US-12618609-B2 - Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main door rotatably provided in the cabinet by a first hinge to open and close the storeroom, and a sub door disposed between the main door and the storeroom, rotatably provided with respect to the main door by a second hinge, and defining a storage space disposed inside the storeroom in a closed state, and in this case, the first hinge and the second hinge are bent at the same bending angle and are disposed in parallel to each other or overlap each other.

Inventors

• Bumsang Lee
• Daekee Shin
• Insun Yeo
• Hophil Lee

Assignees

• LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230622

Priority Date

20220623

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet including a first storage space therein; a main door rotatably coupled to the cabinet by a first hinge and configured to open and close the first storage space; and a sub door positioned between the main door and the first storage space, rotatably coupled to the main door by a second hinge, and defining a second storage space disposed inside the first storage space when the sub door is closed, wherein: the first hinge includes a first end coupled to the cabinet and a second end coupled to a first section of a pivot shaft of the main door such that the main door rotates with respect to the cabinet; and the second hinge includes a first end coupled to the sub door and a second end coupled at a second section of the pivot shaft such that the sub door rotates with respect to the main door, wherein the first end and the second end of the second hinge are connected by a vertical extension such that the first end and the second end of the second hinge are provided at different vertical heights of the refrigerator, wherein a second cover is disposed on the second hinge, and wherein the second cover includes a coupler bent in a vertical direction such that the coupler overlaps and combines with the vertical extension of the second hinge.
2. 2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first hinge includes: a first plate; a first extension extending horizontally from the first plate toward a pivot shaft of the main door; and a first pivot hole provided in the first extension and coupled to the pivot shaft, wherein the second hinge includes: a second plate; a second extension extending horizontally from the second plate toward the pivot shaft; and a second pivot hole provided in the second extension and coupled to the pivot shaft.
3. 3 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first extension and the second extension are positioned in parallel to each other.
4. 4 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first extension extends at a first angle with respect to the first plate, and the second extension extends at a second angle with respect to the second plate.
5. 5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the first angle and the second angle are equal to each other.
6. 6 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the first angle and the second angle are greater than a right angle.
7. 7 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first plate and the second plate overlap each other in a vertical direction.
8. 8 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first extension and at least a portion of the second extension are positioned in an installation groove formed in the main door, and wherein the installation groove is spaced downward from a top of the main door.
9. 9 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first hinge includes a first fixing plate connected to the first plate and fixed to the cabinet; and wherein the second hinge includes a second fixing plate connected to the second plate and fixed to the sub door.
10. 10 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the second plate and the second fixing plate are connected to each other by the vertical extension such that the second plate and the second fixing plate are provided at different heights.
11. 11 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein a shape of the second cover is substantially the same as a shape of the second hinge.
12. 12 . The refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the second cover includes: a third body corresponding to the second plate; a third bent portion corresponding to the second extension; and a third pivot hole corresponding to the second pivot hole.
13. 13 . The refrigerator of claim 12 , wherein the coupler is bent in the vertical direction from the third body.
14. 14 . The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the first hinge further includes a first cover covering the first plate and the first extension.
15. 15 . The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein a shape of the first cover is substantially the same as a shape of the first hinge.
16. 16 . The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the first cover includes: a top surface covering the first hinge; and a side surface extending from the top surface and contacting an external shape of the first hinge.
17. 17 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the first plate and the first fixing plate have a height difference.
18. 18 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the first plate includes: a first region connected to the first fixing plate; and a second region extending at a second angle with respect to the first portion-region and connected to the first extension.
19. 19 . The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the first plate includes a wire groove configured to receive a wire.
20. 20 . The refrigerator of claim 19 , wherein the first pivot hole and the wire groove are connected to each other.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0077127, filed in Korea on Jun. 23, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0145207, filed in Korea on Nov. 3, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0020532, filed in Korea on Feb. 16, 2023, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator for efficiently configuring an internal space of a storeroom and opening and closing the internal space. 2. Background In general, a refrigerator is a device that includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and the like and freezes or refrigerates food or the like by discharging cold air generated by a refrigeration cycle and lowering the temperature inside the refrigerator (inside a storage room). A refrigerator generally includes a freezing chamber for freezing and storing food or beverages as a storeroom, and a refrigerating chamber for storing the food or beverages at a low temperature. Refrigerators are classified into a top mount type in which a freezing chamber is disposed above a refrigerating chamber, a bottom freezer type in which the freezing chamber is disposed below the refrigerating chamber, and a side-by-side type in which the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber are separated as left and right sides. In this case, doors are provided in the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber, respectively, and the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber are accessed through the doors. In addition to the refrigerator in which the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber are separated from each other, there is also a refrigerator in which the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber are accessed through a single door. Most of these refrigerators are small, and a freezing chamber is generally provided in a predetermined space inside the refrigerating chamber. Among top-mounted refrigerators, a French type refrigerator in which an upper refrigerating chamber is opened and closed through left and right doors is also provided. The freezing chamber of the French type refrigerator is also opened and closed through the left and right doors. Recently, a home-bar, an ice maker, a shelf, a basket, and the like are mounted on a rear side of a door of a refrigerator, and there is a growing tendency to use the rear side of the door as a separate storage space or a separate function space. That is, the door defines a separate storage space or performs additional functions such as generating and supplying ice or cold water beyond the function of simply opening and closing the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber. A double door refrigerator in which a sub (auxiliary) door is mounted on a main door that opens and closes a storeroom is provided. This is referred to as a door-in-door (DID) refrigerator, that is, a DID refrigerator. When using such a DID refrigerator, a user uses a storeroom by opening the main door, and uses a sub storeroom by opening only a sub door while the main door is closed. The sub storage room is provided behind the main door and is referred to as a storage area partitioned from the storage room through some partitions. Recently, there is a trend in that the sub storage area is not formed only in a part of the main door, but is formed in substantially the entire area of the main door. Therefore, the sub storeroom inside the main door is opened and closed to form a separate door. This is referred to as an interior door. In contrast, the main door described above is referred to as an exterior door. Baskets for storing food or objects are provided in the main door and the sub door. However, it is difficult to supply cold air to the basket installed in the sub door or the basket installed in the main door. In addition, there is a problem that the main door itself is too thick, or the door itself including the sub door and the main door takes up an overly large volume, thereby reducing an area of the storeroom of the refrigerator or making the refrigerator excessively large. For example, the disclosure described in a cited reference (Patent Document 1) below relates to a refrigerator provided with a container in which a storage area (corresponding to a sub storeroom) different from an internal storeroom of the refrigerator is defined on a door side. In the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to efficiently supply cold air to a basket installed on a side of an exterior door. In addition, since the basket installed on the side of the exterior door has a width corresponding to the width of the exterior door, the exterior door becomes too thick in consideration of a storage space of the basket. In this regard, in such a refrigerator, it is difficult to load a lot of food or objects in a basket installed on an exterior