Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12535265-B2
Application number	US-202318526689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet, a front panel door part, a drawer part located rearward of the front panel door part, and a connection device that is located at the front panel door part, that is configured to couple the front panel door part with the drawer part, and that is configured to transmit power from the front panel door part to the drawer part. The connection device includes an exposed portion that is exposed through the rear surface of the front panel door part and that allows a user to manipulate the connection device, and the connection device is configured to, based on a manipulation of the exposed portion of the connection device by the user, decouple the front panel door part from the drawer part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A home appliance comprising:
a cabinet that defines a space; a drawer door including (i) a drawer part configured to insert into and withdraw from the space in a front-rear direction and (ii) a front panel door coupled to a front portion of the drawer part and configured to open and close at least a portion of the space; an elevation device provided in the drawer part and configured to elevate an object in the drawer part relative to a bottom surface of the drawer part; a driving device provided in the front panel door and configured to supply power for operation of the elevation device; a drawer shaft that extends in the front-rear direction of the drawer door, the drawer shaft having a first end connected to the elevation device; a coupling member that has a rod shape and that is rotatably disposed in the front-rear direction of the drawer door, the coupling member having (i) a first end connected to the driving device and (ii) a second end that is coaxially connected to a second end of the drawer shaft and that is configured to transmit the power of the driving device to the drawer shaft; a first connection member that connects the coupling member to the drawer shaft; and an elastic member that surrounds the coupling member and that is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the coupling member, the elastic member being configured to be compressed based on movement of the first connection member along the coupling member, wherein the drawer shaft is configured to transmit the power to the elevation device based on rotating together with the coupling member.

2 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising a power transmission,
wherein the power transmission includes a second connection member coupled to the drawer shaft and the first connection member.

3 . The home appliance according to claim 2 , wherein the coupling member is configured to be inserted into the first connection member, and
wherein the first connection member is configured to rotate with the coupling member and move along the coupling member so that the first connection member is configured to selectively disconnect from the second connection member.

4 . The home appliance according to claim 3 , wherein the first connection member is configured to be returned to an initial position by a restoring force of the elastic member to be coupled with the second connection member.

5 . The home appliance according to claim 4 , wherein the driving device comprises:
a motor assembly including a driving motor; a driving shaft extending in a width direction of the front panel door between the motor assembly and the coupling member; a first connection gear coupled to an end of the driving shaft; and a second connection gear coupled to the first end of the coupling member and rotatably connected to the first connection gear, and wherein the elastic member is disposed between the first connection member and the second connection gear.

6 . The home appliance according to claim 5 , wherein the second connection gear includes:
a planar gear support part extending in a radial direction from the coupling member; and a circumferential part extending toward the first connection member from a part of the planar gear support part, and wherein an end of the elastic member is supported by the planar gear support part and the circumferential part.

7 . The home appliance according to claim 6 , wherein the first connection member includes:
an insertion hole at a center thereof in which the end of the coupling member is inserted; and a support part on which the end of the elastic member is supported.

8 . The home appliance according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a case defining an opening that enables access to an inside of the case; and a push member disposed in the case, wherein a part of the push member is exposed through the opening of the case and covers the opening, and wherein the push member comprises:
a push part having a portion disposed to cover and engage the support part of the first connection member and configured to move with the first connection member based on the compression and return of the push member, and
a push flange that blocks the opening of the case so that the push flange limits movement of the push member without being separated from the case.

9 . The home appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the coupling member and the drawer shaft are configured to transmit the power of the driving device to the elevation device as a rotating force with a specific number of rotations when the first connection member couples to the second connection member.

10 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the elevation device comprises an elevation shaft extending along a vertical direction in the drawer part, the elevation shaft being configured to rotate based on the coupling member and the drawer shaft being connected and rotating.

11 . The home appliance according to claim 10 , further comprising a power transmission,
wherein the power transmission includes a transmission gear coupled to the first end of the drawer shaft, and wherein the elevation device comprises a shaft gear coupled to an end of the elevation shaft and rotatably connected to the transmission gear.

12 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the front panel door includes:
a recessed portion defined at a rear side of the front panel door and configured to receive the driving device therein; and a door cover that covers the driving device in the recessed portion and defines an opening, and wherein the first connection member is exposed through the opening.

13 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the elastic member is supported by a part of the first connection member.

14 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection member and the coupling member are arranged in the longitudinal direction, and
wherein the first connection member and the elastic member are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

15 . The home appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member surrounds a circumferential surface of the coupling member and is configured to extend and contract in the longitudinal direction.

16 . A home appliance comprising:
a cabinet that defines a space; a drawer door including (i) a drawer part configured to insert into and withdraw from the space in a front-rear direction and (ii) a front panel door coupled to a front portion of the drawer part and configured to open and close at least a portion of the space; an elevation device provided in the drawer part and configured to elevate an object in the drawer part relative to a bottom surface of the drawer part; a driving device provided in the front panel door and configured to supply power for operation of the elevation device; a drawer shaft that extends in the front-rear direction of the drawer door, the drawer shaft having a first end connected to the elevation device; and a coupling member that is rotatably disposed in the front-rear direction of the drawer door, the coupling member having (i) a first end connected to the driving device and (ii) a second end that is coaxially connected to a second end of the drawer shaft and that is configured to transmit the power of the driving device to the drawer shaft, wherein the drawer shaft is configured to transmit the power to the elevation device based on rotating together with the coupling member, and wherein the elevation device comprises an elevation shaft extend

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jinho

Classifications

• F25D25/04

  by conveyors (in general B65G) · CPC title

• F25D25/005

  using containers · CPC title

• F25D23/021

  Sliding doors · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B2088/901

  Drawers having a lifting mechanism · CPC title