KR100707433B1 - Gasket Separator in Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention includes: a plurality of doors connected to the refrigerator body by a hinge portion; A gasket assembly which is installed to be in close contact with a counterpart door side to a part facing each other in the plurality of doors, and seals a gap between the doors; A connection member connected to the gasket assembly in a hinge direction of the door; And a pulling force generating mechanism that pulls the gasket assembly through the connecting member when the door is opened and closed by interaction with a member fixed to the refrigerator main body side, so that the gasket can be separated more reliably, and the door When opening and closing, the door can be opened and closed more easily by minimizing interference with the counterpart door, thereby providing an effect of extending the life of the gasket.

French, Gasket, Cam, Gasket Holder, Hinge Bracket, Connecting Element, Magnet

Description

Device for separating gasket of refrigerator

1 is a front view showing a French type refrigerator,

2 is a front view showing an open state of a French type refrigerator equipped with a gasket separating device of the prior art,

3 is a cross-sectional plan view of an essential part of a gasket detaching device of the prior art,

4 is a detailed view showing a deformation state of a gasket when the door is opened in the prior art,

5 to 7 are views showing a first embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention,

5 is a perspective view of a door open state of a refrigerator;

6 is a plan view of the main part of the state in which the door is closed;

7 is a plan view of the main part of the state in which the door is open;

8 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention;

9 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of the gasket detaching apparatus according to the present invention;

10 is a plan view showing a fourth embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

31: freezer 32: cold storage room

35R, 35L: Door 36: Door cap

37: gasket 40: refrigerator body

45 hinge portion 50 side gasket assembly

51: Gasket Holder 53: Gasket

55 magnet 57 rotation axis

59: elastic member 60: connection member

65: guide portion 70: pulling force generating mechanism

71: cam member 72: cam surface

75: pull lever 76: roller

170: pulling force generating mechanism 171: cam member

175: pull lever 176: roller

245: hinge portion 246: hinge bracket

247: hinge axis 272: cam surface

275 pull lever 350: side gasket assembly

356: guide portion 367: stopper

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a double door, and more particularly, to a gasket separating apparatus of a refrigerator which allows the gaskets which are in close contact with each other when the two doors are closed to be easily separated with the door opening.

1 and 2 are views illustrating a typical French type refrigerator.

As shown in the refrigerator, the refrigerating chamber 1 is positioned above and the freezing chamber 2 is positioned below. In particular, the refrigerating chamber is a French-type refrigerator in which a partition wall separating the interior is not formed.

The refrigerating chamber (2) is a door (3) for opening and closing it is composed of a double-door open structure, the gasket (10) that is in close contact with the refrigerator main body (5) is installed on the circumferential surface of each door (3) do.

In particular, the gasket 11 is installed so that cold air does not leak even in a portion where the doors 3 meet each other. In general, a refrigerator of a French type is provided with a filler at one door so that the gaskets of both doors are in close contact with each other. It has a structure or a fillerless structure in which the gaskets 11 of both doors 3 are in close contact with each other without a filler.

1 and 2 illustrate a pillarless type, in which the gaskets 11 provided on both doors are in close contact with each other while the doors 3 are closed, as shown in FIG. 1. Seal the gap.

3 is a planar cross-sectional view of the direction 'A' of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the gasket 11 is in close contact with both the doors 3 closed, and the gasket 11 has both doors 3. And a gasket holder 12 provided on side surfaces of the gasket holders 12 and a gasket rubber 13 attached to the gasket holder 12 to be in close contact with each other.

The magnets 14 are respectively installed in the gasket rubber 13 to maintain mutual adhesion.

Particularly, in order to solve the problem that the gasket 11 is opened along the other door when one door 3 is opened, the gasket separating device 15 separating the two gaskets 11 to some extent during the initial opening of the door. ) Is installed.

The gasket separating apparatus 15 is configured to rotate the gasket holder 12 about the hinge portion 16 supported by the door 3, and the gasket holder 12 is rotated around the hinge portion 16. A cam lever 17 is provided which protrudes in the opposite direction. In addition, the cam lever 17 is in contact with the refrigerator main body 5 so that the gasket rubber 13 and the gasket holder 12 rotate about the hinge portion 16 when the door is opened. The cam part 6 which opposes is formed.

Accordingly, in the state in which the door 3 is completely closed, as shown in FIG. 3, the cam portion 18 of the cam lever 17 is seated behind the cam portion 6 of the refrigerator main body 5, and then the one door 3 is closed. Is opened, the cam surface 17 of the cam lever 17 rotates about the hinge portion 16 while the cam surface 18 of the cam lever 17 passes through the cam portion 6 of the refrigerator main body 5 along with the door. At this time, since the gasket holder 12 also rotates about the hinge portion 16 at the same time, the gasket 11 ′ shown by the dotted line of FIG. 3 is separated from the gasket 11 of the other door 3. Only the door will open.

However, the conventional gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator made as described above opens one door 3 because the amount of change of the gasket 11 is relatively small compared to the rotation angle of the cam lever 17 generated when the door 3 is opened. When both gaskets 11 are not completely separated, there is a problem that a lifting phenomenon occurs that the other door is slightly opened along one door that is opened.

That is, referring to Figure 3, typically a center of rotation that is, the hinge portion length (H ₂₎ to the length (H _1), the gasket 11 from the hinge portion 16 to the cam lever 17 from 16 Since the design is longer, the amount of change of the gasket 11 is smaller than the amount of change of the cam lever 17 when the door is opened, so that the gasket and the magnet 14 provided in the gasket are not completely separated or mutual attraction works. One door is opened in a state where the other door is also a problem that comes out to some extent.

In addition, since both gaskets 11 are not completely separated in the process of opening the door 3 as described above, each time the door 3 is opened by the interaction of both magnets 14, the gasket is as shown in FIG. The phenomenon in which the rubber 13 is deformed while being deformed to one side is repeatedly generated, and when the refrigerator is used for a long time in such a state, the gasket rubber 13 is damaged and the gasket life is greatly shortened.

Further, since the cam lever 17 and the cam part 6 of the refrigerator main body 5 are in contact with each other, the gasket 11 is spaced apart from each other at the center of the refrigerator farthest from the hinge part of the door 3. There is also a problem in that when opening (3), the resistance increases, so much force is required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, it is configured to pull the gasket on the hinge side when the door opening and closing to remove the gasket from the mating door more reliably to minimize the interference with the mating door. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a gasket separating device of a refrigerator that can extend the life of the gasket.

In addition, the present invention can reduce the opening force of the door by installing a means for pulling the gasket on the hinge side of the door rather than the center of the door, and at the same time improve the aesthetics of the center of the refrigerator while minimizing the exposure of the means for pulling the gasket. Another object is to provide a gasket separating device of a refrigerator.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a gasket separating apparatus of a refrigerator capable of reducing the number of parts and simplifying a structure by including a means for pulling a gasket on the hinge bracket.

The gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention for realizing the above object comprises a plurality of doors connected to the refrigerator body by a hinge; A gasket assembly which is installed to be in close contact with a counterpart door side to a part facing each other in the plurality of doors, and seals a gap between the doors; A connection member connected to the gasket assembly in a hinge direction of the door; And a pulling force generating mechanism that pulls the gasket assembly through the connecting member when the door is opened and closed by interaction with a member fixed to the refrigerator main body side.

The door is provided with a guide member for guiding the movement of the connecting member or the pulling force generating mechanism.

The gasket assembly includes a gasket holder rotatably provided at one end of the door and connected to the connection member at another end thereof, and a gasket installed at a front side of the gasket holder and provided with a magnet therein.

In addition, the gasket assembly may be configured to include a gasket holder provided on the door to be movable in the inward direction of the door and connected to the connection member, and a gasket installed in front of the gasket holder and provided with a magnet therein. .

The connecting member is composed of a link member connected with the gasket assembly so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the pulling force generating mechanism.

The pull force generating mechanism includes a cam member provided in the refrigerator main body, and a pull lever which is connected to the connecting member on the door side and moves the connecting member while making a relative movement in contact with the cam member when the door is opened. It is configured to include.

The cam member has a cam surface protruding from the refrigerator main body toward the hinge portion, and the pull lever protrudes from the cam surface in a direction opposite to the cam surface of the cam member so that the two cam surfaces contact each other at the beginning of the door opening. It is configured to generate.

The cam member has a cam surface protruding from the refrigerator body in the direction of the gasket assembly, and the pull lever is rotatably installed on the door, and a portion around the portion is formed with a cam surface to form a cam surface. The other part is connected to the connecting member and configured to generate a pulling force while the two cam surfaces are in contact with each other when the door is opened and closed.

Unlike the above, the cam member may be configured to protrude in the direction of the door from the refrigerator body.

In addition, unlike the above, the hinge part may include a hinge bracket fixed to the refrigerator body, and the cam member may be configured to be provided in the hinge bracket.

The pull lever is provided with a roller in contact with the cam member.

The gasket separating apparatus is provided with an elastic member that provides an elastic force in a direction opposite to the direction in which the gasket is pulled between at least one of the gasket assembly, the connection member, the pull lever and the door.

The connecting member or the pulling force generating mechanism is provided with a shock absorbing member that cushions excessive displacement.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For reference, the present invention may be applied to a refrigerator having neither a freezer compartment or a refrigerating compartment but having a double door open type door, and may be applied to a refrigerator that is open in a vertical direction as well as a refrigerator in which both doors are opened in left and right directions. Therefore, the present invention is, of course, applicable to all the refrigerators in which the side gasket assembly is installed in close contact with the opposite door side in the opposite parts of both doors to seal the gap between the doors.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the French type refrigerator that can be opened in the left and right direction is provided with a double door type in one refrigerator compartment.

5 to 7 is a view showing a first embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a door open state of the refrigerator, Figure 6 is a plan view of the main part of the door closed state, 7 is a plan view of the main part of the state in which the door is open.

As shown in FIG. 5, a freezing compartment 31 is positioned at a lower side thereof, and a refrigerating chamber 32 having double doors 35L and 35R is positioned at an upper side thereof.

The two doors 35L and 35R are connected to the refrigerator main body 40 by a hinge portion 45 so as to open and close the refrigerating chamber 32 in an opening and closing manner.

Gaskets 37 are installed on both the doors 35L and 35R in close contact with the refrigerator main body 40 so as to prevent cold air from leaking out to the outside.

Particularly, since the partition wall or the refrigerator main body 40 does not exist in a portion where the two doors 35L and 35R face each other, the side gasket assembly 50 closes to the counter door and seals the gap between the doors 35L and 35R. Is installed.

Referring to FIG. 6, the side gasket assembly 50 is provided at a gasket holder 51 provided on side surfaces of the doors 35L and 35R, and is provided in front of the gasket holder 51 to a gasket of a mating door. It is composed of a gasket 53 to be in close contact with each other, and a magnet 55 provided inside the gasket 53 to generate magnetism to be in close contact with the gasket 53 of the mating doors 35L and 35R.

In particular, since the side gasket assembly 50 seals the inside of the refrigerating compartment 32 while being in close contact with the side gasket assembly 50 of the mating door, the side gasket assembly 50 is connected to the mating side gasket assembly 50 when the door 35L or 35R is opened or closed. Sweep and move along the door (35L or 35R).

Thus, the present invention is provided with a device for separating both side gasket assembly 50 when the door (35L, 35R) is opened and closed in order to minimize the phenomenon that both side gasket assembly is open in close contact with each other.

First, the side gasket assembly 50 has a gasket holder 51 rotatably installed on the doors 35L and 35R. That is, the gasket holder 51 is installed on the doors 35L and 35R through the rotation shaft 57, and the rotation shaft 57 is capable of increasing the separation displacement of the main close contact portion of the gasket 53. It is preferable to be installed at a position far from the installed portion.

A connecting member 60 is connected to the rear portion of the gasket holder 51 in the direction of the hinge portion 45 of the doors 35L and 35R, and the connecting member 60 is opened by the doors 35L and 35R. When closed, the gasket 53 is connected to a pulling force generating mechanism 70 that generates a pulling force so as to be spaced apart from the mating gasket 53.

Here, the connecting member 60 is preferably connected directly behind the portion of the rotation shaft 57 of the gasket holder 51 and the portion where the magnet 55 is located as far as possible, and the gasket holder 51 Together with the pull force generating mechanism 70 is preferably connected to the link structure so as to be relatively rotatable.

The connecting member 60 is provided with a shock absorbing member 63 in the middle portion thereof so as not to cause excessive displacement by the pull force generating mechanism or to eliminate assembly errors. The shock absorbing member 63 may be formed in a conventional spring structure, and the rotation shaft 57 of the gasket holder 51 to be described later so as not to affect the transfer force of pulling the gasket while moving integrally with the connecting member 63. It should be used that the elastic modulus is larger than the elastic member 59 that provides the elastic force to the.

The connecting member 60 is provided inside the door cap 36 constituting the upper ends of the doors 35L and 35R, and guides the linear movement of the connecting member 60 inside the door cap 36. Guide portion 65 is provided. Such a guide portion 65 can be installed in a structure that guides the movement of the pulling force generating mechanism 70 to be described later, of course.

The pulling force generating mechanism 70 is connected to the side through the connecting member 60 when the doors 35L and 35R are opened by the member fixed to the refrigerator main body 40, that is, the cam member 71. It is configured to pull the gasket assembly 50.

That is, the pull force generating mechanism 70 includes a cam member 71 protruding from the refrigerator main body 40 in the direction of the doors 35L and 35R, and the connection member (from the doors 35L and 35R). And a pull lever 75 which is in contact with the cam member 71 when the doors 35L and 35R are opened to move the connecting member 60 while making a relative movement.

Here, the cam member 71 has a cam surface 72 protruding from the refrigerator body 40 toward the hinge portion 45, and the pull lever 75 has a cam surface 72 of the cam member 71. The cam surface protrudes in the opposite direction, so that the pulling force generating mechanism 70 is configured to generate a pulling force as the two cam surfaces come into contact with each other when the doors 35L and 35R are opened and closed.

The cam surface of the pull lever 75 is preferably constituted by a roller 76 so as to make a rolling contact with the cam surface 72 of the cam member 71.

On the other hand, the rotation shaft 57 of the gasket holder 51 is provided with an elastic member 59 of a conventional spring structure that provides the gasket holder 51 with a force opposed to the pulling force of the pulling force generating mechanism 70. do. That is, the elastic member 59 provides a force for bringing the gaskets 53 of both doors 35L and 35R into close contact with each other.

Such an elastic member 59 is not limited to the structure installed in the gasket holder 51, it is, of course, can also be installed in the connecting member 60, the pull lever 75 and the like.

Referring to the operation of the first embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

In the state where both doors 35L and 35R of the refrigerator are closed, the pull lever 75 is in contact with the lower portion of the cam member 71 as shown in FIG. 6, so that the elastic member 59 of the gasket holder 51 is closed. One of the gaskets 53 is in close contact with the mating gasket 53 by the elastic force acting on the sealant to seal the inside of the refrigerating chamber 32.

When the user opens the one door 35R in such a state, as shown in FIG. 7, the roller 76 of the pull lever 75 moves on the cam surface 72 of the cam member 71. Done. At this time, the maximum pull displacement is generated while the roller 76 passes through the apex of the cam surface 72, and the pull lever 75 moves in the direction of the hinge portion 45 of the door 35R. ), The gasket holder 51 connected with each other overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member 59 and moves inside the door 35R.

Therefore, the door 35R in a state where the gasket 53 and the magnet 55 that are in close contact with the gasket 53 of the mating door 35L are separated from the gasket 53 and the magnet 55 on the mating doors 35L and 35R side. Is opened along.

On the contrary, even when the door 35R is closed, the roller 76 of the pull lever 75 passes over the cam member 71, so that the gasket 53 is closed immediately before the door 35R is completely closed. It is closed in a state spaced apart from the gasket 53 of 35L to some extent.

Consequently, both magnets 55 are separated by separating the gasket 53 from the gasket 53 of the mating door 35L by the interaction of the cam member 71 and the pull lever 75 when the door 35R is closed and opened. It is possible to open and close the door 35R in a state of reducing the manpower between the gaskets 53 and minimizing the swept phenomenon between the gaskets 53.

Meanwhile, in the first embodiment of the present invention as described above, the connection member 60 and the pulling lever 75 and the like have been described in the embodiment of the structure installed in the door cap 36 constituting the upper ends of the doors 35L and 35R. According to the embodiment, it is possible to install outside the upper end of the doors 35L and 35R, and is not limited to the structure to be installed on the upper side of the doors 35L and 35R. It is also possible to install below the doors 35L and 35R.

Hereinafter, the second to fourth embodiments according to the present invention will be described. For reference, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components as those of the above-described first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

8 shows a second embodiment of a gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention.

In the gasket separating apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the side gasket assembly 50, the connecting member 60, and the like is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. However, in the second embodiment, the cam surface 172 of the cam member 171, which is the pulling force generating mechanism 170, protrudes from the refrigerator body 40 in the direction of the side gasket assembly 50.

A pulling lever 175 which is in contact with the cam member 171 and generates a pulling force is installed to be rotatable in the doors 35L and 35R, and at one portion of the cam member 171 from the rotation center C. A roller 176 forming a cam surface in contact with the cam surface 172 is installed, and a connecting member 60 connected to the side gasket assembly 50 is connected to the other portion.

In the gasket separating apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention, the cam member 171 of the roller 176 of the pull lever 175 when the doors 35L and 35R are opened and closed in the same manner as the first embodiment described above. The gasket 53 is separated from the mating gasket 53 by generating a pulling force while moving on the cam surface of the &quot;

9 is a view showing a third embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention.

In the gasket separating apparatus of the third embodiment of the present invention, the cam members 271 are different from the structure in which the cam members 71 and 171 are directly installed in the refrigerator body 40 and protrude in the first and second embodiments. It is made of a structure formed directly on the hinge bracket 246 constituting the hinge portion 245.

In general, a hinge bracket 246 is provided on the upper and lower sides of the refrigerator body 40 to form a rotation center when the doors 35L and 35R are opened and closed, and a hinge shaft 247 formed in the hinge bracket 246. A hinge device is formed by a structure inserted into a hinge hole (not shown) of the doors 35L and 35R.

Here, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the cam surface 272 forming the cam member 271 is integrally formed on the side of the hinge bracket 246, and the cam surface 272 is provided on the doors 35L and 35R. A pull lever 275 having the same structure as that of the pull lever 175 of the above-described second embodiment is installed so as to come in contact with and generate a pull force.

Therefore, the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention as described above can implement the same mechanism as the operation of the above-described second embodiment by forming the cam surface 272 on the hinge bracket 246 without forming a separate cam member 271. Will be.

10 is a view showing a fourth embodiment of the gasket separating apparatus according to the present invention.

In the gasket separating apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the gasket assembly 50 of each of the above-described embodiments is configured such that the entire side gasket assembly 350 is formed inside the doors 35L and 35R. It is made of a structure that is separated while moving in the outward direction.

The gasket separating apparatus of the fourth embodiment of the present invention is provided with a guide part 356 to horizontally move the gasket assembly 350 on the sides of the doors 35L and 35R, and behind the gasket holder 351. The side gasket assembly 350 is provided with an elastic member 357 for pushing in the direction of the mating side gasket assembly 350. Of course, the guide portion 356 is formed with a stopper 367 that restricts the gasket holder 351 from going out.

And as in the configuration of the first embodiment described above, the connecting member 60 is connected to the rear of the gasket holder 351, the connecting member 60 is the cam member 71 and the pull lever on the refrigerator main body 40 side A pulling force generating mechanism 70 composed of 75 is provided.

Here, the gasket holder 351 and the connection portion 60 of the connection member 60 are connected to each other at the rear of the portion where the magnet 355 is located because the adhesion of the portion where the magnet 355 is installed in the gasket 353 is large. It is preferable to install.

Therefore, the fourth embodiment of the present invention as described above, when the door (35L, 35R) is opened and closed, the entire side gasket assembly 350 is moved in the front and rear direction from the side of the door (35L, 35R) ( 350, or close to or separated from.

The gasket separation apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention constructed and operated as described above is configured to pull and separate the gasket from the hinge side of the door instead of the center portion of the door, thereby increasing the displacement at which the gasket is separated, thereby making the gasket more reliable. It can be separated, thereby minimizing interference with the relative door when opening and closing the door, it is easy to open and close the door, there is an advantage that can extend the life of the gasket.

In addition, the present invention is configured so that the gasket can be separated by the mutual interference between the refrigerator main body side and the door at the hinge side of the door can open the door with a smaller force than the structure installed in the center of the conventional door, It can minimize the exposure of the, and there is also an advantage that can prevent the damage and appearance of the parts due to the exposure of the parts.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of improving the appearance by minimizing the external exposure as well as the total number of parts of the device when configured to close the hinge bracket to pull the gasket when opening and closing the door.

Claims (13)

A plurality of doors hinged to the refrigerator main body; A gasket assembly which is installed to be in close contact with a counterpart door side to a part facing each other in the plurality of doors, and seals a gap between the doors; A connection member connected to the gasket assembly in a hinge direction of the door; And a pulling force generating mechanism that pulls the gasket assembly through the connecting member when the door is opened and closed by interacting with a member fixed to the refrigerator main body side. The method of claim 1, The door is a gasket separation apparatus of the refrigerator, characterized in that the guide member for guiding the movement of the connecting member or the pulling force generating mechanism. The method of claim 1, The gasket assembly, And a gasket holder having one end rotatably provided at the door and another end connected to the connection member, and a gasket installed at the front of the gasket holder and having a magnet therein. The method of claim 1, The gasket assembly, And a gasket holder provided on the door to move inwardly of the door, the gasket holder connected to the connection member, and a gasket installed in front of the gasket holder and provided with a magnet therein. The method of claim 1, And said connecting member is a link member coupled to said gasket assembly so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to said pulling force generating mechanism. The method of claim 1, The pulling force generating mechanism, A cam member provided in the refrigerator main body, and a pull lever connected to the connection member on the door side and moving the connection member while being moved relative to the cam member when the door is opened. Gasket Separation Device. The method of claim 6, The cam member has a cam surface protruding from the refrigerator main body toward the hinge portion, and the pull lever protrudes from the cam surface in a direction opposite to the cam surface of the cam member so that the two cam surfaces contact each other at the beginning of the door opening. A gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator, characterized in that the generation. The method of claim 6, The cam member has a cam surface protruding from the refrigerator body toward the gasket assembly, The pull lever is rotatably installed on the door, and a portion around the portion is formed with a cam surface to contact the cam surface of the cam member, and the other portion is connected to the connecting member. The gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator, characterized in that the two cam surfaces are in contact with each other when the door is opened and closed to generate a pulling force. The method of claim 6, And the cam member is provided to protrude in the direction of the door from the refrigerator body. The method of claim 6, The hinge portion includes a hinge bracket fixed in the refrigerator body, And the cam member is provided in the hinge bracket. The method of claim 6, The pull lever is a gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator, characterized in that the roller is provided in contact with the cam member. The method of claim 6, The gasket separating device is a gasket of a refrigerator, characterized in that an elastic member is provided between at least one of the gasket assembly, the connection member, and the pull lever and the door in an opposite direction to the direction in which the gasket is pulled. Separation device. The method of claim 1, The gasket separating apparatus of the refrigerator, characterized in that the connecting member or the pulling force generating mechanism is provided with a buffer member for cushioning the occurrence of excessive displacement.

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