Refrigerator door having multiple stop positions

Abstract

A refrigerator and a method of removing a stored item from the refrigerator. A hinge device couples the refrigerator door to the refrigerator main frame and can control the door to be opened in a multiple stepwise manner. The hinge device includes a compressive member and a hinge bracket having a protruding portion. When the door is pulled by a user to rotate to a first rotation angle, the compressible member comes into contact with the protruding portion of the hinge bracket and thereby blocks further motion thereof. At the first rotation angle, if the user applies additional rotational force on the door, the compressible member can be compressed such that it releases the protruding portion for further motion, thereby allowing the door to be opened to a wider angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator main body comprising one or more storage chambers therein;   a door hingedly coupled to the refrigerator main body; and   a hinge device coupling the door to the refrigerator main body and configured to cause the door to open through multiple open positions.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1  further comprising a beverage container compartment disposed on the door and adjacent to a free edge of the door and configured to accommodate one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of door baskets disposed within the beverage container compartment and configured to support the one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the beverage container compartment extends vertically along the free edge of the door, and wherein further the plurality of the door baskets are arranged vertically in a longitudinal direction of the beverage container compartment. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein a door basket of the plurality of door baskets comprises a first side wall and a second side wall that is lower than the first side wall, wherein the first side wall is disposed closer to the free edge of the door than the second side wall. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the door further comprises:
 a first door liner configured to be disposed along an edge of the beverage container compartment proximate to the free edge of the door and protrude toward the refrigerator main body; and   a second door liner configured to be disposed on another edge of the beverage container compartment,   wherein the first door liner is shorter than the second door liner.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the first door liner and the second door liner are operable to support two surfaces of the door basket, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein an area of the door basket that is supported by the second door liner is larger than an area of the door basket that is supported by the first door liner. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge device comprises:
 a hinge shaft operable to be disposed at a rotation center of the door;   a hinge bracket coupled to the refrigerator main body and the hinge shaft, wherein the hinge basket comprises a protruding portion protruding away from the hinge shaft; and   a compressible member coupled to the hinge bracket and operable to stop the door at a first open position at a first rotation angle with reference to the refrigerator main body where the protruding portion comes in contact with the compressible member.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein, when the door is at the first rotation angle, the protruding portion of the hinge bracket is operable to compress said compressible member wherein the door rotates to a second open position at a second rotation angle that is greater than the first rotation angle. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the protruding portion of the hinge bracket detaches from the compressible member when the door is at the second rotation angle. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the first rotation angle is within a range of 15 degrees to 25 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the door is subject to a rotational force applied by a user when the compressible member is compressed to the compressed state. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator main body comprising one or more storage chambers therein;   a door hingedly coupled to the refrigerator main body;   a hinge device coupling the door to the refrigerator main body and configured to cause the door to open through an intermediate open position that requires additional opening force to pass through to a fully open position; and   a liner that restrict flow of cold air from the storage chambers when the door is in the intermediate open position.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14  further comprising a beverage container compartment disposed on the door and adjacent to a free edge of the door and configured to accommodate one or more beverage containers, wherein a plurality of door baskets are disposed within the beverage container compartment and configured to support the one or more beverage containers. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the liner further comprises:
 a first door liner configured to be disposed along an edge of the beverage container compartment proximate to the free edge of the door and protrude toward the refrigerator main body; and   a second door liner configured to be disposed on another edge of the beverage container compartment,   wherein the first door liner is shorter than the second door liner.   
     
     
         17 . A method of using a refrigerator, the method comprising:
 applying a rotational force on a free edge of a refrigerator door that is in a closed state with respect to a main frame of the refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator door is coupled to the main frame via a hinge device operable to cause the refrigerator door to automatically stop at a stop position under the rotational force;   with the refrigerator door at the first stop position, removing an item stored in a compartment adjacent to the free edge from the refrigerator; and   applying an additional rotational force on the free edge to further open the refrigerator door.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the hinge device comprises a compressible member and a hinge bracket having a protrusion portion, wherein the protrusion portion is operable to block the compressible member from further motion when the refrigerator door is at the stop position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the additional rotational force causes said protrusion portion to compress said compressible member into a compressed state such that the refrigerator door is released from the stop position.