KR20060133196A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided to easily control height of a hinge shaft and a door by rotating a lift member with a tool and prevent the controlled height from changing by preventing the lift member from relatively moving to a shaft support holder. A door bracket(135) is combined with a lower part of a door of a refrigerator, having a hinge shaft. A shaft support holder(145) has a shaft containing part containing the hinge shaft, and a lift guide part extended to a lower part of the shaft containing part along an axial line direction of the hinge shaft and having a female screw. A main body bracket(141) is combined with a main body of the refrigerator, and supports the shaft support holder. A lift member(151) has a male screw corresponding to the female screw of the lift guide to lift the hinge shaft contained in the shaft containing part. A movement preventing part(161) is combined with the lift member or the shaft support holder to prevent the lift member from relatively moving to the shaft support holder.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

1 is an exploded perspective view of a door lower hinge of a conventional refrigerator;

2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of a door hinge of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

4 is an exploded perspective view of a door hinge of a refrigerator according to the present invention;

5 and 6 are cross-sectional views showing the height adjustment process of the door hinge of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

100: refrigerator 110: the body

120: door 130: door hinge unit

131: upper hinge 132: lower hinge

133: hinge shaft 135: door bracket

141: main body bracket 143: holder housing

145: shaft support holder 146: shaft receiving portion

147: lifting guide portion 151: lifting member

153: lifting member main body 154: lifting head

155: tool coupling portion 161: movement preventing portion

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an improved structure of a door hinge unit connecting a main body and a door of the refrigerator.

In general, a refrigerator includes a main body forming an opened storage compartment, a door opening and closing the opening of the storage compartment, and a door hinge unit connecting the main body and the door to pivotally open and close the opening of the storage compartment. Recently, in order to secure a large storage compartment, a side by side refrigerator having a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, respectively, has been widely used.

The technology related to the door hinge of the conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-03381123. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional refrigerator door lower hinge includes a bracket 10 having a vertical part fixed to a refrigerator cabinet by fixing means such as a bolt, and a horizontal part extending perpendicularly from the vertical part; A hinge shaft 11 fixed to a horizontal portion of the bracket 10 to be inserted into a hole formed at a lower end of the door to support the lower door, and having a guide protrusion 18 formed in a cylindrical shape and perpendicular to the outer circumferential surface thereof; Slit 20 is formed to engage the guide projection 18 of the hinge shaft 11, the cylindrical support member 12 is inserted into the hole of the lower door; It consists of a shaft portion 16 fitted into the hole 15 provided at the upper end of the hinge shaft 11, and the adjusting portion 17 is screwed with the screw portion formed inside the support member 12 to raise the support member 12 Or it includes a adjusting means for lowering, characterized in that for adjusting the height of the refrigerator lower door supported by the support member (12).

The door lower hinge of the conventional refrigerator is described as being able to adjust the height of the support member by adjusting the adjustment unit, but it would be more desirable if the user improved to adjust the height of the door more easily.

In addition, it would be desirable to provide a means for preventing the height of the door adjusted by rotation of the door from being changed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the height of the door is easily adjusted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can prevent the height of the adjusted door from being changed.

The above object, according to the present invention, in the refrigerator having a main body for forming a storage compartment having a front opening and a door for opening and closing the front opening of the storage compartment, the door bracket coupled to the lower side of the door and provided with a hinge shaft and; An axial support holder having an axis receiving portion for accommodating the hinge axis, and an elevating guide portion having a female thread extending downward along the axis direction of the hinge axis; A main body bracket coupled to the lower side of the main body and supporting the shaft support holder; And an elevating member having a male screw formed corresponding to the female screw of the elevating guide portion to elevate the hinge shaft accommodated in the bearing accommodation portion.

The lifting member may further include a movement preventing part coupled to at least one of the lifting member and the shaft support holder to prevent the lifting member from moving relative to the shaft support holder.

The lifting member may be exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder.

The movement preventing part may include a fastening nut fastened to the lifting member exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder.

A lower portion of the elevating member may be provided with a tool coupling for rotating the elevating member.

An elevating head portion may be provided at an upper side of the elevating member to contact the hinge shaft.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail.

2 to 4, the refrigerator 100 according to the present invention includes a main body 110 forming a storage compartment having a front opening (not shown), a door 120 opening and closing the front opening of the storage compartment, and The door hinge unit 130 connects the main body 110 and the door 120 to rotate and open the front opening of the storage compartment.

Body 110 is an example of the present invention is a side-by-side (SIDE BY SIDE TYPE) of the storage compartment, such as the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively arranged left and right. However, the main body 110 may be a type in which storage compartments such as a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment are respectively disposed up and down.

Door 120 is provided in a pair in the main body 110 to open and close the front opening of a pair of storage compartments, such as the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

The door hinge unit 130 includes an upper hinge 131 having a hinge axis (not shown) connecting the upper side of the main body 110 and the upper side of the door 120 so that the door 120 rotates with respect to the main body 110. The lower hinge 132 connects the lower side of the main body 110 and the lower side of the door 120.

Hereinafter, the door hinge unit 130 will be described with respect to the lower hinge 132 connecting the lower side of the main body 110 and the lower side of the door 120. The lower hinge 132 of the door hinge unit 130 includes a door bracket 135 coupled to the lower side of the door 120, a hinge shaft 133 coupled to the door bracket 135, and a hinge shaft 133. Shaft support holder 145 for receiving and supporting the body, the main body bracket 141 is coupled to the lower side of the main body 110 to support the shaft support holder 145, and the shaft support holder to raise and lower the hinge shaft 133 And a lifting member 151 movably coupled to 145. The lower hinge 132 of the door hinge unit 130 is coupled to at least one of the elevating member 151 and the shaft support holder 145 to prevent the elevating member 151 from moving relative to the shaft support holder 145. It further comprises a movement preventing portion 161.

The door bracket 135 is provided in a plate shape to support the hinge shaft 133. The door bracket 135 includes a door fastening portion 136 that is penetrated to be coupled by a screw (not shown) to the lower side of the door 120.

The hinge shaft 133 is provided to protrude downward from the door bracket 135. The hinge shaft 133 is received and supported by the shaft receiving portion 146 of the shaft support holder 145 which will be described later. Hinge shaft 133 is provided as a cylindrical shape as an example of the present invention may be rotatably accommodated in the shaft receiving portion 146 of the shaft support holder 145 to be described later. However, the hinge shaft 133 is rotatably coupled to the door bracket 135 and may be accommodated in a non-circular shape so as not to rotate relative to the shaft receiving portion 146 of the shaft support holder 145 which will be described later.

The body bracket 141 is provided in a plate shape to support the shaft support holder 145. The body bracket 141 includes a body fastening portion 142 penetrated to be coupled to the lower side of the body 110 by a screw (not shown), and a holder accommodating portion 143 provided to be coupled to the shaft support holder 145. do.

The holder accommodating part 143 is formed to pass through the outer circumferential surface of the shaft support holder 145. The holder accommodating part 143 may be coupled to the shaft support holder 145 in a caulking manner. However, the holder accommodating part 143 may be coupled to the shaft support holder 145 in various ways such as screw fastening or welding.

The shaft support holder 145 extends downwardly of the shaft receiving portion 146 along the axis direction of the hinge shaft 133 and the shaft receiving portion 146 to accommodate the hinge shaft 133, and a lifting guide portion having a female thread formed therein. 147. The shaft support holder 145 further includes an elevating head accommodation portion 148 to accommodate the elevating head portion 154 of the elevating member 151 which will be described later.

The shaft receiving portion 146 is opened upwardly so that the hinge shaft 133 can be inserted downward from the upper side. The inner circumferential surface of the bearing portion 146 has a circular cross section to rotatably receive the hinge shaft 133. However, when the hinge shaft 133 is rotatably coupled to the door bracket 135, the inner circumferential surface of the shaft receiving portion 146 may have a non-circular cross section so as not to rotate relative to the hinge shaft 133.

The lifting guide part 147 is formed to communicate with the shaft receiving part 146 along the axial direction of the hinge shaft 133. An internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the elevating guide part 147 to be screwable with the elevating member 151. The inner circumferential surface of the elevating guide portion 147 is smaller than the inner circumferential surface of the shaft receiving portion 146 so that the elevating member 151 screwed to the elevating guide portion 147 can move upward to elevate the hinge shaft 133. It is preferably provided in diameter.

The lifting head accommodation portion 148 is provided between the shaft accommodation portion 146 and the elevation guide portion 147 to accommodate the elevation head portion 154. The inner circumferential surface of the elevating head accommodation portion 148 has a circular cross section corresponding to the elevating head portion 154. The inner circumferential surface of the elevating head accommodation portion 148 is smaller than the inner circumferential surface of the shaft accommodation portion 146, and preferably provided with a larger diameter than the inner circumferential surface of the elevation guide portion 147.

The elevating member 151 includes an elevating member body 153 in which a male screw is formed corresponding to the female screw of the elevating guide portion 147 to elevate the hinge shaft 133 accommodated in the shaft accommodating portion 146. A lower portion of the elevating member 151 is provided with a tool coupling portion 155 for rotating the elevating member body 153, and an elevating head portion 154 to be in contact with the hinge shaft 133 at an upper side of the elevating member 151. May be provided.

The elevating member body 153 is provided with a circular cross section, and a male screw is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the elevating guide member 147 so as to be screwed to the female screw of the elevating guide portion 147 to move upward and downward. The elevating member body 153 is formed long so as to be exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder (145). Thus, when the elevating member body 153 is moved up and down with respect to the shaft support holder 145, the hinge shaft 133 may be moved upward, and the elevating member body 153 is lowered with respect to the shaft support holder 145. In this case, the hinge shaft 133 may be moved downward. A fastening nut, which is a movement preventing part 161 to be described later, may be fastened to the elevating member main body 153 exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder 145.

The tool coupling portion 155 extends downwardly below the elevating member body 153. The tool coupling part 155 is provided to be coupled to the tool so as to rotate the lifting member body 153 to the lifting guide portion 147 to be lifted. Tool coupling portion 155 is provided in a hexagonal cross-sectional shape so that a tool such as a spanner can be coupled as an example of the present invention. However, the tool coupling portion 155 may be provided in a rectangular cross section, it may be formed as a wrench receiving groove so that a tool such as a wrench is coupled.

The elevating head portion 154 is provided above the elevating member body 153 to be in contact with the lower end of the hinge shaft 133. The lifting head portion 154 is formed in a circular cross section so as to be rotatably received in the lifting head accommodation portion 148. The lifting head portion 154 is smaller than the shaft receiving portion 146 to move the hinge shaft 133 upward, and is provided with a diameter larger than the lifting guide portion 147 so as not to be separated to the lifting guide portion 147. It is preferable.

The movement preventing part 161 is hinged by moving the lifting member 151 with respect to the shaft support holder 145 by opening and closing the door 120 in a state where the lifting member 151 is coupled to the shaft support holder 145. Serves to prevent the height of the shaft 133 from changing. Movement preventing portion 161 is an example of the present invention, the lifting member 151 is coupled to the shaft support holder 145, the lifting member 151 is the shaft support holder 145 in the state where the height adjustment of the hinge shaft 133 is completed. It includes a fastening nut 162 is fastened tightly to the male screw of the elevating member 151 so as not to move relative to. The movement preventing part 161 may further include one or more washers 163 to accommodate the lifting member 151 and disposed between the shaft support holder 145 and the fastening nut 162.

By this configuration, the operation of the door hinge unit 130 of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described.

First, the elevating member 151 is screwed to the elevating guide portion 147 of the shaft support holder 145 coupled to the lower side of the main body 110 together with the main bracket 141. At this time, the elevating member 151 is coupled downward from the upper side of the shaft support holder 145. Then, the hinge shaft 133 coupled to the lower side of the door 120 together with the door bracket 135 is inserted into the shaft receiving portion 146 of the shaft support holder 145. Thereafter, a tool such as a spanner is coupled to the tool engaging portion 155 of the elevating member 151 exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder 145 to rotate the elevating member 151 by rotating the elevating member 151. It can be moved downward (see FIGS. 5 and 6). And, as the lifting member 151 moves upward or downward, the hinge shaft 133 in contact with the lifting member 151 may move upward or downward to adjust the height of the hinge shaft 133 (FIG. 5). And FIG. 6). As the hinge shaft 133 moves upward or downward, the door 120 integrally coupled with the hinge shaft 133 may move upward or downward to adjust the height of the door 120. Then, when the height adjustment of the hinge shaft 133 and the door 120 is completed, the movement preventing portion 161 such as a fastening nut is screwed to the elevating member 151 to elevate the elevating member 151 by the shaft support holder 145. The lifting member 151 is firmly fastened to the shaft support holder 145 so as not to move relative to the shaft.

Thus, the refrigerator according to the present invention can easily adjust the height of the hinge shaft and the door by rotating the lifting member by combining a tool such as a spanner. In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention may be provided with a movement preventing part such as a fastening nut to prevent the elevating member from moving relative to the shaft support holder arbitrarily to prevent the hinge shaft and the adjusted height of the door from being arbitrarily changed.

As described above, according to the present invention, a refrigerator capable of easily adjusting the height of the hinge shaft and the door may be provided.

In addition, the refrigerator may be provided by providing a movement preventing part to prevent the height of the hinge shaft and the adjusted height of the door from being arbitrarily changed.

Claims (6)

A refrigerator having a main body for forming a storage compartment having a front opening and a door for opening and closing the front opening of the storage compartment, A door bracket coupled to a lower side of the door and provided with a hinge shaft; An axial support holder having an axis receiving portion for accommodating the hinge axis, and an elevating guide portion having a female thread extending downward along the axis direction of the hinge axis; A main body bracket coupled to the lower side of the main body and supporting the shaft support holder; And an elevating member having a male screw formed corresponding to the female screw of the elevating guide portion to elevate the hinge shaft accommodated in the bearing accommodation portion. The method of claim 1, And a movement preventing part coupled to at least one of the elevating member and the shaft supporting holder to prevent the elevating member from moving relative to the shaft supporting holder. The method of claim 2, The lifting member is a refrigerator, characterized in that exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder. The method of claim 3, The movement preventing unit comprises a fastening nut fastened to the lifting member exposed to the lower side of the shaft support holder. The method of claim 4, wherein The refrigerator is characterized in that a lower portion of the elevating member is provided with a tool coupling for rotating the elevating member. The method according to claim 4 or 5, And an elevating head portion is provided at an upper side of the elevating member so as to contact the hinge shaft.

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