REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING DOOR OPEN MODULE

Abstract

In a refrigerator according to the present invention, since the door open module disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment can move the drawer assembly forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the drawer assembly disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment, the drawer assembly can be pulled in or out without the gear rack or pinion gear of the door open module being directly fastened to the drawer assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0128192 filed on Sep. 23, 2004, and Application No. 10-2024-0142344 filed on Oct. 17, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more specifically, to a refrigerator including a door open module.

Description of the Related Art

A refrigerator is a home appliance for supplying cold air generated using circulation of refrigerant to a storage compartment to keep various types of storage objects fresh for a long time. Cold air supplied to the refrigerator can be generated as refrigerant sequentially circulating through a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator flows into the evaporator and liquid refrigerant is vaporized into a gaseous refrigerant by absorbing heat inside the refrigerator.

In general, the refrigerator can include a cabinet forming a storage compartment and a door provided in the cabinet to open and close the storage compartment. For example, the door can be opened and closed in the same manner as a rotary door or a drawer-type door. The rotary door can be connected to one side of the cabinet to be rotatable about one axis to open and close the storage compartment in a rotation manner. The drawer-type door can be provided to be pulled in and out in a front-rear direction of the cabinet to open and close the storage compartment in a withdrawal-insertion manner.

The drawer-type door can include a door unit that covers a front surface of the storage compartment and a storage unit provided behind the door unit to have a storage space that stores stored items. The storage space of the drawer-type door can be exposed to the outside by the pulling-out manipulation of a user, such as pushing or pulling the door. For example, the drawer-type door can be installed in a lower region of the cabinet. In this case, when the drawer-type door is installed in the lower region of the cabinet, the user needs to bend down to pull out the drawer-type door, which causes inconvenience of difficult manipulation. Accordingly, refrigerators that include a door open module for automatically pulling the drawer-type door in and out by driving a motor have been developed recently.

Meanwhile, the conventional door open module has various problems. These problems mainly arise from the resistance caused by a structure in which a drive motor and a rail are directly connected, a decrease in insulation performance, an increase in load due to the weight of a storage compartment, and a pulling-in/out problem due to negative pressure, etc.

Specifically, the conventional door open module has problems with resistance and inconvenience that occur when the user manually pulls out the door. In the case of the drawer-type door, in addition to cases in which the user automatically pulls the door out using the door open module, there are cases in which manual pull-out is required. In this case, when the door open module is designed in a state in which the rail and the motor are directly connected, the user can feel a great sense of resistance when manually pulling out the door. This can cause inconvenience for the user, resulting in inconvenience to the user when manually pulling out the door. In particular, when pull-out resistance increases due to a counter electromotive force of the motor, it becomes difficult to manually pull out the door, which can significantly degrade user experience.

In addition, the conventional door open module has a problem of degrading the insulation performance of the refrigerator. For example, when the door open module is disposed inside a bottom surface of the refrigerator, the door open module can intrude into an insulating region, which can degrade the insulation performance of a lower end of the refrigerator. That is, when components such as a drive motor or rail are disposed inside the bottom surface of the refrigerator, the insulation material cannot be sufficiently disposed, making it difficult to maintain internal temperature. This can reduce the energy efficiency of the refrigerator, which can have a negative effect on maintaining the freshness of food.

In addition, the conventional door open module can have a risk of rail sagging and rack damage due to the weight of a storage unit. For example, the door open module can use a rack and pinion system for converting rotational motion into linear motion using a gear rack and a pinion gear. In this case, when many items are stored in the storage unit, there can be a problem that the rail sags or the rack is damaged due to the weight of the storage unit. In the long term, such structural defects can reduce the reliability of the refrigerator, and when the rail sags or the rack is damaged, the storage unit cannot be pulled out smoothly. This can ultimately lead to an increase in the maintenance cost of the refrigerator.

In addition, the conventional door open module has the difficulty of securing a sufficient door pull-out force to overcome the negative pressure of a storage compartment. In general, the drawer-type door can be used in a freezer. In particular, strong negative pressure is generated inside the freezer due to operating conditions of the freezer to maintain a low temperature, which requires more force to open the door. In this way, when the load generated during manual and automatic pull-out increases due to the negative pressure in the storage compartment, the user can feel uncomfortable when opening or closing the door, which can lead to the degradation in the reliability of the door of the storage compartment.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a refrigerator including the following door open module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of pulling a drawer assembly in and out without a gear rack or pinion gear of the door open module being directly fastened to a drawer assembly.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module to which a load of a drawer assembly is not directly applied.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of stably pulling a drawer assembly in and out even when misaligned with the drawer assembly.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of significantly extending a pull-out distance of a drawer assembly even when disposed in a storage compartment with a narrow width in a front-rear direction.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module having a driving force capable of effectively overcoming door sealing pressure.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of moving a drawer assembly forward only by pushing a storage unit without being directly fastened to the drawer assembly.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of implementing a manual open mode without a separate manipulation with a drawer assembly closed.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of solving a counter electromotive force problem that may occur upon manually pulling a drawer assembly in and out.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of minimizing resistance or inconvenience felt by a user when manually pulling a drawer assembly in and out.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of preventing damage due to a load of a storage unit and being operated stably regardless of the magnitude of the load of the storage unit.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of reducing a thickness in a vertical direction.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of reducing an intrusion into an insulation space of the refrigerator.

In addition, the present invention is directed to providing a refrigerator including a door open module capable of smoothly opening a drawer assembly even in a high negative pressure environment.

Objects of the present invention are not limited to the above objects, and other objects and advantages of the present invention that are not described can be understood by the following description and will be more clearly understood by embodiments of the present invention. In addition, it will be able to be easily seen that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be achieved by devices and combinations thereof that are described in the claims.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator including a cabinet including one or more storage compartments, a drawer assembly including a door unit for opening and closing a front surface of the storage compartment and a storage unit accommodated within the storage compartment, a rail assembly that guides movement of the drawer assembly in a front-rear direction, and a door open module that is disposed on a lower inner surface of the storage compartment, pushes and moves the drawer assembly forward, and pulls and moves the drawer assembly rearward.

The door open module may include one or more multi-stage rack-and-pinion assemblies, one or more driving assemblies that drive the rack-and-pinion assemblies, and a locking assembly configured to engage with and disengage from the storage unit.

The refrigerator may further include a machine compartment disposed behind the storage compartment, wherein the multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly may include three or more gear racks.

When the door open module moves the drawer assembly forward in a state in which the drawer assembly completely moves rearward, the rack-and-pinion assembly may push a rear surface of the door unit to release contact between the door unit and the cabinet.

The rack-and-pinion assembly may include a plurality of gear racks, and a gear rack pulled out the shortest distance forward from the rack-and-pinion assembly among the plurality of gear racks may push the rear surface of the door unit.

The door open module may further include one or more pushing members that are disposed at a rear of the storage unit and push a rear surface of the storage unit to move the drawer assembly forward.

The pushing member may be mounted on the locking assembly.

The pushing member may push the rear surface of the storage unit after the rack-and-pinion assembly pushes a rear surface of the door unit.

The pushing member may be provided as a pair of pushing members and may push each of one side and the other side of the storage unit.

The locking assembly may be provided with a hook member that is engaged with the storage unit when the drawer assembly moves forward or rearward and is disengaged from the storage unit in a state in which the drawer assembly is completely moved rearward.

The rack-and-pinion assembly may include a first rack-and-pinion assembly and a second rack-and-pinion assembly that are respectively disposed on one side and the other side of the storage compartment, and the driving assembly may include a first driving assembly and a second driving assembly that drive the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly, respectively.

The locking assembly may include a locking assembly extension bar extending in the left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly, respectively, and the locking assembly extension bar may synchronize the operation of the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly.

The rack-and-pinion assembly may include a first rack-and-pinion assembly and a second rack-and-pinion assembly that are respectively disposed on one side and the other side of the storage compartment, and the driving assembly may be disposed on one side of the storage compartment and drives the first rack-and-pinion assembly.

The locking assembly may include a locking assembly extension bar extending in the left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly, respectively, and the second rack-and-pinion assembly may be operated by being restrained by the movement of the locking assembly extension bar that synchronizes the operation of the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly.

The drawer assembly may move along the rail assembly in the front-rear direction by driving the door open module in an automatic door open mode, and the drawer assembly may move along the rail assembly in the front-rear direction by a user in a state in which the door open module is not driven in a manual open mode.

The rail assembly may be provided as a pair of rail assemblies and disposed on each of both sides of the storage unit.

The refrigerator may further include a connection bar extending in a left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the pair of rail assemblies, respectively, wherein the door open module may further include one or more pushing members that are located at a rear of the storage unit to push the rail connection bar and push the drawer assembly supported by the pair of rail assemblies.

The rail assembly may support the storage unit so that a clearance space is formed between a lower surface of the storage unit and an upper surface of the door open module, and the clearance space may be maintained when the drawer assembly moves forward and rearward.

The rail assembly may be a multi-stage rail assembly whose length is extendable and retractable, depending on the forward and rearward movements of the drawer assembly.

A refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet including one or more storage compartments, a storage unit disposed within the storage compartment, one or more rail assemblies that guide movement of the storage unit, and a door open module that is disposed on a lower inner surface of the storage compartment and moves the storage unit in a front-rear direction, wherein the door open module is driven by a rack-and-pinion driving method by including a plurality of gear racks and a plurality of pinion gears, and a rotational axis of the pinion gear extends in a vertical direction of the storage compartment.

The plurality of gear racks and the plurality of pinion gears may not be in contact with a lower surface of the storage unit.

The rail assembly may be provided as a pair of rail assemblies and disposed on each of both inner sides of the storage compartment, and when the door open module is driven, a load of the storage unit may be supported by the rail assembly so that the storage unit moves in the front-rear direction.

The door open module may not support a load of the storage unit.

The door open module may move the storage unit forward by pushing a rear surface of the storage unit and move the storage unit rearward by pulling the rear surface of the storage unit.

The door open module may push and pull the storage unit while being engaged with the storage unit.

The storage unit and the door open module may be disengaged in a state in which the storage unit is completely stored in the storage compartment.

The storage unit and the door open module may be engaged in a state in which the storage unit is spaced a predetermined distance from a rear surface of the storage compartment.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the door open module disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment can move the drawer assembly forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the drawer assembly disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment, the drawer assembly can be pulled in or out without the gear rack or pinion gear of the door open module being directly fastened to the drawer assembly.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the door open module disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment can move the drawer assembly forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the drawer assembly disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment, the load of the drawer assembly is not directly applied to the door open module, which can reduce the misalignment or the occurrence of clearance of the gear rack and pinion gear of the door open module.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the door open module disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment can move the drawer assembly forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the drawer assembly disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment, even when the drawer assembly and the door open module are misaligned due to tilting of the drawer assembly, the drawer assembly can be stably pulled in or out without affecting the operation of the door open module.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly includes three or more gear racks, even when the door open module is disposed in the storage compartment with a narrow width in the front-rear direction, the pull-out distance of the drawer assembly can be significantly extended so that the storage unit of the drawer assembly can be completely exposed to the outside.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, when the door open module opens the drawer assembly while the drawer assembly is closed, the rack-and-pinion assembly can preferentially release the contact between the door unit and the cabinet by pushing a rear surface of the door unit located on the front of the drawer assembly, which can allow the driving force of the door open module to effectively overcome the door sealing pressure between the gasket of the cabinet and the drawer assembly.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the pushing member of the door open module can push the rear surface of the storage unit located on the rear of the drawer assembly to move the drawer assembly forward, the door open module can move the drawer assembly forward only by pushing the rear surface of the storage unit without being directly fastened to the drawer assembly.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the drawer assembly includes the locking assembly provided with the hook member that is configured to engage with the storage unit during forward and rearward movement and configured to disengage from the storage unit in the closed state of the drawer assembly, the manual open mode can be implemented without separate manipulation in the closed state of the drawer assembly. Accordingly, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since switching between the automatic door open mode and the manual open mode is smoothly performed, the user can easily and smoothly pull out the drawer assembly without a separate command to switch to the manual open mode, thereby maximizing the convenience of use.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the drawer assembly can be pulled in or out only by the guide by the rail assembly without being fastened to the door open module in the manual open mode. Accordingly, when the drawer assembly is manually pulled in or out, there is no need to forcibly or passively drive the door open module, which can solve the problem of the counter electromotive force of the door open module that can occur during manual pulling-in/out manipulation.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the drawer assembly can be pulled in or out only by the guide by the rail assembly without being fastened to the door open module in the manual open mode, it is possible to minimize resistance or inconvenience felt by the user when pulling the drawer assembly in and out, thereby improving the use experience of the user.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, the door open module does not support the load of the storage unit of the drawer assembly but the rail assemblies disposed on the side surfaces of the drawer assembly can support the load of the storage unit. Accordingly, the door open module that directly provides the driving force can be prevented from being damaged by the load of the storage unit, and the door open module can be operated stably regardless of the magnitude of the load of the storage unit.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the rotational axis of the pinion gear of the door open module driven in a rack-and-pinion driving manner is disposed to extend in the vertical direction of the storage compartment, the thickness of the door open module in the vertical direction can be reduced, thereby increasing the space utilization of the storage compartment.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the door open module from intruding into the insulation space by arranging the door open module at the lower portion of the storage compartment and arranging the door open module above rather than below the lower inner surface of the storage compartment, thereby maintaining the insulation performance of the refrigerator and increasing energy efficiency.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present invention, since the door open module is implemented to have the dual module structure including a pair of driving assemblies and a rack-and-pinion assembly, a strong door pull-out force capable of opening the drawer assembly smoothly even in a high negative pressure environment such as a freezer can be provided.

Specific effects of the present invention together with the above effects will be described with a description of the following detailed matters for carrying out the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator in a closed state of a door.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the refrigerator in an opened state of a lower door.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the interior of a storage compartment to which a door open module is mounted in a state in which the lower door is removed.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an upper surface and one side surface of the storage compartment with a storage unit of a door mounted on a bracket member pulled in the storage compartment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the upper surface and one side surface of the storage compartment with the storage unit of the door mounted on the bracket member pulled out to the outside of the storage compartment along a rail assembly.

FIG. 6 shows a state before the door open module, the rail assembly, and the bracket member are pulled out.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the door open module, the rail assembly, and the bracket member are completely pulled out.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which a driving assembly, a rack-and-pinion assembly, and a locking assembly, which constitute the door open module, are separated.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the driving assembly.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the rack-and-pinion assembly.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection relationship between gear racks and pinion gears constituting a first rack-and-pinion assembly and the driving assembly from below.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the locking assembly.

FIG. 13 is a view showing a bracket member and a rail assembly mounted on a door unit of a door and a door open module disposed on a lower portion of the door in a state in which a storage unit of the door is removed.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a bracket member and a rail assembly mounted on a door unit of a door and a door open module according to one embodiment disposed on a lower portion of the door in a state in which a storage unit of the door is mounted.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a bracket member and a rail assembly mounted on a door unit of a door and a door open module according to one embodiment disposed on a lower portion of the door in a state in which a storage unit of the door is mounted.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a bracket member and a rail assembly mounted on a door unit of a door and a door open module according to another embodiment disposed on a lower portion of the door in a state in which a storage unit of the door is mounted.

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the door and the door open module before the door open module is driven and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven so that a rack-and-pinion assembly is in contact with a pressing part of the door and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven and the door moves a predetermined distance forward and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 20 is a plan view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven and the door is completely opened and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view showing the door and the door open module before the door open module is driven and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven so that a rack-and-pinion assembly is in contact with a pressing part of the door and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 23 is a side cross-sectional view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven and the door moves a predetermined distance forward and an enlarged view of some regions.

FIG. 24 is a side cross-sectional view showing the door and the door open module in a state in which the door open module is driven and the door is completely opened and an enlarged view of some regions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS

The above objects, features, and advantages will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and thus those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to easily carry out the technical spirit of the present invention. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar components.

Although the terms “first,” “second,” and the like are used to describe various components, it is obvious that these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise stated, it is obvious that a first component may be a second component.

Throughout the specification, unless otherwise stated, each component may be singular or plural.

Hereinafter, the arrangement of an arbitrary component on an “upper portion (or lower portion)” of a component or “above (or under)” the component may not only mean that the arbitrary component is disposed in contact with an upper surface (or a lower surface) of the component, but also mean that other components may be interposed between the component and the arbitrary component disposed above (or under) the component.

In addition, when a certain component is described as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “joined” to the other component, the components may be directly connected or joined, but it should be understood that another component may be “interposed” between the components, or the components may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “joined” through another component.

In addition, throughout the specification, the terms ‘engage’ and ‘disengage’ are used to describe the connection and disconnection between components. However, these terms are not limited thereto and may be interchangeably used with other similar terms, such as ‘connect’ and ‘disconnect’, or ‘couple’ and ‘uncouple’. And, throughout this specification, the term ‘mesh with’ is used to define a functional connection between gear components. It is to be understood that this term is not intended to be limiting and may include other forms of connection, such as those described by the terms ‘engages with,’ ‘connects to,’ or ‘is coupled with.’

The singular expression used herein includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the application, terms such as “composed of” or “comprising” should not be construed as necessarily including all of the various components or operations described in the specification and should be construed as not including some of the components or some of the operations or further including additional components or operations.

Throughout the specification, when “A and/or B” is described, this means A, B, or A and B unless otherwise specified, and when “C to D” is described, this means C or more and D or less unless otherwise specified.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to some embodiments of the present invention will be described.

Structure of Refrigerator

A structure of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exterior of a refrigerator 1 may be formed by a cabinet 2 including one or more storage compartments, which are storage spaces of products, and a plurality of doors 20 capable of opening and closing a front opening of the cabinet 2. The cabinet 2 may include an outer case 12 and an inner case 11 coupled to the inside of the outer case 12. An insulating region filled with an insulation material may be formed between the inner case 11 and the outer case 12, and various types of ducts related to a cooling system may pass through the insulating region.

The inner case 11 may be divided into separate spaces to include a plurality of storage compartments. For example, the storage compartment may include a first storage compartment 14, a second storage compartment 15, and a third storage compartment 16. The first storage compartment 14 may be disposed at an upper end of the storage compartment, the second storage compartment 15 may be disposed at a middle end thereof, and the third storage compartment 16 may be disposed at a lower end thereof. In the present specification, an example in which three storage compartments are stacked in a vertical direction will be described, but the number and locations of the storage compartments are not limited thereto. For example, the first storage compartment 14 may serve as a refrigerator, the second storage compartment 15 may serve as a switching compartment that may be used as a refrigerator, a freezer, or a separate storage compartment with a desired temperature according to user settings, and the third storage compartment 16 may serve as a freezer, but the functions of each storage compartment are not limited thereto.

The first storage compartment 14 may be opened and closed by a first door 21. The first door 21 may be provided as a pair of doors and may be a rotary door that is connected to each of one side and the other side of the cabinet 2 constituting the first storage compartment 14 by a hinge and rotates. A handle may be formed on each of the first doors 21 so that the user can easily open and close them. In addition, a dispenser 13 that may allow the user to take out water or ice without opening the first door 21 may be disposed on one of the first doors 21.

The third storage compartment 16 may be opened and closed by a third door 23. The third door 23 may be a drawer-type door that may be opened and closed by being pulled in and out in a front-rear direction. In the present specification, the front-rear direction is a direction with respect to the front and rear of the refrigerator 1, and a left-right direction is a direction with respect to two sides of the refrigerator 1. The front of the refrigerator 1 is a direction in which the user uses the refrigerator 1. The third door 23 may include a door unit 210 covering a front surface of the third storage compartment 16 and a storage unit 220 provided behind the door unit 210 and accommodated in the third storage compartment 16. A handle may be formed on the door unit 210 so that the user can easily open and close it. The third door 23 including the door unit 210 and the storage unit 220 may be referred to as a drawer assembly or an auto drawer.

The storage unit 220 may be formed in the form of a basket having a storage space that stores stored items such as food. The storage unit 220 may be formed in a separable form to be separated from the door unit 210. For example, the storage unit 220 may be fixed to the door unit 210 by being fastened to or seated on a separate connecting member, such as a bracket member to be described below, but is not limited thereto, and the storage unit 220 may be directly fastened and fixed to the door unit 210. Since the storage unit 220 is configured to be separated from the door unit 210 in this way, the user can easily separate and clean the storage unit 220. The storage unit 220 of the third door 23 described in the present specification may be referred to as the first storage unit 220. A second storage unit 230 may be additionally disposed in the third storage compartment 16. The second storage unit 230 may be disposed on the first storage unit 220. The door unit 210 may be formed to a size that substantially covers the front surfaces of the first storage unit 220 and the second storage unit 230. For example, the second storage unit 230 may be pulled in or out in the front-rear direction without being restricted by the movement of the first storage unit 220. For example, the second storage unit 230 may be pulled in or out in the front-rear direction by rolling along upper edge surfaces of both sides of the first storage unit 220.

The second storage compartment 15 may be opened and closed by a second door 22. The second door 22 may be a drawer-type door that may be opened and closed by being pulled in and out in the front-rear direction. For example, the second door 22 may also include a door unit covering the front surface of the second storage compartment 15 and a storage unit provided behind the door unit and accommodated in the second storage compartment 15 in the same manner as the third door 23, but is not limited thereto. The second door 22 including the door unit and the storage unit may also be referred to as a drawer assembly or an auto drawer. Since a machine compartment may be disposed behind a lower region of the third storage compartment 16, a width of the lower region of the third storage compartment 16 in the front-rear direction may be reduced. Accordingly, the width of the second storage compartment 15 in the front-rear direction may be formed to be larger than the width of the lower region of the third storage compartment 16 in which the machine compartment 17 is disposed in the front-rear direction. A handle may be formed on the second door 22 so that the user can easily open and close them. The above opening and closing method of each door 20 is not limited by the drawings, and the rotary door and the drawer-type door may be changed in different ways as needed.

Rail Assembly, Bracket Member, and Door Open Module

Hereinafter, a rail assembly 70, a bracket member 80, and a door open module 30 disposed in the storage compartment according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with further reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. An example in which the storage compartment to be described below is the third storage compartment 16 will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and when the first storage compartment 14 and the second storage compartment 15 are opened and closed in a drawer-type door manner, the following description may also be applied to the first storage compartment 14 and the second storage compartment 15. For convenience of description, the third storage compartment 16 is referred to as the storage compartment 16, and the third door 23 is referred to as the door 23. In addition, as described above, the third door 23 may be referred to as a drawer assembly or an auto drawer.

The storage compartment 16 may be composed of a bottom surface 164 forming a lower inner surface, a first side surface 162a and a second side surface 162b forming two side surfaces, respectively, and a rear surface 163. An upper surface of the storage compartment 16 may be formed by a barrier that divides the second storage compartment 15 and the third storage compartment 16. A machine compartment 17 may be located behind the storage compartment 16. Specifically, the machine compartment 17 in which refrigeration system-related components such as a compressor are disposed may be located outside the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16. Accordingly, the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 that overlaps the machine compartment 17 in the front-rear direction may be formed to have a narrower width in the front-rear direction than the other rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 that does not overlap the machine compartment 17 in the front-rear direction. For example, the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 that overlaps in the front-rear direction may be formed to have an inclined surface that moves forward as it goes toward the bottom surface 164, in other words, the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 may have a forward-inclined slope or a forward-sloping tapered surface.

A pair of rail assemblies 70 may be disposed on both side surfaces of the storage compartment 16, respectively. The rail assembly 70 may be a multi-stage rail assembly 70 whose length is extendable and retractable. The rail assembly 70 may guide the movement of the door 20 in the front-rear direction. For example, a first rail assembly 71 may be disposed on a first side surface 162a of the storage compartment 16, and a second rail assembly 72 may be disposed on the second side surface 162b of the storage compartment 16. The first rail assembly 71 may be fixed to the first side surface 162a of the storage compartment 16 by a separately provided storage compartment connecting member 18. One side of the storage compartment connecting member 18 may provide a seating space in which the first rail assembly 71 may be seated and may be fastened to the first rail assembly 71. The other side of the storage compartment connecting member 18 may be fastened to the first side surface 162a of the storage compartment 16.

The first rail assembly 71 may include a plurality of rail units to be pulled out in multiple stages. For example, the first rail assembly 71 may be a three-stage rail assembly including three rail units composed of a first rail unit 710, a second rail unit 720, and a third rail unit 730. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first rail assembly 71 may include two rail units or four or more rail units. In a state in which the rail units of the first rail assembly 71 are not pulled out, a length of the first rail unit 710 may substantially correspond to a length of the first rail assembly 71. When the rail units of the first rail assembly 71 are pulled out, in a state in which the first rail unit 710 is fixed, a portion of the second rail unit 720 may be pulled out forward more than the first rail unit 710, and a portion of the third rail unit 730 may be pulled out forward more than the second rail unit 720. One or more rail fixing parts 711 may be formed on one side of the first rail unit 710. The rail fixing parts 711 may fixedly fasten the first rail assembly 71 to the storage compartment connecting member 18. For example, the rail fixing part 711 may be formed in the shape of a plate with a predetermined area and bent upward, thereby increasing a fastening area and increasing a fastening force.

In the same manner, the second rail assembly 72 may be fixed to the second side surface 162b of the storage compartment 16 by the separately provided storage compartment connecting member 18. In addition, the second rail assembly 72 may be disposed to face the first rail assembly 71, and the first and second rail assemblies 71 and 72 may be formed symmetrically. The description of the first rail assembly 71 may be applied to the second rail assembly 72 in the same manner.

The bracket member 80 may be disposed on each rail assembly 70. A first bracket member 81 may be disposed in the first rail assembly 71, and a second bracket member 82 may be disposed in the second rail assembly 72. The first bracket member 81 may include a bracket body 810 that extends in one direction. The bracket body 810 may be fastened to the third rail unit 730 that protrude the farthest forward among the rail units of the first rail assembly 71. Accordingly, the first bracket member 81 may be restrained by the pulling in/out operation of the third rail unit 730 and may move forward and rearward. A bracket bent portion 811 bent and extended downward may be formed at the front of the bracket body 810. A sensor portion 830 may be disposed on the bracket bent portion 811. A sensor for detecting whether the door 20 is pulled out or in may be disposed on the sensor portion 830. The sensor portion 830 may transmit a sensing signal to a controller disposed within the refrigerator 1. A front extension 820 bent and extended downward from the bracket body 810 may be formed in front of the bracket bent portion 811. The front extension 820 may be formed in a plate shape facing forward with a predetermined area and disposed at a front end of the first bracket member 81. The front extension 820 may be a portion that fixedly fastens the first bracket member 81 to the door 20.

In the same manner, the second bracket member 82 may be fastened to the second rail assembly 72. In addition, the second bracket member 82 may be disposed to face the first bracket member 81, and the first and second bracket members 81 and 82 may be formed symmetrically. The description of the first bracket member 81 may be applied to the second bracket member 82 in the same manner.

As described above, the rail assembly 70 and the bracket member 80 may be fastened to the door 20 and restricted by the movement of the door 20 in the front-rear direction, thereby allowing pulling in and out in the front-rear direction. In the case of a manual open mode in which the user manually controls the pull-in/out operation of the door 20, the rail units of the rail assembly 70 may be pulled in or out in the front-rear direction without the driving motor applying a separate driving force to the rail assembly 70. However, in the case of the automatic door open mode in which the pulling in/out operation of the door 20 is automatically controlled, since the driving force generated by the driving motor is not directly applied to the rail assembly 70, a method of indirectly applying the driving force to control the pulling in/out operation of the rail assembly 70 needs to be implemented.

The door open module 30 is not directly connected to the rail assembly 70 to provide the driving force for pulling the rail units in and out, but may indirectly apply the driving force to control the pulling in/out operation of the rail units of the rail assembly 70. The door open module 30 may be disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the rail assembly 70 and the bracket member 80 without being directly connected to the rail assembly 70 and the bracket member 80. The door open module 30 may push and move the door 20 forward and pull and move the door 20 rearward. Accordingly, the door 20 may be moved to be pulled in or out in the front-rear direction by the door open module 30. The door open module 30 may include one or more multi-stage rack-and-pinion assemblies 50, one or more driving assemblies 40 for driving the rack-and-pinion assemblies 50, and the locking assembly 60 configured to engage with and disengage from the door 20.

For example, the driving assembly 40 may include a pair of the first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42. The rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may include a pair of the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52. The first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 may be mounted on the first driving assembly 41 to receive a driving force from the first driving assembly 41. In addition, the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may be mounted on the second driving assembly 42 to receive a driving force from the second driving assembly 42. The first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42 may be disposed to be biased to the first side surface 162a and the second side surface 162b of the storage compartment 16, respectively. The first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42 may be disposed at locations and in shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center of the storage compartment 16. The first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may also be disposed at locations and in shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center of the storage compartment 16. In this way, since the door open module 30 according to the present invention is implemented to have a dual module structure including a pair of driving assemblies 40 and a pair of rack-and-pinion assemblies 50, it is possible to provide a strong force for pulling the door in and out, which may open the door smoothly even in a high negative pressure environment such as a freezer. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the door open module 30 may include one driving assembly 40 and one rack-and-pinion assembly 50. In this case, the driving assembly 40 and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be preferably disposed in a central region of the storage compartment 16.

One side and the other side of the locking assembly 60 may be connected to the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52, respectively. The locking assembly 60 may include a locking assembly extension bar 610 that extends in the left-right direction of the storage compartment 16. A pair of sliding racks 611 fastened to the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may be connected to one side and the other side of the locking assembly extension bar 610, respectively. As the locking assembly 60 is connected to the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 in this way, the locking assembly 60 may be restrained by the movements of the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 in the front-rear direction and moved together. One or more pushing members 630 that push a rear surface of the storage unit 220 may be disposed on the locking assembly extension bar 610. As the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 pushes the rear surface of the storage unit 220 in this way, the storage unit 220 may be restrained by the forward movement of the locking assembly 60 and moved forward together. In addition, a switchable hook member 620 may be disposed on the locking assembly extension bar 610 to engage the storage unit 220 with the locking assembly 60, or disengage the storage unit 220 from the locking assembly 60. In a state in which the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 is engaged with the storage unit 220, the storage unit 220 may be restrained by both the forward movement and rearward movement of the locking assembly 60 and moved together. In other words, a case in which the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 is engaged with the storage unit 220, does not necessarily define that the hook member 620 is always in contact with the storage unit 200, and may include a state in which the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 is temporarily separated or not in contact with the storage unit 200 while the storage unit 220 is restrained by the movement of the locking assembly. In addition, in a state in which the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 is disengaged from the storage unit 220, the storage unit 220 may move freely regardless of the locking assembly 60 even in a state in which the locking assembly 60 is not driven. The detailed description of each assembly constituting the door open module 30 will be described below.

The driving assembly 40 and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be disposed under the storage unit 220. In the closed state of the door 20, the driving assembly 40 and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be disposed to overlap the storage unit 220 in the vertical direction. The locking assembly 60 except for some components may be disposed on the rear of the storage unit 220. A sliding rack 611 of the locking assembly 60 may be disposed on the lower portion of the storage unit 220, and the locking assembly extension bar 610, the pushing member 630, and the hook member 620 may be disposed at the rear of the storage unit 220.

The door open module 30 may be disposed in a lower region of the storage compartment 16. For example, the door open module 30 may be disposed on the bottom surface 164 that is a lower inner surface of the storage compartment 16. The bottom surface 164 of the storage compartment 16 may be formed by the inner case 11, and a space between the bottom surface 164 and the outer case 12 disposed below the bottom surface 164 may be an insulation space in which an insulation material is disposed. The door open module 30 may be located above the bottom surface 164 so as not to intrude into the insulation space. A groove 165 in which the driving assembly 40 of the door open module may be seated may be formed on the bottom surface 164 of the storage compartment 16. The groove 165 may be preferably formed to have a smaller thickness than the driving assembly 40 in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the groove 165 can stably seat the driving assembly 40 on the bottom surface 164 while minimizing a reduction in the insulation space below the bottom surface 164 of the storage compartment 16. In this way, since the door open module 30 according to the present invention may be disposed in the lower region of the storage compartment 16 and disposed above rather than below the lower inner surface of the storage compartment 16, it is possible to reduce the door open module 30 from intruding into the insulation space, thereby maintaining the insulation performance of the refrigerator and increasing energy efficiency.

Driving Assembly, Rack-and-Pinion Assembly, and Locking Assembly

Hereinafter, the driving assembly 40, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50, and the locking assembly 60 included in the door open module 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with further reference to FIGS. 8 to 12.

Referring to FIG. 9, the driving assembly 40 may be composed of a pair of the first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42. Since the first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42 may be formed to have symmetrical shapes, the description based on the first driving assembly 41 may be applied to the second driving assembly 42 in the same manner.

The first driving assembly 41 may include a first case 410 forming an upper outer surface and a second case 420 forming a lower outer surface. The second case 420 may be formed to have a thickness that is sufficient to store the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 and the gear assembly 430. The second case 420 may include a first seating portion 421 in which the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be stored and seated and a second seating portion 422 in which the gear assembly 430 may be stored and seated. The first seating portion 421 may have a shape that extends in the front-rear direction and have an open front surface so that the gear rack of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be pulled out forward.

The gear assembly 430 may include a plurality of gears. For example, the plurality of gears may be circular gears disposed to be meshed with each other. The plurality of gears forming the gear assembly 430 may be rotated about a rotational axis extending in the vertical direction. Accordingly, since the gear assembly 430 may avoid increasing the thickness in the vertical direction as much as possible, it can be advantageous in using the space of the storage compartment 16. Among the gears of the gear assembly 430, the gear meshed with the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be a pinion gear. Accordingly, when the gear assemblies 430 are driven, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be driven in a rack-and-pinion driving manner by the pinion gear included in the gear assembly 430.

A driving unit 440 may be disposed below the second case 420. The driving unit 440 may be connected to one of the gears of the gear assembly 430 to provide a driving force. The driving unit 440 may be a driving motor. A driving force of the driving unit 440 may be transmitted to the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 through the gear assembly 430 and transmitted to the storage unit 220 and the rail assembly 70 through the rack-and-pinion assembly 50. A driving unit cover 450 that may store the driving unit 440 and protect the exterior of the driving unit 440 may be disposed below the second case 420.

The first case 410 may be disposed to cover an upper surface of the second case 420 to protect the gear assembly 430 and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50. In the first case 410, an opening extension 411 that is open in the vertical direction may extend in the front-rear direction to guide the movement of the gear rack of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50. The opening extension 411 may allow the gear rack of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 to be pulled out forward because a front surface of the first case 410 is also open.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be composed of a pair of the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52. Since the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may be formed to have symmetrical shapes, the description based on the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 may be applied to the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 in the same manner.

The first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 may be a multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly including a plurality of gear racks. The present invention is described based on the three-stage rack-and-pinion assembly including three gear racks, but is not limited thereto, and the rack-and-pinion assembly may include four or more gear racks. That is, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 according to the present invention may include three or more gear racks. Here, the three or more gear racks may be gear racks that are moved such as being pulled in or out in the front-rear direction and may mean excluding gear racks that are fixed without being moved. As the number of gear racks increases, the gear racks may be mounted within the storage compartment 16 with a short length in the front-rear direction, and the total pull-out distance that the gear rack is pulled out from the storage compartment 16 may increase. As described above, when the machine compartment 17 is disposed behind the storage compartment 16, the length of the storage compartment 16 in the front-rear direction can be shortened compared to the other storage compartment 16. Accordingly, since the multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly 50 according to the present invention includes three or more gear racks, the pull-out distance of the door can be significantly extended so that the storage unit 220 of the door 20 may be completely exposed to the outside even when the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is disposed within the storage compartment 16 having a narrow width in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and when the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is disposed in the storage compartment 16 having a sufficient length in the front-rear direction, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be disposed as a two-stage rack-and-pinion assembly 50 including two gear racks.

The first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 may include a first gear rack 510, a second gear rack 520, and a third gear rack 530. The first gear rack 510 may be formed in a shape that extends in one direction and has open front and upper surfaces. The first gear rack 510 may have a storage space 514 that may store the second gear rack 520 and the third gear rack 530, and the storage space 514 may be formed by a pair of support walls 513 formed on both sides of the first gear rack 510. A first tooth profile 511 having a saw tooth shape may be formed on one side of the support wall 513. For example, the first tooth profile 511 may be formed to a length about half of the total length of the support wall 513 in the front-rear direction. The first tooth profile 511 may be formed on an outer surface of the support wall 513 facing the gear assembly 430 to be meshed with a pinion gear of the gear assembly 430. Accordingly, when the gear assembly 430 is driven, the first gear rack 510 may be pulled out forward by the rack-and-pinion driving method along the first tooth profile 511 meshed with the gear assembly 430. The first gear rack 510 may include a first pinion gear 512. The first pinion gear 512 may be formed on the support wall 513 on which the first tooth profile 511 is formed. The first pinion gear 512 may be disposed near a central region of the first gear rack 510 and located in front of the first tooth profile 511.

A support gear rack 500 may be disposed in the driving assembly 40. The support gear rack 500 may be located in front of the gear assembly 430 and fixed to the driving assembly 40. The support gear rack 500 may be formed to have a length substantially equal to half of a length of the first gear rack 510 in the front-rear direction. A support gear rack tooth profile 501 meshed with the first pinion gear 512 may be formed on one side surface of the support gear rack 500. Accordingly, when the gear assembly 430 is driven, the first pinion gear 512 may move forward along the support gear rack 500 while being meshed with the support gear rack tooth profile 501. Accordingly, the first gear rack 510 may be pulled out forward, and even during the operation of pulling out the first gear rack 510, the support gear rack 500 may maintain a fixed location.

The second gear rack 520 may be disposed in the storage space 514 of the first gear rack 510. The second gear rack 520 may include a second tooth profile 521 formed along a surface facing the first pinion gear 512. The second tooth profile 521 may be formed to be meshed with the first pinion gear 512. The second gear rack 520 may include a second pinion gear 522 disposed on one side on which the second tooth profile 521 is formed. When the first gear rack 510 is pulled out forward, the second gear rack 520 meshed with the first pinion gear 512 may be pulled out forward by a rack-and-pinion driving method with the first pinion gear 512. Accordingly, when the first pinion gear 512 rotates, the second gear rack 520 may move forward while being meshed with the first pinion gear 512. In this case, the second pinion gear 522 may also move forward.

The third gear rack 530 may be disposed in the storage space 514 of the first gear rack 510. The third gear rack 530 may include a third tooth profile 531 formed along a surface facing the second pinion gear 522. The third tooth profile 531 may be formed to be meshed with the second pinion gear 522. When the second gear rack 520 is pulled out forward, the third gear rack 530 meshed with the second pinion gear 522 may be pulled out forward by a rack-and-pinion driving method with the second pinion gear 522. Accordingly, when the second pinion gear 522 rotates, the third gear rack 530 may move forward while being meshed with the second pinion gear 522. A portion of the third gear rack 530 may be formed to protrude outward from an upper surface of the first gear rack 510. The upper surface of the first gear rack 510 may be covered by the rack cover 540. The rack cover 540 may include an opening guide portion 541 that is disposed to cover the second gear rack 520 and the third gear rack 530 and is open so that a portion of the third gear rack 530 may protrude upward. The opening guide portion 541 may have a shape that is penetrated in the vertical direction, has an open front surface, and extends in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the third gear rack 530 may slide along the opening guide part 541 in the front-rear direction.

When the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is driven, the first gear rack 510 may protrude the shortest distance forward, the second gear rack 520 may protrude forward more than the first gear rack 510, and the third gear rack 530 may protrude forward more than the second gear rack 520 with respect to the front end portion of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50. A moving speed of the gear rack may increase in the order of the first gear rack 510, the second gear rack 520, and the third gear rack 530. In addition, since a moving distance of the gear rack and a pull-out force of the gear rack are inversely proportional to each other, the pull-out force may increase in the order of the third gear rack 530, the second gear rack 520, and the first gear rack 510. In this case, the gear rack that protrudes first with respect to the front end portion of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be the first gear rack 510.

As described above, the rotational axes of the pinion gears of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may extend in the vertical direction of the storage compartment 16 in the same direction as the rotational axis of the gear assembly 430. Accordingly, the pinion gears may not rotate in an upright vertical location, but rotate while lying horizontally, parallel to the bottom surface 164 of the storage compartment 16. Since the thickness of the pinion gears lying horizontally is relatively smaller than that of the pinion gears in the upright vertical location, the total thickness of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 in the vertical direction may also be reduced. Accordingly, according to the present invention, since the rotational axis of the pinion gear of the door open module 30 driven by the rack-and-pinion driving method is disposed to extend in the vertical direction of the storage compartment 16, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the door open module 30 in the vertical direction, thereby increasing the space utilization of the storage compartment 16.

In addition, the pinion gears and the gear racks according to the present invention may be disposed to be engaged in the left-right direction rather than the vertical direction of the storage compartment 16, that is in the horizontal direction rather than the vertical direction of the storage compartment 16. According to the present invention, since no other components that directly apply load to the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 in the horizontal direction are provided, it is possible to reduce the misalignment or clearance between the pinion gears and gear racks.

Meanwhile, when the multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is used, since a plurality of gear racks and pinion gears are formed to be engaged, cumulative tolerances between the components may increase. Accordingly, the components of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 according to the present invention may be designed so that a tolerance may occur through a predetermined clearance space between adjacent components. For example, referring to FIG. 11, it can be confirmed that protrusions 550 are formed along edges of the third gear rack 530. The protrusions 550 may be formed to extend in the front-rear direction along the edges of the third gear rack 530. The protrusion 550 may be formed in a structure in which the edge protrudes convexly compared to other surfaces. For example, the protrusion 550 may be formed to have a circular curved surface.

In this way, since the protrusions 550 are formed along the edges of the third gear rack 530, when the third gear rack 530 is in contact with an adjacent part, the protrusion 550 may allow the third gear rack 530 to achieve maximum line contact with the adjacent part within a narrow area rather than broad surface contact. Since the third gear rack 530 is designed to make line contact with a neighboring component, the contact area between the components can be reduced, thereby reducing friction, and enabling smoother movement of the components in the front-rear direction when the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is pulled in or out. In addition, since the neighboring components may have a tolerance of a predetermined separation space due to the protrusion 550, a kind of buffer space that does not affect the movement of the components even when an alignment problem occurs between the components may be provided. An example in which the protrusion 550 is applied to the third gear rack 530 has been described, but the protrusion 550 may be applied to all other components included in the rack-and-pinion assembly 50, such as the first gear rack 510, the second gear rack 520, and the rack cover 540, in the same manner.

Referring to FIG. 12, the locking assembly 60 may include the locking assembly extension bar 610 extending in the left-right direction. That is, the locking assembly extension bar 610 may extend in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction in which the gear racks of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 are pulled in or out. For example, the locking assembly extension bar 610 may have a bar shape with an open rear surface. The locking assembly extension bar 610 may synchronize the operation of the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52.

A pair of sliding racks 611 may be disposed on one side and the other side of the locking assembly extension bar 610, respectively. The sliding rack 611 may be formed in a form that extends in the front-rear direction to be orthogonal to a direction in which the locking assembly extension bar 610 extends. The sliding rack 611 may be fixedly fastened to the third gear rack 530 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50. Accordingly, the sliding rack 611 may also be restricted by the movement of the third gear rack 530 in the front-rear direction and moved in the front-rear direction. In this way, as the sliding rack 611 moves in the front-rear direction, the locking assembly extension bar 610 may also be restrained by the movement of the sliding rack 611 and moved in the front-rear direction.

A pair of connecting members 612 that connect the sliding rack 611 to the locking assembly extension bar 610 may be disposed on one side and the other side of the locking assembly extension bar 610, respectively. The connecting member 612 may extend a predetermined length in the same direction as the locking assembly extension bar 610 and may be fastened to the rear surface of the locking assembly extension bar 610. The connecting member 612 may be bent in the same direction as the sliding rack 611 at the end of the locking assembly extension bar 610 and fastened to the sliding rack 611. That is, the connecting member 612 may have an overall bar shape and may be formed to include a portion bent in the vertical direction, but its shape is not limited thereto. In consideration of the moving direction of the locking assembly 60 moving in the front-rear direction, the sliding rack 611 and the connecting member 612 may be fastened in the vertical direction. By making the moving direction and the fastening direction perpendicular to each other, a fastening force between the sliding rack 611 and the connecting member 612 can be reduced from weakening even when the repeated forward and rearward movements occur. For example, the connecting member 612 may be disposed above the sliding rack 611 to cover a portion of a rear end portion of the sliding rack 611. In this case, the sliding rack 611 and the connecting member 612 may be fastened by a separate fastening member, but this is not limited thereto.

Fixing members 613 may be additionally disposed below the connecting member 612 and at the rear of the sliding rack 611. The fixing member 613 may serve to fill a step formed between the rear of the sliding rack 611 and the lower portion of the connecting member 612 and prevent the separation of the sliding rack 611 in the front-rear direction. The sliding rack 611 and the fixing member 613 may support a lower surface of the connecting member 612.

The pushing member 630 and the hook member 620 may be disposed on the locking assembly extension bar 610. In FIG. 12, an example in which one hook member 620 is located in a central region of the locking assembly extension bar 610, and a pair of pushing members 630 are located on both sides of the hook member 620 to be biased to one side and the other side of the locking assembly extension bar 610, respectively, has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, one pushing member 630 may be located in a central region of the locking assembly extension bar 610, and a pair of hook members 620 may be located on both sides of the pushing member 630 to be biased to one side and the other side of the locking assembly extension bar 610, respectively. In addition, the number and locations of the hook members 620 and the pushing members 630 are not limited thereto. For example, one hook member 620 and one pushing member 630 may be included, or a pair of hook members 620 and a pair of pushing members 630 may be included. In addition, three or more hook members 620 or three or more pushing members 630 may be included. In addition, the arrangement form may be variously modified, such as by alternatively arranging the hook member 620 and the pushing member 630.

The pushing member 630 may include a pushing portion 631 disposed to face forward. The pushing portion 631 may serve to push a forward-located object such as the storage unit 220. The pushing portion 631 may be formed to have the shape of a plate having a predetermined area to be in surface contact with the pushed object such as the storage unit 220. For example, the pushing portion 631 may be formed to extend in the left-right and vertical directions, and its length in the left-right direction may be formed to be larger than its length in the vertical direction. A pushing member bent portion 632 that is bent forward may be formed at a lower end portion of the pushing portion 631, and a pushing member fastening portion 634 that is bent downward and extended may be formed at a front end portion of the pushing member bent portion 632. The pushing member bent portion 632 of the pushing member 630 may be seated on the locking assembly extension bar 610, and the pushing member fastening portion 634 may be fastened to an outer front surface of the locking assembly extension bar 610. Since the pushing portion 631 of the pushing member 630 pushes an object forward, a repulsive force applied to the pushing member 630 may be applied rearward. Accordingly, since the pushing member fastening portion 634 is fastened to the outer front surface of the locking assembly extension bar 610, fastening between the pushing member 630 and the locking assembly extension bar 610 can be prevented from loosening due to the repulsive force applied to the pushing member 630. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 633 may be formed on the pushing member bent portion 632 to reinforce the strength of the pushing member 630.

The hook member 620 may include a hook member fixing part 621 that fastens the hook member 620 to the locking assembly extension bar 610, and a hook member body 622 that operates to connect and disconnect a forward-located object such as the storage unit 220. The hook member fixing part 621 may include a rotational axis portion 6211. The rotational axis portion 6211 may be fastened to the hook member body 622 to provide a rotational axis about which the hook member body 622 rotates. The rotation axis portion 6211 may be formed to extend upward more than the locking assembly extension bar 610, and an empty space for fastening a connecting portion 6223 of the hook member body 622 may be provided in its central region. A bent portion 6212 bent forward may be formed at a lower end portion of the rotation axis portion 6211, and a fastening portion 6213 bent and extended downward may be formed at a front end portion of the bent portion 6212. The bent portion 6212 of the hook member fixing part 621 may be seated on the locking assembly extension bar 610, and the fastening portion 6213 may be fastened to the outer front surface of the locking assembly extension bar 610. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 6214 may be formed on the bent portion 6212 of the hook member fixing part 621 to reinforce the strength of the hook member fixing part 621.

The hook member body 622 may include a hook 6222, which is a portion that is substantially fastened when hook-coupled, an extension 6221 that extends downward from the hook 6222, and a connecting portion 6223 formed on one side surface of the extension 6221. The hook 6222 may be a portion that is configured to engage with and disengage from by being hook-coupled with an object located in front of the hook member 620, such as the storage unit 220. The hook 6222 may be formed to have a curved surface that is curved inward in order to increase a hook-coupling force with an object to be hook-coupled.

The extension 6221 of the hook member body 622 may be formed to extend downward from a lower surface of the hook 6222, and a lower end portion of the extension 6221 may be formed to be bent forward at a predetermined angle. The extension 6221 having such a shape is a portion that is in contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 and may implement smooth contact with and release from the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16.

The connecting portion 6223 of the hook member body 622 is a portion that is connected to the rotational axis portion 6211 of the hook member fixing part 621, and the connecting portion 6223 and the rotational axis portion 6211 may be connected by a fastening pin 624. For example, a through hole that is penetrated in the left-right direction to allow the fastening pin 624 to pass therethrough may be formed in the connecting portion 6223 and the rotational axis portion 6211.

In this case, an elastic member 623 that provides an elastic force to the hook member body 622 may be fastened to the connecting portion 6223 and the rotational axis portion 6211 together with the fastening pin 624. For example, the elastic member 623 may be a spring. Specifically, the elastic member 623 may be a torsion spring. The torsion spring is a spring that stores energy using twisting and discharges the energy. The torsion spring may operate when a twisting force is applied around its axis. Accordingly, the torsion spring may have a property of storing energy through rotation or twisting and returning to its original shape when the applied force is released. The torsion spring is wound in a spiral shape and may be twisted by supports connected to both ends thereof. That is, the torsion spring may be twisted by receiving force through a rotational motion and may store energy through the twisting. Accordingly, the hook member body 622 may perform the rotational motion to be restored in an opposite direction by the elastic member 623 during the rotational motion in one direction.

For example, the hook member body 622 may be rotated by performing a circular motion at a predetermined angle with the connecting portion 6223 connected to the rotational axis portion 6211 as the rotational axis. In the closed state of the door 20, that is, in a state in which the locking assembly 60 has completely moved rearward, a rear surface of the extension 6221 of the hook member body 622 may be in contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16. In this case, since the rear surface of the extension 6221 of the hook member body 622 is pressed forward by the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16, the hook 6222 located at an upper end of the extension 6221 about the rotational axis of the hook member body 622 may rotate rearward about the rotational axis. That is, the hook 6222 and the lower end of the extension 6221, which are located in opposite directions about the rotational axis of the hook member body 622, rotate in opposite directions. Accordingly, the hook 6222 may maintain a state in which the hook-coupling with the object such as the storage unit 220 located at the front is released.

In this way, in a state in which the hook member body 622 is in contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16, the state in which the restoring energy is stored is maintained due to the twisting of the elastic member 623. Thereafter, when the locking assembly 60 moves forward, the extension 6221 of the hook member body 622 may be released from the contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16, and the hook 6222 may rotate forward about the rotational axis of the connecting portion 6223 due to the restoring energy of the elastic member 623. Accordingly, the hook 6222 may be hook-coupled with an object to be hook-coupled, such as the storage unit 220 located at the front.

As described above, the locking assembly 60 may synchronize the operation of the pair of driving assemblies 40 and the pair of rack-and-pinion assemblies 50 located on both sides thereof. Accordingly, even when one of the pair of driving assemblies 40 fails or stops operating, when the other normal driving assembly 40 is driven, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 fastened to the driving assembly 40 that has stopped operating may be controlled to be normally pulled in or out by the synchronization performed by the locking assembly 60.

In addition, in another embodiment, the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may be disposed on one side and the other side of the storage compartment 16, respectively, and the driving assembly 40 may be located on only one side or the other side of the storage compartment 16. For example, when the driving assembly 40 is located on only one side of the storage compartment 16 in which the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 is located and directly drives the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51, the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 may be synchronized with the operation of the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 by the locking assembly 60 to operate together. Accordingly, even when the driving assembly 40 that is directly fastened to the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 and drives the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 is not provided, a driving force of the driving assembly 40 that is directly fastened to the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and drives the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 may be indirectly transmitted to the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 through the locking assembly 60.

Door Open Module, Rail Assembly, Bracket Member, and Connection Structure of Door

Hereinafter, the connection structure of the door open module 30, the rail assembly 70, the bracket member 80, and the door 20 will be described with further reference to FIGS. 13 to 16.

Referring to FIG. 13, the door 20 may include the door unit 210 that opens and closes the front surface of the cabinet 2. The door unit 210 may include a door frame 211 forming an actual exterior of the door 20, and a door liner 212 located behind the door frame 211 and connected to the bracket member 80. A door dike 216 formed along the circumference of a rear surface of the door liner 212 may be formed on the rear surface of the door liner 212. The door dike 216 may protrude rearward from the door liner 212 to be inserted into the storage compartment 16. A door recess 217 having a recessed shape may be formed in the rear surface of the door liner 212 corresponding to the interior of the door dike 216. Bracket connecting portions 214 connected to the first bracket member 81 and the second bracket member 82, respectively, may be formed in the door recess 217. The bracket connecting portion 214 may be formed to protrude a predetermined thickness rearward to facilitate connection with the bracket member 80. The bracket member 80 may be fastened to a rear outer side of the bracket connecting portion 214 or inserted into an insertion space formed on a rear inner side of the bracket connecting portion 214 and fastened to the rear inner side, and such a fastening method is not particularly limited. As the door unit 210 and the bracket member 80 are fastened in this way, the movement and operation of the door 20, the bracket member 80, and the rail assembly 70 may be synchronized. A gasket 213 disposed along the outer circumference of the door dike 216 may be formed on the rear surface of the door liner 212. The gasket 213 may be in contact with the cabinet 2 to seal a space between the door 20 and the cabinet 2, thereby reducing the leakage of cold air.

The pair of first pressing part 215 may be disposed in a lower region of the door liner 212. The pair of pressing parts 215 may be disposed at locations overlapping the first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42, respectively, in the front-rear direction. The first pressing part 215 may be disposed at locations overlapping the first rack-and-pinion assembly 51 and the second rack-and-pinion assembly 52 mounted on the first driving assembly 41 and the second driving assembly 42, respectively, in the front-rear direction. Specifically, when the first gear rack 510 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 protrudes forward, the first gear rack 510 is in contact with the first pressing part 215 to push the first pressing part 215 forward.

For example, the first pressing part 215 may be formed on the door dike 216. For example, the first pressing part 215 may be formed to surround an upper surface, rear surface, and lower surface of the door dike 216 and fixed to the door dike 216. In this case, the first pressing part 215 may be fixed to the door dike 216 by a method such as fitting or hook-coupling or by a separate fastening member. The first pressing part 215 may be formed of a plastic material having high impact resistance and may include, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, but is not limited thereto. The first pressing part 215 has been described as a separate member from the door dike 216 of the door liner 212, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the first pressing part 215 may be formed integrally with the door liner 212. For example, a shape corresponding to the first pressing part 215 may be formed integrally with the door liner 212 on a rear surface of the door liner 212. In addition, the first pressing part 215 may be molded and formed integrally with the door dike 216. In addition, the first pressing part 215 may not be separately molded in the door dike 216, and in this case, the first pressing part 215 may be defined conceptually as a surface in contact with the gear rack of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50.

Referring to FIG. 14, a second pressing part 222 located to overlap the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 in the front-rear direction may be formed on the rear surface of the storage unit 220. When the pair of pushing members 630 are formed on the locking assembly 60, a pair of second pressing parts 222 may also be formed on the rear surface of the storage unit 220 correspondingly. The second pressing part 222 may be located in the lower region of the storage unit 220. The lower region of the storage unit 220 may be formed to have a forward-inclined slope in consideration of a rear region occupied by the machine compartment 17 disposed behind the storage unit 220. That is, a width of the lower region of the storage unit 220 in the front-rear direction may be formed to be smaller than a width of an upper region of the storage unit 220 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the second pressing part 222 formed in the lower region of the storage unit 220 may be formed to protrude rearward to have a predetermined width. As the second pressing part 222 is formed in the lower region of the storage unit 220 with a slope, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may also be formed adjacent to the lower region of the storage unit 220 with a slope. For example, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 located behind the storage unit 220 may not be disposed behind the rearmost surface of the storage unit 220, but may be located to vertically overlap the slope of the lower region of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, since a width of the door open module 30 including the locking assembly 60 in the front-rear direction can be reduced, it is possible to increase the space utilization of the narrow storage compartment 16.

The second pressing part 222 may be formed to have a flat surface facing the pushing member 630 to increase a contact area with the pushing member 630. The second pressing part 222 may also be formed integrally with the storage unit 220. For example, a shape corresponding to the second pressing part 222 may be formed integrally with the storage unit 220 on the rear surface of the storage unit 220. In this case, the second pressing part 222 may be defined conceptually as a contact surface with the pushing member 630.

In addition, a hook fastening part 221 located to overlap the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 in the front-rear direction may be formed on the rear surface of the storage unit 220. The hook fastening part 221 may be disposed to overlap the second pressing part 222 in the left-right direction. As the hook member 620 rotates in a circular motion about a rotational axis in the left-right direction, the hook member 620 may be fastened with the hook fastening part 221. The hook fastening part 221 may be formed in a shape that is easily hook-coupled to and disengaged from the hook 6222 of the hook member 620. The hook fastening part 221 may be located in the lower region of the storage unit 220. As described above, since the lower region of the storage unit 220 is formed to have a forward-inclined slope, the hook fastening part 221 may be formed to protrude rearward to have a predetermined width. The hook fastening part 221 may be formed to protrude to substantially the same thickness as the second pressing part 222, but is not limited thereto. In this way, as the second pressing part 221 is formed in the lower region of the storage unit 220 with a slope, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may also be formed adjacent to the lower region of the storage unit 220 with a slope. For example, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 located behind the storage unit 220 may not be disposed behind the rearmost surface of the storage unit 220, but may be located to vertically overlap the slope of the lower region of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, since a width of the door open module 30 including the locking assembly 60 in the front-rear direction can be reduced, it is possible to increase the space utilization of the narrow storage compartment 16.

For example, the hook fastening part 221 may be formed in a shape including a hook slot 2211 that vertically penetrates the interior thereof so that the hook 6222 of the hook member 620 may be hook-coupled. In a state in which the hook fastening part 221 is fastened to the storage unit 220, the hook fastening part 221 may have a shape that is substantially the same as a D-shaped handle. Accordingly, the hook 6222 of the hook member 620, which rotates in a circular motion forward about the rotational axis in the left-right direction, may be inserted into the hook slot 2211 and hook-coupled. In addition, the hook 6222 of the hook member 620, which rotates in a circular motion rearward about the rotational axis in the left-right direction, may be disengaged from the hook slot 2211 and released from the hook-coupling. The hook fastening part 221 may be formed integrally with the storage unit 220. For example, a shape corresponding to the hook fastening part 221 may be formed integrally with the storage unit 220 on the rear surface of the storage unit 220. In this case, the hook fastening part 221 may be defined conceptually as a portion that is hook-coupled with the hook member 620.

In the description of another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 15, the second pressing part 222 may be disposed in an upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. The upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220 may be formed to have a vertical surface rather than a slope, but is not limited thereto. The hook fastening part 221 may be disposed in a lower region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, the second pressing part 222 and the hook fastening part 221 may be disposed not to overlap each other in the left-right direction. Since the second pressing part 222 is disposed in the upper region of the storage unit 220, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 that pushes the second pressing part 222 may be formed to extend to the upper region of the storage unit 220. That is, the pushing member 630 may be formed to extend from the lower region to upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the shape of the locking assembly extension bar 610 on which the pushing member 630 is secured may be molded to extend to the upper region so that the pushing member 630 may be located in the upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220.

As the second pressing part 222 is located in the upper region of the storage unit 220 and the hook fastening part 221 is located in the lower region of the storage unit 220, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may push the rear surface of the storage unit 220 in the upper region of the storage unit 220, and the hook member 620 may be configured to engage with and disengage from the rear surface of the storage unit 220 in the lower region of the storage unit 220. When the hook member 620 is engaged with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220, the hook member 620 may also push the rear surface of the storage unit 220 while being coupled with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, according to another embodiment of the present invention, since the pushing member 630 may push the upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220 and the hook member 620 may push the lower region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220, a pushing force may be applied evenly to the entire region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220 compared to pushing only the lower region or only the upper region of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the storage unit 220 from being lifted or misaligned due to an imbalance between the upper and lower surfaces of the storage unit 220 during the process of pulling the storage unit 220 out forward.

In the description of another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 16, the rail assembly 70 may further include a rail connecting bar 73 extending in the left-right direction of the storage compartment 16 such that one side and the other side are connected to the first rail assembly 71 and the second rail assembly 72, respectively. The pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may not directly push the rear surface of the storage unit 220, but may push the rear surface of the rail connection bar 73. As described above, since the movement of the storage unit 220 of the door 20 is synchronized with the operation of the rail assembly 70, when the rear surface of the rail connection bar 73 connecting a pair of rail assemblies 70 is pushed, the storage unit 220 may also be moved forward by the forward pulling-out operation of the rail unit of the rail assembly 70. The rail connection bar 73 may be disposed behind the upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. Since the rail connection bar 73 is disposed behind the upper region of the storage unit 220, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 that pushes the rail connection bar 73 may be formed to extend to the upper region of the storage unit 220. That is, the pushing member 630 may be formed to extend from the lower region to upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the shape of the locking assembly extension bar 610 on which the pushing member 630 is secured may be molded to extend to the upper region so that the pushing member 630 may be located in the upper region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220. In addition, in another embodiment, since the shape of the rail connection bar 73 may be molded to extend to the lower region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220, the pushing member 630 may be located in the lower region of the rear surface of the storage unit 220.

In this way, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may push the rear surface of the rail connection bar 73, and the hook member 620 may be configured to engage with and disengage from the rear surface of the storage unit 220. When the hook member 620 is connected to the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220, the hook member 620 may also push the rear surface of the storage unit 220 while being coupled with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, according to still another embodiment of the present invention, since the pushing member 630 may push the rail connecting bar 73 and the hook member 620 may push the rear surface of the storage unit 220, the pushing force may be distributed to the storage unit 220 and the rail assembly 70 compared to pushing only the storage unit 220, the forward movement of the storage unit 220 and the pulling-out operation of the rail unit of the rail assembly 70 can be more smoothly synchronized.

Operation of Door Open Module and Pulling-In/Out Operation of Door

Hereinafter, the operation of the door open module 30 and the pulling-in/out operation of the door 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with further reference to FIGS. 17 to 24.

FIGS. 17 and 20 show the door 20 and the door open module 30 before the door open module 30 is driven. That is, FIGS. 17 and 20 show a state in which the door 20 is completely closed and a state in which the storage unit 220 is also completely stored within the storage compartment 16. In this case, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is also in a pre-operation state, and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 mounted on the driving assembly 40 also remains in a non-pulled-out state. Accordingly, the first pressing part 215 of the door 20 and the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may remain spaced a predetermined distance from each other without making contact. In addition, the second pressing part 222 of the storage unit 220 and the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may also remain spaced a predetermined distance from each other without making contact. Since the locking assembly 60 is completely moved rearward, the rear surface of the hook member 620 may remain bent rearward while being in close contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16. Accordingly, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may remain disengaged from the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, when the door 20 is completely closed and the storage unit 220 is completely stored in the storage compartment 16, the storage unit 220 of the door 20 and the door open module 30 remain disengaged.

In this way, in a state in which the storage unit 220 and the door open module 30 are disengaged, the user can easily pull the door 20 out or in using the manual open mode. That is, according to the present invention, in a state in which the storage unit 220 moves rearward, the connection between the hook member 620 and the storage unit 220 may be automatically released, and thus the user does not need to separately switch to the manual open mode. Accordingly, in the manual open mode, the door 20 may move in the front-rear direction along the rail assembly 70 by the user in a state in which the door open module 30 is not driven.

Accordingly, according to the present invention, by including the locking assembly 60 provided with the hook member 620 that is engaged with the storage unit 220 during the forward or rearward operation of the door 20 and disengaged from the storage unit 220 in the closed state of the door 20, the manual pulling-out mode can be implemented quickly and easily without a separate manipulation in the closed state of the door 20.

In addition, since switching between the automatic door open mode and the manual open mode is smoothly performed, the user can easily and smoothly pull the door out without a separate command to switch to the manual open mode, thereby maximizing the convenience of use.

In addition, according to the present invention, in the manual open mode, the door 20 may be pulled in or out by only the guide performed by the rail assembly 70 without being fastened to the door open module 30. Accordingly, when the door 20 is manually pulled in or out, there is no need to forcibly or passively drive the door open module 30, and thus it is possible to solve the problem of a counter-electromotive force of the door open module 30 that may occur during manual pulling-in/out operation.

In addition, according to the present invention, in the manual open mode, the door 20 may be pulled in or out by only the guide performed by the rail assembly 70 without being fastened to the door open module 30, and thus it is possible to minimize the resistance or inconvenience felt by the user when pulling the door 20 in or out, thereby improving the use experience of the user.

In a state in which the operation of the door open module 30 is not started, the storage unit 220 and the door open module 30 may remain in a non-contact state. That is, the door open module 30 does not support the load of the storage unit 220, and the load of the storage unit 220 may be supported by the rail assembly 70. For example, a pair of rail assemblies 70 disposed on both sides of the storage unit 220 may support lower surfaces of both edges of the storage unit 220. Accordingly, the plurality of gear racks and the plurality of pinion gears of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may not be in contact with the lower surface of the storage unit 220. The lower surface of the storage unit 220 and the upper surface of the door open module 30 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined clearance space CS.

In this way, according to the present invention, the load of the storage unit 220 is not supported by the door open module 30, but rather by the rail assemblies 70 disposed on the side surfaces of the door 20. Accordingly, the door open module 30 that provides a direct driving force can be prevented from being damaged by the load of the storage unit 220, and the door open module 30 can be operated stably regardless of the magnitude of the load of the storage unit 220.

FIGS. 18 and 21 are views showing the door 20 and the door open module 30 in a state in which the door open module 30 is driven so that the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is in contact with the first pressing part 215 of the door 20. When the user executes the automatic door open mode, the door 20 may move in the front-rear direction along the rail assembly 70 by driving the door open module 30. In order to execute the automatic door open mode, the refrigerator 1 may have a separate button for implementing the automatic door open mode, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the automatic door open mode may be executed by various ways, such as by a sensor such as a motion detection sensor or a sound detection sensor, by a voice command of the user, or by input from a mobile device such as mobile phone or remote controller.

As the automatic door open mode is executed, when the door open module 30 begins to operate, the gear rack of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 begins to be pulled out forward by the driving of the driving assembly 40. When the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 begins to be pulled out, the first gear rack 510 may first extend outward. The pulling-out distance of the first gear rack 510 is shorter than those of the second gear rack 520 and the third gear rack 530, but a pulling-out force thereof may be greater than those of the second gear rack 520 and the third gear rack 530. Since the sealing pressure between a gasket 213 of the door 20 and the cabinet 2 is high in the closed state of the door 20, a large initial force may be required to separate the door 20 from the cabinet 2. Accordingly, by allowing the first gear rack 510 with the greatest pulling-out force to push the first pressing part 215 of the door unit 210 located at the front of the door 20, it is possible to effectively overcome the sealing pressure between the gasket 213 and the cabinet 2. In this case, pushing the rear surface of the door unit 210 located at the front of the door 20 can be more effective in effectively overcoming the sealing pressure between the gasket 213 and the cabinet 2 than pushing only the storage unit 220 located at the rear of the door 20.

In this way, according to the present invention, when the door open module 30 moves the door 20 forward in a state in which the door 20 is completely moved rearward, the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may push the rear surface of the door unit 210 to release the contact between the door unit 210 and the cabinet 2. In this case, since the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may allow the gear rack that is pulled out the shortest distance forward from the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 among the plurality of gear racks to push the rear surface of the door unit so that the gear rack with the greatest pulling-out force may push the rear surface of the door unit 210, it is possible to effectively overcome the door sealing pressure between the cabinet 2 and the gasket 213 of the door 20 with the driving force of the door open module 30.

While the first gear rack 510 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 is pushing the rear surface of the door unit 210, the storage unit 220 and the door open module 30 may remain in a non-contact state. The pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may be in a state before pushing the second pressing part 222 of the storage unit 220, and the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may be in a state before being engaged with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220. That is, the hook member 620 may still be in contact with the rear surface of the storage compartment 16. The hook member 620 may rotate forward at a predetermined angle compared to a state in which the door 20 is completely closed, but may not rotate to the extent of being hook-coupled with the hook fastening part 221.

FIGS. 19 and 22 are views showing the door 20 and the door open module 30 in a state in which the door 20 moves a predetermined distance forward after the door open module 30 is driven and the door 20 is opened. The door 20 may move forward or rearward, and FIGS. 19 and 22 may be applied to two cases in which the door 20 moves forward and rearward. After the first gear rack 510 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 pushes the first pressing part 215 of the door unit 210 to release the contact between the gasket 213 of the door 20 and the cabinet 2, the contact between the first gear rack 510 and the first pressing part 215 is released and the distance therebetween increases. Meanwhile, after the first gear rack 510 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 pushes the first pressing part 215 located on the rear surface of the door unit 210, the second gear rack 520 and the third gear rack 530 of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may be operated to be pulled out further forward than the first gear rack 510.

Since the sliding rack 611 of the locking assembly 60 is connected to the third gear rack 530, the pushing member 630 of the locking assembly 60 may be in contact with the second pressing part 222 located on the rear surface of the storage unit 220 to push the second pressing part 222 forward. That is, as the third gear rack 530 is pulled out, the locking assembly 60 also moves forward while pushing the rear surface of the storage unit 220. As the locking assembly 60 moves forward, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may also move forward, thereby allowing the hook member 620 to be released from contact with the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16. In this way, when the contact between the hook member 620 and the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16 is released, the hook member 620 may rotate forward along its rotational axis and may be hook-coupled with the hook fastening part 221 located on the rear surface of the storage unit 220. That is, the storage unit 220 and the door open module 30 may remain engaged in a state in which the storage unit 220 is spaced a predetermined distance from the rear surface 163 of the storage compartment 16. In this way, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may be configured to engage with the storage unit 220 while the door 20 moves forward or rearward and configured to disengage from the storage unit 220 in a closed state of the door 20. During the process of the door 20 moving forward and rearward, the clearance space CS between the lower surface of the storage unit 220 and the upper surface of the door open module 30 may remain continuously.

FIGS. 20 and 22 are views showing the door 20 and the door open module 30 in a state in which the door open module 30 is driven and the door 20 is completely opened. In a state in which the door 20 is completely opened, the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 may remain engaged with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220. In this case, when the door 20 is closed, the driving assembly 40 may be driven by changing a rotation direction of the motor so that the gear racks of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 are pulled in. Accordingly, the locking assembly 60 restricted by the movement of the rack-and-pinion assembly 50 may move rearward. In this case, since the hook member 620 of the locking assembly 60 is engaged with the hook fastening part 221 of the storage unit 220, the locking assembly 60 may pull the storage unit 220 rearward. Accordingly, the storage unit 220 may be restrained by the rearward movement of the locking assembly 60 and moved into the storage compartment 16.

Accordingly, the door open module 30 may move the storage unit 220 forward by pushing the rear surface of the storage unit 220 and move the storage unit 220 rearward by pulling the rear surface of the storage unit 220. That is, the door open module 30 may push and pull the storage unit 220 while being engaged with the storage unit 220.

In this way, according to the present invention, since the door open module 30 disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment 16 may move the door 20 forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the door 20, the door 20 may be pulled in or out without the gear rack or pinion gear of the door open module 30 being directly fastened to the door 20.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the door open module 30 disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment 16 may move the door 20 forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the door 20, the load of the door 20 is not directly applied to the door open module 30, thereby reducing the misalignment of the gear rack and pinion gear of the door open module 30 or the occurrence of clearance.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the door open module 30 disposed on the lower inner surface of the storage compartment 16 may move the door 20 forward and rearward by pushing and pulling the door 20, even when the door 20 tilts and the door 20 and the door open module 30 is misaligned, the door 20 can be stably pulled in or out without affecting the driving of the door open module 30.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the pushing member 630 of the door open module 30 may move the door 20 forward by pushing the rear surface of the storage unit 220, the door open module 30 may move the door 20 forward only by pushing the rear surface of the storage unit 220 without being directly fastened to the door 20.

In addition, according to the present invention, even when the storage unit 220 of the door 20 slightly tilts during the process of moving in the front-rear direction, such a phenomenon can be resolved by naturally aligning the storage unit 220 during the process of the door open module 30 pushing the storage unit 220.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the exemplary drawings, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in the present specification, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention. In addition, even when the operational effects according to the configuration of the present invention have not been explicitly described in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it goes without saying that the effects predictable by the corresponding configuration should be recognized.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including one or more storage compartments;

a drawer assembly including a door unit for opening and closing a front surface of the storage compartment and a storage unit accommodated within the storage compartment;

a rail assembly that guides movement of the drawer assembly in a front-rear direction; and

a door open module that is disposed on a lower inner surface of the storage compartment, pushes and moves the drawer assembly forward, and pulls and moves the drawer assembly rearward.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the door open module includes:

one or more multi-stage rack-and-pinion assemblies;

one or more driving assemblies that drive the rack-and-pinion assemblies; and

a locking assembly configured to engage with and disengage from the storage unit.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2, further comprising a machine compartment disposed behind the storage compartment,

wherein the multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly includes three or more gear racks.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein, when the door open module moves the drawer assembly forward in a state in which the drawer assembly completely moves rearward,

the rack-and-pinion assembly pushes a rear surface of the door unit to release contact between the door unit and the cabinet.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the rack-and-pinion assembly includes a plurality of gear racks, and

a gear rack pulled out the shortest distance forward from the rack-and-pinion assembly among the plurality of gear racks pushes the rear surface of the door unit.

6. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the door open module further includes one or more pushing members that are disposed at a rear of the storage unit and push a rear surface of the storage unit to move the drawer assembly forward.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the pushing member pushes the rear surface of the storage unit after the rack-and-pinion assembly pushes a rear surface of the door unit.

8. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the locking assembly is provided with a hook member that configured to engage with the storage unit when the drawer assembly moves forward or rearward and is configured to disengage from the storage unit in a closed state of the drawer assembly.

9. The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the rack-and-pinion assembly includes a first rack-and-pinion assembly and a second rack-and-pinion assembly that are respectively disposed on one side and the other side of the storage compartment, and

the driving assembly includes a first driving assembly and a second driving assembly that drive the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly, respectively.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein the locking assembly includes a locking assembly extension bar extending in the left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly, respectively, and

the locking assembly extension bar synchronizes the operation of the first rack-and-pinion assembly and the second rack-and-pinion assembly.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the drawer assembly is movable along the rail assembly in the front-rear direction by driving the door open module in an automatic door open mode, and

the drawer assembly is movable along the rail assembly in the front-rear direction by a user in a state in which the door open module is not driven in a manual open mode.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the rail assembly is provided as a pair of rail assemblies and is disposed on each of both sides of the storage unit.

13. The refrigerator of claim 12, further comprising a rail connection bar extending in a left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the pair of rail assemblies, respectively,

wherein the door open module further includes one or more pushing members that are located at a rear of the storage unit to push the rail connection bar and push the drawer assembly supported by the pair of rail assemblies.

14. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the rail assembly supports the storage unit so that a clearance space is formed between a lower surface of the storage unit and an upper surface of the door open module, and

the clearance space is maintained when the drawer assembly moves forward and rearward.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the rail assembly is a multi-stage rail assembly whose length is extendable and retractable, depending on the forward and rearward movements of the drawer assembly.

16. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet including one or more storage compartments;

a storage unit disposed within the storage compartment;

one or more rail assemblies that guide movement of the storage unit; and

a door open module that is disposed on a lower inner surface of the storage compartment and moves the storage unit in a front-rear direction,

wherein the door open module is driven by a rack-and-pinion driving method by including a plurality of gear racks and a plurality of pinion gears, and

a rotational axis of the pinion gear extends in a vertical direction of the storage compartment.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the plurality of gear racks and the plurality of pinion gears are not in contact with a lower surface of the storage unit.

18. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the door open module moves the storage unit forward by pushing a rear surface of the storage unit and moves the storage unit rearward by pulling the rear surface of the storage unit.

19. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the storage unit and the door open module are disengaged in a state in which the storage unit is completely stored in the storage compartment.

20. The refrigerator of claim 16, wherein the storage unit and the door open module are engaged in a state in which the storage unit is spaced a predetermined distance from a rear surface of the storage compartment.