U.S. patent application number 12/003767 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-28 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Sun Gun Go, Jae Hoon Lim, Dae Yeop Park.
Application Number | 20080203879 12/003767 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39715076 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080203879 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lim; Jae Hoon ; et
al. |
August 28, 2008 |
Refrigerator
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator including a shelf constructed
in a structure in which a support panel is mounted on a frame. The
refrigerator includes a main body having a storage compartment
defined therein and a shelf mounted in the storage compartment. The
shelf includes a support panel, a frame to support the edge of the
support panel, a support protrusion formed along the inside edge of
the frame to support the lower edge of the support panel, catchers
formed at the front corners of the frame to catch the front corners
of the support panel, and coupling members mounted at the rear
corners of the frame to fix the rear corners of the support
panel.
Inventors: |
Lim; Jae Hoon; (Suwon-si,
KR) ; Park; Dae Yeop; (Gangsan-gu, KR) ; Go;
Sun Gun; (Gwangsan-gu, 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: |
39715076 |
Appl. No.: |
12/003767 |
Filed: |
December 31, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/408 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 25/02 20130101;
F25D 2325/022 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/408 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/02 20060101
A47B096/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 26, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-19189 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body defining a storage
compartment therein; and a shelf mounted in the storage
compartment, wherein the shelf includes: a support panel, a frame
to support an edge of the support panel, a support protrusion
formed along an inside edge of the frame to support a lower edge of
the support panel, a plurality of catchers formed at front corners
of the frame to catch front corners of the support panel, and a
plurality of coupling members mounted at rear corners of the frame
to fix rear corners of the support panel.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a top of the
support protrusion, excluding regions corresponding to the
plurality of the catchers, is open.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the
coupling members includes a support part to cover a top of the
corresponding corner of the support panel and a plurality of hook
coupling parts mounted to the frame, and wherein the frame is
provided at the rear corners thereof with catching grooves, in
which the hook coupling parts are coupled.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of
catchers are formed in a shape to cover a top of the front corners
of the support panel.
5. A refrigerator comprising: a shelf comprising: a support panel,
and a frame fixed at corners of the support panel so that
non-corner portions of the support panel are exposed.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2007-019189, 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 that is capable of preventing the
separation of a glass shelf mounted in a storage compartment,
thereby preventing damage to the glass shelf.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a plurality of shelves is mounted in a storage
compartment of a refrigerator. The shelves, which are vertically
spaced apart from each other, partition the interior of the storage
compartment into multiple stages to increase the efficiency of the
storage space utilization and accomplish easy receipt of food to be
stored.
[0006] Each shelf includes a support panel formed in the shape of a
rectangular plate and made of reinforced glass and a frame coupled
to the edge of the support panel. Generally, the shelf includes a
step-shaped support protrusion which is provided at the inside edge
of the frame to support the edge of the support panel.
Consequently, the shelf is assembled in a structure in which the
edge of the support panel is caught by the support protrusion of
the frame, and is then mounted in the storage compartment of the
refrigerator like a drawer.
[0007] In the shelf, however, the support panel is not fixed to the
frame but is instead placed on the frame. As a result, when the
shelf is removed from the storage compartment or the mounting
position of the shelf is changed, the support panel may be
separated from the frame, and therefore, the support panel may be
damaged.
[0008] In this connection, Korean Patent Application Publication
No. 2006-63492 discloses a shelf for refrigerators constructed in a
structure in which the edge of a support panel is fitted in a
groove continuously formed along the inside edge of a frame. In the
disclosed shelf, the support panel is securely fitted in the groove
of the frame, whereby the separation of the support panel from the
frame is prevented.
[0009] During the assembly of the disclosed shelf, however, it is
necessary to insert the edge of the support panel into the grooves
of the frame, with the result that the coupling between the support
panel and the frame is complicated and troublesome. Furthermore, it
is necessary to divide the frame into several elements for the
coupling between the support panel and the frame, whereby the
manufacture of the shelf is difficult.
SUMMARY
[0010] Therefore, it is an aspect of the present invention to
provide a refrigerator including a shelf constructed in a structure
in which a support panel is mounted on a frame, whereby the
assembly of the shelf is easily accomplished while the support
panel is securely fixed to the frame.
[0011] 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.
[0012] The forgoing and/or other aspects of the present invention
are achieved by providing a refrigerator including a main body
defining a storage compartment therein and a shelf mounted in the
storage compartment, wherein the shelf includes: a support panel, a
frame to support an edge of the support panel, a support protrusion
formed along an inside edge of the frame to support a lower edge of
the support panel, catchers formed at front corners of the frame to
catch the front corners of the support panel, and coupling members
mounted at rear corners of the frame to fix rear corners of the
support panel.
[0013] The frame is constructed in a structure in which the top of
the supporting protrusion, excluding regions corresponding to the
catchers, is open.
[0014] Each coupling member includes a support part to cover the
top of the corresponding corner of the support panel and hook
coupling parts mounted to the frame, and the frame is provided at
the rear corners thereof with catching grooves, in which the hook
coupling parts are coupled.
[0015] The catchers are formed in a shape to cover the top of the
front corners of the support panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and/or other aspects and advantages 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:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a refrigerator
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a shelf and a
storage box of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a catcher of the
shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling member
of the shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiment of
the present invention, an example of which is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to
like elements throughout. The embodiment is described below to
explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to the
embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10 having
a storage compartment 11, which is opened at the front thereof,
defined therein and a door 12 to open and close the storage
compartment 11.
[0024] At the inside rear of the storage compartment 11 is mounted
an evaporator 14 to cool the storage compartment 11. Above the
evaporator 14 is mounted a cool air circulation fan 15 to circulate
air in the storage compartment 11. The evaporator 14 is adjacent to
the rear wall of the main body 11. In front of the evaporator 14 is
mounted an inside panel 17 to partition a space where the
evaporator 14 is mounted from the storage compartment 11 and to
define a cool air circulation channel 16.
[0025] In the inside panel 17 are formed a plurality of discharge
holes 18 to dispersedly discharge cool air, guided through the cool
air circulation channel 16, to the storage compartment 11. The cool
air circulation fan 15 blows the air, having passed through the
evaporator 14, to the cool air circulation channel 16 such that the
air in the storage compartment 11 is circulated through the
evaporator 14.
[0026] At the bottom of the main body 10 is defined a machine
compartment 20, which is partitioned from the storage compartment
11. In the machine compartment 20 are mounted a compressor 21, a
condenser (not shown), and a refrigerant expansion device (not
shown).
[0027] In the storage compartment 11 are mounted a plurality of
shelves 30, which are vertically spaced apart from each other. The
shelves 30 partition the interior of the storage compartment 11
into multiple stages to efficiently use the storage space. In the
inside bottom of the storage compartment 11 is mounted a drawer
type storage box 25 to store vegetables and/or fruit. The lowermost
shelf 30, mounted on the storage box 25, covers the top of the
storage box 25 to maintain the interior humidity of the storage box
25, as shown in FIG. 2, thereby minimizing the dehydration of the
vegetables and/or fruit.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the shelf 30 includes a support panel 31
formed in the shape of a rectangular plate and a frame 32 to
support the edge of the support panel 31. The support panel 31 is
made of transparent reinforced glass or resin.
[0029] At the inside edge of the frame 32 is formed a step-shaped
support protrusion 33 to support the lower edge of the support
panel 31. The support protrusion 33 is opened at the upper part
thereof. Consequently, when the support panel 31 is placed on the
frame 32 such that the support panel 31 is coupled to the frame 32,
the lower edge of the support panel 31 is supported by the support
protrusion 33.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 32 is provided at the front
corners thereof with catchers 34 to catch the front corners of the
support panel 31. The catchers 34 are disposed above the support
protrusion 33, such that the catchers 34 are spaced a predetermined
distance (a distance equivalent to the thickness of the support
panel) from the support protrusion 33, to cover the front corners
of the support panel 31. Consequently, when the support panel 31 is
placed on the support protrusion 33 of the frame 32, the front
corners of the support panel 31 are inserted below the catchers 34,
and therefore, the front corners of the support panel 31 are
coupled to the frame 32. At this time, the catchers are restricted
to the front corners of the frame 32 and the top of the support
protrusion 33, excluding regions corresponding to the catchers 34,
are open for easy coupling of the support panel 31.
[0031] At the rear corners of the frame 32 are mounted coupling
members 35 to couple the rear corners of the support panel 31 to
the frame 32. For mounting of the coupling members 35, the frame 32
is provided at the rear corners thereof with mounting grooves
36.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, each coupling member 35 includes a
support part 35a to cover the top of the corresponding rear corner
of the support panel 31 and hook coupling parts 35b mounted in the
corresponding mounting groove 36 of the frame 32. At inner opposite
sides of the mounting groove 36 of the frame 32, in which the
coupling member 35 is mounted, are formed catching grooves 36a, in
which the hook coupling parts 35b are coupled. Consequently, when
the support panel 31 is placed on the frame 32, and the coupling
member 35 is pushed downward such that the hook coupling parts 35b
of the coupling member 35 are inserted into the mounting grooves
36, the coupling member 35 is mounted to the frame 32. At this
time, the coupling member 35 supports the top of the corresponding
corner of the support panel 31 to fix the support panel 31.
[0033] Hereinafter, a method of assembling the shelf will be
described.
[0034] The assembly of the support panel 31 to the frame 32 is
performed as follows. First, the support panel 31 is placed on the
frame 32 such that the lower edge of the support panel 31 is caught
by the support protrusion 33 of the frame 32. At this time, the
front corners of the support panel 31 are inserted below the
catchers 34 formed at the front corners of the frame 32.
[0035] After the support panel 31 is placed on the frame 32, the
coupling members 35 are mounted to the rear corners of the frame 32
to fix the rear corners of the support panel 31.
[0036] As is apparent from the above description, the shelf of the
refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention
is constructed in a structure in which the top of the supporting
protrusion, excluding the regions corresponding to the catchers of
the frame, is open. Consequently, it is possible to easily mount
the support panel on the frame.
[0037] Furthermore, the front corners of the support panel are
caught by the catchers formed at the corresponding corners of the
frame, and the rear corners of the support panel are fixed by the
coupling members. Consequently, it is possible to securely fix the
support panel even through the simplified structure, thereby
preventing the separation of the support panel, and therefore,
preventing damage to the support panel.
[0038] Although an embodiment of the present invention has 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.
* * * * *