Patent ID: 7712186

Claim:
A hinge device for a refrigerator, which fastens a door thereto to open/close storage space formed therein, the hinge device comprising: a case having a side opened to define an exterior thereof; at least one case cap fastened to the case to close the opened side of the case, the at least one case cap comprising a holding part recessed inwardly by a predetermined depth; at least one rotation shaft provided within the case, the at least one rotation shaft being fastened to a side of the door to rotate together with the door; a clutch protrusion that projects outwardly from a lateral surface of the at least one rotation shaft and having a predetermined curvature; and a clutch ring mounted within the case cap, the clutch ring being formed in a ring shape having a width corresponding to the recessed depth of the holding part and being made of an elastic material so that the clutch ring selectively contacts with the clutch protrusion to supply elasticity to the at least one rotation shaft during the rotation of the at least one rotation shaft, wherein the clutch ring comprises a contact part recessed away from an inner surface of the case cap on opposite sides of the clutch ring and spaced apart a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the case cap so that the clutch protrusion selectively contacts the contact part and at least one fixing part that projects outwardly and is inserted into the recessed portion of the holding part to prevent the clutch ring from idling within the holding part.