Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and a door unit which opens and closes the opening, the door unit comprising: a first door which is rotatably attached to the cabinet and opens and closes a partial area of the opening, a second door which is rotatably attached to the first door and opens and closes the remaining area of the opening, and a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a planar surface of one of the first door and the second door and a planar surface of the other of the first door and the second door and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first door and the second door while the door unit is closed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0028272, filed on Mar. 22, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator which includes a door unit to open and close a storage compartment.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus to keep food stored in a storage compartment fresh for an extended period of time using cool air exchanged by an evaporator in a freezing cycle.

Korean Patent No. 10-0398643 discloses a kim-chi refrigerator which includes a cabinet forming a storage compartment which stores food and has an upward opening, and a door unit which opens and closes the upward opening of the storage compartment. Here, the door unit includes a first door and a second door which partially and separately close the upward opening of the storage compartment.

In the conventional refrigerator, however, cool air may leak out of the storage compartment through a gap between the first door and the second door while the door unit closes the storage compartment, thereby decreasing cooling efficiency of the refrigerator.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which prevents cool air from flowing out of a storage compartment when a door unit closes an opening of the storage compartment.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator including: a cabinet which includes at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and a door unit which opens and closes the opening, the door unit including: a first door which is rotatably attached to the cabinet and opens and closes a partial area of the opening, a second door which is rotatably attached to the first door and opens and closes the remaining area of the opening, and a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a planar surface of one of the first door and the second door and a planar surface of the other of the first door and the second door and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first door and the second door while the door unit is closed.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes: a first hinge which attaches the first door to the cabinet to allow the first door to be rotatable outward with respect to the cabinet; and a second hinge which attaches the second door to the first door to allow the second door to be rotatable outward with respect to the first door.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes: a first gasket which is located along an edge of an inside planar surface of the first door; and a second gasket which is located along an edge of an inside planar surface of the second door.

According to an aspect of the invention, the cool air blocking member has a length corresponding to the opening along a lengthwise direction of the second hinge and is attached to the Inside planar surface of one of the first door and the second door.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes an extension part which extends from opposite sides of one of the first gasket and the second gasket in a transverse direction of the lengthwise direction of the second hinge and prevents leakage of cool air between the first gasket and the second gasket.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes a heating part disposed between the first door and the second door.

According to an aspect of the Invention, the heating part includes: a heater formed on at least one of surfaces of the first door and the second door, the surfaces facing each other; and a heater cover to cover the heater.

According to an aspect of the invention, the second hinge includes: a hinge shaft located in one of the first door and the second door; a hinge shaft accommodating part located on the other of the first door and the second door and accommodating the hinge shaft; and a friction member which is disposed between the hinge shaft and the hinge shaft accommodating part, has a shape of a cylinder having a cutting part cut along a lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft, and provides frictional resistance to rotation of the hinge shaft.

According to an aspect of the invention, the friction member has elasticity in a direction of a radius thereof.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes a stopper which prevents the friction member from being rotated by rotation of the hinge shaft.

According to an aspect of the invention, the stopper includes: a protrusion formed in one of the friction member and the hinge shaft accommodating part; and a protrusion accommodating part formed in the other of the friction member and the hinge shaft accommodating part and accommodating the protrusion.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes a shock-absorbing member disposed between the first door and the second door to reduce impact of the second door while the second door is open.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes: a first opening and closing sensor which senses whether the first door is open or closed; and a second opening and closing sensor which senses whether the second door is open or closed.

According to an aspect of the invention, the first opening and closing sensor includes: a first magnet disposed in one of the cabinet and the first door; and a first magnetic sensor disposed in the other of the cabinet and the first door to detect a magnetic field generated by the first magnet.

According to an aspect of the invention, the second opening and closing sensor includes: a second magnet disposed in one of the first door and the second door or one of the second door and the cool air blocking member; and a second magnetic sensor disposed in the other of the first door and the second door or one of the second door and the cool air blocking member to detect the magnetic field generated by the second magnet.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes: a cooling apparatus which generates cool air and provides the cool air to the storage compartment; and a controller which controls operation of the cooling apparatus on the basis of information sensed by the first opening and closing sensor and the second opening and closing sensor.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator further includes a first hinge which attaches the first door to the cabinet to allow the first door to be rotatable outward with respect to the cabinet; and a second hinge which attaches the second door to the first door to allow the second door to be rotatable inward with respect to the first door.

According to an aspect of the invention, the cool air blocking member is attached to an outside planar surface of one of the first door and the second door.

Additional aspects and/or advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to schematically illustrate a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an operating state of a second door of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a mounting state of a first gasket, a second gasket and a cool air blocking member of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate attaching a second hinge of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate attaching a heating part of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an operating state of a first opening and closing sensor according to opening and closing of a first door of the refrigerator in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an operating state of a second opening and closing sensor according to opening and closing of a second door of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the refrigerator according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view to schematically illustrate a configuration of a refrigerator according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

It is noted that a top open/close type of kim-chi refrigerator will be mentioned as an example to explain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention may also be employed for a front open/close type of the refrigerator.

A refrigerator 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 which forms an external shape and has at least one storage compartment 13 with an opening 11 at one side and a door unit 20 to open and close the opening 11 of the storage compartment 13. In the present exemplary embodiment, the opening 11 of the storage compartment 13 is open upward.

The cabinet 10 includes at least one storage compartment 13. Further, the cabinet 10 accommodates a cooling apparatus 15 (see FIG. 8) such as a compressor (not shown), a condenser (not shown), an evaporator (not shown), etc. A configuration and an operation of the cooling apparatus 15 are known, and thus descriptions thereof will not be mentioned in the present exemplary embodiment.

The door unit 20 includes a first door 21a rotatably attached to the cabinet 10 to open and close one portion of the opening 11, a second door 21b rotatably attached to the first door 21a to open and close the other portion of the opening 11, and a cool air blocking member 30 disposed across a planar surface of one of the first door 21a and the second door 21b, and a planar surface of the other of the first door 21a and the second door 21b and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first door 21a and the second door 21b when the door unit 20 is in a closed state.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the first door 21a opens and closes a rear area of the opening 11, and the second door 21b opens and closes a front area thereof. The first door 21a and the second door 21b have a plate shape, and Include holding parts 23a and 23b, respectively. Meanwhile, a first hinge 25a is located between the first door 21a and the cabinet 10 to attach the first door 21a to the cabinet 10 and to be rotatable outward, and a second hinge 25b is located between the first door 21a and the second door 21b to attach the second door 21b to the first door 21a and to be rotatable outward. Thus, the second door 21b may be rotated to open the front area of the opening 11 for a small size storage thing to be put in or taken out, thereby reducing leakage of cool air that escapes when putting in or taking out the storage item.

The first hinge 25a supports the first door 21a and is pivotally rotatable on the cabinet 10. The first hinge 25a is a hinge used for a top open/close type refrigerator or kim-chi refrigerator which is generally known, and thus descriptions thereof will not be explained in the present exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the second hinge 25b is located to pivotally rotate the second door 21b outward on the first door 21a. Here, the second hinge 25b may be disposed on an upper part of the first door 21a and the second door 21b. The second hinge 25b may be provided as an ordinary hinge. In the present exemplary embodiment, however, the second hinge 25b includes a friction member 28 to provide frictional resistance to rotation of the second door 21b.

The second hinge 25b Includes a hinge shaft 26 located on one of the first door 21a and the second door 21b, a hinge shaft accommodating part 27 located on the other of the first door 21a and the second door 21b and accommodating the hinge shaft 26, and the friction member 28 which provides frictional resistance to rotation of the hinge shaft 26. In the present exemplary embodiment, the hinge shaft 26 is attached to the second door 21b, and the hinge shaft accommodating part 27 is attached to the first door 21a.

The friction member 28 is disposed between the hinge shaft 26 and the hinge shaft accommodating part 27 and has a shape of a cylinder having a cutting part 28a cut along a lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft 26. The friction member 28 may be elastic in a direction of its radius. Thus, the second hinge 25b decreases a speed where the second door 21b is dropped by its weight, thereby preventing noise and impact arising from rotation of the second door 21b. Meanwhile, the second hinge 25b further includes a stopper 29 to prevent the friction member 28 from being rotated by the rotation of the hinge shaft 26.

As shown in the enlargement illustrated in FIG. 4, the stopper 29 includes a protrusion 29a formed on an inside surface of the hinge shaft accommodating part 27 and a protrusion accommodating part 29b formed on the friction member 28 and accommodating the protrusion 29a. Here, the protrusion 29a projects from the inside surface of the hinge shaft accommodating part 27 along the lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft 26, and the protrusion accommodating part 29b projects from the cutting part 28a in the direction of the radius. Alternatively, the protrusion 29a may be formed on the friction member 28, and the protrusion accommodating part 29b may be formed on the hinge accommodating part 27.

As described above, the first door 21a and the second door 21b are arranged to open and close the opening 11 partially and separately, thereby improving spatial efficiency of the refrigerator 1 and preventing cool air from leaking excessively.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cool air blocking member 30 is disposed across the planar surfaces of the first door 21a and the second door 21b to prevent cool air from leaking between the first door 21a and the second door 21b in the closed state.

The cool air blocking member 30 includes a blocking part 31 of a plate shape, and an attachment part 33 to support the blocking part 31 with respect to the second door 21b. The blocking part 31 is utilized as a plate to block a gap between the first door 21a and the second door 21b. The attachment part 33 extends from the blocking part 31 in a surface direction of the blocking part 31. In the present exemplary embodiment, the attachment part 33 is formed to extend from opposite sides of the blocking part 31 and includes a screw attachment hole 35 into which a screw is inserted. Here, a screw attachment hole (not shown) is formed in an inside planar surface of the second door 21b at a position corresponding to the screw attachment hole 35. The cool air blocking member 30 has a length corresponding to a width of the opening 11 along the lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft 26 of the second hinge 25b.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment may further include a first gasket 40a located along an edge of an inside planar surface of the first door 21a, and a second gasket 40b located along an edge of the inside planar surface of the second door 21b. Here, the cool air blocking member 30 is mounted on the second door 21b across the second gasket 40b, but may be mounted on the first door 21a. The first gasket 40a and the second gasket 40b are formed on the edge of the opening 11 to seal a gap between the first door 21a and the cabinet 10 and a gap between the second door 21b and the cabinet 10. Accordingly, cool air may not leak through the gap between the first door 21a and the cabinet 10 and the gap between the second door 21b and the cabinet 10.

Meanwhile, an extension part 45 is provided to extend from one of the first gasket 40a and the second gasket 40b in a transverse direction of a lengthwise direction of the second hinge 25b so as to prevent leakage of cool air between the first gasket 40a and the second gasket 40b. The extension part 45 is arranged so that the cool air blocking member 30 extends in a lengthwise direction in the closed state of the second door 21b. In detail, the cool air blocking member 30 has a length corresponding to the opening 11, and thus it does not seal the edge of the opening 11. Accordingly, the extension part 45 is arranged to improve the seal of the storage compartment. In the present exemplary embodiment, the extension part 45 extends from the first gasket 40a, as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 5, the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment may further include a heating part 50 disposed between the first door 21a and the second door 21b. The heating part 50 includes a heater 51 formed on at least one of surfaces of the first door 21a and the second door 21b, the surfaces facing each other, and a heater cover 53 to cover the heater 51. In the present exemplary embodiment, the heater 51 is provided as a film heater having a plate shape and disposed on the front surface of the first door 21a. The heating part 50 is arranged to prevent dew from being formed in a boundary area of the first door 21a and the second door 21b.

The refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment may further include a shock-absorbing member 60 disposed between the first door 21a and the second door 21b to reduce the shock of the second door 21b while the second door 21b is opened. The shock-absorbing member 60 is an elastic material such as rubber. In the present exemplary embodiment, the shock-absorbing member 60 is located on an outside surface of the first door 21a, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the shock-absorbing member 60 may be located on an outside surface of the second door 21b.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment may further include a first opening and closing sensor 70a to sense whether the first door 21a is open or closed, and a second opening and closing sensor 70b to sense whether the second door 21b is open or closed.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the first opening and closing sensor 70a includes a first magnet 71a disposed in one of the cabinet 10 and the first door 21a, and a first magnetic sensor 73a disposed in the other of the cabinet 10 and the first door 21b to detect a magnetic field generated by the first magnet 71a.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the first magnet 71a is mounted in a rear end part of the first door 21a, and the first magnetic sensor 73a is mounted in an upper rear end part of the cabinet 10. The first magnet 71a and the first magnetic sensor 73a are located close to each other in the closed state of the first door 21a. Accordingly, a controller 80 recognizes that the first door 21a is closed. Meanwhile, when the first door 21a is rotated, the first magnet 71a and the first magnetic sensor 73 are located apart from each other. Accordingly, the controller 80 recognizes that the first door 21a is open.

Whereas it was explained that the first magnet 71a and the first magnetic sensor 73a are located close to each other in the closed state of the first door 21a, the first magnet 71a and the first magnetic sensor 73a may be located close to each other in the opening state of the first door 21a.

The second opening and closing sensor 70b includes a second magnet 71b mounted in one of the first door 21a and the second door 21b or one of the first door 21a and the cool air blocking member 30. Also, the second opening closing sensor 70b includes a second magnetic sensor 73b mounted in the other of the first door 21a and the second door 21a or one of the first door 21a and the cool air blocking member 30 to detect magnetic field generated by the second magnet 71b.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the second magnet 71b is mounted in the cool air blocking member 30, and the second magnetic sensor 73b is mounted in a front end part of the first door 21a. Here, the second magnet 71b may be mounted in a rear end part of the second door 21b. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, the second magnet 71b and the second magnetic sensor 73b are located close to each other in the closed state of the second door 21b. Accordingly, the controller 80 recognizes that the second door 21b is closed. Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, when the second door 21b is rotated, the second magnet 71b and the second magnetic sensor 73b are located apart from each other. Accordingly, the controller 80 recognizes that the second door 21b is open.

Whereas it was explained that the second magnet 71b and the second magnetic sensor 73b are located close to one another in the closed state of the second door 21b, the second magnet 71b and the second magnetic sensor 73b may be located close to each other in the opening state of the second door 21b.

The controller 80 of the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment controls operation of a cooling apparatus 15 on the basis of information sensed by the first and second opening and closing sensors 70a and 70b. In detail, the controller 80 accumulatively calculates how long and how many times the first door 21a and the second door 21b are open to drive the cooling apparatus 15.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator 101 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 9. It is noted that like reference numerals refer to like elements in the first and second exemplary embodiments and descriptions of the like elements will not be repeated.

The refrigerator 101 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes a first hinge 25a to attach a first door 21a to a cabinet 10 to allow the first door 21a to be rotatable outward, and a second hinge 125 to attach a second door 21b to the first door 21a to allow the second door 21b to be rotatable inward. The first hinge 25a has the same configuration as the configuration in the first exemplary embodiment, which will not repeatedly explained.

The second hinge 125 attaches the first door 21a to the second door 21b to foldably rotate. In detail, the second hinge 125 allows inner planar surfaces of the first door 21a and the second door 21b to be close or apart from each other to open or close an opening 11. The second hinge 125 includes a hinge shaft 126 and a hinge shaft accommodating part 127. Here, the second hinge 125 may be located in a lower part of the first and second doors 21a and 21b.

Meanwhile, in the present exemplary embodiment, a guide protrusion 140 is formed on the second door 21b projecting from a lateral side thereof, and a guide rail 145 is located in the cabinet 10 to guide the guide protrusion 140 in a forward or backward direction. Accordingly, a user presses the first door 21a and the second door 21b in the forward or backward direction to close or open the doors 21a and 21b.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a cool air blocking member 130 is located on an outside planar surface of the second door 21b, but may be located in the first door 21a. In this case, the cool air blocking member 130 has a length corresponding to a width of the first door 21a and the second door 21b along a lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft 126. Thus, cool air may not leak between the first door 21a and the second door 21b.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the first door 21a and the second door 21b move in the forward and backward directions to be folded or apart from each other, thereby closing and opening the opening 11 of the cabinet 10. Alternatively, the first door 21a and the second door 21b may move in right and left directions to be folded or apart from each other to close and open the opening 11.

Hereinafter, an operation process of the refrigerator 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

If the first door 21a and the second door 21b are both closed, cool air does not leak between the first door 21a and the second door 21b due to blocking by the cool air blocking member 30. Further, the first gasket 40a and the second gasket 40b prevent cool air from leaking between the first door 21a and the cabinet 10 and between the second door 21b and the cabinet 10. Here, the heating part 50 is provided to heat a boundary area between the first door 21a and the second door 21b, thereby preventing dew from being formed.

Referring to FIG. 2, the user pivotally rotates the second door 21b outward. The second door 21b is slowly rotated by the friction member 28 of the second hinge 25b and the dropping speed of the second door 21b is decreased due to its weight, thereby reducing operation noise and preventing an accident. Meanwhile, the shock-absorbing member 60 is located on the outside surface of the first door to reduce operation noise, to prevent the first door 21a from colliding with the second door 21b when opening the second door 21b, and to reduce operation impact. As such, a front area of the opening 11 is opened by opening the second door 21b only, and thus cool air does not leak excessively, and spatial efficiency is improved by decreasing an operating radius of the door unit 20.

If the first door 21a is pivotally rotated upward while the second door 21b is open, the entire opening 11 of the storage compartment 13 is open. Thus, the operating radius of the door unit 20 decreases, thereby improving spatial efficiency.

As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present invention includes the door unit 20 which has a first door 21a pivotally rotatably attached to the cabinet 10 to open and close one area of the opening 11, and a second door 21b pivotally rotatably combined with the first door 21a to open and close the remaining area of the opening 11. Accordingly, only the second door 21b may be rotated to open the front area of the opening 11 for storage items to be put in or taken out, thereby reducing cool air leakage when cool air escapes upon putting in or taking out the items. Also, the operating radius of the door unit 20 decreases as compared with the operating radius of a door unit in a conventional refrigerator, and thus the opening 11 may be entirely open when the refrigerator 1 is disposed in a low-ceiling space.

Further, the door unit 20 includes the cool air blocking member 30 disposed across a planar surface of the first door 21a and the second door 21b to prevent cool air from leaking from a gap between the first door 21a and the second door 21b while the door unit 20 is in closed state, thereby efficiently blocking leakage of cool air from the boundary area between the first door 21a and the second door 21b.

As described above, the present invention provides a refrigerator which prevents cool air from leaking from a storage compartment when a door unit closes an opening of the storage compartment.

Also the present invention may be described as a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and a reconfigurable folding door unit rotatably attached to the cabinet, having a first folding portion and a second folding portion, wherein each folding position opens and closes a section of the opening, and a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a planar surface of one of the first folding portion of the reconfigurable folding door unit and the second folding portion of the reconfigurable folding door unit and a planar surface of the other of the first folding portion and the second folding portion and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first folding portion and the second folding portion while the reconfigurable folding door unit is closed.

In addition, the present invention may be described as a refrigerator comprising: a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and a folding door unit rotatably attached to the cabinet to foldably open and close the opening in a portion-wise manner; and a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a horizontal surface of a first portion of the folding door unit and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first portion of the folding door unit and a second portion of the folding door while the folding door unit is closed.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and

a door unit which opens and closes the opening,

the door unit comprising:

a first door which is rotatably attached to the cabinet and opens and closes a partial area of the opening,

a second door which is rotatably attached to the first door and opens and closes the remaining area of the opening, and

a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a planar surface of one of the first door and the second door and a planar surface of the other of the first door and the second door and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first door and the second door while the door unit is closed.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first hinge which attaches the first door to the cabinet to allow the first door to be rotatable outward with respect to the cabinet; and

a second hinge which attaches the second door to the first door to allow the second door to be rotatable outward with respect to the first door.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first gasket which is located along an edge of an inside planar surface of the first door; and

a second gasket which is located along an edge of an inside planar surface of the second door.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the cool air blocking member has a length corresponding to the opening along a lengthwise direction of the second hinge and is attached to the inside planar surface of one of the first door and the second door.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising an extension part that extends from opposite sides of one of the first gasket and the second gasket in a transverse direction of the lengthwise direction of the second hinge and prevents leakage of cool air between the first gasket and the second gasket.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising a heating part disposed between the first door and the second door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the heating part comprises:

a heater formed on at least one of surfaces of the first door and the second door, the surfaces facing each other; and

a heater cover to cover the heater.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the second hinge comprises:

a hinge shaft located in one of the first door and the second door;

a hinge shaft accommodating part located on the other of the first door and the second door and accommodating the hinge shaft; and

a friction member which is disposed between the hinge shaft and the hinge shaft accommodating part, has a shape of a cylinder having a cutting part cut along a lengthwise direction of the hinge shaft, and provides frictional resistance to rotation of the hinge shaft.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the friction member has elasticity in a direction of a radius thereof.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, further comprising a stopper to prevent the friction member from being rotated by rotation of the hinge shaft.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the stopper comprises:

a protrusion formed in one of the friction member and the hinge shaft accommodating part; and

a protrusion accommodating part formed in the other of the friction member and the hinge shaft accommodating part and accommodating the protrusion.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising a shock-absorbing member disposed between the first door and the second door to reduce impact of the second door on the first door while the second door is open.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first opening and closing sensor which senses whether the first door is open or closed; and

a second opening and closing sensor which senses whether the second door is open or closed.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the first opening and closing sensor comprises:

a first magnet disposed in one of the cabinet and the first door; and

a first magnetic sensor disposed in the other of the cabinet and the first door to detect a magnetic field generated by the first magnet.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the second opening and closing sensor comprises:

a second magnet disposed in one of the first door and the second door or one of the first door and the cool air blocking member; and

a second magnetic sensor disposed in the other of the first door and the second door or the first door and the cool air blocking member to detect magnetic field generated by the second magnet.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 13, further comprising:

a cooling apparatus which generates cool air and distributes the cool air to the storage compartment; and

a controller which controls operation of the cooling apparatus on a basis of information sensed by the first opening and closing sensor and the second opening and closing sensor.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a first hinge which attaches the first door to the cabinet to allow the first door to be rotatable outward with respect to the cabinet; and

a second hinge which attaches the second door to the first door to allow the second door to be rotatable inward with respect to the first door.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 17, wherein the cool air blocking member is attached to an outside planar surface of one of the first door and the second door.

19. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and

a reconfigurable folding door unit rotatably attached to the cabinet, having a first folding portion and a second folding portion, wherein each folding position opens and closes a section of the opening, and

a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a planar surface of one of the first folding portion of the reconfigurable folding door unit and the second folding portion of the reconfigurable folding door unit and a planar surface of the other of the first folding portion and the second folding portion and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first folding portion and the second folding portion while the reconfigurable folding door unit is closed.

20. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet which comprises at least one storage compartment formed with an opening at one side thereof; and

a folding door unit rotatably attached to the cabinet to foldably open and close the opening in a portion-wise manner; and

a cool air blocking member which is disposed across a horizontal surface of a first portion of the folding door unit and prevents cool air from leaking from a gap between the first portion of the folding door unit and a second portion of the folding door while the folding door unit is closed.