KR20030055914A - Refrigerator with sub-door - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A refrigerator with a sub-door is provided to allow the sub-door to be safely opened, and to prevent damage of a product. CONSTITUTION: A shock absorbing unit(50) is placed between a lower end of a sub-door and a main door to delay opening time of the sub-door and to absorb shock. The shock absorbing unit includes a mounting groove(51) formed on the main door corresponding with the lower end of the sub-door; a stopper(52) installed on the mounting groove to slide back and forth; and elastic supporting members(53) elastically supporting the stopper toward the sub-door so that a front end of the stopper contacts with the lower end of the sub-door when the sub-door is opened. The front end of the stopper is formed with a convex curved surface with curvature decreased to an upper side thereof. The elastic supporting members are coil springs, and have ends joined to a pair of fixing protrusions(51a) formed in the mounting groove to prevent separation thereof. The shock absorbing unit includes a case(54) joined to an opening part of the mounting groove to prevent separation of the stopper, and having openings(54b) formed on a front side of the case to allow the front end of the stopper to protrude and contact with the sub-door.

Description

Refrigerator with sub-doors {Refrigerator with sub-door}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a sub-door, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having a sub-door so that a separate outlet for food withdrawal is provided in the main door.

Generally, a refrigerator is an electronic product that supplies cold air generated from an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle to a storage compartment to maintain the freshness of stored foods for a long time. Various forms, such as parallel type, which are divided into and have a larger effective content, are commercially available.

In addition, recently, refrigerators having various additional functions have been developed. For example, a refrigerator having a sub-door separately from the main door opening and closing the storage compartment is one example. The sub-door opens and closes the outlet formed separately by pivotally pivoting up and down on the front of the main door, which opens and closes the storage compartment. FIG. 1 schematically shows an installation structure of a conventional sub-door. .

Referring to FIG. 1, the main-door 1 of the conventional refrigerator has a outlet 1a formed to withdraw food stored on its back without opening it, and a hinge shaft for opening and closing the outlet 1a. There is provided a sub-door 2 joined via 2a).

The sub-door 2 is pivotally mounted at a lower end via a hinge shaft 2a, and is installed so as to be opened about 90 degrees from the main-door 1 via the link 3. To this end, the link 3 has a first link 3a, one end of which is fixed to the side of the outlet 1a, and one end of which is foldably coupled to the other end of the first link 3a, and the other end of the sub-door 2 It consists of a second link (3b) coupled to the side of.

Therefore, when grasping the handle (not shown) provided in the sub-door (2) and pulling it downward, the first link (3a) and the second link (3b) is unfolded, the sub-door (2) is the main-door (1) 90 degrees).

However, the sub-door 2 of the conventional refrigerator is opened at a rapid speed by its own weight as the first link 3a and the second link 3b are unfolded, and the hinge of the sub-door 2 is impacted at this time. There is a problem that the coupling portion of the shaft 2a and the coupling portion of each link 3 are easily broken.

The present invention is to solve this problem; It is an object of the present invention that the sub-door is hinged to the main door so that it can pivot up and down, by relieving the opening shock while delaying the opening speed of the sub-door, the sub-door is opened safely and product damage is prevented. It is to provide a refrigerator with a sub-door that is prevented.

1 schematically illustrates a sub-door structure of a conventional refrigerator.

2 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

3 is a perspective view showing the door according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation structure of the sub-door according to the present invention.

5 is an exploded perspective view showing an extract of the buffer means according to the present invention.

6 to 8 are cross-sectional views taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4,

6 shows a state in which the sub-door is completely closed;

7 shows a state in which the opening of the sub-door is in progress,

8 shows the sub-door fully open.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

20. Main door 21. Outlet

30. Sub-door 31. Handle

40. Frame 41. Shaft support hole

50. Buffering means 51. Seating groove

52. Stopper 53. Carton member

54.Case

The present invention for achieving this object is;

What is claimed is: 1. A refrigerator having a outlet formed to enable food withdrawal to a main door that opens and closes a storage compartment, and a sub-door hinged to a lower end to open and close the outlet.

Between the bottom of the sub-door and the main-door is characterized in that the buffer means for alleviating the impact while delaying the opening speed of the sub-door when it is opened.

Further, the buffer means includes a seating groove formed on the main-door side corresponding to the lower end of the sub-door, a stopper slidably installed in the seating groove in a forward and backward direction, and a tip of the stopper when the sub-door is opened. And a stop member elastically supporting the stopper toward the sub-door side so as to be in contact with the lower end of the stopper.

In addition, the tip of the stopper is characterized by consisting of a concave curved surface having a predetermined curvature.

In addition, the tip of the stopper is characterized in that the curvature is made smaller toward the upper side.

In addition, the support member is made of a coil spring, the mounting groove is characterized in that the fixing projections to prevent the departure of the end of the coupling member is coupled to the mounting groove.

In addition, the buffer means further comprises a case coupled to the opening of the seating groove to prevent the departure of the stopper, the front of the case is characterized in that the opening is formed so that the front end of the stopper is in contact with the sub-door.

According to this configuration, since the opening speed of the sub-door is remarkably delayed through the shock absorbing means when the sub-door is opened downwardly by its own weight, the opening impact of the sub-door is made safe and the opening shock is alleviated.

Hereinafter, one preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 2 to 5 schematically show the overall structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention and the installation structure of the sub-doors, and Figs. 6 to 8 show the operating state of the sub-door according to the present invention. will be.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a cabinet 10 in which a freezing compartment (not shown) and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) whose front surfaces are open to store food are partitioned from side to side, and the cabinet 10 Hinged to the front of the) is provided with a main-door 20 to open and close the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment. In addition, the rear of the main-door 20 is provided with a multi-stage shelf for storing liquor, soft drinks, etc., the front of the main-door 20 so as to take out the stored beverages without opening it. The sub-door 30 is pivotably installed in the vertical direction.

3 and 4, in order to install such a sub-door 30, the main door 20 has an outlet 21 formed in a rectangular shape so as to be open in the back, that is, in communication with the refrigerating chamber, and in the outlet 21. A frame 40 is provided which securely fits and is fixed but wraps around the exterior of the sub-door 30, to which it is pivotally coupled.

The frame 40 is made of a rectangular frame made of a plastic injection molding so that the sub-door 30 is accommodated in a relaxed manner, and a shaft support hole 41 to which the hinge shaft 32 to be described later is loosely fitted to both side lower portions thereof. And a stopper portion 42 which is formed to protrude above the shaft support hole 41 so that the sub-door 30 is kept open at 90 degrees.

On the other hand, the sub-door 30 is made of a rectangular insulating panel having a predetermined thickness, and is provided with a hinge shaft 32 coupled to the frame 40 to protrude in both directions below the lower side of the sub-door (30) In order to maintain the closed state of the sub-door 30, the handle 31 is provided with the engaging portion 31a, and the shock absorbing means 50 for relieving the opening shock while delaying the opening speed of the sub-door 30. With a main-door 20 is pivotally mounted at a predetermined angle, the detailed structure of each component is as follows.

First, the hinge shaft 32 is provided to correspond to the lower side of both sides of the sub-door 30. Accordingly, when the hinge shafts 32 are fitted into the shaft support holes 41 of the frame 40, respectively, the sub-door 30 moves upward and downward from the main door 20 through the hinge shafts 32. It is pivotally mounted.

At this time, when the sub-door 30 is pivoted downward by about 90 degrees, the bottom end of the sub-door 30 is the stopper portion 42 provided on the side of the frame 40 from the hinge axis 32. And thus no further opening operation of the sub-door 30 occurs.

And the handle 31 is a kind of lever which is installed on the front of the upper center portion of the sub-door 30 and hinged for a predetermined angle rotational movement, the return in the sub-door 30 to restore the handle 31 A spring (not shown) is built in. In addition, the handle 31 is provided to extend the locking portion 31a to protrude upward from the central portion of the sub-door 30, the frame corresponding to the locking portion 31a in a state in which the sub-door 30 is closed ( A locking projection 43 protruding downward is provided on an upper inner surface of the 40.

Therefore, when the sub-door 30 is completely closed, the locking portion 31a is caught by the locking jaw 43 so that the sub-door 30 is kept in the plane with the main-door 20. On the other hand, when the handle 31 is pulled forward only slightly, the locking portion 31a is released from the locking jaw 43 and the sub-door 30 is pivoted downward due to its own weight.

4 and 5, the shock absorbing means 50 for mitigating the opening shock while delaying the opening speed of the sub-door 30 may include a main-door adjacent to the lower end of the sub-door 30. A seating groove 51 formed on the side 20, a stopper 52 provided in the seating groove 51 and in contact with a lower end of the sub-door 30, and the stopper 52; And a case member (54) coupled to cover the seating groove (51) to prevent the stopper (52) from being separated.

The seating groove 51 is formed to be concave at the lower center portion of the frame 40 mounted on the main-door 20, and is formed to have a predetermined space so that the stop member 53 and the stopper 52 can be accommodated and installed. It is.

And the stopper 52 is pushed into the seating groove 51 while the front end 52a is in contact with the lower center portion of the sub-door 30 when the sub-door 30 is opened. The opening speed of 30 is delayed. In addition, the tip 52a of the stopper 52 has a concave curved surface with a predetermined curvature, such that the lower end of the sub-door 30 slides along the curved surface 52a and is subjected to interference. The curved surface 52a of the stopper 52 is formed to have a smaller radius of curvature gradually from the lower side to the upper side, in order to further increase the interference load as the opening of the sub-door 30 proceeds.

This interference operation of the stopper 52 is because the stopper 52 is supported toward the sub-door 30 through the pair of holding members 53 in the seating groove 51. (In the embodiment of the present invention, a pair of the finger member 53 is made of a coil spring, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied regardless of the shape as long as it can exert an elastic force such as a leaf spring.) Such a finger member 53 In order to install), the mounting groove 51 is provided so that the pair of fixing projections (51a) are coupled to surround the end of the finger member 53 to prevent separation.

In addition, the case 54 is coupled to the opening of the seating groove 51 and is made of a housing that receives the stopper 52 therein, the front end (54a) of the front end (52a) of the stopper 52 is projected An opening 54b is formed in contact with the lower end of the sub-door 30. At this time, the front surface 54a of the case 54 is preferably configured to be maintained at the same plane as the lower end of the frame 40. In order to fix the case 54, a hole 54c through which the screw 55 penetrates is provided at the center thereof, and a boss 51b in which a screw hole is formed at the bottom of the seating groove 51 corresponding to the hole 54c. ) Is provided.

Accordingly, after the pair of stop member 53, the stopper 52 and the case 54 are sequentially arranged in the seating groove 51, the screw 55 is tightened to the hole 54c and the boss 51b, The means 50 are compactly installed in the lower center portion of the frame 40. At this time, the stopper 52 is elastically supported through the pair of stop members 53, so that the tip 52a of the stopper 52 is exposed through the opening 54b of the case 54. .

Next, the operation of the sub-door according to the present invention configured as described above and the effects thereof will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, when the sub-door 30 is completely accommodated in the frame 40 and kept in the plane with the main-door 20, the engaging portion of the handle 31 (see FIG. 4). (31a, see Fig. 4) is caught by the locking jaw (43, see Fig. 4) while the outlet 21 is closed, the front end 52a of the stopper 52 through the opening 54b of the case 54 to the maximum It is exposed.

When the user pulls the handle 31 forward in this state, the locking portion 31a is released from the locking jaw 43 and the sub-door 30 pivots downwardly about the hinge shaft 32 by its own weight. do.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the sub-door 30 pivots downward from the hinge axis 32 (arrow A direction), so that the outlet 21 of the main-door 20 is closed. Open. Therefore, the user can easily take out the food stored in the back of the main-door 20 through the outlet 21.

The opening of this sub-door 30 proceeds until the lowermost inner surface contacts the stopper portion 42 to remain open 90 degrees, the opening operation of which proceeds smoothly. This is because, in the opening operation of the sub-door 30, the lowermost end thereof slides upward along the tip 52a of the stopper 52, thereby delaying the opening speed.

That is, as the sub-door 30 is opened, the lowermost end of the sub-door 30 is pivoted upward while sliding along the tip 52a formed of the curved surface of the stopper 52 about the hinge axis 32. (Arrow B direction). Therefore, when the sub-door 30 is opened to about 90 degrees, the elastically supported stopper 52 is gradually pushed into the seating groove 51 (arrow C direction), and the elastic member 53 is compressed. By the repulsive force of 53, the sub-door 30 is opened while the pivot speed is delayed.

In addition, since the tip 52a of the stopper 52 is formed of a curved surface having a smaller curvature radius toward the upper side, an interference load applied to the sub-door 30 as the opening of the sub-door 30 proceeds. It becomes larger, which results in a more stable opening of the sub-door 30 and little opening impact.

On the other hand, when the food is drawn out through the outlet 21 and artificially lifted the upper end of the sub-door 30 (the reverse direction of the arrow A), the lowest end of the sub-door 30 about the hinge axis 32. 6 is pivoted downward along the distal end 52a of the stopper 52 (the reverse direction of the arrow B), and at the same time, the engaging portion 31a of the handle 31 is engaged with the engaging jaw 43, so that the sub- The door 30 is in a closed state.

As described in detail above; According to the refrigerator with a sub-door according to the present invention, when the sub-door is pivoted by its own weight, the buffer means for relieving the opening shock and at the same time delaying the opening speed of the main-door is opened. It is located between the bottom of the door and the main door.

Therefore, the sub-doors are safely opened while the impact speed is relieved by the pivoting speed through the buffer means, thereby preventing damage to the hinge shaft coupling portion and the stopper portion of the sub-doors, and improving the reliability of the product. .

Claims (6)

What is claimed is: 1. A refrigerator having a outlet formed to enable food withdrawal to a main door to open and close a storage compartment, and a sub-door hinged to a lower end to open and close the outlet. And a cushioning means provided between the lower end of the sub-door and the main door to relieve an impact while delaying the opening speed thereof when the sub-door is opened. The method of claim 1, The buffer means, A seating groove formed in the main-door side corresponding to the lower end of the sub-door; A stopper installed to slide forward and backward in the seating groove; And a holding member for elastically supporting the stopper toward the sub-door side such that the tip of the stopper comes into contact with the lower end of the sub-door when the sub-door is opened. The method of claim 2, And a front end of the stopper is a concave curved surface having a predetermined curvature. The method of claim 3, wherein The front end of the stopper is a refrigerator having a sub-door, characterized in that the curvature is made smaller toward the upper side. The method of claim 2, The finger member is made of a coil spring, The seating groove has a sub-door refrigerator, characterized in that the fixing projections are coupled to the end of the stop member to prevent the separation thereof. The method of claim 2, The buffer means further includes a case coupled to the opening of the seating groove to prevent the stopper from detaching, And an opening is formed at a front surface of the case so that the tip of the stopper protrudes to contact the sub-door.