KR102451425B1 - A Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet forming a storage space; a drawer door which is drawn into and out of the storage space and includes a door part exposed on an outer surface of the cabinet and a drawer part forming a storage space for food; a pull-out rail that connects the drawer door and the cabinet and guides the drawer door in and out; a drawer cover shielding the storage space, at least a portion of which is rotatably provided to the outside of the storage space; a rotating rack provided in the storage space and extending in the drawing-out direction of the drawer door; and a gear assembly provided on one side of the drawer unit or the drawer cover to rotate the drawer cover in conjunction with the rotating rack when the drawer door is pulled out.

Description

Refrigerator {A Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that can store food at a low temperature in an internal storage space that is shielded by a door. To this end, the refrigerator is configured to store the stored food in an optimal state by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle.

Recently, refrigerators are gradually becoming larger and multifunctional in accordance with changes in dietary habits and the trend of high-end products. .

The storage space of the refrigerator may be opened and closed by a door. In addition, the refrigerator may be classified into various types of refrigerators according to the arrangement of the storage space and the structure of a door that opens and closes the storage space.

The refrigerator door may be divided into a pivot-type door in which the storage space is opened and closed by pivoting and a drawer-type door in which the storage space is opened and closed by pivoting.

On the other hand, the drawer-type door is often disposed in the lower area of the refrigerator. When the drawer-type door is disposed in the lower area of the refrigerator, after taking out the basket accommodated in the drawer-type door, place the basket in a separate place (table or floor) It is inconvenient to have to take it out and take out the food in the basket. In addition, problems such as damage, injury, contamination by food, etc. due to the user's mistake while taking out the basket may occur due to the fall of the basket.

In order to solve this problem, a structure in which the drawer-type door can be raised and lowered may be applied. The prior literature published on the elevating structure of the drawer-type door is as follows.

1. Publication number (published date): 10-2008-0101335 (2008.11.21)

2. Title of Invention: Refrigerator

In the case of the elevating structure disclosed in the prior literature, there is a problem in that a complicated configuration for elevating is provided in the drawer door, thereby increasing the overall weight of the refrigerator.

In addition, when food is stored in the storage container because the force for actually lifting and lowering the storage container is applied to the front end of the storage container, the stable lifting action of the storage container is difficult due to the eccentric load applied to the storage container. In addition, there is a problem in that it is difficult to stably take out the food from the storage container because it is not stably supported in the elevated state.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator in which a part of a cover of the drawer door is automatically opened when a drawer door drawn out in a drawer type is drawn out, thereby improving user convenience.

An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can temporarily place food or a storage container on a cover of an open drawer door, thereby improving user convenience.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cabinet forming a storage space; a drawer door which is drawn into and out of the storage space and includes a door part exposed on an outer surface of the cabinet and a drawer part forming a storage space for food; a pull-out rail that connects the drawer door and the cabinet and guides the drawer door in and out; a drawer cover shielding the storage space, at least a portion of which is rotatably provided to the outside of the storage space; a rotating rack provided in the storage space and extending in the drawing-out direction of the drawer door; and a gear assembly provided at one side of the drawer unit or the drawer cover and rotating the drawer cover in conjunction with the rotating rack when the drawer door is pulled out.

And, the drawer cover, a rear cover; and a front cover disposed in front of the rear cover and rotatably provided, wherein the front cover is rotated to the outside of the storage space with respect to a slash-and-burn axis perpendicular to the ground.

And, the door part is characterized in that the upper end is provided to be tiltable with respect to the lower end.

And, on the rear surface of the door part, it is characterized in that the rotation recessed portion recessed along the rotation radius of the front cover is formed.

The gear assembly may include a gear receiving space formed on one side of the drawer unit or the rear cover; a pinion provided in the gear accommodating space, a part of which is exposed to the outside of the gear accommodating space and rotates in association with the rotating rack; and a rotation gear coupled to the front cover and rotated by rotation of the pinion to rotate the front cover.

The front cover may include a left front cover and a right front cover disposed to the left and right of each other, and the gear assembly is provided at positions corresponding to the outer rear ends of the left front cover and the right front cover, respectively. .

The gear assembly may further include a reduction gear provided in the gear accommodation space and gear-coupled to the pinion and the rotation gear to transmit a rotational force.

And, the number of teeth of the reduction gear is characterized in that more than the number of teeth of the pinion.

And, the gear accommodating space is formed with one surface opened, and the gear assembly further comprises a gear cover for shielding the opened one surface of the gear accommodating space.

And, at least a portion of the inner surface of the rotating rack is formed with a plurality of rack projections, the rotating rack is characterized in that it is disposed at the front end of the side of the storage space.

In the refrigerator according to the proposed embodiment, the following effects can be expected.

In the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the storage space is automatically opened when the drawer door is pulled out by the gear assembly provided in the drawer cover and the rotating rack provided in the storage space, thereby improving user convenience. .

In addition, when the drawer door is opened, the front cover is opened by the gear assembly, and food or a storage container can be placed on the top of the front cover, thereby improving user convenience.

In addition, since the door is provided to be tiltable, it is possible to secure a rotation radius of the drawer cover when the drawer cover is rotated, so that a problem that the drawer cover and the door collide can be prevented.

In addition, the rotating recessed part is recessed along the rotation direction of the drawer cover on the rear surface of the door part, so that when the drawer cover is rotated, it is possible to prevent the drawer cover and the door from collapsing as the front cover passes the rotation recessed part.

In addition, the gear assembly is provided with a reduction gear, so that the front cover can be rotated according to the draw-in/out speed of the drawer door, thereby preventing the front cover from colliding with the cabinet.

In addition, the gear assembly includes a gear cover that shields the open surface of the gear receiving space, so that the assembly of the gear assembly is easy, and the gear assembly is not exposed to the outside when the drawer door is pulled out, thereby improving the aesthetics. have.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with a drawer door opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a side view of a refrigerator with a drawer door opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of the drawer door showing that the front cover is closed.
5 is a perspective view of the drawer door showing the front cover is open;
6 is a view specifically showing a configuration for opening the front cover.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with drawings. However, the present invention cannot be said to be limited to the embodiments in which the spirit of the present invention is presented, and other inventions that are degenerate by addition, changes, deletions, etc. of other elements or other embodiments included within the scope of the present invention are easy can suggest

1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a refrigerator 1 may be externally formed by a cabinet 10 forming a storage space and a door 2 shielding the opened front of the cabinet 10 .

The storage space inside the cabinet 10 may be divided into a plurality of spaces. For example, an upper space of the cabinet 10 may be partitioned into a refrigerating chamber, and a lower space may be partitioned into a freezing chamber. Of course, the upper space and the lower space may be divided into independent spaces maintained at different temperatures, not the refrigerating chamber or the freezing chamber, and may be referred to as upper space and lower space.

The door 2 may be composed of a rotary door 20 that opens and closes the upper space by rotation and drawer doors 30 and 40 that open and close the lower space by drawer-type pull-out. The lower space may be partitioned up and down again, and the drawer doors 30 and 40 may include an upper drawer door 30 and a lower drawer door 40 . In addition, the rotating door 20 and the drawer doors 30 and 40 may form an exterior that is exposed to the front by being formed of a metal material.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to a refrigerator in which the rotating door 20 and the drawer doors 30 and 40 are disposed together, the present invention is not limited thereto, and all types having drawer-type drawer doors of refrigerators.

A display 21 may be provided on one side of the front side of the revolving door 20 , and the display 21 may have a structure of a liquid crystal display or an 88-segment structure. In addition, when the exterior of the door 2 is formed of a metal material, the display 21 may be formed to display information by light transmitted through a plurality of fine holes.

In addition, a manipulation unit 22 capable of automatically rotating or withdrawing the rotating door 20 or the drawer doors 30 and 40 may be provided on one side of the rotating door 20 . The manipulation unit 22 may be provided integrally with the display 21 , and may be formed by a touch method or a button method. The manipulation unit 22 may operate input through the overall operation of the refrigerator 1 , and may operate the drawer doors 30 and 40 .

A manipulation unit 401 may also be provided on the drawer doors 30 and 40 . The manipulation unit 401 may be provided on one side of the drawer doors 30 and 40 located at the bottom of the drawer doors 30 and 40, and the manipulation unit 401 may be configured by a touch or button method. . Of course, the manipulation unit 401 may be configured as a sensor for detecting the proximity or movement of the user, or may be configured to input the manipulation by the user's motion or voice.

In addition, as shown in the drawing, a manipulation device 402 is provided at the lower end of the lower drawer door 40 to irradiate an image on the floor surface to output a virtual switch, and the user inputs manipulation in such a way that the user approaches the corresponding area. It may be configured to do so.

Meanwhile, the lower drawer door 40 may be automatically drawn in and out according to the operation of the manipulation unit 401 . Of course, the drawer doors 30 and 40 are not automatically drawn in and out according to the operation of the manipulation unit 401, but a handle that a user can hold is provided on the front side, so that the user can enter and exit by holding the hand insert. There will be.

Hereinafter, the lower drawer door of the present invention will be described in more detail, and unless otherwise specified, the lower drawer door will be referred to as a drawer door.

2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with a drawer door opened according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a side view of a refrigerator with a drawer door opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 , the drawer door 40 may be withdrawn forward. And, as the drawer door 40 is drawn out to the front, an inner space of the drawer door 40 may be opened.

In detail, the drawer door 40 includes a door part 41 for opening and closing the storage space, and a drawer part 42 coupled to the rear surface of the door part 41 to be drawn in and out together with the door part 41 . can do.

The door part 41 may be exposed to the outside of the cabinet 10 to form the exterior of the refrigerator 1 , and the drawer part 42 may be disposed inside the cabinet 10 . In addition, the door part 41 and the drawer part 42 may be coupled to each other and configured to be drawn in and out together in the front and rear directions.

The drawer part 42 is located on the rear surface of the door part 41 and may form a space in which food or containers for storage are accommodated. The inside of the drawer part 42 may form a receiving space 421 opened upward, and the exterior of the drawer part 42 may be formed by a plurality of plates (not shown). The plurality of plates may be made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and may be provided inside the drawer unit 42 so that the entire drawer unit 42 has a texture such as stainless steel or stainless steel.

In a state in which the drawer door 40 is retracted, a machine room 12 including a compressor and a condenser constituting a refrigeration cycle may be disposed behind the drawer door 40 . The machine room 12 may be partitioned by a partition wall to be insulated from a space into which the drawer part 42 is inserted.

The second half of the drawer unit 42 may have an upper end that protrudes more than the lower end, and the rear surface of the drawer unit 42 may form an inclined surface 422 . Of course, if the machine room 12 is not disposed behind the drawer door 40 , the inclined surface 422 may not be formed in the second half of the drawer part 42 .

In addition, take-out rails 45 for guiding the drawer door 40 may be provided on both side surfaces of the drawer unit 42 . The drawer door 40 can be mounted to the cabinet 10 to be pull-out by the pull-out rail 45 . The pull-out rail 45 may have a multi-stage extendable rail structure.

In addition, the pull-out rail 45 may be provided at the lower end of both sides of the drawer unit 42 , so it may be understood that the draw-out rail 45 is disposed on the lower surface of the drawer unit 42 . . Accordingly, the pull-out rail 45 is provided on the lower surface of the drawer part 42 and may be referred to as an under-rail.

A pull-out rack 46 may be provided on the lower surface of the drawer part 42 . The drawer and drawer rack 46 may be disposed on both sides, and a motor may be provided in the cabinet 10 to be connected to the driving of the motor so that the drawer door 40 can be automatically drawn in and out. That is, the motor is driven when the manipulation units 22 and 401 are input, so that the drawer door 40 can be pulled out and pulled out according to the movement of the drawer door 40 . And, at this time, the drawer door 40 can be stably drawn in and out by the drawer rail 45 .

Of course, the drawer unit 42 may not be provided with a drawer rack 46 , and it is also possible for a user to hold one side of the door unit and push or pull to directly withdraw the drawer door 40 . will be.

Meanwhile, the drawer door 40 may include a drawer cover 43 provided above the drawer unit 42 to shield the storage space 421 . The drawer cover 43 may be detachably mounted to the drawer part 42 .

In addition, the drawer cover 43 may include a front cover 431 for shielding the first half of the accommodation space 421 and a rear cover 434 for shielding the second half of the accommodation space 421 . In addition, the front cover 431 may be divided into a left front cover 432 and a right front cover 433 .

Accordingly, the drawer cover 43 may include the left front cover 432 , the right front cover 433 , and the rear cover 434 .

Rotation gears 432A and 433A that form a rotation shaft on the front cover 431 and rotate in engagement with a reduction gear 434C to be described later may be formed on the front cover 431 . The front cover 431 may be fixed to the rotation gears 432A and 433A so as to rotate together when the rotation gears 432A and 433A rotate.

The rotation gears 432A and 433A may be formed at the rear end of the outer surface of the front cover 431 .

The front cover 431 rotates about the rotation gears 432A and 433A as the drawer door 40 is withdrawn, and the receiving space 421 may be opened.

In addition, in order to prevent the front cover 431 from being caught by the door part 41 from being rotated during the rotation operation of the front cover 431 , the rear surface of the door part 41 has a rotational depression that is depressed forward. A portion 411 may be formed. The rotation recessed portion 411 may be formed horizontally and elongated in a path in which the front cover 431 is rotated. However, when the rotary recessed part 411 is extended to both ends of the door part 41, the rotary recessed part 411 is exposed to the outside, so that the appearance of the product deteriorates and cold air inside is leaked to the outside. can Accordingly, the rotation recessed portion 411 should be formed on the inner side of both ends of the door portion 41 .

Alternatively, the door part 41 may be provided so that its upper end can be tilted forward with respect to the lower end. To this end, the door 41 may be hinged to the drawer unit 42 . In this case, when the drawer door 40 is pulled out, the door part 41 is tilted to secure a space for the rotation operation of the front cover 431 . Accordingly, the rotation recessed part 411 may not be formed on the rear surface of the door part 41 .

Meanwhile, in the drawer door 40 , a gear receiving space 434A in which a gear is accommodated may be formed. In addition, the gear accommodating space 434A may be provided with a pinion 434B and a reduction gear 434C for rotating the rotation gears 432A and 433A.

The rotation gears 432A and 433A, the pinion 434B, the reduction gear 434C, the gear accommodating space 434A, and a gear cover 434D to be described later may be referred to as a gear assembly.

The gear accommodating space 434A may be formed on one side of the drawer portion 42 corresponding to the rear end of the outer surface of the front cover 431 , or may be formed on the outer front end of the rear cover 434 . . Alternatively, a separate case forming the gear accommodating space 434A may be provided, and the case may be provided to be coupled to the drawer part 42 or the rear cover 434 .

Hereinafter, the gear accommodating space 434A will be described in detail with an example formed in the rear cover 434 .

A gear accommodating space 434A in which a gear is accommodated by being depressed may be formed at a side end of the rear cover 434 . The gear accommodating space 434A may be formed at both ends of the rear cover 434, or may be formed on only one side.

In addition, a pinion 434B, a reduction gear 434C, and the rotation gears 432A and 433A may be rotatably mounted in the gear accommodating space 434A. That is, the pinion 434B, the reduction gear 434C, and the rotation gears 432A and 433A may be shaft-coupled to at least one surface of the accommodation space 434A.

Since the gear accommodating space 434A is disposed at the front end of the rear cover 434 , it may be said that it is depressed from both front surfaces of the rear cover 434 to the rear.

In addition, one surface of the gear accommodating space 434A may be opened for assembling the gears, and the gear assembly may further include a gear cover 434D for shielding the opening of the gear accommodating space 434A.

For example, an upper surface of the gear accommodation space 434A may be opened, and the opened upper surface may be shielded by the gear cover 434D. However, the gear cover 434D may not be required depending on the position in which the gear accommodation space 434A is recessed.

A rotating rack 44 may be provided inside the storage space accommodating the drawer door 40 . The rotating rack 44 is provided on both sides of the storage space and may extend forward in parallel with the withdrawal direction of the drawer door 40 .

The rotating rack 44 may be located at the front end of the side of the storage space, and may protrude further forward than the front of the cabinet 10 . Therefore, when the front cover 341 is completely exposed to the outside of the cabinet 10 when the drawer door 40 is pulled out, the front cover 341 is engaged with the gear assembly provided in the rear cover 434 . can be rotated without interfering with the cabinet 10 .

A plurality of rack protrusions 441 engaged with the pinion 434B may be formed on a portion of the inner surface of the rotating rack 44 . The rack protrusion 441 may be provided in the front part of the rotating rack 44 to engage the pinion 434B when the drawer door 40 is drawn out and inserted.

4 is a perspective view of the drawer door showing that the front cover is closed. 5 is a perspective view of the drawer door showing the front cover is open; 6 is a view specifically showing a configuration for opening the front cover.

4 to 6 , the front cover 431 may open/close the accommodation space 421 by rotating the rotation gears 432A and 433A as an axis.

The rotation of the rotation gears 432A and 433A may be performed by the rotation rack 44 , the pinion 434B, and the reduction gear 434C.

In detail, the pinion 434B, the reduction gear 434C, and the rotation gears 432A and 433A may be provided in the gear accommodating space 434A. In addition, the pinion 434B may be disposed such that a part thereof is exposed to the outside in the gear accommodation space 434A. In addition, the reduction gear 434C may be disposed to mesh with the pinion 434B in the gear accommodation space 434A. In addition, the rotation gears 432A and 433A may be disposed to mesh with the reduction gear 434C in the gear accommodation space 434A.

Accordingly, when the drawer door 40 is pulled out, a portion of the pinion 434B is engaged with the rotation rack 44 , and the pinion 434B may be rotated. In fact, when the drawer door 40 is drawn out, the exposed portion of the pinion 434B and the rack protrusion 441 of the rotating rack 44 may be engaged and rotated.

As the pinion 434B rotates, the reduction gear 434C meshed with the pinion 434B may rotate. Meanwhile, the reduction gear 434C may control the rotation amount of the pinion 434B by adjusting the gear ratio. For example, if the number of teeth of the reduction gear 434C is greater than the number of teeth of the pinion 434B, the number of rotations of the reduction gear 434C may be reduced compared to the number of rotations of the pinion 434B.

In addition, according to the rotation of the reduction gear 434C, the rotation gears 432A and 433A meshed with the reduction gear 434C may be rotated. And, according to the rotation of the rotation gears 432A and 433A, the front cover 431 to which the rotation gears 432A and 433A are connected may be rotated.

Meanwhile, the position of the rotating rack 44 and the position of the reduction gear 434C may be appropriately adjusted so that the front cover 431 is not opened before the drawer door 40 is fully drawn out. . And, the length of the rotating rack 44 may be formed to an appropriate length so that the rotation of the front cover 431 can also be completed when the drawer door 40 is pulled out.

On the other hand, when the gear accommodating space 434A is formed on both sides of the rear cover 434 , the left front cover 432 and the right front cover 433 are rotated, respectively, so that the receiving space 421 . This can be opened.

In addition, after taking out the food or storage container from the storage space 421, the food or storage container taken out from the storage space 421 can be placed on the opened front cover 431, thereby providing convenience to the user. have.

Also, when the drawer door 40 is drawn in, the pinion 434B may be engaged with the rotation rack 44 to rotate in a direction opposite to that when the drawer door 40 is pulled out. In addition, the front cover 431 may be automatically rotated to shield the accommodation space 421 by the rotation of the rotation gears 432A and 433A.

Claims (11)

a cabinet forming a storage space;
a drawer door which is drawn into and out of the storage space and includes a door part exposed on an outer surface of the cabinet and a drawer part forming a storage space for food;
a pull-out rail that connects the drawer door and the cabinet and guides the drawer door in and out;
a drawer cover for shielding the storage space;
a rotating rack provided in the storage space and extending in the drawing-out direction of the drawer door;
and a gear assembly provided on one side of the drawer unit or the drawer cover to rotate the drawer cover in conjunction with the rotary rack when the drawer door is pulled out,
The drawer cover is rotated to the outside of the storage space around the rotation shaft of the rotator of the gear assembly,
A refrigerator in which a rotating recessed part is recessed inward along a rotation radius of the drawer cover on a rear surface of the door part. The method of claim 1,
the drawer cover,
rear cover;
and a front cover disposed in front of the rear cover and rotatably provided;
The front cover is rotated to the outside of the storage space with respect to a rotation axis perpendicular to the ground. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The refrigerator, characterized in that the door unit is provided with an upper end tiltable with respect to the lower end. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The refrigerator, characterized in that the rotary recessed portion is formed to a position inward than both ends of the door portion. 3. The method of claim 2,
The gear assembly is
a gear accommodating space formed on one side of the drawer unit or the rear cover;
a pinion provided in the gear accommodating space, a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the gear accommodating space and rotates in association with the rotating rack;
and a rotation gear coupled to the front cover and rotated by rotation of the pinion to rotate the front cover. 6. The method of claim 5,
The front cover includes a left front cover and a right front cover disposed to the left and right of each other,
The gear assembly is provided at positions corresponding to the outer rear ends of the left front cover and the right front cover, respectively. 6. The method of claim 5,
The gear assembly is
and a reduction gear provided in the gear accommodating space and gear-coupled to the pinion and the rotation gear to transmit rotational force. 8. The method of claim 7,
The number of teeth of the reduction gear is greater than the number of teeth of the pinion. 6. The method of claim 5,
The gear accommodating space is formed by opening one surface,
The gear assembly, the refrigerator, characterized in that it further comprises a gear cover for shielding the opened surface of the gear receiving space. The method of claim 1,
A plurality of rack projections are formed on at least a portion of the inner surface of the rotating rack,
The rotating rack is a refrigerator, characterized in that it is disposed on the front end of the side of the storage space. 11. The method of claim 10,
The rotating rack is a refrigerator, characterized in that it extends further forward than the front of the cabinet and protrudes.

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