Refrigerator

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising support parts formed on internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket, slide rails coupled with both sides of the storage basket so as to correspond to the support parts, being moved by sliding relative to the support part, and roller members coupled with the slide rails, being rotatable so as to contact the support parts by rolling. With this configuration, there is provided a refrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operated when it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment, thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance is graceful.

Description

This invention is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0002603 filed on Jan. 11, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, a refrigerator wherein a storage basket can be easily inserted into and exited from the refrigerator, and it is agreeable in visual appearance.

2. Description of the Related Art

A storage basket of a refrigerator may include a plastic basket formed by an injection molding, or a wire basket formed with a plurality of wires, etc.

Generally, since the other faces of the plastic basket, except for an opening part, are closed, transmission of cool air in a storage compartment has not been facilitated. For this reason, use of the wire basket is preferred, rather than the plastic basket.

A conventional refrigerator disclosed in Korean Patent First Pub. No. 10-2004-0082698 comprises a main cabinet formed with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and a refrigerator compartment door and a freezer compartment door installed in front of the main cabinet, opening and closing the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment respectively.

In the lower part of the freezer compartment is inserted a storage box accommodating therein goods to be stored. The storage box is coupled to the rear face of the freezer door whereby it is inserted into or exited from the freezer compartment together with the freezer door when the freezer door is opened and closed.

The upper part of the freezer compartment is partitioned into the left and the right by a partition. In the left, an ice maker and an ice bank are installed and a storage basket formed with wires is disposed in the right.

On both sides of the upper right space of the freezer compartment are mounted rail guides whereby the storage basket is slid forward and backward. On both sides of the storage basket are mounted moving rails coupled to the rail guides, along which the storage basket can be entered into and taken out of the freezer compartment.

With this configuration, the moving rails slidably move with respect to the rail guides. Accordingly, the storage basket can be inserted into or exited from the freezer compartment. However, in this conventional refrigerator, a friction force of the rail guide and the moving rail generated when the storage basket is entered into or taken out of the freezer compartment causes insertion and exit operations not to be facilitated, thereby causing inconvenience in use.

In addition, when no moving rail is mounted on the storage basket, wires coupled to sides of the storage basket contact the rail guide, to thereby cause friction between them. At this time, the coating covering the wires is worn off, thereby making an external appearance of the storage basket disagreeable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operated when it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment, thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance is agreeable.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising: a support part formed on both internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket; a slide rail coupled with both sides of the storage basket corresponding to the support part, being moved by sliding relative to the support part; and a roller member coupled with the slide rail, being rotatable to contact the support part by rolling.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basket further comprises a second horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the basket body and coupling with the slide rail. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the roller member comprises an upper roller member mounted on an upper part of the slide rail, and a lower roller member mounted on a lower part of the slide rail; and an upper roller receiving part and a lower roller receiving part in which the upper roller member and the lower roller member are respectively received are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the slide rail.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a guide rail guiding sliding movement of the slide rail is mounted on the support part.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the lower roller member is disposed in front of and separately from the upper roller member; and at least one projection to define movement of the lower roller member is formed on a front area or a rear area of the guide rail.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a horizontal region is formed on the front area of the guide rail and a lower inclined region is formed on the rear area thereof.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, an engagement part to maintain an engagement of the slide rail with the storage basket or disengaging the slide rail from the storage basket is formed on the slide rail and the storage basket respectively.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagement part comprises a region of the wire of the basket body, and a wire inserting part formed on the slide rail, in which the wire is inserted. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the slide rail comprises a rail body coupled to a side part of the basket body; a rear coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a rear part of the basket body; and a front coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a front part of the basket body.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part having the second horizontal wire and a horizontal wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the second horizontal wire; and a vertical engagement part having the vertical wire and a vertical wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the vertical wire.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the roller member comprises a roller body, a rotational shaft formed on the roller body, and a roller support part coupled with the rotational shaft, rotatably supporting the roller body.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basket further comprises a cover coupled to one side of the basket body.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a method of detachably coupling a slide rail to a storage basket formed with a vertical wire and a horizontal wire, comprising coupling a first side of the slide rail to one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket; positioning a corresponding part of the slide rail to a horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the storage basket and coupling them; coupling a second side of the slide rail to the other one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket comprising coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket without an extra tool by applying pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the front of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a guide rail mounted on an internal face of a body cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a connection of a lower storage basket and a slide rail in the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a disconnection of the lower storage basket and the slide rail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a main configuration of the lower storage basket of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basket inserted into the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6B is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basket exited from the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a body cabinet 10 having a storage compartment 11 formed with a front opening 10a, and a door 20 installed on the body cabinet 10, opening and closing the storage compartment 11.

The storage compartment 11 is partitioned into an upper part and a lower part by a primary partition 14. A refrigerator compartment 12 is formed in the upper part of the body cabinet 10 and a freezer compartment 13 is formed in the lower part thereof.

The doors 20 includes a refrigerator compartment door 21 and a freezer compartment door 22 which are mounted correspondingly with the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, respectively opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

The refrigerator compartment door 21 and the freezer compartment door 22 are horizontally rotated based on a hinge part provided on one side of the body cabinet 10.

Within the refrigerator compartment 12 are installed shelves disposed vertically at predetermined intervals, dividing the refrigerator compartment 12.

The upper part of the freezer compartment 13 is divided vertically by a secondary partition 15. In the left space is disposed an ice maker 25 making ices and removing the ices from the ice maker 25 and an ice storage container 26 in the lower part of the ice maker 25, storing therein the ices removed. In the right space is installed an upper storage basket 27 moveable by sliding.

In the lower part of the freezer compartment 13 is installed a lower storage basket 28 received movably by sliding in the lower space.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, support parts 16 supporting the lower storage basket 28 are formed on both internal wall faces of the freezer compartment 13, and projections 17 on which the top of the lower storage basket 28 to be described later is seated are formed on the upper parts of the support parts 16.

The support parts 16 are depressed laterally on both internal wall faces of the freezer compartment 13, and guide rails 60 are mounted on inside parts of the support parts 16.

The guide rails 60 may be prefabricated in the body cabinet 10 when it is molded by foaming, to thereby be integrally coupled to the body cabinet 10. A horizontal region 61 is formed on the front area of the guide rails 60 and a downward inclined region 62 is formed on the rear area thereof (refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B. When the lower storage basket 28 is inserted in the inside of the freezer compartment 13 along the guide rails 60, it moves along the horizontal region 61 in the front area of the guide rails 60 and moves along the downward inclined region 62 in the rear area thereof, to then be seated in the freezer compartment 13. Accordingly, where the body cabinet 10 is inclined forwardly, the downward inclined regions 62 of the guide rails 60 prevent the lower storage basket 28 from being easily exited forwardly. In addition, a front engagement projection 63 is formed in the front area of the guide rail 60, the front engagement projection 63 preventing the lower storage basket 28 from being completely exited from the freezer compartment 13. Also, a rear engagement projection 64 is formed in the rear area of the guide rail 60, the rear engagement projection 64 determining an insertion of the lower storage basket 28. If the lower storage basket 28 is completely exited from the freezer compartment 13 due to a use's carelessness, this may cause the user to be hurt. In this respect, the front engagement projection 63 would block the lower storage basket 28 from being completely exited from the freezer compartment 13, thereby preventing the user from being hurt. In addition, when the lower storage basket 28 is inserted in the freezer compartment 13, a position of the lower storage basket 28 to be inserted is determined by the lower engagement projection 64 whereby the lower storage basket 28 is blocked from colliding with the body cabinet 10, thereby preventing the lower storage basket 28 from being damaged.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower storage basket 28 comprises a lower basket body 29 formed with a plurality of wires 71 shaped with a grid, and a cover 30 coupled to the front of the lower basket body 29.

On the rear of the cover are formed hooks 30a coupled to the wires 71 of the lower basket body 29. The cover 30 may function as a handler with which the user can hold it, a cover externally covering goods stored in the lower basket body 29, a blocker blocking cool air of the freezer compartment 13 from being discharged forwardly.

The lower basket body 29 is shaped with a quadrilateral box having an upper opening, the top of which is outwardly bent from the circumferential edges of both sides thereof. According to this, the top of the lower basket body 29 can be seated on the projections 17 formed on internal wall faces of the body cabinet 10.

On both sides of the lower basket body 29 are mounted slide rails 40 corresponding to the guide rails 60, along which the lower basket body 29 is slid relative to the guide rails 60. Here, the refrigerator comprises a roller member 50 coupled to the slide rails 40, being rotated so that the lower storage basket 28 contacts the guide rails 60 by rolling. According to this, the lower storage basket 28 can be smoothly inserted and exited by the roller member 50, thereby being convenient in use. Further, engagement parts 70 are preferably formed on the slide rails 40 and the lower storage basket 28, the engagement parts 70 maintaining engagement of the slide rails 40 with the lower storage basket 28 or disengaging the slide rails 40 from the lower storage basket 28. (Refer to FIG. 5)

The slide rail 40 comprises a rail body 41, a front coupling part 42 formed in front of the rail body 41, coupled to the front part of the lower basket body 29 and a rear coupling part 43 formed in rear of the rail body 41, coupled to the rear part of the lower basket body 29.

On the upper part of the rail body 41 is formed an upper roller receiving part 44 in which an upper roller member 51 to be described later is received, and a lower roller receiving part 45 receiving therein a lower roller member 52 to be described later is formed on the lower part of the rail body 41.

The upper roller receiving part 44 and the lower roller receiving part 45 are each depressed to a predetermined depth from a planar surface of the rail body 41.

The roller member 50 comprises the upper roller member 51 mounted on the upper part of the slide rail 40 and the lower roller member 52 mounted on the lower part thereof.

The upper roller member 51 comprises an upper roller body 51a, a rotational shaft 51b mounted on both sides of the upper roller body 51a, and an upper roller support part 51c coupled to the rotational shaft 51b, rotatably supporting the upper roller body 51a. Accordingly, the upper roller body 51a can be rotated based on the rotational shaft 51b to thereby contacting the upper part of the guide rail 60 by rolling.

The lower roller member 52 comprises a lower roller body 52a, a rotational shaft 52b formed on both sides of the lower roller body 52a, and a lower roller support part 52c coupled to the rotational shaft 52b, rotatably supporting the lower roller body 52a. Accordingly, the lower roller body 52a is rotatable based on the rotational shaft, thereby contacting the lower part of the guide rail 60 by rolling. Desirably but not necessarily, the lower roller member 52 is disposed in and separately from the front of the upper roller member 51, under which the lower roller member 52 is engaged with the front engagement projection 63 when the storage basket is exited from the freezer compartment 13, and the lower roller member 52 is engaged with the rear engagement projection 64 when the storage basket is inserted in the inside of the freezer compartment 13.

The engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part 80 having a second horizontal wire 29d and a horizontal wire inserting part 81 formed on the rail body 41 and inserted with the second horizontal wire 29a; and a vertical engagement part 70 having a vertical wire 29b and a vertical wire inserting part 72 formed on the rail body 41 and inserted with a vertical wire 29b. Here, the slide rail is coupled with the second horizontal wire and the vertical wire of the lower storage basket. Alternatively, the slide rail may be coupled with a first horizontal wire and a vertical wire of the lower storage basket.

The second horizontal wire 29a and the vertical wire 29b respectively couple with/are separated from the horizontal wire inserting part 81 and the vertical wire inserting part 72 without an extra tool, thereby simplifying an assembling process thereof.

Insertion of the lower storage basket 28 of the refrigerator according to the present invention into and exit thereof from the freezer compartment 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

While the lower storage basket 28 is inserted in the freezer compartment 13, the lower roller member 52 is engaged with the rear engagement projection 64 of the guide rail 60.

Thereafter, if a user pulls the lower storage basket 28 forward to thereby exit it from the freezer compartment 13, the upper roller member 51 and the lower roller member 52 are rolled along the upper part and the lower part of the guide rail 60 whereby the former contacts the latter, and they are moved by sliding. After each of the roller members 51 and 52 is moved upward along the lower inclined region 62 of the guide rail 60, it can continue to be moved forward along the horizontal region 61. At this time, the lower storage basket 28 cannot be completely exited forwardly from the freezer compartment 13 since it is engaged with the front engagement projection 63 of the guide rail 60.

With this configuration, a method of coupling the storage basket and the slide rail of the refrigerator according to the present invention is as follows.

First, a user couples the vertical wire 29b disposed on a rear part of the lower storage basket 28 and the rear coupling part 43 of the slide rail 40. At this time, the vertical wire 29b on a rear part of the lower storage basket 28 forcibly fits the vertical wire inserting part 72 formed in the rear coupling part 43 by applying pressure.

Then, a corresponding part of the slide rail 29 is positioned to a horizontal wire 29d laterally disposed outside the lower storage basket 28 to be coupled therewith. At this time, the horizontal wire 29d laterally disposed outside the lower storage basket 28 forcibly fits the vertical wire inserting part 81 formed in the rail body 41 of the slide rail 40 by applying pressure.

Finally, the vertical wire 29b on a front part of the lower storage basket 28 is coupled to the front coupling part 42 of the slide rail 40. The vertical wire 29b on a front part of the lower storage basket 28 fits the vertical wire inserting part 81 formed in the front coupling part 42 by applying pressure. Here, the coupling of the front part of the lower storage basket and the front coupling part of the slide rail occurs at the same time as the coupling of the lateral part of the lower storage basket and the rail body of the slide rail.

Thus, the storage basket and the slide rail are assembled and detached from each other without an extra tool, thereby improving work efficiency.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the roller member contacts the guide rail by rolling, but the roller member is available for contact by rolling where no guide rail is provided; at this time, the roller member can contact the support part by rolling.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been described that the lower storage basket contacts both internal wall faces of the body cabinet by rolling, but the upper storage basket may also contact an internal wall face of the body cabinet and a secondary partition by rolling.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been described that the rear parts of the storage basket and the slide rail are coupled with each other first, then the side parts thereof are coupled with each other, and finally the front parts thereof are coupled. Alternatively, the front parts of the storage basket and the slide rail may be coupled with each other first, and then the side parts and the rear parts thereof may be coupled. The method of coupling the storage basket and the slide rail is not limited thereto, and may be various as long as it provides a simple assembling process.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising:

a support part formed on both internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket;

a slide rail coupled with both sides of the storage basket corresponding to the support part, being moved by sliding relative to the support part; and

a roller member coupled with the slide rail, being rotatable to contact the support part by rolling.

2. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage basket further comprises a second horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the basket body and coupling with the slide rail.

3. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller member comprises an upper roller member mounted on an upper part of the slide rail, and a lower roller member mounted on a lower part of the slide rail; and

an upper roller receiving part and a lower roller receiving part in which the upper roller member and the lower roller member are respectively received are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the slide rail.

4. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein a guide rail guiding sliding movement of the slide rail is mounted on the support part.

5. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lower roller member is disposed in front of and separately from the upper roller member; and

at least one projection to define movement of the lower roller member is formed on a front area or a rear area of the guide rail.

6. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 5, wherein a horizontal region is formed on the front area of the guide rail and a lower inclined region is formed on the rear area thereof.

7. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 2, wherein an engagement part to maintain an engagement of the slide rail with the storage basket or disengaging the slide rail from the storage basket is formed on the slide rail and the storage basket respectively.

8. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the engagement part comprises a region of the wire of the basket body, and a wire inserting part formed on the slide rail, in which the wire is inserted.

9. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the slide rail comprises a rail body coupled to a side part of the basket body; a rear coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a rear part of the basket body; and a front coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a front part of the basket body.

10. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 9, wherein the engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part having the second horizontal wire and a horizontal wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the second horizontal wire; and a vertical engagement part having the vertical wire and a vertical wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the vertical wire.

11. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller member comprises a roller body, a rotational shaft formed on the roller body, and a roller support part coupled with the rotational shaft, rotatably supporting the roller body.

12. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage basket further comprises a cover coupled to one side of the basket body.

13. A method of detachably coupling a slide rail to a storage basket formed with a vertical wire and a horizontal wire, comprising:

coupling a first side of the slide rail to one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket;

positioning a corresponding part of the slide rail to a horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the storage basket and coupling them;

coupling a second side of the slide rail to the other one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket comprising coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket without an extra tool by applying pressure.