A refrigerator including a home bar is provided. The refrigerator may include a latch assembly that releasably couples a door of the home bar to a door of the refrigerator to selectively provide access to an interior of the home bar without opening the main refrigerator door. The latch assembly may
A refrigerator including a home bar is provided. The refrigerator may include a latch assembly that releasably couples a door of the home bar to a door of the refrigerator to selectively provide access to an interior of the home bar without opening the main refrigerator door. The latch assembly may include a holder provided in one of the home bar door or the main refrigerator door, and a latch provided in the other of the home bar door or the main door. The latch may be selectively coupled to the holder to lock and unlock the home bar door. The latch locks the holder by changing elastic rotation of the latch in one direction into elastic restoring rotation in a second, reverse direction as the holder is moved forward into the latch. The latch unlocks the holder as the holder is moved farther forward, and the latch and the holder are decoupled from each other while the latch is elastically rotated in response to backward motion of the holder out of the latch.
대표청구항▼
1. A home appliance, comprising: a body;a main door coupled to the body;an auxiliary door coupled to the main door;a latch assembly that selectively locks and unlocks the auxiliary door, the latch assembly comprising: a holder provided in one of the main door or the auxiliary door;a frame provided i
1. A home appliance, comprising: a body;a main door coupled to the body;an auxiliary door coupled to the main door;a latch assembly that selectively locks and unlocks the auxiliary door, the latch assembly comprising: a holder provided in one of the main door or the auxiliary door;a frame provided in the other of the main door or the auxiliary door, the frame having a shaft;a latch coupled to the shaft and configured to selectively lock and unlock the holder, the latch comprising: a first guide surface formed at a first portion of the latch;a second guide surface at a second portion of the latch; anda locking surface formed at a third portion of the latch; andan elastic member coupled to the latch and the frame,wherein the latch engages the holder in response to an elastic rotation of the latch in a first direction that is changed into an elastic restoring rotation in a second direction as the holder moves in a forward direction into the latch,the latch disengages the holder in response to movement of the holder further forward into the latch, andthe latch and the holder are disengaged as the holder is moved backward out of the latch and the latch is elastically rotated. 2. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the elastic rotation of the latch is generated in response to contact between the holder and an outer surface of the latch. 3. The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the frame has an opening formed therein, and the latch is rotatably installed in the frame. 4. The home appliance of claim 3, wherein the holder is configured to pass through the opening in the frame in a vertical position to move into and out of the frame. 5. The home appliance of claim 4, wherein the holder has a conical shape. 6. The home appliance of claim 5, wherein the shaft defines a vertical axis of rotation of the latch such that the latch is coupled to the shaft and rotates horizontally about the shaft. 7. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in response to contact between the first guide surface and the holder as the holder is moved in a direction into the frame by an external force, the holder is engaged by the locking surface in response to the elastic restoring rotation of the latch as the holder is moved further into the frame, andthe latch is elastically rotated again in response to contact between the second guide surface and the holder as the external force is removed and the holder moved in a direction out of the frame. 8. The home appliance of claim 7, wherein the first guide surface and the locking surface each contact an outer circumferential surface of the holder when the holder is moved forward in the direction into the frame. 9. The home appliance of claim 8, wherein the second guide surface contacts an outer circumferential surface of the holder when the holder is moved backward in the direction out of the frame. 10. The home appliance of claim 9, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in a horizontal direction, about a vertical axis of rotation, when the holder is moved backward in the direction out of the frame. 11. The home appliance of claim 8, wherein the second guide surface contacts a distal end of the holder when the holder is moved backward in the direction out of the frame. 12. The home appliance of claim 11, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in a vertical direction, about a horizontal axis of rotation when the holder is moved backward in the direction out of the frame. 13. The home appliance of claim 7, wherein a locked state of the locking surface and the holder is released as the holder is moved forward into the latch a distance that is less than or equal to an outer diameter of the holder. 14. The home appliance of claim 7, wherein the holder is oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to a front surface of the main door when the auxiliary door is in a fully open position with respect to the main door. 15. A refrigerator, comprising: a main door;an auxiliary storage space provided in the main door;an auxiliary door rotatably coupled to the main door to selectively open and close the auxiliary storage space;a latch assembly provided in one of the main door or the auxiliary door, the latch assembly comprising a latch elastically rotatable to selectively lock and unlock the auxiliary door; anda holder provided in the other of the main door or the auxiliary door, the holder movable in a forward direction into the latch and in a backward direction out of the latch via an opening in the latch so as to selectively engage and disengage the latch, wherein the latch comprises: a first guide surface formed at a first peripheral portion of the latch;a second guide surface formed at a second peripheral portion of the latch; anda locking surface formed at a third peripheral portion of the latch, extending between the first and second guide surfaces,wherein the first guide portion contacts an outer circumferential surface of the holder as the holder moves into the latch in the forward direction to rotate the latch in a first direction, andthe locking surface contacts the outer circumferential surface of the holder as the holder moves further into the latch in the forward direction to rotate the latch in a second direction and to release the holder from the first guide portion, andthe second surface contacts the holder as the latch is rotated further in the second direction and is released from the locking surface. 16. The refrigerator of claim 15, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in response to contact between the second guide surface and the holder as the holder is moved in the backward direction. 17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the holder is oriented in a substantially vertical position as it is moved in the forward and backward directions in the latch assembly. 18. The refrigerator of claim 17, further comprising a channel formed between the locking surface and the second guide surface of the latch to allow the holder to pass through a predetermined portion of the latch. 19. The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in a horizontal direction, about a vertical axis of rotation, as an outer circumferential surface of the holder contacts the second guide surface. 20. The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the latch is elastically rotated in a vertical direction, about a horizontal axis of rotation, as a distal end of the holder contacts the second guide surface. 21. A home appliance, comprising: a body;a main door coupled to the body;an auxiliary door coupled to the main door;a latch assembly that selectively locks and unlocks the auxiliary door, the latch assembly comprising:a holder provided in one of the main door or the auxiliary door;a latch provided in the other of the main door or the auxiliary door;a frame comprising an opening configured to receive the holder;a shaft provided on the frame, wherein the latch is rotatably provided on the shaft;an elastic member provided on the shaft to allow the latch to elastically rotate on the shaft;a first guide surface formed at an incline on a rear portion of the latch, wherein the latch is rotated in response to forward motion of the holder along the first guide surface;a locking surface formed in front of the first surface to engage the holder and maintain a locked state of the door as the holder is moved further forward and released from the first guide surface;a second guide surface formed at an incline in front of the first guide surface; anda third guide surface formed at an incline and spaced apart a predetermined distance from the first guide surface,wherein the latch is rotated in response contact between the holder and the third guide surface as the holder is moved forward and is released from the first guide surface, and the latch is rotated in response to contact between the holder and the second guide surface as the holder is moved backward and is released from the third guide surface,wherein the first guide surface, the locking surface and the second guide surface are continuously formed. 22. A home appliance, comprising: a body;a main door coupled to the body;an auxiliary door coupled to the main door;a latch assembly that selectively locks and unlocks the auxiliary door, the latch assembly comprising:a holder provided in one of the main door or the auxiliary door;a latch provided in the other of the main door or the auxiliary door;a frame comprising an opening through which the holder penetrates to move into and out of the latch and a shaft to rotatably couple the latch to the frame;an elastic member provided on the shaft to allow the latch to elastically rotate about the shaft;a first guide surface formed at an incline at a rear portion of the latch to rotate the latch horizontally, about a vertical axis of rotation, in response to contact with the holder as the holder moves in a forward direction into the frame;a locking surface formed in front of the first guide surface to engage the holder and maintain a locked state of the door as the holder is moved further forward into the frame and is released from the first guide surface; anda second guide surface formed at an incline in front of the first guide surface to rotate the latch vertically about a horizontal axis of rotation, in response to contact with the holder as the holder is moved in a backward direction out of the frame and is released from the locking surface,wherein the first guide surface and the second guide surface are continuously formed.
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이 특허를 인용한 특허 (2)
Wantland, Louis A.; Chellappan, Bagawathkumar, Locking assemblies for door-in-door refrigerator appliances.
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