Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/20170299254
Timestamp: 2020-05-27 16:45:37
Document Index: 180136109

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 10', 'art 110', 'art 133', 'art 152', 'art 133', 'art 111', 'art 111', 'art 166']

US Patent Application for REFRIGERATOR Patent Application (Application #20170299254 issued October 19, 2017) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents US Patent Application for REFRIGERATOR Patent Application (Application #20170299254)
Jun 29, 2017 - Samsung Electronics
A refrigerator includes a body; a storage compartment; a first door and a second door; and a rotating bar coupled to the first door and configured to close a gap between the first door and the second door when the first door and the second door are closed. The rotating bar includes a case having an accommodating space; a cover; a metallic plate positioned at a front side of the cover and having an end portion bent toward the cover; and a sealing member disposed at a longitudinal end portion of the rotating bar, the sealing member including a first portion engaged with the end portion of the metallic plate and a second portion extending from the first portion of the sealing member in a longitudinal direction to cover a gap formed between the body and the longitudinal end portion of the rotating bar when the first door is closed.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/885,097 filed on Oct. 16, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/950,937 filed on Jul. 25, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/835,132 filed on Mar. 15, 2013, which claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0027186, filed on Mar. 16, 2012, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIGS. 6 to 9 are drawings to describe the operation of a rotating bar of the refrigerator of FIG. 1
The gaskets 42 and 52 may be installed in a shape of a loop along the rims of the rear surfaces of the first door 40 and the second door 50, respectively, and at an inside the gaskets 42 and 52, magnets (42a and 52a in FIGS. 4 and 5) may be included, respectively.
By referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the rotating bar 100 includes a case 110 having an accommodating space 110a and provided with one surface thereof open, a heat insulation member 120 accommodated in the accommodating space 110a of the case 110, a cover 130 coupled to the one open surface of the case 110, a metallic plate 150 coupled to an outer side of the cover 130, and a heat generating member 140 disposed at a space in between the cover 130 and the metallic plate 150.
The case 110 is configured to form an exterior appearance of the rotating bar 100, and may be provided at an inside thereof with the accommodating space 110a having one surface open, and the one open surface of the rotating bar 100 may be covered by the cover 130. A hinge bracket coupling part 110b to which a hinge bracket (70 in FIG. 6) is coupled may be provided at the case 110.
The heat insulation member 120 is configured to thermally insulate the refrigerating compartment 20, and may be formed of the EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene) material having superior insulation performance and light weight. The heat insulation member 120, after being formed in an approximate shape to be inserted into the accommodating space 110a of the case 110, may be inserted into the accommodating space 110a of the case 110.
The cover 130 is configured to cover the one surface of the case 110 that is open, and may be coupled to the one open surface of the case 110 after the heat insulation member 120 is inserted into the accommodating space 110a of the case 110.
The metallic plate 150 may be coupled to an outer side of the cover 130 as such, and the metallic plate 150 is formed of metallic material so as to come into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42a and 52a included at the gaskets 42 and 52, and to provide rigidity to the rotating bar 100.
The length ‘L’ of the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 is provided to be approximately larger than the thickness ‘D’ of the cover 130, and within the limit that the metallic plate 150 comes into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42a and 52a that are included at the gaskets 42 and 52, the length of the gasket close-contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 may be reduced while the length ‘L’ of the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 may be expanded.
However, the heat insulation film 190 is needed to be provided with a thickness less than a predetermined thickness, so that, in a state of the first door 40 and the second door 50 are closed, the rotating bar may come into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42a and 52a that are included at the gaskets 42 and 52.
At the case 110 of the rotating bar 100, a supporting part 111 to support the elastic member 162 is provided, and also a supporting bar 111a is protruded from the supporting part 111. At the body part 166, a supporting bar 166a is provided to support the elastic member 162.
a storage compartment formed in the body and having an opening;
a first door configured to open or close a first portion of the opening;
a second door configured to open or close a second portion of the opening; and
a rotating bar coupled to the first door and configured to close a gap between the first door and the second door when the first door and the second door are closed,
wherein the rotating bar comprises: a case having an accommodating space; a cover covering the accommodating space; a heat insulation member accommodated in the accommodating space; a metallic plate positioned at a front side of the cover and having an end portion bent toward the cover; and a sealing member disposed at a longitudinal end portion of the rotating bar, the sealing member including a first portion engaged with the end portion of the metallic plate and a second portion extending from the first portion of the sealing member in a longitudinal direction to cover a gap formed between the body and the longitudinal end portion of the rotating bar when the first door is closed.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the sealing member is formed of a material that is more flexible than the case.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the sealing member is formed of rubber.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cover has a recess, wherein the first portion of the sealing member is disposed inside the recess of the cover, and the second portion of the sealing member is disposed outside the recess of the cover.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the sealing member forms a groove into which the end portion of the metallic plate is inserted.
6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the metallic plate and the second portion of the sealing member form a front surface of the rotating bar.
7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the rotating bar further comprises another sealing member disposed at another longitudinal end portion of the rotating bar.
8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of non-metallic material having a heat conductivity rate lower than a heat conductivity rate of the metallic plate.
Publication number: 20170299254
Patent Grant number: 10145604
Inventors: Sung Mo KIM (Ansan-si), Jee Hoon LEE (Goyang-si), Myoung Hun KIM (Gimhae-si), Hak Gyun BAE (Andong-si), Hee Tae SHON (Gwangju), Jong Hoon OH (Gwangju), Sinn Bong YOON (Gwangju), Kun Eui HONG (Busan)
Application Number: 15/637,817
International Classification: F25D 23/12 (20060101); F25D 21/04 (20060101); A47B 71/00 (20060101); F25D 23/02 (20060101); F25D 23/00 (20060101); F25D 23/02 (20060101); F25D 23/04 (20060101); F25D 23/08 (20060101);