Refrigerator and basket assembly thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197327-B2
Application number	US-201715662542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A refrigerator and a basket assembly thereof are disclosed. The basket assembly includes a basket, a cover for covering the basket, a knob provided at the basket, and a protruding portion provided at the cover and fastened to the knob. The knob includes a first extension portion extending from the basket in an upwardly inclined direction to a higher position than a distal end of the protruding portion so as to support a rear surface of the protruding portion, a second extension portion extending from the first extension portion in a downwardly inclined direction, and a third extension portion extending downwards from the second extension portion. When force is applied to the third extension portion in a forward direction, the first extension portion is elastically deformed such that the distal end of the first extension portion is moved to a lower position than the distal end of the protruding portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a case that defines a storage compartment;
a door connected to the case and configured to open and close the storage compartment;
a basket located in the storage compartment and configured to store a product, the basket defining an open top portion; and
a cover disposed vertically above the basket and configured to cover the open top portion of the basket;
wherein the basket includes:
a main body comprising a front panel, a rear panel, and side panels that connect the front panel and the rear panel;
a first extension portion that extends in a first direction from a front panel of the basket,
a second extension portion that extends in a second direction from a distal end of the first extension portion and that defines an angle with respect to the first extension portion, and
a locking portion located between the first extension portion and the second extension portion and configured to contact a portion of the cover, the locking portion being configured to restrict movement of the basket relative to the cover based on contacting the portion of the cover,

wherein the locking portion is further configured to, based on the second extension portion being pulled forward to increase the angle of the second extension portion with respect to the first extension portion, be spaced apart from the portion of the cover, and
wherein the basket is configured to withdraw forward relative to the cover based on the locking portion being spaced apart from the portion of the cover.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein
the door is further configured to open and close an entrance of the case and to selectively provide a seal to the storage compartment,
wherein the door includes:
a main door rotatably connected to the case by a main door hinge, and
a sub-door rotatably connected to the main door or the case by a sub-door hinge,

wherein the basket is provided in the sub-door, and
wherein the basket is configured to move in a direction different from a direction of rotation of the sub-door.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the sub-door hinge includes a rotating shaft that extends in a first direction, and
wherein the basket further includes rotation protrusions that is located at the basket and that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the basket being configured to rotate about the rotation protrusions.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the sub-door hinge includes a rotating shaft that extends in a first direction, and
wherein the basket further includes rails that is located at the basket, that extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction, and that are configured to guide movement of the basket.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment includes a receiving space configured to receive the basket.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the basket is disposed in the door.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator further comprises a protruding portion that protrudes downward from the cover,
wherein the first extension portion extends upward from the front panel of the basket to a first position higher than an end of the protruding portion in an inclined direction with respect to the front panel, the first extension portion being configured to support a rear surface of the protruding portion,
wherein the second extension portion extends downward from the distal end of the first extension portion, and
wherein the basket further includes a third extension portion that extends downward from the second extension portion.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the basket further includes:
a fourth extension portion that extends upward from the second extension portion to a third position higher than the end of the protruding portion; and
a fastening groove defined between the second extension portion and the fourth extension portion and configured to receive the end of the protruding portion.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein a length of the second extension portion is shorter than a length of the first extension portion.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein a length of the third extension portion is longer than a length of the second extension portion.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the distal end of the first extension portion is located at a position higher than a distal end of the fourth extension portion.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the basket includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end that are spaced apart from the basket to form free ends.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the basket is rotatably or slidably provided in the storage compartment.

14. A basket assembly disposed in a storage compartment or a door to store products therein, the basket assembly comprising:
a basket defining an open top portion and a storage space configured to store the products;
a cover disposed vertically above the basket and configured to cover the open top portion of the basket;
a knob provided at the basket and configured to elastically deform; and
a protruding portion protruding downward from the cover and configured to be caught by to the knob,
wherein the knob includes:
a first extension portion that extends from a front panel of the basket, and
a second extension portion that extends from the first extension portion in an inclined direction to thereby define an angle with respect to the first extension portion, and

wherein the basket is configured to withdraw based on a change of the angle of the second extension portion with respect to the first extension portion.

15. The basket assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the first extension portion extends upward from the front panel of the basket to a first position higher than an end of the protruding portion in an inclined direction with respect to the front panel, the first extension portion being configured to support a rear surface of the protruding portion,
wherein the second extension portion extends downward from a distal end of the first extension portion,
wherein the knob further includes a third extension portion that extends downward from the second extension portion, and
wherein the first extension portion is configured to elastically deform to move the distal end of the first extension portion to a second position lower than the end of the protruding portion based on the third extension portion being pulled forward.

16. The basket assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the knob further includes:
a fourth extension portion that extends upward from the second extension portion to a third position higher than the end of the protruding portion, and
a fastening groove defined between the second extension portion and the fourth extension portion and configured to receive the end of the protruding portion.

17. The basket assembly according to claim 15 , wherein a length of the second extension portion is shorter than a length of the first extension portion.

18. The basket assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the first extension portion is located at a position higher than a distal end of the fourth extension portion.

19. The basket assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the knob includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end that are spaced apart from the basket to form free ends.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Minhoon

Classifications

• F25D23/04 Primary

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title

• F25D25/027

  Rotatable shelves · CPC title

• F25D25/022 Primary

  Baskets · CPC title

• F25D25/028 Primary

  Cooled supporting means · CPC title

• F25D25/00

  Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled · CPC title