KR20220158577A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator. According to the present invention, a door (30) is formed as a door frame (32) encloses an edge of a transparent member (34) formed of at least two sheets of insulation glass (35). A vacuum space (35') is formed between the transparent members (34), and a sealant (36) is located to enclose the edge between insulation members (35) to bond the insulation member (35). A gasket (38) is located at a position corresponding to the sealant (36), and one end in a width direction of the gasket (38) is located on the more inner side than a boundary of an insulation space (35') and the sealant (36). A door mounting unit (43) of a hinge assembly (42) can be mounted at a corner of a rear surface of the door frame (32) corresponding to the outer side of the edge of gasket (38). A hinge groove (42') on which a body mounting unit (45) of the hinge assembly (42) is formed at a front corner of a refrigerator body (10). The purpose of the present invention is to install the hinge assembly between the rear surface of the door and the front surface of the refrigerator body, thereby relatively shortening the length in the front and rear direction of the entire refrigerator including the door.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator.

In general, a refrigerator freezes and/or refrigerates food by using cold air generated by a heat exchange cycle including a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator to lower the temperature inside the storage compartment to a temperature relatively lower than room temperature. is to do

Storage compartments provided in the refrigerator may include a freezing compartment for freezing and storing food or beverages and a refrigerating compartment for storing food or beverages at a relatively low temperature.

Refrigerators can be divided into a top-mounted type in which the freezing compartment is disposed above the refrigerating compartment, a bottom freezer type in which the freezing compartment is disposed below the refrigerating compartment, and a side-by-side type in which the freezing and refrigerating compartments are divided into left and right sides.

Foods stored at a temperature of 0 to 5° C. may be stored in the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator. The freezer compartment of the refrigerator is maintained at a temperature of about -18° C., and stored food may be stored in a frozen state.

In this way, in order to maintain the temperatures of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber at a temperature lower than the general room temperature, it is necessary to minimize heat transfer through the refrigerator main body and the door. To this end, the refrigerator body and the door must have a heat insulation layer having a certain thickness or more. However, in order to secure a space equal to or greater than a predetermined level while the refrigerator main body and the door have a heat insulation layer having a predetermined thickness or more, the size of the refrigerator is inevitably increased.

In particular, when the thickness of the door mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator body and opened and closed has a heat insulation layer having a certain thickness or more, the length of the front and back of the refrigerator becomes relatively large. In fact, the refrigerator has a relatively large front-to-front length compared to other furniture in the kitchen, etc., so it does not match with surrounding furniture and takes up a relatively large amount of space.

In addition, compared to the freezing chamber, the inside of the refrigerator may store foods with a relatively short storage period. However, since the refrigerating compartment door has an opaque insulation layer for insulation, the refrigerating compartment door must be opened to see the inside of the refrigerating compartment. In order to solve this problem, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0091867 placed a transparent member on the door of the refrigerator compartment so that the inside of the refrigerator compartment could be seen without opening the door. However, due to heat transfer through the transparent member, insulation of the refrigerating chamber is not properly performed, resulting in increased power consumption.

Even if a transparent member is used on the refrigerator compartment door so that the interior of the refrigerator compartment can be seen, if the front and back length of the refrigerator compartment is long, the food stored in the back is covered by the food stored in the front, so that the food stored in the refrigerator compartment cannot be seen properly. .

In Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0057583, the front and rear lengths of the refrigerator body are relatively short and the left and right lengths of the refrigerator body are relatively long. However, in this structure, when an external force acts on the refrigerator body, it is highly likely that the refrigerator body will fall forward. Here, in order to prevent this, the door is extended to the bottom of the refrigerator body to make the entire internal storage space into one, which causes a problem of not providing various types of storage space and a problem in the insulation performance of the door.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2000-0018013 uses tempered glass for the door of a home refrigerator so that the contents inside can be seen from the outside, but there is also a problem with the door's insulation performance, so that the inner coating layer and There is a hassle of forming an outer coating layer.

In Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0086644, a hinge assembly for opening and closing a refrigerator door has one side fixed to the refrigerator body and the other side located on the upper and lower surfaces of the door. In this way, when the hinge assembly is mounted on the upper and lower surfaces of the door, there is a problem in that the thickness of the door must have a certain value or more.

(Prior Art Document 01) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0091867 (Prior Art Document 02) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0057583 (Prior Art Document 03) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2000-0018013 (Prior Art Document 04) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0086644

An object of the present disclosure is to install a hinge assembly between a rear surface of a door and a front surface of a refrigerator body.

An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the thickness of a door used in a refrigerator.

An object of the present disclosure is to minimize a door opening/closing impact in a refrigerator.

An object of the present disclosure is to minimize a moment due to the weight of a door that opens and closes a refrigerating compartment.

In the present disclosure, a hinge assembly may be installed between the rear surface of the door and the front surface of the refrigerator body. The body mounting portion of the hinge assembly may be mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator body, and the door mounting portion of the hinge assembly may be mounted on the rear surface of the door frame.

In the present disclosure, hinge grooves may be formed on the rear surface of the door and the front surface of the refrigerator body so that both ends of the hinge assembly may be fixed to the door and the refrigerator body.

In the present disclosure, a gasket may be installed to include a sealant region of a transparent member made of vacuum insulating glass.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be mounted at a corner of the door frame corresponding to the outside of the gasket.

According to the present disclosure, the refrigerator main body having a storage space formed therein, and opening and closing the storage space around the edge of a transparent member having a vacuum space formed between insulating glass so that the storage space can be seen from the outside. A door with a door frame facing the front of the refrigerator body, a gasket that performs a sealing action between the rear surface of the door frame and the front surface of the refrigerator body, one side installed on the rear surface of the door frame outside the outer edge of the gasket, and the other side The hinge assembly installed on the front surface of the refrigerator body to open and close the door may be included.

in this disclosure. The hinge assembly may include a body mounting portion installed on the refrigerator body, a door mounting portion installed on a rear surface of the door frame, and a connecting portion connecting the body mounting portion and the door mounting portion.

In the present disclosure, a hinge groove in which the door mounting portion is installed may be formed at a corner of the door frame, and a hinge groove in which the main body mounting portion is installed may be formed in the refrigerator body.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly can freely open and close a certain section and absorb shock with a predetermined damping force when the door is in close contact with the front surface of the refrigerator body.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be a push-pull type to which a damper and a spring function are applied.

In the present disclosure, a vacuum space is formed between insulating glasses constituting the transparent member, and a sealant is positioned along an edge between the insulating glasses to adhere the insulating glass.

In the present disclosure, one end of the gasket in the width direction may be located at a position corresponding to the boundary between the vacuum space and the sealant or at a position corresponding to the vacuum space.

In the present disclosure, both ends of the gasket in the width direction may be located on the rear surface of the door frame corresponding to an inner edge and an outer edge of the door frame.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be installed at a corner of the door frame corresponding to an outer side of the gasket.

According to the present disclosure, a refrigerator body in which a refrigerating compartment is formed on an upper portion of the interior and a freezing compartment is formed on a lower portion of the inner portion is installed at both ends of the refrigerating compartment entrance, and a vacuum space is formed between insulating glass so that the refrigerating compartment can be viewed from the outside. a pair of doors having a door frame facing the front surface of the refrigerator body around edges of a transparent member, a gasket installed on the door frame to seal between the rear surface of the door frame and the front surface of the refrigerator body; A hinge assembly having one side installed on the rear surface of the door frame outside the outer edge of the gasket and the other side installed on the front surface of the refrigerator body to open and close the door may be included.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be installed at a corner of the door frame.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be of a soft closing type.

In the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may include a body mounting portion installed on the refrigerator body, a door mounting portion installed on a rear surface of the door frame, and a connecting portion connecting the body mounting portion and the door mounting portion.

In the present disclosure, the main body mounting part may be seated and fixed in a hinge groove formed on the front surface of the refrigerator body, and the door mounting part may be seated and fixed in a hinge groove formed in a rear surface of the door frame.

In the present disclosure, a vacuum space is formed between the insulating glass of the transparent member, and a sealant is positioned along an edge between the insulating glass to adhere the insulating glass.

In the present disclosure, one end of the gasket in the width direction may be located at a position corresponding to the boundary between the vacuum space and the sealant or at a position corresponding to the vacuum space.

In the present disclosure, both ends of the gasket in the width direction may be located on the rear surface of the door frame corresponding to an inner edge and an outer edge of the door frame.

In the present disclosure, a filler to which gaskets of both doors are in close contact may be installed on the rear surface of the free end of one of the doors.

In the present disclosure, the pillar may be rotatably installed at a pillar installation end extending along one side of a door frame of one side door.

The refrigerator of the present disclosure may have at least one or more of the following effects.

In the present disclosure, a hinge assembly may be installed between the rear surface of the door and the front surface of the refrigerator body. The body mounting portion of the hinge assembly may be mounted on the front surface of the refrigerator body, and the door mounting portion of the hinge assembly may be mounted on the rear surface of the door frame. According to this configuration, a door having a thin thickness can be installed in the refrigerator body. Accordingly, the front-rear direction length of the entire refrigerator including the door can be relatively shortened.

In the present disclosure, a door in which a door frame is installed may be used by forming a vacuum space between vacuum insulating glass and surrounding the edge of a transparent member having a sealant attached thereto to bond the insulating glass around the edge. According to this configuration, the thickness of the door can be equal to the thickness of the door frame, so that the door becomes lighter due to the reduced thickness, and the insulation performance can be sufficiently secured by the vacuum space.

In addition, since only the edge of the transparent member is covered by the door frame, the storage space can be easily checked from the outside through almost the entire area of the door.

In addition, since the thickness of the door can be made thin, the weight of the door can be reduced, and the moment caused by the door's own weight when the door is opened can be minimized, thereby preventing the refrigerator body from falling forward due to the door. have.

Also, in the present disclosure, both ends of the hinge assembly may be fixed by forming hinge grooves on the front surface of the refrigerator body and the rear surface of the door frame, respectively. According to this configuration, the thickness of the door can be reduced while the degree of protrusion of the door from the refrigerator body can be reduced, so that the length in the front-back direction of the refrigerator can be shortened.

In the present disclosure, a soft closing type hinge assembly for mounting a door to a refrigerator body may be used. Accordingly, since the door is slowly brought into contact with the refrigerator body in the last section in which the door is closed, the impact of closing the door can be reduced.

Also, in the present disclosure, the hinge assembly may be located at the edge of the door frame. In particular, the hinge assembly may be located at the edge of the door frame corresponding to the outside of the gasket. Accordingly, when the door is opened by the hinge assembly, the edge of the door on the side of the rotation center may not interfere with the front surface of the refrigerator body. Accordingly, the door can be sufficiently opened, so that the user can fully utilize the storage space of the refrigerator body.

1 is an exterior perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a refrigerator of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of the disclosure shown in Figure 1 from the rear.
3 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator main body constituting the disclosure shown in FIG. 1;
Figure 4 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of the door used in the disclosure shown in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the door shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the door shown in Figure 4;
7 is a perspective view showing that a door constituting the present disclosure is connected to a refrigerator body by a hinge assembly;
8 is a cross-sectional view showing a filler used in a door constituting the present disclosure and its surrounding configuration.
9 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the present disclosure;
Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the connection between the evaporator and the duct in the present disclosure.
11 is a perspective view showing components constituting the heat exchange cycle of the present disclosure;
12 is an exploded perspective view showing first and second evaporators constituting the heat exchange cycle of the present disclosure and related components;
13 is a cycle diagram showing a heat exchange cycle according to the present disclosure;
14 is an operating state diagram showing that the door is opened and closed in the present disclosure.
15 is an operational state diagram showing the airflow circulating in the refrigerating compartment in the rear direction of the refrigerator body in the present disclosure;
16 is an operating state diagram showing the air flow circulating in the refrigerating chamber from the left side of the refrigerator body in the present disclosure;
17 is an operation state diagram showing the air flow circulating in the freezing chamber from the front of the refrigerator body in the present disclosure;
18 is an operation state diagram showing the air flow circulating in the freezing chamber from the right side of the refrigerator body in the present disclosure;
19 is an operating state diagram showing that a machine room case is moved in and out of a machine room of a refrigerator main body in the present disclosure;
20 is an operating state diagram showing air circulation by a machine room fan assembly in the present disclosure;

1 to 3, in the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the refrigerator main body 10 may form a skeleton. The refrigerator main body 10 may have a substantially hexahedral shape as a whole. When the refrigerator body 10 is viewed from the front, portions corresponding to corners may be curved surfaces having a predetermined radius of curvature.

A refrigerating chamber 12 and a freezing chamber 14 may be formed inside the refrigerator body 10 . In the refrigerator main body 10, the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 14 may be opened to the front of the refrigerator main body 10. Walls of the refrigerator body 10 may have a heat insulation layer inside. The heat insulating layer may be made using a foam material. The heat insulation layer may have a thickness greater than or equal to a certain level to block heat transfer between the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 14 and the outside. There may be a step on the outer surface of the refrigerator body 10 so that the left and right widths of the portion corresponding to the refrigerating compartment 12 and the portion corresponding to the freezing compartment 14 are different. In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the refrigerator body 10 corresponding to the refrigerating compartment 12 may have a relatively longer left and right length than a portion of the refrigerator body 10 corresponding to the freezing compartment 14 .

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , a refrigerating chamber 12 may be formed at a relatively upper portion of the refrigerator body 10 . The freezing chamber 14 may be formed below the refrigerating chamber 12 . In the illustrated embodiment, for convenience, the detailed structure of the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 is not shown. Inside the refrigerating chamber 12, there may be a structure such as a shelf or a drawer in which food can be placed.

A freezer compartment door 15 may be installed in the refrigerator body 10 corresponding to the freezer compartment 14 . The freezing chamber door 15 may open and close the freezing chamber 14 . The freezing chamber door 15 prevents cold air from escaping from the freezing chamber 14 to the outside. In the freezing chamber 14, there is a storage container in the form of a drawer, which can be moved in and out of the freezing chamber 14 together with the freezing chamber door 15. To handle the freezer compartment door 15, a handle 15' may be located on one front side of the freezer compartment door 15. Alternatively, the freezer compartment door 15 may be of a type that is opened and closed using a hinge assembly, like the door 30 described below.

The refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 14 may be partitioned by a partition wall 16 . The partition wall 16 may be a horizontal flat plate between the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 14 . An insulating layer may be present inside the partition wall 16 . A machine room 18 may be located under the freezing compartment 14 . The machine room 18 will be described in detail below. Alternatively, the machine chamber 18 may be formed to be partitioned from the freezing chamber 14 within the refrigerator main body 10 instead of the lower part of the freezing chamber 14 .

The refrigerator body 10 may be formed to have a relatively short length in the front-rear direction. Here, the length of the refrigerator body 10 in the front-rear direction may be relatively short compared to the length of the refrigerator body of the conventional general refrigerator. The length of the refrigerator body 10 in the front-back direction may be relatively shorter than the length of the refrigerator body 10 in the left-right direction.

The length of the refrigerator body 10 in the front-rear direction may be the same as that of other furniture used in the kitchen. For example, the length in the front and rear direction of a cabinet or cupboard for storing dishes and the like may be the same as the length in the front and rear direction of the refrigerator body 10 . For reference, to be more precise, the length in the front and rear direction of the cupboard or cabinet may be the same as the length in the front and rear direction of the refrigerator body 10 including the door 30 to be described below. For example, the length of the refrigerator body 10 including the door 30 in the front-back direction may be about 430 mm.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 on the front surface of the refrigerator body 10, hinge grooves 20 may be formed at corners of the front surface of the refrigerator body 10, respectively. The hinge groove 20 may have a groove shape on the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 . A fastening hole 22 may be formed adjacent to the hinge groove 20 . A fastening screw 22' is fastened to the fastening hole 22 to fix the hinge assembly 42 to be described below.

A door 30 may be installed in the refrigerator body 10 . The door 30 may open and close the refrigerating compartment 12 . In the illustrated embodiment, two doors 30 are paired. As for the door 30, another one may be used. That is, the refrigerating compartment 12 may be opened and closed using one door. In the case of using one door, the door may be made with the combined area of the two doors 30 shown in the drawing.

A door frame 32 may be provided around an edge of the door 30 . The door frame 32 may be made of synthetic resin. The door frame 32 may be made in a rectangular shape. The door frame 32 may be made of a material having good insulation performance. The door frame 32 may be composed of different materials for forming an exterior and a heat insulating layer inside. Corners of the door frame 32 may have a predetermined radius of curvature.

A pillar installation end 32' may be formed long along one side of the door frame 32. The pillar installation end 32' may be formed on the rear surface of the door frame 32. The pillar installation end 32' may be formed on a side corresponding to the free end of the door 30 of the door frame 32.

The filler installation end 32' protrudes toward the refrigerating compartment 12 and may extend from the top to the bottom of one side of the door frame 32 long. The pillar installation end 32' may be formed on one door 30 among the two doors 30.

There may be a seating groove 33 surrounding the inner surface of the door frame 32 in which an edge of a transparent member 34 to be described below is seated. The seating groove 33 may be formed around the entire inner surface of the door frame 32 .

A transparent member 34 may be installed on the door frame 32 . An edge of the transparent member 34 may be seated and installed in the seating groove 33 formed around the inner surface of the door frame 32 . The transparent member 34 allows the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 to be seen from the outside. The transparent member 34 may be made of insulating glass.

As the transparent member 34, vacuum insulation glass (VIG) may be used. The transparent member 34 forms a vacuum space 35' between two sheets of insulating glass 35. Alternatively, the transparent member 34 may be composed of two or more sheets of insulating glass 35 . In order to form a vacuum space 35' between the insulating glasses 35, there may be a sealant 36 surrounding edges between the insulating glasses 35. The sealant 36 allows the vacuum space 35' to be formed while adhering the insulating glass 35 to each other.

The transparent member 34 creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber and bonds the two sheets of insulating glass 35 with a sealant 36 in the vacuum chamber. By doing so, a vacuum space 35' is formed between the insulating glass 35, and the vacuum performance of the transparent member 34 is maximized.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 , a portion of the sealant 36 of the transparent member 34 may be positioned within the seating groove 33 of the door frame 32 . At this time, a portion of the sealant 36 may be positioned within a partial section of the seating groove 33 of the door frame 32 in the depth direction. In the transparent member 34 , a region where the vacuum space 35 ′ is formed may also be partially located in the seating groove 33 .

Here, the sealant 36 portion may have a relatively low heat insulation performance compared to the portion corresponding to the vacuum space 35'. Accordingly, a gasket 38 may be installed in the door frame 32 along a position corresponding to the vacuum space 35 ′ that is inside the part where the sealant 36 is located. Here, one end of the gasket 38 in the width direction is located in an area corresponding to the vacuum space 35' and can be pressed between the rear surface of the door frame 32 and the front surface of the refrigerator body 10. One end of the gasket 38 in the width direction may be aligned with the boundary between the sealant 36 and the vacuum space 35'.

Alternatively, the width of the sealant 36 and the width of the gasket 38 are the same and correspond to each other, or the width of the gasket 38 is greater than the width of the sealant 36 so that the gasket 38 The sealant 36 may be positioned in the inner region of the width.

A gasket groove 38 ′ for fixing the gasket 38 to the door frame 32 may be present on the rear surface of the door frame 32 . The gasket groove 38' may be formed along an area corresponding to the area where the sealant 36 is located. The gasket groove 38' may be formed along a region corresponding to a middle portion of the sealant 36 in the width direction.

The gasket 38 may be made of an elastic material. The gasket 38 may also be made of a material with good thermal insulation performance. When one end of the gasket 38 in the width direction is at the boundary between the sealant 36 and the vacuum space 35' or is moved from the boundary to the vacuum space 35', the inside of the gasket 38 The corresponding area can maintain the insulation performance above a certain level.

Accordingly, the door 30 can exhibit heat insulation performance above a certain level while having only a thickness equivalent to that of the door frame 32 surrounding the edge of the transparent member 34 . In this way, sufficient insulation can be performed while making the thickness of the door 30 relatively thin, and the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 can be confirmed through the transparent member 34 . In particular, since the refrigerating compartment 12 has a relatively short front and rear length, it is possible to check the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 well through the transparent member 34 .

The gasket 38 should not be located even partially inside the inner edge of the door frame 32 . In other words, it is necessary that one end of the gasket 38 in the width direction is not located at a position corresponding to the transparent member 34 . This is to prevent the gasket 38 from being seen through the transparent member 34 from the outside. In other words, the gasket 38 should be located at a predetermined distance from the inner edge of the door frame 32 . Alternatively, both ends of the gasket 38 in the width direction may be located between the inner edge and the outer edge of the door frame 32 .

A handle 39 may be present on the front surface of the door frame 32 of the door 30 . The handle 39 is a part that the user grabs and manipulates when opening and closing the door 30 . The handles 39 may be positioned adjacent to the doors 30 on both sides. The handle 39 may be located on the door frame 32 toward the free end of each door 30 .

A filler 40 may be provided so that the gasket 38 of the section corresponding to the inner surface of the free end side of the door 30 is in close contact with the opposite side connected to the refrigerator body 10 from the door 30 . The pillar 40 may be rotatably installed at a predetermined angle at the pillar installation end 32' of the door frame 32. The filler 40 prevents cold air inside the refrigerating compartment 12 from escaping to the outside through the gap between the front ends of the doors 30 on both sides. The filler 40 is rotatably installed on the filler installation end 32 'of one door 30, and when the two doors are closed, the gasket 38 positioned toward the free end of each door 30 can be attached at the same time. The filler 40 is rotatably installed at the filler installation end 32' of the door 30 on one side and guided by a guide structure on one side of the refrigerator body 10 to rotate when the door 30 is opened and closed. Interference with the counterpart door 30 may not occur.

The cross-sectional shape of the pillar 40 is well shown in FIG. 8 . As shown in FIG. 8, when the two doors 30 are closed, the filler 40 is in close contact with the corresponding gasket 38 of each door 30 through the gap between the front ends of the doors 30. Air flow can be prevented.

A hinge assembly 42 may be installed at a rear edge of the door 30 . The hinge assembly 42 may be of a soft closing type. Alternatively, the hinge assembly 42 may be a push-pull type to which a damper and a spring function are applied.

The hinge assembly 42 may include a door mounting portion 43, a body mounting portion 45, and a connection portion 47. The door mounting part 43 is a part fixed to the rear edge of the door 30 . A hinge groove 42' may be formed at a rear edge of the door frame 32, and the door mounting part 43 may be seated and fixed in the hinge groove 42'. A fastening hole 42" may be formed at one side of the hinge groove 42'. A fastening screw is fastened to the fastening hole 42" to fix the door mounting part 43 of the hinge assembly 42 to the door frame ( 32) can be combined. The door mounting part 43 has an 'L' shape in this embodiment and can be mounted on the rear edge of the door frame 32 . To this end, the hinge groove 42' may also be made in a corresponding shape. The door mounting portion 43 may be mounted on the door frame 32 corresponding to an outside of an area surrounded by the gasket 38 . To this end, the hinge groove 42' may also be located at the edge of the door frame 32 corresponding to the outside of the region surrounded by the gasket 38.

The body mounting portion 45 may be mounted on a front edge of the refrigerator body 10 . The body mounting portion 45 may be inserted into and mounted in the hinge groove 20 formed in the refrigerator body 10 . The body mounting portion 45 may be fixed to the hinge groove 20 by a fastening screw 22'.

A connection part 47 may be connected between the door mounting part 43 and the main body mounting part 45 . The connecting portion 47 is a kind of link structure. In the hinge assembly 42, a buffer structure capable of absorbing impact may be present inside the door mounting portion 43 or the main body mounting portion 45. For example, there may be a buffer structure that absorbs an operation shock of the door 30 in the last section in which the door 30 is closed. Therefore, in the final stage of closing the door 30, the rotational speed of the door 30 can be reduced while the shock can be absorbed. Such a structure can ensure that the door 30 is smoothly seated on the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 without impact when it is closed.

When the door 30 is opened, the door mounting part 43 and the connecting part 47 may relatively slightly protrude toward the front of the refrigerator body 10 . In this way, it is possible to prevent the edge of one side of the door 30 from interfering with the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 .

Meanwhile, the internal configuration of the machine room 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 through 13 . In this embodiment, the machine room 18 may be located at the bottom of the refrigerator body 10 . Since the machine room 18 is located at the bottom of the refrigerator body 10, the center of gravity of the refrigerator body 30 can be relatively low. The parts installed in the machine room 18 may all be installed in the machine room case 50 .

As shown in FIG. 11, the machine room case 50 may have a bottom plate 51 having a predetermined area. Parts constituting a heat exchange cycle may be installed on the bottom plate 51 . An outer wall 51' may protrude along the edge of the bottom plate 51. The outer wall 51' may be formed on the bottom plate 51 at a portion corresponding to the front side of the refrigerator body 10 and an edge portion corresponding to both sides of the refrigerator body 10. The outer wall 51' may be formed relatively higher in the rear portion of the refrigerator body 10 than in the front portion. Components may be installed in the space formed by the bottom plate 51 and the outer wall 51'.

In the illustrated embodiment, the outer wall 51' of the machine chamber case 50 is shown to form the same plane as the outer surface of the refrigerator main body 10. However, the machine room case 50 may be installed inside the lower part of the refrigerator body 10 to be moved in and out in a drawer manner. That is, the machine room case 50 may be installed in and out of the machine room 18 formed at the lowermost part of the refrigerator body 10 .

A machine room cover 52 may be located behind the machine room case 50 . The machine chamber cover 52 is separated from the machine chamber case 50 so that the inner space of the machine chamber case 50 can be opened and closed from the rear of the refrigerator body 10 . Machine chamber ventilation mechanisms 54 and 54' may be formed in the machine chamber cover 52. The machine room vents 54 and 54' are parts through which air flows into and out of the machine room 18. The machine chamber ventilation mechanism 54 may be located at a position corresponding to the condenser 60 to be described below. The machine chamber ventilation mechanism 54' may be located at a position corresponding to the compressor 56 to be described below.

The structure of the heat exchange cycle used in the refrigerator of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 13 .

The compressor 56 compresses the working fluid of the heat exchange cycle. The compressor 56 may be installed on the rear side of the bottom plate 51 constituting the machine room case 50 . The compressor 56 may be installed at a position corresponding to the machine chamber vent 54'. A machine room fan assembly 58 may be installed adjacent to the compressor 56 . The machine room fan assembly 58 may be installed on the bottom plate 51 between the machine room vents 54 and 54'. The airflow generated by the machine room fan assembly 58 may enter the machine room 18 through the machine room ventilation hole 54 and pass through the condenser 60 . The air that has passed through the condenser 60 can pass through the compressor 56 by the machine room fan assembly 58 and be discharged to the outside through the machine room ventilation hole 54'.

A condenser 60 receiving the compressed working fluid from the compressor 56 and exchanging heat with air may be installed at a position corresponding to the machine chamber ventilation hole 54 . The condenser 60 may be installed adjacent to the machine room fan assembly 58 . In the condenser 60, the working fluid transfers heat to the air so that the working fluid can be at a relatively low temperature. Air passing through the condenser 60 and receiving heat from the working fluid may enter the machine room 18 through the machine room vent hole 54 by the machine room fan assembly 58 .

A three-way valve 62 may be used to send the working fluid from the condenser 60 to the first expansion valve 64 and/or the second expansion valve 64'. A pipe through which the working fluid discharged from the condenser 60 flows may be connected to one side of the three-way valve 62 . Pipes connected to the first expansion valve 64 and the second expansion valve 64' may be connected to the three-way valve 62.

The first expansion valve 64 and the second expansion valve 64' may serve to lower the pressure of the working fluid. The first expansion valve 64 may be connected to a first evaporator 66 to be described below through a pipe. The working fluid discharged from the first expansion valve 64 may enter the first evaporator 66 . The second expansion valve 64' may be connected to a second evaporator 66' to be described below through a pipe. The working fluid discharged from the second expansion valve 64' may enter the second evaporator 66'.

A first evaporator 66 may be installed in the first evaporator case 65 . The first evaporator case 65 may have a flat hexahedral shape. The first evaporator case 65 may partition the first evaporator 66 and its surroundings. There may be a second evaporator case 65' having the same shape as the first evaporator case 65. A second evaporator 66' may be installed in the second evaporator case 65'.

The first and second evaporator cases 65.65' may have an inlet 65i and an outlet 65e, respectively. A first return duct 74 to be described below may be connected to the inlet 65i of the first evaporator case 65. A first supply duct 72 to be described below may be connected to the outlet 65e of the first evaporator case 65. A second return duct 80 to be described below may be connected to the inlet 65i of the second evaporator case 65'. A second supply duct 76 to be described below may be connected to the outlet 65e of the second evaporator case 65'.

Heat exchange between the working fluid and air may be performed in the first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66'. In the first evaporator 66, heat exchange between the air flowing in the refrigerating compartment 12 and the working fluid may occur. In the second evaporator 66', heat exchange between the air flowing in the freezing chamber 14 and the working fluid may occur. In the first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66', the temperature of the air can be relatively lowered by transferring heat from the air to the working fluid.

The first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66' are installed in the first evaporator case 65 and the second evaporator case 65', and the bottom plate constituting the machine room case 50 ( 51) can be installed in the forward position. The first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66' may be arranged side by side at a position corresponding to the front of the machine room 18 formed below the refrigerator body 10. The heights of the first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66' may be lower than those of the compressor 56, the machine room fan assembly 58, and the condenser 60.

Pipes from the first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66' may be connected to another three-way valve 68. The three-way valve 68 may be connected to a pipe entering the compressor 56 . Accordingly, the working fluid from the first evaporator 66 and/or the second evaporator 66' may enter the compressor 56 by the three-way valve 68.

A first circulation fan assembly 70 may be adjacent to the first evaporator 66 . More precisely, the first circulation fan assembly 70 may be installed inside the first evaporator case 65 . Airflow formed by the first circulation fan assembly 70 may enter the first supply duct 70 through the outlet 65e of the first evaporator case 65 . The first circulation fan assembly 70 may create a flow of air circulating in the refrigerating compartment 14 . Adjacent to the second evaporator 66' may be a second circulation fan assembly 70'. The second circulation fan assembly 70' can create a flow of air circulating in the freezing compartment 16. The second circulation fan assembly 70' may be installed inside the second evaporator case 65'. The air flow formed by the second circulation fan assembly 70' may flow through the outlet 65e of the second evaporator case 65' and flow into the second supply duct 76.

Looking at the heights of the parts disposed in the machine room 18, they may gradually increase from the front to the back of the machine room case 50. That is, the heights of the first evaporator 66 and the second evaporator 66' arranged in front of the machine room case 50 are relatively low, and the compressor 56 and machine room fan arranged behind the machine room case 50 are relatively low. The heights of the assembly 58 and the condenser 60 are relatively high. According to this configuration, it may be possible to move the machine room case 50 in and out of the refrigerator main body 10 in a drawer manner. From the side of the machine room cover 52 of the machine room case 50, the machine room case 50 can be moved in and out of the refrigerator main body 10 through the back side of the refrigerator main body 10.

A first supply duct 72 may be provided in the refrigerator body 10 . The first supply duct 72 may have an inlet connected to an outlet 65e of the first evaporator case 65 in which the first circulation fan assembly 70 is installed. The first supply duct 72 may extend to an upper part of the refrigerating compartment 12 of the refrigerator body 10 . The first supply duct 72 may extend from the inlet to the rear wall of the refrigerator body 10 gradually increasing in height. The first supply duct 72 may extend toward the refrigerating compartment 12 through the rear wall of the refrigerator body 10 and through the partition wall 16 . The section of the first supply duct 72 extending from the refrigerating compartment 12 may extend upward of the refrigerating compartment 12 along the rear inner surface of the refrigerating compartment 12 or along the inside of the insulation layer at the rear of the refrigerating compartment 12.

Air at a relatively low temperature may flow through the first supply duct 72 . Cold air may be delivered to the refrigerating compartment 12 through the first supply duct 72 . A plurality of outlets 73 communicating with the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 may be formed in the first supply duct 72 . The outlets 73 are formed on the front surface of the first supply duct 72 with a height difference to discharge cold air into the refrigerating compartment 12 .

Airflow formed by the first circulation fan assembly 70 may be transferred to the first supply duct 72 . The first supply duct 72 may have a horizontally long quadrangular cross section. Alternatively, the first supply duct 72 may have a horizontally long oval cross section. The reason why the first supply duct 72 is formed in this way is to save a space inside the refrigerator body 10 while securing a certain air flow cross-sectional area.

As can be seen in FIG. 9, the first supply duct 72 starts from the outlet of the first circulation fan assembly 70, that is, the outlet 65e of the first evaporator case 65 and extends through the machine room 18. You can have a stepped section going to the back. In this way, as the first supply duct 72 has a stepped section and gradually rises toward the rear of the machine room 18, it may not interfere with the parts installed in the machine room case 50.

A first return duct 74 may be installed in the refrigerator body 10 to return the air flowing in the refrigerating chamber 14 to the first evaporator 66 . An inlet of the first return duct 74 may be located at one side of the lower portion of the refrigerating compartment 12 . The first return duct 74 may have an outlet in the machine room 18 . An outlet of the first return duct 74 may face one side of the first evaporator 66 . The air flowing through the first return duct 74 may exchange heat with the working fluid in the first evaporator 66 . In the first evaporator 66, air flowing through the refrigerating compartment 12 and returning may transfer heat to the working fluid. Accordingly, while the air passes through the first evaporator 66, the temperature of the air becomes relatively low, and the air can flow back to the first supply duct 72 by the first circulation fan assembly 70.

A second supply duct 76 may be present inside the machine room 18 . The second supply duct 76 supplies the air heat-exchanged in the second evaporator 66' to the freezing chamber 14. The second supply duct 76 may have an inlet facing the second evaporator 66'. The second supply duct 76 may extend stepwise to the rear of the refrigerator body 10 starting from an inlet.

The second supply duct 76 may extend upward along the heat insulating layer at the rear of the refrigerator body 10 . A portion of the second supply duct 76 may extend upward from the center of the back of the freezing compartment 14 . A portion of the second supply duct 76 may be installed to be exposed on the rear inner surface of the freezing chamber 14 . Alternatively, a portion of the second supply duct 76 may be located on an insulating layer inside the wall forming the freezing compartment 14 . A discharge port 78 may be formed on a front surface of a portion of the second supply duct 76 located in the freezing chamber 14 to open toward the inside of the freezing chamber 14 . The second supply duct 76 may also have the same cross-sectional shape as the first supply duct 72 .

A second return duct 80 may be installed across the freezing chamber 14 and the machine chamber 18 to flow the air circulated inside the freezing chamber 14 to the second evaporator 66'. The second return duct 80 may communicate between the freezing chamber 14 and the inside of the second evaporator case 65' in which the second evaporator 66' of the machine chamber 18 is located. An inlet of the second return duct 80 may communicate with the freezing compartment 14 . The second return duct 80 may be installed through a heat insulation layer partitioning the freezing chamber 14 and the machine chamber 18 .

The operation of the refrigerator of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described in detail.

The refrigerating compartment 12 may be opened and closed by the door 30 . When a user grabs and pulls the handle 39 of the door 30, the door 30 may be opened while the hinge assembly 42 operates. The opening of the door 30 is sequentially shown in (a) to (c) of FIG. 14 . (a) shows a state in which the door 30 closes the refrigerating compartment 12, and (b) shows a state in which the door 30 is open at a right angle to the refrigerator body 10. (c) shows a state in which the door 30 is additionally opened and opened by about 105°.

Closing of the door 30 may proceed in the reverse order of the opening operation. At this time, the hinge assembly 42 may exert a damping force in the last section in which the door 30 is closed, that is, in a section in which the rear surface of the door 30 contacts the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 . Therefore, impact force is not generated while the rear surface of the door 30 contacts the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 .

In the present disclosure, the door mounting portion 43 and the body mounting portion 45 of the hinge assembly 42 are positioned within the hinge groove 42' (20), respectively. Therefore, only the gasket 38 is positioned between the rear surface of the door 30 and the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 to perform an airtight operation while being compressed.

And, the door mounting part 43 is located in a hinge groove 42' formed at a corner corresponding to the rear edge of the door frame 32. In other words, the position of the door mounting portion 43 is outside the gasket 38 at the rear edge of the door 30 . According to this structure, the distance from the hinge assembly 42 to the rotation center side end of the door 30 is close, so that the rotation center side end of the door 30 does not interfere with the front surface of the refrigerator body 10, and the door ( 30) can be smoothly rotated.

In particular, as can be seen in (c) of FIG. 14, even if the door 30 is opened, it does not move away from the refrigerator body 10. In this way, it is possible to minimize a moment that may occur due to the weight of the door 30 when the door 30 is open. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of a force that causes the refrigerator main body 10 to fall forward while the door 30 is open.

Meanwhile, in the door 30, the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 can be seen through the transparent member 34. The transparent member 34 occupies most of the area of the door 30, and the door frame 32 It is located along the edge of the transparent member (34). Due to this structure, the user can more easily check the inside of the refrigerating compartment 12 . In addition, since the length of the refrigerating compartment 12 is relatively short in the front-back direction, it is possible to more easily check the items inside.

The door 30 is configured such that a door frame 32 made of an insulating material surrounds the edges of the two sheets of insulating glass 35 . Therefore, it is relatively thin and light in weight compared to a general refrigerator door. This characteristic can reduce the moment due to the weight of the door 30 acting when the door 30 is opened.

In the door 30, a sealant 36 is used to bond the two sheets of insulating glass 35 to each other, and the area where the sealant 36 is located has relatively high insulation performance compared to the area of the vacuum space 35'. it falls In order to maintain insulation performance through the door 30, at least a partial area of the gasket 38 is positioned inside the area where the sealant 36 is located to prevent deterioration in insulation performance due to the sealant 36. Although the door 30 is relatively thin due to such a structure, sufficient heat insulation performance can be exhibited.

Next, it will be described that the cold air generated in the heat exchange cycle is supplied to and circulated in the refrigerating compartment 12 . In the first evaporator 66, relatively cool air is produced by heat exchange between the working fluid and the air. Air from the first evaporator 66 enters the first supply duct 72 through the outlet 65e of the evaporator case 65 by the operation of the first circulation fan assembly 70 . The air flowing along the first supply duct 72 is discharged to the refrigerating compartment 12 through the outlet 73 . This operation is well illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 .

The air circulated inside the refrigerating compartment 12 enters the first return duct 74 on one side of the lower side of the refrigerating compartment 12 and passes through the inlet 65i of the first evaporator case 65 to the first evaporator 66. it flows As air passes through the first evaporator 66, it exchanges heat with the working fluid and circulates through the path described above.

It will be described that cold air is delivered to the freezing chamber 14 to maintain the temperature of the freezing chamber 14 at a predetermined value. The air heat-exchanged with the working fluid in the second evaporator 66' passes through the outlet 65e of the second evaporator case 65' by the operation of the second circulation fan assembly 70' and is supplied to the second evaporator. into duct 76. The air delivered to the second supply duct 76 is transferred to the freezing chamber 14 through the outlet 78 and circulates inside the freezing chamber 14 . Such an operation is shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 . The air circulated inside the freezing compartment 14 enters the inlet 65i of the second evaporator case 65' through the second return duct 80. The air entering the second evaporator case 65' exchanges heat with the working fluid in the second evaporator 66', becomes relatively cool air, and circulates through the above-described path repeatedly.

As can be seen in FIG. 19 , the machine room case 50 can be pulled out from the machine room 18 of the refrigerator body 10 in a drawer type. This is because the height of the parts installed in the machine room case 50 is higher at the rear than at the front, and the first supply duct 72 and the second supply duct 76 are stepped from the front to the back of the machine room 18 It is possible because it is set to rise.

Parts are installed in the machine room case 50 as shown in FIG. 11 . Therefore, the parts in the machine room case 50 can be easily maintained, and at the time of the first assembly work, putting the machine room case 50 in the state shown in FIG. 11 into the assembly line makes the assembly work very easy. You can do it quickly.

In the present disclosure, when the heat exchange cycle operates, a lot of heat is released from the condenser 60 and the compressor 56. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the condenser 60 and the compressor 56 with external air. As can be seen from FIG. 20, when the machine room fan assembly 58 is operated, air flows through the machine room ventilation holes 54 and 54', and heat is dissipated from the condenser 60 and the compressor 56. . Although the flow of air may vary depending on the direction of rotation of the machine room fan assembly 58, as shown in FIG. ), receives heat from the condenser 60, and then moves to the compressor 56. The air heated by the compressor 56 may flow out of the machine room 18 through the machine room ventilation hole 54'.

In the above, even though all the components constituting the embodiment according to the present disclosure have been described as being combined or operated as one, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the purpose of the present disclosure, all of the components may be selectively combined with one or more to operate. In addition, terms such as "comprise", "comprise" or "having" described above mean that the corresponding component may be present unless otherwise stated, and thus exclude other components. It should be construed as being able to further include other components.

10: refrigerator body 12: refrigerator compartment
14: freezer compartment 15: freezer door
15'; Handle 16: partition wall
18: machine room 20: hinge home
22: fastening hole 22 ': fastening screw
30: door 32: door frame
32 ': filler installation end 33: seating groove
34: transparent member 35: insulating glass
35 ': vacuum space 36: sealant
38: door gasket 38 ': gasket groove
40: pillar 42: hinge assembly
42': hinge groove 42": fastening hole
43: door mounting part 45: body mounting part
47: connection part 50: machine room case
51: bottom plate 51 ': outer wall
52: machine room cover 54,54': machine room ventilation mechanism
56: compressor 58: machine room fan assembly
60: condenser 62: three-way valve
64: first expansion valve 64': second expansion valve
65: first evaporator case 65': second evaporator case
65i: entrance 65e: exit
66: first evaporator 66': second evaporator
68: 3-way valve 70: first circulation fan assembly
70 ': second circulation fan assembly 72: first supply duct
73: discharge port 74: first return duct
76: second supply duct 78: discharge port
80: second return duct

Claims (19)

A refrigerator body having a storage space formed therein;
A door with a door frame facing the front of the refrigerator body around the edge of a transparent member in which a vacuum space is formed between insulating glass so that the storage space can be seen from the outside by opening and closing the storage space;
A gasket that seals between the rear surface of the door frame and the front surface of the refrigerator body;
A refrigerator comprising a hinge assembly having one side installed on a rear surface of the door frame outside the outer edge of the gasket and the other side installed on the front surface of the refrigerator body to perform opening and closing operations of the door.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly includes a body mounting part installed on the refrigerator body, a door mounting part installed on a rear surface of the door frame, and a connecting part connecting the body mounting part and the door mounting part.
The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a hinge groove in which the door mounting portion is installed is formed at a corner of the door frame, and a hinge groove in which the main body mounting portion is installed is formed in the refrigerator body.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly is freely opened and closed in a certain section and absorbs shock with a predetermined damping force when the door is in close contact with the front surface of the refrigerator body.
The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the hinge assembly is a push-pull type to which a damper and a spring function are applied.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a vacuum space is formed between the insulating glass constituting the transparent member, and a sealant is positioned along an edge between the insulating glass to adhere the insulating glass.
The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein one end of the gasket in the width direction is at a position corresponding to a boundary between the vacuum space and the sealant or at a position corresponding to the vacuum space.
The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein both ends of the gasket in the width direction are located on the rear surface of the door frame between an inner edge and an outer edge of the door frame.
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly is installed at a corner of the door frame corresponding to an outer side of the gasket.
A refrigerator body in which a refrigerating chamber is formed on the upper part of the inside and a freezing chamber is formed on the lower part of the inside;
A pair of doors installed at both ends of the entrance of the refrigerating compartment and having door frames facing the front of the refrigerator body around the edges of a transparent member in which a vacuum space is formed between insulating glass so that the refrigerating compartment can be seen from the outside;
A gasket installed on the door frame to perform a sealing action between the rear surface of the door frame and the front surface of the refrigerator body;
A refrigerator comprising a hinge assembly having one side installed on a rear surface of the door frame outside the outer edge of the gasket and the other side installed on the front surface of the refrigerator body to perform opening and closing operations of the door.
The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the hinge assembly is installed at a corner of the door frame.
The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the hinge assembly is a soft closing type.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly includes a body mounting part installed on the refrigerator body, a door mounting part installed on a rear surface of the door frame, and a connection part connecting the body mounting part and the door mounting part.
The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the main body mounting part is seated and fixed in a hinge groove formed on the front surface of the refrigerator body, and the door mounting part is seated and fixed in a hinge groove formed on a rear surface of the door frame.
The refrigerator according to claim 14, wherein a vacuum space is formed between the insulating glass of the transparent member, and a sealant is positioned along an edge between the insulating glass to adhere the insulating glass.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein one end of the gasket in the width direction is at a position corresponding to a boundary between the vacuum space and the sealant or at a position corresponding to the vacuum space.
The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein both ends of the gasket in the width direction are located on the rear surface of the door frame corresponding to an inner edge and an outer edge of the door frame.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein a filler to which gaskets of both doors come into close contact is installed on the rear surface of a free end of one of the doors.
The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the pillar is rotatably installed at a pillar installation end extending along one side of a door frame of one side door.

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