Patent Publication Number: US-2005132740-A1

Title: Cosmetic storing unit of refrigerator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and particularly, to a cosmetic storing unit of a refrigerator which allows cosmetics to be stored for a long time without quality deterioration and to be conveniently used.  
      2. Description of the Background Art  
      In general, a refrigerator stores meats, fish, vegetables and the like in a fresh state. Such a refrigerator comprises a refrigerator main body provided with a freezing compartment, a cooling compartment, a vegetable compartment and the like; and a door mounted at one side of the refrigerator main body, for opening or closing the freezing compartment and the cooling compartment.  
      The refrigerator main body includes a refrigerating cycle system comprised of a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, an evaporator and the like; a blower fan for forcibly flowing the cool air formed by the evaporator; and a circulation path for guiding the cool air formed at the evaporator so that the cool air passes through the freezing compartment and the cooling compartment and then is introduced toward the evaporator again.  
      The refrigerator is operated as follows.  
      When the freezing compartment or the cooling compartment is at a set temperature or higher, the refrigerating cycle system is operated. The evaporator forms the cool air by the operation of the refrigerating cycle system, and the cool air formed by the evaporator flows by the blower fan. The cool air formed at the evaporator flows through the circulation passage, maintaining the freezing compartment, the cooling compartment and the vegetable compartment, which is provided with the cooling compartment, at a set temperature.  
      The refrigerator is classified into a variety of types according to a method of circulating the cool air, positions of the freezing compartment and the cooling compartment and a structure of the evaporator.  
      Recently, the refrigerator has become large to meet users&#39; desires, and various functions are added thereto to improve convenience of a user. As one example, a wine refrigerator for storing wine, maintaining its own flavor has been developed.  
      Meanwhile, a household refrigerator is commonly placed in a kitchen or a living room. Also, housewives cook and wash dishes in the kitchen. In order to protect their hands after cooking or washing dishes, they use cosmetics.  
      Cosmetics are skin care products that protect and moisturize a skin, thereby activating metabolism, and that prevents foreign substances in the air from directly contacting with the skin.  
      Because such cosmetics are usually used for a long time, there are many possibilities of using deteriorated one. If someone uses a deteriorated cosmetic, sweat pores of a skin may be blocked, the skin may become rough, and, even worse, skins diseases may be caused. Therefore, it is preferable to store the cosmetics at a cool place.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic storing unit of a refrigerator which allows cosmetics to be stored for a long time without quality deterioration and to be conveniently used.  
      To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a cosmetic storing unit comprising: a refrigerator main body provided with a freezing compartment and a cooling compartment; a refrigerator door mounted at the refrigerator main body; a cosmetic storing case provided at an inner surface of the refrigerator door and having a predetermined interior space; and a case door provided at the refrigerator door, for opening or closing the cosmetic storing case.  
      The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     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 unit of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
      In the drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a refrigerator provided with a cosmetic storing unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the refrigerator whose door is opened;  
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing a modified example of a cosmetic storing case constituting the cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention; and  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing a modified example of a case door constituting the cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a refrigerator provided with a cosmetic storing unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the refrigerator whose door is opened,  FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention.  
      As shown, the refrigerator provided with the cosmetic storing unit in accordance with a first embodiment includes: a refrigerator main body  100  provided with a freezing compartment and a cooling compartment; and a refrigerator door  200  mounted to the refrigerator main body  100 .  
      The refrigerator main body  100  is provided with a freezing compartment (not shown) in which food items are stored in a frozen state; a cooling compartment (R) in which food items are stored in a cooled state; and a vegetable compartment (not shown) in which vegetables or fruits are stored.  
      A freezing compartment door  210  for opening or closing the freezing compartment is mounted at one side of the refrigerator main body  100 , and a cooling compartment door  220  for opening or closing the cooling compartment (R) is mounted at the other side of the refrigerator main body  100 . Baskets  240  in which beverages or other food items are stored are provided at an inner wall of the freezing compartment door  210  and the cooling compartment door  220 .  
      A cosmetic storing unit is provided at the cooling compartment door  220 . The cosmetic storing unit includes a cosmetic storing case  250  coupled to the cooling compartment door  220  and having a certain interior space; and a case door  260  for opening or closing the cosmetic storing case  250 .  
      A through hole  221  with a predetermined size is penetratingly formed at the cooling compartment door  220 , and the cosmetic storing case  250  is coupled to an inner wall of the cooling compartment door  220 . The cosmetic storing case  250  is provided with a hexagonal case portion  251  whose one side is opened; and a coupling portion  252  bent and extending from an edge of the opened portion of the case portion  251 .  
      The cosmetic storing case  250  is coupled to the cooling compartment door  220  by the coupling of the coupling portion  252  to the inner wall of the cooling compartment door  220 , and at this time, the case portion  251  is placed inside the cooling compartment (R). The through hole  221  of the cooling compartment door is placed in the opened portion of the cosmetic storing case  250 , and the size of the through hole  221  of the cooling compartment door  220  is the same as or smaller than that of the opened portion of the cosmetic storing case  250 .  
      In order to prevent a movement of cosmetics stored in the cosmetic storing case  250 , a rib  253  is provided on a bottom of the cosmetic storing case  250 . The rib  253  with certain thickness and height is formed in plurality perpendicularly and parallel to the bottom.  
      The cosmetic storing case  250  is made of a heat-transfer member so as to be cooled by conduction from the cool air in the refrigerator main body  100 . Namely, the interior space of the cosmetic storing case  250  is cooled not by the flow of the cool air therein but by the conduction of the cool air in the cooling compartment to the cosmetic storing case  250 .  
      As a modified example of the cosmetic storing case  250 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , only a rear surface of the case portion  251  is made of a heat-transfer member. Namely, only the rear surface of the case portion  251  is made of a heat-transfer member, and other portions are made of a heat-insulation member. Only the rear surface of the case  251  becomes a heat-transfer portion (C) for conduction from the cool air.  
      The case door  260  is mounted to the cooling compartment door  220  to open or close the through hole  221  of the cooling compartment door  220 . Namely, the case door  260  opens or closes the cosmetic storing case  250  by opening or closing the through hole  221  of the cooling compartment door  220 .  
      Preferably, the case door  260  is coupled to the cooling compartment door  220  and is hinged at its lower portion so that it can be opened from the upper side to the lower side and closed from the lower side to the upper side.  
      As a modified example of the case door  260 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , a transparent window  262  is provided so that cosmetics received in the case can be checked therethrough.  
      Preferably, a mirror is attached to the cooling compartment door  220 . Preferably, the mirror  270  is positioned above the case door  260 . Meanwhile, the mirror  270  may be attached to the freezing compartment door  210  besides the cooling compartment door  220 .  
      The cosmetic storing unit in accordance with the present invention may be installed at one side of the freezing compartment door  210 , the refrigerator main body  100  or the like besides the cooling compartment door  220 . Also, the cosmetic storing unit may be installed in the freezing compartment, the cooling compartment or the vegetable compartment formed in the refrigerator main body  100 , but those compartments are not proper places to store the cosmetics because a smell (scent) of the cosmetics may spread therein. If the smell can be prevented from spreading in the freezing compartment, the cooling compartment and the vegetable compartment, the cosmetic storing unit may be mounted in the refrigerator main body  100 .  
      Hereinafter, the operation and the effect of the cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator in accordance with the present invention will now be described.  
      First, an evaporator constituting a refrigerating cycle system constituting the refrigerator forms the cool air by the operation of the refrigerating cycle system, and the cool air circulates and flows in the freezing compartment and the cooling compartment by rotation of a blower fan (not shown) provided at the refrigerator main body  100 . In such a manner, the freezing compartment and the cooling compartment is maintained at a set temperature.  
      Food items are stored in the freezing compartment or the cooling compartment, and other vegetables or fruits are stored in the vegetable compartment. When using the stored food items, a user opens the refrigerator door  200  and takes out the stored food item.  
      And, a user stores cosmetics in the cosmetic storing case  250  after opening the case door  260  provided at the cooling compartment door  220 .  
      An interior space of the cosmetic storing case  250  is maintained in a cooled state by conduction of the cool air in the cooling compartment (R) to the cosmetic storing case  250 , so that the cosmetics stored in the cosmetic storing case  250  are maintained in a cooled state. Thus, even though the cosmetics are stored therein for a long time, their quality is not deteriorated.  
      The cosmetic storing case  250  does not communicate with an interior space of the refrigerator, but is formed as a hermetic shape, thereby preventing introduction of a smell of the cosmetics into the refrigerator.  
      Also, because the refrigerator door  220  is provided with the mirror  270 , a user which has taken out a cosmetic from the cosmetic storing case  250  can apply the cosmetic, looking at the mirror.  
      As so far described, because cosmetics are stored in the cosmetic storing unit of the refrigerator at a low temperature, the cosmetics can be used for a long time without any quality deterioration. Also, housewives can use cosmetics by taking out them from the cosmetic storing unit provided at the refrigerator placed in a kitchen where they cook and wash dishes, whereby convenience in use is improved.  
      As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.