Patent Publication Number: US-2022214096-A1

Title: Refrigerator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 and 35 U.S.C. 365 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0002220, filed on Jan. 7, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator. 
     In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that can store food at a low temperature in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to store the stored food in an optimal state by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle. 
     Recently, refrigerators are gradually becoming larger and more multifunctional according to changes in dietary habits and the trend of luxury products, and refrigerators having various structures and convenient devices that allow users&#39; convenience and efficient use of internal space are being released. 
     Typically, the door of the refrigerator becomes heavy due to the enlargement of the refrigerator and arrangement of items inside the refrigerator. In addition, a gasket that is airtight in contact with the cabinet may be provided around the refrigerator door, and a magnet may be embedded in the gasket so that the gasket is more closely attached to the cabinet. 
     Therefore, in order to open the refrigerator door, the heavy refrigerator door is manipulated, and in particular, the opening manipulation must be performed with a greater force than the magnetic force of a magnet embedded in the gasket. In addition, when the door is opened, a negative pressure inside the storage space is generated, so that a greater force is required to open the refrigerator door, and thus there is a problem that causes inconvenience in use of the user. 
     In order to solve this problem, refrigerators having a door opening structure that facilitates door opening by pushing a cabinet inside a protruding door handle is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration Nos. 10-1652527 and 10-1334477. 
     However, there is a problem that can be applied only to a structure in which the door handle protrudes in such conventional techniques. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator that facilitates opening of a door having a flat front surface. 
     An object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator that facilitates opening of a door configured to allow a door handle to selectively protrude. 
     An object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator capable of opening a door with less force. 
     A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet in which a storage space is formed, a door configured to open and close the storage space, and a door opening device configured to be provided on the door and manipulated to open the door, in which the door opening device includes a case configured to be provided inside the door and to communicate with openings on the front and rear surfaces of the door, a door handle configured to be mounted inside the case to be rotated by a user&#39;s manipulation and to shield an opening in the front surface of the door, and a push slider accommodated in the case so as to reciprocate in a straight line, and having one end which is in contact with the door handle and the other end which protrudes through an opening at the rear surface of the door, and in which the push slider may move rearward when the door handle is rotated and pushes the cabinet to open the door. 
     A hinge device may be provided at an upper end and a lower end of the door so that the door is rotatably connected to the cabinet, and the door opening device may be provided at one end of both ends of the door in the left and right direction, which is far from the hinge device. 
     The door may include a door plate configured to form an outer appearance of the door, a door liner configured to form a rear surface of the door, a cap decoration configured to connect upper and lower ends of the door plate and the door line, and an insulation material filled between the door plate, the door liner, and the cap decoration, and the case may form an accommodation space in which penetration of the insulation material is prevented. 
     A gasket which is in contact with the cabinet and seals the space between the storage space and the door may be provided around of the rear surface of the door liner. 
     The push slider may protrude through the rear surface of the door from an outside of the gasket. 
     The case may form the accommodation space in contact with the front and side surfaces of the door, and the accommodation space may form a space in which the door handle rotates and the push slider reciprocates. 
     A plate opening having a size corresponding to that of the door handle may be formed in the door plate, and the plate opening may communicate with the accommodation space and the door handle may shield the plate opening. 
     In a state where the door handle is not manipulated, the front surface of the door handle may shield the opening of the door plate and form the same plane as the front surface of the door plate. 
     The door plate may include a front part forming a front surface of the door, side parts forming side surfaces of the door, and a coupling part bent at the side part to form a circumference of the rear surface of the door and coupled to the door liner, and in which a slider outlet through which the push slider protrudes may be formed in the coupling part. 
     The case may include a handle accommodation part which is opened toward the front part and in which the door handle is accommodated, and a slider accommodation part configured to communicate with the handle accommodation part, open toward the side part, and extend to a rear surface of the door, to accommodate the push slider. 
     A handle rotation shaft configured to protrude to both sides to serve as a rotation shaft of the door handle may be formed on the rear surface of the door handle, and the handle rotation shaft may be rotatably coupled to the case. 
     A pressing protrusion which protrudes to be in contact with the push slider when the door handle is rotated may be formed on a rear surface of the door handle above the handle rotation shaft. 
     A pressing part configured to rotate the door handle by a user pressing the door handle may be formed on a front surface of the door handle above the handle rotation shaft. 
     The push slider may include a horizontal part accommodated in the case and in contact with the upper rear end of the door handle, and a vertical part extending vertically rearward from an end portion of the horizontal part and in contact with the cabinet through a rear surface of the door. 
     The case may be provided with a spring configured to support the horizontal part from the rear, and the spring may be compressed when the push slider moves rearward. 
     A spring mounting part protruding through the spring may be formed in the case, and a guide hole which is opened to pass through the spring mounting part and guides the movement of the push slider in the front and rear direction may be formed in the horizontal part. 
     In a state where the door handle is not manipulated, the push slider may be supported by the spring, and thus the rear end of the push slider may maintain a state of being spaced apart from the cabinet. 
     A distance from the handle rotation shaft to a lower end of the door handle may be formed to be longer than a distance from the handle rotation shaft to an upper end of the door handle. 
     The storage space may be partitioned on both sides in the left and right direction by a barrier, the door may be configured to open and close each space partitioned on both sides by rotation, and the door opening device may be disposed such that the push slider protrudes toward the barrier. 
     The door opening devices may be respectively disposed at adjacent end portions of the doors on both sides in the left and right direction and are disposed at the same height as each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view illustrating part A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the rear. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the door opening device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the door opening device as viewed from the rear. 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway perspective view taken along line VI-VI′ of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view illustrating  FIG. 6  as viewed from the front. 
         FIG. 8  is a cutaway perspective view taken along line VIII-VIII′ of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door is closed. 
         FIG. 10  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door handle protrudes before the door is opened. 
         FIG. 12  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door handle is pulled when the door is opened. 
         FIG. 14  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 16  is a front view illustrating a state where the door of the refrigerator is opened. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings. In addition, in describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, a detailed description of a related known configuration or a function thereof will be omitted if it is determined that it is obvious to those skilled in the art. 
     In addition, the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, as an example, a shape of a refrigerator configured with a single door for convenience of explanation and understanding, and it is clarified in advance that the present disclosure is applicable to all refrigerators provided with a door. 
     Before the description, the direction is defined. In  FIG. 1 , the direction in which the door  20  is disposed with respect to the cabinet  10  may be referred to as a front direction, the direction in which the cabinet  10  is disposed based on the door  20  may be referred to as a rear direction, and the direction facing the floor surface on which the cabinet  10  is installed may be referred to as a lower direction, and a direction away from the floor surface on which the cabinet  10  is installed may be referred to as an upper direction. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     As illustrated in the drawing, the refrigerator  1  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cabinet  10  forming a storage space, and a door  20  for opening and closing the opened front surface of the cabinet  10 . 
     The door  20  may shield the storage space in a closed state and may form an outer appearance of the front surface of the refrigerator  1 . Although a structure for shielding one storage space with one door  20  is disclosed in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of the storage spaces are provided, and a plurality of the doors  20  may also be provided. 
     Meanwhile, hinge devices  11  and  12  may be mounted on the upper end and lower end of the door  20 . The hinge devices  11  and  12  may be fixedly mounted to the cabinet  10 , and the door  20  may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet  10 . The hinge devices  11  and  12  may be provided at one end (right end in  FIG. 1 ) of both sides of the door  20  in the left and right direction. 
     In addition, a door opening device  30  including a door handle  32  for opening and closing the door  20  may be provided on the front surface of the door  20 . The door handle  32  is provided on the front surface of the door  20  and may be positioned at an appropriate height so that the user can pull or push the door handle with hand. For example, the door handle  32  may be located at the middle of the height of the door  20  in the vertical direction or a height slightly higher than the middle. In addition, the door handle  32  may be located at one end of both ends of the door  20  in the left and right direction, which is far from the hinge devices  11  and  12 . Accordingly, the door  20  can be rotated by pulling or pushing the door handle  32 , and the cabinet  10  can be opened and closed. 
     Meanwhile, the door handle  32  is mounted on the front surface of the door  20  and may be disposed on the door plate  21  forming the front surface of the door  20  in a state of being mounted. The door handle  32  may be located inside the plate opening  213  (or front opening) of the door plate  21  and may be formed in a shape corresponding to the plate opening  213 . In addition, the door handle  32  may be located on the same plane as the front surface of the door  20 , that is, the door plate  21  in a state where the user does not manipulate the door handle. Accordingly, the door handle  32  may form a portion of the front surface of the door  20 . In addition, the door handle  32  may shield the plate opening  21 . 
     Hereinafter, the structure of the door  20  will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged view illustrating part A of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a door according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the rear. 
     As illustrated in the drawing, the door  20  may include a door plate  21  forming an outer appearance of the front surface and a door liner  22  forming a rear surface. In addition, the door  20  may further include cap decorations  25  and  26  forming the upper and lower surfaces of the door  20 . In addition, an insulation material ( 23  in  FIG. 6 ) may be filled in the inner space in which the door plate  21 , the door liner  22 , and the cap decorations  25  and  26  are coupled. In addition, the insulation material  23  may be formed by injecting a foaming liquid. 
     The door plate  21  may be made of a metal material and may be bent to form both side surfaces of the door  20  in the left and right direction as well as the front surface of the door  20 . In other words, the door plate  21  may include a front part  211  that forms the front surface of the door  20 , and side parts  212  that are bent at side ends of the front part  211  and forms side surfaces of the door  20 . Of course, the door  20  may be made of a material other than a metal material, and the front and side surfaces of the door  20  may be configured to be coupled to each other in each configuration. 
     In addition, both ends of the door plate  21  may be coupled to the door liner  22 . The door liner  22  may be made of a plastic material, and a mounting part  222  on which an accommodation member is mounted on the rear surface of the door  20  and a door dike  223  protruding along the circumference of the rear surface of the door  20  can be formed. 
     A gasket  24  may be provided around the rear surface of the door liner  22 . The gasket  24  may come in contact with the front surface of the cabinet  10  in a state where the door  20  is closed, thereby sealing the space between the door  20  and the cabinet  10 . The gasket  24  may be formed along the outer end of the rear surface of the door  20  and may be formed along the circumference of the door dike  223 . 
     In addition, a magnet  243  (in  FIG. 6 ) may be embedded in the gasket  24 . Accordingly, the gasket  24  can maintain a state of being in close contact with the front surface of the cabinet  10  made of steel by the magnet  243  in a state where the door  20  is closed, so that the storage space can be made more airtight. 
     Cap decorations  25  and  26  may be mounted on the upper and lower ends of the door plate  21  and the door liner  22 , respectively. The cap decorations  25  and  26  may form a closed space inside the door  20  by connecting the door plate  21  and the door liner  22 . In addition, the cap decorations  25  and  26  may form an upper surface and a lower surface of the door  20 , respectively. In addition, the hinge shafts of the hinge devices  11  and  12  may be inserted into one ends of the cap decorations  25  and  26 . 
     Meanwhile, the door  20  may be provided with a door opening device  30  for opening and closing the door  20 . The door opening device  30  may include a door handle  32  manipulated by the user to open the door  20  and a push slider  33  protruding toward the rear of the door  20  in conjunction with the manipulation of the door handle  32  and pushing the cabinet  10 . In addition, the door opening device  30  may further include a case  31  which is disposed inside the door  20  and in which an accommodation space  310  for accommodating the door handle  32  and the push slider  33  is formed. 
     The case  31  may be in close contact with the front part  211  and the side part  212  of the door plate  21 , so that the insulation material  23  inside the door  20  can be prevented from entering inside the accommodation space  310 . In addition, the case  31  may be formed to provide a space in which the rotational operation of the door handle  32  and the linear reciprocating movement of the push slider  33  are possible. 
     Meanwhile, the door handle  32  may be formed to correspond to the size of the plate opening  213  and may be disposed inside the plate opening  213  of the door plate  21  in a state where a user does not manipulate the door handle  32 . In addition, the front surface of the door handle  32  may form the same plane as the front surface of the door plate  21 . Accordingly, the front surface of the door  20  may be formed in a planar shape with no protruding portions as a whole, and thus the outer appearance of the door  20 , that is, the outer appearance of the front surface of the refrigerator  1  may be configured more simply and neatly. 
     In addition, the door handle  32  may be formed of the same metal material as the plate opening  213  so that the entire outer appearance of the front surface of the door  20  has a sense of unity. Of course, the door handle  32  may be made of a material having the same or similar texture to the door plate  21  instead of a metal material. 
     Hereinafter, the door opening device  30  and the coupling structure of the door opening device  30  will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the door opening device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front,  FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the door opening device as viewed from the rear.  FIG. 6  is a cutaway perspective view taken along line VI-VI′ of  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7  is a view illustrating  FIG. 6  as viewed from the front, and  FIG. 8  is a cutaway perspective view taken along line VIII-VIII′ of  FIG. 3 . 
     As illustrated in the drawing, the door opening device  30  may include a door handle  32  and a push slider  33 . In addition, the door opening device  30  may further include the case  31 . 
     The case  31  may be made of a plastic material and may form a recessed accommodation space  310 . The accommodation space  310  may include a handle accommodation part  311  accommodating the door handle  32  and a slider accommodation part  314  accommodating the push slider  33 . 
     In addition, a border  312  may be formed along the opened circumference of the accommodation space  310 . The border  312  may be in contact with the rear surface of the door plate  21 . An adhesive may be applied   the border  312 , and the border  312  may be fixedly mounted to the inner surface of the door plate  21  to shield the accommodation space  310 . 
     The handle accommodation part  311  may be formed to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the door handle  32  to accommodate the door handle  32 . In addition, the handle accommodation part  311  may open forward, and the opened front surface of the handle accommodation part  311  may communicate with the plate opening  213 . 
     In detail, a bent part  213   a  bent toward the inside of the door  20  is formed along the circumference of the plate opening  213 , and the bent part  213   a  may be inserted into an opened front surface of the handle accommodation part  311  and be in contact with the circumference of the inner surface of the handle accommodation part  311 . Accordingly, the door handle  32  may be accommodated in the handle accommodation part  311  and located inside the plate opening  213 . 
     Meanwhile, a mounting groove  313  in which the handle mounting part  322  of the door handle  32  is disposed may be formed inside the handle accommodation part  311 . In addition, shaft insertion holes  313   a  into which the handle rotation shaft  322   a  is inserted may be formed on both sides of the handle mounting part  322 . In other words, the handle mounting part  322  may be formed on the rear surface of the handle accommodation part  311 , and the shaft insertion hole  313   a  may be formed on both side surfaces of the handle mounting part  322  in the left and right direction. The mounting groove  313  and the shaft insertion hole  313   a  may be formed on the handle accommodation part  311 . 
     In addition, the slider accommodation part  314  may communicate with one side of the handle accommodation part  311 . For example, the slider accommodation part  314  may be formed at an upper end of the handle accommodation part  311 . In addition, at least a portion of the slider accommodation part  314  may extend rearward. In this case, the slider accommodation part  314  may extend to the rear surface of the door  20 . 
     The slider accommodation part  314  may be opened laterally, and the opened side surface may be in contact with the side part  212  of the door plate. In addition, an opening  314   c  may be formed at the rear end of the slider accommodation part  314 , and when the push slider  33  is moved in the rear direction, the rear end of the push slider  33  may be configured to protrude through the opening  314   c  of the rear end of the slider accommodation part  314 . 
     In detail, a plate coupling part  214  that is bent inwardly and forms a circumference of the rear surface of the door  20  may be formed at the extended end portion of the side part  212  of the door plate  21 . In addition, an end portion of the plate coupling part  214  may be coupled to an outer end of the door liner  22 . 
     In addition, a slider outlet  214   a  (or rear opening) through which the push slider  33  enters and exits may be formed in the plate coupling part  214 . In addition, the opened rear end of the slider accommodation part  314  may communicate with the slider outlet  214   a . Therefore, when the push slider  33  is moved in the rear direction, the end portion of the push slider  33  may protrude in the rear direction through the opening  314   a  of the slider accommodation part  314  and the slider outlet  214   a.    
     Meanwhile, the inner surface of the slider accommodation part  314  may include a horizontal surface  314   d  and a vertical surface  314   a . In addition, the slide accommodation part  314  may further include an inclined surface  314   b  between the horizontal surface  314   d  and the vertical surface  314   a . Accordingly, the bent push slider  33  may be accommodated in an operable state inside the slider accommodation part  314 . The horizontal surface  314   d  may form the same plane as the rear surface of the handle accommodation part  311  or a plane parallel to the rear surface thereof and may accommodate the horizontal part  331  of the push slider  33 . 
     In addition, a spring mounting part  315  on which a spring is mounted may be formed on the horizontal surface  314   d . The spring mounting part  315  may be formed in a protrusion shape penetrating the coil-shaped spring  34 . Accordingly, the spring  34  may maintain a state of being mounted without being detached from the inside of the case  31 . 
     The spring  34  may support the rear surface of the horizontal part  331  and may be compressed according to the movement of the push slider  33 . In addition, the push slider  33  may be returned to the initial position thereof by the elastic force of the spring  34 . 
     The spring mounting part  315  may extend to pass through the guide hole  333  of the horizontal part  331 , and the push slider  33  may be guided to maintain the position when moving in the front and rear direction by a guide inside the slider accommodation part  314 , the spring mounting part  315 , and the guide hole  333 . 
     The inclined surface  314   b  may extend from the horizontal surface  314   d  to be inclined toward the rear of the slider accommodation part  314 . Due to the inclined surface  314   b , the push slider  33  may be guided toward the vertical surface  314   a  without being caught in the movement of the push slider  33  in the front and rear direction. 
     The vertical surface  314   a  may extend rearward from the end portion of the inclined surface  314   b  and may be formed in parallel with the side part  212  or formed perpendicular to the vertical surface  314   a . The extended rear end of the vertical surface  314   a  forms the rear end of the slider accommodation part  314 . The vertical part  332  of the push slider  33  is formed in the inner space of the inclined surface  314   b  and the vertical surface  314   a  and can be moved in the front and rear direction. 
     The door handle  32  may be rotatably mounted on the inside of the handle accommodation part  311 , and in a mounted state, the opened front surface of the handle accommodation part  311  and the plate opening  213  may be shielded. 
     In detail, the door handle  32  may be formed in a plate shape and may be formed to correspond to the shape of the plate opening  213 . In addition, the handle mounting part  322  protruding in the rear direction may be formed on the rear surface of the door handle  32 . The handle mounting part  322  allows the door handle  32  to be fixedly mounted to the case  31  and may protrude to be located inside the mounting groove  313 . In addition, the inner surface of the mounting groove  313  in contact with the end portion of the handle mounting part  322  and the end portion of the handle mounting part  322  is formed to be rounded and thus may be configured to stably support the door handle  32  when the door handle  32  rotates. 
     In addition, the handle rotation shaft  322   a  protruding laterally may protrude from both ends of the handle mounting part  322  in the left and right direction. The handle rotation shaft  322   a  serves as a rotation shaft of the door handle  32  and may protrude from the handle mounting part  322  and be inserted into and coupled to the shaft insertion hole  313   a  of the case  31 . 
     Accordingly, the door handle  32  may be rotated in a state of being accommodated in the case  31 . In this case, the handle rotation shaft  322   a  and the handle mounting part  322  may be positioned to be biased toward the upper end of the door  20  based on the length of the door handle  32  in the vertical direction. For example, the distance from the upper end of the door handle  32  to the handle rotation shaft  322   a  and the distance from the lower end of the door handle  32  to the handle rotation shaft  322   a  may have a ratio of about 1:7 to 8. As the handle rotation shaft  322   a  is disposed on the door handle  32  at the same distance ratio as above, the door handle  32  protrudes to a position convenient for a user to grip during manipulation and simultaneously pushes the slider  33  with sufficient force, and thus the door  20  may be easily opened. 
     Due to such a structure, when the door handle  32  is rotated by pressing the upper end of the door  20 , the lower part of the door handle  32  can protrude more outward, making it easy for the user to grip and pull the door handle by hand. In addition, when the lower part of the door handle  32  is gripped and pulled, it may be possible for the upper end of the door handle  32  to push the upper end of the push slider  33  with greater force due to the principle of a lever. 
     To this end, a pressing part  321  for inducing a user&#39;s pressing manipulation may be formed on the upper end of the front surface of the door handle  32 . The pressing part  321  may be formed above the handle rotation shaft  322   a  to indicate a position that the user presses with a finger. The pressing part  321  may be protruded or recessed and may be formed to be displayed through printing or surface processing. 
     In addition, a pressing protrusion  323  protruding in the rear direction may be formed on the upper end of the rear surface of the door handle  32 . The pressing protrusion  323  may be formed at a height corresponding to the pressing part  321  and may protrude in the rear direction to contact the push slider  33 . Accordingly, when the user presses the pressing part  321 , the pressing protrusion  323  may press the front surface of the horizontal part  331  of the push slider  33 . 
     In a state where the door handle  32  is not manipulated, the pressing protrusion  323  may protrude so as to be in contact with the front surface of the horizontal part  331  of the push slider  33 . Accordingly, the movement of the push slider  33  in the front direction and rotation of the door handle  32  may be made immediately at the moment the user presses the pressing part  321  for manipulating the door handle  32 . 
     The push slider  33  may be made of a plastic material and may be formed in a bent plate shape to be accommodated inside the slider accommodation part  314 . The push slider  33  may include a horizontal part  331  and a vertical part  332 . 
     The horizontal part  331  may have a surface parallel to the door handle  32  and the door plate  21  and may be disposed in a region corresponding to the horizontal surface  314   d  of the slider accommodation part  314 . In addition, the front surface of the horizontal part  331  may be in contact with the pressing protrusion  323  of the door handle  32 . In addition, a guide hole  333  through which the spring mounting part  315  passes may be formed in the horizontal part  331 . 
     The horizontal part  331  may be supported at the rear by the spring  34  in a state of being penetrated by the spring mounting part  315 . Accordingly, the front surface of the horizontal part  331  may be in a state of being in contact with the pressing protrusion  323 . In addition, in this state, the end portion of the vertical part  332  is in a state of being located in the front direction, and the rear end of the vertical part  332  is maintained in a state of being spaced apart from the cabinet  10 . 
     The vertical part  332  may extend vertically rearward from the end portion of the spring mounting part  315 . The vertical part  332  may have a size corresponding to the inner surface of the slider accommodation part  314 , and movement may be guided by the inclined surface and the vertical surface  314   a  during the forward and rearward movement. 
     In the vertical part  332 , in a state where the push slider  33  is moved most forward, the rear end of the vertical part  332  may be formed so as to be positioned at a position corresponds to the opening  314   c  of the case  31  and the slider outlet  214   a  or a position that is more protruded to the rear. 
     In addition, the rear end of the vertical part  332  may be positioned more forward than the rear surface of the gasket  24  in a state where the push slider  33  may be moved forward and may be spaced apart from the cabinet  10  and thus may maintain a state where the door  20  is closed. 
     In addition, when the push slider  33  moves in the front direction by manipulating the door handle  32 , the rear end of the vertical part  332  and the cabinet  10  come into contact with each other, and the cabinet  10  is pushed and thus the door  20  may be opened more easily. 
     A vertical part groove  332   a  may be formed on an outer surface of the vertical part  332 . The vertical part groove  332   a  may be recessed in the center of the vertical part  332  and may be recessed along the extending direction of the vertical part  332 . Accordingly, only both ends of the outer surface of the vertical part  332  can be in contact with the side part  212 , and friction with the door plate  21  can be minimized while the push slider  33  is moving. In addition, since the outer end of the vertical part  332  has a stepped shape by the vertical part groove  332   a , it is possible to prevent the vertical part  332  from being deformed even by repeated shocks and loads. 
     Meanwhile, the end portions of the horizontal part  331  and the vertical part  332  may be vertically connected to each other. In addition, a reinforcing part  334  may be formed between the horizontal part  331  and the vertical part  332 . The reinforcing part  334  may connect between the horizontal part  331  and the vertical part  332 , and a plurality of reinforcing parts are connected at regular intervals so that even if a load is applied to the horizontal part  331  and the vertical part  332 , it is possible to prevent the push slider  33  from being deformed and damaged. 
     A gasket mounting part  221  on which the gasket  24  is mounted may be recessed in the door liner  22 . A mounting protrusion part  241  that is inserted and fixed to the gasket mounting part  221  may be formed on the gasket  24 . In addition, a magnet accommodation part  242  in which the magnet  243  is accommodated may be formed in the gasket  24 . In addition, gasket connection parts  244  and  245  connecting the mounting protrusion part  241  and the magnet accommodation part  242  may be formed. The gasket  24  may extend in a state where the magnet accommodation part  242  is in close contact with the cabinet  10  due to the structure of the gasket connection parts  244  and  245 . In addition, the gasket  24  may be made of an elastic material. 
     In addition, the outer end of the door liner  22  may be coupled to the plate coupling part  214  of the door plate  21 . In a state where the gasket  24  is mounted on the rear surface of the door  20 , the plate coupling part  214  and the slider outlet  214   a  may be exposed to the outside of the gasket  24 . Accordingly, the push slider  33  may be moved in the front and rear direction in the outer region of the gasket  24  and may protrude in the rear direction. Accordingly, the push slider  33  can open the door  20  by contacting the cabinet  10  without interfering with the gasket  24  in a state where the gasket  24  is kept airtight. 
     Hereinafter, a process of opening the door  20  of the refrigerator  1  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure having the above structure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door is closed, and  FIG. 10  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 9  and illustrates a cross section taken along line X-X′ of  FIG. 2 . 
     As illustrated in the drawing, in a state where the door handle  32  is not manipulated while the door  20  is closed, the door handle  32  shields the plate opening  213  and the push slider  33  may be in a state of being moved forward. 
     At this time, the horizontal part  331  is supported by the spring  34  and the push slider  33  is positioned at the frontmost position, so that the front surface of the horizontal part  331  and the pressing protrusion  323  may come into contact with each other. 
     Accordingly, the upper end of the door handle  32  is supported by the push slider  33 , and the handle rotation shaft  322   a  of the door handle  32  is positioned upward, so that the door handle  32  may be in a state disposed perpendicular to the ground by own weight thereof. In other words, the door handle  32  does not protrude or is not recessed to the outside in a state of shielding the inside of the plate opening  213 , and the front surface of the door handle  32  is in a state of being positioned on the same plane as the front surface of the door plate  21 . 
     In such a state, when the door  20  is viewed from the outside, the front surface of the door  20  can be seen in a flat state without a protruding part, and the door handle  32  and the door plate  21  have the same texture so that the door handle and the door plate can be made to have a sense of unity. 
     In addition, the push slider  33  is moved most forward, and the rear end of the push slider  33  may be positioned more forward than the rear surface of the gasket  24 . In other words, the rear end of the push slider  33  protrudes through the rear surface of the door  20 , but the rear end of the push slider can be maintained in a state of being slightly spaced apart from the front surface of the cabinet  10 . Accordingly, in a state where the door handle  32  is not manipulated, the push slider  33  is prevented from interfering with the gasket  24  or the cabinet  10  and thus the push slider can prevent the closing of the door  20  from being obstructed. 
       FIG. 11  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door handle protrudes before the door is opened, and  FIG. 12  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 11 . 
     As illustrated in the drawing, in order to open the door  20  in a state where the door  20  is closed, the user operates the door handle  32 . The user first presses the pressing part  321  of the upper end of the door handle  32  so that the door handle  32  can be manipulated. 
     When the pressing part  321  is pressed, the door handle  32  rotates in a counterclockwise direction based on the handle rotation shaft  322   a , and the pressing protrusion  323  presses the horizontal part  331 . Then, the push slider  33  moves in the rear direction. 
     When the push slider  33  moves in the rear direction, the spring  34  may be compressed, and the spring mounting part  315  passes through the guide hole  333 . In addition, the vertical part  332  moves along the inclined surface  314   b  and the vertical surface  314   a . Accordingly, the push slider  33  may be guided to move in the rear direction by the guide hole  333  and the slider accommodation part  314 , and the rear end of the vertical part  332  protrudes in the rear direction and thus is in contact with the front surface of the cabinet  10 . 
     Meanwhile, in a process in which the rear end of the push slider  33  is moved until the rear end of the push slider comes into contact with the cabinet  10 , the door handle  32  may compress the spring  34  and may rotate smoothly until being in contact with the cabinet  10 . 
     In addition, the lower end of the door handle  32  can protrude forwardly out of the plate opening  213 . At this time, the lower part of the door handle  32  below the handle rotation shaft  322   a  is formed to be much longer than the upper part where the pressing part  321  is disposed, so that, only by the manipulation of the pressing part  321 , the lower part of the door handle  32  may sufficiently protrude forward with respect to the front surface of the door  20 . 
     Accordingly, the user pushes the pressing part  321  to protrude the lower part of the door handle  32  so that the user can easily grip the lower part of the door handle  32  by hand. 
       FIG. 13  is a view illustrating a state of the door opening device in a state where the door handle is pulled when the door is opened, and  FIG. 14  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating an internal state of the door opening device in the state of  FIG. 13 . 
     As illustrated in the drawing, in a state where the lower part of the door handle  32  protrudes from the front surface of the door  20 , the user grips the lower part of the door handle  32 , pulls the lower part of the door handle  32  in the front direction and thus can open the door  20 . 
     When the lower part of the door handle  32  is gripped and pulled in the front direction, the door handle  32  is further rotated counterclockwise about the handle rotation shaft  322   a . In addition, the pressing part  321  further presses the horizontal part  331 , and the push slider  33  may be moved further in the rear direction. 
     At this time, the rear end of the push slider  33  is in contact with the front surface of the cabinet  10  and pushes the front surface of the cabinet  10  according to the rotation amount of the door handle  32  to move the door  20  in the front direction. In addition, the door handle  32  acts like a lever so that a force greater than a force pulling the door handle  32  is transmitted to the push slider  33  so that the push slider  33  strongly pushes the cabinet  10  to move the door  20  in the front direction. 
     In other words, when the user grips and pulls the lower part of the door handle  32 , the push slider  33  pushes the cabinet  10  with greater force by the door handle  32  and thus the door  20  can be opened. Accordingly, the user can open the door  20  with less force despite the magnetic force of the magnet  243  and the generation of negative pressure inside the storage space. 
     After the gasket  24  is separated from the cabinet  10 , the user can rotate the door  20  in a state of gripping the door handle  32 , and the storage space can be completely opened. 
     In a state where the door  20  is opened, a user can perform a desired operation, and after the food storage operation is completed, the storage space can be closed by rotating the door  20 . 
     When the door handle  32  is released after the door  20  is opened, the door handle  32  rotates clockwise about the handle rotation shaft  322   a  by the elastic restoring force of the spring  34 . and the push slider  33  moves in the front direction. 
     In other words, the door opening device  30  can be returned to the state illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , and the door  20  is naturally closed to shield the storage space in an airtight state. 
     Meanwhile, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have various other embodiments in addition to the above-described embodiments. Another embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that a door opening device is provided on a door of a refrigerator in which a pair of doors are disposed side by side on both sides in the left and right direction. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, only the structure of the door and the cabinet on which the door opening device is disposed may be different, but the configuration of the door opening device may be the same. In addition, the same components as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. 
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG. 16  is a front view illustrating a state where the door of the refrigerator is opened. 
     As illustrated in the drawing, a refrigerator  2  according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cabinet  10 ′ forming storage spaces  14  and  15  and a door  20 ′ and  20 ″ opening and closing the storage spaces  14  and  15 . The storage spaces  14  and  15  may be partitioned on left and right sides by a barrier  13  to form a freezing chamber  15  and a refrigerating chamber  14 , respectively. 
     In addition, the doors  20 ′ and  20 ″ may include a refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ for shielding the refrigerating chamber  14  and a freezing chamber door  20 ″ for shielding the freezing chamber  15 . The refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″ may be rotatably mounted to the cabinet  10 ′, respectively, and can independently open and close the refrigerating chamber  14  and the freezing chamber  15  by rotation. 
     In addition, the door opening device  30  may be provided at the refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″. The door opening device  30  may be the same as that of the above-described embodiment and may be disposed on the far side from the rotation shaft of each of the refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″. In other words, the door opening device  30  may be provided at an end portion at which the refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″ are adjacent to each other, respectively. In addition, the door opening device  30  provided in the refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″, respectively, has the same structure and may be disposed at the same height. 
     The door handle  32  of the door opening device  30  may be located at the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door  20 ′ and the freezing chamber door  20 ″, and the push slider  33  protruding rearward by manipulation of the door handle  32  may be disposed so as to be in contact with the barrier  13 . 
     Accordingly, when the door handle  32  is manipulated to open the doors  20 ′ and  20 ″, the push slider  33  pushes the front surface of the barrier  13  and the doors  20 ′ and  20 ″ can be opened. To this end, the door opening device  30  may be disposed such that the push slider  33  is positioned in front of the barrier  13 . 
     According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the following effects can be expected. 
     A door opening device for opening the door may be embedded in the door, and the door handle may be disposed on the same plane as the front surface of the door. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a clean outer appearance without a protrusion portion on the outer appearance of the front surface of the door. 
     In addition, when the upper part of the door handle is pressed to open the door, the door handle is rotated and the lower part thereof protrudes, and the user can open the door by holding the protruding lower part thereof and pulling the door. 
     In other words, there are advantages that, in a state where the door is closed, there is no protrusion portion on the front surface of the door, so the outer appearance thereof is improved, and in order to open the door, and that the door can be opened by pulling the door handle only by simple manipulation of the door handle. 
     In particular, when the door handle is pulled, while the door handle rotates, the door handle pushes the push slider to move the push slider in the rear direction, and the push slider pushes the cabinet to assist in opening the door. 
     Therefore, even in a state where the gasket of the door is in close contact with the cabinet and the inside of the storage space is in a negative pressure state, the door can be easily opened, thereby increasing convenience in use. 
     In particular, the process of protruding the door handle in a state of being disposed inside the door, the process of pulling the door handle, and the process of pushing the cabinet by the slider linked to the door handle can be linked in one operation, and thus there is an advantage that faster and more convenient door opening manipulation becomes possible. 
     In addition, the door handle is formed so that the distance from the rotation shaft of the door handle to the upper end in contact with the push slider is shorter than the distance from the rotation shaft to the lower end of the door handle, and therefore, with less force due to the principle of the lever, it is possible to open the door by pulling the door handle, thereby improving convenience in use. 
     In addition, the push slider may be supported by a spring to maintain a state where the door handle shields the opening of the front side of the door in a state where the door handle is not manipulated. In addition, when the door handle is released after completing the manipulation of the door handle, the door handle is automatically returned to the original position thereof by the spring. 
     In addition, the structure of the door opening device may be formed at an intermediate point spaced apart from the upper and lower ends of the door, thus simplifying the structure of the door handle and preventing deterioration in outer appearance due to the door handle. 
     In particular, the door handle may be formed to shield the opening of the front surface of the door, and by forming the same plane as the front surface of the door, the outer appearance of the front surface of the door may have a sense of unity. 
     In addition, the push slider is formed to pass through the opening on the rear surface of the door formed on the outer surface of the gasket, so that the insulation performance of the moving structure of the push slider can be prevented from being deteriorated. In addition, all the remaining configurations of the door opening device except for a portion of the rear end of the push slider and a portion of the front surface of the door handle are configured to be located inside the door, so that the outer appearance of the door can be seen more concisely. 
     In addition, the door opening device has a simple structure in which the door handle and the push slider are disposed to be interlocked in a space formed by the case inside the door, and thus has an advantage that assembly and productivity can be improved. 
     In addition, in the process of rotating the door handle so that the lower part of the door handle protrudes before pulling the door handle, the rear end of the push slider is formed so as not to contact the front surface of the cabinet so that excessive force is not applied during the initial manipulation of the door handle, and thus the effect of improving the user&#39;s manipulation convenience for opening the door can be expected.