U.S. patent application number 12/805917 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-28 for automatic door closing device of refrigerator and refrigerator having the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Chang Hun Cho, Hyun Tae Chu, Young Gwi Park.
Application Number | 20110095670 12/805917 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43897819 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110095670 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cho; Chang Hun ; et
al. |
April 28, 2011 |
Automatic door closing device of refrigerator and refrigerator
having the same
Abstract
An automatic door closing device of a refrigerator, which allows
a drawer unit to automatically close a storage compartment, and a
refrigerator having the same. The automatic door closing device is
provided at a front lateral region of the drawer unit, thereby
being operated even if a user moves the drawer unit only a short
distance. Further, since the automatic door closing device is
positioned so as not to invade an installation space of a sliding
device for sliding opening/closing of the drawer unit, the sliding
device may be installed to easily support the weight of the drawer
unit. A damper device is provided underneath the automatic door
closing device to prevent the automatic door closing device from
causing sudden closing motion of the drawer unit. The damper device
may adjust the beginning of shock alleviation by adjusting the
length of a damper rod.
Inventors: |
Cho; Chang Hun; (Gwangju,
KR) ; Chu; Hyun Tae; (Gwangju, KR) ; Park;
Young Gwi; (Gwangju, KR) |
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Suwon-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
43897819 |
Appl. No.: |
12/805917 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/405.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/467 20170101;
F25D 25/025 20130101; F25D 2323/021 20130101; A47B 88/463
20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/405.1 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20060101
F25D023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 26, 2009 |
KR |
10-2009-101613 |
Jun 7, 2010 |
KR |
10-2010-53244 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment defined
in the body; a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from the
storage compartment; an automatic door closing device provided at
the drawer unit to move the drawer unit to be opened from or closed
to the storage compartment; and a holding member provided at the
storage compartment to operate the automatic door closing device,
wherein the automatic door closing device includes a case; a slider
movable relative to the case; a rotator rotatably provided at one
end of the slider to restrain the slider in the case or to release
the slider from the case; and an elastic member provided between
the case and the slider to provide elasticity, wherein the rotator
is linked to the holding member to restrain the slider in the case
or to release the slider from the case, so as to allow the slider
to move relative to the case.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rotator
includes a holding recess into which the holding member is
engaged.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein: the case
includes a guide rail to guide movement of the rotator along a
predetermined route; and the rotator includes a protrusion inserted
into the guide rail so as to be guided along the predetermined
route.
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein: the guide rail
includes a straight path and a holding portion provided at an end
of the straight path to enable rotation of the rotator; and the
slider is released from the case when the protrusion of the rotator
is located on the straight path of the guide rail, and is
restrained in the case when the protrusion of the rotator is
located in the holding portion of the guide rail.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the drawer unit
is opened as the elastic member is stretched via relative motion
between the slider and the case when the user applies force to the
drawer unit, and the drawer unit is closed via relative motion
between the slider and the case as the elastic member is
compressed.
6. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the case includes
a guide slot formed in a movement path of the rotator to allow the
holding member to be engaged into the holding recess.
7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion of
the rotator is caught by the holding portion of the guide rail in a
retracted state of the drawer unit, and the drawer unit is moved to
close the storage compartment by elasticity of the elastic member
if the protrusion of the rotator is separated from the holding
portion and reaches the straight path.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the holding
member is separated from the holding recess when the protrusion of
the rotator is located in the holding portion of the guide rail,
the protrusion of the rotator is separated from the holding portion
as the holding member is engaged into the holding recess, and the
holding member is kept engaged in the holding recess when the
protrusion of the rotator is located on the straight path.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: the drawer unit
includes a supporting member and a sliding device provided at a
lateral surface of the supporting member; and the sliding device
includes a first rail member fixed to an inner lateral surface of
the storage compartment, a second rail member provided movably
relative to the first rail member, and a third rail member fixed to
a lateral surface of the supporting member so as to be movable
relative to the second rail member.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the holding
member is provided at a lower end of a rail guide that surrounds
and fixes the first rail member.
11. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
defined in the body; a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment; an automatic door closing device to move
the drawer unit in a given direction to enter the storage
compartment; and a holding member provided at the storage
compartment to operate the automatic door closing device, wherein
the holding member is located closer to an entrance of the storage
compartment than a middle position of the storage compartment, and
wherein the holding member operates the automatic door closing
device when the drawer unit begins a closing motion.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the holding
member is provided at an inner wall of the storage compartment, and
the automatic door closing device is provided at an outer surface
of the drawer unit to interfere with the holding member.
13. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
defined in the body; a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment; a sliding device provided between the
storage compartment and the drawer unit to enable sliding of the
drawer unit; an automatic door closing device to slide the drawer
unit in a given direction to enter the storage compartment; and a
holding member provided at the storage compartment to operate the
automatic door closing device to enable automatic closing of the
drawer unit, wherein the automatic door closing device is provided
at the drawer unit and is spaced apart from a moving path of the
sliding device, and wherein the holding member is spaced apart from
the moving path of the sliding device.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the holding
member is located closer to an entrance of the storage compartment
than a middle position of the storage compartment.
15. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
defined in the body; a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment; an automatic door closing device to move
the drawer unit in a given direction to enter the storage
compartment; and a damper device to prevent rapid movement of the
drawer unit, wherein the damper device operates simultaneously with
operation of the automatic door closing device, or operates with a
predetermined time delay after operation of the automatic door
closing device begins.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, further comprising: a
holding member provided at a lateral surface of the storage
compartment to operate the automatic door closing device; and a
damping protrusion provided at the lateral surface of the storage
compartment to operate the damper device, wherein the holding
member and the damping protrusion are located respectively closer
to an entrance of the storage compartment than a middle position of
the storage compartment.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein: a moving
distance of the automatic door closing device prior to being
operated by the holding member is a first operation inducing
distance, and a moving distance of the damper device prior to being
operated by the damping protrusion is a second operation inducing
distance; and the first operation inducing distance is equal to or
smaller than the second operation inducing distance.
18. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the damper
device includes: a damper case directly coupled to the automatic
door closing device; a damper body arranged in the damper case to
alleviate external force; and a damper rod connected to an end of
the damper body to come into contact with the damping protrusion
according to movement of the drawer unit.
19. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the automatic
door closing device includes a case, a slider linearly movable in
the case, a rotator rotatably coupled to an end of the slider to be
rotated in a predetermined position of the case, and an elastic
member connecting the slider and the case to each other.
20. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the damper rod
of the damper device includes a first damper rod having a
relatively long length if the first operation inducing distance is
equal to the second operation inducing distance, or a second damper
rod having a relatively short length if the first operation
inducing distance is smaller than the second operation inducing
distance.
21. The refrigerator according to claim 18, wherein the damper body
contains at least one of gas, oil and air for shock
alleviation.
22. A refrigerator comprising: a body; a storage compartment
defined in the body; a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment; a damper device to prevent shock or damage
to the drawer unit due to sudden collision between the drawer unit
and the storage compartment; and a damping protrusion provided at
the storage compartment to operate the damper device, wherein the
damper device is moved a predetermined operation inducing distance
prior to being operated by the damping protrusion, and wherein the
damper device includes any one of a first damper rod having a
relatively long length to reduce the operation inducing distance
and a second damper rod having a relatively short length to
increase the operation inducing distance.
23. The refrigerator according to claim 22, further comprising: an
automatic door closing device to slide the drawer unit in a given
direction to enter the storage compartment; and a holding member
provided at the storage compartment to operate the automatic door
closing device to enable automatic closing of the drawer unit.
24. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the damper
device includes a damper case directly coupled to the automatic
door closing device, a damper body arranged in the damper case to
alleviate external force, and a damper rod connected to an end of
the damper body to come into contact with the damping protrusion
according to movement of the drawer unit.
25. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the damper
device operates simultaneously with the automatic door closing
device when including the first damper rod, or operates with a
predetermined time delay after operation of the automatic door
closing device begins when including the second damper rod.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Applications No. 2009-0101613, filed on Oct. 26, 2009 and No.
2010-0053244, filed on Jun. 7, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] Embodiments relate to an automatic door closing device of a
refrigerator, which enables automatic closing of a drawer unit of
the refrigerator, and a refrigerator having the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a refrigerator serves to keep food cool or frozen
using cold air generated via operation of a refrigeration cycle.
The refrigerator includes doors to open or close the interior of a
refrigerator body.
[0006] The doors are divided into a rotating type door and a drawer
type door. The drawer type door is integrally formed with a storage
container. The storage container may be retracted from the
refrigerator body simultaneously with opening of the door, allowing
a user to easily retrieve items from the storage container.
[0007] The drawer type door is movable using, for example, a
sliding device installed thereto.
[0008] In use of the drawer type door, after the user pulls out the
drawer type door to retrieve items from the storage container, the
user again pushes the drawer type door, thereby returning the door
to an original position thereof. This operation, however, may
result in incomplete closing of the drawer type door if the user
does not sufficiently push the door.
[0009] To prevent the incomplete closing of the drawer type door,
an automatic closing device has been installed to the rear of the
sliding device. The automatic closing device applies force to the
drawer type door when the door is almost closed, thereby
accomplishing complete closing of the drawer type door.
[0010] However, the conventional automatic closing device may
require that the user push the drawer type door until the door is
almost closed, and thus, may have a short operating distance.
[0011] Further, if the drawer type door is rapidly moved and closed
by the automatic closing device, this may cause damage or shock to
the refrigerator.
SUMMARY
[0012] Therefore, it is one aspect to provide an automatic door
closing device of a refrigerator, which allows a drawer unit of the
refrigerator to close a storage compartment of the refrigerator in
an automated manner, and a refrigerator having the same.
[0013] It is another aspect to provide an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator in which a drawer unit has a short moving
distance required to allow the automatic door closing device to
begin an operation to close a storage compartment, and a
refrigerator having the same.
[0014] It is another aspect to provide an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator, which may support the weight of a drawer
unit, and a refrigerator having the same.
[0015] It is another aspect to provide an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator, which enables steady-rate closing of a
drawer unit, and a refrigerator having the same.
[0016] It is a further aspect to provide an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator, which may prevent shock or damage to the
refrigerator during automatic closing of a drawer unit, and a
refrigerator having the same.
[0017] Additional aspects 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.
[0018] In accordance with one aspect, a refrigerator includes a
body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a drawer unit
inserted into or retracted from the storage compartment, and an
automatic door closing device to move the drawer unit to be closed
to the storage compartment when the drawer unit reaches a
predetermined position in the course of entering the storage
compartment, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close the storage compartment, a supporting member provided at a
rear surface of the door to support the drawer unit, and a storage
container seated in the supporting member, and the automatic door
closing device is located at a front lateral region of the drawer
unit to reduce a moving distance of the drawer unit required to
allow the automatic door closing device to begin an operation to
close the storage compartment.
[0019] Also, in accordance with another aspect, a refrigerator
includes a body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a
drawer unit inserted into or retracted from the storage
compartment, an automatic door closing device provided at the
drawer unit to move the drawer unit to be opened from or closed to
the storage compartment, and a holding member provided at the
storage compartment to operate the automatic door closing device,
wherein the automatic door closing device includes a case, a slider
movable relative to the case, a rotator rotatably provided at one
end of the slider to restrain the slider in the case or to release
the slider from the case, and an elastic member provided between
the case and the slider to provide elasticity, and the rotator is
linked to the holding member to restrain the slider in the case or
to release the slider from the case, so as to allow the slider to
move relative to the case.
[0020] The holding member may be provided at an inner wall of the
storage compartment and may serve to cause an automatic closing
motion of the drawer unit by being caught by the automatic door
closing device. The holding member may be provided at a front
region of the storage compartment. The rotator may include a
holding recess into which the holding member is engaged.
[0021] The automatic door closing device may include a case, a
slider linearly movable in the case, a rotator rotatably coupled to
an end of the slider to be rotated in a predetermined position of
the case, and an elastic member connecting the slider and the case
to each other.
[0022] The case may include the slider and a guide rail to guide
movement of the rotator along a predetermined route, and the
rotator may include a protrusion inserted into the guide rail so as
to be guided along the predetermined route.
[0023] The guide rail may include a straight path, and a holding
portion provided at an end of the straight path to enable rotation
of the rotator, and the slider may be released from the case when
the protrusion of the rotator is located on the straight path of
the guide rail, and may be restrained in the case when the
protrusion of the rotator is located in the holding portion of the
guide rail.
[0024] The drawer unit may be opened as the elastic member is
stretched via relative motion between the slider and the case when
the user applies force to the drawer unit, and on the contrary, may
be closed via relative motion between the slider and the case as
the elastic member is compressed.
[0025] The case may include a guide slot formed in a movement path
of the rotator to allow the holding member to be engaged into the
holding recess.
[0026] The protrusion of the rotator may be caught by the holding
portion of the guide rail in a retracted state of the drawer unit,
and the drawer unit may be moved to close the storage compartment
by elasticity of the elastic member if the protrusion of the
rotator is separated from the holding portion and reaches the
straight path.
[0027] The holding member may be separated from the holding recess
when the protrusion of the rotator is located in the holding
portion of the guide rail, the protrusion of the rotator may be
separated from the holding portion as the holding member is engaged
into the holding recess, and the holding member may be kept engaged
in the holding recess when the protrusion of the rotator is located
on the straight path.
[0028] The drawer unit may include a supporting member and a
sliding device provided at a lateral surface of the supporting
member, and the sliding device may include a first rail member
fixed to an inner lateral surface of the storage compartment, a
second rail member provided movably relative to the first rail
member, and a third rail member fixed to a lateral surface of the
supporting member so as to be movable relative to the second rail
member.
[0029] The holding member may be provided at a lower end of a rail
guide that surrounds and fixes the first rail member.
[0030] In accordance with another aspect, an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator is provided to allow a drawer unit to
automatically open or close a storage compartment of the
refrigerator, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close a front opening of the storage compartment, a supporting
member provided at a rear surface of the door to support the drawer
unit, and a storage container seated in the supporting member, and
the automatic door closing device is located at a front lateral
region of the drawer unit to begin an operation to close the
storage compartment even if the drawer unit is inserted only a
short distance into the storage compartment.
[0031] Also, in accordance with another aspect of the present
invention, a refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment
defined in the body, a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment, an automatic door closing device to move
the drawer unit in a given direction to enter the storage
compartment, and a holding member provided at the storage
compartment to operate the automatic door closing device, wherein
the holding member is located closer to an entrance of the storage
compartment than a middle position of the storage compartment, and
the holding member operates the automatic door closing device when
the drawer unit begins a closing motion.
[0032] The holding member may be provided at an inner wall of the
storage compartment and may serve to cause an automatic closing
motion of the drawer unit by being caught by the automatic door
closing device. The holding member may be provided at a front
region of the storage compartment. The automatic door closing
device may be provided at an outer surface of the drawer unit to
interfere with the holding member provided at the inner wall of the
storage compartment.
[0033] The automatic door closing device may include a case, a
slider linearly movable in the case, a rotator rotatably provided
at one end of the slider so as to be rotated in a predetermined
position of the case, and an elastic member connecting the slider
and the case with each other.
[0034] The case may include the slider and a guide rail to guide
movement of the rotator along a predetermined route.
[0035] The guide rail may include a straight path, and a holding
portion provided at an end of the straight path to enable rotation
of the rotator.
[0036] The rotator may include a holding recess into which the
holding member is engaged.
[0037] The case may include a guide slot formed in a movement path
of the rotator to allow the holding member to be engaged into the
holding recess.
[0038] In accordance with another aspect, a refrigerator includes a
body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a drawer unit
inserted into or retracted from the storage compartment, and an
automatic door closing device to move the drawer unit to be closed
to the storage compartment when the drawer unit reaches a
predetermined position in the course of entering the storage
compartment, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close the storage compartment, a supporting member provided at a
rear surface of the door to support the drawer unit, a storage
container seated in the supporting member, and a sliding device
provided at a lateral surface of the supporting member, the storage
compartment is provided at an inner wall thereof with a holding
member to initiate an automatic closing motion of the drawer unit
by being caught by the automatic door closing device, and the
automatic door closing device is located at a front lateral region
of the drawer unit independently of the sliding device to provide
an installation space of the sliding device.
[0039] Also, in accordance with another aspect, a refrigerator
includes a body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a
drawer unit inserted into or retracted from the storage
compartment, a sliding device provided between the storage
compartment and the drawer unit to enable sliding of the drawer
unit, an automatic door closing device to slide the drawer unit in
a given direction to enter the storage compartment, and a holding
member provided at the storage compartment to operate the automatic
door closing device to enable automatic closing of the drawer unit,
wherein the automatic door closing device is provided at the drawer
unit and is spaced apart from a moving path of the sliding device,
and the holding member is spaced apart from the moving path of the
sliding device.
[0040] The holding member may be located in a front region of the
storage compartment to reduce a moving distance of the drawer unit
required to allow the automatic door closing device to begin an
operation to close the storage compartment. Also, the holding
member may be located closer to an entrance of the storage
compartment than a middle position of the storage compartment.
[0041] In accordance with another aspect, a refrigerator includes a
body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a drawer unit
inserted into or retracted from the storage compartment, an
automatic door closing device to move the drawer unit to be closed
to the storage compartment when the drawer unit reaches a
predetermined position in the course of entering the storage
compartment, and a damper device to prevent rapid movement of the
drawer unit, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close the storage compartment, a supporting member provided at a
rear surface of the door to support the drawer unit, and a storage
container seated in the supporting member, and the automatic door
closing device is located at a front lateral region of the drawer
unit to reduce a moving distance of the drawer unit required to
allow the automatic door closing device to begin an operation to
close the storage compartment, and the damper device is located
underneath the automatic door closing device. Also, in accordance
with another aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator
includes a body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a
drawer unit inserted into or retracted from the storage
compartment, an automatic door closing device to move the drawer
unit in a given direction to enter the storage compartment, and a
damper device to prevent rapid movement of the drawer unit, wherein
the damper device operates simultaneously with operation of the
automatic door closing device, or operates with a predetermined
time delay after operation of the automatic door closing device
begins.
[0042] The refrigerator may further include a damping protrusion
provided at an inner wall of the storage compartment and serving to
prevent sudden movement of the drawer unit by interacting with the
damper device. Also, the refrigerator may further include a holding
member provided at a lateral surface of the storage compartment to
operate the automatic door closing device. The damping protrusion
provided at the lateral surface of the storage compartment may
serve to operate the damper device, and the holding member and the
damping protrusion may be located respectively closer to an
entrance of the storage compartment than a middle position of the
storage compartment.
[0043] The holding member provided at the inner wall of the storage
compartment may cause an automatic closing motion of the drawer
unit by being caught by the automatic door closing device. The
holding member may be located in a front region of the storage
compartment, and the damping protrusion may be integrally formed
with the holding member to protrude underneath the holding member.
A moving distance of the automatic door closing device prior to
being operated by the holding member may be a first operation
inducing distance, and a moving distance of the damper device prior
to being operated by the damping protrusion may be a second
operation inducing distance, and the first operation inducing
distance may be equal to or smaller than the second operation
inducing distance.
[0044] The damper device may include a damper case directly coupled
to the automatic door closing device, a damper body arranged in the
damper case to alleviate external force, and a damper rod connected
to an end of the damper body to come into contact with the damping
protrusion according to movement of the drawer unit.
[0045] The automatic door closing device may include a case, a
slider linearly movable in the case, a rotator rotatably coupled to
an end of the slider to be rotated in a predetermined position of
the case, and an elastic member connecting the slider and the case
to each other.
[0046] The damper rod may include at least one of a first damper
rod having a relatively long length to come into contact with the
damping protrusion from an initial stage in which the storage
compartment is closed by elasticity of the elastic member, and a
second damper rod having a relatively short length to come into
close contact with the damping protrusion after the storage
compartment is closed to some extent by elasticity of the elastic
member. The damper rod of the damper device may include the first
damper rod having a relatively long length if the first operation
inducing distance is equal to the second operation inducing
distance, or may be the second damper rod having a relatively short
length if the first operation inducing distance is smaller than the
second operation inducing distance.
[0047] The damper body may contain at least one of gas, oil and air
for shock alleviation.
[0048] In accordance with another aspect, an automatic door closing
device of a refrigerator is provided to allow a drawer unit to
automatically open or close a storage compartment of the
refrigerator, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close a front opening of the storage compartment, a supporting
member provided at a rear surface of the door to support the drawer
unit, and a storage container seated in the supporting member, the
automatic door closing device is located at a front lateral region
of the drawer unit to begin an operation to close the storage
compartment even if the drawer unit is inserted only a short
distance into the storage compartment and a damper device is
provided underneath the automatic door closing device to alleviate
shock generated when the drawer unit closes the storage
compartment. Also, in accordance with another aspect of the present
invention, a refrigerator includes a body, a storage compartment
defined in the body, a drawer unit inserted into or retracted from
the storage compartment, a damper device to prevent shock or damage
to the drawer unit due to sudden collision between the drawer unit
and the storage compartment, and a damping protrusion provided at
the storage compartment to operate the damper device, wherein the
damper device is moved a predetermined operation inducing distance
prior to being operated by the damping protrusion, and the damper
device includes any one of a first damper rod having a relatively
long length to reduce, the operation inducing distance and a second
damper rod having a relatively short length to increase the
operation inducing distance.
[0049] A holding member may be provided at an inner wall of the
storage compartment and may cause an automatic closing motion of
the drawer unit by being caught by the automatic door closing
device. The holding member may be located in a front region of the
storage compartment, and the damping protrusion may be integrally
formed with the holding member to protrude underneath the holding
member.
[0050] The damper device may include a damper case directly coupled
to the automatic door closing device, a damper body arranged in the
damper case to alleviate external force, and a damper rod connected
to an end of the damper body to come into contact with the damping
protrusion according to movement of the drawer unit.
[0051] The automatic door closing device may include a case, a
slider linearly movable in the case, a rotator rotatably coupled to
an end of the slider to be rotated in a predetermined position of
the case, and an elastic member connecting the slider and the case
to each other.
[0052] The damper rod may include at least one of a first damper
rod having a relatively long length to come into contact with the
damping protrusion from an initial stage in which the storage
compartment is closed by elasticity of the elastic member, and a
second damper rod having a relatively short length to come into
close contact with the damping protrusion after the storage
compartment is closed to some extent by elasticity of the elastic
member. The damper rod of the damper device may include the first
damper rod having a relatively long length if the first operation
inducing distance is equal to the second operation inducing
distance, or the second damper rod having a relatively short length
if the first operation inducing distance is smaller than the second
operation inducing distance.
[0053] The damper body may contain at least one of gas, oil and air
for shock alleviation.
[0054] In accordance with another aspect, a refrigerator includes a
body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a drawer unit
inserted into or retracted from the storage compartment, and an
automatic door closing device to move the drawer unit to be closed
to the storage compartment when the drawer unit reaches a
predetermined position in the course of entering the storage
compartment, and a damper device to alleviate shock generated
during closing of the storage compartment by the automatic door
closing device, wherein the drawer unit includes a door to open or
close the storage compartment, a supporting member provided at a
rear surface of the door to support the drawer unit, a storage
container seated in the supporting member, and a sliding device
provided at a lateral surface of the supporting member, the storage
compartment includes a holding member provided at an inner wall
thereof to cause an automatic closing motion of the drawer unit by
being caught by the automatic door closing device and a damping
protrusion integrally formed with the holding member to interact
with the damper device, the automatic door closing device is
arranged at a lateral surface of the drawer unit independently of
the sliding device, and the damper device is arranged underneath
the automatic door closing device.
[0055] Also, in accordance with a further aspect, a refrigerator
includes a body, a storage compartment defined in the body, a
drawer unit inserted into or retracted from the storage
compartment, a damper device to prevent shock or damage to the
drawer unit due to sudden collision between the drawer unit and the
storage compartment, and a damping protrusion provided at the
storage compartment to operate the damper device, wherein the
damper device has a predetermined operation inducing distance prior
to being operated by the damping protrusion, and includes any one
of a first damper rod having a relatively long length to reduce the
operation inducing distance and a second damper rod having a
relatively short length to increase the operation inducing
distance.
[0056] A holding member may be arranged at a front region of the
storage compartment to reduce a moving distance of the drawer unit
required to allow the automatic door closing device to begin an
operation to close the storage compartment. The automatic door
closing device may slide the drawer in a given direction to enter
the storage compartment, and the holding member provided at the
storage compartment may operate the automatic door closing device
to enable an automatic closing motion of the drawer unit. The
damper device may operate simultaneously with the automatic door
closing device when including the first damper rod, or may operate
with a predetermined time delay after operation of the automatic
door closing device begins when including the second damper
rod.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0057] These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more
readily appreciated from the following description of the
embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of
which:
[0058] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment;
[0059] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of a drawer unit and an automatic door closing
device;
[0060] FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a state in which the
drawer unit is inserted to close a second storage compartment;
[0061] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a state in which the
drawer unit is retracted to open the second storage
compartment;
[0062] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the interior
configuration of the automatic door closing device;
[0063] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a first rail
member mounted inside the second storage compartment;
[0064] FIGS. 7A and 7B to 10A and 10B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device according
to the embodiment;
[0065] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of the drawer unit, automatic door closing device and
damper device according to another embodiment;
[0066] FIG. 12 is a side view illustrating the drawer unit
accommodated in the second storage compartment according to another
embodiment;
[0067] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the interior
configuration of the automatic door closing device and damper
device according to another embodiment;
[0068] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a first rail
member mounted inside the second storage compartment according to
another embodiment;
[0069] FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and 18B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device and damper
device according to another embodiment; and
[0070] FIGS. 19A and 19B to 22A and 22B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device and damper
device according to a further embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0071] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements
throughout.
[0072] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment.
[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a body
10 having first and second storage compartments 12 and 13
vertically divided by an insulating partition 11, first storage
compartment doors 14a and 14b provided at the front of the first
storage compartment 12 to open or close the first storage
compartment 12, and a drawer unit 20 provided at the front of the
second storage compartment 13 to open or close the second storage
compartment 13.
[0074] The refrigerator basically includes constituent elements of
a refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor (not shown), condenser
(not shown), expander (not shown) and evaporator (not shown), in
the same manner as a general refrigerator.
[0075] The first storage compartment 12 may function as a
refrigerating compartment and the second storage compartment 13 may
function as a freezing compartment. Of course, the roles of the
respective storage compartments may be changed as necessary.
[0076] The refrigerator 1 of FIG. 1 is a French type refrigerator,
which is an example of a Bottom Mounted Freezer (BMF) in which a
lower storage compartment is a freezing compartment and an upper
storage compartment is a refrigerating compartment. In this case,
the storage compartments 12 and 13 may receive relatively wide
items, such as pizza, and so on.
[0077] Shelves 15 to support food are installed at predetermined
distances in the first storage compartment 12 such that food is
kept on the shelves 15 at a temperature slightly above freezing.
The second storage compartment 13 contains a receiving basket 16
slidably provided in an upper region thereof to receive frozen
food.
[0078] The pair of first storage compartment doors 14a and 14b is
pivotally coupled to the first storage compartment 12 so as to be
rotatable leftward or rightward.
[0079] Hereinafter, the drawer unit 20 and an automatic door
closing device 100 will be described in detail.
[0080] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of the drawer unit and automatic door closing device,
FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a state in which the drawer unit
is inserted to close the second storage compartment, FIG. 4 is a
side view illustrating a state in which the drawer unit is
retracted to open the second storage compartment, FIG. 5 is a
perspective view illustrating the interior configuration of the
automatic door closing device, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view
illustrating a first rail member mounted inside the second storage
compartment.
[0081] The drawer unit 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, include
a door 21 to open or close the second storage compartment 13, a
supporting member 22 provided at a rear surface of the door 21 to
support the drawer unit 20, a storage container 23 to store food
therein, and a sliding device 30 to enable sliding opening/closing
of the drawer unit 20.
[0082] The drawer unit 20 takes the form of a drawer type door to
be opened or closed in a sliding manner.
[0083] The supporting member 22 protrudes from the rear surface of
the door 21 and serves as a frame to support the entire drawer unit
20.
[0084] The storage container 23 is seated in the supporting member
22 and food is stored therein. The storage container 23 is pulled
forward simultaneously with opening of the drawer unit 20, allowing
a user to easily place items in or retrieve items from the storage
container 23.
[0085] The sliding device 30 is provided at either lateral surface
of the supporting member 22. The sliding device 30 may take the
form of a triple rail consisting of a first rail member 31 fixed to
an inner wall of the second storage compartment 13, a second rail
member 32 provided movably relative to the first rail member 31,
and a third rail member 33 fixed to the lateral surface of the
supporting member 22 so as to be movable relative to the second
rail member 32.
[0086] The triple rail type sliding device 30 serves to increase
the maximum opening range of the drawer unit 20. Of course, a dual
rail type sliding device may be used.
[0087] The second storage compartment 13 is provided at the inner
wall thereof with a rail guide 180 to surround and fix the first
rail member 31. The rail guide 180 serves to attach the first rail
member 31 to the second storage compartment 13 and to assure smooth
sliding motion of the sliding device 30.
[0088] A holding member 190 protrudes underneath the rail guide
180. The holding member 190 serves to initiate an automatic closing
motion of the drawer unit 20 by being caught by the automatic door
closing device 100. The holding member 190 is engaged into a
holding recess 135 of a rotator 130 that will be described
hereinafter.
[0089] Bearings (not shown) are provided between the respective
rail members 31, 32 and 33 of the sliding device 30 and serve to
facilitate easy insertion/retraction of the drawer unit 20 via
rolling motion thereof.
[0090] The automatic door closing device 100 is arranged at a front
region of either lateral surface of the drawer unit 20. The
automatic door closing device 100 serves to move the drawer unit 20
to allow the drawer unit 20 to close the second storage compartment
13 when the drawer unit 20 reaches a predetermined position in the
course of being inserted into the second storage compartment
13.
[0091] Specifically, the automatic door closing device 100 is
arranged underneath a lateral front region of the supporting member
22. This arrangement has the effect of reducing a moving distance
of the drawer unit 20 required to allow the automatic door closing
device 100 to begin an operation to close the second storage
compartment 13.
[0092] As compared to the above described conventional automatic
door closing device that is installed to the rear of the sliding
device to begin an automatic closing operation when the drawer unit
is almost closed, the automatic door closing device 100 according
to the embodiment is installed independently of the sliding device
30 and also, is located in a front region of the drawer unit 20,
thereby beginning an automatic door closing operation even if the
drawer unit 20 is inserted only a short distance into the second
storage compartment 13.
[0093] Although the embodiment describes the automatic door closing
device 100 as being arranged underneath the lateral front region of
the supporting member 22, the automatic door closing device 100 may
be arranged above the lateral front region of the supporting member
22.
[0094] The automatic door closing device 100 does not invade an
installation region of the sliding device 30 on the supporting
member 22 and thus, the sliding device 30 may be arranged
throughout the supporting member 22 in a longitudinal direction
thereof to uniformly support the weight of the drawer unit 20.
[0095] Specifically, the drawer unit 20 including the door 21, the
storage container 23 and the supporting member 22 is very heavy and
moreover, once food is put into the storage container 23, the
weight of the drawer unit 20 further increases. The weight of the
drawer unit 20 is wholly supported by the sliding device 30.
Arranging the automatic door closing device 100 underneath the
supporting member 22 independently of the sliding device 30 may
assure a sufficient longitudinal arrangement space of the sliding
device 30.
[0096] The holding member 190, which initiates an automatic closing
motion of the drawer unit 20 by being caught by the automatic door
closing device 100, is also arranged in a front region of the
second storage compartment 13.
[0097] The closer the holding member 190 is to the entrance of the
second storage compartment 13, the shorter the moving distance of
the drawer unit 20 required to allow the automatic door closing
device 100 to begin an operation to close the second storage
compartment 13. However, this may require to proportionally
increase the modulus of elasticity of an elastic member 140 that
will be described hereinafter and pressure applied to the drawer
unit 20 by the user. Therefore, the position of the holding member
190 is determined within the range of the front region of the
second storage compartment 13 in consideration of the above
described complex factors.
[0098] The automatic door closing device 100, as illustrated in
FIGS. 5 and 6, includes a case 110 defining the outer appearance of
the automatic door closing device 100, a slider 120 linearly
movably arranged in the case 110, the rotator 130 rotatably coupled
to one end of the slider 120, and the elastic member 140 connecting
the slider 120 and the case 110 to each other.
[0099] The case 110 is directly attached to a lower end of the
supporting member 22, and accommodates the slider 120, the rotator
130 and the elastic member 140.
[0100] The case 110 includes a guide rail 112 to guide the slider
120 and the rotator 130 to move along a predetermined route. The
guide rail 112 includes a straight path 113 and a holding portion
114 defined in an end of the straight path 113 by which the rotator
130 is caught to perform a rotating motion.
[0101] The case further includes a guide slot 117 parallel to the
guide rail 112. The holding member 190 formed at the lower end of
the rail guide 180 may be engaged into the holding recess 135 of
the rotator 130 through the guide slot 117.
[0102] The slider 120 is moved on the straight path 113 of the
guide rail 112 by elasticity of the elastic member 140 and the
pulling or pushing force of the drawer unit 20 applied by the
user.
[0103] The rotator 130 is rotatably coupled to one end of the
slider 120 by use of coupling pins 125. The rotator 130 has no
rotating motion while moving on the straight path 113. However,
once caught by the holding portion 114, the entire rotator 130 is
rotated as a protrusion 137 of the rotator 130 is fitted into the
holding portion 114. The holding recess 135 is indented in an upper
surface of the rotator 130 for engagement of the holding member
190. Specifically, as the drawer unit 20 is moved to open or close
the second storage compartment 13, the holding member 190 formed at
the inner wall of the second storage compartment 13 is engaged into
the holding recess 135 of the rotator 130 through the guide slot
117, and the slider 120 and the rotator 130 are moved on the guide
rail 120.
[0104] One end of the elastic member 140 may be fixed to the case
110 and the other end of the elastic member 140 may be fixed to the
slider 120.
[0105] The elastic member 140 may be located between the case 110
and the slider 120, to provide the slider 120 with elasticity
required for movement relative to the case 110. Specifically, the
elastic member 140 may be in a compressed state in the closed state
of the drawer unit 20 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the
elastic member 140 may be stretched as the slider 120 is moved
relative to the case 110 if the user pulls the drawer unit 20 as
illustrated in FIG. 4. On the contrary, if the user pushes the
drawer unit 20, the slider 120 is moved relative to the case 110 by
restoration force of the elastic member 140, thereby allowing the
drawer unit 20 to be automatically closed.
[0106] Hereinafter, the operation sequence of the automatic door
closing device 100 according to the embodiment will be
described.
[0107] FIGS. 7A and 7B to 10A and 10B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device according
to the embodiment.
[0108] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate the interior configuration of the
automatic door closing device 100 in a state in which the user
pulls the drawer unit 20 forward to open the second storage
compartment 13. Specifically, the rotator 130 is rotated as the
rotator protrusion 137 is introduced into the holding portion 114
of the guide rail 112. In this case, the drawer unit 20 is pulled
out to the maximum extent and also, the elastic member 140 is
stretched to the maximum extent. The rotator 130 restrains the
slider 120 in the case 110 to prevent the slider 120 from being
moved relative to the case 110.
[0109] The holding member 190 is separated from the holding recess
135 of the rotator 130. Specifically, the automatic door closing
device 100 is spaced apart from the holding member 190 by a first
operation inducing distance S1. Here, the first operation inducing
distance S1 is a moving distance of the automatic door closing
device 100 prior to being operated by the holding member 190.
[0110] As illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, if the user pushes the
drawer unit 20 in an "X" direction, the drawer unit 20 is pushed
inward into the second storage compartment 13 and the automatic
door closing device 100 is moved along with the drawer unit 20,
causing the holding member 190 to be engaged into the holding
recess 135 of the rotator 130 and simultaneously, the rotator 130
to be separated from the holding portion 114. Specifically, the
protrusion 137 of the rotator 130 is separated from the holding
portion 114 via rotation of the rotator 130, and the slider 120 is
released from the case 110 thus being movable relative to the case
110.
[0111] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a state in which the rotator 130
is completely separated from the holding portion 114 and reaches
the straight path 113. In this case, the elastic member 140 is in a
stretched state and exerts an elastic restoration force. Since the
holding member 190 is still engaged in the holding recess 135,
consequently, the restoration force of the elastic member 140 acts
to pull the entire drawer unit 20 into the second storage
compartment 13, and makes it unnecessary for the user to apply
force to the drawer unit 20 to close the drawer unit 20.
[0112] The rotator 130 and the slider 120 are moved on the straight
path 113 by the restoration force of the elastic member 140 and
consequently, the drawer unit 20 completely closes the second
storage compartment 13 (see FIGS. 10A and 10B). That is, the drawer
unit 20 is automatically closed from a position where the rotator
130 is separated from the holding portion 114 even through the user
does not apply force to the drawer unit 20.
[0113] The above description explains an operation in which the
user applies force to the opened drawer unit 20 and the drawer unit
20 is automatically closed after reaching a predetermined position.
An operation of opening the closed drawer unit 20 will be performed
in reverse. Specifically, if the user pulls the drawer unit 20, the
drawer unit 20 will be opened starting from the state of FIGS. 10A
and 10B through the sequence of FIGS. 9A and 9B, 8A and 8B and 7A
and 7B.
[0114] Although the above described embodiment describes the case
where the automatic door closing device 100 is provided at the
drawer unit 20 and the holding member 190 is provided at the inner
wall of the second storage compartment 13, the present embodiment
is equally applicable to the opposite case.
[0115] For example, even in the case where the arrangement
positions of the automatic door closing device 100 and the holding
member 190 are changed such that the holding member 190 is provided
underneath the supporting member 22 and the automatic door closing
device 100 is provided at the inner wall of the second storage
compartment 13, the automatic door closing motion of the drawer
unit 20 may be accomplished in the same manner as the above
description.
[0116] Hereinafter, the drawer unit 20, the automatic door closing
device 100 and a damper device 200 according to another embodiment
will be described. Description of the same configurations as those
of the above described embodiment will be omitted.
[0117] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the outer
appearance of the drawer unit, automatic door closing device and
damper device according to another embodiment, FIG. 12 is a side
view illustrating the drawer unit accommodated in the second
storage compartment according to another embodiment, FIG. 13 is a
perspective view illustrating the interior configuration of the
automatic door closing device and damper device according to
another embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating
the first rail member mounted inside the second storage compartment
according to another embodiment.
[0118] The drawer unit 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 14,
further includes the damper device 200 to prevent sudden movement
of the drawer unit 20, in addition to the door 21, the supporting
member 22, the storage container 23, and the sliding device 30.
[0119] The damper device 200 is arranged underneath the case 110 of
the automatic door closing device 100 and serves to alleviate shock
generated when the drawer unit 20 closes the storage compartment 13
by interacting with a damping protrusion 195 provided at the inner
wall of the storage compartment 13.
[0120] The damper device 200 includes a damper case 210 directly
coupled to the case 110 of the automatic door closing device 100, a
damper body 220 arranged in the damper case 210 to alleviate
external force, and a damper rod 230 connected to one end of the
damper body 220 to come into contact with the damping protrusion
195 according to movement of the drawer unit 20.
[0121] The damper case 210 defines the outer appearance of the
damper device 200 and is directly coupled to the case 110 of the
automatic door closing device 100. The damper case 210 serves to
accommodate the damper body 220 therein.
[0122] The damper body 220 accommodated in the damper case 210
serves to substantially alleviate external force. To this end, the
interior space of the damper body 220 is charged with at least one
of gas, oil and air, and a piston (not shown) is moved in the
charged space to alleviate shock.
[0123] The damper rod 230 extends from the end of the damper body
220. The damper rod 230 is connected to the piston provided in the
damper body 220 to move along with the piston. As the damper rod
230 comes into contact with the damping protrusion 195, shock
generated when the drawer unit 20 closes the storage compartment 13
is transmitted to the damper body 220.
[0124] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the holding member 190 protrudes
underneath the rail guide 180, and the damping protrusion 195 to
interact with the damper rod 230 of the damper device 200 is formed
underneath the holding member 190. The damping protrusion 195 is
integrally formed with the holding member 190 and is positioned to
come into contact with the damper rod 230.
[0125] Hereinafter, the operation sequence of the automatic door
closing device 100 and the damper device 200 according to another
embodiment will be described.
[0126] FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and 18B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device and damper
device according to another embodiment.
[0127] FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate the interior configuration of
the automatic door closing device 100 in a state in which the user
pulls the drawer unit 20 forward to open the second storage
compartment 13. Specifically, the rotator 130 is rotated as the
rotator protrusion 137 is introduced into the holding portion 114
of the guide rail 112. In this case, the drawer unit 20 is pulled
out to the maximum extent and also, the elastic member 140 is
stretched to the maximum extent. The rotator 130 restrains the
slider 130 in the case 110 to prevent the slider 120 from being
moved relative to the case 110.
[0128] The holding member 190 is separated from the holding recess
135 of the rotator 130. Specifically, the automatic door closing
device 100 is spaced apart from the holding member 190 by the first
operation inducing distance S1. Here, the first operation inducing
distance 51 is a moving distance of the automatic door closing
device 100 prior to being operated by the holding member 190.
[0129] In FIGS. 15A and 15B, the damper rod 230 of the damper
device 200 protrudes rightward of the damper case 210 by internal
pressure of the damper body 220 and is spaced apart from the
damping protrusion 195 by the first operation inducing distance S1.
In this case, the damper rod 230 may be referred to as a first
damper rod 232 having a relatively long length d1 to come into
contact with the damping protrusion 195 from an initial stage in
which the storage compartment 13 is closed by elasticity of the
elastic member 140. Accordingly, the automatic door closing device
100 and the damper device 120 have the same first operation
inducing distance S1 and thus, operations thereof occur
simultaneously.
[0130] As illustrated in FIGS. 16A and 16B, if the user pushes the
drawer unit 20 in a "Y" direction, the drawer unit 20 is pushed
inward into the second storage compartment 13 and the automatic
door closing device 100 is moved along with the drawer unit 20,
causing the holding member 190 to be engaged into the holding
recess 135 of the rotator 130 and simultaneously, the rotator 130
to be separated from the holding portion 114. In this case, the
damper rod 230 almost comes into contact with the damping
protrusion 195.
[0131] FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a state in which the rotator
130 is completely separated from the holding portion 114 and
reaches the straight path 113. In this case, the elastic member 140
is in a stretched state and exerts an elastic restoration force,
thereby acting to pull the entire drawer unit 20 into the second
storage compartment 13 and making it unnecessary for the user to
apply force to the drawer unit 20 to close the drawer unit 20. The
damper device 200 alleviates the restoration force of the elastic
member 140, allowing the drawer unit 20 to be closed slowly.
[0132] The rotator 130 and the slider 120 are moved on the straight
path 113 by the restoration force of the elastic member 140 and the
shock alleviation effect of the damper device 200 and consequently,
the drawer unit 20 completely closes the second storage compartment
13 (see FIGS. 18A and 18B). That is, the drawer unit 20 is
automatically and slowly closed from a position where the rotator
130 is separated from the holding portion 114 even though the user
does not apply force to the drawer unit 20.
[0133] The above description explains an operation in which the
user applies force to the opened drawer unit 20 and the drawer unit
20 is automatically and slowly closed after reaching a
predetermined position. An operation of opening the closed drawer
unit 20 will be performed in reverse. Specifically, if the user
pulls the drawer unit 20, the drawer unit 20 will be opened
starting from the state of FIGS. 18A and 18B through the sequence
of FIGS. 17A and 17B, 16A and 16B and 15A and 15B.
[0134] The remaining configurations are identical to those of the
above described embodiment.
[0135] Hereinafter, configurations and operation sequence of the
automatic door closing device 100 and a damper device 200 according
to a further embodiment will be described. Description of the same
configurations as those of the above described embodiments will be
omitted.
[0136] FIGS. 19A and 19B and 22A and 22B are views illustrating the
operation sequence of the automatic door closing device and damper
device according to the further embodiment.
[0137] As illustrated in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the damper device 300
according to the present embodiment includes a damper case 310, a
damper body 320, and a damper rod 330, in the same manner as the
embodiment of FIGS. 11 to 18A and 18B.
[0138] Although the damper rod 330 of the damper device 300
protrudes rightward of the damper case 310 by internal pressure of
the damper body 320 and is spaced apart from the damping protrusion
195 by a predetermined distance in the same manner as the above
described embodiment, the damper rod 330 may be referred to as a
second damper rod 332 having a shorter length d2 than the first
damper rod 232 of the FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and 18B, to come
into contact with the damping protrusion 195 after the storage
compartment 13 is closed to some extent by elasticity of the
elastic member 140.
[0139] The second damper rod 332 of the present embodiment is
shorter than the first damper rod 232 and therefore, is more
distant from the damping protrusion 195 than the embodiment of
FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and 18B. More specifically, the second
damper rod 332 is spaced apart from the damping protrusion 195 by a
second operation inducing distance S2. Thus, the damper device 300
begins to alleviate the restoration force of the elastic member 140
later than the embodiment of FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and 18B. In
this case, the damper device 300 may begin to operate with a time
delay after the automatic door closing device begins to operate.
That is, the automatic door closing device 100 is operated by the
holding operation 190 after being moved by the first operation
inducing distance S1, and the damper device 300 is operated by the
damping protrusion 195 after being moved by the second operation
inducing distance S2. Since the first operation inducing distance
S1 of the automatic door closing device 100 is shorter than the
second operation inducing distance S2 of the damper device 300,
operation of the damper device 300 may begin with a time delay
after operation of the automatic door closing device 100
begins.
[0140] Considering the time interleaved operation in more detail in
terms of the operation sequence, if the user pulls the drawer unit
20 in a "Z" direction in a state of FIGS. 19A and 19B in which the
drawer unit 20 has been pulled to open the second storage
compartment 13, the holding member 190 is engaged into the holding
recess 135 of the rotator 130 and simultaneously, the rotator 130
is separated from the holding portion 114 as illustrated in FIGS.
20A and 20B.
[0141] The second damper rod 332 is spaced apart from the damping
protrusion 195 in such a state of FIGS. 20A and 20B, and thus, the
damper device 300 does not alleviate the restoration force of the
elastic member 140. However, differently, the first damper rod 232
almost comes into contact with the damping protrusion 195 in the
state of FIGS. 16A and 16B in which the rotator 130 is separated
from the holding portion 114, beginning shock alleviation of the
damper device 200.
[0142] The second damper rod 332 comes into contact with the
damping protrusion 195 in a state of FIGS. 21A and 21B in which the
rotator 130 is completely separated from the holding portion 114
and reaches the straight path 113, beginning shock alleviation of
the damper device 300. Then, the damper device 300 alleviates the
restoration force of the elastic member 140 until the drawer unit
20 completely closes the second storage compartment 13 as
illustrated in FIGS. 22A and 22b.
[0143] As described above, the damper device 300 of the present
embodiment begins to alleviate the restoration force of the elastic
member 140 later than the damper device 200 of the above secondly
described embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A and
18B.
[0144] That is, the damper device 200 of FIGS. 15A and 15B to 18A
and 18B may be used when it is desired to alleviate the closing
speed and shock of the drawer unit 20 using the damper device 200
from the time when the automatic door closing device 100 causes the
drawer unit 20 to close the second storage compartment 13. On the
other hand, the damper device 300 of FIGS. 19A and 19B to 22A and
22B may be used when it is desired to alleviate the closing speed
and shock of the drawer unit 20 using the damper device 300 after
the drawer unit 20 closes the second storage compartment 13 to some
extent under assistance of the automatic door closing device
100.
[0145] As is apparent from the above description, in an automatic
door closing device of a refrigerator and a refrigerator having the
same according to the embodiment, a drawer unit may automatically
close a storage compartment after reaching a predetermined position
in the course of entering the storage compartment even if the user
does not apply force to the drawer unit.
[0146] Further, the automatic door closing device may allow the
drawer unit to perform an automatic closing motion even if the
drawer unit is inserted only a short distance into the storage
compartment, resulting in enhanced use convenience.
[0147] The automatic door closing device is provided at the outside
of a supporting member of the drawer unit to provide an arrangement
space for the sliding device.
[0148] The automatic door closing device may easily support the
drawer unit despite the heavy weight of the drawer unit.
[0149] Furthermore, through use of a damper device, the drawer unit
may be closed at a steady rate.
[0150] The steady rate closing of the drawer unit may prevent shock
or damage to the refrigerator.
[0151] Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it
would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may
be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles
and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *