U.S. patent application number 12/142619 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-08 for refrigerator.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Min Kyeong KIM.
Application Number | 20090009044 12/142619 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40220876 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090009044 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Min Kyeong |
January 8, 2009 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A refrigerator is provided. In the refrigerator, a tray is
provided with one side of a shelf and the tray is separable from
the shelf. A user can take out various foods at a time without
arranging a specific tray member.
Inventors: |
KIM; Min Kyeong; (Changwon
-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
40220876 |
Appl. No.: |
12/142619 |
Filed: |
June 19, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/408 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 25/024
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/408 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/00 20060101
F25D023/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 20, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0060266 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body having a space for
storing food; a shelf horizontally adapted in the space, to divide
the space into a plurality of sections; and a tray withdrawably
adapted to an undersurface of the shelf.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a front end part of the
shelf is more extended downward than a side face part thereof.
3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein a side inner face of the
shelf is provided with a support protrusion to support the
tray.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the support protrusion is
provided in at least two at each side face part of the shelf.
5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the side face part of the
tray is in contact with an end part of the support protrusion.
6. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein an undersurface of the side
end of the tray, which is contacted with a top face of the support
protrusion, provided with at least one stop protrusion.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the stop protrusion has a
back face part which is tilted.
8. The refrigerator of claim 3, further comprising at least one
stop protrusion protruded from an undersurface of the tray and
interfered by the support protrusion to establish a pulled
limitation of the tray.
9. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the tray comprises: a tray
body on which food is put; an extending portion extended from a
bottom face of the tray body; and a front panel formed in a front
face of the extending portion and the tray body.
10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein an end part of the support
protrusion is in contact with a side face of the extending portion
to prevent the tray from shaking from side to side during the tray
is pulled out.
Description
THE BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. The Field
[0002] This document relates to a shelf structure of a
refrigerator.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In general, refrigerators are domestic appliances to keep
foods in a refrigerating or freezing state by using a circulation
cycle of cold air. An internal space of refrigerator is divided
into a freezer compartment based on a freezing temperature
condition and a refrigerator compartment with a low temperature
environment that is a little higher than the freezer compartment.
Further, the refrigerator may be classified as bottom freezer type,
top mount type, side-by-side type and three-door type according to
a position of the freezer compartment or installation structure of
door.
[0005] Inside refrigerators of such various types, a plurality of
shelves to efficiently use a storage space are adapted. An inside
space of the refrigerator is divided by the plurality of
shelves.
[0006] Therefore a user can keep food per kind inside the freezer
compartment or refrigerator compartment divided into respective
sections by using the shelves and various kinds of and many foods
can be kept in the refrigerator compartment.
[0007] However, such conventional art has the following
problems.
[0008] In a refrigerator according to a conventional art, when
trying to take out food kept on a shelf from the refrigerator, a
user first grasps a container filled with food to be drawn out by
using his/her hand and then takes out food in an opened state of
refrigerator door. Thus the number of food items a user can stably
take out from the refrigerator is limited. In particular, for
example, when food items to be taken out are kept deeply in the
refrigerator, it is not easy to take out the food.
[0009] To solve such problem, when taking out various food items, a
user should prepare a specific tray and put the food items on the
tray and then take out the food items at a time. However, in this
case there are problems a space to specifically support the tray
during taking out the food items is needed and a specific tray must
be arranged in taking out food items.
THE SUMMARY
[0010] The present invention is derived to resolve the above
disadvantages.
[0011] Some embodiments of the invention provide a refrigerator for
which the need to specifically arrange a tray used to take out food
items kept in the refrigerator is not required. Therefore a space
or structure to support the tray in taking out food items is not
required.
[0012] According to some embodiments of the invention, a
refrigerator comprises: a main body having a space for storing
food; a shelf horizontally adapted in the space, to divide the
space into a plurality of sections; and a tray withdrawably adapted
to an undersurface of the shelf.
[0013] As described above, in a refrigerator according to some
embodiments of the invention, a user can easily take out various
food items kept inside a refrigerator compartment or freezer
compartment at a time.
[0014] In addition, a tray member used to take out various food
items at a time is provided in one body with a shelf, but separable
therefrom, thus it is unnecessary to arrange a specific tray.
[0015] Furthermore, in a refrigerator according to some embodiments
of the invention, a specific structure to support a tray during
taking out various food items is not required and a user does not
need to support the tray by using one hand, thereby providing a
relatively increased convenience.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an interior
structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a tray provided
with a shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the shelf and the
tray disassembled.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line of A-A' shown
in FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a front view of tray according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal-sectional view taken along a line
of B-B' shown in FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal-sectional view of tray
forward--taken out in FIG. 6.
[0023] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating a
structure of shelf and tray according to another embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating a tray
taken out of a shelf.
THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an interior
structure of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 100 according to an
embodiment of the invention comprises a main body 110 having an
internal space divided into a freezer compartment 200 and a
refrigerator compartment 300, and a freezer door 220 and a
refrigerator door 320 to selectively shield the freezer compartment
200 and the refrigerator compartment 300.
[0027] The freezer door 220 may be provided with an ice-making
assembly 240 to produce and store ice. The refrigerator door 320
may be provided with a refrigerator home-bar unit 340 so that a
user can easily take out or put in foods without opening the
refrigerator door 320.
[0028] In the freezer compartment 200 and the refrigerator
compartment 300, shelves 400 are adapted to divide an interior
space of the refrigerator into a plurality of sections. An inner
wall face of the main body is formed of a support structure to
support both side end parts of the shelf 400.
[0029] On the other hand, a tray 500 is adapted movable and
separable on a bottom face of the shelf 400. The tray 500 may be
sliding movable forward and backward and taken out through a
manipulation of user, and may be separated from the shelf 400
according to the need.
[0030] The structure and operation of the shelf 400 and tray 500 in
a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the invention are
described more in detail as follows, referring to the accompanied
drawings.
[0031] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a tray provided
with a shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the shelf and
the tray disassembled.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, shelf 400 of refrigerator
100 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a main
body unit 420 on which food is put, a support unit 440 extended
downward from both end parts of the main body unit 420 and mounted
on the support structure, and a tray support unit 460 extended from
a point inwardly distanced from the support unit 440, to support
the tray 500.
[0033] In detail, the main body unit 420 has a width corresponding
to the transverse width of the freezer compartment 200 or
refrigerator compartment 300. In the main body unit 420, a top face
421 and a bottom face 422 may be formed of mutually different
materials, and the top face 421 may be manufactured of reinforced
glass plate. The support unit 440 is formed extended downward from
both edge parts of the main body unit 420. A front end part of the
support unit 440 is formed a little more protruded downward to
become a shape of in viewing from a side face.
[0034] Further, the front end part of the support unit 440 is
formed bent downward and so the shelf is stopped by a front end
part of the support structure formed on the inner wall face of the
main body, that is, the shelf 400 is no longer induced backward.
The front end part of the support unit 440 serves as a stopper.
Although it is herein proposed in a shape, this may be diversely
changed according to a shape of the support structure.
[0035] The tray support unit 460 is downward extended at a position
distanced into a center direction of the shelf 400 from the support
unit 440. A vertical width of the tray support unit 460 may be the
same as a vertical width of front face part of the support unit
440. The distance between the tray support unit 460 and the support
unit 440 is formed larger than a protrusion width of the support
structure protruded from an inner wall face of the main body 110 to
support the support unit 440. Then the tray support unit 460 can be
prevented from being interfered by the support structure in
supplied/discharged steps of the shelf 400.
[0036] On an inner wall face of the tray support unit 460, a
plurality of support protrusions 462 to support a bottom face of
the tray 500 are formed protruded to support a bottom face of the
tray 500 when the tray 500 is loaded into the shelf 400.
[0037] That is, a top face of the support protrusion 462 is formed
flat to put the tray 500 and support a load of the tray 500, and at
least one support protrusion is each formed on front and back parts
of the tray support unit 460.
[0038] On the other hand, in both side ends of front face of the
shelf, a front plate 470 is further formed to couple a front end
part of the support unit 440 and a front end part of the tray
support unit 460. An opening part 480 is formed between the front
plates 470, into which the tray 500 is loaded into or discharged
therefrom. Thus, a width of the tray 500 is formed equal to a width
of the opening part 480. On the bottom of both side end parts of
the tray 500, a plurality of stop protrusions 520 to be interfered
by the support protrusions 462 are formed. The structure of tray
500 is described more in detail as follows, referring to the
accompanied drawings.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line of A-A' shown
in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a front view of tray according to an
embodiment of the invention.
[0040] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, tray 500 according to an
embodiment of the invention comprises a tray body 530 on which food
is put, an extending portion 550 extended downward from a bottom
face of the tray body 530, a plurality of stop protrusions 520
protruded from both side ends of the bottom of the tray body 530,
and a front panel 540 formed perpendicular to the front end part of
the tray body 530 and the extending portion 550.
[0041] In detail, a handle 510 is formed on a front face part of
the front panel 540. The extending portion 550 is formed with a
width smaller than the tray body 530 so that the support protrusion
462 protruded from an inner sidewall face of the tray support unit
460 can be prevented from being interfered by a side face of the
extending portion 550. The stop protrusion 520 is formed on a
bottom face of the tray body 530 as a portion closely contacted
with the support protrusion 462. In a loaded and discharged step of
the tray 500, the stop protrusion 520 is interfered by the support
protrusion 462.
[0042] Meanwhile, with reference to FIG. 4, in fastening the tray
500 to the shelf 400, the tray body 530 is mounted on the support
protrusion 462. A side face of the extending portion 550 is in
contact with an end part of the support protrusion 462 to prevent
the tray 500 from shaking from side to side.
[0043] Further, in a state the tray 500 is completely loaded
through the opening part of the shelf, the stop protrusion 520
protruded from the bottom face of the tray body 530 is positioned
behind the support protrusion 462. That is, it becomes a state that
a back face of the support protrusion 462 is contacted with a front
face of the stop protrusion 520.
[0044] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal-sectional view taken along a line
of B-B' shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal-sectional view of
tray discharged forward referred to in FIG. 6.
[0045] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a back face of the stop
protrusion 520 is formed with a tilt of given degrees. Thus, when
the tray 500 is loaded into, the tray 500 slides and goes over a
front end part of the support protrusion 462 and then loaded.
Further, the stop protrusions 520 are arrayed at least two in
forward and backward directions so as to have at least one stop
position for a discharged step of the tray 500.
[0046] On the other hand, an interval between the support
protrusion 462 and the main body part 420 is formed to become more
than a thickness of the tray body 530. That is, when a user grasps
the handle 510 of the tray 500 and lifts it up, there is formed a
distanced space through which the stop protrusion 520 goes over the
support protrusion 462.
[0047] Operation in an embodiment of the invention with the
above-described configuration is described as follows.
[0048] First, when a user tries to take out various foods kept in
the refrigerator compartment 300 at a time, the user opens the
refrigerator door 320 and pulls forward the tray 500 adapted in a
lower side of the shelf 400.
[0049] In detail, the user grasps the handle 510 and pulls it
forward in a state of lifting up the tray 500.
[0050] At this time, the stop protrusion 520 adapted on a bottom
face of the tray 500 is distanced from the support protrusion 462.
Then, when the stop protrusion 520 is released from the
interference of the support protrusion 462, the user pulls forward
the tray 500 and the stop protrusion 520 goes over an upper face of
the support protrusion 462 and then moves forward.
[0051] On the other hand, when the tray 500 is taken out
corresponding to a length the user desires, the user puts down the
tray 500 and puts vessels of various foods the user wants to take
out, on the top of the tray 500. Then, the user lifts up the tray
500 and pulls it forward until the tray 500 is completely separated
from the shelf 400.
[0052] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating a
structure of shelf and tray according to another embodiment of the
invention. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal-sectional view illustrating a
tray taken out of a shelf.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, tray 500 according to an
embodiment of the invention is characterized by the stop protrusion
520 that is adapted each one on both side ends of bottom face of
the tray body 530.
[0054] In detail, the stop protrusion 520 is adapted between the
support protrusions 462 to limit a pulled extent of the tray
500.
[0055] In such structure according to an embodiment of the
invention, when a user pushes the tray 500 in, the tray 500 can
smoothly go over, sliding over the support protrusion 462, by a
tilt face formed on a rear face of the stop protrusion 520. In a
state the tray 500 is completely inserted into, the stop protrusion
520 is positioned in the front of the support protrusion 462 formed
in a back side. Therefore, the user can take out the tray 500 by a
given distance without lifting it up. In other words, in a state
the tray body 530 is mounted on the support protrusion 462, the
tray 500 can be pulled forward until the stop protrusion 529 be in
contact with the support protrusion 462 formed in a front side.
Only when the tray 500 is completely separated from the shelf 400,
user just lifts up the tray 500. It is apparent with reference to
the drawings that a pulled limitation of the tray 500 may be
determined differently according to a formation position of support
protrusion 462 formed in a front side and the stop protrusion
520.
* * * * *