Household electrical appliance

Abstract

Provided is a household electrical appliance comprising: a case providing a storage chamber that is open to the front; a door rotatably disposed in front of the box to open and close the storage chamber; a hinge fixed to the box body and including a hinge shaft rotatably supporting the door and a reference pin spaced apart from the hinge shaft; an automatic closing device that provides a force to the door in a direction in which the door is closed; the automatic closing device comprises a driving part; and a lever which is rotatably coupled to the drive unit and receives torque from the drive unit. The lever comprises a slit into which the reference pin is inserted; the slit includes a first region, and the reference pin is located in the first region when the door is closed; the farther the first region is away from the rotation center of the lever, the farther the first region extends rearward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to household appliances such as refrigerators, and more specifically, to household appliances with doors. Background Technology

[0002] Home appliances have internal storage or processing compartments that can perform functions such as supplying cold air, hot air, steam, or water to regulate or maintain the condition of the items contained inside. These home appliances can include, for example, refrigerators for keeping food or beverages fresh, and clothing processing devices (such as garment care machines) for deodorizing, drying, or refurbishing clothes.

[0003] A door is provided in front of the storage room or processing room. Recently, there has been an increasing trend of using home appliances side by side with furniture or other home appliances. In this case, in order to make the depth in the front-to-back direction consistent with that of the furniture or other home appliances, home appliances with doors that are thinner than before have appeared on the market.

[0004] On the other hand, if the door of a refrigerator or other home appliance is not fully closed, cold air in the storage compartment may leak out. To solve this problem, an "automatic shut-off" function is required that guides the door to close automatically when it is open at a constant angle.

[0005] In a device that provides an automatic closing function, fixed to the hinge axis and directly supplying torque to the hinge axis, a large force may be required to rotate the door. Consequently, the device may be bulky in order to provide this large force. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0057859 (hereinafter, Prior Artwork 1) discloses an automatic closing device that interacts with the hinge support body. The automatic closing device in Prior Artwork 1 may have the problem that, depending on the shape of the hinge support body, the force supplied by the automatic closing device to the door acts in the direction the door opens.

[0006] On the other hand, if the door closes quickly, an impact may occur between the door and the enclosure.

[0007] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0119985 (hereinafter, Prior Artwork 2) discloses a refrigerator that includes a damper mounted on the cabinet and protruding forward. The damper in Prior Artwork 2 has a portion that protrudes to the outside when the door is open.

[0008] Existing technical documents

[0009] Patent documents

[0010] Patent Document 1: Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0057859

[0011] Patent Document 2: Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0119985 Summary of the Invention

[0012] The purpose of this disclosure is to resolve the aforementioned problems and other issues.

[0013] Another objective is to provide a home appliance with an automatic closing device that provides a closing force to the door when the door's opening angle is below a constant angle. Another objective is to provide a home appliance with an automatic closing device that can be adapted to doors of various structures. For example, a home appliance can be provided with an automatic closing device that can be adapted to doors whose rotation center changes with the door's opening angle or to doors that are thinner than conventional doors.

[0014] Another objective is to provide a household appliance that closes the door by means of an automatic closing device and other components of a non-hinge axis.

[0015] Another objective is to provide a home appliance product with an automatic closing device that can close the door with minimal force.

[0016] Another objective is to provide a home appliance in which the problem of a door failing to close is prevented by allowing the door to close naturally within its closing zone without being subject to repulsive forces acting in the direction of opening the door.

[0017] Another objective is to provide a home appliance in which the lever incorporated into the drive unit of the automatic shut-off device has a simple structure.

[0018] Another objective is to provide a home appliance product that includes a lever, wherein the slit is designed with the direction of the force acting on the lever during the closing or opening of the door in mind.

[0019] Another objective is to provide a home appliance in which no impact occurs between the reference pin and the lever during the closing process of the door.

[0020] Another objective is to provide a home appliance in which a clutch is provided inside the drive unit of the automatic shut-off device.

[0021] Another objective is to provide a home appliance in which the door is guided to close gently to reduce impact on the cabinet and door, and to improve the feel of operation.

[0022] The problems of this invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other problems not mentioned from the following description.

[0023] According to one aspect of this disclosure for achieving the above-mentioned objectives, a household appliance product including an automatic closing device can be provided. The automatic closing device can apply force to the door in the direction of closing. The automatic closing device can provide force to a door that is open at an angle less than a constant angle in the closing direction.

[0024] The home appliance includes: a housing providing a storage compartment that opens to the front; a door rotatably disposed at the front of the housing to open and close the storage compartment; and a hinge supporting the door rotatably.

[0025] The hinge can be fixed to the housing.

[0026] The automatic closing device includes a drive unit and a lever rotatably coupled to the drive unit. The drive unit can provide torque to the lever. The drive unit can also provide a spring force to the lever. The spring in the drive unit can be a torsion spring.

[0027] The hinge includes a reference pin, and the lever includes a slit into which the reference pin is inserted.

[0028] The reference pin can be spaced apart from the hinge axis.

[0029] The reference pin can be located in the slit when the door is closed.

[0030] The slit may include a first region, in which the reference pin is located when the door is closed. The lever is rotatably coupled to the drive unit, and the first region may extend rearwards as it moves away from the center of rotation of the lever. The center of rotation of the lever may be provided by the drive unit. For example, the drive unit may include a rotatably configured lever shaft, to which the lever is coupled and rotates integrally with the lever shaft. The lever shaft may serve as the center of rotation of the lever.

[0031] The slit may further include a second region extending from the first region toward the rotation center of the lever. The second region may extend further forward the further away from the rotation center of the lever.

[0032] The first region may extend as a curve. The second region may extend as a curve. The radius of curvature of the first region may be greater than the radius of curvature of the second region. The radii of curvature of the first region and the second region refer to the radii of curvature of the centerlines along the length of the first region and the second region, respectively.

[0033] The slit may further include a third region extending from the second region and opening outwards. The third region may extend in a straight line.

[0034] The drive unit may include a torsion spring. One end of the torsion spring may be fixed. One end of the torsion spring may be fixed to the drive unit or a door. For example, one end of the torsion spring may be fixed to a cover or lid of the drive unit. The drive unit may include a lever shaft that rotates integrally with the lever and a clutch that selectively engages or disengages the torsion spring and the lever shaft.

[0035] If the clutch engages the torsion spring and the lever shaft, then when the lever shaft rotates, at least a portion of the torsion spring can rotate with the lever shaft. This at least a portion can be the other end located on the opposite side of the first end. In this state, if the lever shaft is rotated by an external force, the elastic energy stored in the torsion spring can increase. When the torsion spring is rotated from its free state, if no external force is applied to the lever shaft, or if the elastic force of the torsion spring is greater than the external force applied to the lever shaft, the lever shaft can rotate by the elastic force of the torsion spring.

[0036] If the clutch disengages the torsion spring from the lever shaft, the torsion spring will not rotate even if the lever shaft rotates.

[0037] If the rotational position of the lever in the closed state is taken as a reference, and the rotation angle of the lever is below a first angle, then the clutch can engage the torsion spring and the lever shaft.

[0038] If the rotation angle of the lever is greater than the first angle, the clutch can disengage the torsion spring and the lever shaft.

[0039] The rotation angle of the lever can be defined based on the position of the lever when the door is closed. The rotation angle of the lever can also be defined based on the position of the lever when the door is closed, and the direction of the lever's rotation during the door's opening process. The rotation angle of the lever in a specific state can be defined as the angle between the position of the lever when the door is closed and the position of the lever in that specific state.

[0040] If the rotation angle of the lever is greater than a second angle than the first angle, then the clutch can restrict the rotation of the lever shaft.

[0041] If the rotation angle of the lever is less than the first angle, the reference pin can be located in the first region of the slit.

[0042] If the rotation angle of the lever is between the first angle and the second angle, then the reference pin can be located in the second region of the slit.

[0043] With the reference pin positioned in the slit, the rotation angle of the lever can be greater than the rotation angle of the door.

[0044] The rotation angle of the door can be defined as the angle between the door and the housing.

[0045] The door may include a guide member into which the hinge axis is inserted.

[0046] The lever may be spaced apart from the guide member in the width direction of the door.

[0047] The hinge axis may include a first hinge axis and a second hinge axis that are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0048] The guiding component may include a shaft insertion slot that extends along a curve for the insertion of the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft.

[0049] When the door rotates relative to the housing, the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft slide relative to each other along the shaft insertion hole, and the position of the rotation center of the door can be changed.

[0050] The front portion of the lever may include a front edge arranged parallel to the front of the door when the door is closed.

[0051] The door may include a cover that protrudes downward from the lower end of the door and is positioned further forward than the front portion of the lever.

[0052] The rear portion of the lever may include a rear edge parallel to the rear of the door when the door is open and the reference pin is disengaged from the slit.

[0053] It may include a joint portion that is fixed to the housing. The joint portion may include a fastening hole through which a fastening component passes.

[0054] The hinge may include a support member that protrudes forward from the joint and has the reference pin.

[0055] The fastening hole can be separated from the reference pin in the width direction of the housing.

[0056] The angle between the centerline of the first region and the line connecting the center of the reference pin and the rotation center of the lever when the door is closed can be greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees. The centerline of the first region can refer to the centerline along the length of the first region.

[0057] The first region may include a portion extending rearward from the inner end of the slit. The inner end of the slit may refer to the portion of the slit closest to the center of rotation of the lever.

[0058] The first region may include a portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the lever.

[0059] The reference pin may include a first reference pin located in the first region when the door is closed and a second reference pin located in the second region when the door is closed.

[0060] The details of other embodiments can be found in the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0061] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a home appliance product can be provided having an automatic closing device that provides a closing force to the door when the door's opening angle is below a constant angle. The refrigerator door closes automatically, thereby improving user convenience and energy efficiency.

[0062] According to at least one embodiment of the embodiments of this disclosure, a home appliance product can be provided having an automatic closing device that is adaptable to doors of various structures. For example, the automatic closing device may not act directly on the hinge axis, but rather provide a closing force to the door through the action of a drive unit, a lever, and a reference pin. With this structure, the automatic closing device can also be adapted to doors whose rotation center changes according to the door's opening angle.

[0063] Furthermore, the automatic closing device does not act directly on the hinge shaft; it can achieve an automatic closing action independent of the hinge shaft through a lever that interacts with the reference pin.

[0064] Furthermore, since the automatic closing device does not act directly on the hinge axis, but rather closes the door by levering a reference pin, the torque arm can be lengthened. Therefore, the drive unit can close the door with less force. This reduces the size of the drive unit and makes it suitable for doors that are thin in both the front and back directions.

[0065] Furthermore, during the door closing process, the reference pin, fixed relative to the housing, inserts into the slit formed in the lever. As the lever rotates via the drive unit, the point of force application can always be located behind the reference pin. Therefore, when the door closes via the automatic closing device, no repulsive force acting in the direction the door was opened is generated. This prevents the door from failing to close.

[0066] According to at least one embodiment of the embodiments of this disclosure, the clutch can be disposed inside the drive unit, thereby giving the lever a simple structure. In particular, by applying a clutch mechanism to the drive unit without the need for additional locking components inside the lever, the reliability of the components can be improved and the assemblability can be enhanced.

[0067] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the slit of the lever may have a first region that curves forward and backward closer to the center of rotation of the lever, and the force applied by the lever to the reference pin is directed forward or at a small angle relative to the forward direction. Thus, the torque of the drive unit can be effectively utilized for closing the door.

[0068] Furthermore, the second region, which curves forward and backward from the first region towards the center of rotation of the lever, can be connected continuously or nearly continuously with the same inclination as the first and second regions. This allows the reference pin to move gently along the slit during door closing. Additionally, the door can close naturally without sudden changes in speed.

[0069] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lever can be fixed in a constant rotational position when the door is open by means of a structure located on the outer end of the lever opposite to the center of rotation of the lever, for example, a third region extending from the second region of the slit or a curved structure on the outer end of the second finger member (the portion located behind the slit). Thus, when the door is closed, the reference pin can be inserted into the slit without colliding with the lever.

[0070] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the door is provided with a soft-closing device to guide the door to close gently with reduced impact on the cabinet and the door when it is closed, thereby providing a home appliance with improved handling. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1 This is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a clothing processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The image shows a 3D view and an enlarged view of the door.

[0074] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The exploded perspective view shown is an exploded perspective view of the door, hinge, automatic closing device and slow closing device of the home appliance product according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0075] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of the portion shown in the image. Figure 5 (a) is the inside of the door. Figure 5 (b) is the front of the lid removed. Figure 5 (c) is the main view.

[0076] Figure 6 and Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the automatic shut-off device shown in the figure.

[0077] Figure 8 This is a bottom view of a door of an automatic closing system for a household appliance, illustrating a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Figure 9 (a) to (c) are Figure 8 The diagram shows the position of the lever and reference pin according to the opening angle of the door.

[0079] Figure 10 This is a curve showing the torque of the drive unit, the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, and the limitation of the lever in a household appliance product according to the door opening angle, as per an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0080] Figure 11 (a) and (b) are bottom views showing the levers of the automatic shut-off devices of household appliances according to the third and fourth embodiments of this disclosure.

[0081] Figure 12 This is a bottom view of a door of an automatic closing system for a household appliance according to a fifth embodiment of this disclosure.

[0082] Figure 13 (a)~(c) Figure 14 (a) to (c) and Figure 15 (a) through (d) show the basis Figure 12 The diagram shows the position of the lever and reference pin at the opening angle of the door.

[0083] Figure 16 and Figure 17 (a) to (d) are exploded perspective views of the hinges and guide members of a household appliance product according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and diagrams showing the positions of the hinges and guide members according to the opening angle of the door.

[0084] Figure 18 This is a diagram illustrating an automatic shut-off system for a household appliance according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] Figure 19 This is a diagram illustrating an automatic shut-off system for a household appliance according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0086] Figure 20 This is a bottom view of the door of the automatic closing system of a household appliance product according to the eighth embodiment of this disclosure.

[0087] Figure 21 (a) to (d) are shown based on Figure 20 The diagram shows the position of the lever and reference pin at the opening angle of the door.

[0088] Figure 22 yes Figure 4 The image shows a bottom view of the door of an automatic closing system for a household appliance according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Figure 23 (a) through (d) show the basis Figure 22 The diagram shows the position of the lever and reference pin at the opening angle of the door.

[0090] Figure 24 This is a perspective view of a lever of a household appliance product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] Figure 25 This is an exploded perspective view showing an automatic shut-off device for a household appliance according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0092] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar components will be given the same reference numerals, regardless of the drawing numbers, and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0093] When a constituent element is referred to as being "connected" or "combined" with another constituent element, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to or combined with the other constituent element, but there may also be other constituent elements between them. Conversely, when a constituent element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly combined" with another constituent element, it should be understood that there are no other constituent elements between them.

[0094] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, singular expressions include plural expressions.

[0095] Reference Figure 1 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the household appliance product may be a refrigerator. The refrigerator 1 includes a cabinet 10 providing a storage compartment 11 and a door 2 for opening and closing the storage compartment 11.

[0096] Storage room 11 may open to the front. Storage room 11 may provide space and / or configuration for storing food or beverages. Storage room 11 may be configured to open to the front to facilitate user access and food storage.

[0097] The storage compartments 11 can be configured in multiples. For example, the storage compartments 11 may include an upper storage compartment 12 and a lower storage compartment 13 separated vertically. The upper storage compartment 12 may be configured as a refrigerator compartment, and the lower storage compartment 13 may be configured as a freezer compartment. However, the configuration of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment is not limited to this.

[0098] Door 2 can be positioned at the front of the housing 10, allowing the storage compartment 11 to be opened and closed. Door 2 is rotatably positioned at the front of the housing 10, allowing the storage compartment 11 to be opened and closed.

[0099] Door 2 may include an upper door 20 for opening and closing the upper storage compartment 12. Door 2 may include a lower door 25 for opening and closing the lower storage compartment 13.

[0100] Multiple doors 2 can be configured. Multiple doors 2 can open and close a storage room. For example, an upper storage room 12 can be opened and closed simultaneously by a first door 21 and a second door 22. That is, the first door 21 can open and close a portion of the upper storage room 12. Figure 1 The second door 22 can open and close another part of the upper storage room 12 (left side). Figure 1 (Right side).

[0101] In contrast, doors 20 are configured in multiples, and a storage room can be opened and closed by a single door. For example, the lower storage room 13 is divided into left and right sections, configured as two storage rooms 131 and 132. The lower door 25 for opening and closing the lower storage room 13 can include the first lower door 26 for opening and closing the first lower storage room 26 and the second lower door 27 for opening and closing the second lower storage room 132.

[0102] The storage rooms 11 and doors 2, which consist of the aforementioned plurality, can be configured differently. For example, the upper storage room 12 may be divided into left and right sections, or the lower storage room 13 may be configured as a single unit without being divided into left and right sections.

[0103] Storage room 11 can store food. Storage room 11 can be supplied with cold air. Door 20 closes storage room 11, preventing cold air from escaping to the outside.

[0104] Refrigerator 1 may include a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle allows for heat exchange between air and refrigerant, which in turn supplies cold air to the storage compartment.

[0105] Shelves and / or drawers may be installed inside the storage compartment 11. Shelves may also be installed on the door 2 for storing food.

[0106] The inside of door 2 can also form storage space to increase storage capacity.

[0107] Door 2 may also include a viewing window 24. The viewing window 24 is made of a transparent or translucent material to allow the interior of the storage room to be visually confirmed from the outside.

[0108] Window 24 can be configured to identify food inside from the outside when the door or storage room lighting is on.

[0109] Window 24 may include display functionality. Therefore, window 24 may also be referred to as display 24. Window 24 can display the status of refrigerator 1 and the status of the interior of storage compartment 11.

[0110] Window 24 is a user interface device that can receive instructions from the user. For example, window 24 may include a touch display that operates by sensing the user's touch input.

[0111] The refrigerator 1 may include a hinge 3 connecting the cabinet 10 and the door 2. The hinge 3 can support the door 2 so that it can rotate relative to the cabinet 10. The door 2 can be rotatably attached to the cabinet 10 by means of the hinge 3.

[0112] Hinges 3 can connect the upper and lower parts of door 2 to the housing 10. For example, hinges 3 can be provided on the upper and lower parts of the upper door 20, and hinges 3 can also be provided on the upper and lower parts of the lower door 25.

[0113] The refrigerator 1 may include an automatic closing device 4 that provides a closing force to the door 2. The automatic closing device 4 may be disposed on the upper part or the lower part of the door 2, or may be disposed on both the upper and lower parts respectively. A detailed description of the automatic closing device 4 will be given later.

[0114] Figure 1 The left and right directions (the direction in which the first door 21 and the second door 22 are arranged) can be referred to as the width direction of the refrigerator, the width direction of the cabinet 10, or the width direction of the door 2.

[0115] Reference Figure 2 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the household appliance product may be a garment processing device 1'. The garment processing device 1 includes a housing 100 providing a processing chamber 110, a door 200 for opening and closing the processing chamber 110, and a hinge 300 rotatably connecting the door 200 to the housing 100. The hinge 300 may be configured on the upper and / or lower part of the door 200.

[0116] The processing room 110 can open to the front. The processing room 110 can provide internal space for storing or processing clothing. The processing room 110 can open to the front, making it easily accessible to users.

[0117] The garment processing device 1' can supply temperature- or humidity-regulated air into the processing chamber 110 and also recycle that air. Additionally, the garment processing device 1' can supply steam into the processing chamber 110. Garments and the like can be hung inside the processing chamber 110.

[0118] Hereinafter, although the present invention is described using a refrigerator 1 as an example, it can also be applied to a clothing handling device 1'. For example, the configuration of the door 2 and the body 10 installed in the refrigerator 1 can be installed in the door 200 and the body 100 of the clothing handling device 1'. For example, the hinge 300 of the clothing handling device 1' can have the same structure as the hinge 3 of the refrigerator 1, and an automatic closing device 4 can be installed on the door 200 of the clothing handling device 1'. In addition, a soft-closing device 7 can be installed on the door 200 of the clothing handling device 1'.

[0119] The following is for reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 Explanation of Gate 2. The following explanation uses the first gate 21 as an example, but the multiple features described later can also be applied to the second gate 22 or the lower gate 25.

[0120] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The door 2 may include a door panel 201 that constitutes the exterior. The door panel 201 can provide the front surface of the door 2. Hereinafter, the door panel 201 will be referred to as the front surface of the door or the front surface of the refrigerator.

[0121] Door 2 may include a front side 201 and a rear side 202. The front side 201 forms the outer side of the door, and the rear side 202 forms the inner side facing the storage room 11.

[0122] A pad 205 is provided on the rear side 202 of door 2 (see reference). Figure 8 The storage room 11 can be sealed when door 2 is closed.

[0123] A filler 207 can be provided on one side of door 2. The filler 207 can be provided at the rear of door 2.

[0124] The filler 207 is used to seal the gap between the first door 21 and the second door 22, and can improve the heat insulation and appearance quality when the doors are fully closed.

[0125] The filler 207 is designed to be rotatable and can be linked to the opening and closing of the door.

[0126] The door 2 may include a lower cover decoration 23 that provides the bottom surface of the door 2. The lower cover decoration 23 may be attached to the lower end of the front side 201 and the lower end of the rear side 202 of the door 2.

[0127] Door 2 may include an upper cover decoration that provides the top surface of door 2. It may be attached to the upper end of the front side 201 and the upper end of the rear side 202 of door 9.

[0128] Therefore, door 2 can be constructed with a structure having an internal space, which can be filled with heat-insulating material. Thus, when door 2 closes storage room 11, storage room 11 can be insulated from the outside.

[0129] Hereinafter, the lower cover decoration 23 will be referred to as cover decoration 23, and the description of cover decoration 23 can also be applied to the upper cover decoration in the same way or similarly.

[0130] A handle 236 may be provided on the bottom surface of door 2. The handle 236 may be recessed upward from the bottom surface of door 2. The handle 236 may be located on the opposite side of hinge 3 in the width direction of door 2.

[0131] The handle 236 can be configured on the cover decoration 23.

[0132] The hinge 3 located at the lower part of the door 2 can be attached to the bottom surface of the door 2, and the hinge located at the upper part of the door 2 can be attached to the top surface of the door 2 or located at the upper mounting part. Hereinafter, the hinge 3 located at the lower part of the door 2 and the guide member 8 will be described as examples. The description of the above components can also be applied to hinges and guide members located in other positions.

[0133] The hinge 3 can be fixed to the housing 10 to support the door 2. The hinge 3 may include a hinge shaft 31 that rotatably supports the door 2. The hinge 3 may include a connecting portion 33 fixed to the housing 10.

[0134] A fastening hole 34 is formed at the joint 33, allowing it to be secured to the housing by a fastening component. The fastening hole 34 can be positioned at a distance from the reference pin 35 described later along the width direction of the housing 10 (see reference). Figure 5 (b)). Thus, the hinge can be fixed to the housing using fastening components without structural interference.

[0135] The hinge 3 may include a support 36 protruding forward toward the housing 10. The support 36 may protrude forward from the joint 33. The support 36 may be configured horizontally.

[0136] The hinge pin 31 can protrude from the support member 36. The hinge pin 31 can protrude from the support member 36 in the vertical direction.

[0137] The hinges located on the lower side of the upper part 20 and the hinges located on the upper side of the lower part 25 can extend vertically from a support member 36 along hinge shafts 311 and 316. That is, the hinge shaft 311 extending upward from the support member 36 supports the lower part of the upper part 20, and the hinge shaft 316 extending downward from the support member 36 supports the upper part of the lower part 25.

[0138] Door 2 may include a guide member 8 that engages with hinge 3. The guide member 8 may be inserted into the bottom or top surface of door 2.

[0139] The guide member 8 may include a shaft insertion slot 83 into which the hinge shaft 31 is inserted. As the hinge shaft 31 rotates in or moves along the shaft insertion slot 83, the door 2 can be opened and closed.

[0140] When the hinge shaft 31 moves along the shaft insertion slot 83 and the door 2 is opened or closed, the position of the rotation center of the door 2 can be changed according to the degree of opening of the door 2. Therefore, it has the advantage that when the door is open, it will not interfere with other furniture or storage cabinets placed next to the refrigerator.

[0141] However, in such a structure of hinge 3 and guide member 8, it is difficult to directly provide torque to the hinge axis to close the door. The automatic closing device 4 of this disclosure can also be applied to a door 2 that is opened and closed by the movement of the hinge axis 31 along the axis insertion slot 83.

[0142] Detailed explanations regarding the structure of guide member 8 and the movement of hinge axis 31 will be provided in [reference]. Figures 12 to 15 To be discussed later.

[0143] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the refrigerator door 2 can automatically close even if the user does not fully close it. This function is achieved through the interaction of an automatic closing device 4 disposed on the door 2 and a reference pin 35 disposed on the cabinet body 10. The automatic closing device 4 and the reference pin 35 can be collectively referred to as an automatic closing system. The automatic closing system can also be considered as including the concept of a hinge 3 connecting the door 2 and the cabinet body 10.

[0144] The automatic closing system allows the automatic closing device 4 and the reference pin 35 to interact and provide a closing force to the door 2 when the door is open at a constant angle or less. For example, when the door 2 is open / closed at a constant angle, the reference pin 35 is located in the slit 53 of the lever 5 (described later), and the drive unit 40 can rotate the lever 5. Thus, the door 2 can close automatically even if the user does not completely close it. The automatic closing system will be described below.

[0145] An automatic closing device 4 can be installed on the bottom surface of door 2. The automatic closing device 4 can provide a closing force to door 2. When door 2 is open and the angle between the housing 10 and door 2 is less than a constant angle, the automatic closing device 4 can provide a closing force to the door.

[0146] The automatic closing device 4 may include a drive unit 40 and a lever 5 coupled to the drive unit 40. The lever 5 may be rotatably coupled to the drive unit 40. The drive unit 40 may provide torque to the lever 5. The lever 5 may rotate with the opening and closing action of the door 2.

[0147] The drive unit 40 can be spaced apart from the hinge axis 31 in the direction of the rotation radius of the door 2. The automatic closing device 4 can close the door 2 by applying force to the hinge 3 via the lever 5. The lever 5 can apply force to other components of the hinge 3 other than the hinge axis 31.

[0148] The hinge 3 may include a reference pin 35 for applying force to the lever 5. The reference pin 35 may be spaced apart from the hinge axis 31. The reference pin 35 may be disposed on the support 36. The position of the reference pin 35 relative to the housing 10 may be fixed. The reference pin 35 may protrude from the support 36 in the vertical direction. The reference pin 35 may extend parallel to the hinge axis 31.

[0149] On the other hand, although the reference pin 35 is described as a subordinate component of the hinge 3, the reference pin 35 can be configured to be separate from the hinge 3. For example, the reference pin 35 may not protrude from the support member 36 of the hinge 3, but may be configured as an independent component separate from the hinge 3, and the hinge 3 and the reference pin 35 may be fixed to the housing 10 respectively.

[0150] The lever 5 may include a slit 53 into which a reference pin 35 is inserted. As the door 2 opens and closes, the reference pin 35 may slide within or disengage from the slit 53. Depending on the opening angle of the door 2, the reference pin 35 slides within the slit 53 of the lever 5, allowing the lever 5 to rotate. Alternatively, the position of the reference pin within the slit 53 and the opening angle of the door 2 can be determined based on the rotation angle of the lever 5. The sliding of the reference pin 35 within the slit 53 can mean that, since the reference pin 35 is fixed, its relative position to the slit 53 can change as the lever 5 rotates and moves.

[0151] The bottom surface of door 2 may be equipped with a slow-closing device 7.

[0152] The slow-closing device 7 can contact the lever 5 to provide deceleration force during the closing process of the door.

[0153] This reduces the impact on the door, allowing for a gentler and more stable closing action.

[0154] Door 2 may include a stop 9. The stop 9 prevents door 2 from opening beyond a set angle. For example, the set angle may be set within the range of 100 degrees to 180 degrees.

[0155] The stop 9 may include a stop body 91 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the door 2.

[0156] The hinge 3 may include a stop contact portion 39. The stop contact portion 39 may be disposed on the support member 36. The stop contact portion 39 may be formed on the front portion of the support member 36 and the outer portion of the housing in the width direction.

[0157] During the opening of door 2, the stop body 91 can come into contact with the stop body contact portion 39. Therefore, the maximum opening angle of door 2 can be limited. The maximum opening angle of door 2 can refer to the aforementioned set angle.

[0158] The stop 9 may include a stop bracket 92. The stop bracket 92 may be installed on the bottom surface of the door 2.

[0159] A hole 98 may be formed in the stop bracket 92. The hole 98 may extend vertically through the stop bracket 92. A guide member 8 may be inserted into the hole 98. The guide member 8 may extend vertically through the stop bracket 92.

[0160] The stop body 91 can be disposed behind the cover 235, which will be described later. A portion of the stop body 91 overlaps with the cover 235 in the front-rear direction, and the remaining portion can protrude further outward in the width direction of the door 2 than the cover 235.

[0161] A cover 235 may be disposed in front of the lever 5. The cover 235 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the door 2.

[0162] Cover 235 is an externally concealed feature of the mechanism that is exposed to the lower end of lever 5 or door 2, providing both aesthetics and security.

[0163] Cover 235 can be located further back than the front of door 201.

[0164] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cover decoration 23 may include a guide cover 238. The guide cover 238 may accommodate a guide member 8. The guide member 8 may be mounted and secured to the guide cover 238.

[0165] The guide cover 238 can be recessed from the bottom surface of the door 2 upwards. The guide cover 238 can have a shape corresponding to the guide member 8.

[0166] The guide cover 238 can be disposed on the stop mounting portion 239. The guide cover 238 can be recessed upward from the stop mounting portion 239.

[0167] The cover decoration 23 may include an automatic closing receiving portion 234 for the automatic closing device 4 to be configured. The automatic closing receiving portion 234 can be recessed from the bottom surface of the door 2 upwards to provide space for accommodating the automatic closing device 4.

[0168] The cover decoration 23 may include a soft-closing receiving portion 237 for mounting the soft-closing device 7. The soft-closing receiving portion 237 may be recessed from the bottom surface of the door 2 to the upper side.

[0169] By utilizing the guide cover 238, stop mounting portion 239, automatic closing receiving portion 234, and slow closing receiving portion 237 of the cover decoration 23, at least a portion of each of the guide member 80, stop member 9, automatic closing device 4, and slow closing device 7 can be obscured from the front outside. For example, the drive portion 40 can be obscured from the front outside by the cover decoration 23, while the lever 5 can be positioned lower than the bottom surface of the door 2, and therefore may not be obscured by the cover decoration 23. For example, the upper part of the slow closing device 7 is obscured from the front outside by the cover decoration 23, while the lower part protrudes lower than the bottom surface of the door 2, and may not be obscured by the cover decoration 23. For example, at least a portion of the stop member body 91 protrudes lower than the bottom surface of the door 2, and therefore may not be obscured from the front outside by the cover decoration 23.

[0170] The cover 235 can be positioned in front of the lever 5 to block the lever 5 from the outside. In addition, a portion of the slow-closing device 7 connected to the lever 5 can be blocked by the cover 235.

[0171] Additionally, a portion of the stop body 91 can be positioned behind the cover 235 and can be concealed from the front. The outer end of the stop body 91 in the width direction of the housing 10 can be positioned further outward than the cover 235, thus protruding to the front. As a result, a portion of the stop body 91 is concealed by the cover body 235, and when the door 2 is opened to its maximum angle, the outer end of the stop body 91 can contact the stop contact portion 39.

[0172] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The drive unit 40 may include a cover 41. The cover 41 may be fixed to the housing 10 and may provide an internal space 413 for accommodating a plurality of constituent elements.

[0173] The upper side of the cover 41 can be open, and a cover cover 412 can be attached to the upper end. The cover cover 412 can cover the cover 41. The cover cover 412 may include a first protrusion 4121 protruding downward. The first protrusion 4121 is inserted into the internal space 413 of the cover 41, and the cover cover 412 can be attached to the cover 41.

[0174] The cover 41 may include a mating groove 414 that expands outward from the space 413. The cover 412 may include a second protrusion 4122 that is inserted into the mating groove 414.

[0175] The second protrusion 4122 can protrude outward from the outer periphery of the first protrusion 4121. The cover 412 can be inserted into the mating groove 414 of the cover 41 and fixed to the cover 41. The cover 412 can be restricted by the cover 41 to prevent rotation.

[0176] Spring 43, clutch 44, lever shaft 46, etc. can be inserted into the internal space 413 of cover 41. These elements can be inserted from the top of cover 41 before cover 412 is joined to cover 41.

[0177] The drive unit 40 may include a spring 43. The spring 43 may be a torsion spring that provides torque. The spring 43 may be mounted to provide torque in the direction that the door 2 is closing.

[0178] The drive unit 40 may include a retainer 42 for engaging with the spring 43. One end 432 of the spring 43 may be engaged with and / or fixed to the retainer 42.

[0179] The retainer 42 may be engaged with and / or secured to the cover 412. The retainer 42 may include an upwardly extending fixing portion 421. The fixing portion 421 may be inserted into an insertion groove 4123 formed in the cover 412.

[0180] The retainer 42 may include a support portion 422. The support portion 422 may have a wider width than the fixing portion 421. The support portion 422 may contact the bottom surface of the cover 412.

[0181] The retainer 42 may include a first spring engagement portion 423. One end 432 of the spring may be engaged with the first spring engagement portion 423. The first spring engagement portion 423 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the support portion 422. The support portion 422 may support the upper end of the spring 43.

[0182] The drive unit 4 can provide rotational force to the lever 5 through the action of the spring 43, the clutch 44, and the shaft 46.

[0183] Spring 43 may include one end 432 and another end 434. A helical portion 433 extending in a helical shape may be formed between one end 432 and the other end 434. Spring 43 may be a torsion spring that generates rotational torque in a constant direction.

[0184] Shaft 46 can be connected to spring 43 to receive torque. Shaft 46 can be integrated with lever 5 and rotate as a unit with lever 5.

[0185] Clutch 44 is positioned between spring 43 and shaft 46, enabling selective control of their connection. That is, clutch 44 can selectively engage or disengage spring 43 and shaft 46. Clutch 44 can engage or disengage spring 43 and shaft 46 based on the rotation angle of lever 5.

[0186] For example, during the rotation of lever 5 from its closed position (door 2 closed) to a preset angle, clutch 44 connects spring 43 and shaft 46. If lever 5 rotates further, clutch 44 can disengage spring 43 and shaft 46. This preset angle is called the switching angle. The term "connection" can also be called "engagement."

[0187] If lever 5 or shaft 46 is rotated by an external force, the elastic energy stored in spring 43 may increase. If spring 43 is rotated from its free state, lever 5 and shaft 46 are not subjected to an external force, or if the elastic force of spring 43 is greater than the external force applied to lever 5 and shaft 46, then lever 5 and shaft 46 can rotate due to the elastic force of spring 43. If clutch 44 disengages spring 43 and shaft 46, spring 43 may not rotate even if lever 5 and shaft 46 rotate.

[0188] Clutch 44 can restrict or release the rotation of shaft 46. Clutch 44 can restrict or release the rotation of shaft 46 based on the rotation angle of lever 5. For example, when the rotation angle of lever 5 is greater than or equal to the locking angle (which is larger than the switching angle), clutch 44 can restrict the rotation of shaft 46; when the rotation angle of lever 5 is less than the locking angle, it can release the restriction on shaft 46.

[0189] That is, as door 2 is opened from its closed state, and lever 5 rotates through the action of reference pin 35, when the rotation angle of lever 5 is greater than the switching angle, clutch 44 disengages spring 43 and shaft 46. If lever 5 rotates further and the rotation angle of lever 5 is greater than the locking angle, then clutch 44 can restrict the rotation of shaft 46. Therefore, even if door 2 is further opened, the position of lever 5 can be fixed.

[0190] In addition, during the closing process of door 2, the reference pin 35 enters the slit 53 and the lever 5 rotates through the action of the reference pin 35 and the lever 5, and the restriction is released. If the lever 5 rotates further and the rotation angle of the lever 5 is smaller than the switching angle, the clutch 44 connects the spring 43 and the shaft 46, and the lever 5 rotates through the torque of the spring 43. Even if no external force is applied to door 2, door 2 will automatically close through the action of the lever 5 and the reference pin 35.

[0191] The description of the switching angle and locking angle of the embodiments of this disclosure refers to... Figure 10 To be discussed later.

[0192] Clutch 44 may be engaged with the other end 434 of spring 43. Clutch 44 may include connector 45. Connector 45 may include a second spring engagement portion 453 engaged with the other end 434 of spring 43.

[0193] The connector 450 may include a flange 456. A second spring engagement portion 453 may protrude from the upper side of the flange 456.

[0194] The flange 456 can be formed in a disk shape. The flange 456 can have a wider width than the second spring engagement portion 453. It can support the lower part of the spring 43.

[0195] Connector 45 may include a latch retainer 457. The latch retainer 457 may project downwardly from the flange 456.

[0196] Shaft 46 may include clutch shaft 463. A latch retainer 457 may surround clutch shaft 463. Clutch shaft 463 may be housed within latch retainer 457. Clutch shaft 463 may be inserted into latch retainer 457.

[0197] The latch retainer 457 may include a first latch receiving portion 4571. The latch retainer 457 is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder, and the first latch receiving portion 4571 may be formed in the shape of extending through the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the cylinder along the length direction.

[0198] The clutch 44 may include a latch 47. The latch 47 may be disposed in a first latch receiving portion 4571. The latch 47 may have a cylindrical shape. The diameter of the latch 47 may correspond to the width of the first latch receiving portion 4571.

[0199] The latch 47 can be configured in multiples. For example, there can be two latches 47.

[0200] The latch retainer 457 may be formed in an arc shape. The first latch receiving portion 4571 may be disposed at the end of the arc shape.

[0201] The latch retainer 457 can be formed in a plurality of arc shapes. The first latch receiving portion 4571 can be disposed between such arc shapes.

[0202] A first latching groove 4637 may be formed on the clutch shaft 463. The first latching groove 4637 is recessed inward from the outer peripheral surface of the clutch shaft 463. The width of the first latching groove 4637 may be smaller than the diameter of the latch 47. As the lever 5 and / or the clutch shaft 463 rotates, the latch 47 is engaged with or disengaged from the first latching groove 4637.

[0203] If the latch 47 disengages from the first latch mounting slot 4637, the connection between the connector 45 and the shaft 46 can be released. Therefore, the connection between the spring 43 and the shaft 46 can be released.

[0204] The clutch 44 may include a clutch housing 49. The clutch housing 49 may include a shaft receiving portion 496. The shaft receiving portion 496 may be disposed inside the clutch housing 49. The shaft receiving portion 496 may be formed by a hollow portion of the clutch housing 49.

[0205] The clutch shaft 463 can be disposed in the shaft receiving portion 496. The inner diameter of the shaft receiving portion 496 can be larger than the outer diameter of the clutch shaft 463.

[0206] The latch retainer 457 can be configured between the clutch shaft 463 and the clutch housing 49.

[0207] The inner diameter of the shaft receiving portion 496 may correspond to the outer diameter of the latch retainer 457. The inner diameter of the shaft receiving portion 496 may be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the latch retainer 457. The latch retainer 457 may be rotatably supported by the clutch housing 49.

[0208] The clutch housing 49 may include a second latch receiving portion 497. The second latch receiving portion 497 may be recessed outward from the shaft receiving portion 496.

[0209] As lever 5 rotates, clutch shaft 463 can rotate. As lever 5 rotates, clutch shaft 463 rotates, and if the first latch receiving groove 4637 and the second latch receiving portion 497 are aligned, it can be received in the second latch receiving portion 497.

[0210] If latch 47 is located in the slot of clutch shaft 463 and the second latch receiving portion 497, the rotation of clutch shaft 463 relative to clutch housing 49 and housing 41 can be restricted by latch 47.

[0211] The cover 41 can be fixed to the door 2. Therefore, the lever 5 can be in a state where rotation relative to the door 2 is restricted.

[0212] Shaft 46 may include lever shaft 465. Lever shaft 465 may rotate integrally with clutch shaft 463. Lever shaft 465 and clutch shaft 463 may be formed as one unit.

[0213] A shaft through hole 499 may be formed at the lower end 498 of the clutch housing 49. The shaft through hole 499 may communicate with the shaft receiving portion 496.

[0214] The lever shaft 465 can pass through the shaft through hole 499.

[0215] The clutch 44 may include a bearing 48. The bearing 48 may rotatably support the shaft 46.

[0216] Bearing 48 may be disposed on the upper side of the lower end of clutch housing 49. Lever shaft 465 may pass through bearing 48.

[0217] Shaft 46 may include a support ring 464. The support ring 464 may protrude radially along the shaft. In shaft 46, the portion disposed on the upper side of the support ring 464 may be referred to as clutch shaft 463, and the portion disposed on the lower side may be referred to as lever shaft 465. The support ring 464 may be disposed between clutch shaft 463 and lever shaft 465.

[0218] The support ring 464 can support the latch 47 from the underside of the latch 47. The support ring 464 can be configured on the upper side of the bearing 48 to support the shaft 46.

[0219] Lever shaft 465 can be attached to lever 5. Lever shaft 465 can rotate as a unit with lever 5.

[0220] The lever 5 may include a shaft insertion hole 54 for inserting a lever shaft 465. The outer periphery of the lever shaft 465 may be non-circular. The shaft insertion hole 54 may have a shape corresponding to the lever shaft 465.

[0221] The lever 5 may include a ring flange 542 disposed around the shaft insertion hole 54. The ring flange 542 may protrude upward from the body of the lever 5.

[0222] A fastening hole 466 may be formed at the end of the lever shaft 465. A fastening hole 56 may also be formed on the lever 5. The fastening component passes through the fastening hole of the lever 5 and is inserted into the fastening hole 466 of the lever shaft 465, thereby connecting the lever 5 and the lever shaft 465.

[0223] The lever 5 may include a ring flange 562 disposed around the fastening hole 56. The ring flange 562 may protrude downward from the body of the lever 5.

[0224] If the latch 47 is located in the slot of the clutch shaft 463 and the second latch receiving portion 497, the rotation of the lever 5 relative to the door 2 can be restricted.

[0225] The cover 41 may include sidewalls 411. The sidewalls 411 may be formed in an angular shape, for example, they may be formed in a square column shape.

[0226] An internal space 413 can be formed on the inner side of the side wall 411 of the cover 41.

[0227] The cover 41 may include a fastening portion 415 protruding from the side wall 411. The fastening portion 415 may be disposed at the lower end of the side wall 411. A pair of fastening portions 415 may be disposed on the left and right sides.

[0228] The cover 41 can be inserted into the automatic closing receiving part 234, and the fastening part 415 can be fastened to the bottom surface of the door 2.

[0229] The lever shaft 46 can provide a center of rotation for the lever 5. The lever 5 can rotate around the shaft insertion hole 54.

[0230] The lever 5 may include a finger member 51 forming a slit 53. The finger member 51 may extend outward from the center of rotation of the lever 5 in the direction of the rotation radius.

[0231] The finger member 51 may include a first finger member 511 disposed on one side of the slit 53 and a second finger member 512 disposed on the other side. The first finger member 511 may be disposed in front of the slit 53 and the second finger member 512 may be disposed behind the slit 53.

[0232] If an external force is applied to the door 2 in the direction of closing the door 2 while the reference pin 35 is in the slit 53, then through the fixed reference pin 35, a force (repulsive force) is applied to the first finger member 511, and the lever 5 can rotate to move the finger member 51 forward.

[0233] With the reference pin 35 in the slit 53, if the lever 5 is rotated by the automatic closing device 4, the second finger member 512 pushes the reference pin 35. Since the reference pin 35 is fixed, the door 2 can rotate or move so that the automatic closing device 4 faces backward.

[0234] A detailed description of the structure of the lever 5 in the first embodiment of this disclosure, as well as the function of the lever 5 and the reference pin 35, will be provided with reference to Figures 22 to 24 To be discussed later.

[0235] The lever 5 may include a flange 57. The flange 57 may project outward in the radial direction of the lever 5. The flange 57 may extend from the center of rotation of the lever 5 in a direction different from that of the finger member 51. During the closing of the door 2, the flange 57 may engage with the slow-closing device 7, which may apply a force to the lever 5 in the opposite direction of rotation of the lever 5.

[0236] The following is for reference Figure 8 and Figure 10 This section explains the structure of the lever 61 of the automatic closing device 4A in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, as well as the function of the lever 61 and the reference pin 35.

[0237] Reference Figure 8 In the second embodiment of this disclosure, the lever 61 of the automatic closing device 4A is rotatably disposed on the bottom surface of the door 2. The lever 61 may include a slit 613 into which a reference pin 35 is inserted. The reference pin 35 is inserted into the slit 613 of the lever 61 and can slide along the slit 613. If the door 2 rotates with the reference pin 35 inserted into the slit 613, the lever 61 can rotate with the door 2.

[0238] If door 2 rotates in the open direction do, the reference pin 35 is fixed to the housing 10, located between the hinge shaft 32 and the rotation center C of lever 61, so lever 61 can rotate.

[0239] During the closing process of door 2, if the reference pin 35 is inserted into the slit 613, the lever 61 rotates through the torque T of the automatic closing device 4, which can apply force to door 2 in the closing direction dc.

[0240] Lever 61 can rotate in the same direction as door 2. For example, as Figure 7 As shown, when door 2 rotates counterclockwise when it is open and clockwise when it is closed, lever 61 can also rotate counterclockwise during the opening process and clockwise during the closing process.

[0241] The lever 61 may include finger-like members 611 and 612 extending radially outward from the center of rotation. A slit 613 may be formed in the finger-like members 611 and 612.

[0242] The slit 613 described above can extend in a straight line. The slit 613 can extend in a straight line.

[0243] The slit 613 can extend obliquely relative to the width direction of the door (i.e., the left-right direction). The slit 613 can be formed obliquely relative to the radial direction of the lever 61. More specifically, when the door 2 is closed, with the position of the lever 61 as a reference, the outer side of the slit 613 is located at the rear and the inner side is located at the front, and it can extend in a direction intersecting the width direction of the door 2.

[0244] The finger members 611 and 612 may include a first finger member 611 and a second finger member 612. A slit 613 may be formed between these finger members.

[0245] The slit 613 may include a first region 6131 located on the inner side and a second region 6132 located on the outer side. The first region 6131 and the second region 6132 are located in a straight line relative to each other, and the slit 613 may be formed by a structure that opens outward. Therefore, the second region 6132 may be shaped to open toward the outer end of the lever 61.

[0246] Lever 61 can be positioned between the front side 201 and the rear side 202 of door 2. When door 2 is closed, the front end of lever 61 extends parallel to the front side of door 2 and can be located further rearward than the front side of door 2. The outer rear end 6122 of lever 61 extends in a direction intersecting the width direction of door 2, and the angle θ61 formed with the width direction of door 2 can be less than 90 degrees.

[0247] The aforementioned angle θ61 can be the maximum rotation angle of lever 61. That is, in the state where door 2 is opened to the maximum extent and lever 61 is restricted in rotation (refer to...). Figure 8 In this configuration, the outer rear end 6122 of lever 61 can be configured parallel to the rear surface 202 of door 2. In this case, the outer rear end 6122 of lever 61 can be located further forward than the rear surface of door 2, or further forward than the pad 205 disposed on door 2.

[0248] The lever stop 416 can protrude from the bottom surface of the door 2. The lever stop 416 can be located behind the lever 61.

[0249] The lever stop 416 can be a component of the automatic closing device 4. Alternatively, it can be a component of the cover decoration 23, or it can be a component mounted on the cover decoration 23.

[0250] The lever stop 416 protrudes from the bottom surface of the door 2 and can be configured at the same height as the lever 61.

[0251] When door 2 is open, lever 61 rotates rearward along finger members 611 and 612, and can engage with lever stop 416. Lever 61 may include a first contact portion 616 that engages with lever stop 416 when door 2 is open.

[0252] The distance between the first contact portion 616 and the rotation center c of the lever 61 can be greater than the distance d between the rotation center c and the lever stop 416. The first contact portion 616 may include a portion whose distance from the rotation center c of the lever 61 is greater than the distance d between the rotation center c and the lever stop 416.

[0253] Thus, the first contact part 616 can engage with the lever stop 416 when the door 2 is open, and the rotation of the lever 61 can be restricted.

[0254] When the door 2 is closed, the lever 61 rotates forward along the finger members 611 and 612, and can engage with the lever stop 416. The lever 61 may include a second contact portion 617 that engages with the lever stop 416 when the door 2 is closed.

[0255] The distance between the second contact portion 617 and the rotation center c of the lever 61 can be greater than the distance d between the rotation center c and the lever stop 416. The second contact portion 617 may include a portion whose distance from the rotation center c of the lever 61 is greater than the distance d between the rotation center c and the lever stop 416.

[0256] Thus, the second contact part 617 can engage with the lever stop 416 when the door 2 is closed, and the rotation of the lever 61 is restricted.

[0257] on the other hand, Figure 8 and Figure 9 The refrigerator shown in the second embodiment can have the same Figure 4 The hinge 3 and guide member 8 shown in the first embodiment have the same structure or different structures. For example, the refrigerator of the second embodiment may be different from the first embodiment, where the hinge axis 32 is composed of a single shaft that provides a fixed center of rotation to the door 2, and the door 2 can rotate around the fixed center of rotation to open and close the storage compartment 11.

[0258] Reference Figures 8 to 10 The drive unit 40 can rotate the lever 61 so that the door 2 is closed by the action of the lever 61 and the reference pin 35.

[0259] The reference pin 35 can be positioned between the hinge axis 32 and the rotation center c of the lever 61 in the width direction of the door 2. When the reference pin 35 is located in the slit 613, the reference pin 35 can be positioned between the hinge axis 32 and the rotation center c of the lever 61 in the width direction of the door 2.

[0260] Figure 9 (a) and Figure 9 (b) shows the reference pin located at... Figure 8 The states of the positions of the dashed lines 9(a) and 9(b) are shown in the figure. Figure 10 The rotation of lever 5, which is open at door 2, the torque of drive unit 40, the engagement and restraint of clutch 44 are shown.

[0261] In door 2 Figure 9 (a) state or ratio Figure 9 When (a) is further open, clutch 44 can restrict the rotation of shaft 46. Therefore, lever 61 will not rotate automatically relative to door 2. That is, in Figure 9 In (a), the rotation angle of lever 61 is the locking angle of clutch 44 that restricts the rotation of shaft 46.

[0262] exist Figure 9 In state (a), the clutch 44 restricts the rotation of the shaft 46, disengaging the spring 43 from the shaft 46. Therefore, the torque of the spring 43 may not be transmitted to the lever 5.

[0263] exist Figure 9 In state (a), the rotation angle θ61 of lever 61 can be less than the rotation angle θ9 of door 2. For example, the rotation angle θ61 of lever 61 can be a specific angle between 30 and 35 degrees, and the opening angle θ9 of door can be a specific angle between 40 and 50 degrees.

[0264] If an external force is applied to the door 2 in the direction of closure, the lever 61 rotates relative to the door 2 by the repulsive force Fm exerted by the reference pin 35 on the first finger member 611, so that the finger members 611, 612 face forward.

[0265] On the other hand, since lever 61 is mounted on door 2, and the center of rotation c of the lever is located at a constant position on door 2, the distance between the reference pin 35 and the center c of lever 61 changes if door 2 rotates. Therefore, if door 2 rotates, reference pin 35 slides in slit 613. Here, the sliding of reference pin 35 indicates that reference pin 35 is fixed and slit 613 moves.

[0266] exist Figure 9 In state (a), if door 2 is closed, lever 61 can rotate in the direction where the rotation angle θ61 decreases. If lever 61 rotates and the rotation angle θ61 of lever 61 is less than the locking angle, clutch 44 can release the restriction of shaft 46. Furthermore, as lever 61 and shaft 46 rotate, clutch 44 can gradually engage spring 43 and shaft 46. With clutch 44 engaging spring 43 and shaft 46, the smaller the rotation angle of lever 61, the greater the torque that may be applied to lever 61 by drive unit 40.

[0267] If door 2 is closed and is in Figure 9 In state (b), the clutch 44 completes the connection between the spring 43 and the shaft 46, and the torque of the spring 43 can be fully transmitted to the shaft 46. Figure 9 In (b), the rotation angle θ61 of lever 61 is equivalent to the switching angle of clutch 44 connecting spring 43 and shaft 46.

[0268] exist Figure 9 In state (b), the rotation angle θ61 of lever 61 can be less than or equal to the rotation angle θ9 of door 2. For example, the rotation angle θ61 of door 2 and lever 61 can be a specific angle between 25 degrees and 30 degrees.

[0269] If lever 61 rotates and becomes Figure 9 In state (b), the clutch 44 connects the spring 43 and the shaft 46. In this state, the torque T of the spring 43 is transmitted to the lever 61, causing the lever 61 to rotate. The spring 43 of the drive unit 40 provides torque to the lever 61, causing the lever 61 to rotate forward along the finger members 611 and 612. As the lever 61 rotates, the torque of the spring 43 decreases.

[0270] If lever 61 rotates to make finger members 611, 612 face forward ( Figure 8If the lever 61 rotates clockwise, it applies a force Fa forward to the reference pin 35. Since the position of the reference pin 35 is fixed, the door 2 can rotate around the hinge axis 32. Therefore, the rotation center c of the lever 61 can move in the direction of rotation of the lever 61 with reference to the reference pin 35. That is, the rotation center c can move backward. Since the door 2 receives the rotation center through the hinge axis 32, the door 2 can rotate so that the rotation center c of the lever 61 faces backward.

[0271] Therefore, door 2 can be closed by the force of rotating lever 61 through automatic closing device 4.

[0272] As lever 61 rotates to bring finger members 611, 612 forward, the torque of spring 43 decreases.

[0273] like Figure 9 As shown in (c), when the door 2 is closed, the reference pin 35 can engage with the inner end of the slit 613.

[0274] like Figure 9 As shown in (c), when the door 2 is closed, the second contact part 617 can contact the stop.

[0275] The opening of door 2 can be Figure 9 The sequence of (c), (b), and (a) is followed (except for the force and direction indicated by the arrows). If door 2 is open, the center of rotation c of lever 61 moves forward, and since reference pin 35 is fixed, lever 61 rotates to make the finger members 611, 612 face backward.

[0276] If door 2 passes through Figure 9 If state (a) is further opened, the first contact portion 616 contacts the lever stop 416, and the lever 61 cannot rotate further. The reference pin 35 can disengage from the slit 613.

[0277] The following is for reference Figure 11 This describes the lever 62 of the automatic closing device 4B in the third embodiment of this disclosure and the lever 63 of the automatic closing device 4C in the fourth embodiment.

[0278] The lever 62 of the third embodiment may include a slit 623 into which a reference pin 35 is inserted. The outer end of the slit 623 may be located further forward than the inner end. The outer end and inner end mentioned above may refer to the outer end and inner end in the direction of the rotation radius of the lever 62. That is, the end closer to the rotation center c of the lever 62 may be called the inner end, and the end further away may be called the outer end. In the description of another embodiment, the inner end and outer end of the slit may refer to the outer end and inner end in the direction of the rotation radius of the lever.

[0279] Figure 11The lever 62 of the third embodiment shown in (a) is compared with the reference. Figure 8 Compared to the lever 61 of the first embodiment, the difference lies in the position of the outer end of the slit 623 being further forward than the inner end; otherwise, it may have all the other features of the lever 61 of the first embodiment.

[0280] In the third embodiment, the lever 62 may have a slit 623 formed between the first finger member 621 and the second finger member 622, and the slit 623 may be a straight line connecting the outer end and the inner end.

[0281] In the fourth embodiment, the positions of the outer and inner ends of the slit 633 can be the same as those of the outer and inner ends of the slit 423 in the third embodiment. The outer end of the slit 633 can be located further forward than the inner end.

[0282] Furthermore, the clutch 44 of the automatic shut-off device 4B in the third embodiment and the clutch 44 of the automatic shut-off device 4C in the fourth embodiment can have the same locking angle. Additionally, the clutches 44 in the third and fourth embodiments can have locking angles greater than those in the first and second embodiments. For example, the locking angles of the clutches 44 in the first and second embodiments can be selected within the range of 25 to 35 degrees, while the locking angles of the clutches 44 in the third and fourth embodiments can be selected within the range of 35 to 45 degrees.

[0283] Figure 11 The lever 63 of the fourth embodiment shown in (b) differs from the lever 62 of the third embodiment in that the slit 633 has a bent shape. In the lever 63 of the fourth embodiment, a slit 633 is formed between the first finger member 631 and the second finger member 632, and the slit 633 may include a first region 6331 extending from the inner end and a second region 6332 extending from the outer end.

[0284] The first region 6331 and the second region 6332 can each be configured as a rearward convex arc shape, and their radii of curvature can be different. For example, the radius of curvature of the first region 6331 can be larger than the radius of curvature of the second region 6332.

[0285] Therefore, compared with the automatic closing device 4B of the third embodiment, the lever 63 can rotate relatively more when the reference pin 35 passes through the second region 6332 of the slits 623 and 633, and rotate relatively less when passing through the first region 6331. Thus, during the closing process of the door 2, the clutch 44 can engage quickly, and the door 2 can be gently closed by the automatic closing device 4C.

[0286] The following is for reference Figures 12 to 15 This describes the structure of the lever 64 of the automatic closing device 4D according to the fifth embodiment of this disclosure, as well as the function of the lever 64 and the reference pin 35.

[0287] Reference Figure 12 In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the refrigerator door 2 can be rotatably disposed in front of the cabinet 10, and the position of the rotation center of the door 2 can be changed according to the degree of opening of the door.

[0288] The shaft insertion slot 83 of the guide member 8 can have a structure that extends with a constant width. For example, the shaft insertion slot 83 can extend in a curve. For example, the shaft insertion slot 83 can have an arc shape. For example, the shaft insertion slot 83 can have a shape in which two arcs with different radii of curvature are connected.

[0289] The shaft insertion slot 83 may include a first curved portion 831 where the hinge shaft 31 is located when the door 2 is closed, and a second curved portion 832 where the hinge shaft 31 is located when the door 2 is open. The second curved portion 832 may be configured relatively close to the outer end of the door 2, and the first curved portion 831 may be configured relatively far from the outer end of the door 2.

[0290] The first curved portion 831 and the second curved portion 832 can be connected. The first curved portion 831 can extend rearward toward the second curved portion 832, and the second curved portion 832 can extend rearward toward the first curved portion 831. The shaft insertion groove 83 can have a rearward protruding shape.

[0291] The radius of curvature of the second curve portion 832 can be smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curve portion 831.

[0292] The hinge shaft 31 is movably supported by the shaft insertion slot 83. The hinge shaft 31 rotates and / or moves within the guide member to enable the opening and closing of the door.

[0293] The width of the shaft insertion slot 83 can correspond to the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 31. That is, the width of the shaft insertion slot 83 can be formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 31, and the hinge shaft 31 can slide along the shaft insertion slot 83.

[0294] Two or more hinge axes 31 can be configured. For example, the hinge 3 may include two hinge axes 311 and 312. Hereinafter, the hinge axis 31 located on the inner side of the door 2 in the width direction is referred to as the first hinge axis 311, and the hinge axis 31 located on the outer side is referred to as the second hinge axis 312. That is, the first hinge axis 311 can be configured to be relatively close to the front end of the first curved portion 831 when the door 2 is closed, and the second hinge axis 312 can be configured to be relatively close to the front end of the second curved portion 832 when the door 2 is open.

[0295] Door 2 can receive its rotation center via the first hinge shaft 311 and the second hinge shaft 312. As previously described, the position of the rotation center of door 2 can change depending on the degree of door opening. That is, if door 2 is open, the two hinge shafts 31 can slide along the shaft insertion slot 83, allowing door 2 to rotate.

[0296] As in the second embodiment, when the position of the rotation axis of door 2 is fixed, the outer front corner 203 of door 2 may deviate from the position of the outer end 204 of door 2 in the width direction when door 2 is closed as door 2 is opened (see reference). Figure 9 ).

[0297] The hinge pin 31 and the pin insertion slot 83 of this embodiment ensure that the front outer corner 203 of the door 2 will not deviate from the position of the outer end 204 of the door 2 when the door 2 is closed, even when the door 2 is open, or can minimize the degree of deviation (see reference). Figures 13 to 15 ).

[0298] Therefore, if other furniture is placed next to the refrigerator or the refrigerator is placed in a storage cabinet, and the refrigerator door does not protrude forward relative to the other furniture or storage cabinet, the door can be opened without being interfered with by the other furniture or storage cabinet.

[0299] Figures 13 to 15 Showing Figure 13 (a), (b), (c) Figure 14 (a), (b), (c) Figure 15 The opening angle of door 2 gradually decreases in the order of (a), (b), (c) and (d).

[0300] Door 2 can be compared Figure 13 The state of (a) is further opened. For example, Figure 13 The opening angle θ13a of door (a) is 90 degrees, and the maximum opening angle of door 2 can be greater than 90 degrees. If door 2 is opened to its maximum, the second hinge axis 312 is connected to the front end of the second curved part 832, or it can be slightly separated.

[0301] Reference Figure 13 In (a) when the door 2 is opened 90 degrees, the first hinge axis 311 can be located at the boundary between the second curved portion 832 and the first curved portion 831. Therefore, if the door 2 is opened to more than 90 degrees, the first hinge axis 311 and the second hinge axis 312 can slide along the second curved portion 832 (the first hinge axis 311 and the second hinge axis 312 can be fixed, guiding the movement of the guide member 8). Therefore, the door 2 can be opened forward. Therefore, when the door 2 is opened to its maximum extent, interference with other furniture or appliances located on the side of the refrigerator 1 can be minimized.

[0302] Figure 13 (b) to Figure 14 (c) shows the state where the first hinge axis 311 is located in the first curved portion 831 and the second hinge axis 312 is located in the second curved portion 832.

[0303] Observation Figure 14 (c) to Figure 13 During the opening process of the (b) sequential door 2, since the second hinge axis 312 moves relative to the second curved portion 832, the outer side 204 and the front edge 203 of the door 2 in the width direction move inward towards the inside of the box 10 in the width direction as the door 2 opens, compared to the case where the rotation center is fixed. As a result, the outer side 204 and the front edge 203 of the door 2 in the width direction may not deviate from the outer end of the door in the closed state, or even if they do deviate, they may deviate to a minimum.

[0304] Figure 15 (a) shows the state where the second hinge axis 312 is located at the boundary between the first curved portion 831 and the second curved portion 832, and the first hinge axis 311 is located at the first curved portion 831. Figure 15 (d) shows the state where door 2 is closed. When door 2 is closed, the first hinge axis 311 can be located at the front end of the first curved portion 831.

[0305] With door 2 closed, passing through Figure 15 (c) and Figure 15 The state of (b) reaches Figure 15 When the door is opened in state (a), the outer side of the door 2 rotates so that the front end faces rearward, and can move inward as a whole in the width direction, because the first hinge axis 311 and the second hinge axis 312 move relative to each other along the first curved portion 831. Therefore, during this process, the outer side 204 in the width direction and the front edge 203 of the door 2 do not deviate from the outer end of the door in the closed state, or even if they do deviate, they deviate to a minimum.

[0306] Reference Figure 12The automatic closing device 40 disclosed herein includes the same drive unit 40 as the drive unit 40 in the aforementioned embodiments, and the structure of the lever 64 may be different from the levers 5, 61, 62, and 63 in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0307] The lever 64 can be rotatably coupled to the drive unit 40. The drive unit 40 can provide the lever 64 with a rotation center c and torque. The lever 64 includes finger members 641 and 642 extending radially outward from the rotation center c, and slits 643 can be formed on the finger members 641 and 642. The finger members 641 and 642 can include a first finger member 641 located in front of the slit 643 and a second finger member 642 located behind it.

[0308] The slit 643 can have an arc shape. The slit 643 can have a curved shape that bulges backward.

[0309] The slit 643 may include a first region 6431 forming the inner end of the slit 643 near the rotation center c. The first region 6431 may extend rearward from the inner end of the slit 643.

[0310] The first region 6431 can be arc-shaped. The first region 6431 can be an arc-shaped region with its center of curvature located in front. That is, the first region 6431 can be an arc-shaped region that bulges backward.

[0311] The first region 6431 may include a portion extending in a front-to-back direction. When the door 2 is closed, the first region 6431 may include a portion extending in a front-to-back direction. This portion extending in the front-to-back direction may extend rearward from its inner end.

[0312] The reference pin 35 can be inserted into the slit 643. When the door 2 is closed, the reference pin 35 can be located at the inner end of the slit 643.

[0313] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the first region 6431 includes a portion extending rearward from the inner end, and the reference pin 35 can be located at the inner end when the door 2 is closed. Therefore, when the door 2 is opened from the closed state, the reference pin 35 slides along the first region 6431, but the reference pin 35 does not need to apply pressure to the lever 65.

[0314] Therefore, lever 65 does not need to rotate when door 2 is open, and in this case, the user can open door 2 with relatively little force.

[0315] The slit 643 may include a second region 6432 extending radially outward from the first region 6431.

[0316] The second region 6432 can be arc-shaped. The second region 6432 can be an arc-shaped region with its center of curvature located in front. That is, the second region 6432 can be a shape that bulges backward. The second region 6432 can extend in a manner that the further away from the first region 6431 it is, the more forward it appears.

[0317] The slit 643 may include a third region 6433. The third region 6433 may extend from the second region 6432 and may extend to the outer end of the slit 643 in the direction of the rotation radius of the lever 64. The third region 6433 may extend continuously with the second region 6432 or bend from the second region 6432. The third region 6433 may extend in a direction that is more forward the further away from the second region 6432 it is.

[0318] The drive unit 40 can be disposed between the front side 201 and the rear side 202 of the door 2. The rotation center c of the lever 64 can also be disposed between the front side 201 and the rear side 202 of the door 2. When the door 2 is closed, the lever 64 can be disposed at an angle relative to the width direction of the door 2, so that the finger members 641, 642 are located further forward than the rotation center c.

[0319] exist Figures 13 to 15 In this context, the rotation angle of lever 64 can refer to the angle between the rotational position of lever 64 when door 2 is closed and the rotational position of lever 64 at a specific point in time. For example, it can be the angle between the straight line 64o parallel to the front end of the first finger member 641 when door 2 is closed and... Figures 13 to 15 The angle between the front ends of the first finger member 641 in each state is called the rotation angle of the lever 64.

[0320] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 13 With door 2 open and reference pin 35 disengaged from slit 643, shaft 46 can be restrained from rotating by clutch 44. Therefore, even if door 2 rotates, lever 64 will not rotate relative to door 2 with reference pin 35 disengaged from slit 643. Therefore, in Figure 13 In (a), the rotation angle θ64a of lever 64 and in Figure 13 In (b), the rotation angle θ64b of lever 64 can be the same.

[0321] Figure 13 (c) shows the state where the reference pin 35 enters the third region 6433 of the slit 643. As the door 2 closes, the reference pin 35 enters the third region 6433 of the slit 643. If the door 2 is further closed, the lever 64 rotates forward along the finger members 641, 642 via the reference pin 35, and the clutch 44 can release the restriction on the shaft 46. Therefore, it is possible to... Figure 13The rotation angle θ64c of lever 64 in (c) is called the locking angle. In this embodiment, the locking angle θ64c of lever 64 can be a specific angle in the range of 45 degrees to 55 degrees. Figure 13 The rotation angles θ64a and θ64b of lever 64 in (a) and (b) can be the same as the locking angle.

[0322] When the reference pin 35 is inside the slit 643, the rotation angle of the lever can vary with the rotation angle of the door 2. For example, the rotation angle of the lever 64 can be proportional to the rotation angle of the door 2. In this embodiment, the rotation angle of the lever 64 can be the same as the rotation angle of the door 2.

[0323] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 14 As door 2 closes, reference pin 35 can slide relative to each other along the third region 6433 of slit 643. As reference pin 35 slides along the third region 6433, lever 64 and shaft 46 rotate, thereby allowing clutch 44 to engage spring 43 and shaft 46.

[0324] Figure 14 (c) shows the state where the rotation angle θ64f of lever 64 is the switching angle, and the reference pin 35 can be located at the boundary of the third region 6433 and the second region 6432. In this embodiment, the switching angle can be in the range of 25 degrees to 35 degrees.

[0325] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 15 If the rotation angle θ64 of lever 64 is less than the switching angle, the torque of drive unit 40 can be proportional to the rotation angle θ64 of lever 64.

[0326] Figure 15 (a) shows the state where the reference pin 35 is located in the second region 6432. Figure 15 (b) shows the state in which the reference pin 35 is located at the boundary between the second region 6432 and the first region 6431. When the reference pin 35 is located at the boundary between the first region 6431 and the second region 6432, the rotation angle of the lever can be in the range of 10 degrees to 20 degrees.

[0327] Figure 15 (c) shows the state where the reference pin 35 is located in the first region 6432. Figure 15 (d) shows the closed state of door 2. With door 2 closed, reference pin 35 can engage with the inner end of slit 643.

[0328] The following is for reference Figure 16 and Figure 17This invention describes another embodiment of the hinge 30 and guide member 80. The hinge 3 of this embodiment can be applied to all other embodiments of the present disclosure, namely the first to the eighth embodiments, of the household appliance products.

[0329] The hinge 30 of this embodiment is similar to the hinge 3 of the aforementioned embodiment, and may include a connecting portion 33, a support member 36, and a reference pin 35. Furthermore, similar to the hinge 3 of the aforementioned embodiment, the hinge 30 of this embodiment may include two hinge axes 33. The hinge axes 33 may include a first hinge axis 331 disposed on the outer side in the width direction of the housing 10 and a second hinge axis 332 disposed on the inner side.

[0330] The guide member 80 in this embodiment may include a first shaft receiving portion 841 and a second shaft receiving portion 843. A first shaft receiving groove 842 for inserting a first hinge shaft 331 may be formed in the first shaft receiving portion 841, and a second shaft receiving groove 844 for inserting a second hinge shaft 332 may be formed in the second shaft receiving portion 843.

[0331] The guide member 80 may include a guide base 845. A fastening hole 846 is formed on the guide base 845, which is attached to the bottom surface of the door 2, i.e., the cover decoration 23, by a fastening member.

[0332] The first shaft receiving portion 841 and the second shaft receiving portion 843 can protrude upward from the guide base 845, and the first shaft receiving groove 842 and the second shaft receiving groove 844 can open downward.

[0333] As door 2 opens, the first hinge shaft 331 can move relative to the first shaft receiving groove 842, and the second hinge shaft 332 can move relative to the second shaft receiving groove 844. Thus, the rotation center of door 2 moves, allowing it to rotate relative to the housing 10.

[0334] Figure 17 (a) shows the closed state of door 2. In the closed state of door 2, the first hinge shaft 331 can be located at the inner end of the first shaft receiving groove 842, and the second hinge shaft 332 can be located at the inner end 8441 of the second shaft receiving groove 844. When door 2 begins to open from the closed state, door 2 can rotate around an imaginary first rotation center C1.

[0335] The first rotation center C1 can be located further forward than the first hinge axis 331 and the second hinge axis 332. The first rotation center C1 can be located between the first hinge axis 331 and the second hinge axis 332 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0336] Figure 17 (b) shows the state in which the door 2 has been rotated by a first angle relative to the housing 10. For example, the first angle can be greater than 0 degrees and less than 45 degrees.

[0337] With door 2 rotated by a first angle, door 2 can rotate around an imaginary second rotation center C2. The second rotation center C2 can be located at a different position than the first rotation center C1. That is, the position of the rotation center can change during the rotation of door 2.

[0338] The second rotation center C2 can be located further forward than the first rotation center C1. The second rotation center C2 can also be located further outward than the first rotation center C1 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0339] The second rotation center C2 can be located further forward than the first rotation axis 331 and the second rotation axis 332. The second rotation center C2 can be located between the first hinge axis 331 and the second hinge axis 332 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0340] Figure 17 (c) shows the state where door 2 is rotated a second angle beyond the first angle described above. For example, the second angle can be greater than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

[0341] With door 2 rotated to the second angle, door 2 can rotate around an imaginary third rotation center C3. The third rotation center C3 can be located at a different position than the first rotation center C1 and the second rotation center C2.

[0342] The third rotation center C3 can be located further forward than the second rotation center C2. The third rotation center C3 can be located further outward than the second rotation center C2 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0343] The third rotation center C3 can be located further forward than the first rotation axis 331 and the second rotation axis 332. The third rotation center C3 can be located in the width direction of the housing 10 at a position corresponding to the first hinge axis 331. That is, the third rotation center C3 can be located at a position that overlaps with the first rotation axis 331 in the front-back direction.

[0344] Figure 17 (d) shows the state where door 2 is rotated 90 degrees further than the second angle mentioned above.

[0345] With door 2 rotated 90 degrees, door 2 can rotate around an imaginary fourth rotation center C4. The fourth rotation center C4 can be located at a different position than the first rotation center C1, the second rotation center C2, and the third rotation center C3.

[0346] The fourth rotation center C4 can be located further rearward than the third rotation center C3. The fourth rotation center C4 can be located further outward than the third rotation center C3 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0347] The fourth rotation center C4 can be located further forward than the first rotation axis 331 and the second rotation axis 332. The fourth rotation center C4 is located further outward than the first hinge axis 331 in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0348] The following is for reference Figure 18 The lever 65 and hinge 3 of the household appliance product according to the sixth embodiment of this disclosure will be described. The drive unit 40 of the automatic closing device 4E in this embodiment is the same as that in the previous embodiments, and the hinge 3 can be the same as the hinge 3 in the first to fifth embodiments described above. Hereinafter, the structure of the lever 65 in this embodiment and the function of the lever 65 and the reference pin 35 will be described.

[0349] Reference Figure 18 Lever 65 can be configured to rotate about the center of rotation C. Lever 65 can extend radially from the center of rotation C.

[0350] The lever 65 may include finger members 651 and 652 and a slit 653. The finger members 651 and 652 may include a first finger member 651 located in front and a second finger member 652 located in the rear. The slit 653 may be disposed between the first finger member 651 and the second finger member 652.

[0351] The lever 65 in this embodiment is compared with the reference. Figures 12 to 15 Compared to the lever 64 of the fifth embodiment described above, the shape of the first finger member 651 may be different. In particular, the front end of the first finger member 651 may include: a first portion 6511 extending parallel to the radius of rotation of the lever 65; a third portion 6513 constituting the outer end of the first finger member 651 and extending obliquely relative to the first portion 6511; and a second portion 6512 connecting the first portion and the third portion.

[0352] The third part 6513 can be configured to be parallel to the front surface 201 of the door 2 with the door 2 in the closed state as a reference. Furthermore, the third part 6513 can be located further back than the front surface 201 of the door 2. Therefore, even if the lever 65 is long, it does not protrude further forward than the front surface of the door 2.

[0353] The reference pin 35 can be inserted into the slit 653. The slit 653 can be arc-shaped.

[0354] The slit 653 may include a first region 6531 extending from the inner end and a second region 6532 extending from the first region 6531 to the outer radius.

[0355] The second region 6532 may extend to the outer end. The second region 6532 may be arc-shaped. The second region 6532 may be an arc-shaped region with its center of curvature located in front. That is, the second region 6532 may be a shape that bulges backward.

[0356] On the other hand, the first region 6531 of this embodiment may have the same shape as the first region 6431 of the aforementioned fifth embodiment. Furthermore, the slit 653 of this embodiment is not only the first region 6531, but also the portions relating to other regions may have the same shape as the slit 643 of the aforementioned fifth embodiment. That is, the second region 6532 is the same as the second region 6432 of the fifth embodiment, and a third region may be further provided outside the second region 6532.

[0357] The first region 6531 can extend from the second region 6532 to the inner end. The first region 6531 can be arc-shaped. The first region 6531 can be an arc-shaped shape with the center of curvature located in front. That is, the first region 6531 can be an arc-shaped shape that bulges backward.

[0358] The first region 6531 may include a portion extending in a front-to-back direction. When the door 2 is closed, the first region 6531 may include a portion extending in a front-to-back direction. This portion extending in the front-to-back direction may extend rearward from its inner end.

[0359] During the closing process of door 2, reference pin 35 enters slit 653 and applies pressure to lever 65 while sliding in second region 6532, releasing the restriction of clutch 44 on shaft 46. When reference pin 35 slides in first region 6531, lever 65 applies pressure to reference pin 35, thereby closing door 2. When door 2 is closed, reference pin 35 can be located at the inner end of slit 653.

[0360] The first region 6531 includes a portion extending rearward from the inner end, where the reference pin 35 can be located at the inner end when the door 2 is closed. Therefore, when the door 2 is opened from the closed state, although the reference pin 35 slides along the first region 6531, the first reference pin 351 does not apply pressure to the lever 65.

[0361] Therefore, lever 65 does not need to rotate when door 2 is open, and in this case, the user can open door 2 with relatively small force.

[0362] During the closing process of door 2, if the door closes too quickly just before closing, the impact may be significant, and it may even reopen due to repulsive force. As mentioned above, embodiments of this disclosure can adjust the closing speed of door 2 using the slow-closing device 7.

[0363] Based on this, in the case of this embodiment, when the door 2 is about to close, the torque T of the automatic closing device 4 may not act on the reference pin 35 through the portion extending in the front-back direction along the first region 6531.

[0364] The following is for reference Figure 19 The function of the lever 65 and the reference pin 35 of the household appliance product of the seventh embodiment of this disclosure is explained.

[0365] The automatic shut-off device 4E in this embodiment has the same characteristics as the reference. Figure 18 The automatic closing device 4E of the sixth embodiment described above has the same structure. Therefore, the first region 6531 may include a portion extending in the front-rear direction. While this has the aforementioned advantages, the rotational position of the lever 65 based on the rotation of the door 2 may have an error compared to the design reference when the reference pin 35 passes through the first region 6531.

[0366] On the other hand, the first region 6531 may include a portion extending tangentially relative to the rotational direction of the lever 65. When the first reference pin 351 slides in the aforementioned portion extending tangentially, there may be no force between the first reference pin 351 and the lever 65.

[0367] Reference Figure 19 The reference pin 35 may include a first reference pin 351. The first reference pin 351 may be the same as the reference pin 35 in the foregoing embodiments.

[0368] The reference pin 35 may further include a second reference pin 352 in addition to the aforementioned first reference pin 351. The second reference pin 352 may be spaced apart from the first reference pin 351. The second reference pin 352 may be positioned to enter the slit 653 later than the first reference pin 351 during the closing process of the door 2.

[0369] When the first reference pin 351 is located in the first region 6531, the second reference pin 352 can be located in the second region 6532.

[0370] Therefore, the rotational position of lever 65 based on the rotation of door 2 is free from error compared to the design reference.

[0371] The following is for reference Figure 20 and Figure 21 The structure and function of lever 66 of the automatic closing device 4F according to the eighth embodiment of this disclosure are explained. Regarding hinge 3 in this embodiment, see reference... Figure 8 The second embodiment described above is illustrated using the case where the hinge axis 32 is composed of a single axis as an example, but other hinge structures described above can also be applied.

[0372] Reference Figure 20In the eighth embodiment of this disclosure, the lever 66 of the refrigerator can be rotatably disposed on the bottom surface of the door 2. The lever 66 may include a slit 663 into which a reference pin 35 is inserted. The reference pin 35 is fixed to the cabinet 10, and the lever 66 can be disposed on the door 2. The reference pin 35 can be inserted into the slit 663 of the lever 66 and can slide along the slit 663. When the door 2 rotates with the reference pin 35 inserted in the slit 663, the lever 66 can rotate along with the door 2. The rotation angle of the lever 66 can be greater than the rotation angle of the door 2.

[0373] With reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 Unlike the lever 61 in the second embodiment described above, the lever 66 in this embodiment includes a slit 663 with a bent shape. For example, the slit 663 may have a bent straight shape or a curved shape.

[0374] The slit 663 may include a first region 6631 extending outward from the inner end of the slit 663 and a second region 6632 extending outward from the first region 6631.

[0375] The first region 6631 is located at the inner end of the slit 663 and can extend in a manner that the closer it is to the outer side, the more rearward it becomes. The second region 6632 can extend from the first region 6631 and can be formed in a manner that the closer it is to the outer side, the more forward it becomes.

[0376] The first region 6631 can extend as a curve. The center of curvature of the first region 6631 can be located in front of the slit 663. The second region 6632 can extend as a curve. The center of curvature of the second region 6632 can be located in front of the slit 663. The radius of curvature of the first region 6631 can be larger than the radius of curvature of the second region 6632. This is consistent with... Figure 22 The first region 531 and the second region 532 of the slit 53 in the first embodiment are the same, and a detailed description will be given later.

[0377] The slit 663 may include a third region 6633. The third region 6633 may extend from the second region 6632 and may be located at the outermost end of the slit 663. The third region 6633 may bend from the second region 6632. For example, the second region 6632 may be further forward and closer to the outer edge, and the third region 6633 may extend in a radial direction.

[0378] The lever 66 may include finger-like members 661 and 662 extending outward in a radial direction from the center of rotation. Slits 663 may be formed in the finger-like members 661 and 662.

[0379] The finger member 661 may include a first finger member 661 and a second finger member 662. The first finger member 661 may be disposed in front of the slit 663, and the second finger member 662 may be disposed behind the slit 6632.

[0380] With door 2 closed, the front end of lever 66 (or the front end of the first finger member 661) extends parallel to the front of door 2 and can be located further back than the front of door 2.

[0381] The second finger member 662 may have a shape corresponding to the slit 663. The second finger member 662 may have a shape that bends forward as it approaches the outer edge.

[0382] With door 2 fully open and rotation of lever 66 restricted, the second finger member 662 can be positioned further forward than the rear of door 2, or further forward than pad 205. Alternatively, in the above-described state, the second finger member 662 can be positioned vertically below pad 205.

[0383] A lever stop 416 can be disposed on the bottom surface of door 2. Lever 66 may include a first contact portion 666 and a second contact portion 667. The lever stop 416 and the first contact portion 666 and the second contact portion 667 are referenced. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The second embodiment described above is the same, so its description is omitted.

[0384] Reference Figure 10 , Figures 20 to 21 The automatic closing device 4 can provide the torque T for the rotation of lever 61. The automatic closing device 4F provides torque T to lever 66 and the configuration and reference of hinge shaft 32, reference pin 35, and center c of lever 66. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The second embodiment described above is the same, so its description is omitted.

[0385] Figure 21 (a), (b), and (c) respectively show the reference pin 35 located at Figure 20 The states of the dashed lines 21(a), 21(b) and 21(c) are shown in the figure.

[0386] Figure 21(a) shows the state where the reference pin 35 is engaged in the slit 663. With the door 2 open, the clutch 44 can restrict the rotation of the shaft 43. However, during the repeated opening and closing of the door 2, the rotation angle θ66 of the lever 66 relative to the door 2 may deviate from the set angle (i.e., the aforementioned locking angle). In the event of this deviation, when the reference pin 35 passes through the third region 6633 during the closing process of the door 2, the position of the lever 66 is adjusted, and the rotation angle of the clutch 44 can be aligned with the set angle.

[0387] Figure 21 (b) can be with Figure 9 The state corresponding to (a). Additionally, as mentioned earlier, clutch 44 restricts the rotation of shaft 46, and lever 66 may not rotate automatically relative to door 2. It can be... Figure 21 The rotation angle of lever 66 in (b) is called the locking angle. During the closing of door 2, reference pin 35 can slide along the second region 6632. During this process, clutch 44 can release the restraint of shaft 46.

[0388] The position of the reference pin 35 is fixed relative to the housing 10. During the closing process of the door 2, the door 2 rotates relative to the housing 10, thus allowing force Fm to act between the reference pin 35 and the lever 66. When the reference pin 35 is in the second region 6632, it engages with the first finger member 661. As the door 2 closes, the reference pin 35 presses against the first finger member 661, causing it to rotate forward. Simultaneously, the lever 66 rotates, releasing the clutch 44 from the shaft 46.

[0389] In the case of the eighth embodiment, unlike the second region 6132 in the second embodiment, the second region 6632 can be further rearward as it gets closer to the inside.

[0390] Therefore, compared to the second embodiment, in the eighth embodiment, even if the door 2 rotates slightly, the lever 44 can rotate more during the process of releasing the restriction on the clutch 44. Thus, the release of the restriction on the clutch 44 can be performed quickly.

[0391] Figure 21 (c) is with Figure 9 The state corresponding to (b). When lever 66 is at the locking angle. Figure 21 In state (b), if door 2 rotates further, reference pin 35 rotates relative to the second region 6632, and lever 66 can rotate further. With lever 66 rotating, clutch 44 can gradually connect spring 43 and shaft 46. Figure 21The rotation angle θ66 of lever 66 in (c) is called the switching angle. At this time, the reference pin 35 can be located at the boundary between the first region 6231 and the second region 6232.

[0392] When the rotation angle θ66 of lever 66 is the switching angle, clutch 44 is engaged with spring 43 and shaft 44, therefore drive unit 40 causes lever 66 to rotate, as... Figure 21 As shown in (d), door 2 can be closed. At this time, reference pin 35 can slide along the first region 6632.

[0393] As door 2 closes, the second finger-shaped member 662 presses the reference pin 35 forward. In the second embodiment, the second region 6632 may differ from the second region 6132 in the first embodiment; it is formed in a curved manner. Therefore, if the lever 66 rotates while applying force to the reference pin 35, the reference pin 35 can slide gently.

[0394] In addition, during the sliding of the reference pin 35 in the first region 6631, the functions of the clutch 44, lever 66, and door 2 are related to... Figure 9 The explanation for (b) is the same, so it is omitted.

[0395] In such Figure 21 As shown in (d), with door 2 closed, reference pin 35 can engage with the inner end of slit 663. With door 2 closed, second contact portion 667 can engage with stop member.

[0396] The opening of door 2 can be Figure 21 The sequence of (d), (c), (b), and (a) is followed (except for the force and direction indicated by the arrows). If door 2 is opened, the center of rotation c of lever 66 moves forward, the reference pin 35 is fixed, and thus lever 66 rotates to make the finger members 661, 662 face backward.

[0397] If passed Figure 21 In state (a), if door 2 is further opened, the first contact part 666 will contact the lever stop 416, and lever 61 will not need to rotate further. Reference pin 35 can disengage from slit 663.

[0398] The following is for reference Figure 8 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 18 , Figure 20 as well as Figure 22 Describe the shapes of slits 613, 623, 633, 643, 653, 663, and 53.

[0399] The inner ends of slits 613, 623, 633, 643, 653, and 663 can be determined based on the position of the reference pin 35 and the positions of levers 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 5 when the door 2 is closed. That is, slits 613, 623, 633, 643, 653, 663, and 53 can be configured such that their inner ends are located at the position of the reference pin 35 when the door is closed.

[0400] The positions of the outer ends of slits 613, 623, 633, 643, 653, 663, and 53 can be determined by setting the rotation angle of levers 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 5 in degrees. That is, it can be determined by setting the angle between the positions of levers 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 5 when door 2 is closed and the position of maximum lever rotation, i.e., the aforementioned locking angle.

[0401] For example, refer to Figure 8 The lever 61 of the aforementioned second embodiment and reference Figure 20 The locking angle of the lever 66 in the aforementioned eighth embodiment can be the same, and the positions of the inner and outer ends of each slit 613, 663 can be the same.

[0402] In the aforementioned first and second embodiments, the outer ends of slits 613 and 663 can be located further back than the inner ends.

[0403] However, the shape of the slit connecting the outer and inner ends of slits 613 and 663 can be formed to take into account various functions.

[0404] For example, in reference Figure 8 In the second embodiment described, the slit 613 can have a straight line shape connecting the outer end and the inner end. When the shape of the slit 613 is a straight line, the rotation angle of the lever 61 based on the rotation angle of the door 2 can easily remain constant, and even if errors occur, the operation of the lever 61 will not be a problem.

[0405] For example, in reference Figure 20In the eighth embodiment described, the first region 6631 extending from the inner end and the second and third regions 6632 and 6633 extending from the outer end in the slit 663 are not on a straight line. For example, the first region 6631 can extend from the inner end in an arc shape and protrude rearward. The second region 6632 can extend from the first region in an arc shape and protrude rearward. Thus, during the closing of the door 2, when the clutch 44 releases the restriction on the shaft 46, the reference pin 35 slides in the second region 6632, which facilitates the first finger member 661 pressing the reference pin 35. In addition, when the clutch 44 connects the shaft 46 and the spring 43, the sliding of the reference pin 35 in the first region 6631 facilitates the second finger member 662 pressing the reference pin 35.

[0406] The following is for reference Figure 22 and Figure 23 This invention describes the structure of the lever 5 of the automatic closing device 4 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and the function of the lever 5 and the hinge 3. The hinge 3 and the guide member 8 of this embodiment are compared with reference to... Figures 12 to 15 The hinge 3 and guide member 8 of the home appliance product described in the fifth embodiment are the same. However, hinges 3 and 30 with other structures described above can also be applied.

[0407] In the first embodiment of this disclosure, the lever 5 of the refrigerator is rotatably disposed on the bottom surface of the door 2. The lever 5 may include a slit 53 into which a reference pin 35 is inserted. The reference pin 35 is fixed to the cabinet 10, and the lever 5 can be disposed on the door 2. The reference pin 35 is inserted into the slit 53 of the lever 5 and can slide along the slit 53. When the door 2 rotates with the reference pin 35 inserted in the slit 53, the lever 5 rotates with the door 2. The rotation angles θla, θlb, and θlc of the lever 5 may be greater than the rotation angles θda, θdb, and θdc of the door 2.

[0408] With reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 Unlike the lever 61 in the second embodiment described above, the lever 5 in this embodiment includes a slit 53 with a bent shape. For example, the slit 53 may have a bent straight shape or a curved shape.

[0409] The lever 5 may include finger-like members 51 extending radially outward from the center of rotation. Slits 53 may be formed on the finger-like members 51.

[0410] The finger member 51 may include a first finger member 511 and a second finger member 512. A slit 53 may be formed between the first finger member 511 and the second finger member 512. The first finger member 511 may be disposed in front of the slit 53, and the second finger member 512 may be disposed behind the slit 53.

[0411] The slit 53 may include a first region 531 extending outward from the inner end of the slit 53 and a second region 532 extending outward from the first region 531.

[0412] The first region 531 may be located at the inner end of the slit 53 and may extend in a manner that is more rearward as it gets closer to the outer side. The second region 532 extends from the first region 531 and may be shaped to be more forward as it gets closer to the outer side.

[0413] The first region 531 may extend in a curve. The first region 531 may be arc-shaped. The center of curvature of the first region 531 may be located in front of the slit 53.

[0414] The slit 53 of this embodiment, compared to the slit 653 of the sixth embodiment described above, does not include the portion extending in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the slit 53 of this embodiment, compared to the slit 653 of the sixth embodiment described above, does not include the portion extending tangentially relative to the rotation direction of the lever 5. For example, the angle θ531 between the extending direction of the inner end of the first region 531 and the radial direction of the lever 5 can be an obtuse angle. That is, the angle between the centerline of the first region 531 and the line connecting the center of the reference pin 35 and the rotation center C of the lever 5 when the door 2 is closed can be greater than 90 degrees. This angle can be less than 180 degrees.

[0415] Therefore, the rotational position of lever 65 based on the rotation of gate 2 can be made to be error-free compared with the design reference.

[0416] The second region 532 can extend in a curve. The second region 532 can be arc-shaped. The center of curvature of the second region 532 can be located in front of the slit 53.

[0417] The radius of curvature r1 of the first region 531 can be greater than the radius of curvature r2 of the second region 532.

[0418] The torque T of the automatic closing device 4, i.e., the torque T of the spring 53, is proportional to the angle of rotation from the free state. The automatic closing device 4 rotates the lever 5, and the force exerted by the lever 5 on the reference pin 35 is equivalent to the torque divided by the distance between the reference pin 35 and the center of rotation of the lever.

[0419] The force exerted by lever 5 on reference pin 35 can be perpendicular to the surface of the contact between reference pin 35 and lever 5. That is, the force exerted by lever 5 on reference pin 35 can be directed toward the center of curvature of slit 53. Of the force exerted by lever 5 on reference pin 35, the component of the force whose rotation radius of lever 5 is parallel to the front-back direction of the door can become the force that closes door 2 via automatic closing device 4.

[0420] On the other hand, at the location where the first region 531 and the second region 532 meet, the slit 53 can extend parallel to the length direction of the lever 5. That is, as... Figure 22 As shown, with the position of lever 5 in the closed state as a reference, the tangent direction of the part where the first region 531 and the second region 532 meet can be in the left-right direction. If the inner end of the slit 53 is parallel to the tangent direction of the rotation radius of the reference pin 35 and extends parallel to the front-back direction of the door, then when the reference pin 35 is located in this part, the torque of the automatic closing device 4 may not be able to be transmitted to the reference pin 35.

[0421] Therefore, the more gently the slit 53 bends, the more advantageous it may be for the torque T of the automatic closing device 4 to be converted into the force for closing the door 2.

[0422] As the reference pin 35 moves from the outer end of the slit 53 toward the inner end, the rotation angle of the lever 5 and the torque of the automatic closing device 4 gradually decrease. Even if the radius of curvature r1 of the first region 531 is designed to be larger than the radius of curvature r2 of the second region 532 and the torque is smaller, the torque of the automatic closing device 4 can still provide a force sufficient to close the door 2.

[0423] The slit 53 may include a third region 533. The third region 533 may extend from the second region 532 and may be located at the outermost end of the slit 53.

[0424] The third region 533 can extend in a straight line. The third region 533 can extend parallel to the outer end of the second region 532. The first finger member 51 may include a straight portion 5113 constituting the third region 533. The slit 53 includes the straight third region 533, and the reference pin 31 can move smoothly along the slit 53 when the reference pin 31 enters the slit 53 during the closing of the door 2.

[0425] If the outer end of the slit 53 is located in front of the first finger member 511, the reference pin 35 may exert rearward pressure on the lever 5 when it enters the slit 53 during the closing of the door 2. That is, the lever 5 may rotate in the opposite direction.

[0426] Furthermore, the larger the rotation angle of the lever 5 used by the clutch 44 to release the restriction of the shaft 46, the smaller the force required to release the restriction may be. Therefore, in order to prevent the lever 5 from rotating in the opposite direction, if the length of the slit 53 corresponding to the release of the restriction of the clutch 44 is made shorter, a relatively large force may be required during the process of closing the door 2 and releasing the restriction of the clutch 44.

[0427] In this embodiment, the lever 5 includes a third region 533 extending straight from the second region 532. While ensuring the lengths of the second region 532 and the third region 533 corresponding to the process of releasing the clutch 44, the lever 5 can be prevented from rotating in the opposite direction.

[0428] On the other hand, the first region 531 may extend with its outer end facing rearward and its inner end facing forward, and extend in a curved manner, where it meets the second region 532. Therefore, the second region 532 and the first region 531 may be connected continuously with a slope, or may be connected nearly continuously.

[0429] In contrast, if the curved section of the second region 532 does not exist, and the straight section of the third region 533 meets the first region 531, then the sliding direction of the reference pin 35 may bend sharply when the reference pin 53 enters the section of the first region 531. In this case, the reference pin 35 may get stuck in the slit 53 during the closing process of the door 2, potentially causing noise.

[0430] In the lever 5 of this embodiment, the second region 532 and the first region 531 of the slit 53 extend in a curved manner and are connected by a continuous slope, and the reference pin 35 can move smoothly along the slit 53.

[0431] The outer end 5123 of the second finger member 532 can be formed in a curved manner. The outer end 5123 of the second finger member 532 can have an arc shape. During the opening of the door 2, the reference pin 35 can disengage from the outer end 5123 of the second finger member 532, causing the lever 5 to rotate and guide the latch 47 to be placed in the second latch placement portion 4638.

[0432] Lever 5 can be positioned between the front side 201 and the rear side 202 of door 2. When door 2 is closed, the front end of lever 5 can extend parallel to the front side of door 2. The front end of lever 5 can be located further rearward than the front side of door 2.

[0433] The outer rear end of lever 5 can extend in a direction intersecting the width direction of door 2, and the angle θ formed with the width direction of door 2 is less than 90 degrees.

[0434] The angle θ can be the maximum rotation angle of lever 5. That is, when door 2 is opened to the maximum extent and lever 5 is restricted from rotation (refer to...). Figure 15 (a) The outer rear end of lever 5 can be configured to be parallel to the rear surface 202 of door 2. In this case, the outer rear end of lever 5 can be located further forward than the rear surface of door 2, or further forward than the pad 205 disposed on door 2.

[0435] A lever stop 416 may be provided on the bottom surface of door 2. Lever 5 may include a first contact portion 516 and a second contact portion 517. Because the lever stop 416 and the first contact portion 516, second contact portion 517 are related to a reference... Figure 7 and Figure 8 The first embodiment described above is the same, so its description is omitted.

[0436] Reference Figure 10 and Figures 21 to 22 The function of the lever 5 and the reference pin 35 of the automatic closing device 4 of the home appliance product according to the degree of opening of the door 2 is explained in the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0437] Figure 23 (a) shows the point in time when the reference pin 35 contacts the lever 5. When the clutch 44 is not in the predetermined position, the outer end 5123 of the lever 5 and the second finger member are engaged, and the clutch 44 can be guided to the predetermined position. The predetermined position can refer to the case where the rotation angle of the lever 5 is the aforementioned locking angle.

[0438] If the door 2 is open or the reference pin 35 is further rotated by the outer end 5123 of the second finger member 512 and the clutch 44 is configured in a predetermined position, the clutch 44 restricts the rotation of the shaft 46, so that the lever 5 will not rotate automatically relative to the door 2.

[0439] For example, if the clutch 44 rotates less than the predetermined position when the door 2 is open, then when the reference pin 35 enters the slit 53 during the closing process of the door 2, the outer end of the curved second finger member 512 engages with the reference pin 35, and the lever can rotate further, thereby allowing the clutch to be positioned in the predetermined position.

[0440] For example, during the closing of door 2, when reference pin 35 disengages from slit 53, if clutch 44 is rotated less than the predetermined position, door 2 opens, reference pin 35 engages with the outer end 5123 of the second finger member, lever 5 can rotate further, thereby clutch 44 can be positioned in the predetermined position.

[0441] During the process of the clutch 44 being positioned in the predetermined position, the first contact portion 516 engages with the stop member 416, and the lever 5 and the clutch 44 are able to rotate no more than the predetermined position.

[0442] Figure 23 (b) shows that the rotation angle θlb of lever 5 is in the locked angle state. At this time, reference pin 35 can be located in the third region 533 of slit 53. During the closing of door 2, reference pin 35 can slide along the third region 533. During this process, clutch 44 can release the restraint of shaft 46.

[0443] During the closing of door 2, force Fm can act between reference pin 35 and lever 5. When reference pin 35 is in the third region 533, reference pin 35 is in contact with the first finger member 511. When door 2 is closed, reference pin 35 can apply pressure to the first finger member 511 to cause the first finger member 511 to rotate forward. With lever 5 rotating, clutch 44 can release the restriction on shaft 46.

[0444] The third region 533 can be further inward and rearward. Therefore, during the release of the clutch 44, even if the door 2 rotates slightly, the lever 44 can rotate more. Thus, the clutch 44 can be released quickly.

[0445] Figure 23 (c) shows that the rotation angle θlc of lever 5 is the state of the switching angle. That is, when door 2 is closed, clutch 44 gradually connects shaft 46 and spring 43. Figure 23 In state (c), clutch 44 can connect shaft 46 and spring 43. At this time, reference pin 35 can be located at the boundary between second region 532 and first region 531.

[0446] At this time, due to Figure 23 (c) is the state in which the clutch 44 engages the spring 43 and the shaft 46. Therefore, at this time, the drive unit 40 can rotate the lever 5 to close the door 2. At this time, the reference pin 35 can slide relative to the first region 532.

[0447] When door 2 is closed, the second finger-shaped member 512 applies pressure forward to the reference pin 35. The second region 532 can be formed in a flexible manner. Therefore, if lever 5 rotates and applies force to the reference pin 35, the reference pin 35 can slide smoothly.

[0448] like Figure 23 As shown in (d), when door 2 is closed, reference pin 35 can engage with the inner end of slit 53. Figure 23 As shown in (d), when the door 2 is closed, the second contact part 517 can contact the stop.

[0449] The opening of door 2 can be Figure 23 The sequence of (d), (c), (b), and (a) is followed (except for the force and direction indicated by the arrows). If door 2 is open, the center of rotation c of lever 5 moves forward, the reference pin 35 is fixed, and thus lever 5 rotates to make the finger member 51 face backward.

[0450] If passed Figure 23 In state (a), if door 2 is further opened, the first contact portion 516 will contact the lever stop 416, and lever 5 will not need to rotate further. Reference pin 35 can disengage from slit 53.

[0451] In this embodiment, when the reference pin 35 is located at the slit 53, the rotation angles θla, θlb, and θlc of the lever 5 relative to the door 2 can be greater than the rotation angles θda, θdb, and θdc of the door relative to the housing 10. For example, in this embodiment, the locking angle θlb can be in the range of 45 to 50 degrees, and the angle θdb between the door 2 and the housing 10 can be in the range of 30 to 40 degrees. For example, the switching angle θlc can be in the range of 28 to 40 degrees, and the angle θdc between the door 2 and the housing 10 can be in the range of 20 to 30 degrees. For example, when the reference pin 35 is in contact with the lever 5, the lever angle θla can be the same as the aforementioned locking angle θlb, and the door angle θda can be in the range of 35 to 45 degrees.

[0452] Reference Figure 24 In one embodiment of this disclosure, the lever 5 may include a flange 57. The flange 57 may protrude radially outward from the center of rotation of the lever 5. The flange 57 may be inclined rearward more and more towards the outer side in the radial direction.

[0453] Although the flange 57 of levers 5, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, and 66 is not shown in the figures of the foregoing embodiments, it is used to illustrate the function of the reference pin 35, the slit 53, and the finger member 510. That is, the aforementioned levers 5, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 may also include the flange 57. In addition, all the features of lever 5 described below may be included.

[0454] The lever 5 may include a lever body 50. The lever body 50 may include the aforementioned finger member 51, slit 53, and flange 57.

[0455] The aforementioned shaft insertion hole 54 may be formed on the lever body 50. An annular flange 542 may protrude from the lever body 50. The annular flange 542 may protrude upwards from the lever body 50. The shaft insertion hole 54 may be shaped to penetrate both the lever body 50 and the annular flange 542.

[0456] The lever 5 may include a lever cover 500. The lever cover 500 may be combined with the lever body 50. The lever cover 500 may have a shape corresponding to the lever body 50.

[0457] The lever cover 500 may include a first finger member cover 501 coupled with a first finger member 511 and a second finger member cover 502 coupled with a second finger member 512.

[0458] The slit cover 504 can protrude upward along the inner edge of the first finger member cover 501 and the second finger member cover 502. The slit cover 504 can be inserted into the slit 53 of the lever body 50. A slit 503 can be formed on the inner side of the slit cover 504, and the reference pin 35 can be inserted into the slit 503.

[0459] The lever cover 500 may include a rim receiving portion 506. A rim 562 protruding downward from the lever body 50 can be inserted into the rim receiving portion 506.

[0460] The lever cover 500 may include a fastening hole 505. The fastening hole 505 may be formed in the annular receiving portion 506.

[0461] The fastening hole 505 can pass through the lever cover 500 vertically. The fastening component can pass through the fastening holes 505 and 56 of the lever cover 500 and the lever body 50, and be inserted into the fastening hole 466 of the shaft 46, so that the lever 5 and the shaft 46 are engaged.

[0462] The outer end of the flange 57 of the lever cover 500 can be positioned further inward than the flange 57. That is, the flange 57 can be formed solely by the lever body 50.

[0463] The following is for reference Figure 25 The automatic shut-off device 4' of another embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0464] Reference Figure 25 The automatic closing device 4' in this embodiment may include a drive unit 400 and a lever 402. The drive unit 400 may include a cover 401 and a spring 405. The cover 401 may form the shape of the drive unit 400.

[0465] The lever 402 can be rotatably coupled to the drive unit 400. The lever 402 can rotate horizontally with respect to a rotation center line extending in the vertical direction.

[0466] As an example, spring 405 can be a torsion spring. Spring 405 may include a helical portion 4052 formed by winding a metal wire multiple times.

[0467] The spring 405 may include one end 4056 extending from the upper end of the helical portion 4052 and another end 4054 extending from the lower end of the helical portion 4052. One end 4056 and the other end 4054 may extend inward to the radius of the helical portion.

[0468] The drive unit 400 may also include a first connector 404 connected to the lever 402. The first connector 404 may be disposed in the housing 401, with a portion protruding outward from the housing 401, and may be connected to the lever 402.

[0469] The first connector 404 can be connected to the lever 402. The first connector 404 can rotate together with the lever 402.

[0470] The first connector 404 can connect the spring 405 and the lever 402. The first connector 404 may include a lever engagement portion 4041a and a first spring engagement portion 4041b.

[0471] The other end 4054 of the spring 405 can be coupled to the first connector 404. As an example, the other end 4054 of the spring 405 can be inserted into the coupling space 4048 of the first spring coupling portion 4041b.

[0472] If the other end 4054 of the spring 405 is accommodated in the engagement space 4048, then the first spring engagement portion 4041b can be accommodated inside the spiral portion 4052. That is, the spiral portion 4052 can surround the first spring engagement portion 4041b and engage with the first spring engagement portion 4041b.

[0473] The spring engagement portion 4041b may include a first rib 4046 and a second rib 4047 spaced apart in a horizontal direction. An engagement space 4048 may be formed between the first rib 4046 and the second rib 4047. The engagement space 4048 may accommodate the other end 4054 of the spring 405.

[0474] The horizontal cross-section of the lever connection 4041a can be non-circular to prevent it from spinning freely when engaged with the lever 402. As an example, the horizontal cross-section of the lever connection 4041a can be polygonal.

[0475] The drive unit 400 may also include a second connector 406 that engages with the spring 405. One end 4056 of the spring 405 may engage with the second connector 406. The second connector 406 may be formed in a similar configuration to the first connector 405.

[0476] The second connector 406 may include a second spring engagement portion 4061a and a pin engagement portion 4061b. The second connector 406 may also include a partition plate 4062 disposed between the second elastic member engagement portion 4061a and the pin engagement portion 4061b.

[0477] Based on the partition plate 4062, the pin engagement part 4061b can be disposed on the upper side, and the second spring engagement part 4061a can be disposed on the lower side.

[0478] The second spring engagement portion 4061a may include a first rib 4063 and a second rib 4064 spaced apart in a horizontal direction. A first engagement space 4065 may be formed between the first rib 4063 and the second rib 4064.

[0479] One end 4056 of the spring 405 can be inserted into the first engagement space 4065. If one end 4056 of the spring 405 is accommodated in the first engagement space 4065, then the second elastic member engagement portion 4061a can be accommodated inside the spiral portion 4052. That is, the spiral portion 4052 can surround the second spring engagement portion 4061a and engage with the second spring engagement portion 4061a.

[0480] The pin engagement portion 4061b may include a third rib 4066 and a fourth rib 4067 spaced apart in a horizontal direction. A second engagement space 4068 may be formed between the third rib 4066 and the fourth rib 4067.

[0481] The drive unit 400 may also include an upper cover 407 that covers the upper opening of the cover 401.

[0482] The upper cover 407 may include a cover body 4072 with a hollow interior 4073 and a flange 4074 extending horizontally from the upper end of the cover body 4072.

[0483] The cover body 4072 is inserted into the interior of the cover 401, and the flange 4074 can be disposed on the top surface of the cover 401. The pin engagement portion 4061b can be inserted into the hollow portion 4073.

[0484] The drive unit 400 may also include a fixing pin 408 for fixing the upper cover 407 to the cover body 401.

[0485] A pair of first pin holes 4018 may be formed on the cover body 401 for the fixing pin 408 to pass through. The cover body 4072 may include a pair of second pin holes 4075 for the fixing pin 408 to pass through.

[0486] The fixing pin 408 can be inserted into the second engagement space 4068. That is, the fixing pin 408 can pass through a first pin hole 4018 and a second pin hole 4075, then through the second engagement space 4068, and through another second pin hole 4075 and another first pin hole 4018.

[0487] The upper cover 407 and the second connector 406 are fixed in position when connected to the cover 401 by the fixing pin 408. That is, the rotation of the upper cover 407 and the second connector 406 is restricted by the fixing pin 408.

[0488] That is, in this embodiment, in the spring 405, one end 4056 is a fixed end, and the other end 4054 is a movable end. Therefore, when one end 4056 is fixed, the other end 4054 can rotate together with the lever 402.

[0489] With one end 4056 of the spring 405 fixed, if the other end 4054 rotates in one direction, the spring 405 accumulates elastic force. The elastic force accumulated in the spring 405 can act on the lever 402, causing the lever 402 to rotate in the opposite direction to the first direction.

[0490] The elastic force stored in the spring 405 in this way acts on the door 2 during the actual closing process, and the door 2 automatically closes at the specified position.

[0491] The structure described above for fixing one end 4056 of the spring 405 is exemplary and can be applied to various fixing structures such as directly fixing one end 4056 to the cover 401 or the upper cover 407.

[0492] The cover 401 may include a first body 4011 that houses the first connector 404 and a second body 4017 that houses the spring 405.

[0493] The second body 4017 can be disposed on the upper side of the first body 4011. The space inside the second body 4017, which is provided with the spring 405, and the space inside the first body 4011, which is provided with the first connector 404, can be connected to each other.

[0494] The cover 401 may include a laterally protruding connecting portion 4013. The connecting portion 4013 can be connected to the door 2. The connecting portion 4013 has a fastening hole 4014, through which a fastening member passes and is connected to the door 2, thereby enabling the automatic closing device 40 to be fastened to the door 2.

[0495] The lever 402 may include a engagement groove 4022 that engages with the lever engagement portion 4041a. The engagement groove 4022 may be formed in a shape and size corresponding to the lever engagement portion 4041a.

[0496] The lever 402 may include a first portion 4021 that engages with the first connector 404. The first portion 4021 may be configured with an engagement groove 4022.

[0497] A portion of lever 402 may include a first portion 4021 and a second portion 4024. The second portion 4024 includes a top surface and two side surfaces, and its bottom surface may be open. Additionally, the bottom surface of the first portion 4021 may also be open.

[0498] The second part 4024 can form a step with the first part 4021. The bottom surface of the lever 402 can form a step. The bottom surface of the lever 402 can be covered by the first cover 4030 and the second cover 4031.

[0499] The lever 402 may include a slit 4025 that can accommodate and move a reference pin 35. As an example, the slit 4025 may be formed in the central portion of the second portion 4024.

[0500] The slit 4025 can extend along the length of the lever 402. As an example, the slit 4025 can extend horizontally from the end of the second portion 4024 toward the first portion 4022. The reference pin 35 is led out from the slit 4025 when the first door 21 is open above the reference angle, and can be introduced into the slit 4025 when the first door 21 is open less than the reference angle or closed.

[0501] The drive unit 400 may further include a sliding member 4033 slidably connected to the lever 402. The sliding member 4033 can slide from the lever 402 in a horizontal direction. That is, the sliding member 4033 can move in a direction intersecting the rotation center line of the lever 402.

[0502] As an example, the sliding member 4033 can be slidably configured within the space formed by the second portion 4024.

[0503] The sliding member 4033 may include a guide rib 4035 for guiding the sliding of the sliding member 4033. A rib groove 4026 for receiving the guide rib 4035 may be configured in the second portion 4024.

[0504] An elastic member that provides elastic force to the sliding member 4033 may be disposed within the lever 402. As an example, the elastic member may be a coil spring 4092. In addition, a spring retainer 409 for supporting the coil spring 4092 may be disposed within the lever 402.

[0505] An extension 4034 for supporting the helical spring 4092 may be configured in the sliding member 4033. As an example, the sliding member 4033 can move along a first direction (length direction), and the extension 4034 can extend from the sliding member 4033 in a direction intersecting the first direction. Therefore, the helical spring 4092 can be located on one side of the sliding member 4033. As another example, a pair of helical springs 4092 are located on both sides of the sliding member 4033, capable of elastically supporting the sliding member 4033.

[0506] The helical spring 4092 can provide elastic force to the sliding member 4033 in the direction in which a portion of the sliding member 4033 protrudes into the slit 4025.

[0507] A portion of the sliding member 4033 protrudes into the slit 4025 in the direction that the sliding member 4033 is away from the rotation center of the lever 402.

[0508] The sliding member 4033 can move in either the forward or reverse direction. The direction in which the sliding member 4033 moves away from the rotation center of the lever 402 can be referred to as the forward direction.

[0509] If no external force is applied to the sliding member 4033, the sliding member 4033 is located in the slit 4025 by the elastic force of the helical spring 4092.

[0510] The automatic closing device 4' may further include a locking member 4036 rotatably disposed on the lever 402. As an example, the locking member 4036 may be located within the lever 402.

[0511] The locking member 4036 engages with the shaft 4037, which can be inserted into the shaft hole 4028 of the second part 4024 and rotated. As an example, the shaft 4037 can extend horizontally. That is, the locking member 4036 can rotate with a rotation center line extending horizontally as a reference.

[0512] The shaft 4037 can be attached to the lever 402 at a position lower than the sliding member 4033.

[0513] Therefore, the locking member 4036 can rotate together with the lever 402, and can also rotate relative to the lever 402 with respect to the axis 4037.

[0514] The locking member 4036 can be connected to an elastic member. As an example, the elastic member can be a torsion spring 4038. One end of the torsion spring 4038 can be connected to the locking member 4036, and the other end can be supported by or in contact with the second part 4024.

[0515] Of course, springs of other types besides torsion spring 4038 can also provide elastic force to locking member 4036.

[0516] The lever 402 may be configured with an opening 4027 through which the locking member 4036 passes. As an example, the opening 4027 may be formed on the top surface of the second portion 4024.

[0517] When the locking member 4036 is disposed on the lever 402, it receives the elastic force of the torsion spring 4038 in the direction of rotation upward through the opening 4027.

[0518] When the sliding member 4033 moves in the reverse direction, the locking member 4036 can rotate through the sliding member 4033. If no external force is applied to the locking member 4036 (if the sliding member 4033 is moving forward to the stop position), a portion of the locking member 4036 can pass through the opening 4027 of the lever 402 and engage with the cover 401.

[0519] A locking groove 4015 may be provided on the cover 401 to accommodate the locking member 4036 protruding upward toward the lever 402. As an example, the locking groove 4015 may be provided on the bottom surface of the fastening extension.

[0520] With the locking member 4036 inserted into the locking groove 4015, the lever 402 cannot rotate relative to the cover 401. Conversely, if the locking member 4036 disengages from the locking groove 4015, the lever 402 can rotate relative to the cover 401.

[0521] Therefore, in this embodiment, the state in which the locking member 4036 is inserted into the locking groove 4015 can be referred to as the locked state of the lever 402. The state in which the locking member 4036 is disengaged from the locking groove 4015 can be referred to as the unlocked state of the lever 402.

[0522] In addition, in this embodiment, the direction of rotation for inserting the locking member 4036 into the locking groove 4015 can be called the locking direction, and the direction of rotation for disengaging the locking member 4036 from the locking groove 4015 can be called the locking release direction.

[0523] The embodiments or other embodiments of this disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct. The embodiments or other embodiments of this disclosure described above can be used in combination or in combination of their respective configurations or functions.

[0524] For example, it indicates that a particular embodiment and / or configuration A illustrated in the figures can be combined with other embodiments and / or configuration B illustrated in the figures. That is, even if the combination between configurations is not directly described, it indicates that they can be combined, unless it is stated that they cannot be combined.

[0525] The detailed description above should not be construed as restrictive in all respects, but should be considered illustrative. The scope of the invention should be reasonably interpreted and determined by the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the invention are included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electric home appliance, wherein, The refrigerator comprises: a cabinet providing a storage chamber open to the front; a door rotatably disposed in front of the cabinet to open and close the storage chamber; a hinge fixed to the cabinet, including a hinge shaft rotatably supporting the door and a reference pin spaced apart from the hinge shaft; an automatic closing device providing a force to the door in a direction in which the door is closed; the automatic closing device comprises: a driving portion; and a lever rotatably coupled to the driving portion to receive a torque from the driving portion; the lever includes a slit into which the reference pin is inserted; the slit includes a first area in which the reference pin is located in a state in which the door is closed; the first area extends further rearward as it is further away from a rotation center of the lever. 2.The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the slit further includes a second area extending from the first area in a direction away from the rotation center of the lever; the second area extends further forward as it is further away from the rotation center of the lever. 3.The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein a radius of curvature of the first area is greater than a radius of curvature of the second area. 4.The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the slit further includes a third area extending from the second area and open to an outer side. 5.The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the third area extends in a straight line. 6.The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the automatic closing device comprises: a torsion spring having one end fixed; a lever shaft rotating integrally with the lever; and a clutch selectively coupling or decoupling the torsion spring and the lever shaft. 7.The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the clutch couples the torsion spring and the lever shaft until a first angle of rotation of the lever from the state in which the door is closed; the clutch decouples the torsion spring and the lever shaft if the angle of rotation of the lever is greater than the first angle; the angle of rotation of the lever is defined based on a position of the lever in the state in which the door is closed. 8.The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the clutch restricts rotation of the lever shaft if the angle of rotation of the lever is a second angle greater than the first angle. 9.The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the reference pin is located in the first area of the slit if the angle of rotation of the lever is less than the first angle; the reference pin is located in the second area of the slit if the angle of rotation of the lever is between the first angle and the second angle. 10.The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the angle of rotation of the lever is greater than an angle of rotation of the door in a state in which the reference pin is located in the slit; the angle of rotation of the lever is defined based on the state in which the door is closed; the angle of rotation of the door is defined as an angle between the door and the cabinet.

Images