A refrigerator, with respect to the refrigerator having a plurality of doors to open/close a storage compartment, capable of adjusting the height of the plurality of doors as to adjust the height difference that occurs between the plurality of doors. A lower hinge module of the refrigerator includes
A refrigerator, with respect to the refrigerator having a plurality of doors to open/close a storage compartment, capable of adjusting the height of the plurality of doors as to adjust the height difference that occurs between the plurality of doors. A lower hinge module of the refrigerator includes a hinge shaft being inserted into a lower portion of the door, a worm wheel coupled to the hinge shaft so as to be ascended/descended while supporting the weight of the door, and a worm engaged with the worm wheel to rotate the worm wheel.
대표청구항▼
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a body;a storage compartment provided at an inside of the body;a door rotatably provided at the body to open/close the storage compartment;a hinge bracket having a fixation part being fixed to a lower surface of the body, and an extension part extended from the fixatio
1. A refrigerator, comprising: a body;a storage compartment provided at an inside of the body;a door rotatably provided at the body to open/close the storage compartment;a hinge bracket having a fixation part being fixed to a lower surface of the body, and an extension part extended from the fixation part to be disposed below the door;a hinge shaft protruded upward from the extension part to be inserted into a lower portion of the door, the hinge shaft provided at an outer circumferential surface thereof with a male screw part;a worm wheel provided at an inner circumferential surface thereof with a female screw part corresponding to the male screw part of the hinge shaft to be screw-coupled to the hinge shaft so as to ascend/descend while supporting a weight of the door;a worm engaged with the worm wheel to rotate the worm wheel,wherein the worm includes a worm shaft,a portion of the worm which is engaged with the worm wheel is provided at an outer circumferential part of the worm shaft, andone end of the worm shaft is externally exposed outside of the body and is configured to receive a tool outside of the body so that when the tool is received by the one end of the worm shaft and the tool is operated, the worm shaft is rotated;a cam unit to allow the door to be semi-automatically opened/closed, the cam unit including a lower cam unit supported by the worm wheel, and an upper cam unit fixed to the door to interoperate with the lower cam unit,wherein the hinge shaft is inserted through an insertion hole provided in each of the lower cam unit and the upper cam unit; anda worm housing elongated in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to a front to rear direction of the body and configured to rotatably support the worm,wherein one longitudinal side of the worm housing faces the fixation part, and another longitudinal side of the worm housing faces away from the fixation part, anda side surface of the another longitudinal side of the worm housing includes an opening for the worm to be engaged with the worm wheel, the worm wheel being disposed outside of the worm housing and adjacent to the another longitudinal side of the worm housing. 2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: when the worm is rotated, the worm wheel engaged with the worm is rotated,when the worm wheel is rotated, a screw coupling degree of the worm wheel and the hinge shaft is changed, and thus the worm wheel is ascended or descended, andwhen the worm wheel is ascended or descended, the door being supported by the worm wheel is ascended or descended. 3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: a rotation preventing protrusion is provided at the hinge bracket, andthe lower cam unit is provided with a rotation preventing groove into which the rotation preventing protrusion is inserted to prevent the lower cam unit from being rotated about the hinge shaft when the worm wheel ascends/descends. 4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the worm housing comprises a lower worm housing fixed to the hinge bracket and an upper worm housing coupled to the lower worm housing. 5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein: the hinge shaft is integrally formed with the hinge bracket, or is formed independently of the hinge bracket and fixedly coupled to the hinge bracket. 6. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising: a supporting leg to support the weight of the body,wherein the hinge bracket is positioned between the lower surface of the body and the supporting leg. 7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a rotating axis of the worm shaft is perpendicular to a rotating axis of the worm wheel, andthe one end of the worm shaft is configured to receive the tool and the tool is a screwdriver. 8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the worm housing includes a lower worm housing fixed to the extension part via at least one coupling hole provided in the extension part, and an upper worm housing coupled to the lower worm housing. 9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein a supporting part is provided at an interior side of the worm housing and between opposite ends of the worm housing, to rotatably support the worm. 10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the lower cam unit is disposed on a supporting surface of the worm wheel, and the upper cam unit is disposed above the lower cam unit and fixed to the door to interoperate with the lower cam unit, anda bottom surface of an end portion of the lower cam unit has a circular shape and a circumference which is substantially the same as a circumference of the worm wheel. 11. The refrigerator of claim 10, further comprising a rotation preventing protrusion provided at the hinge bracket, and the lower cam unit is provided at another end portion thereof with a rotation preventing groove into which the rotation preventing protrusion is inserted to prevent the lower cam unit from being rotated about the hinge shaft when the worm wheel ascends/descends. 12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the another longitudinal side of the worm housing in which the opening is disposed has a concave shape. 13. A refrigerator, comprising: a body;a plurality of storage compartments provided at an inside of the body;a plurality of doors rotatably provided at the body to open/close the plurality of storage compartments; anda plurality of lower hinge modules configured to respectively support the plurality of doors, and respectively adjust heights of the plurality of doors,wherein at least one of the lower hinge modules comprises: a hinge bracket connecting the body to the door;a hinge shaft inserted into a lower portion of the door;a worm wheel screwed to the hinge shaft so as to ascend/descend while supporting a weight of the door;a worm engaged with the worm wheel to rotate the worm wheel,wherein the worm includes a worm shaft,a portion of the worm which is engaged with the worm wheel is provided at an outer circumferential part of the worm shaft, andone end of the worm shaft is externally exposed outside of the body and is configured to receive a tool outside of the body so that when the tool is received by the one end of the worm shaft and the tool is operated, the worm shaft is rotated; anda cam unit to allow the door to be semi-automatically opened/closed, the cam unit including a lower cam unit supported by the worm wheel, and an upper cam unit fixed to the door to interoperate with the lower cam unit,wherein the hinge shaft is inserted through an insertion hole provided in each of the lower cam unit and the upper cam unit; anda worm housing elongated in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to a front to rear direction of the body and configured to rotatably support the worm,wherein one longitudinal side of the worm housing faces toward the rear of the body, and another longitudinal side of the worm housing faces toward the front of the body, anda side surface of the another longitudinal side of the worm housing includes an opening for the worm to be engaged with the worm wheel, the worm wheel being disposed outside of the worm housing and adjacent to the another longitudinal side of the worm housing. 14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein a rotating axis of the worm shaft is perpendicular to a rotating axis of the worm wheel. 15. A lower hinge module configured to support a door of a refrigerator, the lower hinge module comprising: a hinge bracket having a fixation part configured to be fixed to a lower surface of a body of the refrigerator, and an extension part extended from the fixation part and configured to be disposed below the door;a hinge shaft protruded upward from the extension part and configured to be inserted into a lower portion of the door;a worm wheel screw-coupled to the hinge shaft and configured to ascend/descend while supporting a weight of the door;a worm engaged with the worm wheel to rotate the worm wheel,wherein the worm includes a worm shaft,a portion of the worm which is engaged with the worm wheel is provided at an outer circumferential part of the worm shaft, andone end of the worm shaft is externally exposed outside of the body and is configured to receive a tool outside of the body so that when the tool is received by the one end of the worm shaft and the tool is operated, the worm shaft is rotated; anda cam unit to allow the door to be semi-automatically opened/closed, the cam unit including a lower cam unit supported by the worm wheel, and an upper cam unit to be fixed to the door to interoperate with the lower cam unit,wherein the hinge shaft is inserted through an insertion hole provided in each of the lower cam unit and the upper cam unit; anda worm housing elongated in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to a front to rear direction of the body and configured to rotatably support the worm,wherein one longitudinal side of the worm housing faces the fixation part, and another longitudinal side of the worm housing faces away from the fixation part, anda side surface of the another longitudinal side of the worm housing includes an opening for the worm to be engaged with the worm wheel, the worm wheel being disposed outside of the worm housing and adjacent to the another longitudinal side of the worm housing. 16. The lower hinge module of claim 15, wherein: a male screw part is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the hinge shaft, and a female screw part corresponding to the male screw part is formed at an inner circumferential surface of the worm wheel. 17. The lower hinge module of claim 15, wherein: the hinge shaft is integrally formed with the hinge bracket, or is independently formed of the hinge bracket and is fixedly coupled to the hinge bracket. 18. The lower hinge module of claim 15, wherein a rotating axis of the worm shaft is perpendicular to a rotating axis of the worm wheel. 19. The lower hinge module of claim 18, wherein the one end of the worm shaft is configured to receive the tool and the tool is a screwdriver.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (11)
Jahnke Wolfgang (Wadersloh DEX), Adjustable door hinge.
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