U.S. patent application number 13/186105 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for refrigerator.
Invention is credited to Jiwon KIM.
Application Number | 20120018435 13/186105 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44644934 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120018435 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Jiwon |
January 26, 2012 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A refrigerator is disclosed. The present invention includes a
body having at least one storage space, a door mounted to the body
to selectively open/close the storage space, at least one rail part
provided to a backside of the door, and a basket assembly including
a basket and a sliding module guided along the rail part together
with the basket, the sliding module to be selectively fixed to the
rail part by a lever.
Inventors: |
KIM; Jiwon; (Changwon-si,
KR) |
Family ID: |
44644934 |
Appl. No.: |
13/186105 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 25/04 20130101;
F25D 23/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/592.02 |
International
Class: |
F25D 23/02 20060101
F25D023/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 20, 2010 |
KR |
10-2010-0069801 |
Jul 20, 2010 |
KR |
10-2010-0069802 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a body having at least one storage
space; a door mounted to the body to selectively open/close the
storage space; at least one rail part provided to a backside of the
door; and a basket assembly including a basket and a sliding module
guided along the rail part together with the basket, the sliding
module to be selectively fixed to the rail part by a lever.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, the sliding module comprising: a
slide body; a rolling part provided to the slide body to be
received in the rail part; and a lever part rotatably mounted to
the slide body.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2, the lever part comprising: a lever
rotatably mounted to the slide body, the lever including an
insertion portion to be selectively inserted in the rail part and a
handle portion for manipulation of a turning motion; and an elastic
member to apply an elastic force to the lever in a direction of
pressurizing the rail part.
4. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein if a pressurizing force is
applied to the lever, the lever part moves along the rail part and
wherein if the pressurizing is removed from the lever, the lever
part is inserted in the rail part.
5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a stopper to enable the
turning motion of the lever toward the rail part within a
prescribed turning angle range is provided to the slide body.
6. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a plurality of insertion
holes to receive the insertion portion are provided to the rail
part in a height direction.
7. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rolling part comprises
a projection part to be received in the rail part.
8. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rolling part comprises
at least one roller.
9. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rolling part comprises
a first roller and a second roller spaced apart from the first
roller in a width direction of the rail part.
10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein a width of the rail part
is greater than that of each of the first roller and the second
roller.
11. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein a plurality of first and
second rollers are provided along a length direction of the rail
part.
12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the second roller is
arranged between a pair of the first rollers adjacent to each
other.
13. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rail part comprises a
pair of rails arranged in a manner of being spaced apart from each
other with a prescribed space in-between, wherein each of a pair of
the rails has a plurality of insertion holes and a guide portion
formed along a length direction, and wherein the sliding module is
provided to each of both sides of the basket.
14. The refrigerator of claim 1, the basket comprises: a mounting
rib configured to have the sliding module loaded thereon; and a
basket body configured to be detachably received in the mounting
rib.
15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the mounting rib is
formed of metal substance.
16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the basket body comprises
an insertion part configured to be received in the mounting rib and
a deco part configured to be externally exposed and wherein a
boundary between the insertion part and the deco part is stepped in
a manner that a cross-section area of the deco part is greater than
that of the insertion part.
17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein an outer circumference of
the insertion part adheres closely to an inner circumference of the
mounting rib and the stepped boundary is mounted to an upper
surface of the mounting rib.
18. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein a hanging part configured
to have the mounting rib loaded thereon is provided to each of both
lateral sides of the backside of the door and a projection part
configured to be fitted into the hanging part is provided to each
of both lateral sides of the mounting rib.
Description
[0001] Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a), this application claims
the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean
Application Nos. 10-2010-0069801, filed on Jul. 20, 2010 and
10-2010-0069802 filed on Jul. 20, 2010, the contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. Although
the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications,
it is particularly suitable for low temperature storage of
food.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a refrigerator is a device for enabling low
temperature storage of the stored stuff to keep food fresh for a
long time. In the refrigerator, the stuff is kept in a manner of
adjusting a state of a chill in accordance with a state of the
stuff to be kept.
[0006] The chill supplied into a refrigerator is generated from the
heat exchange reaction of refrigerant. In particular, the chill is
continuously supplied to an internal space of the refrigerator by
the repeated execution of a cycle consisting of compression,
condensation, expansion and evaporation. The supplied chill is
evenly distributed to the internal space of the refrigerator by
convection to enable food to be stored in the refrigerator at a
desired temperature.
[0007] Refrigerators may be classified into a normal type
refrigerator, a side-by-side type refrigerator, a bottom freezer
type refrigerator and the like in accordance with the configuration
of a freezer compartment and a cold refrigerator.
[0008] Regarding the configuration of the normal type refrigerator,
a freezer compartment is situated at an upper part of the
refrigerator and a cold compartment is situated at a lower part of
the refrigerator. Regarding the configuration of the side-by-side
type refrigerator, a freezer compartment and a cold compartment are
laterally arranged side by side.
[0009] The bottom freezer type refrigerators are widely used in
U.S.A, Europe and the like. Regarding the configuration of the
bottom freezer type refrigerator, a cold compartment, which is
larger than a cold compartment, is situated at an upper part of the
refrigerator and a freezer compartment is situated to a lower part
of the refrigerator.
[0010] Meanwhile, a refrigerator includes a body having at least
one storage space for low temperature storage and a door rotatably
attached to the body to selectively open/close the storage
space.
[0011] Regarding the configuration of the body, while an inner case
is arranged within an outer case, a space between the outer case
and the inner case is filled up with a heat insulator for the
insulation between a space for cold storage or frozen storage and
an external space. And, a plurality of shelves are loaded in the
inner case.
[0012] Recently, various functions are applied to a refrigerator
for user's convenience in using the refrigerator. In order to
implement such functions, the door is provided with a home bar for
facilitating reception and storage of food or food containers to
some extent or a plurality of baskets are provided to a backside of
the door.
[0013] In particular, a plurality of the baskets may be provided to
the backside of the door in a manner of being spaced apart from
each other by maintaining a prescribed space in-between. And, each
of the baskets is generally fixed to the backside of the door.
However, since a height of each of the baskets and a space between
two neighboring baskets are fixed, the basket configuration of the
related art has difficulty in meeting a height of a storage
container or user's convenience in reception.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a
refrigerator that substantially obviates one or more problems due
to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which a position of a basket may be adjusted in
accordance with a height of a storage container or user's
convenience in reception.
[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which lateral looseness of a basket may be
prevented in the course of adjusting a position of the basket.
[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which user's convenience may be enhanced using a
lever structure in consideration of a user's user interface.
[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which a basket may be prevented from being
separated in the course of receiving food.
[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which a basket may be easily detached for
cleaning.
[0020] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
refrigerator, by which rigidity of a basket may be raised with
fancy exterior.
[0021] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be
learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other
advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and
claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0022] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in
accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and
broadly described herein, a refrigerator according to the present
invention includes a body having at least one storage space, a door
mounted to the body to selectively open/close the storage space, at
least one rail part provided to a backside of the door, and a
basket assembly having a basket and a sliding module guided along
the rail part together with the basket, the sliding module to be
selectively fixed to the rail part by a lever.
[0023] Preferably, the sliding module includes a slide body, a
rolling part provided to one side of the slide body to be received
in the rail part, and a lever part rotatably mounted to the slide
body.
[0024] More preferably, the lever part includes a lever rotatably
mounted to the slide body, the lever having an insertion portion
configured to be selectively inserted in the rail part and a handle
portion for manipulation of a turning motion and an elastic member
configured to apply an elastic force to the lever in a direction of
pressurizing the rail part.
[0025] More preferably, if a pressurizing force is applied to the
lever, the lever part moves along the rail part. If the
pressurizing is removed from the lever, the lever part is inserted
in the rail part.
[0026] And, a stopper configured to enable the turning motion of
the lever toward the rail part within a prescribed turning angle
range is provided to the slide body.
[0027] Moreover, a plurality of insertion holes configured to
receive the insertion portion are provided to the rail part in a
height direction.
[0028] More preferably, the rolling part includes a projection part
configured to be received in the rail part.
[0029] More preferably, the rolling part includes at least one
roller.
[0030] More preferably, the rolling part includes a first roller
and a second roller spaced apart from the first roller in a width
direction of the rail part.
[0031] In this case, a width of the rail part is greater than that
of each of the first roller and the second roller.
[0032] And, a plurality of first and second rollers are provided
along a length direction of the rail part. Moreover, the second
roller is arranged between a pair of the first rollers adjacent to
each other.
[0033] More preferably, the rail part includes a pair of rails
arranged in a manner of being spaced apart from each other with a
prescribed space in-between, each of a pair of the rails has a
plurality of insertion holes and a guide portion formed along a
length direction, and the sliding module is provided to each of
both sides of the basket.
[0034] Preferably, the basket includes a mounting rib configured to
have the sliding module loaded thereon and a basket body configured
to be detachably received in the mounting rib.
[0035] More preferably, the mounting rib is formed of metal
substance.
[0036] More preferably, the basket body includes an insertion part
configured to be received in the mounting rib and a deco part
configured to be externally exposed and a boundary between the
insertion part and the deco part is stepped in a manner that a
cross-section area of the deco part is greater than that of the
insertion part.
[0037] In this case, an outer circumference of the insertion part
adheres closely to an inner circumference of the mounting rib and
the stepped boundary is mounted to an upper surface of the mounting
rib.
[0038] More preferably, a hanging part configured to have the
mounting rib loaded thereon is provided to each of both lateral
sides of the backside of the door and a projection part configured
to be fitted into the hanging part is provided to each of both
lateral sides of the mounting rib.
[0039] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide
further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. The above and other aspects,
features, and advantages of the present invention will become more
apparent upon consideration of the following description of
preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawing figures. In the drawings:
[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of a refrigerator having a
door open in part according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0042] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective diagram for details of a
refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0043] FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of a basket assembly shown
in FIG. 2;
[0044] FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram of a sliding module shown in
FIG. 3;
[0045] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional diagram for describing position
adjustment of a basket shown in FIG. 2;
[0046] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective diagram for details of a
refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present
invention;
[0047] FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram of a basket assembly shown
in FIG. 6;
[0048] FIG. 8 is a perspective diagram of a sliding module shown in
FIG. 7;
[0049] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram for describing position
adjustment of a basket shown in FIG. 6;
[0050] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective diagram of a basket
assembly of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the
present invention;
[0051] FIG. 11 is a perspective diagram of an assembled
configuration of components of the basket assembly shown in FIG.
10; and
[0052] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective diagram of the basket
assembly shown in FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0053] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawing figures which form a part hereof, and
which show by way of illustration specific embodiments of the
invention. It is to be understood by those of ordinary skill in
this technological field that other embodiments may be utilized,
and structural, electrical, as well as procedural changes may be
made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used
throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.
[0054] In the following description, a refrigerator according to
one embodiment of the present invention is explained in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings
show exemplary configurations of the present invention for details
of the description only, by which the technical scope of the
present invention is non-limited.
[0055] Moreover, the same reference number is given to a same or
corresponding component irrespective of drawing numbers and its
redundant description shall be omitted. For clarity and convenience
of the following description, a size and/or shape of each component
shown in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced.
[0056] Meanwhile, terminologies including such an ordinal number as
first, second and the like are usable in describing various
components. Yet, the components are non-limited by the
terminologies. And, the terminologies are just used to discern one
component from other components.
[0057] FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram of a refrigerator having a
door open in part according to one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0058] First of all, a refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment
of the present invention is applicable to all refrigerator types
(e.g., a general type, a side-by-side type, a bottom freezer type,
etc.), and more particularly, to a refrigerator including at least
one body for low temperature storage and a door rotatably attached
to the body to selectively open/close a storage space. For clarity
and convenience, the following description relates to a
side-by-side type refrigerator which is popularly used, and which
includes a freezer compartment and a cold compartment laterally
arranged in parallel to be selectively opened/closed by a
corresponding door.
[0059] A refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present
invention includes a body 40 having at least one storage space 40
for low temperature storage, a door 30 rotatably attached to the
body 10 to open/close the storage space 40, and a basket assembly
100 including at least one rail part (not shown in the drawing)
provided to a backside of the door 30 and a sliding module (not
shown in the drawing) provided to one side of the basket to be
guided along the rail part and to be selectively fixed to the rail
part by a lever.
[0060] Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 according to one
embodiment of the present invention includes a body 10 providing a
space and exterior for storing food and food containers in a sate
of low temperature. In particular, the body 10 has an approximately
rectangular parallelepiped shape. A front side of the body 10 is
configured open for reception of the food and the food containers.
And, the body 10 includes an outer case (not reference-numbered)
and at least one inner case (not reference-numbered) loaded within
the outer case to provide a storage space for refrigeration or cold
storage or refrigeration of food and the like.
[0061] A door is rotatably attached to the open front side of the
body 10 to open/close selectively. In FIG. 1, a side-by-side type
refrigerator is shown. In order to open/close a left storage space
or a right storage space 40 selectively, a first door 20 and a
second door 30 are attached to the body 10.
[0062] Recently, various functions are applied to a refrigerator
for convenience in using the refrigerator. In order to implement
the convenient functions, a dispenser 21 may be provided to the
first door 20 to directly take out purified water or ice to an
external space. And, a home bar for receiving and keeping food
and/or food containers conveniently to some extent and the like may
be further provided to the second door 30.
[0063] An inner space of the body 10 is partitioned into a left
space and a right space. Generally, the left space plays a role as
a freezer compartment (not shown in the drawing) for receiving to
keep food and food containers at the temperature below 0.degree. C.
and the right space plays a role as a cold compartment 40 for
receiving to keep food and food containers at the temperature above
0.degree. C.
[0064] In particular, the freezer compartment is used to keep food
for a long time in a manner of keeping the food in the inner space
at the temperature below 0.degree. C. And, the cold compartment 40
is used to keep food fresh in a manner of keeping the temperature
lower than a room temperature above 0.degree. C.
[0065] A plurality of shelves 41 are provided to an inner space of
each of the freezer compartment and the cold compartment 40. Hence,
the inner space of each of the freezer compartment and the cold
compartment 40 may be partitioned into a plurality of layers. And,
drawer(s) 42 may be further provided to the inner space of each of
the freezer compartment and the cold compartment to receive such
food as vegetables, fruits and the like.
[0066] At least one basket assembly 100 is provided to a backside
of the first door 20 or the second door 30 along a height direction
of the corresponding door 20/30 to receive and keep relatively
small foods, drinks and the like. FIG. 1 shows the case that the
basket assembly 100 is provided to the backside of the second door
30 only. Yet, it is a matter of course that such a basket assembly
as shown in FIG. 1 may be provided to the backside of the first
door 20.
[0067] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective diagram for details of a
refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of a basket assembly
shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram of a sliding
module shown in FIG. 3. And, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional diagram
for describing position adjustment of a basket shown in FIG. 2.
[0068] As mentioned in the foregoing description, the objects of
the present invention are as follows. First of all, a position of a
basket may be adjusted in accordance with a height of a storage
container or user's convenience in reception. Secondly, lateral
looseness of a basket may be prevented in the course of adjusting a
position of a basket. Thirdly, user's convenience may be enhanced
using a lever structure in consideration of a user's user
interface.
[0069] A dike 32 is provided to an edge portion of the backside of
the second door 30, whereby a basket configured to provide various
reception spaces may be installed at the dike 32. In particular,
the dike 32 may be configured to substantially have a shape of a
rectangular frame. And, the dike 32 may have a structure to support
both lateral sides of the home bar 31 or the basket assembly
100.
[0070] The dike 32 may have a rail structure to guide a sliding
movement of the basket assembly 100. In case that a separate rail
part 170 for guiding the basket assembly 100 is provided to the
backside of the door 30, the dike 32 may be configured to cover the
rail part 170 in order to prevent the rail part 170 from being
externally exposed.
[0071] In the following description, the case of the rail part 170
separately provided to the backside of the door 30 is explained for
example.
[0072] Referring to FIG. 2, the rail part 170 may have a bar
structure configured to extend along a height direction of the
backside of the door 30. In particular, a pair of rail parts 170
may be provided to the backside of the door 30 in a manner of being
spaced apart from each other along a width direction of the door
30.
[0073] The rail part 170 includes a guide portion 171 provided
along the height direction and a plurality of insertion holes 172
configured to fix a position of the basket assembly 100
thereto.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the sliding module 130
includes a slide body 131, a rolling part 140 provided to one side
of the slide body 131 to be received in the rail part 170, and a
lever part 150 rotatably mounted to the slide body 131.
[0075] Meanwhile, the basket assembly 100 may include a mounting
rib 110 having the sliding module 130 loaded thereon and a basket
body 120 mounted to the mounting rib 110 to receive food
therein.
[0076] In particular, the basket body 120 may have a shape recessed
to receive to food or a reception container for storage of food and
may be formed of various kinds of resin.
[0077] Optionally, the mounting rib 110 and the basket body 120 may
be built in one body or the basket body 120 may be detachably
mounted to the mounting rib 110, of which details shall be
described later.
[0078] For clarity and convenience of the following description,
the basket body 110 and the mounting rib 110 shall be called a
basket. And, the mounting rib 112 and the basket body 112 may have
various shapes and assembled structures in consideration of design
factors.
[0079] The lever part 150 is rotatably mounted to the slide body
131. And, the lever part 150 may include a lever 151 having an
insertion portion 152 to be selectively inserted in the rail part
170 and a handle part 153 for manipulation of a turning motion and
an elastic member 154 configured to provide an elastic force to the
lever 151 in a direction of pressurizing the rail part 170.
[0080] The elastic member 154 may be loaded in a manner of
enclosing a rotational shaft (not reference-numbered) of the lever
151 to be compressed in accordance with a turning of the lever 151.
One end portion of the elastic member 154 is fixed to one side of
the lever 151 and the other end portion of the elastic member 154
may be fixed to one side of the slide body 131.
[0081] In order to enable a turning motion of the insertion portion
152 toward the rail part 170 within a prescribed turning angle
range, a stopper 132 may be provided to the slide body 131.
[0082] In particular, while a pressurizing force is applied to the
lever 151 to face the rail part 170 by the elastic member 154, a
position of the lever 151 may be maintained by the stopper 132.
[0083] FIG. 5 (a) is a cross-sectional diagram for describing a
height adjustable status of the sliding module 130 along the rail
part 170. And, FIG. 5 (b) is a cross-sectional diagram for
describing a status that the sliding module 130 is fixed to the
rail part 170.
[0084] Referring to FIG. 5 (a), if a pressurizing force in a
direction opposite to that of the elastic member 154 is applied to
the handle part 153 of the lever 151 by a user, the insertion
portion 152 of the lever 151 may be separated from the insertion
hole 172 of the rail part 170. In doing so, of course, the rolling
part 140 of the slide module 130 is arranged within the guide
portion of the rail part 170.
[0085] Therefore, the user is able to adjust a height of the basket
assembly 100 while applying the pressurizing force to the handle
part 153 of the lever 151.
[0086] Referring to FIG. 5 (b), if the basket assembly 100 arrives
at a desired height, the user is able to release the pressurizing
force from the handle part 153 of the lever 151. If so, the
insertion portion 152 of the lever 151 is turned toward the rail
part 170 by the elastic member 154 and is then received in the
insertion hole 172 of the rail part 170. Hence, the height may be
maintained.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 2, the number and positions of the sliding
modules 130 mounted to the basket may correspond to the number and
positions of the rail parts 170. In case that a pair of the rail
parts 170 are arranged in a manner of being spaced apart from each
other in a width direction of the door 30 by leaving a prescribed
space in-between, a pair of the sliding modules 130 may be provided
to both sides of the basket. Through this structure, when the
height of the basket assembly 100 is adjusted, it is able to
prevent the lateral looseness or fluctuation.
[0088] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the rolling part 140 may
include at least one projection to be received in the guide portion
171 of the rail part 170. Moreover, the guide portion 171 and the
projection may be configured to engage with each other. For
instance, if the projection 140 of the sliding module 130 has a
cross-section of `.right brkt-bot.` shape, the guide portion 171
may include a space portion approximately having a cross-section of
`.left brkt-bot.` shape.
[0089] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective diagram for details of a
refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram of a basket assembly
shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective diagram of a sliding
module shown in FIG. 7. And, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional diagram
for describing position adjustment of a basket shown in FIG. 6.
[0090] First of all, a refrigerator according to a second
embodiment of the present invention includes a body having at least
one storage space for low temperature storage and a door rotatably
attached to the body to selectively open/close the storage
space.
[0091] In this case, the body and the door are identical to the
former body and the former door described with reference to FIG.
1.
[0092] Yet, the refrigerator according to the second embodiment
differs from the former refrigerator according to the first
embodiment in the sliding module and the rail part only. In the
following description, details of the common components are omitted
and the difference from the first embodiment is mainly
explained.
[0093] Referring to FIG. 6, the rail part 270 may have a bar
structure configured to extend along a height direction of the
backside of the door 30. In particular, a pair of rail parts 270
may be provided to the backside of the door 30 in a manner of being
spaced apart from each other along a width direction of the door
30.
[0094] The rail part 170 includes a guide portion 271 provided
along the height direction and a plurality of insertion holes 272
configured to fix a position of the basket assembly 200
thereto.
[0095] Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a sliding module 230, which
constitutes a refrigerator according to the second embodiment,
includes a slide body 231, a rolling part 240 provided to one side
of the slide body 231 to be received in the rail part 270, and a
lever part 250 rotatably attached to the slide body 231.
[0096] The lever part 250 is rotatably mounted to the slide body
231. And, the lever part 250 may include a lever 251 having an
insertion portion 252 to be selectively inserted in the rail part
270 and a handle part 253 for manipulation of a turning motion and
an elastic member 254 configured to provide an elastic force to the
lever 251 in a direction of pressurizing the rail part 270.
[0097] The elastic member 254 may be loaded in a manner of
enclosing a rotational shaft (not reference-numbered) of the lever
251 to be compressed in accordance with a turning of the lever 251.
One end portion of the elastic member 254 is fixed to one side of
the lever 251 and the other end portion of the elastic member 254
may be fixed to one side of the slide body 231.
[0098] In order to enable a turning motion of the insertion portion
252 toward the rail part 270 within a prescribed turning angle
range, a stopper 232 may be provided to the slide body 231.
[0099] In particular, while a pressurizing force is applied to the
lever 251 to face the rail part 270 by the elastic member 254, a
position of the lever 251 may be maintained by the stopper 232.
[0100] FIG. 9 (a) is a cross-sectional diagram for describing a
height adjustable status of the sliding module 230 along the rail
part 270. And, FIG. 9 (b) is a cross-sectional diagram for
describing a status that the sliding module 230 is fixed to the
rail part 270.
[0101] Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 9 (a), if a pressurizing force
in a direction opposite to that of the elastic member 254 is
applied to the handle part 253 of the lever 251 by a user, the
insertion portion 252 of the lever 251 may be separated from the
insertion hole 272 of the rail part 270. In doing so, of course,
the rolling part 240 of the slide module 230 is arranged within the
guide portion 271 of the rail part 270.
[0102] Therefore, the user is able to adjust a height of the basket
assembly 200 while applying the pressurizing force to the handle
part 253 of the lever 251.
[0103] Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 9 (b), if the basket assembly
200 arrives at a desired height, the user is able to release the
pressurizing force from the handle part 253 of the lever 251. If
so, the insertion portion 252 of the lever 251 is turned toward the
rail part 270 by the elastic member 254 and is then received in the
insertion hole 272 of the rail part 270. Hence, the height may be
maintained.
[0104] Referring to FIG. 6, the number and positions of the sliding
modules 230 mounted to the basket 210 may correspond to the number
and loading positions of the rail parts 270. In case that a pair of
the rail parts 270 are arranged in a manner of being spaced apart
from each other in a width direction of the door 30 by leaving a
prescribed space in-between, a pair of the sliding modules 230 may
be provided to both sides of the basket 210. Through this
structure, when the height of the basket assembly 200 is adjusted,
it is able to prevent the lateral looseness or fluctuation.
[0105] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the rolling part 240 may include
at least one roller 240 rotatably attached to the slide body 231.
And, the roller 240 rolls along an inner circumference of the guide
portion 271 while received in the guide portion 271 of the rail
part 270.
[0106] In particular, the rolling part 240 of the second embodiment
includes the at least one roller 240, whereas the former rolling
part of the first embodiment includes the projection 140.
[0107] Meanwhile, the guide portion 271 has a shape, which encloses
a circumferential surface of the roller 240, to provide a contact
surface for rotations of the roller 240. And, the guide portion 271
also has a curved portion 273 corresponding to a shape of the
circumferential surface of the roller 240 to increase a contact
size with the roller 240. In order to prevent interference between
the roller 240 and the backside of the door 30 or interference
between the door and the rail part 270, the curved portion 273 may
be provided to a position spaced apart from the backside from the
door 30 with a prescribed space in-between.
[0108] The rolling part 240 may include a first roller 241 and a
second roller 242 spaced apart from each other with a prescribed
space d in a width direction of the rail part 270. And, a plurality
of the first and second rollers 241 and 242 may be provided in a
length direction (i.e., height direction) of the rail part 270.
[0109] Regarding the rollers 241 and 242, the second roller may be
provided between a pair of the first rollers adjacent to each
other. And, a width of the guide portion 271 of the rail part 270
may be greater than that of each of the first and second rollers
241 and 242.
[0110] Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, when either the first roller
241 or the second roller 242 is mounted to the slide body 231, if
the width of the guide portion 271 is equal to that of the
corresponding roller, a normal rotation or a reverse rotation may
occur in the corresponding roller in accordance with a movement of
the slide body 231. Such a change of rotation direction causes a
movement of the slide body 231 attributed to a sliding of the
roller instead of the rotation of the roller. Thus, the sliding of
the corresponding roller may interrupt a smooth movement of the
slide body 231.
[0111] Therefore, in order to lead a smooth rotation of each of the
rollers, a plurality of the rollers may be arranged in a manner
that a first center line connecting rotational shafts of a
plurality of the first rollers together is spaced apart from a
second center line connecting rotational shafts of a plurality of
the second rollers together.
[0112] Meanwhile, the basket 210 may have a recessed shape to
receive food or receptacles for storage of food therein and may be
formed of various resin substance.
[0113] Unlike the former basket 110 described with reference to
FIGS. 2 to 5, the basket 210 of the second embodiment is built in
one body. Yet, as mentioned in the foregoing description, the
basket assembly 200 of the second embodiment differs from the
former in the sliding module 230 and the rail part 270 only. And,
it is a matter of course that the basket 210 may be a built-in type
or a detachable type.
[0114] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective diagram of a basket
assembly of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective diagram of an assembled
configuration of components of the basket assembly shown in FIG.
10. And, FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective diagram of the basket
assembly shown in FIG. 11.
[0115] The present embodiment provides a refrigerator, by which
separation of a basket may be prevented in the course of receiving
food and by which detachment of the basket is facilitated in the
course of cleaning.
[0116] In particular, a basket assembly 100 should have difficulty
in being detached from a backside of a door 30 in the course of
food receiving process while attached to the backside of the door
30. The basket assembly 100 should have sufficient rigidity. And,
the basket assembly 100 should have a configuration that
facilitates detachment from the backside of the door 30 for a
cleaning process.
[0117] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, the basket assembly 100
includes a mounting rib 110 provided to a backside of the door 30
and a basket body 120 detachably mounted to the mounting rib 110.
In particular, the basket assembly 100 configuring the refrigerator
1 according to one embodiment of the present invention separately
includes a fixed part (i.e., the mounting rib) and a detachable
part (i.e., the basket body).
[0118] Assembly of the mounting rib 110 and the door 30 is
described in detail with reference to the accompany drawings as
follows.
[0119] First of all, a dike 32 is provided to an edge portion of
the backside of the door 30, whereby a basket configured to provide
various reception spaces may be mounted to the dike 32. In
particular, the dike 32 may be configured to substantially have a
shape of a rectangular frame. And, a plurality of hanging parts 33
may be provided to both lateral side portions of the dike 32 in a
height direction.
[0120] The mounting rib 110 may include a base part having a ring
shape and a connecting part 113 fixed to both lateral side portions
of the base station. And, a projection portion 114 to be fitted
into the hanging part 33 of the dike 32 may be provided to the
connecting part 113.
[0121] The base part may include a contact portion configured to
come into contact with the backside of the door and a non-contact
portion 111 configured not to come into contact with the backside
of the door. And, it is a matter of course that the base part may
have one of various shapes in consideration of design factors.
[0122] For instance, in order to represent a fancy metallic
exterior, the base part may be formed of metal substance. If the
base part is formed of metal substance, rigidity of the basket
assembly 100 may be further enhanced.
[0123] The projection portion 114 and the hanging part 33 may have
corresponding shapes for the fit-in connection. And, the projection
portion 114 and the hanging part 33 are manufactured to have a
prescribed tolerance, thereby being forced to be fitted into each
other.
[0124] Namely, the mounting rib 110 may be substantially fixed to
the backside of the door 30.
[0125] Meanwhile, the basket body 120 may have a recessed shape to
receive food or receptacles for storage of food therein and may be
formed of various kinds of resin substance.
[0126] The basket body 120 may be divided into an insertion part
121 to be received in the mounting rib 110 and a deco part 122 to
be externally exposed. A boundary portion between the insertion
part 121 and the deco part 122 may be stepped in a manner that a
cross-sectional area of the deco part 122 is greater than that of
the insertion part 121.
[0127] In this case, an outer circumference of the insertion part
121 of the basket body 120 adheres closely to an inner
circumference of the mounting rib 100 and the stepped boundary
portion 123 of the basket body 120 may be mounted to an upper
surface of the mounting rib 110.
[0128] In particular, the outer circumference of the insertion part
121 of the basket body 120 closely adheres to an inner
circumference of the ring-shape base part of the mounting rib 110,
while the stepped boundary portion 123 of the basket body 120 is
mounted to an upper surface of the ring-shape base part of the
mounting rib 110.
[0129] When the basket body 120 is loaded, the outer surface of the
mounting rib 110 and the outer circumference of the deco part of
the basket body 120 may be situated in the same plane. Namely, the
outer circumference of the ring-shape base part of the mounting rib
110 and the outer circumference of the deco part of the basket body
120 forms the same plane in a loaded state, thereby representing a
fancy design.
[0130] A first stepped portion 115, in which a width of the contact
portion 112 is smaller than that of the non-contact portion 111,
may be provided to a boundary between the contact portion 112 and
the non-contact portion 111 of the mounting rib 110.
[0131] A second stepped portion 124 may be provided to the basket
body 120 to engage with the first stepped portion 115. Therefore,
the refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment of the present
invention increases a contact area between the basket body 120 and
the mounting rib 110, thereby providing a structure having
sufficient rigidity.
[0132] Installation and use of the above-configured basket assembly
100 are described in detail as follows.
[0133] As mentioned in the foregoing description, the mounting rib
110 of the basket assembly 100 is fitted into the dike 32 provided
to the backside of the door 30.
[0134] In doing so, the hanging part 33 of the dike 32 and the
projection portion 114 of the mounting rib 110 received in the
hanging part 33 are prepared to have a prescribed relative
tolerance not to be separated from each other in the course of food
receiving process. And, the hanging part 33 and the projection
portion 114 are configured to be forced to be inserted in the
fitting process by the tolerance. Therefore, sufficient rigidity
may be provided not to facilitate separation relatively.
[0135] Thereafter, the basket body 120 may be mounted to the
mounting rib 110. Alternatively, while the basket body 120 is
mounted to the mounting rib 110, the mounting rib 110 may be
mounted to the backside of the door 30. For convenience of
installation, after the mounting rib 110 has been mounted to the
backside of the door 300, the basket body 120 is preferably mounted
to the mounting rib 110.
[0136] In this case, in order to represent a fancy exterior, the
outer circumference of the basket body 120 and the outer
circumference of the mounting rib 110 may form the same plane. For
metallic effect of exterior and rigidity reinforcement, the
mounting rib 110 may be formed of metal substance.
[0137] In order to increase a contact area in-between, the basket
body 120 and the mounting rib 110 may have a multi-stepped
structure for mutual engagement. Therefore, if the basket body 120
is loaded, it is a matter of course that sufficient rigidity may be
obtained as well as a fancy exterior.
[0138] In the course of using the refrigerator, if the basket body
120 needs to be cleaned, the basket body 120 may be detached wile
the mounting rib 110 is fixed to the backside of the door.
[0139] Accordingly, the present invention provides the following
effects and/or advantages.
[0140] First of all, according to at least one of embodiments of
the present invention, a position of a basket may be adjusted in
accordance with a height of a storage container or user's
convenience in reception.
[0141] Secondly, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, lateral looseness or fluctuation of a basket may
be prevented in the course of adjusting a position of the
basket.
[0142] Thirdly, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, user's convenience may be enhanced using a lever
structure in consideration of a user's user interface.
[0143] Fourthly, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, a basket may be prevented from being separated
in the course of receiving food.
[0144] Fifthly, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, a basket may be easily detached for
cleaning.
[0145] Sixthly, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, rigidity of a basket may be raised with fancy
exterior.
[0146] Finally, according to at least one of embodiments of the
present invention, the present invention is able to represent a
fancy exterior.
[0147] Although embodiments have been described with reference to a
number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood
that numerous other modifications and embodiments may be devised by
those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope
of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various
variations and modifications are possible in the component parts
and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within
the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and appended claims. In
addition to variations and modifications in the component parts
and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to
those skilled in the art.
* * * * *