KR102078368B1 - Coupling Apparatus and Refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fixing device and a refrigerator including the same. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device selectively coupled to or released from a guide part provided to protrude into a storage compartment of a refrigerator, the fixing device including a first holder surrounding one side of the guide part and a second holder surrounding the other side of the guide part. When the device is pressurized, the first holder is movable, the second holder is rotatable, and the fixing device is provided on an inner door rotatably coupled to the outer door of the refrigerator. .

Description

Fixing device and refrigerator including same {Coupling Apparatus and Refrigerator having the same}

The present invention relates to a fixing device and a refrigerator including the same, and more particularly, to a fixing device and a refrigerator capable of stably fixing the inner door to the main body when the outer door is rotated separately from the inner door.

In general, a refrigerator is a device for freezing or refrigerating food or the like by discharging cold air generated by a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and lowering the temperature in the refrigerator.

The refrigerator generally includes a freezer compartment for freezing food or beverage and a cold compartment for storing the food or beverage at low temperature.

Such refrigerators include a top mount type in which a freezer compartment is disposed above the refrigerator compartment, a bottom freezer type in which the freezer compartment is disposed below the refrigerator compartment, and a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment to the left and right sides by a partition wall. It can be divided into the divided side by side type.

The refrigerator cools a storage compartment such as a freezing compartment or a refrigerating compartment by using cold air generated while exchanging heat with the refrigerant circulating in the freezing cycle. Therefore, the inside of the storage compartment of the refrigerator is usually maintained at a lower temperature than the outside.

The freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment are provided in a cabinet constituting the refrigerator body and selectively opened and closed by the freezer compartment door and the refrigerating compartment door, respectively. The freezer compartment door and the refrigerating compartment door are rotatably mounted in the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment having an open front, and each door is provided with a gasket for sealing the inside of the storage compartment.

Recently, in order to meet various consumer demands and to prevent cold air loss due to frequent opening and closing of the door, a technology for installing an auxiliary door between the cabinet and the refrigerating chamber door or the freezing chamber door and installing a storage container on the auxiliary door has been developed. have.

However, since each gasket is provided in each of the freezer compartment or the refrigerating compartment door and the auxiliary door, there is a problem in that cold air loss through the two gaskets is increased as compared with the case where only one gasket is provided without the auxiliary door.

In addition, dew is formed on the front surface of the main body, which is the contact area of the gasket, and the front of the refrigerating chamber or the freezing chamber door due to a temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the gasket. In this case, since two heaters are required to prevent dew condensation, power consumption increases. In addition, referring to Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0030111, it discloses a fixing device for coupling or detaching a door to a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment by a button provided on the outside of the door. The configuration of joining or separating the freezer did not matter.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, the present invention is to provide a fixing device and a refrigerator including the same that can stably fix the inner door to the body when the outer door is rotated separately from the inner door.

The present invention also provides a fixing device and a refrigerator including the same so that the inner door and the outer door can be rotated with a small force when the inner door and the outer door are rotated together.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is the main body is provided with a storage compartment provided with a storage compartment; An outer door rotatably coupled to the main body by a first hinge to open and close the storage compartment; An inner door rotatably coupled by a second hinge to open and close the storage compartment; A guide part provided to protrude from the storage compartment; And a fixing device provided in the inner door and selectively coupled or decoupled with the guide part, wherein the fixing device comprises: a first holder surrounding one side of the guide part and a second holder surrounding the other side of the guide part; Includes, and when the fixing device is pressed, the first holder is movable and the second holder is rotatable.

In particular, when the fixing device is pressed to the first position, the first holder may be fixed, and the second holder may be rotatable.

Meanwhile, when the fixing device is pressed to the second position, the first holder may be movable.

When the fixing device is pressed to the second position, the first holder may be moved toward the guide portion, and the first position and the second position may be different.

Furthermore, it is possible to press the fixing device more in the second position than in the first position.

Of course, when the fixing device is coupled to the guide part, the inner door is fixed to the body, and when the fixing device is not coupled to the guide part, the inner door may be rotatable with respect to the body.

The guide part may include a guide pin wrapped by the first holder and the second holder, and a guide wall having a curved surface for guiding the second holder to rotate in contact.

In particular, the fixing device may include a first elastic member elastically supporting the second holder to rotate in a direction surrounding the guide pin in a predetermined region.

Meanwhile, the fixing device may further include a stopper for selectively limiting the rotation of the second holder.

The fixing device may include a second elastic member elastically supporting the stopper to rotate toward the second holder.

On the other hand, the second holder can be provided with a engaging piece that is engaged by engaging the stopper.

The fixing device may further include a guide hook for selectively restricting the movement of the first holder.

Of course, the fixing device, when pressed to the first position by the outer door, allows the second holder to rotate, and when pressed to the second position by the outer door, the first holder can be moved. It may further include a push unit.

In this case, the push unit, a pressure piece that is selectively pressed in contact with the outer door, a connection piece extending from the pressure piece, penetrating the inner door, and coupled to the connection piece to transmit a force to rotate the stopper May include a section.

In addition, the present invention is a fixing device that is selectively coupled or released to the guide portion provided to protrude in the storage compartment of the refrigerator, including a first holder surrounding one side of the guide portion and a second holder surrounding the other side of the guide portion, When the fixing device is pressed, the first holder is movable, the second holder is rotatable, and the fixing device is provided on an inner door rotatably coupled to an outer door of the refrigerator. do.

At this time, when the fixing device is pressed to the first position, the first holder may be fixed, and the second holder may be rotatable.

Meanwhile, when the fixing device is pressed to the second position, the first holder may be movable.

Furthermore, when the pressure is pushed to the first position by the outer door, the second holder may be rotated, and when the pressure is pushed to the second position by the outer door, the pusher may further include a push part to enable the movement of the first holder. have.

Of course, it may further include a stopper for selectively limiting the rotation of the second holder.

In another aspect, the present invention is a main body provided with a storage compartment; An outer door rotatably coupled to the main body by a first hinge; An inner door rotatably coupled by a second hinge; A latch for engaging or disengaging the outer door and the inner door; And a fixing device for engaging or releasing the main body and the inner door, wherein the outer door presses the fixing device to a first position while the outer door seals the storage compartment. Provided is a refrigerator, characterized in that to release the door and the body is coupled.

In particular, when the outer door presses the fixing device to the second position, the fixing device can push the main body so that the inner door is away from the main body, wherein the fixing is performed at the second position rather than the first position. This may mean that the device is pressed a lot.

Meanwhile, when the inner door and the outer door are uncoupled by the latch, the inner door and the main body may be coupled by the fixing device.

When the external door is released from pressing the fixing device, the inner door and the main body may be coupled by the fixing device.

Of course, when the outer door is rotated with respect to the main body in a state in which the outer door and the inner door are coupled by the latch, the fixing device may release the coupling of the inner door and the main body.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention described above, since only one external door is provided to open and close the storage compartment, the cold air loss generated by using two gaskets and the power consumption by the heater are reduced, thereby improving energy efficiency.

In addition, according to the present invention, the inner door and the outer door can be operated individually or together, thereby improving the user's access to the storage compartment.

In addition, according to the present invention can also improve the user's access to food mounted on the inner door.

In addition, according to the present invention, the inner door can be fixed to the main body when operating only the outer door except for the inner door, thereby preventing the inner door from rotating arbitrarily. That is, the inner door can be prevented from operating undesired by the user.

In addition, according to the present invention, when rotating the inner door and the outer door together, the force can be provided to move the inner door and the outer door away from the main body, a smaller force is required when opening the inner door and the outer door together.

1 is a view showing a state in which the outer door closed the storage compartment in the refrigerator according to the present invention.
2 is a view showing a state in which the outer door is rotated in the refrigerator according to the present invention.
3 is a view showing a state in which the outer door and the inner door rotated in the refrigerator according to the present invention.
4 shows an interior door;
5 is a view showing the structure of the fastening portion.
6 is a view showing a holder and an operation unit;
7 is a view showing a state in which the holder and the fastening portion are coupled.
8 is a cross-sectional view of a connection portion of a delivery member and an amplification member.
9 is a cross-sectional view of a connection portion of a button member and an amplification member.
10 is a view showing a state in which the holder and the coupling unit are released.
FIG. 11 is a detailed view of a portion 'A' in FIG. 3.
12 shows a fixing device.
FIG. 13 is a left side view of FIG. 12; FIG.
14 is a right side view of FIG. 12.
15 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 12.
16 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG.
17 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG.
18 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG.
19 illustrates various types of refrigerators to which the present invention is applicable.
20 illustrates various types of refrigerators to which the present invention is applicable.
FIG. 21 is a view illustrating various types of refrigerators to which the present invention is applicable. FIG.
22 is a view showing a fixing device of another form than FIG.
FIG. 23 is a view showing a fixing device of another form than FIG. 22. FIG.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention that can specifically realize the above object will be described.

In this process, the size or shape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. In addition, terms that are specifically defined in consideration of the configuration and operation of the present invention may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

1 is a view showing a state in which the outer door closed the storage compartment in the refrigerator according to the present invention. A description with reference to FIG. 1 is as follows.

The outer door 20 is installed in the main body 10 of the refrigerator. The outer door 20 may be a door that opens a refrigerating compartment or a freezing compartment.

One side of the outer door 20 may be provided with a dispenser 30 that allows the user to receive water or ice. The user may receive ice or water through the dispenser 30 without opening the outer door 20.

The outer door 20 is provided with a handle portion 22 that allows the user to grip the hand to rotate the outer door 20. The user can hold the hand on the handle 22 to rotate the outer door 20 to open the storage compartment.

Further, the handle portion 22 may be provided with a button 652 that the user can press. The user may also implement various functions such as opening the outer door of the refrigerator by pressing the button 652. In this case, the button 652 may drive a latch to be described later.

One side of the handle portion 22 may be provided with a button member housing 654 to be connected to the outer door (20). The button member housing 654 may have a push bar embedded therein so that the displacement generated by the button 652 may be transferred into the outer door 20.

2 is a view showing a state in which the outer door is rotated in the refrigerator according to the present invention. A description with reference to FIG. 2 is as follows.

In FIG. 2, only the outer door 20 is rotated, and the inner door 100 rotatably coupled to the outer door 20 is accommodated in the storage compartment 2.

Inside the main body 10 is provided with a storage compartment 2, which corresponds to a freezer compartment or a refrigerating compartment, in which food can be stored. In order to open and close the storage compartment 2, the user can rotate the outer door 20.

The outer door 20 is pivotally coupled to the main body 10 through the first hinge 40. The first hinge 40 is installed at one end of the side of the main body 10, and is installed at one end of the side of the outer door 20, so that the outer door 20 is rotated with respect to the main body 10. Can be.

The inner side of the outer door 20 is provided with a gasket 26 for selectively contacting the main body 10. The gasket 26 is provided along an outer circumferential surface of the outer door 20. Therefore, the gasket 26 may have a rectangular shape as a whole along the rectangular shape of the outer door 20. When the outer door 20 is rotated toward the main body 10 and the storage compartment 2 is sealed, the gasket 26 comes into contact with the main body 10 so that the storage compartment 2 may be finally sealed. Can be.

A storage unit 24 for storing food may be installed inside the outer door 20. That is, after the user opens the outer door 20 as shown in FIG. 2, the user approaches the storage part 24 and stores food in the storage part 24 installed inside the outer door 20. Can be taken out or stored food.

The inner door 100 is rotatably coupled to the outer door 20 by a second hinge 200. The second hinge 200 is installed to be biased in a portion in which the first hinge 40 is installed in the outer door 20, but is rotated about a rotation axis separate from the first hinge 40. At this time, the rotation shaft of the second hinge 200 is rotatably installed on the outer door 20.

That is, the first hinge 40 and the second hinge 200 are coupled together to the outer door 20 without a structure connected to each other.

A part of the latch 600 is installed in the outer door 20, and a part of the latch 600 is installed in the inner door 100. The latch 600 may selectively couple or disengage the inner door 100 and the outer door 20.

A part of the latch 600 that is installed in the inner door 100 is a fastening part 610. A portion of the latch 600 installed in the outer door 20 may include a holder 630 coupled to the fastening portion 610 and the fastening portion 610 to operate the fastening portion 610. And operation unit 640 for releasing the coupling of the holder 630.

The user may select whether the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 are rotated together or only the outer door 20 is rotated according to whether the button 652 provided in the handle part 22 is operated. Can be. That is, the user may operate the handle 22 to allow the inner door 100 to be received and fixed in the storage compartment 2 as shown in FIG. 2, and to rotate only the outer door 20.

Meanwhile, the holder 630 and the button member 650 are disposed in an inner space separated by the gasket 26. The gasket 26 may be disposed to form a quadrangular shape similar to the outer circumferential surface of the outer door 20 as a whole, and a part of the latch 600 may be disposed inside the quadrangular shape.

In addition, the holder 630 and the button member 650 may be disposed in an area forming the storage compartment 2 with respect to the gasket 26. That is, when the outer door 20 seals the storage compartment 2, the latch 600 is disposed in a space forming the storage compartment 2 separated by the gasket 26. Therefore, the latch 600 may be located in the storage compartment 2 to which cold air is supplied.

Similarly, the fastening part 610 is installed in the inner door 100, but the fastening part 610 is also disposed in an inner space divided by the gasket 26, and the storage compartment is based on the gasket 26. (2) may be disposed in the area.

Meanwhile, the latch 600 may be disposed opposite to the position where the second hinge 200 is installed. That is, the inner door 100 may be rotated by the second hinge 200 with respect to the outer door 20, and the position of the latch 600 may be rotated by the second hinge 200. It is placed outside. Since the latch 600 is located far from the second hinge 200 which is the rotation center, the coupling of the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 can be stably maintained even with a relatively small force.

On the other hand, the upper side of the inner door 100 is provided with a fixing device 500 for fixing the inner door 100 to the main body 10.

3 is a view showing a state in which the outer door and the inner door rotated in the refrigerator according to the present invention. A description with reference to FIG. 3 is as follows.

In FIG. 3, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 are rotated together to open the storage compartment 2.

A plurality of storage units 52 are installed in the inner door 100 so that a user may store food in the storage unit 52 or take out food stored in the storage unit 52. The plurality of storage units 52 may be installed to have different heights from each other, such that the plurality of storage units 52 may be provided in the inner door 100.

Meanwhile, the user may rotate the inner door 100 to use the storage unit 52 installed in the inner door 100. The inner door 100 is rotated and removed from the storage compartment 2 so that a user can access the storage 52.

The gasket 26 does not contact the inner door 100 even when the inner door 100 contacts the outer door 20. That is, since the position of the gasket 26 installed in the outer door 20 is larger than the outer circumferential surface of the inner door 100, no interference occurs between the gasket 26 and the inner door 100. .

Therefore, even when the outer door 20 seals the storage compartment 2, no contact is made between the inner door 100 and the gasket 26, and the gasket 26 is the main body 10. ) Can be contacted.

That is, in the same state as in FIG. 1, since the outer door 20 and the main body 10 are disposed to face each other with the gasket 26 interposed therebetween, the storage compartment 2 is connected to the gasket 26 and the outside. The door 20 may be sealed from the outside.

Therefore, in the present invention, only the gasket 26 for the outer door 20 is provided without the gasket for the inner door 100. That is, even if the gasket 26 is installed only in the outer door 20, the storage compartment 2 may be sufficiently sealed, so that cold air loss or energy waste for heating due to the installation of a plurality of gaskets does not occur.

Meanwhile, in the storage compartment 2, a plurality of shelves 4 on which food can be placed may be arranged at different heights.

In addition, the storage compartment 2 may be provided with a plurality of drawers 6 that can be slid into or out of the storage compartment 2. The drawer 6 allows the food contained in the drawer 6 to be sealed to a certain level even when the storage compartment 2 is opened due to the rotation of the outer door 20 or the inner door 100.

The inner door 100 is provided with a fixing device 500 to selectively couple the inner door 100 to the main body 10. The fixing device 500 has a structure to be fixed to the inside of the main body 10, that is, the upper surface of the storage compartment (2). For convenience, the user may rotate only the outer door 20 or rotate the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 together.

That is, when the inner door 100 and the main body 10 are fixed by the fixing device 500, only the outer door 20 is rotated. On the other hand, when the inner door 100 and the main body 10 are not fixed, the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 may be rotated together to open the storage compartment 2.

A guide part to be described with reference to FIG. 15 is provided inside the main body 10 of the portion 'A' in FIG. The guide unit will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 15.

4 shows an interior door. 4, only the fastening part is disassembled and shown from the inner door. A description with reference to FIG. 4 is as follows.

The inner door 100 includes a body 110 forming an appearance and a cover 130 coupled to the body 110. The cover 130 closes the opening of the body 110 so that some of the inside of the body 110 is not exposed to the outside.

An inner space of the body 110 is provided with a reinforcing part to reinforce the strength of the inner door 100. The reinforcement part may be directly coupled to the second hinge 200 to prevent deformation of the portion where the second hinge 200 and the inner door 100 are coupled to each other. Since the body 110 and the cover 130 are portions exposed to the user, it is possible to manufacture a material such as plastic by injection. On the other hand, the reinforcement part may be made of another material such as steel, aluminum, and the like, and may be made of a material stronger than the body 110 and the cover 130. That is, in the present invention, the second hinge 200 may be coupled to a relatively strong component to prevent deformation of the inner door 100.

In addition, the reinforcing part may reinforce the strength inside the inner door 100 to prevent the inner door 100 from being deformed by the load of the food placed on the inner door 100.

Since the reinforcing part is installed to be accommodated in the inner side of the inner door 100 instead of the outer side, the reinforcing part does not occupy much space, thereby reducing the volume of the dead space in the storage compartment 2 due to the shape of the inner door 100. have.

Meanwhile, the latch 600 may be mounted on the cover 130. In this case, the components installed in the inner door 100 of the latch 600 may include a fastening part 610 and a cover 612 closing the front of the fastening part 610.

The fastening part 610 and the cover 612 are installed in the inner door 100 to be in contact with the outer door 20.

The fixing device 500 may be installed above the body 110. The fixing device 500 is selectively in contact with the inner upper surface of the storage compartment 2 to allow the inner door 100 to be selectively fixed to the storage compartment 2.

The second hinge 200 may include a rotation shaft 206 coupled to the outer door 20. The rotating shaft 206 is rotatably fixed to the outer door 20, so that the inner door 100 may rotate about the rotating shaft 206.

On the other hand, the second hinge 200 is installed on the upper side and the lower side of the inner door 100, respectively, may be made up of two. Each of the second hinges 200 differs only in positions installed in the inner door 100 and the outer door 20, and the overall shape is the same.

5 is a view showing the structure of the fastening portion. A description with reference to FIG. 5 is as follows.

The fastening part 610 is a pressing piece 620 that can be pressed by the operation unit 640 provided in the inner door 100, a driving piece for converting the force applied to the pressing piece 620 by converting the rotational force ( 624, a hook 628 rotated by the driving piece 624.

The pressing piece 620 is disposed to be exposed to the outside from the inner door 100. Accordingly, the control panel 640 may be in contact with the operation unit 640 installed to be exposed to the outer door 20.

The driving piece 624 may convert a linear force in the horizontal direction applied to the pressing piece 620 into a force in the rotation direction. The driving piece 624 may be implemented by a combination of various cams and springs. The detailed configuration of the driving piece 624 may be variously modified, and only a degree that can be easily configured by those skilled in the art will not be described in detail.

The hook 628 has an open shape on one side thereof, and may form a 'c' shape as a whole. And it is provided to enable rotation around the axis of rotation.

If no force is applied to the hook 628 in the drive piece 624, the opened portion of the hook 628 may face downward. On the other hand, when the driving piece 624 rotates the hook 628, the opening portion of the letter 'c' may be disposed to face the outer door 20.

Meanwhile, the cover 612 is installed at one side of the fastening part 610. The cover 612 may prevent the internal configuration of the fastening part 610 from being exposed to the user.

In addition, the cover 612 exposes only the hook 628 and the pressing piece 620 so that the fastening portion 610 can be driven by contact with the operation portion 640.

6 is a view showing a holder and an operation unit. A description with reference to FIG. 6 is as follows.

In FIG. 6, the outer door 20 is omitted in order to easily illustrate the operation unit 640 installed to be embedded in the outer door 20.

The operation unit 640 may be generated by a button member 650 that a user presses to generate a displacement, an amplifying member 660 that amplifies the displacement generated by the button member 650, and the amplifying member 660. And a transmission member 680 which transmits the displacement to the fastening part 610.

The button member 650 may be disposed to face the rear of the handle portion 22. Also, although not shown in FIG. 6, the button member 650 may include the button 652 provided to be exposed to a user in front of the handle part 22. For reference, the button member housing 654 is a portion that can be exposed to the user.

One end of the button member 650 is provided in such a manner that the amplifying member 660 is connected to the button member 650, and one end of the amplifying member 660 is connected to the delivery member 680. It is provided.

One end of the transfer member 680 is provided with a release pin 690 provided to be exposed to the inside of the outer door 20. Specifically, the pressing piece 620 may be pressurized according to the exposed length of the release pin 690.

Since the transmitting member 680 and the amplifying member 660 are components embedded inside the outer door 20, the transmitting member 680 and the amplifying member 660 are not exposed to the user except the release pin 690.

On the other hand, the release pin 690 is provided to be exposed to the space divided by the storage compartment 2 of the space partitioned by the gasket (26). Therefore, although the cold air accommodated in the storage compartment 2 may be moved through the release pin 690, the transmission member 680 and the amplification member 660 are not formed in a straight line, but have a multi-stage height difference. Because of the shape, the movement path is complicated, so the cold air is difficult to move. Therefore, the problem caused by the cold air outflow of the storage compartment 2 can be prevented.

A holder 630 is provided adjacent to the amplifying member 660. Unlike the manipulation unit 640, the holder 630 is disposed to be exposed from the outer door 20.

A holder hole 632 is formed at the center of the holder 630, and an opening portion of the hook 628 is inserted into the holder hole 632, so that the fastening part 610 and the holder 630 are inserted into the holder hole 632. Can be fastened.

7 is a view showing a state in which the holder and the fastening portion are coupled. A description with reference to FIG. 7 is as follows.

The button member 650 may include a button 652 installed in front of the handle part 22 and a push bar 656 connected to the button 652. The push bar 656 may move along the button 652, and when the push bar 656 moves, the displacement of the button 652 may be transmitted to the amplifying member 660.

The push bar 656 may be received in the button member housing 654. The button member housing 654 is provided to be exposed from the outer door 20 to connect the handle 22 and the outer door 20.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the button 652 is moved to the left, the push bar 656 may also be moved to the left by the distance the button 652 is moved. Therefore, displacement of the push bar 656 may occur.

The amplifying member 660 is provided at one end of the amplifying member housing 662 forming an external appearance, a rotating bar 664 rotated about the rotating shaft 666, and the rotating bar 664, and the rotating bar ( It may include a link bar 668 moved in accordance with the rotation of the 664.

The amplifying member housing 662 may include an empty space as much as a trajectory through which the pivoting bar 664 may be rotated. The amplifying member housing 662 may receive a portion of the push bar 656.

The push bar 656 may press the rotation bar 664 to rotate the rotation bar 664. The rotation bar 664 is rotated about the rotation shaft 666, the push bar 656 pressurizes a portion away from the rotation shaft 666, and does not press the end of the rotation bar 664 Do not. On the other hand, the link bar 668 is disposed adjacent to the end of the pivot bar 664.

When the push bar 656 moves the pivot bar 664, the pivot bar 664 is rotated about the rotation shaft 666 because the pivot bar 664 is a rigid body. Therefore, the movement distance of the link bar 668 may be increased than the distance moved by the push bar 656. This is because the circular arc may increase as the distance from the rotation shaft 666 increases even if the angle changed when the rotation bar 664 is rotated about the rotation shaft 666 is the same.

The transfer member 680 includes a transfer member housing 682 forming an appearance and a release pin 690 capable of pressing the press piece 620.

The transfer member housing 682 may be provided to receive a portion of the link bar 668, wherein the link bar 668 moves the release pin 690 such that the release pin 690 moves to the outer door. The length exposed from 20 can be changed.

The release pin 690 is a first piece 692 in contact with the link bar 668 and a second piece 696 exposed to the outside of the outer door 20 to press the fastening part 610. And, it may include a connecting piece (694) for connecting the first piece (692) and the second piece (696). The release pin 690 may be provided such that the first piece 692 and the second piece 696 are bent with respect to the connecting piece 694. Accordingly, the release pin 690 may form a 'c' shape as a whole.

A spring 684 may be provided at one side of the first piece 692. In this case, the spring 684 may be provided on the opposite side of the portion where the link bar 668 is disposed, and may move the first piece 692 toward the link bar 668. That is, if a force is not applied to the release pin 690 by the link bar 668, the first piece 692 may be moved to the right by the elastic force of the spring 684. On the other hand, when the release pin 690 is moved to the right by the link bar 668, the spring 684 may be compressed.

8 is a cross-sectional view of the connection portion of the delivery member and the amplification member. A description with reference to FIG. 8 is as follows.

A portion of the link bar 668 is installed to be received in the transfer member housing 682.

In this case, a through hole 686 is formed in the transmission member housing 682, and the link bar 668 may be provided therethrough.

The through hole 686 is provided with a first protruding piece 688 protruding by a predetermined length into the delivery member housing 682. Since the first protrusion 688 has a predetermined length, the movement of the link bar 668 may be guided.

On the other hand, the first protrusion 688 is made of a rubber material, it is possible to increase the contact area with the link bar 668. In addition, when the first protrusion piece 688 is pressed in the right direction by the first piece 692, the first piece 692 and the first protrusion piece 688 may be in close contact with each other.

When one side of the first piece 692 is in contact with the first protrusion piece 688, the transfer member housing 682 is formed so as not to communicate with the amplification member housing 662, the transfer member housing ( Cold air introduced into 682 may be prevented from being transferred to the amplifying member housing 662.

9 is a cross-sectional view of the connection portion between the button member and the amplification member. A description with reference to FIG. 9 is as follows.

A portion of the push bar 656 is installed to be received in the amplifying member housing 662.

In this case, a communication hole 668 is formed in the amplifying member housing 662, and the push bar 656 may be provided therethrough.

The communication hole 668 is provided with a second protruding piece 670 protruding by a predetermined length into the amplifying member housing 662. Since the second protrusion 670 has a predetermined length, the movement of the push bar 656 may be guided.

On the other hand, the second protrusion piece 670 is made of a rubber material, when the second protrusion piece 670 is pressed in the right direction by the rotation bar 664, the rotation bar 664 and the second protrusion Piece 670 may be arranged to be in close contact.

When one side of the rotation bar 664 is in contact with the second protrusion piece 670, the amplifying member housing 662 is formed so as not to communicate with the button member housing 654, the amplifying member housing 662 Cold air, which may be introduced into the air, may be prevented from being moved to the button member housing 654.

Hereinafter, the operation of the refrigerator described above will be described.

First, a case in which the user maintains the state shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, the user does not press the button 652.

Since the second piece 696 does not press the pressing piece 620, the hook 628 remains unrotated, and the open portion of the hook 628 is disposed downward. Therefore, since the hook 628 maintains the inserted state in the holder hole 632, the coupling between the hook 628 and the holder 630 may be maintained.

In conclusion, the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 may be maintained in a coupled state by the latch 600.

Meanwhile, as described above, in the present invention, the latch 600 is located in an area in which the storage compartment 2 is disposed based on the gasket 26. Accordingly, the cool air of the storage compartment 2 may be discharged through the outer door 20, that is, the button 652 through the latch 600.

In order to prevent this, as shown in FIG. 8, the first piece 692 maintains a state of being in close contact with the first protrusion piece 688, and as shown in FIG. 9, the pivoting bar 664 has the second protrusion piece. The state in close contact with 670 is maintained. That is, since the transmission member housing 682, the amplification member housing 662, and the button member housing 654 maintain a closed structure so as not to communicate with each other, a path through which cold air may move may be blocked.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the user does not press the button 652 even when the user wants to rotate the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 together. Therefore, the same operation as described above.

1 and 3, since the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 are held together by the latch 600, the outer door 20 and the inner door ( 100 may be rotated with respect to the main body 10 by the first hinge 40.

Since the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 are coupled, the inner door 100 is not rotated separately from the outer door 20.

10 is a view illustrating a state in which the coupling between the holder and the fastening part is released. A description with reference to FIG. 10 is as follows.

When the user wants to open only the outer door 20 except for the inner door 100 as shown in FIG. 2, the button 652 is pressed as shown in FIG. 10.

When the button 652 is pressed, the button 652 is moved to the left based on FIG. 10, and the push bar 656 is also moved to the left along the button 652.

One end of the push bar 656 pressurizes the rotation bar 664, and the rotation bar 664 is rotated about the rotation shaft 666 to move the link bar 668. Since the link bar 668 is farther from the rotation bar 666 of the pivot bar 664 than the push bar 656, the displacement of the link bar 668 may be amplified more than the displacement of the push bar 656. Can be.

For example, if the user moves the button 652 by 1 mm, the push bar 656 moves by 1 mm, but the link bar 668 may be moved by 1.5 or 2 mm. The amplification ratio can be variously changed by changing the installation positions of the push bar 656 and the link bar 668.

When the link bar 668 is moved, the link bar 668 may press the first piece 692 to compress the spring 684. Since the first piece 692, the connecting piece 694, and the second piece 696 move together, the second piece 696 may move as much as the first piece 692 moves.

Since the second piece 696 is moved to the left side, the length of the second piece 696 exposed to the outside of the outer door 20 is increased. Therefore, the second piece 696 may press the pressing piece 620.

The pressing piece 620 presses the driving piece 624 to rotate the hook 628, and the open portion of the hook 628 is rotated to face the outer door 20.

Therefore, the coupling between the hook 628 and the holder 630 is released, the coupling between the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 is released.

The outer door 20 is rotated about the first hinge 40, while the inner door 100 may remain in the storage compartment 2 as it is.

Meanwhile, if the user wants to rotate the inner door 100, the inner door 100 may be rotated with respect to the second hinge 200 regardless of the rotation of the outer door 20. That is, when the latch 600 releases the coupling between the outer door 20 and the inner door 100, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be independently rotated.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating detail 'A' in FIG. 3. A description with reference to FIG. 11 is as follows.

A guide part 12 provided to protrude from the storage compartment 2 is installed above the main body 10. In this case, the guide part 12 may be provided to protrude downward from the upper side of the main body 10.

The guide part 12 may include a guide pin 16 protruding in a cylindrical shape, and a guide wall 14 having a curved surface 15 having a curved shape.

The guide pin 16 is formed to protrude in a cylindrical shape having a circular cross section, and has a radius of a predetermined size, thereby ensuring a certain level of strength. Therefore, it may be coupled to the fixing device 500 while being in contact with the fixing device 500.

The guide wall 14 may guide the operation of some of the components of the fixing device 500 through the curved surface 15 formed on one surface. That is, some components of the fixing device 500 may be moved while contacting the curved surface 15.

The guide pin 16 and the guide wall 14 may be arranged to have a predetermined distance, and some components of the fixing device 500 may be disposed between the guide pin 16 and the guide wall 14. Can be arranged.

12 is a view showing a fixing device, FIG. 13 is a left side view of FIG. 12, FIG. 14 is a right side view of FIG. 12, and FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 12. A description with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15 is as follows.

The fixing device 500 may be selectively coupled to or released from the guide part 12. In addition, the fixing device 500 may be provided above the inner door 100. This is to allow the position of the fixing device 500 to contact the guide portion 12.

The fixing device 500 may include a first holder 510 surrounding one side of the guide part 12 and a second holder 520 surrounding the other side of the guide part 12. More specifically, the first holder 510 may surround one side of the guide pin 16, and the second holder 520 may be disposed to surround the other side of the guide pin 16.

The fixing device 500 includes a first housing 502 installed on the cover 130 and a second housing 504 installed on the body 110.

The first housing 510 and the second holder 520 are installed in the second housing 504.

The first holder 510 is installed to be selectively moved to the second housing 504. That is, when an external force is applied to the fixing device, the first holder 510 may be movable in a linear direction with respect to the second housing 504.

The second housing 504 is provided with a first base 570 and a second base 580. The first base 570 and the second base 580 may be engaged with each other to limit the movement of the first holder 510 or to guide the movement path.

Unlike the first holder 510, the first base 570 and the second base 580 are installed to be fixed to the second housing 504.

The first base 570 is provided with a seating groove 572 in which a guide hook 574 is mounted to limit the movement of the first holder 510 or to allow the movement.

The guide hook 574 may include a rotation shaft 576 which is rotated in the seating groove 572. In addition, the guide hook 574 extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 576, and includes a protruding piece 578 provided to protrude toward the first holder 510. When the protruding piece 578 is caught by the first holder 510, the first holder 510 cannot be moved and the protruding piece 578 is not caught by the first holder 510. In this case, the first holder 510 may be moved in a linear direction. That is, the protruding piece 578 may be selectively inserted into the seating jaw 518 provided in the first holder 510 to limit the movement of the first holder 510.

The second base 580 is provided above the first base 570, and a guide groove 582 is provided to guide the movement path of the first holder 510. The guide grooves 582 are formed to have long holes in a linear direction having a predetermined length, and a plurality of guide grooves 582 may be provided.

The first holder 510 is accommodated in the guide groove 582, so that a guide pillar 516 for guiding a movement path of the first holder 510 is formed. The guide pillar 516 extends long to have a predetermined length to be accommodated inside the guide groove 582.

On the other hand, the guide pillar 516 is provided with a third elastic member 541, the external force limiting the movement of the first holder 510 disappears, the first holder 510 is the second base 580 Elastic restoring force can be provided away from That is, whether or not the first holder 510 is movable may be determined by the third elastic member 541 according to the position of the protruding piece 578 of the guide hook 574.

A first seating surface 512 may be formed in the first holder 510 to substantially contact the guide pin 16. The first seating surface 512 may be formed of a material capable of absorbing shock so that damage or impact is not applied due to frequent contact with the guide pin 16.

On the other hand, the second holder 520 is installed to be selectively rotated in the second housing 504.

The second holder 520 may be provided with a rotation shaft 524 penetrating the hollow 506 formed in the second housing 504. That is, the rotating shaft 524 is disposed to pass through the hollow 506, and the second holder fixing piece 522 is disposed at the lower end of the rotating shaft 524 so that the second holder 520 is not removed from the hollow 506. ) Is provided.

One end of the rotation shaft 524 and one end of the second holder fixing piece 522 is formed larger than the cross section of the hollow 506, so that the second holder fixing piece 522 or the rotating shaft is the hollow 506. One end of 524 may not come out, and the second holder 520 may be fixed.

Meanwhile, the second holder 520 may be rotated about the hollow 506, that is, the rotation shaft 524.

The second holder fixing piece 522 is provided with a first elastic member 530 that elastically supports the second holder 520 to rotate in a direction surrounding the guide pin 16 in a predetermined region. Since the second holder fixing piece 522 is a component coupled to the second holder 520, the second holder fixing piece 522 may be described as a part of the second holder 520.

One end 534 of the first elastic member 530 is fixed to the second holder fixing piece 522, and the other end 532 of the first elastic member 530 is fixed to the second housing 504. do. In this case, the second holder fixing piece 522 and the second holder 520 may be integrally operated. Accordingly, the first elastic member 530 may limit the operation of the second holder 520. More specifically, the first elastic member 530 may apply an elastic force so that the second holder 520 is rotated in the clockwise direction.

The first elastic member 530 may be formed of a torsion spring. That is, the first elastic member 530 may press the second holder 520 to return to the state before the rotation in the state in which the second holder 520 is rotated to a predetermined range. However, in a state in which the second holder 520 is rotated to exceed the corresponding range, the first elastic member 530 may not apply a force to return the second holder 520 to its original state. More specifically, the first elastic member 530 applies a restoring force so that the second holder 520 is rotated in the clockwise direction when the second holder 520 is rotated to a predetermined angle, but the second holder ( In a state in which the 520 is rotated to exceed a certain angle, the restoring force may not be applied to the second holder 520.

A hook piece 526 is formed at one end of the second holder 520 so that the second holder 520 can be selectively fixed without being rotated. The locking piece 526 may be fixed by a stopper 560 to be described later. The locking piece 526 may extend downward than the normal thickness of the second holder 520.

A second seating surface 521 may be formed in the second holder 520 to substantially contact the guide pin 16. The second seating surface 521 may be formed of a material capable of absorbing shock so that damage or impact is not applied due to frequent contact with the guide pin 16.

The second housing 504 is provided with a stopper 560 that engages the locking piece 526 to support the second holder 520 so as not to rotate. The stopper 560 may selectively limit the rotation of the second holder 520.

One end of the stopper 560 may be formed to have a ring-like shape to be engaged with the locking piece 526.

The stopper 560 is provided with a second elastic member 540 to elastically support the stopper 560 to rotate toward the second holder 520. The second elastic member 540 may include a torsion spring.

The stopper 560 is installed to be rotatable in the second housing 504, and may be rotated counterclockwise by the second elastic member 540.

One end of the second elastic member 540 may be fixed to the stopper 560, and the other end 542 of the second elastic member 540 may be fixed to the second housing 504.

Meanwhile, the fixing device 500 includes a push part 550 disposed to penetrate the first housing 502 and the second housing 504.

The push unit 550 may include a pressing piece 552 that is selectively pressed in contact with the outer door 20, a connection piece 554 extending from the pressing piece 552 and penetrating the inner door 100. It may be coupled to the connection piece 554 may include a transmission piece 556 for transmitting a force for rotating the stopper 560.

That is, the pressing piece 552 is provided so that a portion of the pressing piece 552 is exposed to the outside of the first housing 502. At this time, the pressing piece 552 may have a larger cross section than the connecting piece 554 so as to increase the contact area with the outer door 20, thereby increasing the pressing area in contact with the outer door 20. Do.

The connecting piece 554 may be formed to receive a portion of the inner door 100, and may transmit a force applied from the pressing piece 552 to the transfer piece 556.

The connecting piece 554 and the transfer piece 556 can be fixed through a screw coupling or the like.

The push unit 550 may be moved back and forth with respect to the first housing 502 and the second housing 504.

A first inclined surface 558 inclined to a predetermined angle may be formed in the transfer piece 556, and a second inclined surface 562 in contact with the first inclined surface 558 may be formed in the stopper 560.

As the transfer piece 556 is moved, the contact area between the first inclined surface 558 and the second inclined surface 562 is changed, and accordingly, a force is applied so that the stopper 560 rotates counterclockwise. Can be applied.

The first inclined surface 558 is formed on the side of the transfer piece 556 to selectively contact the second inclined surface 562 formed on the stopper 560 disposed on the side of the transfer piece 556. Can be.

On the other hand, the transmission piece 556 is formed with a locking step 558 that can contact the first holder 510. The locking jaw 559 is provided to have a predetermined step so that when the locking jaw 558 pushes up one end of the guide hook 574, the guide hook 574 is rotated about the rotation shaft 576 to The protruding piece 578 may descend. On the other hand, if the catching jaw 558 does not push up one end of the guide hook 574, the guide hook 574 is not rotated, the protruding piece 578 can maintain a raised state.

16 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG. (A) is a figure seen from the top, FIG. 16 (b) is sectional drawing of B-B of FIG. 16 (a). A description with reference to FIG. 16 is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the outer door 20 seals the storage compartment 2, the inner door 100 is disposed at the same position as in FIG. 2. In this case, the inner door 100 is completely hidden by the outer door 20 and is not shown in the state of FIG. 1. In addition, the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 are in contact with each other.

Accordingly, the pressing piece 552 is pressed by the outer door 20. Since the pressing piece 552 is pressed, the stopper 560 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction by an external force. At this time, the pressing piece 552 is pressed to the first position by the outer door 20. The first position may mean a state in which the first position is pressed to an intermediate position as compared with the state in which the first position is not pressed as shown in FIG. 17 and the state pressed in the second position as shown in FIG. 18.

The stopper 560 does not engage the locking piece 526, and the second holder 520 maintains a state in which the second holder 520 can be rotated counterclockwise even by a small external force. That is, since the external force is applied to the fixing device 500 by the external door 20, the second holder 520 may maintain a state in which rotation is possible.

Therefore, the fixing device 500 is in a state in which the coupling to the guide portion 12 is released. However, in this state, the inner door 100 is not fixed to the main body 10, but the outer door 20 abuts the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 is the inner door. Since the inner door 100 is prevented from moving, the inner door 100 cannot be rotated.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 16B, the pressing piece 552 is pressed by the outer door 20, but the locking jaw 559 contacts the guide hook 574 to guide the hook 574. ) Is not moved enough to rotate. That is, since the protrusion 578 of the guide hook 574 is inserted into the seating jaw 518 is maintained, the first holder 510 is not moved and is stopped.

The first position means that the stopper 560 is rotatable, while the first holder 510 is pressed and pressed to the state in which the first holder 510 is kept in a non-movable state. can do.

17 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG. (A) is a figure seen from the top, FIG. 17 (b) is sectional drawing of B-B of FIG. 17 (a). A description with reference to FIG. 17 is as follows.

Meanwhile, in order to access the inner door 100 through the front of the inner door 100 or to access the food stored inside the outer door 20 as shown in FIG. 2, only the outer door 20 is provided. Can be rotated. At this time, the inner door 100 is maintained in a fixed state to the main body 10.

When the user rotates only the outer door 20 while the inner door 100 is stopped, the force that the outer door 20 presses the pressing piece 552 is removed as shown in FIG. 16. In this case, the user may use the latch 600 described above. Details of the operation of the latch 600 will be omitted.

When only the outer door 20 is rotated, the force applied to the pressing piece 552 is removed, so that the external force applied to the second elastic member 540 of the stopper 560 is removed, thereby eliminating the second elasticity. The stopper 560 is rotated counterclockwise, that is, toward the second holder 520 by the restoring force of the member 540.

In this case, the first inclined surface 558 of the transfer piece 556 and the second inclined surface 562 of the stopper 560 are disposed to abut each other, and as the stopper 560 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, The transfer piece 556 is moved downward. That is, when the stopper 560 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the second inclined surface 562 pushes the first inclined surface 558 downward, and eventually the push part 550 is moved downward.

Accordingly, the pressing piece 552 may be moved downward based on FIG. 17 so that the portion exposed to the outside of the inner door 100 may be increased.

In addition, because the stopper 560 is rotated counterclockwise, the stopper 560 is engaged with the engaging piece 526. Therefore, the stopper 560 and the locking piece 526 are disposed to be caught, and the rotation of the second holder 520 is limited by the stopper 560.

Therefore, when the user opens only the outer door 20, the second holder 520 is not rotated and remains fixed. That is, the inner door 100 may be fixed to the main body 10 because the guide pin 16 is fixed by the first holder 510 and the second holder 520. have.

In conclusion, when the user rotates only the outer door 20 by the latch 600 in the state of FIG. 16, the fixing device 500 couples the inner door 100 to the main body 10. Is placed. In this way, the inner door 100 may maintain the state coupled to the main body 10 in a state in which the outer door 20 is rotated.

In FIG. 17, that is, the force that pressed the pressing piece 552 is removed. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 17B, the locking jaw 559 is retracted to the right, so that the protruding piece 578 is inserted into the seating jaw 518. The first holder 510 is maintained in a fixed state such that it cannot be moved in the same manner as shown in FIG. 16.

That is, in the state of FIG. 17, the first holder 510 and the second holder 520 are fixed to prevent movement or rotation.

18 is a view showing the operation of the guide unit and the fixing device in the state of FIG. (A) is a figure seen from the top, FIG. 18 (b) is sectional drawing of B-B of FIG. 18 (a). A description with reference to FIG. 18 is as follows.

The user can rotate the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 at the same time as shown in FIG. In this way, the user can access the storage compartment 2.

At this time, in the state shown in Figure 16, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 is rotated together.

In particular, the user pushes the outer door 20 so that the outer door 20 is adjacent to the inner door 100 in the state of FIG. 16. That is, not by the user pulling the outer door 20, but by pushing toward the inner door 100 (which may mean a method of moving the inner door 100 closer to the outer door 20). The outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be rotated at the same time.

 In order for the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 to work together, the user may operate the latch 600 according to the aforementioned method. The operation of the latch 600 will be omitted.

When the user pushes the outer door 20 toward the inner door 100 in the state of FIG. 16, the outer door 20 further pressurizes the pressing piece 552, and the pressing piece 552 is removed. It can be moved to two positions. That is, when the pressing piece 552 is pressed to the second position as shown in FIG. 18, rather than the first position as shown in FIG. 16, the first holder 510 opens the guide pin 16. It can exert a pushing force. At this time, the pressing piece 552 is pressed more in the second position than the first position, it is pressed.

As shown in FIG. 18B, when the locking jaw 559 formed on the transmission piece 556 raises one end of the guide hook 574, the rotation shaft 576 of the guide hook 574 is centered. As a result, the protruding piece 578 is lowered, and the protruding piece 578 is separated from the seating jaw 518.

Therefore, the first holder 510 is movable, the first holder 510 is moved toward the guide pin 16 by the elastic restoring force of the third elastic member 514, the guide pin 16 Pushed). Therefore, it is possible to provide an auxiliary force when the inner door 100 is rotated, the user can more easily rotate the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 together.

In the state of FIG. 16, the fixing device 500 does not fix the inner door 100 and the main body 10. That is, since the second holder 520 is not engaged with the stopper 560, the second holder 520 is counterclockwise by applying a small force enough to overcome the elastic restoring force of the first elastic member 530. Direction can be rotated.

At this time, since the guide pin 16 is stationary while being integral with the main body 10, the second holder 520 is half as the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 are moved downward. Can be rotated clockwise. At this time, the second holder 520 is in contact with the guide pin 16 is sufficiently rotated by the guide pin 16 in the counterclockwise direction. In particular, when the second holder 520 is sufficiently rotated, the second holder 520 may no longer contact the guide pin 16.

That is, since the fixing device 500 is not fixed to the guide pin 16, the user rotates the inner door 100 and the outer door 20 with respect to the main body 10, so that the storage compartment 2 is closed. Food stored in the can be accessed.

When the push bar 550, that is, the pressing piece 552 is pressed to the second position, the first holder 510 is movable, and the second holder 520 is rotatably disposed. That is, when the push bar 550 or the pressing piece 552 is pressed to the second position, the first holder 510 and the second holder 520 may move, whereas the push bar 550 When the pressing piece 552 is pressed to the first position, the movement of the first holder 510 is limited, but the second holder 520 may rotate.

After the user takes out the food stored in the storage compartment 2 or puts the food in the storage compartment 2, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 should be rotated in the form shown in FIG. 1. .

At this time, the second holder 520 is maintained in a state that is rotated counterclockwise. This is because the first elastic member 530 does not apply elastic restoring force to the second holder 520 when the second holder 520 is rotated by a predetermined area or more. Since the first elastic member 530 does not provide elastic restoring force, the second holder 520 is stopped by rotating in a counterclockwise direction.

When the user rotates the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 to the storage compartment 2, the second holder 520 is provided on the curved surface 15 provided in the guide wall 14. It comes in contact. At this time, as the user gradually rotates the inner door 100 upward, the second holder 520 continuously contacts another portion of the curved surface 15. As the second holder 520 is in contact with the curved surface 15, the second holder 520 is rotated in a clockwise direction so that the second holder 520 is disposed in the form shown in FIG. 16.

In particular, when the second holder 520 is in contact with the curved surface 15 for a predetermined time and rotates clockwise by a predetermined angle or more, the second holder 520 is caused by the elastic restoring force of the first elastic member 530. ) Can be easily rotated clockwise.

Of course, in the state of FIG. 18, since the second holder 520 is rotated when a force sufficient to overcome the elastic support force of the first elastic member 530 is rotated, the fixing device 500 is Coupling to the guide portion 12 may be in a released state.

Similarly, since the outer door 20 presses the pressing piece 552, the pressing piece 552 is gradually moved to the right side with reference to FIG. 18 (b). Therefore, the locking jaw 559 is gradually moved to the right side, the locking jaw 559 and the guide hook 574 is not in contact, the guide hook 574 is rotated in the form of Figure 16 the projection piece 578 is accommodated in the seating jaw 518. Therefore, the first holder 510 is maintained in a fixed state.

The present invention described above is applicable to various types of refrigerators shown in FIG. 19. On the other hand, although not shown in Figure 19, the main body 10 is provided with a storage compartment for storing food.

That is, in the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 19A, the storage unit 52 in which food is stored is provided in the inner door 100. The storage unit 52 has the form of a shelf or a basket, it is possible to seat the food inside. At this time, when the outer door 20 is opened, a user may access at least a part of the storage 52 of the inner door 100. In addition, at least a portion of the inner door 100 or the inner door 100 may be opened to access the interior of the main body 10.

In the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 19B, a storage unit 24 for storing food is provided in the outer door 20. At this time, at least a part of the inner door 100 is accessible when the outer door 20 is opened. In addition, the inside of the main body 10 may be approached through at least a part surface of the inner door 100 or when the inner door 100 is opened.

In the refrigerator illustrated in FIG. 19C, the storage units 52 and 24 in which food is stored are provided in both the inner door 100 and the outer door 20. At this time, when the outer door 20 is opened, the storage part 24 installed in the outer door 20 or the storage part 52 provided in the inner door 100 is accessible. In addition, the inside of the main body 10 may be approached through at least a part surface of the inner door 100 or when the inner door 100 is opened.

The present invention described above is applicable to various types of refrigerators shown in FIG. 20. Meanwhile, FIG. 20 illustrates various forms of embodiments in which the main body, the inner door, and the outer door may be fixed to each other, and various examples in which each door may be opened with respect to the main body are disclosed.

The first coupling member (A), the second coupling member (B), and the third coupling member (C), which will be described below, may be used for the user's actions (ie, pressing a button, etc.) regardless of the degree of coupling between the two members. It may include a fixing device of the type that can be engaged or released by engagement. In other words, the fastening device can change the engagement of the two members. In contrast, the first coupling member (A), the second coupling member (B), the third coupling member (C) may be engaged or released when a force greater than a force capable of releasing the coupling degree is applied. It may include a member of the form (that is, fitting and the like using protrusions and the like).

FIG. 20A illustrates a first coupling member A for coupling or releasing the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 from each other. At this time, the first coupling member (A) may have a variety of forms, such as a fixing device using a component such as a hook or a holder, or the coupling is made by the magnetic force of the gasket, or fixed by the coupling of the fitting projection. In this case, if the first coupling member A is a fixing device, the coupling or release may be selected through a specific action such as pressing by a user. When this is applied, it is possible to have the property that the bond can be released. The first coupling member A may include the latch described above.

Meanwhile, a second coupling member B is provided to couple or release the inner door 100 and the main body 10 to each other. The second coupling member B may be formed of one of various forms of the first coupling member A described above.

In the form of FIG. 20A, the outer door 20 may be rotated from the inner door 100. That is, the inner door 100 may be coupled to the main body 10 by the second coupling member B, and the first coupling member A may be released to rotate only the outer door 20.

At this time, in a state in which the coupling degree of the first coupling member A is smaller than the coupling degree of the second coupling member B, a user or the like pulls the external door 20 to perform the operation of the external door 20. It is possible to separate the and the inner door 100 and to rotate only the outer door 20. That is, when the user's force is greater than the coupling degree of the first coupling member A, and smaller than the coupling degree of the second coupling member B, the first coupling member B is left as it is. Only the member A can be released.

In contrast, in the form of FIG. 20A, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be rotated together. In other words, the second coupling member (B) is released by maintaining the coupling of the outer door (20) and the inner door (100) by the first coupling member (A) and the inner door (100) and The outer door 20 may be rotated with respect to the main body 10.

In this case, the coupling degree of the first coupling member A is greater than that of the second coupling member B, and a user or the like pulls the outer door 20 or the inner door 100 to perform the operation. It is possible to rotate the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 together. That is, in a state in which the user pulls the outer door 20, the first coupling member A maintains the coupling between the outer door 20 and the inner door 100, and the second coupling member B is It is possible for a user to apply force to the outer door 20 or the inner door 100 to release the coupling between the inner door 100 and the main body 10.

Of course, the first coupling member A may be fastened by the user's operation, and the second coupling member B may be operated to release the fastening.

FIG. 20 (b) is provided with the first coupling member A to couple or release the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 to each other. Meanwhile, a third coupling member C may be provided to couple or release the outer door 20 and the main body 10 to each other. At this time, the third coupling member (C) can also be made of one of the various forms of the first coupling member (A) described above.

In the form of FIG. 20B, the outer door 20 may be rotated from the inner door 100. At this time, both the first coupling member A and the second coupling member B may be released. In addition, the user may rotate only the outer door 20 by pulling only the outer door 20. In particular, the first coupling member A and the second coupling member B may be changed to a state in which the coupling is released by the user's action. On the other hand, when the user pulls the outer door 20, the outer door 20 is applied to the main body 10 by applying a force greater than that of the first coupling member A and the second coupling member B. And separated from the inner door 100 it is possible for the user to rotate only the outer door (20).

On the other hand, in the form of FIG. 20 (b), the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be rotated together. In a state in which the first coupling member A couples the outer door 20 and the inner door 100, the third coupling member C is connected to the outer door 20 and the main body 10. You can break the association. In addition, the user may rotate the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 together by pulling the outer door 20 or the inner door 100. In this case, the third coupling member C may release the coupling while the first coupling member A maintains the coupling through the user's action. On the contrary, the force applied by the user to the outer door 20 or the inner door 100 maintains the degree of engagement of the third engagement member C while the engagement degree of the first engagement member A is maintained. Even in the case of a force that can be released, the above-described situation may occur.

20 (c) is provided with the third coupling member (C) for engaging or releasing the outer door 20 and the main body 10 with each other. In addition, the inner door 100 and the main body 10 are provided with the second coupling member (B) to engage or release from each other. That is, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be independently coupled or released from the body 10, respectively.

In the form of FIG. 20C, the outer door 20 may be rotated from the inner door 100. In this case, the coupling of the third coupling member C may be released while the second coupling member B is coupled to the inner door 100 and the main body 10. In addition, the user may rotate the outer door 20 by separating the outer door 20 from the inner door 100 by pulling the outer door 20. In this case, the user rotates only the outer door 20 by applying a force to the outer door 20 that is smaller than that of the second coupling member B and greater than that of the third coupling member C. It is possible to let. Of course, the second coupling member B may maintain the coupling and the third coupling member C may release the coupling through a specific action.

In the form of FIG. 20C, the outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be rotated from the main body 10. In this case, the second coupling member B releases the coupling between the main body 10 and the inner door 100, and the third coupling member C is connected to the main body 10 and the outer door 20. You can break the association. After both the second coupling member B and the third coupling member C are released from the main body 10, the user pulls the inner door 100 or the outer door 20 through the act of pulling the inner door 100 or the outer door 20. The outer door 20 and the inner door 100 may be rotated together. At this time, the user applies a force greater than that of the second coupling member (B) and the degree of coupling of the third coupling member (C), thereby coupling the second coupling member (B) and the third coupling member (C). Can all be released. Alternatively, the coupling between the second coupling member B and the third coupling member C may be released through a specific action or manipulation of the user.

The present invention described above is applicable to various types of refrigerators shown in FIG. 21.

As shown in FIG. 21A, when the gasket 26 is installed in the outer door 20 and the outer door 20 seals the main body 10, the outer door 20 is closed. It is possible that the gasket 26 is disposed only at a portion facing the main body 10. In this case, the gasket 26 may seal the storage compartment provided in the main body 10 by the outer door 20.

As illustrated in FIG. 21B, the outer door 20 may seal the main body 10 by the gasket 26 installed in the outer door 20. In addition, a sealing member 27 such as a gasket may be provided between the inner door 100 and the main body 10. In this case, the sealing member 27 surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the inner door 100 so that the storage chamber provided in the main body 10 is sealed to a predetermined level by the sealing member 27 and the inner door 100. It is possible.

As illustrated in FIG. 21C, the outer door 20 may seal the main body 10 by the gasket 26 installed in the outer door 20. In addition, a sealing member 27 such as a gasket may be provided between the inner door 100 and the outer door 20.

21 (b) and 21 (c) have a form in which the sealing member 27 is additionally provided in the form shown in FIG. 21 (a).

FIG. 22 is a view showing a fixing device of another form than FIG. 16. A description with reference to FIG. 22 is as follows.

FIG. 22 is similar to FIG. 16, except that the pressing piece 552 is exposed to the outside of the outer door 20 in the push part 550.

That is, the user may operate the fixing device by pressing the pressing piece 552 exposed to the outside of the outer door 20. Rubber packing or the like may be installed between the pressing piece 552 and the outer door 20 so that cold air does not leak through a gap between the pressing piece 552 and the outer door 20. .

Since the other parts of FIG. 22 are the same as those of FIG.

FIG. 23 is a view showing a fixing device of another form than FIG. 22. A description with reference to FIG. 23 is as follows.

FIG. 23 is similar to FIG. 22, but the second housing 504 is fixed to the outer door 20 instead of the inner door 100. Therefore, the fixing device is a form that can couple or release the outer door 100 and the main body 10. This form may be a specific example of the third coupling member (C) described above.

That is, when the user presses the pressing piece 552, the coupling between the outer door 20 and the main body 10 is released. On the other hand, if the pressing piece 552 is not pressed, the outer door 20 and the main body 10 may remain in a coupled state.

Since other parts of FIG. 23 are the same as those of FIG.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and as can be seen in the appended claims, modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

10: main body 12: guide part
16: guide pin 20: outer door
26: gasket 40: first hinge
50: frame 52: storage unit
100: inner door 110: body
130: cover 200: second hinge
500: fixing device 510: first holder
520: second holder 526: locking piece
560: stopper 574: guide hook
600: latch

Claims (28)

A main body provided with a storage compartment;
An outer door rotatably coupled to the main body by a first hinge to open and close the storage compartment;
An inner door rotatably coupled by a second hinge to open and close the storage compartment;
A guide part provided to protrude from the storage compartment; And
A fixing device provided in the inner door and selectively coupled or decoupled with the guide part;
The fixing device includes a first holder surrounding one side of the guide portion and a second holder surrounding the other side of the guide portion.
When the fixing device is spaced apart from the outer door, the first holder and the second holder are fixed,
When the fixing device is pressed by the outer door, the first holder is movable and the second holder is rotatable.
And a position at which the fixing device capable of moving the first holder is pressed and a position at which the fixing device capable of rotating the second holder are pressed are different. The method of claim 1,
And when the fixing device is pressed to the first position, the first holder is fixed and the second holder is rotatable. The method of claim 2,
And the first holder is movable when the fixing device is pressed to the second position. The method of claim 3,
And the first holder is moved toward the guide part when the fixing device is pressed to the second position. delete The method of claim 3,
And the fixing device is pressed more in the second position than in the first position. The method of claim 1,
When the fixing device is coupled to the guide portion, the inner door is fixed to the main body,
And the inner door is rotatable relative to the main body when the fixing device is not coupled to the guide part. The method of claim 1,
The guide unit,
A guide pin wrapped by the first holder and the second holder;
And a guide wall having a curved surface for guiding the second holder to rotate in contact with the second holder. The method of claim 8,
The fixing apparatus includes a first elastic member elastically supporting the second holder to rotate in a direction surrounding the guide pin in a predetermined region. The method of claim 1,
The fixing device further comprises a stopper for selectively limiting rotation of the second holder. The method of claim 10,
And the fixing device includes a second elastic member elastically supporting the stopper to rotate toward the second holder. The method of claim 10,
And the second holder has a catching piece engaged with the stopper. The method of claim 1,
The fixing device further comprises a guide hook for selectively restricting movement of the first holder. The method of claim 10,
The fixing device,
When pressed to the first position by the outer door, it is possible to rotate the second holder,
And a push unit configured to move the first holder when the second door is pressed to the second position. The method of claim 14,
The push unit,
A pressing piece which is selectively pressed in contact with the outer door,
A connecting piece extending from the pressing piece and penetrating the inner door;
And a transfer piece coupled to the connection piece to transmit a force for rotating the stopper. The method of claim 1,
And a gasket mounted to the outer door and selectively contacting the main body to seal the storage compartment. The method of claim 16,
And the inner door is accommodated in the storage compartment when the outer door seals the storage compartment, and the gasket contacts the main body to seal the storage compartment. In the fixing device that is selectively coupled to or released from the guide portion provided to protrude into the storage compartment of the refrigerator,
A first holder surrounding one side of the guide part and a second holder surrounding the other side of the guide part;
The fixing device is provided in the inner door rotatably coupled to the outer door of the refrigerator,
When the fixing device is spaced apart from the outer door, the first holder and the second holder are fixed,
When the fixing device is pressed by the outer door, the first holder is movable and the second holder is rotatable.
And the position at which the fixing device capable of moving the first holder is pressed and the position at which the fixing device capable of rotating the second holder are pressed are different. The method of claim 18,
And the first holder is fixed when the fixing device is pressed to the first position, and the second holder is rotatable. The method of claim 19,
And the first holder is movable when the fixing device is pressed to the second position. The method of claim 18,
Fixing device further comprises a push to enable the rotation of the second holder when pressed to the first position by the outer door, the movement of the first holder when pressed to the second position by the outer door. . The method of claim 18,
And a stopper for selectively limiting rotation of the second holder. A main body provided with a storage compartment;
An outer door rotatably coupled to the main body by a first hinge;
An inner door rotatably coupled by a second hinge;
A latch for engaging or disengaging the outer door and the inner door; And
And a fixing device for coupling or disengaging the body and the inner door.
While the outer door seals the storage compartment, when the outer door presses the fixing device to the first position, the fixing device releases the coupling between the inner door and the main body,
And when the outer door pushes the fixing device to the second position, the fixing device pushes the main body to move the inner door away from the main body. delete The method of claim 23, wherein
And the fixing device is pressed more in the second position than in the first position. The method of claim 23, wherein
And when the coupling between the inner door and the outer door is released by the latch, the inner door and the main body are coupled by the fixing device. The method of claim 23, wherein
And when the external door releases the pressing of the fixing device, the inner door and the main body are coupled by the fixing device. The method of claim 23, wherein
And the fixing device releases the coupling between the inner door and the main body when the outer door is rotated with respect to the main body while the outer door and the inner door are coupled by the latch.

Images