Recessed refrigerator

Abstract

A recessed refrigerator having a unit to bias the cover of a machine room to be opened or closed depending on the position of the cover. The recessed refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage compartment, and a machine room with an opening at a front surface positioned above the storage compartment. A cover is hingedly coupled to the cabinet to selectively open and dose the front opening of the machine room, and a biasing unit causes the cover to be automatically opened and closed depending on the location of the cover. Thus, the cover is opened and closed easily with even a small application of force.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A recessed refrigerator comprising: 
 a cabinet having a storage compartment, and a machine room positioned on the storage compartment and opening at a front surface thereof;    a cover hingedly coupled to the cabinet to selectively open the front opening of the machine room; and    a biasing unit to cause the cover to be biased open and closed depending on a location of the cover.    
     
     
         2 . The recessed refrigerator as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the biasing unit includes a gas spring comprising a cylinder filled with gas and hingedly connected to one of the cover and the cabinet, and a piston inserted at one end thereof into the cylinder and moved back and forth by compression of the gas, the other end of the piston being hingedly connected to the remaining one of the cover and the cabinet.  
     
     
         3 . The recessed refrigerator as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet includes a first hinge bracket protruded from a top surface of the cabinet, and the cover includes a second hinge bracket hingedly coupled to the first hinge bracket, the second hinge bracket being bent into a general “U” shape to pass through the machine room and the top panel of the cabinet.  
     
     
         4 . The recessed refrigerator as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein a point, wherein the first hinge brackets and the second hinge brackets are coupled, is a cover hinge point, and a point, wherein the biasing unit is hingedly coupled to the cover, is a first hinge point, and a point, where the biasing unit is hingedly coupled to the cabinet, is a second hinge point, the cover is opened by the biasing unit when the first hinge point is located outside a line connecting the second hinge point to the cover hinge point, while the cover is closed by the biasing unit when the first hinge point is located inside a line connecting the second hinge point to the cover hinge point.  
     
     
         5 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a cabinet housing a machine room disposed above a storage compartment wherein the machine room includes a movable cover, and    a biasing unit for opening and dosing the machine room cover depending on the location of the cover.    
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator as in  claim 5 , further comprising a “U” shaped hinge bracket coupling the cover to a hinge bracket protruding from the top of the cabinet.  
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator as in  claim 6 , wherein the “U” shaped hinge bracket rearwardly protrudes from a rear surface of the cover.  
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator as in  claim 6 , wherein the cover is opened when the cover is moved to a position where the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cover is outside the line between the coupling point of the “U” shaped hinge bracket and the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cabinet; and where the cover is closed when the cover is moved to a position where the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cover is inside the line between the coupling point of the “U” shaped hinge bracket and the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cabinet.  
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator as in  claim 5 , wherein the biasing unit includes a gas filled cylinder pivotally coupled at one end to one of the cover or the cabinet and at the opposite end to one end of a piston, and the opposite end of the piston is pivotally coupled to the other one of the cover or cabinet.  
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator as in  claim 9 , wherein the cover is opened once the cover is moved in the opening direction to a position outside a predetermined point; and where the cover is closed once the cover is moved in the dosing direction to a position inside a predetermined point.  
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator as in  claim 5 , wherein the cover is above the top of the cabinet when the cover is opened.  
     
     
         12 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a cabinet;    a storage compartment, adapted to be climate controlled, housed in the cabinet;    a machine room, with a movable cover, housed in the cabinet and disposed above the storage compartment, wherein said machine room includes a plurality of refrigeration cycle components for controlling the climate in the storage compartment;    a biasing unit for providing opening and dosing assistance to the machine room cover depending on the location of the cover.    
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator as in  claim 12 , wherein the biasing unit opens the cover once the cover is moved in the opening direction to a position outside a predetermined point; and where the biasing unit doses the cover once the cover is moved in the dosing direction to a position inside a predetermined point.  
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator as in  claim 12 , wherein the biasing unit includes at least one gas filled cylinder pivotally coupled at one end to one of the cover or the cabinet and at the opposite end to one end of a piston, and the opposite end of the piston is pivotally coupled to the other one of the cover or cabinet.  
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator as in  claim 14 , further comprising at least one curved hinge bracket coupling the cover to a hinge bracket attached to the cabinet.  
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator as in  claim 15 , wherein the cover is opened when the cover is moved to a position where the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cover is outside the line between the coupling point of the curved hinge bracket and the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cabinet; and where the cover is closed when the cover is moved to a position where the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cover is inside the line between the coupling point of the curved hinge bracket and the coupling point of the biasing unit to the cabinet.  
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator as in  claim 16 , wherein the cover is above the top of the cabinet when the cover is opened.