KR20060075639A - Door opening and closing device of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door opening and closing device of a refrigerator. The present invention is a hinge plate 31 mounted on the refrigerator main body 20 having a storage space 22 formed therein and provided with a hinge pin 32, and opening and closing the storage space 22. A door body 26 having a hinge hole 29 into which a 32 is inserted is provided in a long hole shape, and a guide pin 33 provided at the side of the refrigerator body 20 to guide rotation of the door body 26. And, provided in the door body 26 to guide the movement of the guide pin 33 to control the rotational trajectory of the door body 26 and to move the door body 26 to the front end of the free end thereof It is configured to include an elastic cam 35 to provide an elastic force. According to the present invention, the durability of the tip gasket 28 'provided at the tip of the doors 24 and 24' is improved and leakage of cold air through the tip of the doors 24 and 24 'is prevented.

Refrigerator, door, opening and closing, gasket, close contact

Description

A door open / close apparatus for refrigerator

1 is a front view showing the configuration of a typical refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the main configuration of the refrigerator to which the preferred embodiment of the door opening and closing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

Figure 3a is a plan view showing the configuration of a hinge plate constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3b is a plan view showing the main configuration of the door body constituting the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3c is a plan view showing the configuration of an elastic cam constituting an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the main configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an operational state diagram showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention sequentially.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

20: refrigerator body 22: storage space

24, 24 ': Door 26: Door body

28: Gasket 28 ': Tip Gasket

30: hinge assembly 31: hinge plate

32: hinge pin 33: guide pin

35: elastic cam 36: cam body

38: elastic guide 39: guide portion                 

40: stopper part 42: guide slot

43: Inside session 43 ': Travel guide

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a door opening and closing device for controlling the operation of the door for opening and closing the storage space formed in the refrigerator body.

1 is a front view illustrating an exterior configuration of a general refrigerator. According to this, the refrigerator main body 1 is provided with a heat insulating layer inside the wall is formed with a storage space (not shown) to be opened to the front.

The storage space may be divided into a plurality, the partitioned storage space is each opened and closed by a door. The storage space formed at the lower portion of the refrigerator body 1 is opened and closed by a drawer type door 3. A handle 3h is provided at the front upper end of the drawer door 3.

A pair of doors 5 and 5 'which are opened and closed in a left and right direction are installed in a relatively upper portion of the storage space. The doors 5 and 5 'are opened and closed around portions corresponding to both ends of the refrigerator body 1. To this end, handles 6 and 6 'are provided on the front surface opposite to the center of rotation of the doors 5 and 5', respectively.

On the other hand, when both doors 5 and 5 'are closed, the ends thereof are adjacent to each other, and gaskets 8 and 8' are provided at the ends of each door 5 and 5 'for sealing therebetween. do. The gaskets 8 and 8 'are in close contact with each other when the doors 5 and 5' are closed, and serve to prevent leakage of cold air. Of course, a gasket is provided between the rear surface of the doors 5 and 5 'and the front surface of the refrigerator body 1. Magnets are provided inside the gaskets 8 and 8 'to be in close contact with each other by magnetic force, and magnets behind the doors 5 and 5' are also in close contact with the front of the refrigerator body 1 by magnetic force.

The doors 5 and 5 'are rotatably supported by the refrigerator main body 1 by lower hinge assemblies and upper hinge assemblies 10 and 10', respectively. The hinge assemblies 10 and 10 'are fixed to upper and lower ends (parts corresponding to upper and lower ends of the doors 5 and 5') of the refrigerator body 1.

However, the prior art having the above configuration has the following problems.

The gaskets 8 and 8 'provided at the front ends of the doors 5 and 5' are in close contact with each other, and when any one door 5 or 5 'is opened, they are rubbed with each other. Therefore, when the doors 5 and 5 'are repeatedly opened and closed, the gaskets 8 and 8' are damaged and fail to function properly.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, to provide a door opening and closing device configured to open and close a pair of doors each provided with a gasket at the front end without friction of the gasket.

Another object of the present invention is to minimize leakage of cold air between the doors in a configuration in which a pair of doors open and close a storage space.

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the object as described above, the present invention is a hinge plate which is mounted to the refrigerator main body and the hinge pin is provided with a storage space therein, and opening and closing the storage space The door body is inserted into the hinge hole is formed in the long hole shape, the guide pin is provided on the side of the refrigerator main body for guiding the rotation of the door body, the door body is provided to guide the movement of the guide pin to the door And an elastic cam for controlling the rotational trajectory of the main body and providing an elastic force for moving the door body toward the front of the free end thereof.

The hinge hole is formed to be inclined obliquely toward the storage space of the refrigerator body toward the free end from the rotation center side of the door body.

The guide pin is provided on the hinge plate at regular intervals from the hinge pin.

The cam body of the elastic cam is formed with a guide slot for guiding the movement of the guide pin, the inlet of the guide slot includes an insertion guide portion for guiding the movement of the guide pin at least as long as corresponding to the length of the hinge hole It has a width, and has a movement guide for guiding the guide pin at the beginning and the end of the opening and closing of the door body and the guide pin during the rotation of the guide when the door body is rotated.

One side of the movement guide portion is formed with an elastic guide capable of elastic deformation due to its one end connected to the cam body, and the guide pin when the guide portion and the door body forming the movement guide portion are closed in the elastic guide. The seating portion to be seated is provided.

One side of the cam body is further provided with a stopper portion for selectively supporting the front end of the elastic guide.

According to the door opening and closing apparatus of the refrigerator according to the present invention as described above, in a structure in which a pair of doors are opened and closed, friction between the gaskets provided at the front end of the door is eliminated, and thus the durability of the gasket is improved. In the closed state, the gaskets are in close contact with each other, and thus there is an advantage of eliminating cold air leakage.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a door opening and closing device of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a main part of a refrigerator to which a door opening and closing device according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing components of components constituting an embodiment of the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the present invention. An example main configuration is shown in schematic diagram.

As shown in these drawings, the storage space 22 is formed inside the refrigerator main body 20 so as to be opened forward. A plurality of the storage space 22 may be formed. The storage space 22 is opened and closed by doors 24 and 24 '. The heat insulation layer is formed in the door body 26 of the doors 24 and 24 '. In general, the door body 26 is composed of at least a front plate to form a front surface, a door liner to form a rear surface and a decoration cap to form an upper and lower ends. A door handle 27 is provided at the front end side of the door body 26. The door handle 27 is a part that the user grabs and applies a force when the doors 24 and 24 'are opened and closed.

A gasket 28 is provided at a portion of the rear surface of the door body 26 corresponding to the front surface of the refrigerator body 20, which is an inlet edge of the storage space 22. The gasket 28 is a portion for preventing cold air leakage between the door body 26 and the refrigerator body 20. The gasket 28 generally includes a flexible magnet, and a metallic material is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator body 20 corresponding to the gasket 28. Therefore, when the doors 24 and 24 'are closed, the gasket 28 is in close contact with the refrigerator main body 20 by magnetic force.

A tip gasket 28 'is provided at each tip of the free end of the door body 26. The tip gasket 28 'is for preventing leakage of cold air generated between the tips of the doors 24 and 24'. The tip gasket 28 'is also provided with a flexible magnet therein so that the doors 24 and 24' are closed by magnetic force. In the figure, reference numeral 26 'is a fastening hole.

On the other hand, the hinge assembly 30 is provided on the upper and lower ends of the door body 26 to be the center of rotation. The hinge assembly 30 supports the door body 26 to be opened and closed to the refrigerator body 20. For reference, a configuration for opening and closing the doors 24 and 24 'including the hinge assembly 30 is provided at upper and lower ends of the both door bodies 26, respectively.

Referring to the configuration of the hinge assembly 30, a hinge hole 29 is formed in the door body 26, respectively. The hinge hole 29 is formed in the form of a long hole, when viewed from the top or bottom surface of the door body 26 in plan view or bottom view, it is formed obliquely. The hinge hole 29 is formed obliquely in the direction of the storage space toward the free end from the center of rotation of the doors 24 and 24 'with respect to the top surface of the door body 26.

The hinge body 31 is mounted on the refrigerator body 20. The hinge plate 31 is plate-like, bent at approximately right angles so that one side is mounted to the refrigerator main body 20, and the other side protrudes toward the front of the refrigerator main body 20. The hinge plate 31 protruding forward of the refrigerator main body 20 is provided with a hinge pin 32 and a guide pin 33, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3A. The hinge pin 32 and the guide pin 33 are formed to extend a predetermined length in the direction of the door body 26, respectively.

The door body 26 is provided with an elastic cam 35. The elastic cam 35 is provided at a position corresponding to the guide pin 33 of the door body 26. The cam body 36 of the elastic cam 35 is mounted to the door body 26 and has a plurality of fastening holes 36 '. The fastening hole 36 ′ is formed at a position corresponding to the fastening hole 26 ′ of the door body 26. Accordingly, the cam body 36 is fixed by fastening screws to the door body 26 by fastening holes 26 'and 36'. In order to securely fasten the cam body 36 to the door body 26, a groove corresponding to the shape of the cam body 36 may be formed in an area including the fastening hole 26 ′. have.

An elastic guide 38 is formed at one side of the cam body 36. The elastic guide 38 is formed to be elastically deformable due to its shape, and is provided with a seating portion 38 'on which the guide pin 33 is seated when the doors 24 and 24' are closed. When the guide pin 33 is seated on the seating portion 38 ′, the front end gasket 28 ′ of the front end of the door main body 26 is in the state in which the elastic guide 38 is elastically deformed. Provide a force to move in a direction that is in close contact with the gasket 28 'of (26).

A guide portion 39 is formed along one side of the tip of the elastic guide 38. The guide portion 39 serves to set the position of the hinge pin 32 in the hinge hole 29 at the beginning and end of the door body 26. A stopper part 40 is provided at one side of the cam body 36 corresponding to the front end of the elastic guide 38. The stopper part 40 serves to regulate the elastic deformation of the elastic guide 38 not to be greater than or equal to a predetermined time when the door body 26 is opened and closed.

Guide slots 42 are formed in the cam body 36. The guide slot 42 serves to guide the movement of the guide pin 33. The guide slot 42 has an inlet opening in the outer side of the cam body 36 and the rear side of the door body 26 (that is, the front direction of the refrigerator body 20). The inlet of the guide slot 42 has a shape that is expanded toward the outside, the width of the inlet is preferably formed to correspond to the length of the hinge hole (29). In particular, an insertion guide portion 42 'is formed at one side of the inlet, and the insertion guide portion 42' is provided with a guide slot 42 regardless of where the hinge pin 32 is located at the hinge hole 29. ) To get into. A guide portion 39 and a seating portion 38 ′ of the elastic guide 38 form a portion of the inner side of the guide slot 42.

The portion of the guide slot 42 is formed by the elastic guide 38 is formed differently from the rest of the curvature. That is, the door body 26 with the hinge pin 32 located at the right end (see FIG. 2) of the hinge hole 29 in the portion from the inlet of the guide slot 42 to the front of the elastic guide 38. The curvature is formed to be the center of rotation of the. This part is referred to as the inner portion 43.

In addition, the portion of the guide slot 42 corresponding to the elastic guide 38 is preferably formed to have a slightly larger inclination than the inclination angle of the hinge hole 29 is formed as the movement guide 43 '. . The movement guide portion 43 'serves to set the position of the hinge pin 32 together with the guide portion 39 of the elastic guide 38.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment the cam body 36 is formed by dividing into two parts based on the guide slot 42, to the guide slot 42 to manufacture the entire cam body 36 integrally The connecting piece 45 is formed. The connecting piece 45 serves to connect both cam bodies 36 to each other and is formed relatively thinner than the thickness of the cam body 36.

Hereinafter, the operation of the door opening and closing device of the refrigerator according to the present invention having the configuration as described above will be described in detail.

5 illustrates a state in which the doors 24 and 24 'are opened and closed in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, the door 24 provided on the left side of the refrigerator main body 20 is opened and closed. What is shown in cross section is provided in the refrigerator main body 20 side.

First, FIG. 5A shows a state in which the doors 24 and 24 'are closed. In this state, the guide pin 33 is seated on the seating portion 38 ′ of the elastic guide 38. Accordingly, the door body 26 is forced by the elastic force of the elastic guide 38 in the direction toward the front end of the opposite door 24 '. The hinge pin 32 is located on the leftmost side of the hinge hole (32).

When the user pulls the door handle 27 in such a state, the door body 26 rotates about the hinge hole 29. In the initial opening, however, the guide pin 33 is guided along the movement guide portion 43 'of the guide slot 42. That is, the tip of the elastic guide 38 is in close contact with the stopper part 40 by the force applied to the door body 26, and the guide pin 33 moves along the guide part 39. Thus, the hinge pin 32 also moves along the hinge hole 29. This state is shown in FIG. 5B.

By this operation, the door body 26 is moved in a direction to be separated from the tip of the door body 26 of the opposite door 24 '. Therefore, the tip gasket 28 'starts to be separated from each other.

When the guide pin 33 enters the inner portion 43 'out of the movement guide portion 43', as shown in FIG. 5C, the hinge pin 32 is the hinge hole 29 ) To the rightmost side. In this case, the door main body 26 moves from the refrigerator main body 20 as much as the hinge pin 32 moves along the hinge hole 29 from the state of FIG. 5A. That is, the front end gasket 28 'is separated from the front end gasket 28' of the door 24 'and the gasket 28 is separated from the front surface of the refrigerator main body 20 so that the door main body 26 rotates. .                     

Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the door 24 has the hinge pin 32 at the rightmost side of the hinge hole 29, and the guide pin 33 is disposed at the guide slot 42. While being guided along the inner 43 '. When the door 24 is further opened, the guide pin 33 is rotated about the hinge pin 32 while being out of the guide slot 42.

Meanwhile, the process of closing the door 24 will be described. Since the guide pin 33 is not guided by the guide slot 42 in the open state of the door 24, the hinge pin 32 may flow in the hinge hole 29. However, when the guide pin 33 is guided to the insertion guide portion 42 'of the inlet of the guide slot 42 in the process of closing the door 24 and enters the inner portion 43 during the rotation, the hinge pin 32 Is once moved to the rightmost side of the hinge hole (29). In this case, the hinge pin 32 is positioned at the rightmost side of the hinge hole 29, and the guide pin 33 is guided along the inner portion 43 during the rotation so that the door 24 is rotated.

When the guide pin 33 is in contact with the guide portion 39 and enters the movement guide portion 43 ′, the hinge pin 32 moves to the left side of the hinge hole 29, and the elastic guide By the elastic force of 38, the door 24 is pushed toward the door 24 '. Therefore, the tip gasket 28 'provided at the tip of the door body 26 is in close contact with the tip gasket 28' of the door 24 '. That is, the door body 26 is in the inclined direction of the hinge hole 29 and the inclined direction of the movement guide portion 43 'in the process of being in close contact with the front surface of the refrigerator body 20 toward the refrigerator body 20. Will enter. Thus, the front end gaskets 28 'can be brought into close contact with each other without friction.

The rights of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, but are defined by the claims, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the claims. It is self-evident.

For example, the guide pin 33 is not necessarily formed on the hinge plate 31, but may be provided in a separate configuration.

In addition, the shape of the elastic cam 35 is not limited to that shown in this embodiment, but may have a variety of shapes, it may be fixed by forming a predetermined seating groove in the door body (26). In addition, the elastic cam 35 may be integrally formed on the upper surface of the door body 26, that is, the decoration cap.

In the door opening and closing device of the refrigerator according to the present invention as described in detail above, the following effects can be expected.

In the present invention, in opening and closing one storage space by a pair of doors, the front end gaskets are directly contacted and separated without friction. Therefore, the durability of the tip gasket is relatively improved.

In addition, since the elastic force is provided by the elastic guide in a direction in which the front ends of the doors contact each other in a closed state of the pair of doors, there is an effect of minimizing cold air leakage through the front ends of the doors.

Claims (6)

A hinge plate mounted on a refrigerator main body having a storage space formed therein and provided with a hinge pin; A door body having a hinge hole into which the hinge pin is inserted to open and close the storage space, and having a long hole shape; A guide pin provided at the refrigerator body and guiding rotation of the door body; And an elastic cam provided in the door body to guide the movement of the guide pin to control the rotational trajectory of the door body and to provide an elastic force to move the door body toward the front end of the free end thereof. Door opening and closing device of the refrigerator. The door opening and closing device of the refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the hinge hole is formed to be inclined obliquely toward the storage space of the refrigerator main body toward a free end at a rotation center side of the door main body. According to claim 1, The guide pin is a door opening and closing device of the refrigerator, characterized in that provided on the hinge plate at a predetermined interval with the hinge pin. According to any one of claims 1 to 3, The cam body of the elastic cam is formed with a guide slot for guiding the movement of the guide pin, the inlet of the guide slot is inserted guide portion for guiding the movement of the guide pin It has a width corresponding to at least the length of the hinge hole, including the guide pin at the beginning and end of the opening and closing of the door body during the rotation guide the guide pin when the door body is rotated in the hinge hole Door opening and closing device of the refrigerator, characterized in that provided with a movement guide to be moved in. According to claim 4, One side of the movement guide portion is formed with an elastic guide capable of elastic deformation in one end is connected to the cam body, the shape of the guide, the guide and door body to form the movement guide portion The door opening and closing device of the refrigerator, characterized in that the seating portion is provided when the guide pin is closed. The door opening and closing device of the refrigerator of claim 5, wherein a stopper part for selectively supporting the front end of the elastic guide is provided at one side of the cam body.

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