Patent ID: 9175903
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: E05B,E05D,E05F,E05Y,F25D

Abstract:
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a cabinet; a first storage area within the cabinet; a first door having a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first door being rotatably connected to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the first storage area such that, when the first door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the first door covers a front surface of the cabinet, the first door including: a second door having a front surface, a rear surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the second door being rotatably connected to the first door and configured to open and close the access opening by rotating in a same direction as a rotation direction of the first door such that, when the second door is oriented in a closed position, the rear surface of the second door covers the front surface of the first door to close the access opening, the second door being thinner than the first door such that, when the first and second doors are oriented in closed positions, a distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the second door is less than a distance between the front surface of the first door and the front surface of the cabinet; a first hinge connecting the upper surface of the first door to an upper surface of the cabinet and positioned closer to the first side surface of the first door than the second side surface of the first door; a second hinge connecting the upper surface of the second door to the upper surface of the first door and positioned closer to the first side surface of the second door than the second side surface of the second door; a hooking member located at one of the first door and the second door; a locking unit located at the other of the first door and the second door at which the hooking member is not located, the locking unit being configured to confine the hooking member into a confined state and to also release the hooking member from the confined state; gasket provided on the rear surface of the second door and configured to be compressed to provide a seal between the rear surface of the second door and the front surface of the first door when the second door is in the closed position; and a limiting member disposed at one of the first door and the second door, wherein the locking unit is configured to release the hooking member based on a pressing force being applied to the front surface of the second door that is greater than a repulsive force being applied to the second door from the limiting member, wherein the limiting member is configured to, based on the second door being closed, apply, to the second door, the repulsive force to thereby prevent the hooking member from being released when the first door is rotated to be opened, and wherein when the second door is in the closed position, the first side surfaces of the first and the second door are substantially coplanar, the second side surfaces of the first and the second door are substantially coplanar, and the upper surfaces of the first and second doors are substantially coplanar.