Lifting apparatus and refrigerator having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10598425-B2
Application number	US-201815917431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 10, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a lifting apparatus and refrigerator having the same, by which a driving motor to generate driving force to vertically move a basket may be miniaturized and the load of the driving motor may be reduced. A refrigerator includes a main body, a storeroom formed inside the main body with an open front, a drawer slidingly coupled with the main body to open or close the storeroom and provided at a lower side thereof with a basket having storage space, and a lifting apparatus moving the basket vertically, wherein the lifting apparatus includes a driving motor, a driving shaft rotated by the driving motor, a lifting unit moving the basket vertically by means of rotational force of the driving shaft, and a coil spring coupled to the driving shaft and transferring energy in a direction in which the driving shaft is rotated to reduce a load of the driving motor, when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket upward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body;
a storeroom formed inside the main body with an open front;
a drawer slidingly coupled with the main body to open or close the storeroom and provided at a lower side thereof with a basket having storage space; and
a lifting apparatus configured to move the basket vertically,
wherein the lifting apparatus comprises:
a driving motor;
a driving shaft rotated by the driving motor;
a lifting unit configured to move the basket vertically by using rotational force of the driving shaft; and
a coil spring coupled to the driving shaft and transferring energy in a direction in which the driving shaft is rotated to reduce a load of the driving motor, when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket upward.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the lifting unit comprises a double pulley moving the basket vertically, a plurality of pulleys transferring rotational force of the driving shaft to the double pulley, a vertical guide rail guiding vertical movement of the basket, and a housing in which the double pulley is installed.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the double pulley comprises a first double pulley and a second double pulley arranged on either side of the basket.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the first double pulley and the second double pulley comprise a belt coupled at one end to at least one of the plurality of pulleys, a fixed pulley fixed to the housing and coupled by the belt to at least one of the plurality of pulleys, a movable pulley coupled by the belt to the fixed pulley to be vertically moved inside the housing, a coupling plate coupled to a side wall of the basket to be vertically moved along with the movable pulley, and a fixed rod to which the other end of the belt is fixed.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of pulleys comprises a first pulley coupled with the driving shaft and coupled by the belt to the fixed pulley of the first double pulley, a second pulley coupled by the belt to the fixed pulley of the second double pulley, and a third pulley coupled by the belt to the second pulley.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the belt has a width three times larger than its thickness to keep the basket horizontally balanced while the basket is vertically moving.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the belt comprises a first belt coupling the fixed pulley and the movable pulley of the first double pulley and the first pulley, and a second belt coupling the fixed pulley and the movable pulley of the second double pulley and the second pulley.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of pulleys further comprise a fourth pulley arranged to be adjacent to the third pulley between the second pulley and the third pulley, and placed lower than the third pulley to prevent contact between the second belt and the basket.

9. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the housing comprises a first housing containing the first double pulley and a second housing containing the second double pulley, and the first and second housings each have one open side for the coupling plate to be coupled with the basket to be vertically moved.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the first housing and the second housing comprise a first rotation hole to which the fixed pulley is rotationally coupled, a fixed hole to which the fixed rod is fixed, and a guide rail coupler to which the vertical guide rail is coupled.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the first housing further comprises a driving motor container in which the driving motor is contained, a second rotation hole to which the driving shaft is rotationally coupled, and an anti-exposer preventing the driving shaft from being exposed to outside.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the second housing further comprises a third rotation hole to which a third pulley is rotationally coupled.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are coupled at bottom ends thereof with an auxiliary plate to connect the first housing and the second housing, the auxiliary plate comprising a fixer to which the other end of the coil spring is fixed.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the coil spring is coupled at one end to the driving shaft by a coupling member, the coupling member being formed of a flexible material and wound on the driving shaft or unwound from the driving shaft depending on the direction of rotation of the driving shaft.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket upward, the coupling member wound on the driving shaft is unwound and elastic energy of the coil spring is transferred to the driving shaft, and when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket downward, the coupling member is wound on the driving shaft and the coil spring stores elastic energy.

16. A refrigerator comprising:
a main body;
a storeroom formed inside the main body with an open front;
a drawer slidingly coupled with the main body to open or close the storeroom and provided at a lower side thereof with a basket having store space; and
a lifting apparatus configured to move the basket vertically,
wherein the lifting apparatus comprises:
a driving motor;
a driving shaft rotated by the driving motor;
a lifting unit comprising a belt coupled to the driving shaft, a fixed pulley fixed not to be moved and coupled to the driving shaft by the belt, and a movable pulley coupled to the fixed pulley by the belt to be vertically moved to move the basket vertically; and
a coil spring coupled to the driving shaft and transferring energy in a direction in which the driving shaft is rotated to reduce a load of the driving motor, when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket upward.

17. The refrigerator of claim 16 , wherein the lifting unit further comprises a plurality of pulleys coupled to one end of the belt, a fixed rod to which the other end of the belt is fixed, a vertical guide rail guiding vertical movement of the basket to prevent swaying of the basket.

18. A lifting apparatus for moving a basket vertically, the lifting apparatus comprising:
a driving motor generating driving force;
a driving shaft rotated by the driving motor;
a belt coupled to the driving shaft;
a fixed pulley coupled by the belt to the driving shaft and fixed not to be moved;
a movable pulley coupled to the fixed pulley by the belt to be vertically moved;
a coupling plate coupled with a side wall of the basket and vertically moved along with the movable pulley; and
a coil spring coupled to the driving shaft and transferring energy in a direction in which the driving shaft is rotated to reduce a load of the driving motor, when the driving shaft is rotated to move the basket upward.

19. The lifting apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the fixed pulley, the movable pulley, and the coupling plate are each provided in pair and arranged on both side walls of the basket, and the fixed pulleys are fixed to a pair of housings arranged on both side walls of the basket.

20. The lifting apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the pair of housings are coupled at bottom ends thereof with an auxiliary plate to connect the pair of housings, and the coil spring is coupled at one end to the driving shaft by a coupling member and fixed at the other end to a fixer arranged on the auxiliary plate.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jin Seung
• Kim Min Soo
• Park Sung Jin

Classifications

• F25D25/04

  by conveyors (in general B65G) · CPC title

• A47B88/90

  Constructional details of drawers · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D25/022

  Baskets · CPC title

• F25D23/021

  Sliding doors · CPC title