Source: {"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"}

This invention relates to a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus which is adapted to facilitate the easy handling of relatively heavy food containers.
The refrigerator, used to store various kinds of foodstuffs in either a cooled or frozen state to preserve the food's freshness for an extended period of time, generally cools the stored foodstuffs either by utilizing the direct cooling method in which an evaporator for cooling air is installed in each separate cold storage compartment, or by utilizing the indirect cooling method in which an evaporator is installed in the main air passage located away from the cold storage compartments and air in the interior of the refrigerator is circulated through the evaporator by a fan.
Such a refrigerator generally has a freezing compartment and a cooling compartment which are separated from each other by an intermediate wall, and the cooling compartment is divided among several separate compartments which are kept at different temperatures in order to suitably store various types of foodstuffs.
Such a refrigerator also has front access doors which are vertically hinged so that they can be opened from the side opposite from the hinges.
However, such a two-door type refrigerator does not satisfy the user's needs according to a variety of foodstuffs each of which requires different ideal storage requirements.
Therefore, in order to accommodate various kinds of foods which need to be separately stored at each optimum storage temperature, a refrigerator with enlarged storage areas and with several separate compartments each equipped with its own door, has been produced.
Common methods for opening and closing the doors of the refrigerator are as follows: the type which is hinged on one vertical side of the compartment to be opened from the side opposite the hinges, the type which is hinged on the front surface of the bottom of the compartment so that it is opened from the top and then swings out, and the sliding type which can be extended and retracted.
A conventional type door which is hinged on one vertical side of the compartment to be opened from the side opposite the hinges is suitable for a cooling compartment having one large storage area to store various foodstuffs.
But, such a door is not suitable for a relatively small space which is designed to store a special foodstuff at a temperature suited to the unique nature of the foodstuff.
This is because the horizontal dimension of a cooling compartment with a small volume is relatively longer than its vertical dimension and thus the radius of rotation for opening and closing the door is considerably larger compared with the door which is hinged on the horizontal, and it is thus inconvenient and inefficient.
Further, when a person removes or places a relatively heavy food container in the storage compartment with the vertically hinged door, both hands must be used.
Furthermore, it is possible for such a door to prematurely close while in use, and therefore the object to be stored must be handled carefully until it is completely placed in the refrigerator compartment, and when the heavy food container must be placed in the back of the compartment, it is possible that the door will interfere with the process.
Recently, the horizontally hinged door has been utilized for surmounting the above problems.
Generally, a horizontally hinged door is attached with fixed hinges. Accordingly, the space between the compartment equipped with the horizontally hinged door and the next lower compartment must be greater than the thickness of the door because the horizontally hinged door must be free to open downward, and consequently, it detracts from the symmetry front view of the refrigerator, and the overall height of the refrigerator must be increased.
Further, the top surface of the opened door will be positioned higher than the floor of the storage compartment so that it interferes with the movement of foodstuffs, thereby causing an inconvenience when the foodstuffs are moved.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by providing a door opening/closing apparatus for a horizontally hinged door which can be easily operated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a door opening/closing apparatus which operates a door with the movement of a hinge for supporting and rotating the door, thereby allowing the space between the compartment and the lower compartment to be decreased.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a door opening/closing apparatus whereby the door in the completely opened state and the floor surface of the storage compartment are configured to form the same horizontal plane, thereby allowing the stored foodstuffs to be easily stored or removed.