Refrigerator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939192-B2
Application number	US-201615313598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes: a cabinet including an outer case, an inner case disposed inside the outer case and defining a storage space, and an insulating material filled between the outer case and the inner case; a door pivotably connected to a front surface of the cabinet and selectively opening/closing a storage compartment; a shelf assembly including a shelf supporting arm fixed to a real surface of the inner case and a shelf connected to the shelf supporting arm so as to be slidably movable; and a withdrawal device connected to the door and withdrawing the shelf forward in accordance with pivoting of the door for opening the storage space. Here, the withdrawal device includes: a slide member held in a space between the outer case and the inner case; a link member including a front end portion connected to the door and a rear end portion connected to the slide member; and a connection member connecting the slide member and the shelf.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet comprising an outer case, an inner case disposed inside the outer case and defining a storage space, and an insulating material filled between the outer case and the inner case;
a door pivotably connected to a front surface of the cabinet and selectively opening/closing a storage compartment;
a shelf assembly comprising a shelf supporting aim fixed to a rear surface of the inner case and a shelf connected to the shelf supporting arm so as to be slidably movable; and
a withdrawal device connected to the door and withdrawing the shelf forward in accordance with pivoting of the door for opening the storage space,
wherein the withdrawal device comprises:
a slide member held in a space between the outer case and the inner case;
a link member comprising a front end portion connected to the door and a rear end portion connected to the slide member; and
a connection member connecting the slide member and the shelf.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the connection member comprises:
a connector mounted onto the slide member; and
a receiver mounted onto a side surface of the shelf and receiving the connector.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the inner case comprises a guide slit formed at a point corresponding to the location of the shelf and extending in forward and backward directions by a certain length, and
the connector is coupled to the receiver through the guide slit.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the front end portion of the link member is located at a point spaced from a rotation axis of the door by a certain distance.

5. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising a link cover disposed around a ceiling of the inner case to block the link member from being exposed to the inside of the storage compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising an outer cover disposed between the inner case and the outer case and covering the slide member.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one guide rib protruding from the other surface opposite to one surface of the slide member to which the connector is connected and extending in a width direction of the slide member by a certain length; and
a guide groove concavely formed in the outer cover and receiving the guide rib.

8. The refrigerator of claim 7 , further comprising at least one spacing rib disposed at locations vertically spaced from the guide rib and protruding and extending parallelly to the guide rib.

9. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the connector comprises:
a connecting sleeve fixed to the slide member and penetrating the guide slit; and
a separation preventing plate extending orthogonally to the connecting sleeve from an end portion of the connecting sleeve,
wherein the separation preventing plate is inserted into the receiver.

10. The refrigerator of claim 9 , wherein the receiver comprises:
a first surface portion;
a second surface portion which is spaced apart from the first surface portion and provides a receiving space between the first and second surface portions; and
a third surface portion connecting the edges of the first and second surface portions, except lower sections of the edges of the first and second surface portions such that an insertion hole for receiving the separation preventing plate is formed on a lower side surface of the receiver,
wherein:
a fitting groove into which the connecting sleeve is fitted is fat lied at the first surface portion; and
the fitting groove is upwardly recessed from a lower end of the first surface portion.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10 , wherein a front surface of the third surface portion which faces a front end of the shelf is rounded, and the front-to-rear width of the front surface of the third surface portion gradually decreases from an upper side to a lower side.

12. The refrigerator of claim 2 , wherein the receiver is detachably coupled to the shelf.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Yang Changwoan
• Choi Seungjin
• Kim Hanhyo
• Park Yoomin

Classifications

• F25D25/02

  by shelves · CPC title

• F25D23/062

  defining a cabinet · CPC title

• F25D23/02 Primary

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

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D25/024 Primary

  Slidable shelves · CPC title