U.S. patent application number 15/481235 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-30 for refrigerator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation. Invention is credited to Woo Cheol CHEON.
Application Number | 20170343276 15/481235 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60417697 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170343276 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHEON; Woo Cheol |
November 30, 2017 |
REFRIGERATOR
Abstract
A refrigerator with a rack capable of dividing a storage
compartment of the refrigerator in different division
configurations. Guide rails are installed on the inner sidewalls of
the storage compartment. The rack includes a plate member and
support parts having a plurality of seating portions disposed in
different heights from the plate member. Based on a preferred
height of the plate member, a user can select a seating portion of
the support parts to couple the rack to the guide rails. Further,
the support parts are configured to couple the rack to the guide
rail with the plate member facing down as well as facing up.
Inventors: |
CHEON; Woo Cheol; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics Corporation |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
60417697 |
Appl. No.: |
15/481235 |
Filed: |
April 6, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 25/024 20130101;
F25D 2325/021 20130101; F25D 11/00 20130101; A47B 2210/175
20130101; A47B 57/30 20130101; F25D 23/067 20130101; F25D 25/02
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 25/02 20060101
F25D025/02; A47B 57/30 20060101 A47B057/30; F25D 11/00 20060101
F25D011/00; F25D 23/06 20060101 F25D023/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 31, 2016 |
KR |
10-2016-0067373 |
Claims
1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body comprising a storage
compartment; guide rails coupled to the main body and configured to
protrude toward each other from inner sidewalls of the storage
compartment; and a rack configured to be supported by the guide
rails and to partition the storage compartment into a plurality of
regions, and wherein the rack comprises at least one support part
operable to couple the rack to the guide rails at different height
positions with reference to the main body.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the rack comprises: a plate
member configured to partition the storage compartment; and support
parts disposed at opposite lateral ends of the plate member and
operable to be coupled to the guide rails.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein each of the support parts
comprises a first seating portion coupled to the plate member and a
second seating portion disposed on a lower surface of the first
seating portion.
4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the second seating portion
comprises: an extension wall portion extending from a lower surface
of the first seating portion and oriented perpendicular to the
first seating portion; and a bent portion bent outward from an end
of the extension wall portion and oriented parallel to the first
seating portion.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein each of the first seating
portion and the second seating portion comprises a seating
projection, wherein each of the guide rails comprises a recess
formed on an upper surface thereof and inwardly depressed in a
shape that is conformal to a contour of the seating projection, and
wherein the seating projection is operable to be inserted into the
recess.
6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the seating projection
comprises: a first seating projection protruding from a lower
surface of the first seating portion; a second seating projection
protruding from an upper surface of the bent portion of the second
seating portion; and a third seating projection protruding from a
lower surface of the second seating portion.
7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the first seating
projection, the second seating projection and the third seating
projection are of a substantially same shape.
8. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein any one of the first
seating projection, the second seating projection and the third
seating projection is operable to be inserted into the recess.
9. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein plate member comprises a
first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface,
and wherein the support parts are configured to couple both the
plate member to the guide rails with the first surface facing
upward and with the first surface facing downward.
10. A refrigerator comprising: a main body comprising a storage
compartment; a plate member configured to partition the storage
compartment into a plurality of regions; support parts coupled to
opposite lateral ends of the plate member, wherein each of the
support parts comprises a first seating portion and a second
seating portion; and guide rails protruding toward each other from
inner sidewalls of the storage compartment and configured to be
coupled to the support parts, wherein the first seating portion and
the second seating portion are disposed at different heights and
are operable to couple the plate member to the guide rails at
different height positions.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein each of the first seating
portion and the second seating portion comprises a seating
projection, and wherein each of the guide rails comprises a recess
configured to receive the seating projection of the first seating
portion or the second seating portion.
12. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein the storage compartment
is operable to be partitioned into a plurality of spaces with
different partition configurations depending on a position of the
seating projection that is disposed inside the recess.
13. A rack for a refrigerator, the rack comprising: a plate member
configured to partition a storage compartment of the refrigerator
into a plurality of storage regions; and support parts disposed at
opposite lateral ends of the plate member, wherein the support
parts are configured to couple the plate member to the refrigerator
at a plurality of height positions.
14. The rack of claim 13, wherein each of the support parts
comprises a first seating portion coupled to the plate member and a
second seating portion disposed on a lower surface of the first
seating portion.
15. The rack of claim 14, wherein the second seating portion
comprises: an extension wall portion extending from a lower surface
of the first seating portion and oriented perpendicular to the
first seating portion; and a bent portion bent outward from an end
of the extension wall portion and oriented parallel to the first
seating portion.
16. The rack of claim 15, wherein each of the first seating portion
and the second seating portion comprises a seating projection.
17. The rack of claim 16, wherein the seating projection comprises:
a first seating projection protruding from a lower surface of the
first seating portion; a second seating projection protruding from
an upper surface of the bent portion of the second seating portion;
and a third seating projection protruding from a lower surface of
the second seating portion.
18. The rack of claim 17, wherein the first seating projection, the
second seating projection and the third seating projection are of a
same geometry.
19. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the plate member
comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the
first surface, and wherein the support parts are configured to
couple both the plate member to the refrigerator with the first
surface faces upward and with the first surface facing downward.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2016-0067373, filed on May 31, 2016, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to
refrigerators.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A refrigerator is an appliance used for storing food or
other times at low temperature, e.g., in a frozen state or
refrigerated. The inside of the refrigerator is cooled by
circulating cold air that can be continuously generated through a
heat exchange process by using a refrigerant. During operation, the
refrigerant goes through repetitive cycles of compression,
condensation, expansion and evaporation in a heat exchanger.
[0004] Typically the storage space in the refrigerator is divided
into a refrigeration compartment and a freezer. A refrigeration
compartment or a freezer may be divided into a plurality of rooms
by a rack.
[0005] Conventionally, a rack in a refrigerator is inserted into
guide rails protruding from the inner sidewalls of the
refrigeration compartment or the freezer. In this configuration,
the dimensions of the divided rooms are unfortunately limited by
the predetermined height of the guide rails.
SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rack
structure operable to be mounted to a refrigerator in various
positions and accordingly to divide a storage compartment of the
refrigerator into various configurations. Thus, the rack structure
enables easy adjustment of spatial division of a storage
compartment.
[0007] The present disclosure provides the refrigerator comprising:
a main body including a storage compartment; guide rails protruding
toward each other from inner sidewalls of the storage compartment;
and a rack seated on the guide rails and configured to partition
the storage compartment into a plurality of regions, wherein the
rack is provided with at least one support part for enabling the
rack to sit on the guide rails at different heights.
[0008] Further, the rack includes a plate member configured to
partition the storage compartment into a plurality of regions and
support parts disposed at opposite lateral ends of the plate member
and operable to be seated on the guide rails.
[0009] Further, each of the support parts includes a first seating
portion coupled to the plate member and a second seating portion
disposed on a lower surface of the first seating portion.
[0010] Further, the second seating portion includes an extension
wall portion extending from a lower surface of the first seating
portion and a bent portion bent outward from an end of the
extension wall portion in a direction parallel to the first seating
portion.
[0011] Further, each of the first seating portion and the second
seating portion includes a seating projection, and each of the
guide rails includes a recess formed on an upper surface of each of
the guide rails and inwardly depressed in a shape that corresponds
to a contour of the seating projection so that the seating
projection can be inserted into and coupled to the recess.
[0012] Further, the seating projection includes a first seating
projection protruding from a lower surface of the first seating
portion, a second seating projection protruding from an upper
surface of the bent portion of the second seating portion, and a
third seating projection protruding from a lower surface of the
second seating portion.
[0013] Further, the first seating projection, the second seating
projection and the third seating projection are formed in the same
or similar shape.
[0014] Further, one of the first seating projection, the second
seating projection and the third seating projection is selectively
inserted into the recess.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration
of an exemplary refrigerator according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the
exemplary refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an
exemplary coupling mechanism between a rack and guide rails
according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration
of the exemplary rack according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 5 is another perspective view illustrating the
configuration of the rack according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the
exemplary rack according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the
exemplary rack according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0022] FIGS. 8A to 8C are front views illustrating different
exemplary mechanisms of coupling a rack to a refrigerator according
to embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The
illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description,
drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other
embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without
departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented
here.
[0024] One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments
of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the
art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described
exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways,
all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present
disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments
described herein.
[0025] It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not
necessarily illustrated to scale. Relative sizes and proportions of
parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size, and a
predetermined size is merely exemplary and not limiting. The same
reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or
parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit
similar characteristics.
[0026] The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate
ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more
detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are
expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to
a specific form of the illustrated region, and for example, may
include modification of form due to manufacturing.
[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration
of an exemplary refrigerator according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the
configuration of the exemplary refrigerator according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded
perspective view illustrating an exemplary coupling mechanism
between a rack and guide rails according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure.
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigerator 1 according to
one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body
110 defining an outer body of the refrigerator. The main body
includes a storage compartment S, and a door 120 rotatably mounted
to the main body 110 and configured to seal the storage compartment
S.
[0030] In this regard, the refrigerator 1 according to one
embodiment of the present disclosure may be of any type that is
well known in the art, such as a top-mount-type refrigerator, a
bottom-freeze-type refrigerator, and etc.
[0031] The storage compartment S may be disposed in the main body
110 of the refrigerator 1. The storage compartment S may be divided
into a plurality of storage regions, e.g., by a rack 200.
[0032] The rack 200 may sit on guide rails 130 that protrude
horizontally from the inner sidewalls of the storage compartment S.
As shown, the rack 200 may divide the storage compartment S into a
lower region and an upper region.
[0033] The rack 200 can be inserted along the guide rails 130 by a
user. After installation, the rack is seated on the upper surfaces
of the guide rails 130.
[0034] Hereinafter, the configuration of the exemplary rack in the
refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure is described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration
of the exemplary rack according to one embodiment of the present
disclosure. FIG. 5 is another perspective view illustrating the
configuration of the rack according to one embodiment of the
present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating the
configuration of the exemplary rack according to one embodiment of
the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the
configuration of the exemplary rack according to one embodiment of
the present disclosure.
[0036] Referring further to FIGS. 4 to 7, the rack 200 divides the
storage compartment S of the refrigerator 1 into a plurality of
storage regions. The rack 200 may include a plate member 210 and
support parts 220.
[0037] After being installed, the plate member 210 horizontally
extends across the storage compartment S and generally divides the
storage compartment S into an upper region and a lower region. The
plate member 210 may be manufactured by, for example,
injection-molding a resin material.
[0038] The support parts 220 may be affixed to the plate member
210. The support parts 220 can sit on the guide rails 130
protruding from the inner sidewalls of the storage compartment S.
The support parts 220 may be disposed at the opposite lateral ends
of the plate member 210.
[0039] Each of the support parts 220 may include a first seating
portion 221 and a second seating portion 222 of different height
positions. The first seating portion 221 and the second seating
portion 222 may have seating projections 223.
[0040] The first seating portion 221 may be coupled to each of the
opposite lateral ends of the plate member 210. A first seating
projection 223a may be disposed on the lower surface of the first
seating portion 221 and protrude downward in a thickness direction
(vertically). A recess 131 may be disposed on the upper surface of
each of the guide rails 130. The recess 131 is depressed inward and
has a shape conformal to the shape of the first seating projection
223a. Thus, during installation, the first seating portion 221 may
slide along each of the guide rails 130 and eventually sit on the
upper surface of each of the guide rails 130.
[0041] When the first seating portion 221 sits on the upper surface
of each of the guide rails 130, the first seating projection 223a
may be in a state of being inserted into the recess 131. The term
"thickness direction" used herein may refer to an up-down
(vertical) direction in FIG. 2. With the first seating projection
223a being inserted and fit into the recess 131, undesired movement
of the rack 200 can be reduced or completely prevented.
[0042] The second seating portion 222 may be disposed on the lower
surface of the first seating portion 221. The second seating
portion 222 may protrude downward along the thickness direction
from the lower surface of the first seating portion 221. The second
seating portion 222 may be integrally manufactured with the first
seating portion 221, e.g., may be simultaneously injection-molded
with the first seating portion 221. Alternatively, the second
seating portion 222 may be manufactured as a separate component
from the first seating portion 221. The second seating portion 222
may be affixed to the first seating portion 221 in any suitable
manner that is well known in the art, such as bonding, mechanical
coupling and the like.
[0043] The second seating portion 222 may extend from the lower
surface of the first seating portion 221. For example, the second
seating portion 222 may include an extension wall portion 222a
extending downward along the thickness direction from the lower
surface of the first seating portion 221. The second seating
portion 222 may also include a bent portion 222b bent outward from
a lower end of the extension wall portion 222a in parallel with the
first seating portion 221.
[0044] The extension wall portion 222a may serve as a spacer
between the first seating portion 221 and the bent portion 222b of
the second seating portion 222 in the thickness direction. The bent
portion 222b may be formed by bending the end portion of the
extension wall portion 222a. The end of the bent portion 222b and
the end of the first seating portion 221 may be aligned along the
thickness direction. In other words, the longitudinal distance from
the end of the first seating portion 221 at one side of the plate
member 210 to the first seating portion 221 provided at the other
end of the plate member 210 may equal the longitudinal distance
from the end of the bent portion 222b disposed at one side of the
plate member 210 to the bent portion 222b disposed at the other
side of the plate member 210. The term "longitudinal" used herein
may refer to the left-right direction in FIG. 2.
[0045] Seating projections 223 may be disposed in the bent portion
222b. For example, a second seating projection 223b may be disposed
on the upper surface of the bent portion 222b and a third seating
projection 223c may be disposed on the lower surface of the bent
portion 222b. In this case, the second seating projection 223b and
the third seating projection 223c may have substantially the same
shape. The first seating projection 223a, the second seating
projection 223b and the third seating projection 223c may be
aligned along the thickness direction.
[0046] The second seating portion 222 may sit on each of the guide
rails 130. For example, the bent portion 222b of the second seating
portion 222 may sit on the upper surface of each of the guide rails
130. In this case, the recess 131 may be disposed in each of the
guide rails 130. When the bent portion 222b sits on each of the
guide rails 130, the second seating projection 223b or the third
seating projection 223c may fit in the recess 131.
[0047] As described above, the rack 200 according to one embodiment
of the present disclosure includes the first seating portion 221
and the second seating portion 222. It can advantageously partition
the storage compartment S into a plurality of regions in various
partition configurations using one rack 200. Hereinafter, different
examples in which the rack 200 is coupled to the refrigerator 1
according to one embodiment of the present disclosure are described
with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C.
[0048] Referring first to FIG. 8A, the first seating portion 221
may sit on each of the guide rails 130. Moved by a user, the first
seating portion 221 may slide along each of the guide rails 130 and
may then sit on each of the guide rails 130. The first seating
projection 223a disposed on the lower surface of the first seating
portion 221 may fit in the recess 131 of each of the guide rails
130. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8A, the storage compartment
S can be divided into an upper space and a lower space of similar
sizes.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 8B, the second seating portion 222 may sit
on each of the guide rails 130. During installation, the second
seating portion 222 may slide along each of the guide rails 130 and
may eventually sit on each of the guide rails 130. In this case,
the third seating projection 223c disposed on the lower surface of
the bent portion 222b of the second seating portion 222 may be
inserted into and fit in the recess 131 of each of the guide rails
130. As a result, the plate member 210 of the rack 200 may be
positioned higher within the storage compartment S by the height of
the extension wall portion 222a than when the first seating portion
221 sits on each of the guide rails 130.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 8C, the second seating portion 222 may sit
on each of the guide rails 130. In the example illustrated in FIG.
8C, the rack 200 may be placed upside down. That is, the example
illustrated in FIG. 8C is similar to the example illustrated in
FIG. 8B in that the second seating portion 222 sits on each of the
guide rails 130. However, the example illustrated in FIG. 8C
differs from the example illustrated in FIG. 8B in that the rack
200 is mounted in an inverted state. In other words, in the example
illustrated in FIG. 8C, the second seating projection 223b disposed
on the upper surface of the bent portion 222b of the second seating
portion 222 may be inserted into and fit in the recess 131 of each
of the guide rails 130. Thus, the plate member 210 of the rack 200
may be positioned lower within the storage compartment S by the
height of the extension wall portion 222a than when the first
seating portion 221 sits on each of the guide rails 130.
[0051] As described above, in the refrigerator 1, one of the first
to third seating projections 223a, 223b and 223c may be selected
for coupling to the recess 131 of each of the guide rails 130. The
storage compartment S may be partitioned into a plurality of spaces
with different sizes depending on which of the seating projections
223 is coupled.
[0052] In the refrigerator 1, the rack 200 includes the support
parts 220 that each includes the first seating portion 221 and the
second seating portion 222 with different heights. The storage
compartment S can be divided into different spatial configurations
according to various needs of users.
[0053] 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.
* * * * *