Abstract:
A sealing structure for a refrigerator is provided. The structure includes a gasket formed at a door of the refrigerator and at least two air pockets provided in the gasket. There is at least one connector, which separates the at least two air pockets from each other, and first convection cut-off members provided inside of the at least two air pockets. Additionally, the seal structure includes an inner case provided at an interior side of the refrigerator; a door liner, which lines the door, provided at an interior side of the refrigerator; and an air dam provided between the inner case and the door liner. Further, second convection cut-off members are provided in the air dam.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a sealing structure of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a sealing structure of a refrigerator in which external heat can be effectively prevented from being transferred to an internal of a refrigerator. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Generally, a refrigerator discharges cool air, which is generated through a refrigerating cycle using a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, to drop an internal temperature of the refrigerator, thereby refrigerating or cooling foods. 
     FIG. 1  is a view illustrating a door of a related-art refrigerator. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the door  10  includes a door exterior  20  formed of iron, and a door liner  30  formed by vacuously shaping Acrylonitrile-ButadieneStyrene (ABS) resin to have a predetermined shape. Additionally, the door  10  includes urethane foam  40  for thermal insulation between the door exterior  20  and the door liner  30 . 
   Alternatively, a gasket is installed at the door liner  30  to prevent the leakage-out of cool air of the refrigerator to the external and concurrently, to cut-off an introduction of external heat into the refrigerator, thereby insulating the internal of the refrigerator from the external. A description thereof is made in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating a sealing structure of a related-art refrigerator, and  FIG. 3  is an enlarged view illustrating “A” portion of  FIG. 2 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the refrigerator includes a door  10  installed at a front portion thereof, a door exterior  20  constituting an exterior of the door  10 , a door liner  30  combined to the door exterior  20 , and urethane foam  40  formed between the door exterior  20  and the door liner  30 . 
   Further, the refrigerator includes an outer case  60  made of an iron plate, and an inner case  70  connected with the outer case  60 . Additionally, the refrigerator includes an air dam  80  provided between the door liner  30  and the inner case  70 , and a gasket  50  fixed to the door liner  30 . 
   In detail, the gasket  50  includes a magnet  51 , and a cohering part  52  for allowing the door  10  to be cohered to a front surface of a body of the refrigerator by using a magnetic force of the inserted magnet  51 , thereby sealing the refrigerator itself. 
   Further, the gasket  50  is integrated with a lower portion of the cohering part  52 . The gasket  110  includes a first connection part  53 , a second connection part  54 , and a third connection part  55 , which function as barriers for forming a predetermined space at a lower portion of the cohering part  52 . Additionally, the gasket  50  includes a first air pocket  56  provided by the first connection part  53  and the second connection part  54 ; and a second air pocket  57  provided by the second connection part  54  and the third connection part  55 . 
   Further, the gasket  50  is installed at a lower portion of the refrigerator. The gasket  50  includes an anchor-shaped combining part  58  for allowing the cohering part  52 , the first connection part  53 , the second connection part  54 , and the third connection part  55  to be inserted and fixed to a combination groove provided at the door liner  30 . 
   Hereinafter, an operation of opening and closing the related-art refrigerator door is described. 
   First, if a user pushes the door  10  to close the door  10 , the door  10  is closed to a whole surface of a body of the refrigerator, thereby attaching the cohering part  52  to the outer case  60  by a magnetism of the magnet  51 . Additionally, the attachment causes the refrigerator to be completely cut off from the external by a sealing function of the gasket  50 . 
   Alternatively, if the user pulls the door  10  to open the door  10 , a tensile load acts to cause the door liner  30  to pull the combining part  58 . Additionally, the tensile load causes the first connection part  53 , the second connection part  54  and the third connection part  55  to be pulled, and also the cohering part  52  to be pulled. Accordingly, the magnet  51  is separated from the outer case  60 , and the separation causes the body of the refrigerator to be opened. 
   As such, the gasket  50  used at the door  10  should function to maintain strong airtightness between the door  10  and the body. That is, the gasket  50  should effectively perform an insulation function to cut off the leakage of the cool air from the internal of the refrigerator to the external, and concurrently to cut off a heat transfer from the external to the internal of the refrigerator. 
   Alternatively, the first connection part  53  is exposed to a room temperature of the external air, and the third connection par  55  is exposed to the cool air of the refrigerator. Accordingly, a temperature difference between the external air and the cool air generates natural convection in the first air pocket  56  and the second air pocket  57  at one side of which the third connection part  55  is formed. 
   Further, the external heat transferred to the first connection part  53  is transferred to the second connection part  54  by air circulation of within the first air pocket  56 . Additionally, the heat transferred to the second connection part  54  is transferred to the third connection part  55  by air circulation of within the second air pocket  57 . Additionally, the heat transferred to the third connection part  55  causes the nature convection in the air dam  80 . Additionally, the heat is transferred to the cool air of within the refrigerator by the natural convection. 
   However, the related-art gasket does not have a structure for preventing the natural convection generated in the air pocket and/or the air dam. Accordingly, there is a drawback in that an internal temperature of the refrigerator increases and a cooling performance of the refrigerator is greatly reduced due to intact transference of the external heat to the internal of the refrigerator through the natural convection. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a sealing structure of a refrigerator that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a sealing structure of a refrigerator in which external heat can be effectively prevented from being transferred to an internal of a refrigerator. 
   Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
   To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a sealing structure of a refrigerator, the structure including: a gasket formed at a door of the refrigerator; at least one air pocket formed at the gasket; and at least one convection cut-off member disposed in the air pocket, for suppressing natural convection. 
   In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing structure of a refrigerator, the structure including: an inner case formed at a body of the refrigerator; a door liner formed at a door of the refrigerator, the door being combined to a whole surface of the body of the refrigerator; an air dam provided by the inner case and the door liner; and at least one convection cut-off member positioned at the inner case and/or the door liner, for suppressing natural convection in the air dam. 
   The present invention has an effect in that at least one pile formed in the air pocket can cut off the heat of the external air, which can be transferred to the internal of the refrigerator through the air circulation caused by the natural convection of within the air pocket. 
   Further, the present invention has an effect in that at least one pile formed in the air dam can cut off the heat of the external air, which can be transferred to the internal of the refrigerator through the air circulation caused by the natural convection of within the air dam. 
   It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a view illustrating a door of a related-art refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view illustrating a sealing structure of a related-art refrigerator; 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged view illustrating “A” portion of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view illustrating a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged view illustrating “B” portion of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view illustrating an operation of a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged view illustrating “C” portion of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a view illustrating a pile applied to a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a pile applied to a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is a view illustrating a state of a pile structure installed at an air dam according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
   It will be understood that a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention can be applied to all of a top type refrigerator having a freezing chamber installed at an upper portion thereof and a cool chamber installed at a lower portion thereof, a bottom type refrigerator having a freezing chamber installed at a lower portion thereof and a cool chamber installed at an upper portion thereof, and a side by side type refrigerator having a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber installed at left and right sides of a main body. 
     FIG. 4  is a sectional view illustrating a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5  is an enlarged view illustrating “B” portion of  FIG. 4 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the inventive refrigerator includes a door  100  installed at a front portion; a door exterior  101  constituting the exterior of the door; a door liner  102  combined to the door exterior; and a urethane foam  103  provided between the door exterior  101  and the door liner  102 . 
   Further, the refrigerator includes an outer case  104  made of an iron plate; and an inner case  105  connected with the outer case  104 . Additionally, the refrigerator includes an air dam  106  provided between the door liner  102  and the inner case  105 ; and a gasket  110  fixed to the door liner  102 . 
   In detail, the gasket  110  includes a magnet  111 , and a cohering part  112  for allowing the door  100  to be cohered to a front surface of a body of the refrigerator by using a magnetic force of the inserted magnet  111 , thereby sealing the refrigerator itself. 
   Further, the gasket  110  is integrated with a lower portion of the cohering part  112 . The gasket  110  includes a first connection part  113 , a second connection part  114 , and a third connection part  115  which function as barriers for forming a predetermined space at a lower portion of the cohering part  112 . Additionally, the gasket  110  includes a first air pocket  116  provided by the first connection part  113  and the second connection part  114 ; and a second air pocket  117  provided by the second connection part  114  and the third connection part  115 . 
   Further, the gasket  110  includes at least one pile  118  for preventing natural convection from being generated within the first air pocket  116  and/or the second air pocket  117 . 
   Furthermore, the gasket  110  is installed at a lower portion of the refrigerator. The gasket  110  includes an anchor-shaped combining part  119  for allowing the cohering part  112 , the first connection part  113 , the second connection part  114 , and the third connection part  115  to be inserted and fixed to a combination groove provided at the door liner  102 . 
   Here, it will be understood that the connection part and the air pocket provided by the connection part are not limited in number in this embodiment, and can be variously provided in number within a scope of achieving an object for cutting-off an internal of the refrigerator from the external. 
   Alternatively, the pile  118  is protruded to have a predetermined length at an inner circumference of the air pocket where the pile  118  is formed, such that mutual facing files  118  are not interfered with each other when the door  100  is opened or closed. 
   At this time, the pile  118  preferably has a protrusion length, which is 0.3 to 0.4 times as much as an average diameter of the air pocket where the pile  118  is formed. 
   Furthermore, the piles  118  have ends, which are preferably spaced apart by 0.4 times as much as the average diameter of the air pocket in order to prevent interference between the mutually facing piles  118 . 
   Additionally, the piles  118  are preferably formed to have a velvet shape of a pile textile. 
   Further, the pile  118  is preferably formed at a whole of the connection part at which the pile  118  is formed. 
     FIG. 6  is a sectional view illustrating an operation of a sealing structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention, and  FIG. 7  is an enlarged view illustrating “C” portion of  FIG. 6 . 
   Elements and their reference numerals of  FIGS. 6 and 7  are the same as those of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Accordingly, a duplicate description thereof is omitted. 
   First, if a user closes the door  100  to close the body of the refrigerator, the cohering part  112  is attached to the outer case  104  by a magnetism of the magnet  111 . Additionally, the attachment allows the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117  to stop the space provided between the door  100  and the body of the refrigerator. Accordingly, the gasket  110  performs a sealing function to completely cut off and seal the refrigerator from the external. 
   Alternatively, the first connection part  113  is exposed to a room temperature of the external air such that heat of the external air is transferred to the first air pocket  116  at one side of which the first connection part  113  is provided. Additionally, the third connection part  115  is exposed to cool air within the refrigerator such that the cool air is transmitted to the second air pocket  117  at one side of which the third connection part  115  is provided. 
   Accordingly, a temperature difference is generated between the external air and the cool air. The natural convection can be generated, due to the temperature difference, in the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117 . 
   The present invention has the pile  118  to suppress air circulation caused by the natural convection, which can be generated in the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117 . Therefore, the heat of the external air can be prevented from being transferred to the internal of the refrigerator. 
   Alternatively, if the user pulls the door  100  to open the door  100 , a tensile load acts to allow the door liner  102  to pull the combining part  119 . Additionally, due to the tensile load, the first connection part  113 , the second connection part  114  and the third connection part  115  are pulled and also the cohering part  112  is pulled. Accordingly, the magnet  111  is separated from the outer case  104  to open the body of the refrigerator. 
     FIG. 8  is a view illustrating a pile applied to the sealing structure of the refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 8 , the pile  118  has a circular, triangular or rectangular section and is protruded in an irregular array. 
   Here, the pile  118  can be also regularly arrayed. However, since the pile  118  is formed to suppress the air circulation in the air pocket where the pile  118  is formed, it is desirable that the pile  118  is irregularly arrayed, thereby more effectively suppressing a flow of air. 
     FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a pile applied to the sealing structure of the refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , the pile  120  is band-shaped lengthwise, and is consecutively arrayed such as a hurdle. 
   Here, the pile  120  has a length that is preferably directed and arrayed appropriately vertically to a direction of the air circulation to effectively suppress the air circulation in the air pocket where the pile  120  is formed. 
     FIG. 10  is a view illustrating a state of a pile structure installed in the air dam according to the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 10 , the inventive refrigerator includes the door  100  installed at the front portion thereof; the door exterior  101  constituting an exterior of the door; the door liner  102  combined to the door exterior; and the urethane foam  103  provided between the door exterior  101  and the door liner  102 . 
   Further, the refrigerator includes the outer case  104  made of the iron plate; and the inner case  105  connected with the outer case  104 . Additionally, the refrigerator includes the air dam  106  provided between the door liner  102  and the inner case  105 ; and the gasket  110  fixed to the door liner  102 . 
   Furthermore, the refrigerator includes at least one file  121  that is formed at the door liner  102  and/or the inner case  105  for forming the air dam  106  and prevents the natural convection from being generated in the air dam  106 . 
   In detail, the gasket  110  includes a magnet  111 ; a cohering part  112  into which the magnet  111  is inserted; a first connection part  113 ; a second connection part  114 ; and a third connection part  115 . Additionally, the gasket  110  includes a first air pocket  116  provided by the first connection part  113  and the second connection part  114 ; and a second air pocket  117  provided by the second connection part  114  and the third connection part  115 . Further, a combining part  119  is formed at a lower portion of the gasket  110 . 
   Further, the gasket  110  includes at least one pile  118  for preventing natural convection from being generated in the first air pocket  116  and/or the second air pocket  117 . 
   Here, the pile  121  preferably has a little shorter than an interval between the door liner  102  and the inner case  105  facing with the door liner  102 . 
   Further, it is desirable that the pile  121  is slanted at a predetermined angle to be appropriately vertical with respect to an air dam  106  such that the air circulation can be effectively suppressed in the air dam  106 . 
   Furthermore, the pile  121  is formed of a soft material to prevent inconvenience at the time of opening and closing of the door  100 . The pile  121  is preferably formed at a whole of the door liner  102  and/or the inner case  105 . 
   Hereinafter, operations of the sealing structure and the pile according to the present invention are described. 
   First, if the user closes the door  100  to seal the body of the refrigerator, the cohering part  112  is attached to the outer case  104  by the magnetism of the magnet  111 . Additionally, the attachment of the cohering part  112  causes the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117  to stop the space between the door  100  and the body of the refrigerator. Accordingly, since the gasket  110  performs the sealing function, the refrigerator is completely cut off and sealed from the external. 
   Alternatively, the first connection part  113  is exposed to the room temperature of the external air such that the heat of the external air is transferred to the first air pocket  116  at one side of which the first connection part  113  is formed. Additionally, the third connection part  115  is exposed to the cool air of the refrigerator such that the cool air is transferred to the second air pocket  117  at one side of which the third connection part  115  is formed. 
   Accordingly, a temperature difference is generated between the external air and the cool air. The temperature difference causes the natural convection of air to be generated in the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117 . 
   Further, the external heat transferred to the first connection part  113  is transferred to the second connection part  114  by the air circulation of within the first air pocket  116 . Additionally, the heat transferred to the second connection part  114  is transferred to the third connection part  115  by the air circulation of within the second air pocket  117 . Additionally, the heat transferred to the third connection part  115  causes the natural convection of within the air dam  106 . Additionally, the natural convection causes the heat to be transferred to the cool air of within the refrigerator. 
   The present invention has the pile  118  within the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117  to suppress the air circulation caused by the natural convection, which can be generated within the first air pocket  116  and the second air pocket  117 . Therefore, the heat of the external air can be primarily prevented from being transferred to the internal of the refrigerator. 
   Further, the pile  121  is provided in the air dam  106  such that the air circulation can be suppressed in the air dam  106 . Therefore, the heat of the external air transferred to the air dam  106  can be secondarily prevented from being transferred to the internal of the refrigerator. 
   As described above, the present invention has an effect in that at least one pile formed in the air pocket can cut off the heat of the external air, which can be transferred to the internal of the refrigerator through the air circulation caused by the natural convection of within the air pocket. 
   Further, the present invention has an effect in that at least one pile formed in the air dam can cut off the heat of the external air, which can be transferred to the internal of the refrigerator through the air circulation caused by the natural convection of within the air dam. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.