thereof, As shown in Fig.

The upper end of the pivot shaft 180 may be supported by the stepped groove 163 provided at the center of the guide shaft 160 so as not to move left and right.

The hinge assembly 100 may further include a guide cover 170 mounted between the guide shaft 160 and the upper end of the rotation shaft 180 so as to surround the lower portion of the guide shaft.

As shown in FIG. 6, the guide cover 170 may have a shape in which a rectangular plate is bent upward and a concave portion 172 is formed therein.

The guide cover 170 is closely contacted with the lower surface of the guide shaft 160 by the pivot shaft 180 and can be pivoted while sliding on the guide shaft 160.

5, a groove 182 may be formed at the upper end of the pivot shaft 180 to receive and seat the convex lower surface of the guide cover 170. As shown in FIG.

A protrusion 183 is formed at the bottom of the groove 182. The protrusion 183 is inserted into the through hole 175 formed in the center bottom of the recess 172, The pivot shaft 180 can be rotated together.

At this time, the protrusion 183 may protrude from the bottom surface of the guide cover 170 through the through hole 175, and the step groove 163 is formed in the guide shaft 160 Therefore, the upper end of the pivot shaft 180 can be prevented from being in direct contact with the guide shaft 160 to be worn.

Instead, the guide cover 170 covers the guide shaft 160 and is slidably pivoted. Therefore, the contact area of the guide cover 170 sliding on the guide shaft 160 is large, so that the guide cover 170 can be stably supported, .

A first elastic member 200 may be provided around the pivot shaft 180 to be extended and retracted by the rotation of the second bracket 130.

The first elastic member 200 is a spring spring and an upper end portion thereof is supported by a step portion 185 provided at the middle of the pivot shaft 180 and a lower end portion thereof can be supported by the supporter 230 .

The pivot shaft 180 has a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its horizontal section has longer sides than the front and rear sides.

The stepped portion 185 is formed to protrude forward and backward at about 2/3 of the upper side of the pivot shaft 180 to support the upper end of the first elastic member 200 mounted thereunder.

On both sides of the pivot shaft 180, grooves 188 are provided up and down to reinforce the strength while reducing the material cost.

The first elastic member 200 is installed in a compressed state when the first elastic member 200 is mounted between the step portion 185 of the pivot shaft 180 and the supporter 230, A restoring force for rotating the second bracket 130 can be applied.

Therefore, when the user opens the closed door 20, the magnetic force of the gasket and the self weight of the door 20 can be overcome and the door 20 can be easily opened with a small force.

Since the restoring force of the first elastic member 200 is slightly larger than the self weight of the door 20, the door 20 can be further opened by itself after the door 20 is opened.

Further, it is preferable to continue to operate until the door 20 is opened to the maximum.

The elastic force of the first elastic member 200 gradually decreases as the first elastic member 200 elongates. The angle at which the door 20 is maximally opened is less than 90 degrees with respect to the upper surface of the cabinet 10 Therefore, the elastic force of the first elastic member 200 must be maintained so that the door 20 can be kept open at a predetermined angle.

The hinge assembly 100 is mounted between an intermediate portion of the pivot shaft 180 to which an upper end of the first elastic member 200 is supported and an inner side of the first bracket 110, And a second elastic member (220) for applying an elastic force to the second bracket (130) in a direction in which the elastic member is stretched and compressed by the member.

The upper end of the second elastic member 220 may be mounted on a locking protrusion extending to both sides of the tangs of the pivot shaft 180. The hinge assembly 100 may include a stepped portion 185 And a washer 190 which is mounted on the first elastic member and is pushed upward by the first elastic member to come into close contact with the step.

7, the washer 190 may be provided with a through hole 195 through which the pivot shaft 180 passes, at the center of the circular disc portion 192. As shown in FIG.

The through hole 195 may have a rectangular hole corresponding to the end surface of the pivot shaft 180 in a circular hole having an inner diameter smaller than the length of the pivot shaft 180 in the longitudinal direction.

The lower surface of the washer 190 may be provided with a downward protrusion 194 extending downward from the periphery of the through hole 195.

Since the rectangular hole provided in the through hole 195 is formed to be cut to the lower end of the lower protrusion 194, the pivot shaft 180 is inserted into the through hole 195, 190). &Lt; / RTI >

A pair of extension portions 196 extending laterally are provided on both sides of the disc portion 192 of the washer 190 and the second elastic member 220 is fixed to the pair of extension portions 196 at the upper end It may be a pair of spring springs that are hooked.

The ends of the pair of extension portions 196 may further include upward bent portions 197 to prevent the upper end ring of the second elastic member 220 from being pulled out.

The lower end ring of the second elastic member 220 may be mounted on a locking protrusion 117 protruding inwardly from the inner surfaces of both side walls of the first bracket 110.

Since the first bracket 110 is formed by processing a metal plate, it is preferable that the latching protrusion 117 is formed by cutting and bending the side wall of the first bracket 110.

The hooking protrusion 117 also has a bent portion whose end is bent downward like the extension 196, thereby preventing the lower end ring of the second elastic member 220 from being pulled out.

The supporting protrusion 118 supporting the supporter 230 may be formed by cutting the side wall of the first bracket 110 and bending the same as the locking protrusion 117.

As shown in FIG. 8, the supporter 230 may be provided with a through hole 234 through which the pivot shaft 180 passes, at a central portion 232 thereof.

The through hole 234 is formed to be larger than the pivot shaft 180 because the pivot shaft 180 passes through the through hole 234 and must be inserted freely movably up and down.

It is preferable that the through hole 234 is formed to have a shape corresponding to the pivot shaft 180 so that the pivot shaft 180 rotates together with the supporter 230.

The supporter 230 has two end portions 236 extending to both sides of the central portion 232 to be rotatably supported on the pair of support protrusions 118 provided under the inner side surface of the side wall of the first bracket 110 do.

For this purpose, the supporter 230 may be formed in such a shape that its frame portion extends downward except the side surfaces of the both end portions 236.

By this extension portion, the supporter 230 can be rotatably supported on the pair of support protrusions 118 within a predetermined angle range, and the strength of the supporter 230 can be further reinforced.

The hinge assembly 100 may further include a bush 240 mounted between the supporter 230 and the first elastic member 200 to reduce noise generated by the expansion and contraction of the first elastic member.

As shown in FIG. 9, the bush 240 may be formed as a circular disk as a whole, and a through hole 245 through which the pivot shaft 180 passes may be formed at a central portion thereof.

The through hole 245 is formed in a shape corresponding to the end surface of the pivot shaft 180 so that the pivot shaft 180 can pass therethrough. The center of the through hole 245 is larger than the thickness of the pivot shaft 180 And may be formed in a circular shape having a circular shape.

Particularly, the parts constituting the pivot shaft 180 are made of a metal material. In particular, when the lower end of the first elastic member 200 which is being expanded or contracted is directly in contact with the supporter 230, A noise may be generated and the contact portion may be worn.

The bush 240 formed of synthetic resin is interposed between the first elastic member 200 and the supporter 230 to prevent direct contact between the first elastic member 200 and the supporter 230 .

The bush 240 may further include a protrusion 244 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the bush 240 to be inserted into the through hole 234 of the supporter 230.

The protrusion 244 may have a shape corresponding to the through hole 245 and may have a predetermined thickness.

The through hole 234 of the supporter 230 has a shape corresponding to the protrusion 244 so that the protrusion 244 can be inserted into the through hole 234 of the supporter 230.

When the bush 240 is mounted on the supporter 230, the protrusion 244 of the bush 240 is inserted into the through hole 234 of the supporter 230, The rim 242 may be seated in the center 232 of the supporter 230.

Therefore, the bush 240 can prevent the pivot shaft 180 from directly contacting the supporter 230.

The pivot shaft 180 is moved up and down through the through hole 234 of the supporter 230. At this time, the bush 240 serves as a bearing, and the pivot shaft 180 is supported by the supporter 230 So that it is possible to prevent noise generation and wear from occurring between them.

In addition, the bush 240 may further include an upper protrusion 246 protruding upwardly from the upper surface thereof.

At this time, the through hole 245 is formed to penetrate both the lower protrusion 244 and the upper protrusion 246.

The upward protruding portion 246 may have a circular shape to support the inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the first elastic member 200, unlike the downward protruding portion 244.

FIG. 10 shows the operating state of the hinge assembly 100 described above.

10A shows a state of the hinge assembly 100 when the door 20 is closed and FIG. 10B shows a state of the hinge assembly 100 when the door 20 is fully opened. 100).

10A, since the first elastic member 200 is in a compressed state, the pivot shaft 180 is pushed up to apply an elastic force to the second bracket 130 in a direction in which the door 20 is opened .

However, the door 20 is kept closed by its own weight and the magnetic force of the gasket.

When the user lifts the door 20 slightly and opens the door 20, the first elastic member 200 applies an elastic force to the second bracket 130 in a direction in which the door 20 is opened. The door 20 can be continuously rotated and opened if the user does not turn the door after the door is separated from the cabinet 10 or if the user rotates the door with a very small force.

The pair of second elastic members 220 is also slightly compressed in Fig. 10 (a).

Since the pair of second elastic members 220 have a smaller elastic force than the first elastic members 200 when the second bracket 130 rotates by opening the door 20, Is stretched by the member (200).

When the second bracket 130 is rotated at an angle of about 20 degrees with respect to the first bracket 110, the pair of second elastic members 220 exerts an elastic force in a direction of pulling the washer 190 .

The first elastic member 200 continues to apply elastic force until the second bracket 130 is completely rotated to about 90 degrees, but the elastic force thereof becomes smaller.

On the other hand, the elastic force of the pair of second elastic members 220 continues to increase after the rotation angle of about 20 degrees.

10 (b), at the time when the second bracket 130 is rotated by about 90 degrees, the elastic force of the pair of second elastic members 220 is greater than the elastic force of the first elastic member 200 . &Lt; / RTI >

The second elastic member 220 damps the rotating speed of the second bracket 130 and the door 20 until the door 20 is completely opened so that the hinge assembly 100 is opened It is possible to prevent breakage due to impact at the time point.
Also, when the door 20 is closed, the second elastic member 220 applies an elastic force in a direction opposite to the elastic force of the first elastic member 200, so that the force by which the user closes the door 20 can be reduced, When the door 20 is completely closed, the first elastic member 200 exerts an elastic force in a direction opposite to the self-weight of the hinge shaft 150 of the door to prevent the door from impacting the cabinet 10 have.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, Changes will be possible.

10: Cabinet
20: Door
100: hinge assembly
110: first bracket
111: first fastening hole
112: second fastening hole
113: coupling ball
114: Horizontal connection
115: Hinge shaft opening
116: guide groove
117:
118: support projection
120: first cover
123: engaging projection
125: support projection
126: Support rib
130: second bracket
132: coupling ball
135: Hinge shaft opening
136: guide shaft
140: second cover
142: engaging projection
144: Hinge shaft
150: Hinge shaft
160: Guide shaft
162: stepped portion
163: stepped groove
170: Guide cover
172:
175: Through hole
180: Pivot shaft
182: Groove
183: projection
185:
188: Groove
190: Washer
192:
194: downward protrusion
195: Through hole
196: Extension
197:
200: first elastic member
220: second elastic member
230: Supporter
232: center
234: Through hole
236:
240: Bush
242:
244: downward protrusion
245: Through hole
246:

Claims

A cabinet defining a storage compartment therein and having an open top;
A door rotatably mounted on the cabinet to open and close the storage chamber; And
A hinge assembly coupled between the cabinet and the door,
The hinge assembly includes:
A first bracket coupled to the cabinet,
A second bracket coupled to the door and rotatably connected to the first bracket by a hinge shaft,
A rotary shaft rotatably supported on an upper end portion of the second bracket and rotatably mounted on an inner side of the first bracket so as to be rotatable and vertically movable,
A first elastic member mounted on the pivot shaft for applying an elastic force to push up and rotate the second bracket,
A washer having a pair of extension portions which are mounted on a step portion provided in the middle of the pivot shaft and are pushed upward by the first elastic member to come in close contact with the step portion and extend laterally from both sides,
A supporter rotatably supported on both ends of the pair of support protrusions provided on the inner wall of the first bracket so as to support the lower end of the first elastic member so as to be movable up and down,
And a pair of locking protrusions provided between the pair of extension portions of the washer and the pair of locking projections provided on the inner wall of the first bracket and arranged side by side of the first elastic member, And a pair of second elastic members for applying an elastic force to the second bracket in a direction opposite to the first elastic member.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the hinge assembly further includes a guide shaft inserted and mounted at a lower end of the second bracket and both ends of which are guided by a guide groove provided in a side wall of the first bracket,
And an upper end of the pivot shaft is rotatably supported at a center portion of the guide shaft.

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a guide cover mounted between the guide shaft and the upper end of the rotation shaft so as to surround the lower portion of the guide shaft.

The method of claim 3,
A groove portion in which a lower surface of the guide cover is inserted and seated is provided at an upper end portion of the pivot shaft,
Wherein a protrusion inserted into a through hole provided at a center bottom of the guide cover is provided at the bottom of the groove, and the guide cover and the turning shaft are rotated together with the guide shaft.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are spring springs.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the supporter is provided with a through hole through which a lower end of the pivot shaft passes.

9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a bush mounted between the supporter and the first elastic member to reduce noise generated by the expansion and contraction of the first elastic member.

10. The method of claim 9,
The bush includes:
A through hole through which the pivot shaft passes,
And a protrusion protruding downward from the lower surface thereof and inserted into the through hole of the supporter.

The method according to claim 1,
The hinge assembly includes:
A first cover mounted to cover the first bracket from behind,
And a second cover for covering the second bracket from behind.

12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are respectively provided with engagement holes on their side walls,
Wherein the first cover and the second cover are respectively provided with coupling protrusions to be inserted into the coupling holes on the inner side wall thereof.