U.S. patent application number 11/984212 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for refrigerator having reinforced receiving device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Jae Hoon Lim, Dae Yeop Park, Sung Il Park.
Application Number | 20080202145 11/984212 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39714355 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080202145 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lim; Jae Hoon ; et
al. |
August 28, 2008 |
Refrigerator having reinforced receiving device
Abstract
A refrigerator which provides an improved structure of a
receiving device to prevent a receiving container cover from being
deformed or damaged. The refrigerator includes a receiving
container, and a receiving container cover which covers an upper
portion of the receiving container. The receiving container cover
includes a front frame portion which forms a front structure, a
guide rail extended from a rear portion of the receiving container
cover toward a lower portion of the front frame portion, and a
reinforcing member extended transversely in the lower portion of
the front frame portion to reinforce the strength of the receiving
container cover. The guide rail includes a through hole such that
the reinforcing member passes through the through hole.
Inventors: |
Lim; Jae Hoon; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Park; Dae Yeop; (Gwangju, KR) ; Park;
Sung Il; (Gwangju, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STAAS & HALSEY LLP
SUITE 700, 1201 NEW YORK AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
39714355 |
Appl. No.: |
11/984212 |
Filed: |
November 14, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/382 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2323/021 20130101;
F25D 25/025 20130101; A47B 88/40 20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/382 |
International
Class: |
F25D 25/02 20060101
F25D025/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 26, 2007 |
KR |
2007-0019188 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a receiving container; a receiving
container cover which covers an upper portion of the receiving
container, the receiving container cover including a front frame
portion which forms a front structure and a guide rail extended
from a rear portion of the receiving container cover toward a lower
portion of the front frame portion; and a reinforcing member
extended transversely under the front frame portion to reinforce a
strength of the receiving container cover.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail
includes a through hole such that the reinforcing member passes
through the through hole.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the receiving
container cover further includes a cover panel installed on the
guide rail, and the guide rail includes a support portion which
supports the cover panel, an extended portion extended below the
front frame portion and the support portion, and a rail part
provided at an end portion of the extended portion to guide
movement of the receiving container.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the extended
portion includes a through hole such that the reinforcing member
passes through the through hole.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the support
portion includes a support surface extended in left and right
directions from the extended portion.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the front frame
portion includes a support rib which supports an end portion of the
reinforcing member.
7. A refrigerator comprising: a receiving container; a receiving
container cover which covers an upper portion of the receiving
container, the receiving container cover including a front frame
portion which forms a front structure, a rear frame portion which
forms a rear structure and a support portion extended from the rear
frame portion toward the front frame portion; and a reinforcing
member extended transversely in the front frame portion to
reinforce a strength of the receiving container cover.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the receiving
container cover further includes an extended portion extended below
the front frame portion and the support portion and a rail part
protruded sideward from an end portion of the extended portion to
guide movement of the receiving container, and the extended portion
includes a through hole such that the reinforcing member passes
through the through hole.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the front frame
portion includes an engaging groove which engages with an end
portion of the reinforcing member.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2007-0019188, filed on Feb. 26, 2007 in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more
particularly to a refrigerator which provides an improved
installation structure of a receiving device disposed in a storage
chamber.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] A refrigerator is an apparatus which supplies cool air
generated by a refrigeration cycle to a storage chamber to maintain
freshness of various food products for a long period of time.
Generally, the refrigerator includes a compressor, a condenser, an
expansion valve and an evaporator. The refrigerator supplies cool
air to the storage chamber, that is, a freezing chamber and a
cooling chamber, using heat transfer according to phase change of a
coolant.
[0006] A plurality of shelves is disposed in the storage chamber of
the refrigerator to store food products thereon. A drawer type
receiving device may be disposed in the storage chamber to freshly
store food products such as vegetables, fruit, meat and fish.
[0007] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a receiving device of a
conventional refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving device
of the conventional refrigerator includes a receiving container 1
with an upper portion opened, and a receiving container cover 2
which covers the upper portion of the receiving container 1 to
separate the inner space of the receiving container 1. A guide rail
3 for stably loading the receiving container 1 is disposed on a
lower portion of the receiving container cover 2. The receiving
container 1 is extracted outward and retracted inward while sliding
along the guide rail 3.
[0008] The guide rail 3 serves to reinforce the strength for
supporting the receiving container cover 2 while guiding the
movement of the receiving container 1. However, in the
above-mentioned receiving device, the guide rail 3 is placed at the
rear side of the receiving container cover 2. Accordingly, the
strength of a front portion of the receiving container cover 2 is
weak. Thus, the receiving container cover 2 may be bent or damaged
when a large load is exerted on the receiving container cover
2.
[0009] Particularly, the above-mentioned problem becomes more
serious in a French type refrigerator which has been recently
developed. The French type refrigerator includes a storage chamber
having a relatively larger width compared to a side-by-side type
refrigerator which has been previously widely used. Accordingly, in
the French type refrigerator, the receiving container cover 2 is
designed to have a larger width, and the receiving container cover
2 may be more easily bent or damaged.
SUMMARY
[0010] The present invention has been made in order to solve the
above problems. It is an aspect of the invention to provide a
refrigerator which provides an improved structure of a receiving
device disposed in a storage chamber to prevent a receiving
container cover from being deformed or damaged.
[0011] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is
provided a refrigerator including a receiving container; a
receiving container cover which covers an upper portion of the
receiving container, the receiving container cover including a
front frame portion which forms a front structure and a guide rail
extended from a rear portion of the receiving container cover
toward a lower portion of the front frame portion; and a
reinforcing member extended transversely under the front frame
portion to reinforce a strength of the receiving container
cover.
[0012] The guide rail may include a through hole such that the
reinforcing member passes through the through hole.
[0013] The receiving container cover may further include a cover
panel installed on the guide rail, and the guide rail may include a
support portion which supports the cover panel, an extended portion
extended below the front frame portion and the support portion, and
a rail part provided at an end portion of the extended portion to
guide movement of the receiving container.
[0014] The extended portion may include a through hole such that
the reinforcing member passes through the through hole.
[0015] The support portion may include a support surface extended
in left and right directions from the extended portion.
[0016] The front frame portion may include a support rib which
supports an end portion of the reinforcing member.
[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a refrigerator including a receiving container; a
receiving container cover which covers an upper portion of the
receiving container, the receiving container cover including a
front frame portion which forms a front structure, a rear frame
portion which forms a rear structure and a support portion extended
from the rear frame portion toward the front frame portion; and a
reinforcing member extended transversely in the front frame portion
to reinforce a strength of the receiving container cover.
[0018] The receiving container cover may further include an
extended portion extended below the front frame portion and the
support portion and a rail part protruded sideward from an end
portion of the extended portion to guide movement of the receiving
container, and the extended portion may include a through hole such
that the reinforcing member passes through the through hole.
[0019] The front frame portion may include an engaging groove which
engages with an end portion of the reinforcing member.
[0020] Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention 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
[0021] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the exemplary
embodiments of the invention will become apparent and more readily
appreciated from the following description of the embodiments,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a receiving device of a
conventional refrigerator;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an external appearance of a
refrigerator according to the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of
the refrigerator according to the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a
receiving device in the refrigerator according to the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I of
FIG. 4; and
[0027] FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing configurations
of portions of the receiving device shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are
described below to explain the present invention by referring to
the figures.
[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an external appearance of a
refrigerator according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a
cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the refrigerator
according to the present invention.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the refrigerator according to the
present invention includes a main body 10 having a storage chamber
11 which stores food products, a door 20 which opens and closes the
storage chamber 11, and a drawer type receiving device 100 which
forms a separated storage space to freshly store food products such
as vegetables and fruit without drying the food products out.
[0031] The main body 10 includes an outer housing 12 which forms an
outer surface of the main body 10, and an inner housing 13 which is
disposed at a specified distance from the outer housing 12 to form
the storage chamber 11 therein. Between the outer housing 12 and
the inner housing 13 a thermal insulator 14 is formed by foaming to
prevent cool air from dissipating.
[0032] The refrigerator shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a so-called
French type refrigerator. The storage chamber 11 is divided into an
upper portion and a lower portion by a middle partition, thereby
forming a cooling chamber 11a which cools and stores food products
at the upper side and a freezing chamber 11b which freezes and
stores food products at the lower side. Cooling chamber doors 20a
rotate while being hinge-connected to the main body 10 to open and
close the cooling chamber 11a. A freezing chamber door 20b is
slidably installed on the main body 10 and moves forward and
backward to open and close the freezing chamber 11b.
[0033] Evaporators 15 and 16 are installed at the rear of the
storage chamber 11 to generate cool air to be supplied to the
storage chamber 11 by heat exchange with the surrounding air.
Circulation fans 17 and 18 are respectively installed adjacent to
the evaporators 15 and 16 to circulate air in the storage chamber
11.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the
receiving device in the refrigerator according to the present
invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I
of FIG. 4. Since the receiving device has a symmetrical structure,
FIG. 4 shows only one side portion for simplicity. FIGS. 6 and 7
are perspective views showing configurations of portions of the
receiving device shown in FIG. 4.
[0035] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the receiving device 100 includes
support members 101 respectively installed on the opposite side
surfaces of the cooling chamber 11a, receiving containers 102 with
upper portions opened to load and unload food products, and a
receiving container cover 103 which covers the upper portions of
the receiving containers 102 to separate inner portions of the
receiving containers 102. Although the receiving device 100 shown
in FIG. 2 is installed in the cooling chamber 11a and has two
receiving containers 102 arranged on the left and right sides, an
installation position of the receiving device 100 and the number of
the receiving containers 102 may be appropriately changed as
required by the design without being limited thereto.
[0036] The support members 101 are fixed to the inner side surfaces
of the inner housing 13 (see FIG. 2) using clamping parts such as
screws. The opposite ends of the receiving container cover 103 are
stably loaded on the upper surfaces of the support members 101.
Each of the support members 101 includes a guide part 111 protruded
toward the inside of the cooling chamber 11a such that each of the
receiving containers 102 is slidably installed on the guide part
111. The guide part 111 guides the sliding movement of the
receiving container 102 when the receiving container 102 is
extracted and retracted while supporting a flange part 121 formed
at one side of the receiving container 102. A guide roller 112 is
installed on the guide part 111 to smoothly move the receiving
container 102.
[0037] The receiving container cover 103 includes a cover panel 131
which is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and a frame 132
which supports the edge of the cover panel 131. The frame 132
includes a front frame portion 132a and a rear frame portion 132b
which form the front and rear structure, and a side frame portion
132c which connects the front frame portion 132a with the rear
frame portion 132b. The frame 132 has a rectangular shape having a
relatively long horizontal length. Meanwhile, the cover panel 131
covers an opened upper portion of the receiving container 102 to
separate the receiving container 102 from the cooling chamber 11a.
The cover panel 131 is generally formed of a transparent tempered
glass or panel made of a resin material.
[0038] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the receiving container cover 103
includes a guide rail 140 extended from the rear toward a lower
portion of the front frame portion 132a and a reinforcing member
150 extended transversely in the lower portion of the front frame
portion 132a to reinforce the strength of the receiving container
cover 103. Since a front portion of the receiving container cover
103 is close to the user who loads and unloads products, when
products are stored in the receiving container 102 or on the
receiving container cover 103, the load may be concentrated on the
front portion of the receiving container cover 103. Accordingly, as
described above, the guide rail 140 is extended to the front frame
portion 132a and the reinforcing member 150 is installed on the
lower portion of the front frame portion 132a such that a
concentrated load exerted on the receiving container cover 103 can
be dispersed to prevent the receiving container cover 103 from
being deformed or damaged.
[0039] The guide rail 140 is disposed between the two receiving
containers 102. The guide rail 140 includes a support portion 141
extended from the rear frame portion 132b toward the front frame
portion 132a, an extended portion 142 provided below the support
portion 141 and the front frame portion 132a, and a rail part 143
protruded sideward from the end portion of the extended portion
142.
[0040] The support portion 141 which is extended forward and
backward serves to disperse the load exerted on the receiving
container cover 103 in the forward and backward direction.
Preferably, the support portion 141 has a support surface 141a at a
position where the support portion 141 is in contact with the cover
panel 131, and the support surface 141a is extended in the left and
right direction from the extended portion 142. The support surface
141a can efficiently disperse the load exerted on the cover panel
131.
[0041] The rail part 143 guides the extraction and retraction of
the receiving container 102 together with the guide part 111 of the
support member 101 while supporting a flange part 122 formed at the
other side of the receiving container 120. In the same way as the
guide part 111, a guide roller 143a is installed on the rail part
143 to smoothly move the receiving container 102.
[0042] Since the guide rail 140 is extended toward a lower portion
of the front frame portion 132a and the reinforcing member 150 is
installed transversely in the lower portion of the front frame
portion 132a, the reinforcing member 150 interferes with the guide
rail 140. Thus, a through hole 142a is formed in the extended
portion 142 of the guide rail 140 such that the reinforcing member
150 passes through the through hole 142a.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, an end portion of the reinforcing member
150 is supported by the front frame portion 132a. For this, the
front frame portion 132a has a support rib 132d which supports the
end portion of the reinforcing member 150. The support rib 132d
forms an engaging groove 132e into a shape corresponding to the
cross-section of the reinforcing member 150. The engaging groove
132e is coupled with the end portion of the reinforcing member
150.
[0044] The reinforcing member 150 may be made of stainless steel
having corrosion resistance and high strength or reinforced
plastics having low weight and high strength.
[0045] As described above, according to the present invention, the
front portion of the receiving container cover is reinforced by the
guide rail and the reinforcing member. Accordingly, it is possible
to prevent the receiving container cover from being deformed or
damaged due to the load exerted on the receiving container
cover.
[0046] Further, according to the present invention, the guide rail
is extended toward a lower portion of the front frame portion of
the receiving container cover. Accordingly, it is possible to
lengthen an extraction path of the receiving container.
[0047] Although embodiments of the present invention have been
shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without
departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the
scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *