IP Library Granted Patent US 11,359,856
Granted Patent B2
US 11,359,856 · App. 16/876,685 · Granted Jun 14, 2022

Refrigerator

Inventors: Chanbin Park (Suwon-si, KR); Yang-Yeol Gu (Suwon-si, KR); Jaejin Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jeonghyun Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
F25D23/028E05B65/0042F25D23/025E05Y2800/71E05Y2900/31
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,359,856
App. No.
16/876,685
Granted
Jun 14, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator with an enhanced door includes a main body including a storeroom, first and second doors pivotally coupled to the main body to open or close the storeroom and a pivot bar pivotally installed at the first door. The pivot bar is movable between a first position between the first and second doors and a second position pivoted toward the first door to prevent cold air leaks from the storeroom. A locking device separably locks the pivot bar to the first door when the pivot bar is in the second position.

Claims (44)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body including a storeroom;

first and second doors coupled to the main body to open or close the storeroom;

a pivot bar coupled to the first door, and movable between a first position between the first and second doors and a second position adjacent the first door, to reduce cold air leaks from the storeroom; and

a lock configured to lock the pivot bar when the pivot bar is in the second position,

the lock comprising:

a first locking member coupled to at least one of the pivot bar and a coupling bracket provided at the first door and including a projection and an extension extending in a radial direction, and

a second locking member coupled to at least the other of the pivot bar and the coupling bracket provided at the first door and having a locking hole configured to receive the projection and the extension of the first locking member to lock the pivot bar in the second position,

wherein the second locking member comprises a locking body defining an exterior, and

wherein the locking body has a front surface formed with the locking hole, and has a rear surface on which a locking body fixer is rotationally installed on at least one of the pivot bar and the coupling bracket provided at the first door.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second locking member is configured to lock or unlock the first locking member.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the extension comprises a stuck portion to be received in the locking hole.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the second locking member comprises rubber or silicon.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the locking hole further comprises a guide hole configured to guide coupling of the projection.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the guide hole extends from edges of the locking hole.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first locking member is coupled to a first locking member installation part on the at least one of the pivot bar and the coupling bracket provided at the first door, and

wherein at least a portion of the first locking member installation part includes a contact plane having an inclination to contact the second locking member.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the contact plane is positioned at a first angle, and

wherein the second locking member is arranged to be rotated within the first angle such that at least a portion of the front of the locking body comes into contact with the contact plane.

9. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the locking hole of the second locking member comprises elastic pieces configured to face each other to be engaged in coupling with the stuck portion of the projection, and

wherein the elastic pieces have a first thickness t 1 , which is smaller than a thickness t of the locking body.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the locking body fixer is coupled to a second locking member installation part on at least one of the pivot bar and the coupling bracket provided at the first door, and

wherein the second locking member installation part comprises a rotation guide to enable rotation of the locking body.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the rotation guide comprises

a supporting plane configured to be separated from the back of the locking body, and

a supporting rib protruding from the supporting plane to support the center of the back of the locking body.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the pivot bar is positioned in parallel with the first door in the first position, and is configured to be pivoted from the first position so that the first and second locking members are locked to each other in the second position.

13. A refrigerator comprising:

a main body; and

first and second doors coupled to the main body;

a pivot bar coupled to the first door; and

a lock configured to lock the pivot bar to the first door when the first door is opened, the lock comprising:

a first locking member coupled to the first door, the first locking member including a projection and an extension extending further than the projection in a radial direction; and

a second locking member coupled to the pivot bar to lock or unlock the first locking member, the second locking member having a locking hole configured to receive the projection and the extension to lock the pivot bar in position, the second locking member comprising a locking body rotationally coupled to the pivot bar, the locking body having a locking body fixer arranged on the locking body.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the projection protrudes from the first locking member, and the extension comprises a stuck portion extending from the projection.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the locking body defines an exterior, and

wherein the locking body has the locking hole configured to receive the projection.

16. The refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the locking hole comprises

a guide hole extending vertically from the locking hole configured to guide coupling with the projection, and

elastic pieces arranged to face each other on either side of the locking hole and configured to couple to the stuck portion of the first locking member.

17. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the first locking member is coupled to a first locking member installation part on the first door, and

wherein at least a portion of the first locking member installation part includes a contact plane formed having an inclination to contact the second locking member.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17 , wherein the contact plane is included at a first angle, and

wherein the second locking member is configured to be rotated at the first angle such that at least a portion of the front of the locking body comes into contact with the contact plane.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2020
From: PARK, CHANBIN; GU, YANG-YEOL; LEE, JAEJIN; LEE, JEONGHYUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 053185/0773 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0058414 · May 17, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200363122A1 · Nov 19, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,339,056