Refrigerator

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a refrigerator including a main body, an outer case forming an external appearance of the main body, an inner case disposed at the inside of the outer case and forming storage chambers, and a heat insulating member formed by filling a space between the outer case and the inner case with foaming resin, wherein the outer case includes a main frame obtained by bending a metal plate into a U shape and forming a lower surface and both side surfaces of the main body, and upper frames installed on the main frame and forming an upper surface of the main body, thereby easily forming main body hinge receipt parts to receive rear ends of upper hinge modules on the upper surface of the main body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body provided with storage chambers; and   doors, each of which is provided with one end rotatably installed on the main body and rotated to open and close the storage chambers, wherein:   the main body includes an outer case forming an external appearance of the main body, an inner case disposed at the inside of the outer case and forming the storage chambers, and a heat insulating member formed by filling a space between the outer case and the inner case with foaming resin;   the outer case includes a main frame obtained by bending a metal plate member in a U shape and forming a lower surface and both side surfaces of the main body, and at least one upper frame provided separately from the main frame, installed on the main frame and forming an upper surface of the main body;   the refrigerator further comprises upper hinge modules provided to enable one side of the upper end of each door to be rotatably installed on the main body and lower hinge modules provided to enable one side of the lower end of each door to rotatably installed on the main body;   the at least one upper frame includes main body hinge receipt part to enable a portion of each upper hinge module to be embedded therein; and   a lower reinforcing frame is installed on the inner lower surface of the main frame and an upper reinforcing frame is installed under the at least one upper frame.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body hinge receipt parts are depressed to have a depth corresponding to the thickness of the upper hinge modules. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one upper frame includes a first upper frame forming the front portion of the upper surface of the outer case and provided with the main body hinge receipt parts, and a second upper frame forming the rear portion of the upper surface of the outer case. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the first upper frame is made of resin. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the upper reinforcing frame is made of metal and disposed under the first upper frame, and both sides of the upper reinforcing frame are bent downward so as to correspond to the main body hinge receipt parts. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the main frame includes frame support parts provided at the upper portions of both inner side surfaces of the main frame to support both ends of the upper reinforcing frame; and   the upper reinforcing frame includes insertion parts extended downward to be inserted into the frame support parts.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the second upper frame is made of metal. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage chambers include a freezing chamber and refrigerating chamber horizontally divided from each other by a diaphragm;   the doors include a freezing chamber door to open and close the freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber door to open and close the refrigerating chamber;   the upper hinge modules are prepared in a pair so as to allow one side of the upper end of each of the freezing chamber door and the refrigerating chamber door to be rotatably installed at each of both sides of the main body; and   the main body hinge receipt parts are provided at both sides of the at least upper frame.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each upper hinge module includes an upper hinge bracket, a portion of which is disposed within each main body hinge receipt part, provided with an upper hinge rotatably supporting each door, a fixing bracket connected to the upper hinge bracket and fixed to the upper reinforcing frame so that the load of the doors is supported by the upper reinforcing frame, a fixing lever rotatably installed on the fixing bracket to selectively apply pressure to the upper hinge bracket to be supported by the fixing bracket according to a rotation angle of the fixing lever, and a hinge cover to cover each main body hinge receipt part. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of each lower hinge module is installed on the lower surface of the main body and the remaining portion of each lower hinge module is protruded forward from the main body and installed under each door. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein each lower hinge module includes a lower hinged bracket provided with a portion installed on the lower surface of the main body and the remaining portion protruded forward from the main body and extended under the door, a leg installed on the lower portion of the lower hinge bracket to allow the lower hinge bracket and the main body provided with the lower hinge bracket to rest on the ground, a lower hinge disposed at the front end of the lower hinge bracket to rotatably support one side of the lower end of each door, and an elevating device vertically moving the lower hinge to move each door in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein a lower hinge recess into which the lower hinge disposed at the front end of the lower hinge bracket is inserted is formed at the lower end of one side of each door, and a stopper is disposed facing the front end of the lower hinge bracket to limit a rotation angle of each door. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the lower reinforcing frame is installed at a portion of the main frame where the lower hinge modules are installed to reinforce the portion of the main frame so as to stably install the lower hinge modules on the lower surface of the main frame. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator comprising a main body provided with storage chambers, wherein:
 the main body includes an outer case forming an external appearance of the main body, an inner case disposed at the inside of the outer case and forming the storage chambers, and a heat insulating member formed by filling a space between the outer case and the inner case with foaming resin;   the outer case includes a main frame obtained by bending a metal plate member in a U shape and forming a lower surface and both side surfaces of the main body, and upper frames installed on the main frame and forming an upper surface of the main body;   the refrigerator further comprises doors, each of which is provided with one end rotatably installed on the main body, rotated to open and close the storage chambers, and upper hinge modules provided to enable one side of the upper end of each door to be rotatably installed on the main body; and   the upper frames include main body hinge receipt parts depressed to embed the rear ends of the upper hinge modules therein.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , wherein the upper frames include a first upper frame disposed at the front portion of the main frame and provided with the main body hinge receipt parts, and a second upper frame disposed at the rear portion of the first upper frame in parallel with the first upper frame and forming the upper surface of the outer case together with the first upper frame. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the first upper frame is made of resin, an upper reinforcing frame made of metal is disposed under the first upper frame, and both sides of the upper reinforcing frame are bent downward so as to correspond to the main body hinge receipt parts. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator comprising a main body provided with storage chambers, wherein:
 the main body includes an outer case forming an external appearance of the main body, an inner case disposed at the inside of the outer case and forming the storage chambers, and a heat insulating member formed by filling a space between the outer case and the inner case with foaming resin;   the outer case includes a main frame obtained by bending a metal plate member in a U shape and forming a lower surface and both side surfaces of the main body, and at least one upper frame provided separately from the main frame, installed on the main frame and forming an upper surface of the main body;   the refrigerator further comprises doors, each of which is provided with one end rotatably installed on the main body, rotated to open and close the storage chambers, and upper hinge modules provided to enable one side of the upper end of each door to be rotatably installed on the main body;   the at least one upper frame includes main body hinge receipt parts depressed to embed the rear ends of the upper hinge modules therein; and   the at least one upper frame is made of resin, and an upper reinforcing frame is made of metal is disposed under the at least one upper frame.