Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897371-B2
Application number	US-201715423735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2017
Priority date	Feb 5, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator that includes: a cabinet; a door that is coupled to the cabinet and that is configured to open or close an opening of the cabinet; a first drawer; a plurality of rollers, each of the plurality of rollers being coupled to a first side of the first drawer or a second side of the first drawer; a plurality of first support rails, each of the plurality of first support rails (i) being coupled to a first side of the storage compartment or a second side of the storage compartment and (ii) being configured to guide one or more of the plurality of rollers; a base that is located at a third side of the first drawer in the storage compartment and that is configured to move; and a withdrawal unit that is configured to move the base based on movement of the door is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet that includes a storage compartment and an opening on a first surface of the storage compartment;
a door that is coupled to the cabinet and that is configured to open or close the opening, the door movable between an initial position and a secondary position;
a first drawer that is located in the storage compartment and that is configured to store food;
a plurality of first rollers, each of the plurality of first rollers being coupled to a first side of the first drawer or a second side of the first drawer;
a plurality of first support rails, each of the plurality of first support rails being coupled to a first side of the storage compartment or a second side of the storage compartment, and each of the plurality of first support rails being configured to guide one or more of the plurality of first rollers;
a base that is located at a third side of the first drawer in the storage compartment and that moves the base between a first position and a second position; and
a withdrawal unit that moves the base between the first position and the second position based on movement of the door between the initial position and the secondary position, respectively,
wherein the base includes first one of a connection protrusion and a protrusion insertion groove, the first drawer includes a second one of the connection protrusion and the protrusion insertion groove, the connection protrusion being selectively coupled to and uncoupled from the protrusion insertion groove based on a distance between the first drawer and the base,
wherein each of the plurality of first support rails includes an inclined section that guides one or more of the plurality of first rollers and gradually changes a height of the first drawer as one or more of the plurality of first rollers moves in the inclined section, thereby changing the distance between the first drawer and the base,
wherein, when the door is in the initial position, the connection protrusion and the protrusion insertion groove are coupled together such that the base is configured to move together with the first drawer, and
wherein, when the door moves from the initial position to the secondary position, one or more of the plurality of first rollers moves in a corresponding one or more of the inclined sections of the plurality of first support rails as the base moves from the first position to the second position, thereby changing the height of the first drawer and changing the distance between the first drawer and the base such that the connection protrusion separates from the protrusion insertion groove.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first support rails further includes:
a first section that extends from a first portion of the inclined section.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of first support rails further includes:
a second section that extends from a second portion of the inclined section.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the connection protrusion protrudes from a first surface of the base and the protrusion insertion groove is located on a first surface of the first drawer.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein a first end of the first drawer is located in the storage compartment based on one or more of the plurality of first rollers being located in at least one of the inclined sections of the plurality of first support rails.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the connection protrusion protrudes from a first surface of the first drawer and the protrusion insertion groove is located on a first surface of the base.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein a first end of the first drawer is located in the storage compartment based on one or more of the plurality of first rollers being located in at least one of the inclined sections of the plurality of first support rails.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second drawer that is located at a fourth side of the first drawer in the storage compartment and that is configured to store food;
a plurality of second rollers, each of the plurality of second rollers being coupled to a first side of the second drawer or a second side of the second drawer;
a plurality of second support rails, each of the plurality of second support rails being coupled to the first side of the storage compartment or the second side of the storage compartment, and each of the plurality of second support rails being configured to guide one or more of the plurality of second rollers; and
a first connection unit that is configured to selectively couple and uncouple the first drawer and the second drawer based on changing the height of the first drawer.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein the first connection unit includes:
a first connection member that is coupled to the first drawer, and
a second connection member that is coupled to the second drawer,
wherein, based on the first connection member and the second connection member being in a coupled state, the first drawer is coupled to the second drawer, and
wherein, based on the first connection member and the second connection member being in an uncoupled state, the first drawer is uncoupled from the second drawer.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the second connection member includes:
a protrusion support part that is located at a third side of the second drawer, and
a connection protrusion that protrudes from a surface of the protrusion support part, and
wherein the first connection member includes a protrusion insertion hole that is located at a first side of the protrusion support part and into which the connection protrusion of the second connection member is inserted.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the connection protrusion of the second connection member is separated from the protrusion insertion hole based on movement of one or more of the first rollers moving into the inclined section of at least one of the plurality of the first support rails.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein the second connection member further includes:
a hinge that is configured to support the connection protrusion of the second connection member, and
wherein the connection protrusion is configured to elastically rotate with respect to the protrusion support part.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein, in the coupled state, the connection protrusion of the second connection member is located in the protrusion insertion hole.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein, in the uncoupled state, the connection protrusion of the second connection member is spaced apart from the protrusion insertion hole.

15. The refrigerator of claim 8 , further comprising:
a third drawer that is located at a fourth side of the second drawer in the storage compartment and that is configured to store food;
a plurality of third rollers, each of the plurality of third rollers being coupled to a first side of the third drawer or a second side of the third drawer;
a plurality of third support rails, each of the plurality of third support rails being coupled to the first side of the storage compartment or the second side of the storage compartment, and each of the plurality of third support rails being configured to guide one or more of the plurality of third rollers,
wherein each of the plurality of third support rails includes an inclined section that is configured to guide one or more of the plurality of third rollers and gradually change a height of the third drawer as the one or more of the plurality of third rollers of th

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yang Changwoan
• Kim Hyeongil
• Jang Heonjae
• Lee Booyoun

Classifications

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B88/41

  Drawers with castors, rollers or wheels, supported directly on a surface below, e.g. on a floor, shelf or desktop · CPC title

• F25D2323/021

  French doors · CPC title

• F25D2400/06

  Refrigerators with a vertical mullion · CPC title