Refrigerator and method of manufacturing inner case thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator having an inner case with increased strength and a method of manufacturing the same. The refrigerator includes a cooling system, a body coupled to the cooling system, a door coupled to the body, and a plurality of reinforcing protrusions. The body includes an outer case encasing an inner body case having a storage compartment defined therein. The door includes an outer door case encasing an inner door case. The door is coupled to the body to provide access to the storage compartment which is cooled by the cooling system. The plurality of reinforcing protrusions is disposed on at least one inner surface of either the inner body case or the inner door case. The plurality of reinforcing protrusions allows for manufacturing thinner inner cases for refrigerators that cannot be easily deformed and have a low product defect rate.

1 . A refrigerator comprising of:
 a cooling system;   a body coupled to the cooling system, the body having an outer body case encasing an inner body case, the inner body case having a storage compartment defined therein cooled by the cooling system;   a door coupled to the body providing access to the storage compartment, the door having an outer door case encasing an inner door case; and   a plurality of reinforcing protrusions disposed on at least one inner surface of either the inner body case or the inner door case.   
   
   
       2 . A refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions is shaped as quadrangular pyramid with a substantially rectangular base. 
   
   
       3 . A refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions are disposed adjacent to each other to form a substantially rectangular portion disposed on an inner surface of either the inner body case or the inner door case. 
   
   
       4 . A refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing protrusions is disposed on a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side surface, a right side surface, and a rear surface of either the inner body case or the inner door case. 
   
   
       5 . A refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions is formed in the shape of a regular quadrangular pyramid having a substantially rectangular base and a height less than a length of the base. 
   
   
       6 . A refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions has a height approximately 1/10 of the length of the base. 
   
   
       7 . A refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing protrusions are disposed on both inner body case and inner door case. 
   
   
       8 . An inner case for a refrigerator comprising of:
 a plurality of sidewalls;   a rear wall disposed adjacent to an edge of one of the sidewalls thereby defining a storage compartment, the storage compartment being enclosed with a door providing access to the storage compartment; and   a means for reinforcing the storage compartment provided on at least one inner surface of the storage compartment.   
   
   
       9 . An inner case for a refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the means for reinforcing includes a plurality of reinforcing protrusions each shaped as a quadrangular pyramid with a substantially rectangular base. 
   
   
       10 . An inner case for a refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions are disposed adjacent to each other to form a substantially rectangular portion disposed on an inner surface of the inner case. 
   
   
       11 . An inner case for a refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing protrusions are disposed on a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side surface, a right side surface, and a rear surface of the storage compartment. 
   
   
       12 . An inner case for a refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions is formed in the shape of a regular quadrangular pyramid having a substantially rectangular base and a height less than a length of the base. 
   
   
       13 . An inner case for a refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of reinforcing protrusions has a height approximately 1/10 of a length of the base. 
   
   
       14 . A method of manufacturing an inner case for refrigerators, comprising:
 (a) heating a resin sheet;   (b) placing the heated resin sheet under an opening of a vacuum case;   (c) evacuating an interior of the vacuum case to suction a portion of the resin sheet into the opening of the vacuum case so as to deform the resin sheet;   (d) placing a mold having a shape corresponding to the inner case under the deformed resin sheet;   (e) molding the deformed resin sheet by bringing together the vacuum case and the mold so that the deformed resin sheet contacts the mold to form an inner case preform having a storage compartment and a reinforcement including a plurality of reinforcing protrusions;   (f) cooling the inner case preform; and   (g) separating the inner case preform from the mold.   
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of forming each of the reinforcing protrusions in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid with a substantially rectangular base. 
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of forming each of the reinforcing protrusions adjacent to one another to form a substantially rectangular structure. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of forming each of the reinforcing protrusions as a regular quadrangular pyramid with a substantially rectangular base and a height less than a length of the base. 
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the step of forming each of the reinforcing protrusions shaped as a quadrangular pyramid having a height approximately 1/10 of a length of the base.