Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator, more particularly a refrigerator having an auxiliary door is disclosed. The refrigerator according to the present invention includes a main door with an opening for opening/closing a storage chamber of a refrigerator body; an auxiliary door rotatably coupled to the main door for opening/closing the opening, the auxiliary door opened/closed by pushing an outer surface thereof; and a locking unit for selectively locking the auxiliary door to open/close the auxiliary door by pushing, and for applying rotation force to the auxiliary door to open the auxiliary door. With the above configuration, convenience for usage may be improved, because the auxiliary door is opened/closed more conveniently.

1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a main door with an opening, the main door opening/closing a storage chamber of a refrigerator body;    an auxiliary door rotatably coupled to the main door for opening/closing the opening, the auxiliary door opened/closed by pushing an outer surface thereof; and    a locking unit for selectively locking the auxiliary door to open/close the auxiliary door by pushing, the locking unit for applying rotation force to the auxiliary door to open the auxiliary door.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the locking unit comprises: 
 an engaging member provided in either of the auxiliary door and the main door; and    a locker provided in the other of the auxiliary door and the main door for being selectively engaged to the engaging member, the locker for applying elasticity to the auxiliary door to open the auxiliary door when external force is applied to the auxiliary door.    
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the engaging member is provided in the auxiliary door and the locker is provided in the main door, the locker comprising a latch assembly selectively engaged to the engaging member.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the engaging member comprises: 
 an engaging recess or an engaging hole selectively engaged to the latch assembly.    
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the latch assembly comprises: 
 a rotatable coupling body coupled to the engaging member for locking the auxiliary door, the rotatable coupling body restituted to an original position and elastically pushing the engaging member.    
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the engaging member is provided in an upper portion of an inner wall of the auxiliary door and the locker is provided in an upper edge portion of the opening and a rotation shaft is provided in a lower portion of the auxiliary door, such that the auxiliary door is rotated with respect to the rotation shaft.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a damping unit for dampening the rotation speed of the auxiliary door when the auxiliary door is opened.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the damping unit is provided in any one of the main door and the rotation shaft of the auxiliary door.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary door is opened through a first opening section in which the auxiliary door is rotated by the pushing force of the locking unit, a second opening section in which the auxiliary door is rotated by self weight, and a third opening section in which the damping unit dampens the rotation speed of the auxiliary door.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the main door comprises an auxiliary frame for defining a rim of the opening and for allowing the auxiliary door coupled thereto.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the main door communicates an inside of the storage chamber with an outside.