KR20230174439A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator of this embodiment includes a cabinet having a storage space; A hinge bracket coupled to the cabinet and having a contact surface; a door rotatably coupled to a shaft provided on the hinge bracket and opening and closing the storage space; It is installed on the door at a position spaced apart from the center of rotation of the door, operates to automatically close the door by acting on the hinge bracket in the process of closing the door, and rotates away from the center of rotation (C1) of the door. A lever that rotates about the center (C2), an elastic member connected to the lever, a body installed on the door and rotatably supporting the lever, and a rotating body spaced apart from the rotation center (C2) of the lever. An auto closing device that is rotatable about the center C3 and includes a locking member that is coupled to the lever and restricts rotation of the lever while the elastic force of the elastic member is accumulated; and a push member that pushes the lever or the locking member to release the locking of the lever with respect to the locking member during the process of closing the door.

Description

Refrigerator

This specification relates to refrigerators.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that allows food to be stored at low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by the refrigerator door. It cools the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle. It is designed to store stored food in optimal condition.

The refrigerator may be placed independently in a kitchen or living room, or may be stored in a kitchen cabinet.

Refrigerators are gradually becoming larger and more multi-functional in accordance with changes in eating habits and the trend of higher quality products, and refrigerators equipped with various structures and convenience devices that take user convenience into consideration are being released.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator may include a cabinet forming a storage space, and a door connected to the cabinet to provide the storage space. The door may be provided with a door storage portion for storing food. When the door is provided with a door storage unit, a lot of force is required for the user to close the door due to the weight of the food stored in the door storage unit as well as the weight of the door itself.

To enable users to easily close the door, modern refrigerators are equipped with a hinge device that allows the door to close automatically when the door is closed at a certain angle.

In Korean Patent No. 10-0874633, which is a prior document, a separate automatic return hinge device including a restoration device is disclosed.

The hinge device may include a body, a clutch device mounted inside the body, a shaft coupled with the clutch device, and a first spring that transmits a restoring force to the shaft when the door is closed.

The shaft serves to provide the center of rotation of the door, and a first spring in the form of a coil spring is disposed in a direction parallel to the shaft.

In the case of this prior literature, since the restoration device is arranged in a direction parallel to the rotation center of the door, a space for positioning the restoration device within the door corresponding to the height of the restoration device is required, which limits the installation of the restoration device.

Additionally, the position of the door's center of rotation may vary depending on the thickness of the door. However, when the thickness of the door becomes thinner, it may be impossible to install the restoration device in a direction parallel to the door's center of rotation.

This embodiment provides a refrigerator that allows the user to close the door with little effort by operating the auto-closing device by rotating the door to a minimum angle when the door reaches the reference angle during the door closing process.

Alternatively or additionally, the present embodiment provides a refrigerator in which the auto-closing device is prevented from operating when the user removes the door-closing force during the door-closing process, thereby preventing the door from remaining open.

Alternatively or additionally, this embodiment provides a refrigerator equipped with an auto-closing device that is installed on the door and provides a closing force of the door regardless of the thickness of the door.

A refrigerator according to one aspect may include a cabinet having a storage space. The refrigerator is coupled to the cabinet and may further include a hinge bracket having a contact surface. The refrigerator is rotatably coupled to a shaft provided on the hinge bracket and may further include a door that opens and closes the storage space.

The refrigerator may further include an auto-closing device to automatically close the door.

The auto-closing device is installed on the door at a position spaced apart from the rotation center of the door, and may operate to automatically close the door by acting on the hinge bracket during the door closing process.

The auto-closing device may include a lever that rotates based on a rotation center (C2) spaced apart from the rotation center (C1) of the door. The auto-closing device may further include an elastic member connected to the lever.

The auto-closing device is installed on the door and may further include a body that rotatably supports the lever. The auto-closing device is rotatable based on a rotation center (C3) spaced apart from the rotation center (C2) of the lever, and is coupled to the lever in a state in which the elastic force of the elastic member is accumulated to limit rotation of the lever. It may further include a locking member.

The refrigerator may include a push member that pushes the lever or the locking member to unlock the lever with respect to the locking member when the door is closed.

The push member may be installed on the hinge bracket or the cabinet.

The auto closing device may further include a housing coupled to the body or the door and rotatably supporting the locking member. The auto-closing device may further include an elastic member that elastically supports the locking member within the housing.

The lever may include a locking groove. The locking member may include a hook inserted into the locking groove. When the hook is inserted into the locking groove, rotation of the lever may be restricted.

In the process of closing the door, the push member pushes the lever so that the lever can rotate in one direction based on the rotation center C2.

When the lever rotates in one direction, the locking member rotates in the other direction based on the rotation center C3, thereby releasing the locking of the lever.

The lever may include an extension part for rotating the locking member in the other direction while the lever is rotated in one direction about the rotation center C2.

The locking groove may be formed between the contact portion in contact with the contact surface of the lever and the extension portion.

The distance from the center of rotation (C2) to the end of the extension may be shorter than the distance from the center of rotation (C2) to the contact portion of the lever in contact with the contact surface.

The locking member may include a receiving groove in which the extension part is accommodated in a locked state in which rotation of the lever is restricted. The locking member may further include a contact protrusion pressed by the extension portion during the one-directional rotation of the lever.

The receiving groove may be located between the rotation center C3 of the locking member and the contact protrusion.

The contact surface may include a first surface with which the lever rotated by the push member contacts during the process of closing the door after opening at an angle greater than the reference angle. The contact surface may further include a second surface extending at an angle to the first surface. The contact surface extends to be inclined from the second surface and may further include a third surface that contacts when the door is closed.

The first surface may extend in a direction closer to the rotation center C1 as it approaches the front of the cabinet.

The second surface extends in a direction closer to the rotation center C1 as it approaches the front of the cabinet, and may have a different curvature from the first surface.

The third side may extend from the second side away from the front of the cabinet.

While the lever moves from the first surface to the second surface, the lever may be spaced apart from the push member.

The locking member may further include a round surface positioned between the hook and the contact protrusion. While the lever moves from the first surface to the second surface, the extension part may pass through the contact protrusion and contact the round surface.

The lever may include a rotatable roller. The roller may be in contact with the contact surface. In the process of closing the door, the push member may push the roller.

The push member may be spaced apart from the contact surface in a horizontal direction. In the process of closing the door, the lever may pass through a space between the push member and the contact surface.

A refrigerator according to another aspect may include a door that is rotatably coupled to a shaft provided on a hinge bracket and opens and closes the storage space.

The refrigerator may further include a body installed on the door at a position spaced apart from the rotation center of the door. The refrigerator may further include a lever that is rotatably supported on the body and rotates about a rotation center (C2) spaced apart from the rotation center (C1) of the door. The refrigerator may further include an elastic member connected to the lever.

The refrigerator can rotate about a rotation center (C3) spaced apart from the rotation center (C2) of the lever, and may further include a locking member to limit the rotation of the lever. The refrigerator may further include a push member for releasing the locking of the lever by the locking member during the process of closing the door.

When the door is opened at an angle greater than the reference angle, the elastic member accumulates elastic force and the lever is in a locked state in which rotation is restricted by the locking member.

In the process of closing the door after the door is opened at an angle greater than the reference angle, the push member may push the lever or the locking member to unlock the lever.

When the lever moves along the contact surface while the lever is unlocked, the elastic force accumulated in the elastic member may decrease.

In a section where the elastic force of the elastic member is reduced, the elastic force of the elastic member acts as a closing force of the door and the door can be closed.

According to the proposed invention, when the user rotates the door to the minimum angle when the door reaches the reference angle, the auto-closing device operates and the door automatically closes, allowing the user to close the door with less effort. There is.

Additionally, in the unlocked state of the lever, since the lever receives the elastic force of the elastic member, the door can be automatically closed by the elastic force of the elastic member even if the user does not manually close the door. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the door can be prevented from remaining open when the user releases the door in the process of closing the door.

Additionally, since the auto-closing device is arranged to be spaced apart from the rotation center line of the door, closing force can be provided to the door when the door is closed even if the thickness of the door becomes thinner.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to this embodiment.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of portion A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto closing device when the door is closed.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened at a reference angle.
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the auto closing device.
Figure 6 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened at a reference angle.
Figure 7 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a first angle smaller than the reference angle.
Figure 8 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a second angle smaller than the first angle.
Figure 9 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a third angle smaller than the second angle.
Figure 10 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a fourth angle, which is smaller than the third angle.
Figure 11 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is closed.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through illustrative drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are judged to impede understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

Additionally, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, sequence, or order of the component is not limited by the term. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there is no need for another component between each component. It should be understood that may be “connected,” “combined,” or “connected.”

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is an enlarged view of portion A of Figure 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment can be installed independently in a kitchen or installed in an indoor furniture cabinet. When the refrigerator 1 is installed in an indoor furniture cabinet, the refrigerator 1 can be installed alone or arranged side to side with other refrigerators.

The refrigerator 1 may include a cabinet 10 having a storage space.

The refrigerator 1 may further include a refrigerator door 20 that opens and closes the storage space.

The storage space is not limited, but can be divided into an upper first space and a lower second space. The refrigerator door 20 may also include a first door 21 that opens and closes the first space and a second door 22 that opens and closes the second space.

The first space may be a refrigerating room, and the second space may be a freezing room, or vice versa. Alternatively, the storage space may include a first space and a second space divided into left and right sides. Alternatively, the storage space may be a single space, and a single refrigerator door may open and close the storage space.

At least one of the first door 21 and the second door 22 may be a rotating type door. Alternatively, the single refrigerator door 20 may be a rotating type door.

In this embodiment, the refrigerator door 20 may include an auto-closing device 30 that provides a closing force to the refrigerator door 20 in a closed state at a certain angle after the refrigerator door 20 is opened.

In FIG. 2 , an auto-closing device 30 is provided on the first door among the first and second doors arranged in the vertical direction. It should be noted that there are no restrictions on the position of the auto-closing device 30.

When the first door 21 and the second door 22 are arranged in the vertical direction, a hinge bracket 50 will be provided between the first door 21 and the second door 22. You can.

The hinge bracket 50 may be a common bracket that provides a rotation center for each of the first door 21 and the second door 22. Of course, a hinge bracket may be located on the upper side of the first door 21, and a hinge bracket may be located on the lower side of the second door 22.

The hinge bracket 50 may be fixed to the front of the cabinet 10. The hinge bracket 50 may include a shaft member 550, which will be described later.

A gap G of a predetermined size may be formed between the first door 21 and the second door 22.

A portion of the hinge bracket 50 is located between the first door 21 and the second door 22 so that the first door 21 and the second door 22 can rotate without interfering with each other. It can be. At least a portion of the hinge bracket 50 is not only spaced apart from the lower surface of the first door 21 but also spaced apart from the upper surface of the second door 22.

The auto-closing device 30 of this embodiment may act with the hinge bracket 50 and provide a closing force to the first door 21 in the process of closing the first door 21. Of course, when the auto-closing device 30 is provided on the second door 22, it is also possible to provide closing force to the second door 22.

In order for the auto-closing device 30 to provide closing force to the first door 21, the auto-closing device 30 may be installed on the first door 21.

The auto-closing device 30 may be installed on the lower side of the first door 21. In order to function with the hinge bracket 50, a portion of the auto closing device 30 may protrude downward from the lower surface of the first door 21.

When the auto-closing device 30 is installed below the first door 21, the auto-closing device 30 is not clearly visible from the outside during the opening and closing process of the first door 21.

The auto-closing device 30 may be spaced apart from the upper surface of the second door 22 so that the auto-closing device 30 does not interfere with the second door 22 .

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is closed, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened at a reference angle. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the auto closing device.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened at a reference angle.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6 , the hinge bracket 50 may include a coupling portion 510 to be coupled to the cabinet 10 .

The hinge bracket 50 may further include a bracket body 520 extending in the horizontal direction from the coupling portion 510.

The coupling portion 510 may include one or more fastening holes 512. A fastening member may pass through the fastening hole 512 and be coupled to the cabinet 10.

The height of the bracket body 520 may be smaller than the height of the coupling portion 510. A shaft member 550 may be coupled to the bracket body 520.

The shaft member 550 may include a first shaft 554 that provides a rotation center of the first door 21. The shaft member 550 may further include a second shaft 556 that provides a rotation center of the second door 22. Of course, the second shaft 556 can be omitted.

The shaft member 550 may further include a seating portion 552 mounted on the bracket body 520.

The first shaft 554 may extend upward from the seating portion 552. The second shaft 556 may extend downward from the seating portion 552.

The diameter of the seating portion 552 may be larger than the diameter of the second shaft 556. A hole (not shown) through which the second shaft 556 passes may be formed in the bracket body 520.

The second shaft 556 may pass through a hole in the bracket body 520 from above, and the seating portion 552 may be seated on the upper surface of the bracket body 520 .

The first door 21 may be coupled to the first shaft 554. The second door 22 may be coupled to the second shaft 556.

The hinge bracket 50 may further include a cam member 570 detachably coupled to the bracket body 520.

The cam member 570 may include a contact surface 576 for contacting the lever 320. When the contact surface 576 is worn, the cam member 570 can be separated from the bracket body 520 and then a new cam member 570 can be coupled to the bracket body 520.

When the cam member 570 is detachably coupled to the bracket body 520, only the cam member 570 can be replaced without replacing the entire hinge bracket 50, which has the advantage of reducing service costs. There is.

Since the cam member 570 is detachably coupled to the bracket body 520, the cam member 570 can be separated while the first door 21 and the second door 22 are opened. Therefore, it has the advantage of being easy to service. In other words, since there is no need to separate the doors, there is an advantage that the cam member can be easily replaced.

Of course, it is also possible for the cam member 570 to be formed integrally with the bracket body 520. In this case, the bracket body 520 may include a contact surface 576.

The cam member 570 may include a first cam body 572 and a second cam body 573 coupled to the first cam body 572.

The first cam body 572 and the second cam body 573 may be fastened by a fastening member via the bracket body 520.

For example, with a portion of the first cam body 572 positioned above the bracket body 520 and a portion of the second cam body 573 positioned below the bracket body 520. The first cam body 572 and the second cam body 573 may be combined.

The first cam body 572 may include one or more fastening holes 574. The second cam body 573 may include one or more fastening holes 575.

A fastening hole aligned with each of the fastening holes 574 and 575 may also be formed in the bracket body 520.

A portion of the first cam body 572 may provide a portion of the contact surface 576, and a portion of the second cam body 573 may provide another portion of the contact surface 576.

Alternatively, it is possible for only one of the first cam body 572 and the second cam body 573 to provide the contact surface 576.

The auto-closing device 30 may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the first shaft 554 in the horizontal direction. That is, the auto-closing device 30 may be coupled to the first door 21 at a position spaced apart from the first shaft 554.

The auto-closing device 30 rotates together with the first door 21, and interacts with the bracket body 520 in the process of closing the first door 21 to close the first door 21. Provides power.

Hereinafter, the auto-closing device 30 will be described in detail.

The auto-closing device 30 of this embodiment may include a body 310.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include a lever 320 rotatably coupled to the body 310. The auto-closing device 30 may further include an elastic member 350 connected to the lever 320.

The body 310 may form the outer shape of the auto-closing device 30.

The lever 320 can be rotated in the horizontal direction based on the rotation center (C2: see FIG. 6). That is, the line passing through the rotation center of the first door 21 (C1: see Figure 6) and the line passing through the rotation center of the lever 320 (C2: see Figure 6) are parallel and may be spaced apart in the horizontal direction. .

The body 310 may accommodate a portion of the lever 320. For example, the body 310 may include a first body 311 that accommodates a portion of the lever 320. The first body 311 may be provided with a slot 312 for insertion of the lever 320.

While the lever 320 is inserted into the first body 311, the lever 320 may be rotated. Accordingly, the slot 312 may extend in the circumferential direction of the first body 311 to enable rotation of the lever 320.

The body 310 may further include a second body 313 located above the first body 311. The second body 313 may be coupled to the first door 21. The second body 313 may be formed integrally with the first body 311 or may be coupled to the first body 311.

For example, the first body 311 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. For example, the second body 313 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

One or more fastening holes 314 may be formed in the second body 313.

The first body 311 and the second body 313 may each include an opening penetrating in the vertical direction. The opening of the first body 311 may communicate with the opening of the second body 313.

The body 310 may further include a third body 317 located above the second body 313. For example, the third body 317 may be coupled to the upper side of the second body 313.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include a first connector 340 disposed within the body 310.

The first connector 340 may be connected to the lever 320 inserted into the body 310.

The first connector 340 may be connected to the lever 320 and rotate together with the lever 320 . The first connector 340 is received in the body 310 from the upper side of the body 310 when the lever 320 is inserted into the body 310 through the slot 312 and is connected to the lever ( 320) can be combined.

A portion of the first connector 340 may pass through the lever 320 and be coupled to the lever 320 .

The first connector 340 connects the elastic member 350 to the lever 320. The first connector 340 may include a lever coupling portion 341a. The lever coupling portion 341a may be coupled to the lever 320.

The first connector 340 may include a first elastic member coupling portion 341b coupled to the elastic member 350.

The first connector 340 may further include a partition plate 342 disposed between the lever coupling portion 341a and the first elastic member coupling portion 341b. With respect to the partition plate 342, the lever coupling part 341a is provided on the lower side of the partition plate 342, and the first elastic member coupling part 341b is provided on the upper side of the partition plate 342. It can be.

The lever coupling portion 341a may include first ribs and second ribs spaced apart in the horizontal direction. A first coupling space may be formed between the first rib and the second rib. As another example, the lever coupling portion 341a may be formed in a single rib shape or may be formed in a non-circular shape.

The lever 320 may include a plurality of rib holes through which the first and second ribs respectively pass. The plurality of rib holes may be spaced apart.

When the lever coupling portion 341a includes one rib, the lever 320 may also include one rib hole of a shape corresponding to the rib.

The first elastic member coupling portion 341b may include third ribs and fourth ribs spaced apart in the horizontal direction. A second coupling space may be formed between the third rib and the fourth rib. A portion of the elastic member 350 may be accommodated in the coupling space.

The lever 320 may include a first part 321 coupled to the first connector 340. The first part 321 may also be referred to as a connector coupling part.

A portion of the first portion 321 may pass through the slot 312 and be accommodated in the body 310 . Another part of the second part 321 may be located in the body 310. The rib hole may be formed in the first portion 321.

The lever 320 may further include a second part 322 extending horizontally from the first part 321.

For example, the second part 322 may extend while maintaining the same height as the first part 321.

The lever 320 may further include a roller 327 (or contact portion) for contacting the bracket body 520.

The roller 327 may be rotatably coupled to the second part 322 by a roller pin 326. For example, the roller 327 may be located below the second part 322.

The lever 320 may further include a third part 324 extending from the first part 321 in a direction different from the second part 322. The third part 324 may function with a locking member 70, which will be described later. The third part 324 may be called an extension part.

The elastic member 350 may be a torsion spring, for example. The elastic member 350 may include a body portion 352 formed by winding a wire multiple times. The body portion 352 may be formed in a cylindrical or truncated cone shape.

The vertical cross-section of the wire forming the body portion 352 may be non-circular. For example, the vertical cross-section of the wire may be square.

The elastic member 350 may include a first extension portion 354 extending in the horizontal direction from the bottom of the body portion 352. The first extension portion 354 may extend toward the center of the body portion 352. The first extension 354 may be coupled to the first connector 340. For example, the first extension part 354 may be inserted into the second coupling space 348 of the first elastic member coupling part 341b.

When the first extension part 354 is accommodated in the second coupling space 348, the first elastic member coupling part 341b can be accommodated inside the body portion 352.

With the first extension part 354 accommodated in the second coupling space 348, the first extension part 354 and the body part 352 may be seated on the partition plate 342.

The elastic member 350 may further include a second extension portion 356 extending in the horizontal direction from the top of the body portion 352.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include a second connector 460 coupled to the elastic member 350. The second extension portion 356 may be coupled to the second connector 360.

The second connector 360 may include a second elastic member coupling portion 361a. The second connector 360 may further include a pin coupling portion 361b. The second connector 360 may further include a partition plate 362 disposed between the second elastic member coupling portion 361a and the pin coupling portion 361b.

Based on the partition plate 362, the pin coupling portion 361b may be provided on the upper side of the partition plate 362. The second elastic member coupling portion 361a may be provided on the lower side of the partition plate 362.

The basic structure of the second elastic member coupling portion 361a may be the same or similar to that of the first elastic member coupling portion 341a.

For example, the second elastic member coupling portion 361a may include a first rib and a second rib that are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. A first coupling space may be formed between the first rib and the second rib. The second extension portion 356 of the elastic member 350 may be accommodated in the first coupling space.

When the second extension portion 356 is accommodated in the first coupling space, the second elastic member coupling portion 361a may be accommodated inside the body portion 352.

The basic structure of the pin coupling portion 361b may be the same or similar to that of the second elastic member coupling portion 361a.

For example, the pin coupling portion 361b may include third ribs and fourth ribs spaced apart in the horizontal direction. A second coupling space may be formed between the third rib and the fourth rib.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include an upper cap 370 that covers the upper opening of the body 310. The upper cap 370 may include a cap body 372 with a hollow 373 formed therein. The upper cap 370 may further include a flange 374 extending horizontally from the top of the cap body 372. Of course, the upper cap 370 can be omitted.

The cap body 372 may be inserted into the body 310. The flange 374 may be seated on the upper surface of the body 310. The pin coupling portion 361b may be inserted into the hollow 373.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include a fixing pin 380.

The fixing pin 380 may limit rotation of the second connector 360. The fixing pin 380 may fix the upper cap 370 to the body 310.

A pair of first pin holes 318 may be formed in the body 310 for the fixing pin 380 to pass through. A pair of second pin holes 375 may be formed in the cap body 372 for the fixing pin 380 to pass through.

The fixing pin 380 may be inserted into the second coupling space of the pin coupling portion 361b. That is, the fixing pin 380 passes through the first pin hole 318 and the second pin hole 375, passes through the second coupling space, and passes through the first pin hole 318 that is different from the other second pin hole. ) can pass.

The position of the upper cap 370 and the second connector 360 is fixed while connected to the body 310 by the fixing pin 380. That is, the rotation of the upper cap 370 and the second connector 360 is restricted by the fixing pin 380.

In this embodiment, in the elastic member 350, the second extension part 356 is a fixed end, and the first extension part 354 is a movable end. Accordingly, while the second extension part 356 is fixed, the first extension part 354 can rotate together with the lever 320.

When the first extension 354 is rotated in one direction while the second extension 356 of the elastic member 350 is fixed, the elastic member 350 accumulates elastic force. The elastic force accumulated by the elastic member 350 may act as the lever 320 to rotate the lever 320 in another direction opposite to the one direction.

In this way, the elastic force accumulated by the elastic member 350 acts on the first door 21 in the process of closing the first door 21 so that the first door 21 automatically closes at a predetermined position. do.

The auto-closing device 30 may further include a locking unit 70. The locking unit 70 may limit the rotation of the lever 320 when the first door 21 is opened by a predetermined angle or more.

In the process of opening the first door 21, the elastic force of the elastic member 350 may be accumulated, and in the process of increasing the elastic force of the elastic member 350, the first door 21 may be opened at a predetermined angle. When reached, the locking unit 70 may be connected to the lever 320 to limit the rotation of the lever 320.

The locking unit 70 may include a locking member 730 that is rotatable with respect to the lever 320. The locking member 730 can be rotated independently of the lever 320 and can be coupled to or disengaged from the lever 320.

When the locking member 730 is coupled to the lever 320, rotation of the lever 320 may be restricted. When the locking member 730 is disengaged from the lever 320, the lever 320 is rotatable.

The locking unit 70 may further include a housing 710 to which the locking member 730 is rotatably connected.

The housing 710 may include a hollow 715 extending vertically. The housing 710 may accommodate a portion of the locking member 730.

For example, the housing 710 may include a first housing 711. The locking member 730 may be accommodated in the first housing 711.

The first housing 711 may be provided with a slot 717 for insertion of the locking member 730. A portion of the locking member 730 that penetrates the slot 717 may be located in the hollow 715.

When the locking member 730 is inserted into the first housing 711, the locking member 730 may be rotated with respect to the first housing 711. Accordingly, the slot 717 may extend in the circumferential direction of the first housing 711 to enable rotation of the locking member 730.

The housing 710 may further include a second housing 712 located above the first housing 711. The second housing 712 may be coupled to the first door 21 or the body 310. Hereinafter, the second housing 712 is coupled to the body 310 as an example.

The second housing 712 may include a fastening extension portion 713 extending in the horizontal direction. The fastening extension portion 713 may contact the body 310 . For example, the fastening extension part 713 may contact the upper or lower surface of the second body 313.

For example, a seating groove 315 for seating the fastening extension portion 713 may be formed by recessing the upper surface of the second body 313. A first fastening hole 316 may be formed in the seating groove 315. A second fastening hole 714 aligned with the first fastening hole 316 may also be formed in the fastening extension portion 713. Accordingly, the housing 710 can be fastened to the body 310 as the fastening member penetrates the fastening holes 316 and 714. It is also possible for a fastening member passing through the fastening holes 316 and 714 to be fastened to the first door.

The locking unit 70 may further include a locking member connector 720 disposed within the housing 710.

The locking member connector 720 may be connected to the locking member 730 inserted into the housing 710.

The locking member connector 720 is connected to the locking member 730 and can rotate together with the locking member 730. The locking member connector 720 is received into the housing 710 from the upper side of the housing 710 in a state in which the locking member 730 is inserted into the housing 710 through the slot 717 and is locked into the housing 710. It may be combined with member 730.

A portion of the locking member connector 720 may pass through the locking member 730 and be coupled to the locking member 730 .

The locking member connector 720 may be connected to an elastic member 750, which will be described later.

The basic structure of the locking member connector 720 may be the same or similar to the first connector 340 described above.

That is, the locking member connector 720 may also include a lever coupling portion 720a and an elastic member coupling portion 720b. The lever coupling portion 720a may include two spaced apart ribs and a coupling space formed between the two ribs. The elastic member coupling portion 720b may also include two spaced apart ribs and a coupling space formed between the two ribs. A partition plate may be provided between the lever coupling portion 720a and the elastic member coupling portion 720b. Therefore, detailed description of the locking member connector 720 will be omitted. Of course, it is also possible that each of the lever coupling portion 720a and the elastic member coupling portion 720b includes one rib.

The locking member 730 may include one or more rib holes 732 into which one or more ribs of the lever coupling portion 720a are inserted.

The locking unit 70 may further include an elastic member 750. The elastic member 750 may be accommodated within the housing 710. A portion of the elastic member 750 may be accommodated in the coupling space of the elastic member coupling portion 720b.

The elastic member 750 may be a torsion spring, for example. The basic structure of the elastic member 750 may be the same or similar to that of the elastic member 350 accommodated in the body 310.

For example, the elastic member 750 may include a body portion formed by winding a wire multiple times. The elastic member 750 may include a first extension portion extending in the horizontal direction from the bottom of the body portion 752. The first extension may be coupled to the locking member connector 720. For example, the first extension part may be inserted into the elastic member coupling part 720b. The elastic member 750 may further include a second extension portion extending in the horizontal direction from the top of the body portion 352.

The locking unit 70 may further include an elastic member connector 760 coupled to the elastic member 750. The second extension portion of the elastic member 750 may be coupled to the elastic member connector 760.

The basic structure of the elastic member connector 760 of this embodiment may be the same or similar to that of the second connector 360.

That is, the elastic member connector 760 may also include an elastic member coupling portion and a pin coupling portion.

The elastic member coupling portion may include two spaced apart ribs and a coupling space formed between the two ribs. The pin coupling portion may also include two spaced apart ribs and a coupling space formed between the two ribs. Therefore, detailed description of the elastic member connector 760 will be omitted. Of course, it is also possible that each of the elastic member coupling portion and the elastic member coupling portion includes one rib.

The locking unit 70 may further include a fixing pin 780 for fixing the elastic member connector 760 to the housing 710.

A hole 716 may be formed in the housing 710 through which the fixing pin 780 passes.

The fixing pin 780 may pass through the pin hole 716 and then be coupled to the pin coupling portion of the elastic member connector 760.

A hook 734 may be provided at the end of the locking member 730. A locking groove 323 into which the hook 734 is inserted may be formed in the lever 320. When the hook 734 is inserted into the locking groove 323, the rotation of the lever 320 may be restricted by the locking member 730.

The locking member 730 may be provided with a contact protrusion 735. The contact protrusion 735 may be in contact with the third portion 324 of the lever 320.

The contact protrusion 735 may be located at a portion of the locking member 730 where the locking member coupling portion 720a is coupled or between the rotation center C3 of the locking member 730 and the hook 734. .

The locking member 730 may further include a receiving groove 737 for receiving the third part 324 while the rotation of the lever 320 is restricted.

The receiving groove 737 may be located between the contact protrusion 735 and the rotation center C3 of the locking member 730.

The third part 324 may be located on the opposite side of the roller 327 (a contact part of the lever) with respect to the locking groove 323. That is, the locking groove 323 may be located between the third part 324 and the roller 327.

The distance from the rotation center C2 to the end of the third portion 324 is shorter than the distance from the rotation center C2 to the roller 327 (which is the contact portion of the lever).

For example, the contact protrusion 735 may protrude in the horizontal direction from the side 736 of the locking member 730. When the hook 734 of the locking member 730 is inserted into the locking groove 323, the third portion 324 may be in contact with the contact protrusion 735. When the hook 734 of the locking member 730 is inserted into the locking groove 323, the end of the third part 324 can be received in the receiving groove 737.

The first door 21 may further include a push member 540 that operates to release the locked state of the lever 320 during the process of closing the first door 21.

For example, the push member 540 may push the lever 320 while the first door 21 is being closed.

The push member 540 may be installed on the hinge bracket 50 or on the cabinet 10.

For example, FIG. 3 shows the push member 540 being installed on the coupling portion 510 of the hinge bracket 50.

The push member 540 may include a fastening body 542 fastened to the coupling portion 510. A fastening hole 543 through which a fastening member for fastening to the coupling portion 510 passes may be formed in the fastening body 542.

The push member 540 may further include a push body 544 extending from the fastening body 542. The push body 544 may extend from the fastening body 542 in the horizontal direction.

The push body 544 may be positioned at the same height as at least a portion of the lever 320. Therefore, in the process of closing the lever 320, the lever 320 can contact the push body 544. For example, it may be located at the same height as the roller 327 of the lever 320.

The contact surface 576 may also be located at the same height as the roller 327. The push body 544 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the contact surface 576 in the horizontal direction.

In the process of closing the first door 21, the roller 327 may be located in the space between the contact surface 576 and the push body 544.

The push body 544 may include a push surface 545 with which the roller 327 comes into contact. The push surface 545 may be an inclined surface or a round surface.

In the process of closing the first door 21, the roller 327 may be pushed while moving along the push surface 545. In the process of moving the roller 327 along the push surface 545, the roller 327 may be pressed and the lever 320 may be rotated.

The contact surface 576 may include a first surface 576a that the lever 320 initially contacts during the process of closing the first door 21.

When the first door 21 is opened at a predetermined angle or more, the lever 320 is not in contact with the first surface 576a. In the process of closing the first door 21, the lever 320 may contact the first surface 576a. At least a portion of the first surface 576a may be a concave surface.

The contact surface 576 may further include a second surface 576b extending from the first surface 576a. The second surface 576b may be disposed to be inclined with respect to the first surface 576a. The curvature of the second surface 576b may be greater than the curvature of the first surface 576a.

The contact surface 576 may further include a third surface 576c extending from the second surface 576b. The third surface 576c may be disposed to be inclined with respect to the second surface 576b.

As the first surface 576a approaches the coupling portion 510 (or the front of the cabinet 10), the coupling portion 510 passes through the rotation center C1 of the first door 21. ) may be inclined in a direction approaching the imaginary line (A1) perpendicular to ).

Alternatively, the first surface 576a may extend in a direction away from the rotation center C1 as it approaches the coupling portion 510 (or the front of the cabinet 10).

The third surface 576c may extend in a direction closer to the imaginary line A1 as the distance from the coupling portion 510 increases.

Alternatively, the third surface 576e may extend from the second surface 576b in a direction away from the coupling portion 510 (or the front of the cabinet 10).

Hereinafter, the operation of the auto-closing device 30 will be described.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a first angle smaller than the reference angle, and Figure 8 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket when the door is opened by a first angle smaller than the reference angle. This is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when opened by a smaller second angle.

Figure 9 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is opened by a third angle smaller than the second angle, and Figure 10 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket when the door is opened by a third angle that is smaller than the second angle. This is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when opened by a fourth angle smaller than the angle.

Figure 11 is a bottom view of the auto-closing device and the hinge bracket to show the relative positions of the hinge bracket and the auto-closing device when the door is closed.

In Figures 6 to 11, the door is omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 11, when the first door 21 is opened beyond the reference angle, the elastic member 350 accumulates elastic force (for example, the first elastic force) and the locking member ( The hook 734 of 730 is maintained inserted into the locking groove 323 of the lever 320. In this state, rotation of the lever 320 is restricted.

When the hook 734 of the locking member 730 is inserted into the locking groove 323 of the lever 320, the third part 324 of the lever 320 is a contact protrusion of the locking member 730. It is in contact with (735), and the end can be received in the receiving groove (737).

The distance from the rotation center (C2) of the lever 320 to the receiving groove 737 is greater than the distance from the rotation center (C2) of the lever 320 to the contact protrusion 735.

Since the locking member 730 receives elastic force from the elastic member 715, the hook 734 of the locking member 730 is maintained unless an external force is applied to the lever 320 or the locking member 730. The inserted state in the locking groove 323 of the lever 320 may be maintained.

In this embodiment, the state in which the hook 734 is inserted into the locking groove 323 may be referred to as the locking state of the lever 320. The state in which the hook 734 is removed from the locking groove 323 may be referred to as the unlocked state of the lever 320.

In this embodiment, the direction in which the locking member 730 is rotated in order to insert the hook 734 into the locking groove 323 may be referred to as the locking direction. The direction in which the locking member 730 is rotated so that the hook 734 can be removed from the locking groove 323 may be referred to as the unlocking direction.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the process of closing the first door 21 in direction A (for example, clockwise based on FIG. 6), when the opening angle of the first door 21 reaches the reference angle, the The lever 320 may contact the push surface 545 of the push body 544.

As the lever 320 contacts the push surface 545 of the push body 544 and rotates the lever 320, the lever 320 may contact the first surface 576a.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the process of further rotating the first door 21 in direction A while the lever 320 is in contact with the push surface 545, the lever 320 is pushed to the push surface (545). 545) can be pressurized. Then, the lever 320 may be rotated in the C direction (for example, clockwise based on FIG. 7) with respect to the rotation center C2.

In the process of rotating the lever 320 in the C direction, the end of the third part 324 presses the contact protrusion 735 of the locking member 730. Then, the locking member 730 rotates in direction B (for example, clockwise or unlocking direction based on FIG. 7) about the rotation center C3. That is, the locking member 730 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the lever 320. The third part 324 serves to transmit the rotational force of the lever 320 to the locking member 730.

When the locking member 730 rotates in direction B, the hook 734 is pulled out of the locking groove 323.

For example, the hook 734 may fall out of the locking groove 323 when the opening angle of the first door 21 is a first angle smaller than the reference angle.

When the hook 734 is removed from the locking groove 323, the lever 320 is rotatable in the C direction.

With the hook 734 removed from the locking groove 323, the lever 320 is in contact with the first surface 576a.

When the first surface 576a is a concave surface and the lever 320 is pressed and rotated by the push surface 545, the lever 320 is in contact with the first surface 576a. It can be moved along the first surface 576a while being maintained.

Since the locked state of the lever 320 is released at the position shown in FIG. 7, the lever 320 can be rotated in the C direction by the elastic force of the elastic member 350. In this state, even if the user does not provide closing force to the first door 21, the first door 21 can be automatically closed by the auto closing device 30.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the first door 21 is further rotated in direction A, the lever 320 may be spaced apart from the push surface 545. Since the lever 320 receives the elastic force of the elastic member 350, the lever 320 can move along the first surface 576a to the second surface 576c.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the process of moving the lever 320 from the first surface 576a to the second surface 576b, the third part 736 falls out of the receiving groove 737 and is removed from the locking member. It may be in contact with the side 736 of 730. At least a portion of the side surface 736 may be a round surface that is rounded in a direction away from the rotation center C2.

9 to 11, the lever 320 can continuously rotate in the C direction and move along the second surface 376b due to the elastic force of the elastic member 350.

The elastic force of the elastic member 350 decreases as the cumulative rotation angle in the C direction of the lever 320 increases, and the decreased elastic force of the elastic member 350 acts as a closing force of the first door 21. do.

As shown in Figure 11, when the lever 320 passes through the second surface 376b and contacts the third surface 376c, the first door 21 is completely closed.

In the process of closing the first door 21, the locking member 730 is continuously rotated in the unlocking direction, or the rotation of the locking member 730 is stopped immediately before the first door 21 is closed, or the locking member 730 is rotated in the unlocking direction. 1 It is also possible that the locking member 730 is rotated in the locking direction (B1 direction) just before the door 21 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the first door 21 is completely closed, the lever 320 is substantially rotated at a certain angle with respect to the body 310 so that the elastic member 350 has a predetermined size. The second elastic force of is maintained in an accumulated state. At this time, the second elastic force is smaller than the first elastic force but greater than 0.

Therefore, when the first door 21 is closed, the elastic member 350 applies force in the direction in which the first door 21 is closed, so that the closed state of the first door 21 is stably maintained. It can be.

According to this embodiment, when the first door 21 is opened beyond the reference angle, the lever 320 is in a locked state with the elastic member 350 accumulating the first elastic force.

In this state, in order to close the first door 21, the user manually rotates the first door 21 at a reference angle by the difference between the reference angle and the first angle. If so, the locking of the lever 320 can be released. The difference between the reference angle and the first angle is not limited, but may be 5 degrees or less.

Therefore, if the user manually rotates the first door 21 by an angle of 5 degrees or less from the reference angle, there is no need to apply additional force to the first door 21 to close the first door 21. , there is an advantage that the user can close the first door 21 even with a small amount of force.

When the lever 320 is unlocked, the first door 21 can be automatically closed by the elastic force of the elastic member 350 even without the user manually closing the first door 21. . Accordingly, when the user releases the first door 21 in the process of closing the first door 21, the first door 21 can be prevented from remaining open.

Meanwhile, the case where the first door 21 is opened will be briefly described.

When the first door 21 is opened while the first door 21 is closed, the lever 320 may be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the body 310. When the lever 320 is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the body 310, the elastic force of the elastic member 350 may increase from the second elastic force.

When the opening angle of the first door 21 increases, the rotation angle of the lever 320 increases, and the elastic force of the elastic member 350 may continuously increase.

In the process of increasing the opening angle of the first door 21, when the lever 320 is rotated, the locking member 730 rotates in the locking direction (clockwise in the drawing).

When the opening angle of the first door 21 increases and the opening angle becomes the first angle, the lever 320 comes into contact with the push surface 545, and the third portion 324 contacts the contact protrusion. It passes through (735) and is received in the receiving groove (737). In this state, the hook 734 is located adjacent to the locking groove 323.

In the process of increasing the opening angle of the first door 21 from the first angle to the reference angle, the hook 734 may be inserted into the locking groove 323.

When the first door 21 is opened at a reference angle, the hook 734 is inserted into the locking groove 323, and the elastic force of the elastic member 350 is accumulated as the first elastic force, and the lever ( 320) rotation may be restricted.

Meanwhile, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the push member 540 pushes the lever 320 during the closing process of the first door 21. However, unlike this, the push member 540 is the locking member ( 730) is also possible. In this case, the locking member 730 may be provided with an extension, and during the closing process of the first door 21, the push member 540 pushes the extension so that the locking member 730 moves in the unlocking direction. can be rotated.

Claims (18)

A cabinet with storage space;
A hinge bracket coupled to the cabinet and having a contact surface;
a door rotatably coupled to a shaft provided on the hinge bracket and opening and closing the storage space;
It is installed on the door at a position spaced apart from the center of rotation of the door, and operates to automatically close the door by acting on the hinge bracket during the door closing process,
A lever rotated about a rotation center (C2) spaced apart from the rotation center (C1) of the door,
an elastic member connected to the lever,
A body installed on the door and rotatably supporting the lever;
It is rotatable based on a rotation center (C3) spaced apart from the rotation center (C2) of the lever, and is coupled to the lever in a state in which the elastic force of the elastic member is accumulated, and includes a locking member that limits rotation of the lever. Auto closing device; and
A refrigerator including a push member that pushes the lever or the locking member to release the locking of the lever with respect to the locking member when the door is closed. According to claim 1,
A refrigerator wherein the push member is installed on the hinge bracket or the cabinet. According to claim 1,
The auto closing device includes a housing coupled to the body or the door and rotatably supporting the locking member,
The refrigerator further includes an elastic member that elastically supports the locking member within the housing. According to claim 1,
The lever includes a locking groove,
The locking member includes a hook inserted into the locking groove,
A refrigerator in which rotation of the lever is restricted when the hook is inserted into the locking groove. According to claim 4,
In the process of closing the door, the push member pushes the lever so that the lever is rotated in one direction about the rotation center (C2), and the locking member is rotated in one direction by the rotation center (C2) of the lever. A refrigerator that rotates in the other direction based on C3) to unlock the lever. According to claim 5,
The lever includes an extension part for rotating the locking member in the other direction while the lever is rotated in one direction about the rotation center (C2). According to claim 6,
A refrigerator in which the locking groove is formed between the contact portion of the lever that contacts the contact surface and the extension portion. According to claim 6,
The distance from the center of rotation (C2) to the end of the extension is shorter than the distance from the center of rotation (C2) to the contact portion of the lever in contact with the contact surface. According to claim 6,
The locking member includes a receiving groove in which the extension part is accommodated in a locked state in which rotation of the lever is restricted,
Further comprising a contact protrusion pressed by the extension portion during the one-way rotation of the lever,
The receiving groove is located between the rotation center (C3) of the locking member and the contact protrusion. According to clause 9,
The contact surface is a first surface with which the lever rotated by the push member comes into contact when the door is closed after being opened at an angle greater than the reference angle,
It includes a second surface extending at an angle to the first surface,
A refrigerator comprising a third surface extending obliquely from the second surface and contacting the door when the door is closed. According to claim 10,
The first surface extends in a direction closer to the center of rotation (C1) as it approaches the front of the cabinet,
The second surface extends in a direction closer to the center of rotation (C1) as it approaches the front of the cabinet, and has a different curvature from the first surface,
The third side extends away from the second side and the front of the cabinet. According to claim 10,
A refrigerator in which the lever is spaced apart from the push member while the lever moves from the first surface to the second surface. According to claim 10,
The locking member further includes a round surface positioned between the hook and the contact protrusion,
A refrigerator in which the extension part passes the contact protrusion and contacts the round surface while the lever moves from the first surface to the second surface. According to claim 1,
The lever includes a rotatable roller,
A refrigerator in which the push member pushes the roller in the process of closing the door. According to claim 1,
The push member is spaced apart from the contact surface in a horizontal direction,
A refrigerator in which the lever passes through a space between the push member and the contact surface in the process of closing the door. A cabinet with storage space;
A hinge bracket coupled to the cabinet and having a contact surface;
a door rotatably coupled to a shaft provided on the hinge bracket and opening and closing the storage space;
a body installed on the door at a position spaced apart from the rotation center of the door;
a lever rotatably supported on the body and rotated about a rotation center (C2) spaced apart from the rotation center (C1) of the door;
an elastic member connected to the lever;
a locking member rotatable about a rotation center (C3) spaced apart from the rotation center (C2) of the lever and configured to limit rotation of the lever; and
A refrigerator including a push member for releasing the locking of the lever by the locking member during the closing process of the door. According to claim 16,
When the door is opened at an angle greater than the reference angle, the elastic member accumulates elastic force and the lever is in a locked state in which rotation is restricted by the locking member,
A refrigerator in which the push member pushes the lever or the locking member in the process of closing the door after the door is opened at an angle greater than the reference angle to unlock the lever. According to claim 17,
When the lever moves along the contact surface while the lever is unlocked, the elastic force accumulated in the elastic member decreases,
A refrigerator in which the door is closed by acting as a closing force of the door in a section where the elastic force of the elastic member is reduced.

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