Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator having a storage container adapted to be forwardly openable, a cover member installed to be movable with respect to the storage container, and adapted to open the storage container in a forwardly moved state of the storage container, and to close the storage container in a rearwardly moved state of the storage container, a plate member fixed to an inner wall of the refrigerator, and operating levers hingeably mounted on the plate member, and adapted to operatively connect the storage container and the cover member. It is possible to put food having a large size into the storage container and to remove food stored in a rear inner portion of the storage container, thereby securing the utility of the large-size storage container while providing an improved convenience in use to the user, and thus, an improved satisfaction to the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-8786, filed on Feb. 10, 2004 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a storage container equipped in a refrigerator, in which a cover adapted to close an opening of the storage container is automatically opened when the storage container is opened, so that an opened degree of the opening of the storage container is increased, thereby increasing convenience.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, refrigerators are adapted to store various foods at a low temperature, in a fresh state, in freezing and refrigerating compartments defined in a refrigerator body, by circulating cold air in the freezing and refrigerating compartments. In the freezing compartment, food such as meat or ice cream, to be maintained at a temperature not higher than a freezing temperature thereof, is stored. On the other hand, food such as vegetables or beverages, to be maintained at a temperature slightly higher than the freezing temperature thereof, is stored in the refrigerating compartment.

With increased consumption of frozen foods and current busy life styles, people have an increased tendency to purchase large amounts of food at once, to then consume the food in small portions after storing it. In pace with such a tendency, recently-developed refrigerators tend to have an increased size. In accordance with this tendency, use of double swing door type refrigerators has been increased. Also, the recent tendency to equip refrigerators with storage containers has led to an increase in size.

Such a storage container equipped in a refrigerator may be used for various purposes, and may be mounted to any portion of the refrigerator. However, such a storage container is usually mounted to a lower portion of the refrigerator to store vegetables and fruits. Where a storage container equipped in a large-size refrigerator has a large size, in pace with the large size of the refrigerator, there is a problem in that the storage container may not completely open, even in a completely opened sate of a door of the refrigerator, because the door of the refrigerator interferes with the opening operation of the storage container.

For this reason, although the storage container has a large size, there is a problem in that it is impossible to put food having a large size into the storage container through an access opening provided at the storage container because the access opening of the storage container is narrow. Furthermore, it is difficult to remove food stored in a rear inner portion of the storage container.

Also, it is difficult to put food into the storage container and to take out the food, even if the food has a small size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an aspect of the invention to provide a refrigerator including a storage container in which a cover member adapted to cover a container body is rearwardly moved when the container body is forwardly moved to be opened, while being forwardly moved when the container body is rearwardly moved to be closed, so that an opening degree of the storage container is increased, thereby being capable of solving problems involved with conventional large-size storage containers equipped in refrigerators, and thus, providing an improved convenience in use to the user.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a refrigerator comprising: a storage container adapted to be openable in a first direction; a cover, installed to be movable with respect to the storage container, the cover being adapted to open the storage container when the storage container is moved in the first direction, and to close the storage container when the storage container is moved opposite the first direction; and a connector adapted to connect the storage container and the cover.

According to one aspect, the cover comprises a plate member fixed to an inner wall of the refrigerator, and a cover member arranged on a first surface of the plate member.

According to one aspect, the connector comprises at least one operating lever provided with a hinge hole, and two slots arranged at opposite sides of the hinge hole, and a plurality of pins comprising a hinge pin provided at the plate member and coupled with the hinge hole of the operating lever, a storage container connecting pin provided at a first end of the storage container and coupled with one of the slots, and a cover member connecting pin provided at the cover member and coupled with the remaining one of the slots.

According to one aspect, the cover member has a length shorter than a length of the storage container in the first direction, while having a convex structure to allow the operating lever to be hingeably movable within the convex structure.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a storage container comprising: a container body adapted to be openable in a first direction; a cover, installed to be movable with respect to the container body, the cover being adapted to open the container body when the container body is moved in the first direction, and to close the container body when the container body is moved opposite the first direction; and a connector adapted to connect the container body and the cover.

According to one aspect, the cover comprises a plate member fixed to a region where the container body is installed, and a cover member arranged on a first surface of the plate member.

According to one aspect, the connector comprises at least one operating lever provided with a hinge hole, and two slots arranged at opposite sides of the hinge hole, and a plurality of pins comprising a hinge pin provided at the plate member and coupled with the hinge hole of the operating lever, a container body connecting pin provided at a first end of the container body and coupled with one of the slots, and a cover member connecting pin provided at the cover member and coupled with the remaining one of the slots.

According to one aspect, the cover member has a length in the first direction shorter than a length of the container body in the first direction, while having a convex structure to allow the operating lever to be hingeably movable within the convex structure.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an inner configuration of a refrigerator provided with a storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an assembled state of constituent elements of the storage container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a closed state of the storage container of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating an opened state of the storage container of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an inner configuration of a refrigerator 1 provided with a storage container according to the present invention.

The refrigerator 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped housing 10 forwardly opened at a front end thereof, and doors 20 to open and close openings defined at the housing 10. Refrigerating and freezing compartments are defined in the housing 10. A plurality of shelves 11 are provided at each of the refrigerating and freezing compartments.

Each door 20 is provided with a plurality of shelves 22 adapted to store beverages or food. A handle 21 is attached to an outer surface of each door 20, to allow the user to easily open and close the doors 20. In addition to the shelves 11, each of the refrigerating and freezing compartments is provided with storage containers 30 to store vegetables and food. According to one embodiment, the storage containers 30 provided at each compartment are arranged at respective lower portions of the compartments.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an assembled state of constituent elements of a container 30 equipped in the refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The storage container 30 includes a box-shaped container body 31 opened at a top thereof, a plate member 32 arranged over the top of the container body 31, a pair of operating levers 33 and 36 mounted on the plate member 32, a plurality of pins coupled to the operating levers 33 and 36, and a cover member 39 arranged over the top of the container body 31 while being slidably mounted on the plate member 32 by the operating levers 33 and 36.

According to one embodiment, the container body 31 is arranged at a lower portion of the refrigerator to store vegetables and food. The container body 31 is provided with connecting pins 31a at opposite sides of an upper end thereof, respectively. The connecting pins 31a are fitted in slots 35b and 38b formed at respective operating levers 33 and 36, respectively, so that the operating levers 33 and 36 are operatively connected with the container body 31.

The plate member 32 is arranged on the top of the container body 31, while being fixed to an inner wall of the refrigerator. According to one embodiment, the plate member 32 has a rectangular plate structure to cover the top of the container body 31, except for a front portion thereof arranged toward the door of the refrigerator. In other words, a front top portion of the top of the container body 31, having a length “d” (see FIG. 4) is covered by the cover member 39, while the remainder of the top of the container body 31 is covered by the plate member 32 when the container is in a closed position.

The plate member 32 has operating spaces 32b, respectively adapted to allow movement of the operating levers 33 and 36 operatively connecting the container body 31 and cover member 39. According to one embodiment, the operating spaces 32b are provided by rectangular cutouts positioned at opposite lateral ends of the plate member 32, respectively. The plate member 32 is also provided, at an upper surface thereof, with a pair of hinge pins 32a, respectively adapted to hingeably mount the operating levers 33 and 36.

The plate member 32 serves to hingeably support the operating levers 33 and 36 and operatively connect the container body 31 and cover member 39. Since the cover member 39 incompletely covers the opened top of the container body 31, the moisture of vegetables, fruits or food stored in the container body 31 may easily escape, so that the vegetables, fruits or food may have a degraded freshness. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, however, the plate member 32 covers a rear top portion of the container body 31 not covered by the cover member 39, and has a length “d”, so that the plate member 32 serves to help control the humidity of the interior of the container body 31. Accordingly, the above mentioned problem can be solved.

Although two operating levers, that is, the operating levers 33 and 36, are used in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, according to other embodiments, an increased or reduced number of operating levers may be used. The operating levers 33 and 36 are provided, at central portions thereof, with small circular hinge holes 34 and 37 for hingeable mounting thereof, respectively. The operating lever 33 is also provided with a pair of slots 35a and 35b at opposite sides of the hinge hole 34, respectively. Similarly, the operating lever 36 is also provided with a pair of slots 38a and 38b at opposite sides of the hinge hole 37, respectively.

Although each of the hinge holes 34 and 37 is arranged at a center of the associated operating lever 33 or 36 in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, according to other embodiments, the hinge holes 34 and 37 may be arranged toward one side of the associated operating lever 33 or 36. In such an embodiment, the member coupled to the shorter side of each operating lever 33 or 36 is moved by a shorter distance, whereas the member coupled to the longer side of the operating lever 33 or 36 is moved by a longer distance. Accordingly, the cover member 39 can be moved by a long distance even when the container body 31 is moved by a short distance. Thus, it is possible to adjust an opening degree of the container body 31.

The operating lever 33, which is arranged at the right side of the plate member 32, will be described in conjunction with the coupling thereof. The slot 35a, positioned at one side of the operating lever 33, is coupled with a connecting pin 39a provided at the cover member 39, whereas the slot 35b, positioned at an opposite side of the operating lever 33, is coupled with the connecting pin 31 a provided at the upper end of the container body 31. The operating lever 33 is hingeably mounted to the hinge pin 32a provided at the plate member 32.

According to one embodiment, the operating lever 36, which is arranged at the left side of the plate member 32, has the same coupling structure as the operating lever 33. That is, the slot 38a, positioned at one side of the operating lever 36, is coupled with the connecting pin 39a provided at the cover member 39, whereas the slot 38b, positioned at an opposite side of the operating lever 36, is coupled with the connecting pin 31 a provided at the upper end of the container body 31. The operating lever 36 is hingeably mounted to the hinge pin 32a provided at the plate member 32.

The cover member 39, which is arranged on the plate member 32, has an upwardly convex plate structure to provide a space, in which the operating levers 33 and 36 are movable. The cover member 39 must move rearwardly, that is, inwardly of the interior of the refrigerator, in accordance with movements of the operating levers 33 and 36. To this end, the cover member 39 partially covers the top of the container body 31 such that it does not cover a rear top portion of the container body 31 having a length corresponding to a movement distance “d” of the cover member 39, in a closed state of the container body 31. As is described above, the rear top portion of the container body 31 is covered by the plate member 32.

The connecting pins 39a are downwardly protruded from a lower surface of the cover member 39, and engaged with respective slots 35a and 38a of the operating levers 33 and 36, so that the cover member 39 is coupled with the operating levers 33 and 36. Accordingly, when the container body 31 is moved, the cover member 39 is moved in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the container body 31 in accordance with operations of the operating levers 33 and 36.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a closed state of the storage container equipped in the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the shaded region of the housing 10 represents the inner wall of the refrigerator. As is shown in FIG. 3, the container body 31 is maintained in a closed state thereof. In FIG. 3, the dotted line represents the container body 31 arranged at a lowermost position. The solid line represents the plate member 32 provided with the operating spaces 32b, and the double-dotted line represents the cover member 39 arranged at an uppermost position. Also, the symbol “d” is a moving distance of the container, and also represents a tangential length of the operating lever. The symbol “e” represents a gap between the container body 31 and the plate member 32. Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that although the plate member 32 does not cover the front top portion of the container body 31, and the cover member 39 does not cover the rear top portion of the container body 31, the entire top portion of the container body 31 is completely covered by the plate member 32 and the cover member 39.

In the closed state of the container body 31, the operating levers 33 and 36 are positioned such that the slots 35a and 38a are forwardly positioned under the condition in which they are coupled with respective connecting pins 39a of the cover member 39. The hinge holes 34 and 37 are in a state of being hingeably coupled with respective hinge pins 32a provided at the plate member 32. Also, the slots 35b and 38b arranged opposite to the slots 35a and 38a are rearwardly positioned under the condition in which they are coupled with respective connecting pins 31 a provided at the upper end of the container body 31.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating an opened state of the storage container equipped in the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the state of FIG. 4, in accordance with a forward movement of the container body 31, the operating levers 33 and 36 are hingeably moved such that the slots 35b and 38b, coupled with respective connecting pins 31a of the container body 31, are forwardly positioned, whereas the slots 35a and 38a, coupled with respective connecting pins 39a of the cover member 39, are rearwardly positioned. As a result, the cover member 39 is positioned at a rear position thereof after being rearwardly moved.

Now, the operation, function and effect of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the closed state of the container body 31, as is shown in FIG. 3, the slots 35a and 38a coupled with respective connecting pins 39a of the cover member 39 are forwardly positioned to be directed to a front side of the refrigerator. The hinge holes 34 and 37 are in a state of being hingeably coupled with respective hinge pins 32a provided at the plate member 32. Also, the slots 35b and 38b arranged opposite to the slots 35a and 38a are rearwardly positioned under the condition in which they are coupled with respective connecting pins 31a provided at the upper end of the container body 31.

When the user forwardly draws the container body 31 by a distance “d” to open the container body 31, the operating levers 33 and 36 are hingeably moved such that the connecting pins 31a coupled with the rearwardly positioned slots 35b and 38b are forwardly moved. The hinge holes 34 and 37 are coupled with the hinge pins 32a provided at the plate member 32 fixed to the inner wall of the refrigerator. Accordingly, the hinge pins 32a serve as pivots for the operating levers 33 and 36, respectively.

In accordance with the hingeable movements of the operating levers 33 and 36 about the hinge pins 32a caused by the drawing force to open the container body 31, the slots 35a and 38a of the operating levers 33 and 36 coupled with the cover member 39 are moved from front positions thereof to rear positions thereof, whereas the slots 35b and 38b of the operating levers 33 and 36 opposite to the slots 35b and 38b are moved from rear positions thereof to front positions thereof.

As a result, the cover member 39 is rearwardly moved the distance “f”. This movement of the cover member 39 is allowed as the connecting pins 31a and 39a are slidably movable in the associated slots 35a, 35b, 38a and 38b of the operating levers 33 and 36. Thus, when the container body 31 is forwardly moved by a maximum distance corresponding to “d”, the cover member 39 is rearwardly moved by a maximum distance corresponding to “f”. According to one embodiment, the distances “d” and “f” are equal. According to another embodiment, the distances “d”, “e”, and “f” are all equal. Accordingly, the container body 31 is opened at an opening degree corresponding to “2d”. Thus, there is an effect that the opening degree of the storage container is doubled, as compared to conventional storage containers.

When the user rearwardly moves the opened container body 31 to close the opened container body 31, the connecting pins 31a of the container body 31 are rearwardly moved, so that the operating levers 33 and 36 connected to the connecting pins 31a are hingeably moved, thereby causing the connecting pins 39a coupled with the slots 35a and 38a to be forwardly moved. As a result, the cover member 39 is forwardly moved by a distance “f” to cover the container body 31. Thus, the storage container is closed as the container body 31 is rearwardly moved by the distance “d”, and the cover member 39 is forwardly moved by the distance “f”.

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a refrigerator including a storage container in which a cover member adapted to cover a container body is rearwardly moved when the container body is forwardly moved to be opened, in accordance with operations of operating levers provided at the cover member, so that the opening degree of the storage container is increased. Accordingly, it is possible to put food having a large size into the storage container and to remove food stored in a rear inner portion of the storage container, thereby securing the utility of the large-size storage container while providing an improved convenience in use to the user, and thus, an improved satisfaction to the user.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a storage container adapted to be openable in a first direction;

a cover, installed to be movable with respect to the storage container, the cover being adapted to open the storage container when the storage container is moved in the first direction, and to close the storage container when the storage container is moved opposite the first direction; and

a connector adapted to connect the storage container and the cover.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises:

a plate member fixed to an inner wall of the refrigerator; and

a cover member arranged on a first surface of the plate member.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the connector comprises:

at least one operating lever provided with a hinge hole, and two slots arranged at opposite sides of the hinge hole; and

a plurality of pins comprising a hinge pin provided at the plate member and coupled with the hinge hole of the operating lever, a storage container connecting pin provided at a first end of the storage container and coupled with one of the slots, and a cover member connecting pin provided at the cover member and coupled with the remaining one of the slots.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the cover member has a length in the first direction shorter than a length of the storage container in the first direction, while having a convex structure to allow the operating lever to be hingeably movable within the convex structure.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the plate member covers a portion of the container body not covered by the cover member.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein a distance in the first direction of the portion of the container body not covered by the cover member is equal to a distance the cover member is moved in response to movement of the storage container.

7. A storage container comprising:

a container body adapted to be openable in a first direction;

a cover, installed to be movable with respect to the container body, the cover being adapted to open the container body when the container body is moved in the first direction, and to close the container body when the container body is moved opposite the first direction; and

a connector adapted to connect the container body and the cover.

8. The storage container according to claim 7, wherein the cover comprises:

a plate member fixed to a region where the container body is installed; and

a cover member arranged on a first surface of the plate member.

9. The storage container according to claim 7, wherein the connector comprises:

at least one operating lever provided with a hinge hole, and two slots arranged at opposite sides of the hinge hole; and

a plurality of pins comprising a hinge pin provided at the plate member and coupled with the hinge hole of the operating lever, a container body connecting pin provided at a first end of the container body and coupled with one of the slots, and a cover member connecting pin provided at the cover member and coupled with the remaining one of the slots.

10. The storage container according to claim 8, wherein the cover member has a length in the first direction shorter than a length of the container body in the first direction, while having a convex structure to allow the operating lever to be hingeably movable within the convex structure.

11. A storage container for a refrigerator, comprising:

a container body to store items, connected with the refrigerator, being movable relative to the refrigerator, and having an opening;

a cover member, movable relative to the refrigerator and covering at least a portion of the opening of the container body; and

a connector, movably connecting the cover member and the container body such that movement of one of the cover member and the container body in a first direction induces movement of the remaining one of the cover member and the container body opposite the first direction.

12. The storage container according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plate member fixedly connected with the refrigerator, wherein the cover member and the container body move relative to the plate member.

13. The storage container according to claim 12, wherein the connector comprises:

a container body connecting pin positioned on the container body;

a hinge pin positioned on the plate member;

a cover member connecting pin disposed on the cover member; and

an operating lever having a hinge hole moveably engaging the hinge pin, and a pair of slots disposed oppositely on the operating lever with respect to the hinge hole, each slot movably engaging one of the container body connecting pin and the cover member connecting pin.

14. The storage container according to claim 13, wherein the container body connecting pin, the hinge pin, the cover member connecting pin, and the slots are positioned such that a revealed distance of the opening, as measured in the first direction, is proportionally greater than a distance the one of the cover member and the container body is moved in the first direction.

15. The storage container according to claim 14, wherein the revealed distance is twice the distance the one of the cover member and the container body is moved in the first direction.

16. The storage container according to claim 12, wherein the plate member covers a portion of the container body not covered by the cover member.

17. The storage container according to claim 16, wherein a distance in the first direction of the portion of the container body not covered by the cover member is equal to a distance the cover member is moved in response to movement of the storage container.

18. A storage container for a refrigerator, comprising:

a plate member connected with the refrigerator;

a container body to store items, the container body being movable relative to the plate member;

a cover member movable relative to the plate member; and

a connector, movably connected with the plate member, and movably connecting the cover member and the container body such that movement of one of the cover member and the container body in a first direction induces movement of the remaining one of the cover member and the container body opposite the first direction.

19. A storage container for a refrigerator, comprising:

a plate member connected with the refrigerator;

a container body to store items, the container body being movable relative to the plate member and having an opening;

a cover, member movable relative to the plate member and covering a portion of the opening; and

a connector, movably connected with the plate member, and movably connecting the cover member and the container body such that when one of the cover member and the container body is moved in a first direction to reveal the opening, a revealed distance of the opening, as measured in the first direction, is proportionally greater than a distance the one of the cover member and the container body is moved in the first direction.

20. The storage container according to claim 19, wherein the revealed distance is twice the distance the one of the cover member and the container body is moved in the first direction.

21. A storage container for a refrigerator, comprising:

a plate member connected with the refrigerator;

a container body to store items, the container body being movable relative to the plate member along a first axis and having an opening;

a cover, member movable relative to the plate member along the first axis; and

a connector, movably connected with the plate member, and movably connecting the cover member and the container body to move in opposing directions and selectively reveal and cover a portion of the opening such that a distance the opening is one of revealed and covered, measured along the first axis, is proportionally greater than a distance one of the cover member and the container body is moved along the first axis.

22. The storage container according to claim 21, wherein the distance the opening is one of revealed and covered is twice the distance the one of the cover member and the container body is moved along the first axis.