Opening device for refrigerator

Abstract

A side-by-side refrigerator having a door opening device which includes a cabinet and a door to open and close a front surface of the cabinet, the door opening device comprising: a handle which is mounted on a front surface of the door to perform a seesaw motion; and a push kit which is mounted on a side surface of the door to interwork with the handle, wherein a portion on which the handle and the push kit are mounted is formed to be recessed in the door.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A refrigerator comprising comprising:
 a cabinet having left and right storage compartments partitioned by an intermediate a partition wall; and  
 left and right doors hingedly coupled to the cabinet to open and or close front surfaces of the left and right storage compartments; and, 
 wherein: a gap is formed between the left door and the right doors door, and    wherein each of the left and right doors is provided at a front part thereof with a respective door opening device to assist a user to open each of the left and right doors, and   thewherein each door opening device comprises
 a handle mounted on a front surface of the respective door to move forward and or backward according to user manipulation to open the door, and    a push kit mounted on a side recessed portion of a side surface of the respective door to cooperate with the handle of the respective door, and     a cover mounted on the door to cover the push kit and to cover the side surface of the door,   thewherein each push kit hasincludes  a pushrod that is bent and is disposed at an outside of a gasket provided at a rear of the respective door so that the pushrod moves forward and or backward to act on the intermediate partition wall and, and    a rod guide to guide an operation of the pushrod included in the push kit of the respective door, and     thewherein each of the left and right doors includes a respective cover,   wherein each cover is mounted on the respective door to cover the push kit of the respective door and to cover the side surface of the respective door, and has a protruded portion protruded to cover the pushrod included in the push kit of the respective door, the protruded portion of the cover of the right door and the protruded portion of the cover of the left door being protruded toward the gap and being located at different heights so that one of the left and right doors does not interfere with the other when opened, and    
 the pushrod and rod guide arewherein each push kit is independently mounted on the respective door separately from the handle of the respective door, and the handle of the respective door is independently mounted on the respective door separately from the pushrod and the rod guide. 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the doors comprises:
 a first mounting unit formed to be recessed from the front surface of each of the doors to mount the respective handle thereon; and 
 a second mounting unit formed to be recessed from the side surface of each of the doors to mount the respective push kit thereon. 
 
     
     
       3. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the push kit kits comprises an elastic member compressed compressible by the respective pushrod. 
     
     
       4. The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the elastic member members comprises a compression coil spring. 
     
     
       5. The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the handle handles has a pressing portion to press the respective pushrod according to the user manipulation. 
     
     
       6. A door opening device of a refrigerator comprising a cabinet, two doors and a first door and a second door to open and or close a front surface of the cabinet, wherein there is a gap between the two doors, and each of the two doors having a door opening device, first door and the second door when the doors are closed, and
 whereinwherein: 
 the door opening devices are mounted device is mountable at a front part of each of the doors first door to assist a user to open the doors, respectively, first door, 
 each of the the door opening devices comprise device comprises a handle mounted mountable on a front surface of the first door to move forward and or backward according to user manipulation to open the door, and a push kit mounted mountable on a side recessed portion of a side surface of the first door to cooperate with the handle, and a cover mounted on the door to cover the push kit and to cover the side surface of the door, 
 the push kit has a pushrod that is bent and is disposable at an outside of a gasket provided at a rear of the first door so that the pushrod moves forward and or backward to act on the cabinet and a rod guide to guide an operation of the pushrod, 
 the pushrod and the rod guide are push kit is independently mounted mountable on the first door separately from the handle, and the handle is independently mounted mountable on the first door separately from the pushrod and the rod guide, 
 each of the doorsthe first door comprises a first mounting unit formed to be recessed from the front surface of the first door to mount the handle thereon and thereon, a second mounting unit formed to be recessed from the side surface of the first door to mount the push kit thereon, and a first cover mountable on the first door to cover the push kit and to cover the side surface of the first door, 
 the rod guide is fixed coupled to the side surface of the door pushrod, and the pushrod moves forward and or backward with respect to the rod guide, 
 the push kit comprises an elastic member compressed compressible by the pushrod, and 
 the first cover has a protruded portion protruded to cover the pushrod, and the protruded portion of the one of the two doors first cover and the a protruded portion of the other of the two doors being a second cover of the second door are protruded toward the gap and being are located at different heights so that one of the left first and right second doors does not interfere with the other when opened. 
 
     
     
       7. The door opening device according to  claim 6 , wherein the push kit comprises a protrusion which is inserted insertable into the second mounting unit, and the second mounting unit comprises a groove to receive the protrusion. 
     
     
       8. The door opening device according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the doors the first door further comprises a support member which supports the handle to enable the a seesaw motion of the handle, and the handle is inserted and coupled to the support member. 
     
     
       9. The door opening device according to  claim 8 , wherein the handle is hinge-coupled with the support member, the handle includes a hinge hole portion coupled to the support member, and the support member includes a hinge shaft inserted into the hinge hole portion.