U.S. patent application number 15/449156 was filed with the patent office on 2017-10-12 for refrigerator and drawer assembly thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Wang Goo LEE.
Application Number | 20170292778 15/449156 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59999440 |
Filed Date | 2017-10-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170292778 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Wang Goo |
October 12, 2017 |
REFRIGERATOR AND DRAWER ASSEMBLY THEREOF
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body forming an
exterior of the refrigerator, a drawer configured to contain items
stored in the refrigerator; and a drawer guide assembly coupled to
the drawer and configured to support and guide movement of the
drawer. The drawer guide assembly includes: a first rail coupled to
a side engagement portion of the drawer and operable to transfer a
load from the drawer in a downward direction. The first rail
includes: a first end coupled to a first end portion of the drawer,
a second end coupled to a second end portion of the drawer, and a
second rail disposed at a sidewall of the refrigerator main body
and configured to guide movement of the first rail.
Inventors: |
LEE; Wang Goo; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
59999440 |
Appl. No.: |
15/449156 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/067 20130101;
F25D 11/02 20130101; A47B 88/43 20170101; A47B 2210/175 20130101;
A47B 88/483 20170101; F25D 25/025 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 25/02 20060101
F25D025/02; A47B 88/483 20060101 A47B088/483; A47B 88/43 20060101
A47B088/43; F25D 23/06 20060101 F25D023/06; F25D 11/02 20060101
F25D011/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 12, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0045081 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator main body forming an
exterior of the refrigerator; a drawer configured to contain items
stored in the refrigerator; and a drawer guide assembly coupled to
the drawer and configured to support and guide movement of the
drawer, wherein the drawer guide assembly comprises: a first rail
coupled to a side engagement portion of the drawer and operable to
transfer a load from the drawer in a downward direction, wherein
the first rail comprises: a first end coupled to a first end
portion of the drawer; a second end coupled to a second end portion
of the drawer; and an engaging member fitted to the first end
portion of the drawer; and a second rail disposed at a sidewall of
the refrigerator main body and configured to guide movement of the
first rail; wherein the drawer comprises an engaging hole located
at one end surface of the drawer and the engaging hole is
configured to receive the engaging member, wherein the engaging
member comprises: a supporting hook projecting in a vertical
direction from the first end of the first rail; and an engaging
hook extending in a horizontal direction from the supporting hook
and inserted into the engaging hole, and wherein the side
engagement portion is a groove recessed at a lower portion of a
side of the drawer.
2.-3. (canceled)
4. The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a freezer
compartment located at a lower portion of the refrigerator main
body, wherein the drawer guide assembly is disposed inside the
freezer compartment; and a refrigeration compartment disposed at an
upper portion of the refrigerator main body.
5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the second rail comprises:
a guide rail comprising: a first end operable to support the first
rail; and a second end fixed to a sidewall of the refrigerator main
body via a supporter; and a supporting bracket fixed to the
supporter and configured to support a lower portion of the guide
rail.
6. A refrigerator comprising: a drawer configured to contain items
and comprising a first end surface, the first end surface
comprising an engaging hole; and a drawer guide assembly coupled to
the drawer and configured to guide movement of the drawer relative
to the refrigerator, wherein the drawer guide assembly comprises: a
first rail coupled to a side engagement portion of the drawer; and
a second rail installed at an inner side wall of the refrigerator
and configured to guide movement of the first rail, wherein the
first rail comprises an engaging member fitted to the first end
surface of the drawer. wherein the engaging member comprises: a
supporting hook projecting in a vertical direction from a first end
of the first rail; and an engaging hook extending in a horizontal
direction from the supporting hook and inserted into the engaging
hole, and wherein the side engagement portion is a groove recessed
at a lower portion of a side of the drawer.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the first rail is operable
to transfer a load of the drawer in a downward direction.
8. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the drawer guide assembly
is configured to guide the drawer to slide along a front-back
direction relative to the refrigerator.
9. The refrigerator of claim 6 further comprising: a cold air
generation unit configured to generate cold air for the
refrigerator; and a refrigerator main body forming an exterior of
the refrigerator.
10. (canceled)
11. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the second rail comprises:
a guide rail comprising: a first end operable to support the first
rail; and a second end coupled to the inner sidewall of the
refrigerator via a supporter; and a supporting bracket fixed to the
supporter and configured to support a lower portion of the guide
rail.
12. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator main body forming an
outer body of the refrigerator and a drawer guide assembly
configured to support a drawer and guide movement of the drawer,
wherein the drawer guide assembly comprises: a first rail coupled
to a side engagement portion of the drawer; and a second rail
installed at a sidewall of the refrigerator main body to guide
movement of the first rail, and wherein the first rail comprises an
engaging member fitted to a first end portion of the drawer;
wherein the engaging member comprises: a supporting hook projecting
in a vertical direction from a first end of the first rail; and an
engaging hook extending in a horizontal direction from the
supporting hook and inserted into an engaging hole located at one
end surface of the drawer; wherein the side engagement portion is a
groove recessed at a lower portion of a side of the drawer; and
wherein the second rail comprises: a guide rail comprising a first
side portion operable to support the first rail and a second side
portion coupled to the sidewall of the refrigerator main body via a
supporter; and a supporting bracket coupled to the supporter to
support a lower portion of the guide rail.
13.-16. (canceled)
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2016-0045081, filed on Apr. 12, 2016, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to refrigerators, and more
particularly, to storage drawer assemblies thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Generally speaking, a refrigerator is an appliance that can
store items at a low temperature, e.g., in a frozen state or a
refrigerated state.
[0004] The storage space in the refrigerator is cooled by
circulation of cold air which can be continuously generated through
heat exchange in a refrigeration cycle between air and a
refrigerant. For example, the refrigeration cycle includes
compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation.
[0005] A main body of the refrigerator may have a rectangular
parallel-piped shape with an open front surface. Typically, the
main body encloses a refrigeration compartment (or refrigeration
compartment) and freezer compartment, each with its own door. The
refrigerator may include a plurality of drawers, shelves, vegetable
compartments and etc. for sorting and storing different types of
items.
[0006] In a conventional refrigerator, storage drawers can be drawn
out and pushed back through a sliding rail mechanism. Sometimes a
user needs to perform maintenance on a drawer, e.g., for cleaning
or repair. Unfortunately, it is usually difficult to separate a
drawer from such a sliding rail device, thus making drawer
maintenance difficult to perform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a drawer guide
assembly for a refrigerator that allows easy installation and
removal of a storage drawer in the refrigerator.
[0008] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure,
a refrigerator includes a refrigerator main body forming an
exterior of the refrigerator, a drawer configured to contain items
stored in the refrigerator; and a drawer guide assembly coupled to
the drawer and configured to support and guide movement of the
drawer. The drawer guide assembly includes: a first rail coupled to
a side engagement portion of the drawer and operable to transfer a
load from the drawer in a downward direction. The first rail
includes a first end coupled to a first end portion of the drawer,
a second end coupled to a second end portion of the drawer, and a
second rail disposed at a sidewall of the refrigerator main body
and configured to guide movement of the first rail.
[0009] The drawer may include an engaging hole located at one end
surface, and the engaging hole may be configured to receive the
first end of the first rail.
[0010] The first rail may further include an engaging member fitted
to the first end portion of the drawer. The engaging member may
include a supporting hook projecting in a vertical direction from
the first end of the first rail, and an engaging hook extending in
a horizontal direction from the supporting hook and fixed to the
first end portion of the drawer.
[0011] The refrigerator may further include a freezer compartment
located at a lower portion of the refrigerator main body, wherein
the drawer guide assembly is disposed inside the freezer
compartment, and a refrigeration compartment disposed at an upper
portion of the refrigerator main body.
[0012] The second rail may include a guide rail. The guide rail may
include a first end operable to support the first rail, a second
end fixed to a sidewall of the refrigerator main body via a
supporter, and a supporting bracket fixed to the supporter and
configured to support a lower portion of the guide rail.
[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously allow a
drawer to be coupled to the rail in a vertical manner. The rail can
be installed on the drawer without help of an expert and the
drawers can be easily opened and closed.
[0014] Further, the embodiments of the present disclosure enable
the load of the drawer to be supported in a vertical direction, so
that the load of the drawer can be stably and uniformly distributed
when the drawer is inserted into and withdrawn from the
refrigerator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a side cross section of an exemplary
refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary drawer
guide assembly of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates the drawer guide assembly viewed from the
A-A line of FIG. 2.
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the exemplary
drawer guide assembly in FIG. 2 in a state that a supporter is
removed.
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cutout view of an exemplary
drawer of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Hereinafter, configurations and operations of embodiments
will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings. The following description is one of various patentable
aspects of the disclosure and may form a part of the detailed
description of the disclosure. However, in describing the
disclosure, detailed descriptions of known configurations or
functions are omitted to avoid obscure the disclosure.
[0021] The disclosure may be variously modified and may include
various embodiments. Specific embodiments will be exemplarily
illustrated in the drawings and described in the detailed
description of the embodiments. However, it should be understood
that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to specific
embodiments but rather to cover all modifications, similarities,
and alternatives which are included in the spirit and scope of the
disclosure.
[0022] The terms used herein, including ordinal numbers such as
"first" and "second" may be used to describe, and not to limit,
various components. The terms simply distinguish the components
from one another. When it is said that a component is "coupled" or
"linked" to another component, it should be understood that the
former component may be directly connected or linked to the latter
component or a third component may be interposed between the two
components. Specific terms used in the present application are used
simply to describe specific embodiments without limiting the
disclosure. An expression used in the singular encompasses the
expression of the plural, unless it has a clearly different meaning
in the context.
[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a side cross section of an exemplary
refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary drawer guide
assembly of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of
the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates the drawer guide
assembly viewed from A-A line of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 illustrates a
perspective view of the exemplary drawer guide assembly in a state
that a supporter is removed according to the embodiment. FIG. 5
illustrates a partial cutout view of an exemplary drawer of the
refrigerator according to the embodiment.
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the exemplary refrigerator
includes a rail and a drawer 60 that can be coupled to, and
decoupled from, the rail advantageously in a vertical manner and in
a convenient fashion.
[0025] In this example, the refrigerator is a bottom freezer type
refrigerator in which a freezer compartment 11 is located at a
lower part of the refrigerator. However, it will be appreciated
that the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be
applied to various other types of refrigerators.
[0026] The refrigerator may include a refrigerator main body 10
forming the exterior of the refrigerator, doors, a cold air
generating unit 30 for generating cold air, and a drawer guide
assembly 100 for supporting and guiding movement of the drawer 60
in and out from the refrigerator main body 10.
[0027] More specifically, the refrigerator main body 10 includes
the freezer compartment 11 and the refrigeration compartment 12
which are separated by a barrier wall. For example, the freezer
compartment 11 that includes the drawer guide assembly 100 may be
located at a lower portion of the refrigerator main body 10, and
the refrigeration compartment 12 may be located at an upper portion
of the refrigerator main body 10. The freezer compartment 11 and
the refrigeration compartment 12 are sealed by the doors.
[0028] The doors may include a refrigeration compartment door and a
freezer compartment door. When the freezer compartment 11 is
closed, its door seals a periphery of a lower front surface of the
refrigerator main body 10. When the refrigeration compartment is
closed, its door seals a periphery of an upper front surface of the
refrigerator main body 10.
[0029] The cold air generation unit 30 can generate cold air for
cooling the freezer compartment 11 and the refrigeration
compartment 12. For example, the cold air generation unit 30 may
include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an
evaporator coil. Air becomes cold through heat exchange with a
refrigerant going through the refrigeration cycle of compression,
condensation, expansion and evaporation. The refrigerant circulates
through the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve and the
evaporator coil. Accordingly, the refrigerator interior can be
cooled by the cold air thus produced.
[0030] The drawer guide assembly 100 may include a pair of first
rails 110 coupled to the side engagement portions 61 of the drawer
60 and a pair of second rails 120 at sidewalls of the refrigerator
main body 10. The second rails 120 can guide movement of the first
rails 110. The side engagement portions 61 of the drawer 60 are
grooves recessed at lower portions of both sides of the drawer 60.
Therefore, the load of the drawer 60 can be transferred to the
second rails 120 through the first rails 110.
[0031] The first rail 110 of the drawer guide assembly 100 has a
movable rail structure extending along a forward/backward direction
of the refrigerator. The first rail 110 may have a
".andgate."-shaped vertical cross section and can be supported by
the second rail 120. The first rail 110 can guide the drawer 60 in
and out while sliding along the second rail 120.
[0032] The first rail 110 can be easily coupled to or decoupled
from the drawer 60. For example, to couple the first rail 110 to
the drawer 60, a front end of the first rail 110 can be fixed to a
front end portion of the drawer 60 by using a screw while a rear
end of the first rail 110 is fitted to a rear end portion of the
drawer 60. To dissemble the first rail 110 from the drawer 60, the
front end of the first rail 110 can be separated from the front end
portion of the drawer 60 by unscrewing the screw and, then, the
rear end of the first rail 110 is separated from the rear end
portion of the drawer 60.
[0033] An engaging member 111 may be disposed at the rear end of
the first rail 110 and engaged with the rear end portion (e.g., an
engaging hole 62) of the drawer 60. The engaging member 111 may
include a supporting hook 111a projecting upward from one end of
the first rail 110 and an engaging hook 111b extending in a
horizontal direction from the supporting hook 111a. The engaging
hook 111b can be coupled to (e.g., fixed to) one end portion of the
drawer 60.
[0034] Thus, to couple the drawer 60 with the first rail 110, the
front end of the first rail 110 is fixed to a screw hole 63 of the
drawer 60 by the screw while the engaging hook 111b of the engaging
member 111 is inserted to the engaging hole 62 of the drawer 60.
This process is advantageously simple and convenient compared with
the conventional art. By performing the reverse process, the first
rail 110 can be quickly and conveniently separated from the drawer
60.
[0035] The second rail 120 has a supporting rail structure
extending in the front-back direction of the refrigerator. The
second rail 120 can be fixed to the sidewall of the refrigerator
main body 10 via a supporter 130. The second rail 120 may include a
guide rail 122 having a ".orgate."-shaped vertical cross section
and coupled to an upper portion of the supporter 130. The second
rail 120 also has a supporting bracket 123 for supporting the lower
portion of the guide rail 122 while being coupled to a lower
portion of the supporter 130.
[0036] The first rail 110 can be supported by one side of a guide
rail 122 of the second rail 120, and the other side of the guide
rail 122 can be fixed to the upper portion of the supporter through
a plurality of screws.
[0037] Particularly, a side portion of the guide rail 122 has a
vertical cross sectional structure projecting in three directions.
Therefore, when the first rail 110 slides on the second rail 120,
the inner walls (e.g., upper inner wall, one side inner wall and
the other side inner wall) of the first rail 110 can be supported
in three directions through contact with the walls of the second
rail 120.
[0038] Therefore, according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, a sliding rail is coupled to a drawer in a vertical
manner. This provides the advantages that the drawer can be coupled
to, and decoupled from, the rail by a user without requiring
special tools. The configuration also allows the drawer to be
pulled out and pushed back with little difficulty from a user.
Further, since the load of the drawer (including items stored
therein) is supported in the vertical direction, the load of the
drawer can be stably and uniformly distributed even when the drawer
moves along the rail.
[0039] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various
embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein
for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be
made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present
disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the
specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present
disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted
by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques
within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the
present disclosure.
* * * * *