This invention relates to a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus which facilitates the opening and closing of a refrigerator door without effort and by which the door can be closed automatically and tightly.
There are disclosed various refrigerator door opening/closing apparatuses which can close the door tightly to prevent the outflow of cooled air. A typical type, for example, is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid Open No. 89-5292.
As shown in FIG. 1, the prior art comprises a hinge member 1 which is fixed to the cabinet 1 of a refrigerator and has a hinge shaft 3 at one end thereof, a fixed member 8 attached to the top of the refrigerator door 4, and an elastic member 5 arranged under the fixed member 8. A round-shaped projection 7 is attached to the cabinet at a distance from the hinge member 2 and an aperture 6 is formed on the elastic member 5 in order to elastically receive or release the projection 7.
By such a structure, when the door 4 is opened, the aperture 6 is expanded to release the projection 7 from the elastic member 5, and on the contrary when the door 4 is closed, the aperture 6 is again expanded to receive the projection 7 into the elastic member 5, thereby closing the door 4 tightly.
However, the door opening/closing apparatus according to the prior art has a disadvantage that the user must pull or push with an effort to open or close the door 4. Especially, the above disadvantage becomes more serious when such a door opening/closing apparatus is mounted on a large-sized refrigerator in which the door is relatively weighty.
As a more improved type, a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus utilizing the elasticity of a spring is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid Open No 91-11734.
FIG. 2A illustrates a door opening/closing apparatus according to such prior art in which the refrigerator door 17 is opened less than 90.degree.. A fixed member 11 on which a movable member 12 and a spring 13 are placed is mounted on a hinge member 10.
The fixed member 11 of a cylindrical shape has a projection 14 of a trapezoid shape.
There is a cut portion 15 on the movable member 12, which is cut in a shape corresponding to the trapezoid-shaped projection 14.
The movable member 12 is rotatably inserted onto the fixed member 11 by a rod 16 which is installed inside the movable member 12.
The members 11, 12, 13 are located in the interior of the door 17 which is shown in a dotted line.
In the closed state of the door 17 (not shown), the cut portion 15 in the member 12 is engaged with the projection 14 on the fixed member 11 and the spring 13 is kept in the stretched state.
When the door 17 is opening (FIG. 2A), the cut portion 15 in the member 12 is moved upwardly along the side surface of the projection 14 on the fixed member 11, the spring 13 being compressed.
As shown in FIG. 2B, when the bottom of the member 12 reaches the top of the projection 14, the door 17 is completely opened with the spring 13 fully compressed.
If in this state the user pushes the door 17 slightly to close it, whereupon the member 12 is slid downward along the side surface of the projection 14 on the fixed member 11 so that the cut portion 15 of the member 12 is fitted over the projection 14 of the fixed member 11. As a result, the door 17 is automatically closed.
However, the above refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus has some disadvantages. That is, the user must apply a relatively great pulling force to the door 17 because the side surfaces of both the projection 14 and the cut portion 15 which guide upward the member 12 on the fixed member 11 form a steep incline.
Further, collision noise between the door 17 and the body of the refrigerator, which will result in damage to the refrigerator, is generated by the apparatus because if the user slightly pushes the opened door 17, the door 17 is rapidly closed by the elasticity of the spring 13.
In addition, the movement of the member 12 on the fixed member 11 is not smooth and noise may be generated from the contact surfaces of both the members 11, 12 because the member 12 slides on the fixed member 11.
An object of this invention is to solve the above problems by providing a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus by which a refrigerator door can be opened/closed automatically and smoothly.
Another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus by which a refrigerator door can be closed tightly to prevent cooled air in the interior of the refrigerator from being discharged.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerator door opening/closing apparatus by which a refrigerator door can be opened and closed without effort.