Damper embedded in a home bar door of a refrigerator and method for manufacturing same

A refrigerator and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. A refrigerator according to the present includes a refrigerator body (10); a refrigerator door (20) for opening/closing the body; an opening (30) formed in front of the refrigerator door; a home bar door (50) rotatably coupled to the refrigerator door (20) for opening/closing the opening; a securing unit (80) for selectively securing the home bar door for close up the home bar door tight; and a damping member (90) provided at the refrigerator door (20) or the home bar door (50) for dampening the rotation of home bar door (50). According to the present invention, convenience for a user as well as for smooth opening/closing of home bar door may be improved. Also, damage and noise due to the user opening/closing a home bar door (50) may be reduced.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator which can be used more conveniently as well as having a structure thereof enhanced, and a method for manufacturing the same.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a refrigerator is an electric appliance which can preserve food fresh at a low temperature. Commonly, a plurality of chambers is provided for preserving food by freezing or refrigerating, and a side of each chamber is opened to put or take out the food. Also, a door is provided at the opened side of each chamber for opening/closing the opened side.

Recently, a home bar has been provided in the door not only for reducing leakage of cold air caused by opening the door quite often, but also for allowing a user to access the food used frequently, such as beverage, e.g., wine and/or beer, without the necessity of opening the door of the refrigerator.

The home bar door includes an opening for defining a front of the refrigerator door, a home bar door for opening/closing the opening. Since the home bar door is opened/closed in a state where the refrigerator door is closed, the food stored in a basket inside of the home bar door is put or taken out by a user.

In the conventional home bar door, a hinge of a pole shape is projected outwardly on a lower end of both side walls of the home bar door, and the hinge is rotatably engaged to a hinge hole formed on each lower end of both inner walls of the opened part. Hence, the home bar door is hingedly coupled with respect to a pair of hinge shafts for opening/closing the home bar door.

Furthermore, in an opening/closing device of the home bar door, a hook is formed at an inner surface of the home bar door, and a hook hole corresponding to the hook is formed at the upper end of the opening. Also, a button is provided at an outer surface of the home bar door.

Thus, in case that a user tries to open the home bar door, he/she operates the button at an inner portion of a handle on the home bar door for detaching the hook connected with the button from the hook hole. Hence, the user pulls the home bar door having the hook detached therefrom and opens the opened part.

However, the related art opening/closing device of the home bar door has some disadvantages as follows.

First, a user should operate the button, and a user s manual work including the grip to open the home bar door increases. Thereby, there is a disadvantage in the related art home bar door that convenience for opening/closing the home bar door may deteriorate. Furthermore, a user using both hands at the same time cannot open/close the home bar door, because it is common in the related art home bar door for him/her to hold, press and operate the handle and button of the home bar door.

Next, the related art home bar door has another disadvantage of damage caused by its radical rotation due to the dropping of the home bar door, as well as noise caused by collision occurring while the related art home bar door is rotated about the hinge shaft and dropped due to its self weight, only to be opened. Thus, the user should continuously hold the outer surface of the home bar door tight, after having unlocking the home bar door, so as to prevent the damage and noise.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having improved convenience.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having damage and noise reduced, which may be caused by opening/closing a home bar door.

Technical Solution

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a refrigerator and a method for manufacturing the same includes: a refrigerator body; a refrigerator door for opening/closing the refrigerator body; an opening formed in front of the refrigerator door; a home bar door rotatably coupled to the refrigerator door for opening/closing the opening; a securing unit for selectively securing the home bar door for closing up the home bar door tight; and a damping member provided at the refrigerator door or the home bar door for dampening the rotation of home bar door.

Preferably, the damping member is provided on a shaft of the home bar door. Also, the damping member comprises a rotation shaft projected outwardly, and a damper hole is provided at the refrigerator door or the home bar door, where the damping member is not provided.

Preferably, the damping member is provided within the refrigerator or the home bar door. The securing unit includes an engaging member provided at either the refrigerator door or the home bar door; and an engaging assembly provided at the other of the refrigerator door or the home bar door where the engaging member is not provided, the engaging assembly having an engaging groove for allowing the engaging member selectively engaged thereto.

The home bar door is unlocked by pressing the engaging member inserted into the engaging assembly. Preferably, the engaging member is provided at the upper portion of the home bar door. And the engaging assembly is provided at the portion corresponding to the engaging member.

Meanwhile, the home bar door includes: a base plate defining an interior surface of the home bar door; a cover plate defining an exterior surface of the home bar door, the cover plate connected with the base plate for forming airtight space between the base plate and itself; and a filler filled within the airtight space. Also, preferably a filler injection opening is formed at a side of the home bar door for injecting the filler.

The filler injection opening may be provided at the lower portion of the rotation shaft of home bar door. Also, the damping member may be fixedly embedded in the home bar door by the filler in the airtight space.

Preferably, an engaging-member-securing recess is provided at the base plate for securing the engaging member thereto. A fastening boss may be projected from the engaging-member-securing recess toward the outside of home bar door for having pre-determined fastening members fastened thereto.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a refrigerator includes steps of: engaging a damping member to a base plate or a cover plate which define a home bar door rotatably coupled to a refrigerator door; connecting the base plate and the cover plate; and injecting a filler into the home bar door through a filler injecting opening at the side of home bar door.

Furthermore, a step of engaging the engaging member to the base plate may be included before the step of connecting the base plate and the cover plate.

Advantageous Effects

A refrigerator and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention has an advantageous effect of improved convenience for a user as well as smooth opening/closing of home bar door, because a home bar door on a refrigerator door may be opened/closed by a user simple pushing.

A refrigerator and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention has another advantageous effect of reducing damage and noise due to the user opening/closing a home bar door.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, basic components of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described.

As shown inFIG. 1, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes a refrigerator body10, a refrigerator door20for opening/closing the refrigerator body10, an opening30formed in a front of the refrigerator door, a home bar door50for opening/closing the opening, a securing unit80for selectively securing the home bar door50, and a damping member90provided on the home bar door50for dampening the rotation of the home bar door50.

The refrigerator body10is in an appearance having a front side opened, and the refrigerator door20opens/closes the body10.

The opening30is formed in front of the refrigerator door20, and in communication with inside of the refrigerator storage chamber. Preferably, the opening30is provided in a position where a basket is formed for allowing the food within the basket in the refrigerator door put or taken out more conveniently.

Preferably, a home bar frame40is formed at the rim of opening30provided in the refrigerator door20for defining an exterior of the opening30.

The home bar frame40is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the opening30for finishing the refrigerator door20and the opening30, and supports an operation of a home bar door50which will be described later.

Also, the home bar frame40is a frame inserted on the inner circumferential surface of the opening30, and allows an exterior material provided on a front thereof, which has the same appearance as the front appearance of the refrigerator door20.

A damping hole92is formed on both inner surface of the home bar frame40for allowing a rotation shaft of the damping member90fastened thereto.

The home bar door50is rotatably coupled to the refrigerator door, more specifically, to the home bar frame for opening/closing the opening30, and made of a plate-shaped member having the same appearance as the appearance of the opening30.

The securing unit80selectively secures the home bar door50for making the opening30air tight.

More specifically, the securing unit80includes an engaging member70provided at the refrigerator door20or the home bar door50, an engaging assembly60provided at the other of the refrigerator door20and the home bar door50, where the engaging member is not provided, for maintaining the closed state of home bar door50.

According to an embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1, it is embodied that the engaging member70is provided at the home bar door50and the engaging assembly60is provided in the refrigerator door20, more specifically, at the home bar frame40.

As shown inFIG. 2, the engaging member70is formed in a plate-shape with an opening in a center thereof, and inserted to the engaging groove63grooved in the center of the engaging assembly60. Also, an engaging hook71is projected from the center of the engaging member70toward an inner direction of the home bar door50.

The engaging member70is provided at an end of the home bar door50corresponding to the engaging assembly60, and, in the embodiment it is provided on the upper end of the home bar door inner surface.

The engaging assembly60is provided on the upper portion of the home bar frame40formed in the refrigerator door20for maintaining, together with the engaging member70, a state where the home bar door50is closed. The engaging assembly60may be formed in several ways, and the embodiment presents the engaging assembly60is a latch.

The engaging assembly60is insertedly engaged to an end of the home bar frame40, according to the embodiment, to a recess61on the front upper end of the home bar frame40. The recess61of a box shape is recessed inwardly from the front upper end of the home bar frame40.

InFIG. 3, the engaging assembly60has the engaging groove63allowing the engaging member70selectively engaged thereto. Thus, a rotatory hook secures the engaging member70, inserted into the engaging groove63, by hooking or the rotatory hook is detached with the engaging member70detached together.

The engaging assembly60is insertedly secured to the recess61on the home bar frame40.

Furthermore, the engaging member70is inserted into the engaging groove63and, together with that, a front end of the engaging member70presses the hook to rotate the hook with allowing the hook inserted to the opening of engaging member70. Thereby, the engaging member70is secured within the engaging assembly. Alternatively, the engaging member70is re-pressed to detach the hook from the opening of the engaging member70. Thereby, the engaging member70moves free.

Meanwhile, the engaging assembly60is fixedly embedded by a filler filled within the home bar frame40, for example heat insulator, together with that the engaging assembly60is inserted into the recess61.

The damping member90provided on a rotation shaft of the home bar door50dampens the rotation of home bar door50. Also, the damping member90has a damping-member-rotation-shaft91projected outwardly, and has a resilient spring fastened therein or oil filled therein for dampening rotation of the damping member rotation shaft91.

In the embodiment, the damping member90is provided at both side ends of the door20, and fixedly embedded in the damping recess95formed at the both ends of the home bar door50for allowing the home bar door50to rotate.

Alternatively, the damping member90may be secured to the damping recess95formed on an inner side of the home bar door50by a fastening member, and secured within the home bar door50by the filler filled in the home bar door50.

Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, an inner structure of the home bar door and a structure for a filler will be described.

As shown inFIG. 4, the home bar door50includes a base plate51, a cover plate52and a filler53.

The base plate51defines an interior surface of the home bar door in a state where the home bar door50is closed, and is formed in a box shape having an opened side after being connected with a cover plate.

The cover plate52defines an exterior surface of the home bar door in a state where the home bar door is closed, and formed in a box shape having an opened side, after connected with the base plate51, to form airtight space between the base plate51and itself.

Also, the filler53is filled within the airtight space between the base plate51and the cover plate52.

The filler53supports inside components of the home bar door50and, together with that, insulates an inside and an outside of the home bar door50each other. The fluidal filler53is injected and filled along in an inside appearance of the home bar door50. Hence, the filler53is hardened within the home bar door50as one body.

The filler53is injected into the inside appearance of the home bar door50through an injection opening at a side of the home bar door.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, the injection opening100of the filler is formed at a lower portion of the rotation shaft which rotates the home bar door50and a front surface of the filler injection opening100is covered by an injection opening cover101of a plate shape.

Referring toFIGS. 6 and 7, a connecting structure of the engaging member will be described.

The engaging member70is provided in the engaging member securing recess75at the upper inner end of the home bar door50, and a center thereof is projected outwardly from the inner surface of the home bar door50.

A securing plate73in a shape corresponding to the engaging-member securing recess75is formed at the end of the engaging member70for securing the engaging member thereto.

Alternatively, unlike this embodiment, a plurality of protrusions may be projected on an outer circumferential surface of the securing plate73, and a plurality of recesses corresponding to the protrusions may be recessed on an inner circumferential surface. Thus, the securing plate73is inserted into the engaging-member-securing recess75with the protrusions inserted into the recesses corresponding to the protrusions, thereby securing the engaging member to the home bar door50.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment, a pair of fastening bosses in a bar shape is projected toward the outer direction of the home bar door from an inner surface of the engaging-member-securing recess75. The engaging member70is engaged by fastening members79. More specifically, the fastening member79rotatably passes through the fastening boss only to be fastened to the boss. The end of the fastening member79is inserted into the securing plate73through the boss77to fixedly secure the home bar door50.

The engaging member70is provided in an end of the home bar door50corresponding to the engaging assembly60and, in this embodiment, is engaged to an upper end of a side of the base plate51.

Meanwhile, since the filler53is injected into the home bar door50through the filler injection opening100and hardened in a state where the engaging member70is engaged in the base plate by the fastening member79, the fastening boss77having the fastening member79secured thereto may be fixedly secured within the base plate51.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing the home bar door according the present invention will be described.

First, an engaging member70is secured to an upper portion of the base plate, which defines a home bar door50of a refrigerator. And, a damping member90is secured to both lower ends of the base plate51. In a state where the engaging member70and the damping member90are secured, a cover plate52is coupled to the base plate51to form the home bar door50.

Here, the engaging member70and the damping member90may be secured to the base plate51and alternatively may be secured to the cover plate52.

In the state of the home bar door being formed, a filler is injected through the filler injection opening100. Hence, the filler is filled within the home bar door and fixedly hardened.

The home bar door50rotates about a rotation shaft, and a lower portion of the rotation shaft is prevented from being exposed during the rotation of the home bar door50. Thus, the filler injection opening100provided at the lower portion of the rotation shaft may be prevented from being exposed during the rotation of the rotation shaft, too.

Referring toFIGS. 8 to 11, a process for opening/closing the home bar door will be described.

FIG. 8is a sectional view illustrating a state where the home bar door is locked,FIG. 9is a sectional view illustrating a state of pressing the home bar door,FIG. 10is a sectional view illustrating a state where the home bar door is opened; andFIG. 11is a sectional view illustrating a state where the home bar door is opened/closed in regular sequence.

The home bar door50of the refrigerator according to the present invention is unlocked by pressing an outer side surface thereof.

First, since the engaging member70and the engaging assembly60locking the home bar door50are formed at the upper end of the home bar door50, the upper end of the home bar door50is pressed inwardly at a predetermined width.

As shown inFIG. 9, once the outer side surface of the home bar door50is pressed, the upper end of the home bar door50is inserted inwardly in an inner direction of the home bar door with respect to the rotation shaft of damping member90at the lower end of the home bar door50at a predetermined width.

Together with that, the engaging member70engaged to the upper inside end of the home bar door50is inserted more within the engaging assembly60.

As the engaging member70is inserted more within the engaging assembly60, the front end of the engaging member70is pressing a hook working part of the engaging assembly60. Hence, the hook rotates to be detached from the opening of the engaging member70.

Once the hook of the engaging assembly60is detached from the opening of the engaging member70, the engaging member70moves free and is pressed toward the outer direction of the refrigerator door20by the elasticity of the hook.

As the engaging member70is pressed toward the outer direction of the refrigerator door20, the home bar door50is dropped due to its self weight. At that time, the lower end of home bar door50is supported on the home bar frame40by the damping member90. Thus, the home bar door50also rotates downwardly about the rotation shaft of damping member90.

The home bar door50rotating downwardly deteriorates in speed by the damping force of the spring or oil applied to the rotation shaft of the damping shaft. Thus, the dropping speed of the home bar door50deteriorates.

Generally, the damping force of the damping member90is in proportion to the rotation speed. That is, as the rotation speed of the rotation shaft91is increasing, the damping force working in the opposite rotation direction of the rotation shaft is also increasing. Accordingly, the more downwardly the home bar door50moves with rotating, the higher the rotation speed of the rotation shaft91is. Thereby, the damping force increases.

The rotation speed of home bar door50dropped due to its self weight increases, and the damping force thereof in an opposite direction of its rotation decreases due to the operation of damping member. Thus, as the rotation speed is dampened, the home bar door50is completely opened in a vertical direction of a refrigerator door20to open the opened part30.

When a user tries to close the opening30of the refrigerator door20, he/she presses the outer surface of home bar door50and the rotation shaft having the hinge of damping member90of the home bar door50to allow the upper end of home bar door50and the upper end of home bar frame40folded. Together with that, the engaging member70projected on the upper end of home bar door inside is inserted into the engaging assembly60only to be secured to the hook of the engaging assembly60.

As the engaging member70is secured within the engaging assembly60, the home bar door50having the engaging member70secured thereto is secured to the engaging assembly60. Hence, the home bar door50is secured to the front surface of the home bar frame40to close the opening30.

Although the embodiment presents that the engaging member70is formed at the home bar door50, alternatively the engaging member70may be provided at the home bar frame40and the latch assembly may be provided at the corresponding position of the home bar door50.

On the other hand, although the embodiment presents that the engaging member70and the engaging assembly60are provided each at the upper end of home bar door50and the upper end of home bar frame40, alternatively the engaging member and the engaging assembly are provided each at a side end or a lower end of the home bar door50and a side end or a lower end of the home bar frame.

Industrial Applicability

Since a home bar door on a refrigerator door may be opened/closed by a user simple pushing, the home bar door according to the present invention has an advantageous industrial applicability of improved convenience for a user as well as smooth opening/closing of home bar door.

Furthermore, since the home bar door is dropped due to its self weight, the home bar door according to the present invention has another advantageous industrial applicability that the refrigerator door and the home bar door may be collided to cause damage as well as any noise caused by the collision.