Door hinge structure for refrigerator
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein is a door hinge structure for a refrigerator. The door hinge structure comprises an upper fixture unit which is screwed to a predetermined front upper portion of a refrigerator body, and has an upper hinge pin to be inserted in a top aperture formed at an upper surface of a refrigerator door, an upper hinge unit which is mounted on the upper surface of the door, and has a through opening for allowing a distal end of the upper hinge pin to be slidably inserted therethrough, the upper hinge unit being coupled with the upper fixture unit by making use of a torsion spring so that it is vertically spaced therewith, a lower fixture unit which is screwed to a predetermined front lower portion of the body, and has a lower hinge pin to be inserted in a bottom aperture formed, at a lower surface of the door, a lower hinge unit which is mounted on the lower surface of the door, and has a through opening for the insertion of the lower hinge pin, and a stopper member which is interposed between the lower fixture unit and the lower hinge unit and is adapted to stop pivotal movement of the door at least one time.
1. A door hinge structure for a refrigerator, the door hinge structure comprising:
an upper fixture unit screwed to a predetermined front upper portion of a refrigerator body, and having an upper hinge pin to be inserted in a top aperture formed at an upper surface of a refrigerator door;
an upper hinge unit mounted on the upper surface of the door, and having a through opening for allowing a distal end of the upper hinge pin to be slidably inserted therethrough, the upper hinge unit being coupled with the upper fixture unit, the upper hinge unit having a torsion spring, the upper hinge unit and the upper fixture unit being vertically spaced apart from each other;
a lower fixture unit screwed to a predetermined front lower portion of the body, and having a lower hinge pin to be inserted in a bottom aperture formed at a lower surface of the door;
a lower hinge unit mounted on the lower surface of the door, and having a through opening for the insertion of the lower hinge pin; and
a stopper member interposed between the lower fixture unit and the lower hinge unit and adapted to stop pivotal movement between a closed position and an open position of the door;
wherein the upper hinge unit includes:
an upper mount mounted on the upper surface of the door, and having the through-opening;
a plate provided at a lower surface of the upper mount so as to surround the through-opening, the plate being insertable in an upper groove formed along an inner periphery of the top aperture; and
a hollow insertion column attached to a lower surface of the plate to be vertically aligned with the through opening, into which a torsion spring is inserted.
2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the stopper member includes:
a mount mounted on an upper surface of the lower fixture unit, and having a central opening for the insertion of the lower hinge pin;
at least two rounded upwardly-raised lower stops circularly aligned on an upper surface of the mount; and
at least two rounded downwardly-raised upper stops circularly aligned around the through opening of the lower hinge unit in an engagable manner with the upwardly-raised lower stops.
3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the upper fixture unit includes:
an upper bracket screwed to the predetermined front upper portion of the body;
an upper arm horizontally extending from a lower end of the upper bracket at right angles thereto; and
an upper opening perforated in the upper arm for allowing the upper hinge pin to be fixedly inserted therein.
4. The structure as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the lower fixture unit includes:
a lower bracket screwed to the predetermined front lower portion of the body;
a lower arm horizontally extending from an upper end of the lower bracket at right angles thereto; and
a lower opening perforated in the lower arm for allowing the lower hinge pin to be fixedly inserted therein.
5. The structure as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the lower hinge unit includes:
a lower mount mounted on the lower surface of the door, and having the through opening; and
a plate provided at an upper surface of the lower mount to surround the through opening, the plate being insertable in a lower groove formed along an inner periphery of the bottom aperture.
6. The structure as set forth in claim 2 , wherein each of the upwardly-raised lower stops and the downwardly-raised upper stops includes:
a gentle sloped surface at one lateral side thereof so as to be inclined in a door opening direction; and
a steep sloped surface at the other lateral side thereof so as to be inclined in a door closing direction.
7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the upper hinge pin is formed at a bottom wall thereof with a plurality of insertion holes for allowing an upper end of the torsion spring to be selectively inserted therein;
the hollow insertion column is formed at a bottom wall thereof with a plurality of insertion holes for allowing a lower end of the torsion spring to be selectively inserted therein;
at the center of the bottom wall of the upper hinge pin is vertically attached a support rod; and
from the center of the bottom wall of the hollow insertion column a sliding tube extends upwardly for enabling slidable insertion of the support rod.
8. The structure as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the upper fixture unit includes:
an upper bracket screwed to the predetermined front upper portion of the body;
an upper arm horizontally extending from a lower end of the upper bracket at right angles thereto; and
an upper opening perforated in the upper arm for allowing the upper hinge pin to be fixedly inserted therein.
9. The structure as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the lower fixture unit includes:
a lower bracket screwed to the predetermined front lower portion of the body;
a lower arm horizontally extending from an upper end of the lower bracket at right angles thereto; and
a lower opening perforated in the lower arm for allowing the lower hinge pin to be fixedly inserted therein.
10. The structure as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the lower hinge unit includes:
a lower mount mounted on the lower surface of the door, and having the through opening; and
a plate provided at an upper surface of the lower mount to surround the through opening, the plate being insertable in a lower groove formed along an inner periphery of the bottom aperture.
11. The structure as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the lower fixture unit includes:
a lower bracket screwed to the predetermined front lower portion of the body;
a lower arm horizontally extending from an upper end of the lower bracket at right angles thereto; and
a lower opening perforated in the lower arm for allowing the lower hinge pin to be fixedly inserted therein.
12. The structure as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the lower hinge unit includes:
a lower mount mounted on the lower surface of the door, and having the through opening; and
a plate provided at an upper surface of the lower mount to surround the through opening, the plate being insertable in a lower groove formed along an inner periphery of the bottom aperture.
13. The structure as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the lower hinge unit includes:
a lower mount mounted on the lower surface of the door, and having the through opening; and
a plate provided at an upper surface of the lower mount to surround the through opening, the plate being insertable in a lower groove formed along an inner periphery of the bottom aperture.