阅读说明：本技术 用于冰箱的可折叠门 (Foldable door for refrigerator ) 是由 朴喆焕 于 2018-12-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于冰箱器具的可折叠门,其包括：第一门,其铰接地连接到冰箱主体的一端并且构造成开启和封闭所述冰箱主体的一个开口表面；第二门,其可折叠地连接到第一门并且构造成开启和封闭冰箱主体的第二开口表面；和锁定单元,其构造成选择性地相对于第二门折叠或固定第一门。固定单元构造成固定锁定单元以防其移动,其中固定单元包括：设置在加强杆上的固定部；和电磁部,其构造成在向电磁部施加电力时产生作用在固定部上的电磁吸力。(The present invention relates to a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance, comprising: a first door hingedly connected to one end of the refrigerator main body and configured to open and close one opening surface of the refrigerator main body; a second door foldably connected to the first door and configured to open and close a second opening surface of the refrigerator main body; and a locking unit configured to selectively fold or fix the first door with respect to the second door. The fixing unit is configured to fix the locking unit against movement thereof, wherein the fixing unit includes: a fixing portion provided on the reinforcing bar; and an electromagnetic portion configured to generate an electromagnetic attraction force acting on the fixing portion when electric power is applied to the electromagnetic portion.)

1. A foldable door for a refrigerator, the foldable door comprising:

a first door hingedly connected to one end of the refrigerator main body and configured to open and close a first opening surface of the refrigerator main body;

a second door foldably connected to the first door and configured to open and close a second opening surface of the refrigerator main body; and

a locking unit configured to selectively fold and attach the second door with respect to the first door.

2. The foldable door of claim 1, further comprising:

a gasket seal provided in one of the first door and the second door and configured to cover a folded region between the first door and the second door when the opening surface of the refrigerator main body is closed by the first door and the second door.

3. The foldable door of claim 1, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a locking groove provided on the first door;

a reinforcing rod slidably mounted on the second door and configured to be inserted into the locking groove; and

a switch configured to press and move the reinforcing bar to allow the reinforcing bar to be inserted into the locking groove.

4. The foldable door of claim 3, wherein the locking unit further comprises a resilient member mounted in the locking groove and configured to provide a return force to the reinforcing bar to return the reinforcing bar to an original position when the switch is released.

5. The foldable door of claim 2, further comprising a fixing unit configured to fix the locking unit against movement thereof, wherein the fixing unit comprises:

a fixing portion provided on the reinforcing bar; and

an electromagnetic portion configured to generate an electromagnetic attraction force acting on the fixing portion when power is applied to the electromagnetic portion.

6. A refrigerator, comprising:

a refrigerator main body; and

a foldable door, comprising:

a first door hingedly connected to one end of the refrigerator main body and configured to open and close a first opening surface of the refrigerator main body;

a second door foldably connected to the first door and configured to open and close a second opening surface of the refrigerator main body; and

a locking unit configured to selectively fold and attach the second door with respect to the first door.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, further comprising:

a gasket seal provided in one of the first door and the second door and configured to cover a folded region between the first door and the second door when the opening surface of the refrigerator main body is closed by the first door and the second door.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a locking groove provided on the first door;

a reinforcing rod slidably mounted on the second door and configured to be inserted into the locking groove; and

a switch configured to press and move the reinforcing bar to allow the reinforcing bar to be inserted into the locking groove.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the locking unit further comprises an elastic member installed in the locking groove and configured to provide a restoring force to the reinforcing bar to return the reinforcing bar to an original position when the switch is released.

10. The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a locking groove provided on the first door;

a reinforcing rod slidably mounted on the second door and configured to be inserted into the locking groove; and

a switch configured to press and move the reinforcing bar to allow the reinforcing bar to be inserted into the locking groove.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the locking unit further comprises an elastic member installed in the locking groove and configured to provide a restoring force to the reinforcing bar to return the reinforcing bar to an original position when the switch is released.

12. The refrigerator of claim 7, further comprising a fixing unit configured to fix the locking unit against movement thereof, wherein the fixing unit comprises:

a fixing portion provided on the reinforcing bar; and

an electromagnetic portion configured to generate an electromagnetic attraction force acting on the fixing portion when power is applied to the electromagnetic portion.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a foldable door for a refrigerator.

Background

In general, a refrigerator is an appliance for freshly preserving goods such as foods, beverages, and the like for a long time.

The refrigerator may store goods in a frozen state or a refrigerated state according to the type of goods to be stored. Foods that should be kept at a temperature below the freezing point, such as meat or ice cream, are stored in the freezing chamber. Foods such as vegetables or beverages, etc., which should be kept at a temperature slightly higher than the freezing temperature, are stored in the refrigerating chamber.

In particular, as the size of the refrigerator increases, there is a type of refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber is opened and closed by a hinge door that can rotate at an upper portion of the refrigerator, and a freezing chamber is opened and closed by a sliding door that can slide in a forward/backward direction at a lower portion of the refrigerator.

However, in such a conventional refrigerator type, since the door of the refrigerating chamber is frequently opened and closed, when cool air escapes from the refrigerating chamber, power loss may occur and the freshness of food stored in the refrigerating chamber may be reduced.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance that allows an inner space of a refrigerating chamber to be partially opened by a foldable structure.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is described a foldable door for a refrigerator, comprising: a first door hingedly connected to one end of the refrigerator main body and configured to open and close a first opening surface of the refrigerator main body; a second door foldably connected to the first door and configured to open and close a second opening surface of the refrigerator main body; and a locking unit configured to selectively fold or fix the second door with respect to the first door.

The foldable door may further comprise: a gasket disposed in the first door or the second door and configured to cover a folded region between the first door and the second door when the opening surface of the refrigerator body is closed by the first door and the second door.

The locking unit may include a locking groove provided on the first door, a reinforcing rod slidably mounted on the second door and configured to be inserted into the locking groove, and a switch configured to press and move the reinforcing rod when the reinforcing rod is inserted into the locking groove.

The locking unit may further include an elastic member installed in the locking groove and configured to provide a restoring force to the reinforcing bar to return the reinforcing bar to an original position when the switch is released.

The foldable door may further comprise: a fixing unit configured to fix the locking unit against movement thereof, wherein the fixing unit includes: the electromagnetic portion is configured to generate an electromagnetic attraction force acting on the fixing portion when electric power is applied to the electromagnetic portion.

Embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously make it possible to open a portion of the refrigerated compartment through the foldable structure of the door, thereby reducing a loss of cool air that may occur when the door is fully opened.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the middle portion of the refrigerator door may be folded. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily open and close the door, reduce the rotation radius of the door, and reduce the occurrence of dew condensation of the intermediate partition portion, as compared to the example in which the entire door is opened and closed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a state view illustrating a state where a reinforcing bar of a locking unit is inserted into a locking groove in a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a state view illustrating a state where a reinforcing bar of a locking unit is removed from a locking groove in a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a sealing gasket provided in a first door of a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a constitutional view showing a locking unit for a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is one of the various patentable aspects of the disclosure and may form part of the detailed description of the invention.

However, in describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of known configurations or functions, which may obscure various portions of the present disclosure, may be omitted.

The present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments will be shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail in the detailed description of the embodiments. It should be understood, however, that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments, but rather, to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

As used herein, the terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe and not limit various components. These terms merely distinguish one element from another.

When referring to one member being "connected" or "coupled" to another member, it is to be understood that the former member may be directly connected or coupled to the latter member, or a third member may be interposed between the two members.

The specific terminology used in the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, expressions used in the singular include expressions in the plural.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a state view illustrating a state where a reinforcing bar of a locking unit is inserted into a locking groove in a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a state view illustrating a state where a reinforcing bar of a locking unit is removed from a locking groove in a foldable door for a refrigerator appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, a foldable door 10 for a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first door 110, a second door 120, a locking unit 300, and a gasket seal 410.

Specifically, the first door 110 may include one front cover of the refrigerator main body 20 and may open and close one opening surface (e.g., a "first" opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20. In this regard, one opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20 can be understood as a portion of the opening surface in which the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator main body 20 is opened when the refrigerator door is opened. In addition, another opening surface (e.g., "second" opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20, which will be described later, is an opening surface different from the one opening surface, and can be understood as another portion of the opening surface in which the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator main body 20 is opened when the refrigerator door is opened.

The first door 110 may be rotatably connected to one end of the refrigerator main body 20. For example, one end of the first door 110 may be hinged to one end of the refrigerator main body 20 by a conventional hinge device. The other end of the first door 110 may be foldably connected to the second door 120.

The second door 120 may include another front cover of the refrigerator main body 20 and may open and close another opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20. The second door 120 may be foldably connected to the other end of the first door 110. For example, one end of the second door 120 may be foldably connected to the other end of the first door 110 by a conventional folding device.

The first door 110 and the second door 120 may close the entire opening surfaces (one opening surface and the other opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20 when the refrigerator main body 20 is closed. At this time, the first door 110 and the second door 120 may be provided in the form of plates arranged to face the entire opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20.

In addition, when the refrigerator main body 20 is opened, the first door 110 and the second door 120 may open the entire opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20, or the first door 110 and the second door 120 may open at least a part of the opening surface (e.g., another opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20.

For example, when the first and second doors 110 and 120 are rotated in a plate form with respect to the refrigerator main body 20, the first and second doors 110 and 120 may open the entire opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20. On the other hand, when the second door 120 is folded onto the first door 110, only the other opening surface of the refrigerator main body 20 may be opened. When the first door 110 and the second door 120 are rotated with respect to the refrigerator main body 20 in a folded state in which the second door 120 is folded onto the first door 110, not only the other opening surface (second opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20 but also the one opening surface (first opening surface) of the refrigerator main body 20 may be opened.

The first door 110 and the second door 120 may be selectively folded and fixed by the locking unit 300. To this end, the locking unit 300 may include a locking groove 310, a reinforcing bar 320, a switch 330, and an elastic member 340.

In one embodiment, the locking groove 310 may be provided as a groove located at the other end of the first door 110. The locking groove 310 may have an insertion space into which the end of the reinforcing bar 320 may be inserted. The reinforcement bar 320 may be slidably installed on the second door 120 and configured to be inserted into the locking groove 310. At this time, one end of the reinforcing bar 320 is positioned to face the locking groove 310 of the first door 110, and the switch 330 is attached on the other end of the reinforcing bar 320.

The switch 330 may be a button for pushing and moving the reinforcing bar 320, and may be mounted on a handle (not shown) of the refrigerator. In the present embodiment, an example in which the switch 330 is mounted on the handle of the refrigerator has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the switch 330 may be installed at various positions of the refrigerator in which a user may conveniently press the switch 330.

Accordingly, when the switch 330 is pressed by a user, the reinforcing bar 320 may be inserted into the locking groove 310 by the urging force of the switch 330. When the switch 330 is released, the reinforcing bar 320 inserted into the locking groove 310 may return to its original position by the restoring force of the elastic member 340.

The elastic member 340 may be in the form of an elastic spring installed in the locking groove 310. When the switch 330 presses the reinforcing bar 320, the elastic member 340 may be compressed by the reinforcing bar 320. When the switch 330 pressing the stiffener 320 is released, the elastic member 340 may provide a restoring force to the stiffener 320 to return the stiffener 320 to the original position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a gasket seal provided in a first door of a foldable door for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4, the gasket seal 410 is disposed in the folding region F between the first door 110 and the second door 120, and can prevent the cool air in the folding region F from leaking. At this time, the sealing member 420 may be disposed at the edges of the first and second doors 110 and 120.

For example, the gasket seal 410 may be installed at an edge of the first door 110 adjacent to the second door 120. When the open surface of the refrigerator main body 20 is closed by the first door 110 and the second door 120, the gasket seal 410 covers the folded region between the first door 110 and the second door 120, whereby the leakage of the cool air passing through the folded region may be prevented.

Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram illustrating a locking unit for a foldable door for a refrigerator according to a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 5, in a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the locking unit 300 may include a locking groove 310, a reinforcing bar 320, a switch 330, an elastic member 340, and a fixing unit 350. The configurations of the locking groove 310, the reinforcing bar 320, the switch 330, and the elastic member 340 (except for the fixing unit 350) are the same as those of the locking groove 310, the reinforcing bar 320, the switch 330, and the elastic member 340 as described in the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

The fixing unit 350 may fix the locking unit 300, more particularly, the reinforcing bar 320 to prevent its movement. For example, when the fixing unit 350 fixes the reinforcing bar 320 inserted into the locking groove 310, the first door 110 and the second door 120 may be maintained in a configuration in which they are connected to each other in a non-foldable plate form.

The fixing unit 350 may include a fixing portion 351 provided on the reinforcing bar 320, and an electromagnetic portion 352 configured to generate an electromagnetic attraction force acting on the fixing portion 351 when power is applied to the electromagnetic portion 352. When power is applied, the electromagnetic part 352 may fix the fixing part 351 of the reinforcing bar 320 against movement, thereby preventing the locking unit 300 from operating, for example, preventing the movement of the reinforcing bar 320.

The operation of the foldable door for a refrigerator having the above-described configuration will now be described.

As shown in fig. 2, when the user desires to use the first door 110 and the second door 120 in the form of unfolded boards, the user pushes a switch 330 provided on a handle of the refrigerator. At this time, the reinforcing bar 320 is inserted into the locking groove 310 by the pressure of the switch 330. Accordingly, the first door 110 and the second door 120 are fixed to each other by the reinforcing bar 320, and may be used in the form of an unfolded board.

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 3, when the switch 330 is released, the stiffener 320 (inserted in the locking groove 310) returns to its original position by the restoring force of the elastic member 340. In this state, the user may use the first door 110 and the second door 120 in a foldable form. That is, the user may use the first door 110 and the second door 120 by folding only the second door 120 onto the first door 110 without pressing the switch 330.

As shown in fig. 5, when the first door 110 and the second door 120 are continuously used in the form of unfolded boards, the user may apply power to the solenoid 352 of the fixing unit 350 while pressing the switch 330 provided on the handle of the refrigerator. At this time, the electromagnetic portion 352 fixes the fixing portion 351 of the reinforcing rod 320. Accordingly, the user may continue to use the first door 110 and the second door 120 in the form of unfolded sheets.

As described above, embodiments of the present disclosure may advantageously open a portion of a refrigerator compartment through a foldable structure of a door. Therefore, it is possible to easily open and close the door to reduce the turning radius of the door and to reduce the loss of cool air that may occur when the door is fully opened, as compared to the case where the entire door is opened and closed.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is to be interpreted by the following claims, and all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto are to be interpreted as falling within the scope of the present disclosure.