Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016146533-A1
Application number	US-201514945689-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigerator is described. The refrigerator includes a body. The refrigerator further includes a door. The refrigerator further includes a first rail guide and a second rail guide. The refrigerator further includes a first rail assembly and a second rail assembly. The refrigerator further includes a shaft that is configured to connect the first rail assembly with the second rail assembly. The refrigerator further includes a first pinion that is located at a first end of the shaft and configured to engage the first rail guide based on the door being pushed in or pulled out. The refrigerator further includes a second pinion that is located at a second end of the shaft and configured to engage the second rail guide based on the door being pushed in or pulled out. The refrigerator further includes a torsion reduction part that is configured to reduce torsion of the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An refrigerator comprising:
a body that defines a storage space; a door that is configured to selectively open and close the storage space; a first rail guide that is connected to a first side wall of the storage space; a second rail guide that is connected to a second side wall of the storage space; a first rail assembly that is configured to connect the door with the first rail guide; a second rail assembly that is configured to connect the door with the second rail guide; a shaft that is configured to connect the first rail assembly with the second rail assembly; a first pinion that is located at a first end of the shaft and that is configured to engage the first rail guide based on the door being pushed in or pulled out; a second pinion that is located at a second end of the shaft and that is configured to engage the second rail guide based on the door being pushed in or pulled out; and a torsion reduction part that is located at one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide, that is configured to reduce torsion of the door, and that comprises:
an idle gear (i) that includes a hinge shaft that is rotatably inserted into the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide and (ii) that is configured to selectively engage one of the first pinion or the second pinion; and
an elastic support part that is connected to a lower end of the idle gear and that is connected to the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide,
wherein the hinge shaft is configured to move forward and backward based on being inserted into a guide part that is located at the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide.

2 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the guide part is a hole or a groove that extends forward and backward a predetermined length.

3 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a repulsive force generation part that is located at the idle gear and the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide and that is configured to generate a force that pushes the idle gear forward.

4 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the repulsive force generation part comprises:
a first magnet that is installed at the idle gear; and a second magnet that is installed at the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide and that is configured to repel the first magnet.

5 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic support part is a spring that is oriented vertically, that is coupled to a first coupling part of the idle gear, and that is coupled to a second coupling part of the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide, the elastic support part being curved based on the first coupling part being moved to a rear of the second coupling part.

6 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the elastic support part is configured to compress and a front end of the idle gear is configured to rotate downward based on one of the first pinion or the second pinion rotating in a first direction, and the elastic support part is configured to support the front end of the idle gear and the idle gear is configured to move backward based on the one of the first pinion or the second pinion rotating in a second direction.

7 . The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

8 . The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein based on the idle gear moving backward, a force that is applied to the idle gear by the repulsive force generation part is gradually increased.

9 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a guide protrusion is located at the idle gear, the guide protrusion being configured to guide rotation of the idle gear.

10 . The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the repulsive force generation part comprises an elastic member that connects the idle gear with the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide.

11 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the idle gear includes a gear part that includes idle gear teeth that are spaced apart by a first distance, and the first rail guide and the second rail guide include rail guide teeth that are spaced apart by the first distance.

12 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein an idle gear tooth and a rail guide tooth of the one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide are spaced apart by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

13 . The refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein the gear part includes two idle gear teeth.

14 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a rack is connected to a lower side of the first rail guide and is connected to a lower side of the second rail guide.

15 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the first pinion is configured to move the rack based on the door being pushed in or pulled out.

16 . The refrigerator according to claim 14 , wherein the second pinion is configured to move the rack based on the door being pushed in or pulled out.

17 . The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a noise reduction part that connects one of the first rail guide or the second rail guide to an end of the idle gear that is opposite the lower end that is connected to the elastic support part.

18 . The refrigerator according to claim 17 , wherein the noise reduction part is a spring.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jung Sungki

Classifications

• F25D23/02

  Doors; Covers (F25D23/08 takes precedence {locks or fastenings E05B65/0042}) · CPC title

• A47B88/463

  self-opening · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B88/40

  Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title