US20200390239A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents
Refrigerator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200390239A1 US20200390239A1 US16/894,312 US202016894312A US2020390239A1 US 20200390239 A1 US20200390239 A1 US 20200390239A1 US 202016894312 A US202016894312 A US 202016894312A US 2020390239 A1 US2020390239 A1 US 2020390239A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- refrigerator
- cover
- slid
- arm
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B46/00—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, having one or more surfaces adapted to be brought into position for use by extending or pivoting
- A47B46/005—Cabinets, racks or shelf units, having one or more surfaces adapted to be brought into position for use by extending or pivoting by displacement in a vertical plane; by rotating about a horizontal axis
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
- F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
- A47B88/90—Constructional details of drawers
- A47B88/919—Accessories or additional elements for drawers, e.g. drawer lighting
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
- F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
- F25D25/024—Slidable shelves
- F25D25/025—Drawers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B2210/00—General construction of drawers, guides and guide devices
- A47B2210/08—Covers or lids for sliding drawers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
- A47B2210/00—General construction of drawers, guides and guide devices
- A47B2210/17—Drawers used in connection with household appliances
- A47B2210/175—Refrigerators or freezers
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to refrigerators.
- Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2012-220148 discloses a technique of sealing a gap between a vegetable container and a shelf positioned above the vegetable container to block a cold air flow, by providing a sealing member under the shelf.
- the present disclosure in an aspect thereof, has an object to provide a refrigerator capable of restricting air inflow/outflow, for example, when the container is slid in.
- the present disclosure in an aspect thereof, is directed to a refrigerator including, for example, a lid section inside the refrigerator, the lid section being configured to: cover an opening of a container slidable into the refrigerator; decrease distance between the lid section and the container in conjunction with the container being slid in; and when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, be in contact with the container.
- FIG. 1 is a set of schematic views of an example of a refrigerator in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, FIG. 1( a ) being a front view of the refrigerator and FIG. 1( b ) being a side view of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 2 is a set of schematic views of an example of the interior of the refrigerator, FIG. 2( a ) showing the interior as viewed from the front of the refrigerator and FIG. 2( b ) showing the interior as viewed from a side of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 3 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator, FIG. 3( a ) illustrating the internal structure when a container is slid out and FIG. 3( b ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an internal side face of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 5 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of a lever and an arm, FIG. 5( a ) illustrating the major portions when the container is slid out and FIG. 5( b ) illustrating the major portions when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 6 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the lever, arm, and slider in the refrigerator, FIG. 6( a ) illustrating the lever, arm, and slider when the container is slid out and FIG. 6( b ) illustrating the lever, arm, and slider when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 7 is a set of schematic perspective views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator, FIG. 7( a ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out, FIG. 7( b ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is being slid in, and FIG. 7( c ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 8 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the container, a cover, and a frame in the refrigerator, FIG. 8( a ) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is slid out, FIG. 8( b ) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is being slid in, and FIG. 8( c ) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 9 is a set of schematic views of the relationship between gears and an arm in a refrigerator in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, FIG. 9( a ) illustrating the relationship between a first gear, a second gear, and a first arm and FIG. 9( b ) illustrating the relationship between a third gear, a fourth gear, and a second arm.
- FIG. 10 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of members of a frame, FIG. 10( a ) illustrating the major portions when a container is slid out and FIG. 10( b ) illustrating the major portions when the container is being slid in.
- FIG. 11 is a set of cross-sectional views of the container and a cover, FIG. 11( a ) illustrating the container and cover when the container is slid out, FIG. 11( b ) illustrating the container and cover when the container is being slid in, and FIG. 11( c ) illustrating the container and cover when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 12 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator, FIG. 12( a ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out and FIG. 12( b ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in.
- FIG. 13 is a set of cross-sectional views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator, FIG. 13( a ) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out, FIG. 13( b ) illustrating the internal structure then the container is slid in, and FIG. 13( c ) showing a cross-section, different from the cross-section in FIG. 13( b ) , where the container is viewed from the above.
- FIGS. 1 to 6 The following will describe a refrigerator 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 .
- FIG. 1 is a set of schematic views of an example of the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 1( a ) is a front view of the refrigerator 10
- FIG. 1( b ) is a side view of the refrigerator 10 .
- the refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator compartment 2 , an ice maker compartment 3 , a first freezer compartment 4 , and a second freezer compartment 5 .
- the refrigerator compartment 2 has a left-opening, right-opening, or reversible door and stores stocks at refrigeration temperature.
- the ice maker compartment 3 makes ice by maintaining temperature inside the ice maker compartment 3 at or below freezing temperature.
- the first freezer compartment 4 and the second freezer compartment 5 store stocks at or below freezing temperature.
- the refrigerator 10 does not necessarily have the structure shown in FIG. 1 as an example.
- the refrigerator compartment 2 may have two side-by-side doors and may have three or more freezer compartments.
- FIG. 2 is a set of schematic views of an example of the interior of the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 2( a ) illustrates the interior as viewed from the front of the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 2( b ) illustrates the interior as viewed from a side of the refrigerator 10 .
- the refrigerator compartment 2 includes a vegetable compartment 6 as shown in FIGS. 2( a ) and 2( b ) as an example.
- a container 11 Inside the vegetable compartment 6 is there provided a container 11 in such a manner that the container 11 can be slid in and out of the vegetable compartment 6 .
- the user can store the container 11 away into the refrigerator by pushing it (“by sliding in the container 11 ”) and take the container 11 out of the refrigerator by pulling it (“by sliding out the container 11 ”).
- the container 11 is slid in and out in a direction that may be designed in any manner.
- the refrigerator compartment 2 includes a chiller compartment 7 .
- a container is also provided inside the chiller compartment 7 such that the container can be slid in and out of the chiller compartment 7 .
- This container may have the same functions as the container 11 (which are described below) and may operate in the same manner as the container 11 .
- the refrigerator 10 may have the same functions as does the container 11 , in any part of the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 3 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 3( a ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 11 is slid out.
- FIG. 3( b ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 11 is slid in.
- Potentially identical members are distinguished by suffixing reference numerals with a lower-case alphabetic letter throughout the following description.
- the refrigerator 10 includes the container 11 , a cover 12 , rails 13 , levers 14 , and arms 15 .
- the container 11 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 10 . As shown in FIGS. 3( a ) and 3( b ) as an example, the container 11 has an opening 17 with an edge that may be tilted in such a manner that the height of the edge from the bottom face of the container 11 decreases toward the rear of the container 11 (the far side of the container 11 when the user slides it in).
- the container 11 has the opening 17 so that the user can reach the inside of the container 11 when the container 11 is slid out.
- the opening 17 may be designed freely in terms of the position thereof on the container 11 .
- the opening 17 may be provided on either the top of the container 11 or the front of the container 11 (the near side of the container 11 when the user slides it out) or on both the top and front of the container 11 .
- the container 11 may include the opening 17 and sliders 19 .
- the opening 17 allows, for example, the user to put in and take out stocks (e.g., fresh food such as vegetables) from the container 11 .
- the sliders 19 slide on the rails 13 to enable the container 11 to be slid in and out of the refrigerator 10 .
- Each slider 19 may have a protrusion 18 that abuts the lever 14 when, for example, the container 11 is slid in.
- the cover 12 provides a lid that covers the opening 17 of the container 11 .
- the cover 12 decreases its distance from the container 11 in accordance with the slide-in motion of the container 11 and comes into contact with the container 11 when the container 11 is housed inside the refrigerator 10 .
- the refrigerator 10 equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 11 , without requiring the user to place the cover 12 on the container 11 .
- the cover 12 may come into contact with the entire outer circumference of the opening 17 of the container 11 . This structure can improve the airtightness of the refrigerator 10 when the container 11 is covered by the cover 12 .
- the cover 12 moves away from the container 11 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 11 so that the user can reach the inside of the opening 17 .
- the refrigerator 10 equipped with this mechanism, allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks without requiring the user to bother to remove the cover 12 from the container 11 .
- the cover 12 when the opening 17 has a tilted edge, the cover 12 may also have a tilted edge in accordance with the tilt of the edge of the opening 17 .
- both the edge of the opening 17 and the edge of the cover 12 may be tilted in such a manner as to reduce the gap between the edges when the container 11 is in contact with the cover 12 .
- the refrigerator 10 when arranged in this manner, allows the cover 12 to come into intimate contact with the opening 17 of the container 11 , thereby further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 11 .
- the refrigerator 10 when arranged in this manner, allows the cover 12 to come into more intimate contact with the opening 17 of the container 11 , thereby even further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 11 .
- the rails 13 support the container 11 in such a manner that the container 11 can slide on the rails 13 .
- the rails 13 may be provided, for example, on the respective internal side faces of the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 3 shows a rail 13 a , which is one of the rails 13 , provided on a first one of the internal side faces. If the rails 13 are provided on the respective internal side faces of the refrigerator 10 , there may be provided a rail 13 b on a second one of the internal side faces (see FIG. 4 ).
- a plurality of sliders 19 e.g., a slider 19 a and a slider 19 b respectively on the internal side faces of the container 11 for the rail 13 a and the rail 13 b .
- the rail 13 may be provided on either one or both of the internal side faces. Any of these structures can improve stability in sliding the container 11 in and out of the refrigerator 10 .
- the lever 14 provides a rotation member, supported in a rotatable manner by the rail 13 , that rotates in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the container 11 and rotates in reverse direction with the slide-out motion of the container 11 .
- a plurality of levers 14 for example, on the rail 13 .
- FIG. 3 shows only a lever 14 a and a lever 14 b provided on a first one of the internal side faces. If the rail 13 b is provided on a second one of the internal side faces, there may be provided a plurality of additional levers (e.g., a lever 14 c and a lever 14 d ) on the rail 13 b (see FIG. 4 ).
- a spring e.g., torsion coil spring
- a spring may be provided, for example, on a rod supporting the lever 14 in order to enhance the force that acts on the lever 14 to rotate the lever 14 in reverse direction.
- each slider 19 may have thereon a plurality of protrusions 18 , for example, for the respective levers 14 .
- the protrusions 18 a protrusion 18 a and a protrusion 18 b in FIG. 3
- the protrusions 18 abut and move away from the respective levers 14 (the lever 14 a and the lever 14 b in FIG. 3 ).
- each slider 19 b may also have thereon a plurality of protrusions 18 (e.g., a protrusion 18 c and a protrusion 18 d ).
- each arm 15 connects the cover 12 and the levers 14 so as to move the cover 12 in conjunction with the rotation of the levers 14 .
- each arm 15 has an end thereof fitted to the lever 14 and the other end thereof fitted to the edge of the cover 12 . Because the arms 15 move up/down in conjunction with the rotation of the levers 14 , the cover 12 also move up/down.
- the levers 14 rotate in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the container 11 .
- This rotation lowers the arms 15 and hence lowers the cover 12 connected to the arms 15 . Since the cover 12 is lowered by the arms 15 in this manner, the cover 12 decreases its distance from the container 11 as the container 11 is slid in and comes into contact with the container 11 when the container 11 is housed inside the refrigerator 10 .
- This mechanism of the refrigerator 10 enables the cover 12 to be opened/closed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of the container 11 . Therefore, the refrigerator 10 is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 11 , without requiring the user to remove the cover 12 from the container 11 .
- a single rail 13 supports two or more levers 14
- the arms 15 (an arm 15 a and an arm 15 b in FIG. 3 ) move up/down in conjunction with the rotation of the respective levers 14 (see FIG. 4 ).
- the refrigerator 10 may further include, for example, a spring.
- the spring may be an elastic, for example, having an end thereof connected to the cover 12 and the other end thereof connected to an internal part (e.g., the internal top face) of the refrigerator 10 .
- the spring exerts a force (elastic force) on either one or both of the cover 12 and the container 11 in such a direction as to move the cover 12 and the opening 17 of the container 11 away from each other.
- this mechanism of the refrigerator 10 enables the cover 12 to be quickly moved out of contact with the container 11 .
- the refrigerator 10 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out the container 11 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process.
- the members described above do not necessarily have the shapes shown in FIG. 3 as an example. In other words, the members may have any shapes so long as the members are able to actually carry out the expected functions thereof.
- the members may be made of the substance that best suits the purposes and functions thereof.
- FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an internal side face of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 4 shows an internal side face of the refrigerator opposite the internal side face of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 3 as an example, as viewed obliquely from above.
- the rail 13 b may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which the rail 13 a is provided
- the lever 14 c may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which the lever 14 a is provided
- the lever 14 d may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which the lever 14 b is provided
- an arm 15 c may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which the arm 15 a is provided
- an arm 15 d may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which the arm 15 b is provided.
- the distance-varying mechanism may include members, such as the rails 13 , the levers 14 , and the arms 15 , that increase and decrease distance between the opening 17 of the container 11 and the cover 12 .
- the refrigerator 10 may include therein the cover 12 , the rails 13 , the levers 14 , and the arms 15 .
- FIG. 5 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of the lever 14 a and the arm 15 a .
- FIG. 5( a ) illustrates the major portions when the container 11 is slid out.
- FIG. 5( b ) illustrates the major portions when the container 11 is slid in.
- the lever 14 a and the arm 15 a are fitted to each other in such a manner that the lever 14 a is rotatable.
- the protrusion 18 a (see FIG. 6 described latter) on the slider 19 a (see FIG. 6 described latter) abuts the lever 14 a , thereby rotating the lever 14 a (changing from FIG. 5( a ) to FIG. 5( b ) ).
- the protrusion 18 a moves away from the lever 14 a , thereby rotating the lever 14 a in reverse direction (changing from FIG. 5( b ) to FIG. 5( a ) ).
- the slide-in/out motion of the container 11 rotates the lever 14 a , which in turn moves up/down the arm 15 a .
- This vertical motion of the arm 15 a opens/closes the cover 12 that is fitted to the arm 15 a .
- the cover 12 opens/closes in conjunction with the user sliding in and out the container 11 .
- the refrigerator 10 can hence does not require the user to open/close the cover 12 over the container 11 .
- FIG. 6 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the levers 14 , arms 15 , and sliders 19 in the refrigerator 10 .
- FIG. 6( a ) illustrates the lever 14 , arm 15 , and slider 19 when the container 11 is slid out.
- FIG. 6( b ) illustrates the lever 14 , arm 15 , and slider 19 when the container 11 is slid in.
- the protrusion 18 b stands out higher on the top of the slider 19 a than the protrusion 18 a .
- the upper end of the protrusion 18 b is higher than the upper end of the protrusion 18 a .
- the lower end of the lever 14 a is lower than the lower end of the lever 14 b.
- the lever 14 b may be allowed to rotate a greater angle than is the lever 14 a , for example, when the container 11 is slid out (the levers 14 a and 14 b may have different motion ranges). When this is the case, the arm 15 b is allowed to move up/down a greater distance than is the arm 15 a.
- the cover 12 when the cover 12 opens in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 11 , the cover 12 and the opening 17 move away from each other in such a manner that the distance between the cover 12 and the opening 17 increases toward the front of the cover 12 .
- the front of the cover 12 when the container 11 is slid out, the front of the cover 12 is lifted higher than the rear thereof so that the front of the opening 17 opens larger than the rear thereof.
- the refrigerator 10 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks.
- the front of the container 11 is placed under greater vertical stress than the rear thereof because the user slides the container 11 in and out by holding the front of the container 11 .
- the levers 14 are designed to have different motion ranges such that the distance between the container 11 and the cover 12 is greater in the front than in the rear, as described above.
- the refrigerator 10 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out the container 11 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process.
- the refrigerator 10 can additionally restrain variations of the distance between the container 11 and the cover 12 in the rear of the container 11 , thereby reducing the workload of the user in sliding the container 11 in and out.
- the refrigerator 10 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container.
- the refrigerator 10 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- FIG. 7 is a set of schematic perspective views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 7( a ) illustrates the internal structure when a container 21 is slid out.
- FIG. 7( b ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 21 is being slid in.
- FIG. 7( c ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 21 is slid in.
- the refrigerator 20 includes the container 21 , a cover 22 , rails 23 , gears 24 , and arms 25 .
- the refrigerator 20 may further include, for example, a frame F and a packing 26 .
- the container 21 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 20 .
- the container 21 has an opening 27 and sliders 29 .
- the opening 27 allows the user to put in and take out stocks.
- the sliders 29 slide on the rails 23 to enable the container 21 to be slid in and out of the refrigerator 20 .
- the sliders 29 may be provided on each side face of the container 21 (sliders 29 a and 29 b ) as shown in FIG. 7 as an example.
- the cover 22 provides a lid that covers the opening 27 of the container 21 .
- the cover 22 decreases its distance from the container 21 in accordance with the slide-in motion of the container 21 and comes into contact with the container 21 when the container 21 is housed inside the refrigerator 20 . Conversely, the cover 22 moves away from the container 21 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 21 .
- the rails 23 support the container 21 in such a manner that the container 21 can slide on the rails 23 .
- There may be provided a plurality of rails 23 (rails 23 a and 23 b ) on the frame F as shown in FIG. 7 as an example.
- the rail 23 a may have a rotation hole A so that a protrusion 28 a can pass through the rotation hole A when a gear 24 c is rotated.
- the rail 23 b may have a rotation hole B so that a protrusion 28 b can pass through the rotation hole B when a gear 24 d is rotated, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 10 .
- the gears 24 are rotation members engaged with the arms 25 .
- a gear 24 a and a gear 24 b mate respectively with an arm 25 a and an arm 25 b as shown in FIG. 7 as an example, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 9 .
- the gears 24 being supported in a rotatable manner by the frame F, rotate in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the container 21 and rotate in reverse direction in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 21 .
- the gears 24 a and 24 b mate respectively with the gears 24 c and 24 d . Therefore, as the gears 24 c and 24 d rotate clockwise in conjunction with the container 21 being slid in, the gears 24 a and 24 b rotate counterclockwise. Conversely, as the gears 24 c and 24 d rotate counterclockwise in conjunction with the container 21 being slid out, the gears 24 a and 24 b rotate clockwise.
- a spring e.g., torsion coil spring or like elastic may be provided, for example, on a rod supporting the gears 24 c and 24 d in order to enhance the force that rotates the gears 24 c and 24 d counterclockwise.
- Each gear 24 may have thereon a plurality of protrusions 28 .
- the gear 24 c has the protrusion 28 a and a protrusion 28 c thereon
- the gear 24 d has the protrusion 28 b and a protrusion 28 d .
- the mechanism by which the gears 24 rotate in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of the container 21 will be described later with reference to FIG. 8 .
- the arms 25 move the cover 22 in conjunction with the rotation of the gears 24 .
- the gears 24 a and 24 b mate respectively with the arms 25 a and 25 b . Therefore, the gears 24 a and 24 b , rotated in conjunction with the container 21 being slid in and out, move up/down the arms 25 a and 25 b respectively.
- This vertical motion of the arms 25 moves up/down the cover 22 because each arm 25 has an end thereof fitted to an edge of the cover 22 .
- This mechanism of the refrigerator 20 enables the cover 22 to be opened/closed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of the container 21 . Therefore, the refrigerator 20 is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 21 , without requiring the user to remove the cover 22 from the container 21 .
- the frame F is a distance-varying mechanism includes members, such as the rails 23 , the gears 24 , and the arms 25 , that increase and decrease distance between the opening 27 of the container 21 and the cover 22 .
- the frame F may include a rotation stopper P for the gear 24 c , a rotation stopper Q for the gear 24 d , a hole M and a holder K both for the arm 25 a , and a hole N and a holder L both for the arm 25 b (see FIG. 8 ). Both the hole M and the hole N have a vertically extended opening.
- the frame F may be provided, for example, on either one or both of the internal side faces of the refrigerator.
- the packing 26 is an elastic member for increased airtightness of the container 21 when the cover 22 is in contact with the opening 27 .
- the refrigerator 20 may, for example, further include a spring (elastic) having an end thereof connected to the cover 22 and the other end thereof connected to the frame F.
- a spring elastic
- the spring exerts a force (elastic force) on either one or both of the cover 22 and the container 21 in such a direction as to move the cover 22 and the opening 27 of the container 21 away from each other.
- this mechanism of the refrigerator 20 enables the cover 22 to be quickly moved out of contact with the container 21 .
- the refrigerator 20 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out the container 21 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process.
- FIG. 8 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the container 21 , the cover 22 , and the frame F in the refrigerator 20 .
- FIG. 8( a ) illustrates the container 21 , the cover 22 , and the frame F when the container 21 is slid out.
- FIG. 8( b ) illustrates the container 21 , the cover 22 , and the frame F when the container 21 is being slid in.
- FIG. 8( c ) illustrates the container 21 , the cover 22 , and the frame F when the container 21 is slid in.
- the refrigerator 20 equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 21 , without requiring the user to place the cover 22 on the container 21 .
- FIG. 9 is a set of schematic views of the relationship between gears and an arm
- FIG. 9( a ) illustrates the relationship between the gear 24 a , the gear 24 c , and the arm 25 a
- FIG. 9( b ) illustrates the relationship between the gear 24 b , the gear 24 d , and the arm 25 b.
- the gear 24 a may be a 2-step gear.
- the gear 24 a includes, for example, two inner and outer gears with different numbers of teeth. The two gears rotate in the same direction at the same speed.
- the gear 24 c is engaged with the outer gear, and the inner gear is engaged with the arm 25 a .
- the gear 24 b and the gear 24 d having the same diameter and number of teeth, are engaged with each other, and the gear 24 b is engaged with the arm 25 b.
- the cover 22 and the opening 27 move away from each other in conjunction with this slide-out motion in such a manner that the distance between the cover 22 and the opening 27 increases toward the front of the cover 22 .
- the front of the cover 22 is lifted higher than the rear thereof so that the front of the opening 27 opens larger than the rear thereof.
- the refrigerator 20 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks.
- the refrigerator 20 achieves similar advantages when the gear 24 d has a larger diameter than the gear 24 c.
- FIG. 10 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of members of the frame F.
- FIG. 10( a ) illustrates the major portions when the container 21 is slid out.
- FIG. 10( b ) illustrates the major portions when the container 21 is being slid in.
- the movable members such as the gear 24 b , the gear 24 d , and the arm 25 b are stationary in the initial state.
- FIG. 11 is a set of cross-sectional views of the container 21 and the cover 22 .
- FIG. 11( a ) illustrates the container 21 and the cover 22 when the container 21 is slid out.
- FIG. 11( b ) illustrates the container 21 and the cover 22 when the container 21 is being slid in.
- FIG. 11( c ) illustrates the container 21 and the cover 22 when the container 21 is slid in.
- the left side in FIGS. 11( a ) to 11( c ) corresponds to the front of the refrigerator 20 .
- the packing 26 is disposed along the entire periphery of the cover 22 .
- the packing 26 substantially adheres to the entire outer circumference of the opening 27 . This mechanism can improve the airtightness of the refrigerator 20 when the container 21 is covered by the cover 22 .
- the refrigerator 20 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container.
- the refrigerator 20 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- FIG. 12 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 12( a ) illustrates the internal structure when a container 31 is slid out.
- FIG. 12( b ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 31 is slid in.
- the refrigerator 30 includes the container 31 , a cover 32 , and rails 33 .
- the refrigerator 30 may further include, for example, a packing 36 .
- the container 31 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 30 .
- the container 31 has an opening 37 , sliders 39 , and wheels 34 .
- the opening 37 allows the user to put in and take out stocks (e.g., fresh food such as vegetables) from the container 31 .
- the sliders 39 slide on the rails 33 to enable the container 31 to be slid in and out of the refrigerator 30 .
- the wheels 34 facilitate the sliding-in and -out of the container 31 .
- the cover 32 provides a lid that covers the opening 37 of the container 31 .
- the cover 32 decreases its distance from the container 31 in accordance with the slide-in motion of the container 31 and comes into contact with the container 31 when the container 31 is housed inside the refrigerator 30 .
- the refrigerator 30 equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 31 , without requiring the user to place the cover 32 on the container 31 .
- the cover 32 may come into contact with the entire outer circumference of the opening 37 of the container 31 . This structure can improve the airtightness of the refrigerator 30 when the container 31 is covered by the cover 32 .
- the cover 32 provides an internal top face for the refrigerator.
- the rails 33 support the container 31 in such a manner that the container 31 can slide on the rails 33 .
- the rails 33 (rail 33 a and rail 33 b ) may be provided, for example, on the respective internal side faces of the refrigerator 30 as shown in FIG. 12 as an example. Alternatively, there may be provided one or more rails 33 on each internal side face of the refrigerator 30 .
- the rail 33 b and the slider 39 b have a hook-shaped protrusion as shown in FIG. 12 as an example. This structure of the refrigerator 30 can prevent the container 31 from coming off.
- the packing 36 is an elastic member for increased airtightness of the container 31 when the cover 32 is in contact with the opening 37 .
- the rails 33 a and 33 b include a tilted portion as shown in FIG. 12 as an example.
- the cover 32 decreases its distance from the opening 37 and comes into contact with the container 31 .
- the slider 39 b slides on the rail 33 b .
- a slider 39 a starts further sliding on the rail 33 a .
- the sliders 39 a and 39 b ascend along the tilted portions of the rails 33 a and 33 b respectively, thereby lifting the container 31 .
- the cover 32 comes into contact with the container 31 and covers the opening 37 .
- the refrigerator 30 includes the packing 36 , the cover 32 can be brought in intimate contact with the opening 37 of the container 31 .
- the refrigerator 30 is hence capable of further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 31 .
- the sliders 39 a and 39 b descend along the tilted portions, thereby moving the cover 32 away from the container 31 .
- the cover 32 moves away in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 31 , the distance between the cover 32 and the opening 37 starts to increase on the front of the cover 32 earlier than on the rear of the cover 32 . Therefore, the cover 32 and the opening 37 move away from each other in such a manner that the distance between the cover 32 and the opening 37 increases toward the front of the cover 32 . Accordingly, when the container 31 is slid out, the front of the opening 37 opens larger than the rear thereof.
- the refrigerator 30 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks.
- the container 31 when the container 31 is housed inside the refrigerator, there is a force (the weight of the container 31 ) acting on either one or both of the cover 32 and the container 31 in such a direction as to move the cover 32 and the opening 37 of the container 31 away from each other.
- this mechanism of the refrigerator 30 enables the cover 32 to be quickly moved out of contact with the container 31 .
- the refrigerator 30 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out the container 31 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process.
- the refrigerator 30 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container.
- the refrigerator 30 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- FIG. 13 is a set of cross-sectional views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator.
- FIG. 13( a ) illustrates the internal structure when a container 41 is slid out.
- FIG. 13( b ) illustrates the internal structure when the container 41 is slid in.
- FIG. 13( c ) shows a cross-section, different from the cross-section in FIG. 13( b ) , where the container 41 is viewed from the above.
- the refrigerator 40 includes the container 41 , a cover 42 , springs 44 , rotation arms 45 , and rotation rods 46 .
- the container 41 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 40 .
- the container 41 has an opening 47 and protrusions 48 .
- the opening 47 allows the user to put in and take out stocks.
- the protrusions 48 abut ends of the rotation arms 45 respectively when the container 41 is slid in.
- the cover 42 provides a lid that covers the opening 47 of the container 41 .
- the cover 42 decreases its distance from the container 41 in accordance with the slide-in motion of the container 41 and comes into contact with the container 41 when the container 41 is housed inside the refrigerator 40 . Conversely, the cover 42 moves away from the container 41 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of the container 41 .
- the refrigerator 40 equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of the container 41 , without requiring the user to place the cover 42 on the container 41 .
- the spring 44 is an elastic that can be stretched and/or compressed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of the container 41 .
- the spring 44 has an end thereof fixed to the internal rear prat of the refrigerator and the other end connected to the rotation arm 45 .
- the rotation arm 45 is a member that is connected to the cover 42 and that rotates in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the container 41 . Specifically, as the container 41 is slid in, each protrusion 48 on the container 41 pushes an end of the rotation arm 45 so that the rotation arm 45 rotates around the rotation rod 46 . Accordingly, the angle between the cover 42 and the rotation arm 45 changes, which in turn changes the area of a part of the cover 42 that is in contact with the container 41 .
- the rotation rod 46 is fixed to an internal side face of the refrigerator to support the rotation arm 45 .
- FIG. 13( c ) there may be provided a plurality of springs 44 , rotation arms 45 , rotation rods 46 , and protrusions 48 .
- the refrigerator 40 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container.
- the refrigerator 40 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- the present disclosure in a first aspect thereof, is directed to a refrigerator including a lid section inside the refrigerator, the lid section being configured to: cover an opening of a container slidable into the refrigerator; decrease distance between the lid section and the container in conjunction with the container being slid in; and when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, be in contact with the container.
- the refrigerator of the first aspect is configured such that when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, there is a force acting on either one or both of the lid section and the container in such a direction as to move the lid section and the opening of the container away from each other.
- the refrigerator of the first or second aspect is configured such that the refrigerator further includes: a rotation member inside the refrigerator, the rotation member being configured to rotate in conjunction with the container being slid in; and an arm inside the refrigerator, the arm being configured to connect the lid section to the rotation member and to move the lid section in conjunction with the rotation member being rotated, wherein the lid section is moved to decrease the distance and into contact with the container by the arm moving the lid section.
- the refrigerator of the third aspect is configured such that the container includes a protrusion configured to abut the rotation member when the container is slid in, and the rotation member is rotated by the rotation member abutting the protrusion.
- the refrigerator of the third aspect is configured such that the rotation member is a gear engaged with the arm, and the arm moves the lid section in conjunction with the gear being rotated.
- the refrigerator of any of the first to fifth aspects is configured such that the refrigerator further includes a rail with a tilted portion inside the refrigerator, wherein the lid section is moved to decrease the distance and into contact with the container by the container moving on the tilted portion of the rail.
- the refrigerator of any of the first to sixth aspects is configured such that the refrigerator further includes a rotation arm inside the refrigerator, the rotation arm being connected to the lid section and configured to rotate in conjunction with the container being slid in, wherein the lid section is moved by the rotation arm rotating so as to change an angle between the lid section and the rotation arm, thereby changing an area of a part of the lid section that is in contact with the container.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
- Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority from Japanese Application JP2019-110470, the content to which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
- The present disclosure relates to refrigerators.
- Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2012-220148 discloses a technique of sealing a gap between a vegetable container and a shelf positioned above the vegetable container to block a cold air flow, by providing a sealing member under the shelf.
- This conventional refrigerator falls short of, for example, blocking air inflow/outflow on sides when the container is slid in. Accordingly, the present disclosure, in an aspect thereof, has an object to provide a refrigerator capable of restricting air inflow/outflow, for example, when the container is slid in.
- The present disclosure, in an aspect thereof, is directed to a refrigerator including, for example, a lid section inside the refrigerator, the lid section being configured to: cover an opening of a container slidable into the refrigerator; decrease distance between the lid section and the container in conjunction with the container being slid in; and when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, be in contact with the container.
-
FIG. 1 is a set of schematic views of an example of a refrigerator in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure,FIG. 1(a) being a front view of the refrigerator andFIG. 1(b) being a side view of the refrigerator. -
FIG. 2 is a set of schematic views of an example of the interior of the refrigerator,FIG. 2(a) showing the interior as viewed from the front of the refrigerator andFIG. 2(b) showing the interior as viewed from a side of the refrigerator. -
FIG. 3 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator,FIG. 3(a) illustrating the internal structure when a container is slid out andFIG. 3(b) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an internal side face of the refrigerator. -
FIG. 5 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of a lever and an arm,FIG. 5(a) illustrating the major portions when the container is slid out andFIG. 5(b) illustrating the major portions when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 6 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the lever, arm, and slider in the refrigerator,FIG. 6(a) illustrating the lever, arm, and slider when the container is slid out andFIG. 6(b) illustrating the lever, arm, and slider when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 7 is a set of schematic perspective views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator,FIG. 7(a) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out,FIG. 7(b) illustrating the internal structure when the container is being slid in, andFIG. 7(c) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 8 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the container, a cover, and a frame in the refrigerator,FIG. 8(a) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is slid out,FIG. 8(b) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is being slid in, andFIG. 8(c) illustrating the container, cover, and frame when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 9 is a set of schematic views of the relationship between gears and an arm in a refrigerator in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure,FIG. 9(a) illustrating the relationship between a first gear, a second gear, and a first arm andFIG. 9(b) illustrating the relationship between a third gear, a fourth gear, and a second arm. -
FIG. 10 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of members of a frame,FIG. 10(a) illustrating the major portions when a container is slid out andFIG. 10(b) illustrating the major portions when the container is being slid in. -
FIG. 11 is a set of cross-sectional views of the container and a cover,FIG. 11(a) illustrating the container and cover when the container is slid out,FIG. 11(b) illustrating the container and cover when the container is being slid in, andFIG. 11(c) illustrating the container and cover when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 12 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator,FIG. 12(a) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out andFIG. 12(b) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid in. -
FIG. 13 is a set of cross-sectional views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator,FIG. 13(a) illustrating the internal structure when the container is slid out,FIG. 13(b) illustrating the internal structure then the container is slid in, andFIG. 13(c) showing a cross-section, different from the cross-section inFIG. 13(b) , where the container is viewed from the above. - The following will describe a
refrigerator 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure with reference toFIGS. 1 to 6 . -
FIG. 1 is a set of schematic views of an example of therefrigerator 10.FIG. 1(a) is a front view of therefrigerator 10, andFIG. 1(b) is a side view of therefrigerator 10. Referring toFIG. 1(a) , therefrigerator 10 includes arefrigerator compartment 2, anice maker compartment 3, afirst freezer compartment 4, and asecond freezer compartment 5. Therefrigerator compartment 2 has a left-opening, right-opening, or reversible door and stores stocks at refrigeration temperature. Theice maker compartment 3 makes ice by maintaining temperature inside theice maker compartment 3 at or below freezing temperature. Thefirst freezer compartment 4 and thesecond freezer compartment 5 store stocks at or below freezing temperature. Therefrigerator 10 does not necessarily have the structure shown inFIG. 1 as an example. For instance, therefrigerator compartment 2 may have two side-by-side doors and may have three or more freezer compartments. -
FIG. 2 is a set of schematic views of an example of the interior of therefrigerator 10.FIG. 2(a) illustrates the interior as viewed from the front of therefrigerator 10.FIG. 2(b) illustrates the interior as viewed from a side of therefrigerator 10. Therefrigerator compartment 2 includes avegetable compartment 6 as shown inFIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) as an example. - Inside the
vegetable compartment 6 is there provided acontainer 11 in such a manner that thecontainer 11 can be slid in and out of thevegetable compartment 6. In other words, the user can store thecontainer 11 away into the refrigerator by pushing it (“by sliding in thecontainer 11”) and take thecontainer 11 out of the refrigerator by pulling it (“by sliding out thecontainer 11”). Thecontainer 11 is slid in and out in a direction that may be designed in any manner. - The
refrigerator compartment 2 includes achiller compartment 7. A container is also provided inside thechiller compartment 7 such that the container can be slid in and out of thechiller compartment 7. This container may have the same functions as the container 11 (which are described below) and may operate in the same manner as thecontainer 11. In other words, therefrigerator 10 may have the same functions as does thecontainer 11, in any part of therefrigerator 10. -
FIG. 3 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator.FIG. 3(a) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 11 is slid out.FIG. 3(b) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 11 is slid in. Potentially identical members are distinguished by suffixing reference numerals with a lower-case alphabetic letter throughout the following description. - As shown in
FIG. 3 as an example, therefrigerator 10 includes thecontainer 11, acover 12, rails 13, levers 14, and arms 15. - The
container 11 can be freely slid in and out of therefrigerator 10. As shown inFIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) as an example, thecontainer 11 has anopening 17 with an edge that may be tilted in such a manner that the height of the edge from the bottom face of thecontainer 11 decreases toward the rear of the container 11 (the far side of thecontainer 11 when the user slides it in). - The
container 11 has theopening 17 so that the user can reach the inside of thecontainer 11 when thecontainer 11 is slid out. The opening 17 may be designed freely in terms of the position thereof on thecontainer 11. For instance, theopening 17 may be provided on either the top of thecontainer 11 or the front of the container 11 (the near side of thecontainer 11 when the user slides it out) or on both the top and front of thecontainer 11. - The
container 11 may include the opening 17 and sliders 19. Theopening 17 allows, for example, the user to put in and take out stocks (e.g., fresh food such as vegetables) from thecontainer 11. The sliders 19 slide on the rails 13 to enable thecontainer 11 to be slid in and out of therefrigerator 10. Each slider 19 may have a protrusion 18 that abuts the lever 14 when, for example, thecontainer 11 is slid in. - The
cover 12 provides a lid that covers the opening 17 of thecontainer 11. Thecover 12 decreases its distance from thecontainer 11 in accordance with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 11 and comes into contact with thecontainer 11 when thecontainer 11 is housed inside therefrigerator 10. Therefrigerator 10, equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 11, without requiring the user to place thecover 12 on thecontainer 11. When thecover 12 comes into contact with thecontainer 11, thecover 12 may come into contact with the entire outer circumference of theopening 17 of thecontainer 11. This structure can improve the airtightness of therefrigerator 10 when thecontainer 11 is covered by thecover 12. - Conversely, as the user slides out the
container 11, thecover 12 moves away from thecontainer 11 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 11 so that the user can reach the inside of theopening 17. Therefrigerator 10, equipped with this mechanism, allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks without requiring the user to bother to remove thecover 12 from thecontainer 11. - As shown in
FIG. 3 as an example, when theopening 17 has a tilted edge, thecover 12 may also have a tilted edge in accordance with the tilt of the edge of theopening 17. In other words, both the edge of theopening 17 and the edge of thecover 12 may be tilted in such a manner as to reduce the gap between the edges when thecontainer 11 is in contact with thecover 12. Therefrigerator 10, when arranged in this manner, allows thecover 12 to come into intimate contact with theopening 17 of thecontainer 11, thereby further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 11. - There may be provided an elastic packing on either one or both of the edge of the
opening 17 and the edge of thecover 12. Therefrigerator 10, when arranged in this manner, allows thecover 12 to come into more intimate contact with theopening 17 of thecontainer 11, thereby even further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 11. - The rails 13 support the
container 11 in such a manner that thecontainer 11 can slide on the rails 13. The rails 13 may be provided, for example, on the respective internal side faces of therefrigerator 10.FIG. 3 shows arail 13 a, which is one of the rails 13, provided on a first one of the internal side faces. If the rails 13 are provided on the respective internal side faces of therefrigerator 10, there may be provided arail 13 b on a second one of the internal side faces (seeFIG. 4 ). In such cases, for example, there may be provided a plurality of sliders 19 (e.g., aslider 19 a and a slider 19 b) respectively on the internal side faces of thecontainer 11 for therail 13 a and therail 13 b. In addition, the rail 13 may be provided on either one or both of the internal side faces. Any of these structures can improve stability in sliding thecontainer 11 in and out of therefrigerator 10. - The lever 14 provides a rotation member, supported in a rotatable manner by the rail 13, that rotates in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the
container 11 and rotates in reverse direction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 11. There may be provided a plurality of levers 14, for example, on the rail 13.FIG. 3 shows only alever 14 a and alever 14 b provided on a first one of the internal side faces. If therail 13 b is provided on a second one of the internal side faces, there may be provided a plurality of additional levers (e.g., alever 14 c and alever 14 d) on therail 13 b (seeFIG. 4 ). A spring (e.g., torsion coil spring) or like elastic may be provided, for example, on a rod supporting the lever 14 in order to enhance the force that acts on the lever 14 to rotate the lever 14 in reverse direction. - When a single rail 13 supports two or more levers 14, each slider 19 may have thereon a plurality of protrusions 18, for example, for the respective levers 14. In such cases, the protrusions 18 (a
protrusion 18 a and aprotrusion 18 b inFIG. 3 ) abut and move away from the respective levers 14 (thelever 14 a and thelever 14 b inFIG. 3 ). If the slider 19 b is provided on the second internal side face of thecontainer 11, each slider 19 b may also have thereon a plurality of protrusions 18 (e.g., a protrusion 18 c and a protrusion 18 d). - The arms 15 connect the
cover 12 and the levers 14 so as to move thecover 12 in conjunction with the rotation of the levers 14. Specifically, each arm 15 has an end thereof fitted to the lever 14 and the other end thereof fitted to the edge of thecover 12. Because the arms 15 move up/down in conjunction with the rotation of the levers 14, thecover 12 also move up/down. - Specifically, the levers 14 rotate in conjunction with the slide-in motion of the
container 11. This rotation lowers the arms 15 and hence lowers thecover 12 connected to the arms 15. Since thecover 12 is lowered by the arms 15 in this manner, thecover 12 decreases its distance from thecontainer 11 as thecontainer 11 is slid in and comes into contact with thecontainer 11 when thecontainer 11 is housed inside therefrigerator 10. - Meanwhile, the lever 14 is rotated in reverse direction as the
container 11 is slid out. This reverse rotation raises the arms 15 and hence raises thecover 12 connected to the arms 15. Since thecover 12 is raised by the arms 15 in this manner, thecover 12 increase its distance from thecontainer 11 as thecontainer 11 is slid out. - This mechanism of the
refrigerator 10 enables thecover 12 to be opened/closed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of thecontainer 11. Therefore, therefrigerator 10 is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 11, without requiring the user to remove thecover 12 from thecontainer 11. - When a single rail 13 supports two or more levers 14, there may be provided a plurality of arms 15 for the respective levers 14. The arms 15 (an
arm 15 a and anarm 15 b inFIG. 3 ) move up/down in conjunction with the rotation of the respective levers 14 (seeFIG. 4 ). - The
refrigerator 10 may further include, for example, a spring. The spring may be an elastic, for example, having an end thereof connected to thecover 12 and the other end thereof connected to an internal part (e.g., the internal top face) of therefrigerator 10. When thecontainer 11 is housed inside therefrigerator 10, the spring exerts a force (elastic force) on either one or both of thecover 12 and thecontainer 11 in such a direction as to move thecover 12 and theopening 17 of thecontainer 11 away from each other. When the user pulls out thecontainer 11, this mechanism of therefrigerator 10 enables thecover 12 to be quickly moved out of contact with thecontainer 11. Therefrigerator 10 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out thecontainer 11 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process. - The members described above do not necessarily have the shapes shown in
FIG. 3 as an example. In other words, the members may have any shapes so long as the members are able to actually carry out the expected functions thereof. The members may be made of the substance that best suits the purposes and functions thereof. -
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an internal side face of the refrigerator.FIG. 4 shows an internal side face of the refrigerator opposite the internal side face of the refrigerator shown inFIG. 3 as an example, as viewed obliquely from above. - As described earlier, there may be provided a plurality of rails 13, levers 14, and arms 15 in the refrigerator (e.g., on the internal side faces of the refrigerator 10). As shown in
FIG. 4 as an example, therail 13 b may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which therail 13 a is provided, thelever 14 c may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which thelever 14 a is provided, thelever 14 d may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which thelever 14 b is provided, anarm 15 c may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which thearm 15 a is provided, and anarm 15 d may be provided on the side face opposite the side face on which thearm 15 b is provided. - There may be provided a distance-varying mechanism on an internal side face of the
refrigerator 10. In such a case, the distance-varying mechanism may include members, such as the rails 13, the levers 14, and the arms 15, that increase and decrease distance between the opening 17 of thecontainer 11 and thecover 12. Therefrigerator 10 may include therein thecover 12, the rails 13, the levers 14, and the arms 15. - Mechanism for Moving
Cover 12 into Contact withContainer 11 -
FIG. 5 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of thelever 14 a and thearm 15 a.FIG. 5(a) illustrates the major portions when thecontainer 11 is slid out.FIG. 5(b) illustrates the major portions when thecontainer 11 is slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 5 as an example, thelever 14 a and thearm 15 a are fitted to each other in such a manner that thelever 14 a is rotatable. When the user slides in thecontainer 11, theprotrusion 18 a (seeFIG. 6 described latter) on theslider 19 a (seeFIG. 6 described latter) abuts thelever 14 a, thereby rotating thelever 14 a (changing fromFIG. 5(a) toFIG. 5(b) ). Conversely, when the user slides out thecontainer 11, theprotrusion 18 a moves away from thelever 14 a, thereby rotating thelever 14 a in reverse direction (changing fromFIG. 5(b) toFIG. 5(a) ). - As described above, the slide-in/out motion of the
container 11 rotates thelever 14 a, which in turn moves up/down thearm 15 a. This vertical motion of thearm 15 a opens/closes thecover 12 that is fitted to thearm 15 a. In short, thecover 12 opens/closes in conjunction with the user sliding in and out thecontainer 11. Therefrigerator 10 can hence does not require the user to open/close thecover 12 over thecontainer 11. -
FIG. 6 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of the levers 14, arms 15, and sliders 19 in therefrigerator 10.FIG. 6(a) illustrates the lever 14, arm 15, and slider 19 when thecontainer 11 is slid out.FIG. 6(b) illustrates the lever 14, arm 15, and slider 19 when thecontainer 11 is slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 6 as an example, theprotrusion 18 b stands out higher on the top of theslider 19 a than theprotrusion 18 a. In other words, the upper end of theprotrusion 18 b is higher than the upper end of theprotrusion 18 a. Conversely, the lower end of thelever 14 a is lower than the lower end of thelever 14 b. - Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 6(b) as an example, when thecontainer 11 is slid in, theprotrusion 18 a abuts thelever 14 a, and theprotrusion 18 b abuts thelever 14 b. Meanwhile, as shown inFIG. 6(a) as an example, theprotrusion 18 a does not abut thelever 14 b when thecontainer 11 is slid out, because the upper end of theprotrusion 18 a is separated by a vertical distance from the lower end of thelever 14 b. - The
lever 14 b may be allowed to rotate a greater angle than is thelever 14 a, for example, when thecontainer 11 is slid out (thelevers arm 15 b is allowed to move up/down a greater distance than is thearm 15 a. - In this structure, when the
cover 12 opens in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 11, thecover 12 and theopening 17 move away from each other in such a manner that the distance between thecover 12 and theopening 17 increases toward the front of thecover 12. In other words, when thecontainer 11 is slid out, the front of thecover 12 is lifted higher than the rear thereof so that the front of theopening 17 opens larger than the rear thereof. Therefrigerator 10 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks. - The front of the
container 11 is placed under greater vertical stress than the rear thereof because the user slides thecontainer 11 in and out by holding the front of thecontainer 11. Accordingly, the levers 14 are designed to have different motion ranges such that the distance between thecontainer 11 and thecover 12 is greater in the front than in the rear, as described above. Therefrigerator 10 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out thecontainer 11 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process. Therefrigerator 10 can additionally restrain variations of the distance between thecontainer 11 and thecover 12 in the rear of thecontainer 11, thereby reducing the workload of the user in sliding thecontainer 11 in and out. - The
refrigerator 10 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container. Therefrigerator 10 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container. - The following will describe a refrigerator 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to
FIGS. 7 to 11 . Description that appears in another embodiment will not be repeated in the following. -
FIG. 7 is a set of schematic perspective views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator.FIG. 7(a) illustrates the internal structure when acontainer 21 is slid out.FIG. 7(b) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 21 is being slid in.FIG. 7(c) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 21 is slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 7 as an example, the refrigerator 20 includes thecontainer 21, acover 22, rails 23, gears 24, and arms 25. The refrigerator 20 may further include, for example, a frame F and a packing 26. - The
container 21 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 20. Thecontainer 21 has anopening 27 and sliders 29. Theopening 27 allows the user to put in and take out stocks. The sliders 29 slide on the rails 23 to enable thecontainer 21 to be slid in and out of the refrigerator 20. The sliders 29 may be provided on each side face of the container 21 (sliders FIG. 7 as an example. - The
cover 22 provides a lid that covers theopening 27 of thecontainer 21. Thecover 22 decreases its distance from thecontainer 21 in accordance with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 21 and comes into contact with thecontainer 21 when thecontainer 21 is housed inside the refrigerator 20. Conversely, thecover 22 moves away from thecontainer 21 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 21. - The rails 23 support the
container 21 in such a manner that thecontainer 21 can slide on the rails 23. There may be provided a plurality of rails 23 (rails FIG. 7 as an example. Therail 23 a may have a rotation hole A so that aprotrusion 28 a can pass through the rotation hole A when agear 24 c is rotated. Therail 23 b may have a rotation hole B so that aprotrusion 28 b can pass through the rotation hole B when agear 24 d is rotated, which will be described later with reference toFIG. 10 . - The gears 24 are rotation members engaged with the arms 25. In the present embodiment, a
gear 24 a and agear 24 b mate respectively with anarm 25 a and anarm 25 b as shown inFIG. 7 as an example, which will be described later with reference toFIG. 9 . The gears 24, being supported in a rotatable manner by the frame F, rotate in conjunction with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 21 and rotate in reverse direction in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 21. - Specifically, the
gears gears gears container 21 being slid in, thegears gears container 21 being slid out, thegears - A spring (e.g., torsion coil spring) or like elastic may be provided, for example, on a rod supporting the
gears gears - Each gear 24 may have thereon a plurality of protrusions 28. For instance, the
gear 24 c has the protrusion 28 aand a protrusion 28 c thereon, and thegear 24 d has theprotrusion 28 b and aprotrusion 28 d. The mechanism by which the gears 24 rotate in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of thecontainer 21 will be described later with reference toFIG. 8 . - The arms 25 move the
cover 22 in conjunction with the rotation of the gears 24. As described earlier, thegears arms gears container 21 being slid in and out, move up/down thearms - This vertical motion of the arms 25 moves up/down the
cover 22 because each arm 25 has an end thereof fitted to an edge of thecover 22. This mechanism of the refrigerator 20 enables thecover 22 to be opened/closed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of thecontainer 21. Therefore, the refrigerator 20 is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 21, without requiring the user to remove thecover 22 from thecontainer 21. - The frame F is a distance-varying mechanism includes members, such as the rails 23, the gears 24, and the arms 25, that increase and decrease distance between the opening 27 of the
container 21 and thecover 22. The frame F may include a rotation stopper P for thegear 24 c, a rotation stopper Q for thegear 24 d, a hole M and a holder K both for thearm 25 a, and a hole N and a holder L both for thearm 25 b (seeFIG. 8 ). Both the hole M and the hole N have a vertically extended opening. The frame F may be provided, for example, on either one or both of the internal side faces of the refrigerator. - The packing 26 is an elastic member for increased airtightness of the
container 21 when thecover 22 is in contact with theopening 27. - The refrigerator 20 may, for example, further include a spring (elastic) having an end thereof connected to the
cover 22 and the other end thereof connected to the frame F. When thecontainer 21 is housed inside the refrigerator 20, the spring exerts a force (elastic force) on either one or both of thecover 22 and thecontainer 21 in such a direction as to move thecover 22 and theopening 27 of thecontainer 21 away from each other. When the user pulls out thecontainer 21, this mechanism of the refrigerator 20 enables thecover 22 to be quickly moved out of contact with thecontainer 21. The refrigerator 20 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out thecontainer 21 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process. - Mechanism for Moving
Cover 22 into Contact withContainer 21 -
FIG. 8 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an operation of thecontainer 21, thecover 22, and the frame F in the refrigerator 20.FIG. 8(a) illustrates thecontainer 21, thecover 22, and the frame F when thecontainer 21 is slid out.FIG. 8(b) illustrates thecontainer 21, thecover 22, and the frame F when thecontainer 21 is being slid in.FIG. 8(c) illustrates thecontainer 21, thecover 22, and the frame F when thecontainer 21 is slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 8(a) as an example, when thecontainer 21 is slid out, the rear ends of thesliders protrusions protrusions 28 c and 28 d abut the rotation stoppers P and Q respectively, thegears protrusions - As shown in
FIG. 8(b) as an example, as thesliders rails container 21, the rear ends of thesliders protrusions sliders sliders protrusions gears gears gears arms gears - As shown in
FIG. 8(c) as an example, when thecontainer 21 is slid in, thesliders protrusions gears arms cover 22 is in contact with thecontainer 21. - As shown in
FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c) as an example, as the user slides in thecontainer 21, thecover 22 moves into contact with thecontainer 21 in conjunction with the slide-in motion so as to cover thecontainer 21. The refrigerator 20, equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 21, without requiring the user to place thecover 22 on thecontainer 21. -
FIG. 9 is a set of schematic views of the relationship between gears and an armFIG. 9(a) illustrates the relationship between thegear 24 a, thegear 24 c, and thearm 25 a.FIG. 9(b) illustrates the relationship between thegear 24 b, thegear 24 d, and thearm 25 b. - As shown in
FIG. 9(a) as an example, thegear 24 a may be a 2-step gear. Specifically, thegear 24 a includes, for example, two inner and outer gears with different numbers of teeth. The two gears rotate in the same direction at the same speed. Thegear 24 c is engaged with the outer gear, and the inner gear is engaged with thearm 25 a. Meanwhile, as shown inFIG. 9(b) as an example, thegear 24 b and thegear 24 d, having the same diameter and number of teeth, are engaged with each other, and thegear 24 b is engaged with thearm 25 b. - As shown in
FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) as an example, because the inner gear has more teeth than the other gears, thearm 25 a, which is engaged with the inner gear, has more teeth than thearm 25 b. For this reason, when thegears arm 25 b moves more than thearm 25 a. - Accordingly, when the
container 21 is slid out, thecover 22 and theopening 27 move away from each other in conjunction with this slide-out motion in such a manner that the distance between thecover 22 and theopening 27 increases toward the front of thecover 22. In other words, the front of thecover 22 is lifted higher than the rear thereof so that the front of theopening 27 opens larger than the rear thereof. The refrigerator 20 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks. The refrigerator 20 achieves similar advantages when thegear 24 d has a larger diameter than thegear 24 c. -
FIG. 10 is a set of enlarged, schematic perspective views of an example of major portions of members of the frame F.FIG. 10(a) illustrates the major portions when thecontainer 21 is slid out.FIG. 10(b) illustrates the major portions when thecontainer 21 is being slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 10(a) as an example, the movable members such as thegear 24 b, thegear 24 d, and thearm 25 b are stationary in the initial state. - As shown in
FIG. 10(b) as an example, as thecontainer 21 is slid in, the rear end of theslider 29 b abuts theprotrusion 28 b. Therefore, thegear 24 d rotates clockwise, and thegear 24 b, which is engaged with thegear 24 d, rotates counterclockwise. This in turn lowers thearm 25 b engaged with thegear 24 b and hence lowers thecover 22, thereby reducing distance between thecontainer 21 and thecover 22. -
FIG. 11 is a set of cross-sectional views of thecontainer 21 and thecover 22.FIG. 11(a) illustrates thecontainer 21 and thecover 22 when thecontainer 21 is slid out.FIG. 11(b) illustrates thecontainer 21 and thecover 22 when thecontainer 21 is being slid in.FIG. 11(c) illustrates thecontainer 21 and thecover 22 when thecontainer 21 is slid in. The left side inFIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) corresponds to the front of the refrigerator 20. - As shown in
FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) as an example, the packing 26 is disposed along the entire periphery of thecover 22. When thecover 22 comes into contact with thecontainer 21, the packing 26 substantially adheres to the entire outer circumference of theopening 27. This mechanism can improve the airtightness of the refrigerator 20 when thecontainer 21 is covered by thecover 22. - The refrigerator 20 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container. The refrigerator 20 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- The following will describe a refrigerator 30 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to
FIG. 12 . Description that appears in another embodiment will not be repeated in the following. -
FIG. 12 is a set of schematic diagrams of an example of an internal structure of the refrigerator.FIG. 12(a) illustrates the internal structure when acontainer 31 is slid out.FIG. 12(b) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 31 is slid in. - As shown in
FIG. 12 as an example, the refrigerator 30 includes thecontainer 31, acover 32, and rails 33. The refrigerator 30 may further include, for example, a packing 36. - The
container 31 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 30. Thecontainer 31 has anopening 37, sliders 39, andwheels 34. Theopening 37 allows the user to put in and take out stocks (e.g., fresh food such as vegetables) from thecontainer 31. The sliders 39 slide on the rails 33 to enable thecontainer 31 to be slid in and out of the refrigerator 30. Thewheels 34 facilitate the sliding-in and -out of thecontainer 31. - The
cover 32 provides a lid that covers theopening 37 of thecontainer 31. Thecover 32 decreases its distance from thecontainer 31 in accordance with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 31 and comes into contact with thecontainer 31 when thecontainer 31 is housed inside the refrigerator 30. The refrigerator 30, equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 31, without requiring the user to place thecover 32 on thecontainer 31. When thecover 32 comes into contact with thecontainer 31, thecover 32 may come into contact with the entire outer circumference of theopening 37 of thecontainer 31. This structure can improve the airtightness of the refrigerator 30 when thecontainer 31 is covered by thecover 32. Thecover 32 provides an internal top face for the refrigerator. - The rails 33 support the
container 31 in such a manner that thecontainer 31 can slide on the rails 33. The rails 33 (rail 33 a andrail 33 b) may be provided, for example, on the respective internal side faces of the refrigerator 30 as shown inFIG. 12 as an example. Alternatively, there may be provided one or more rails 33 on each internal side face of the refrigerator 30. - The
rail 33 b and theslider 39 b have a hook-shaped protrusion as shown inFIG. 12 as an example. This structure of the refrigerator 30 can prevent thecontainer 31 from coming off. - The packing 36 is an elastic member for increased airtightness of the
container 31 when thecover 32 is in contact with theopening 37. - Mechanism for Moving
Cover 32 into Contact withContainer 31 - The
rails FIG. 12 as an example. When thecontainer 31 moves on the tilted portions as guided by therails cover 32 decreases its distance from theopening 37 and comes into contact with thecontainer 31. - More specifically, as the user starts to slide the
container 31 in, theslider 39 b slides on therail 33 b. When thecontainer 31 is slid in halfway, aslider 39 a starts further sliding on therail 33 a. Thesliders rails container 31. When thecontainer 31 is slid in to the rear, thecover 32 comes into contact with thecontainer 31 and covers theopening 37. - If the refrigerator 30 includes the packing 36, the
cover 32 can be brought in intimate contact with theopening 37 of thecontainer 31. The refrigerator 30 is hence capable of further restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 31. - Conversely, as the user slides out the
container 31, thesliders cover 32 away from thecontainer 31. When thecover 32 moves away in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 31, the distance between thecover 32 and theopening 37 starts to increase on the front of thecover 32 earlier than on the rear of thecover 32. Therefore, thecover 32 and theopening 37 move away from each other in such a manner that the distance between thecover 32 and theopening 37 increases toward the front of thecover 32. Accordingly, when thecontainer 31 is slid out, the front of theopening 37 opens larger than the rear thereof. The refrigerator 30 therefore allows the user to easily put in and take out stocks. - In addition, when the
container 31 is housed inside the refrigerator, there is a force (the weight of the container 31) acting on either one or both of thecover 32 and thecontainer 31 in such a direction as to move thecover 32 and theopening 37 of thecontainer 31 away from each other. When the user pulls out thecontainer 31, this mechanism of the refrigerator 30 enables thecover 32 to be quickly moved out of contact with thecontainer 31. The refrigerator 30 hence allows the user to smoothly slide out thecontainer 31 without letting him/her feel it stuck in the process. - The refrigerator 30 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container. The refrigerator 30 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- The following will describe a refrigerator 40 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to
FIG. 13 . Description that appears in another embodiment will not be repeated in the following. -
FIG. 13 is a set of cross-sectional views of an example of the internal structure of the refrigerator.FIG. 13(a) illustrates the internal structure when acontainer 41 is slid out.FIG. 13(b) illustrates the internal structure when thecontainer 41 is slid in.FIG. 13(c) shows a cross-section, different from the cross-section inFIG. 13(b) , where thecontainer 41 is viewed from the above. - As shown in
FIG. 13 as an example, the refrigerator 40 includes thecontainer 41, acover 42, springs 44, rotation arms 45, and rotation rods 46. - The
container 41 can be freely slid in and out of the refrigerator 40. Thecontainer 41 has anopening 47 and protrusions 48. Theopening 47 allows the user to put in and take out stocks. The protrusions 48 abut ends of the rotation arms 45 respectively when thecontainer 41 is slid in. As shown inFIG. 13 as an example, there may be provided a plurality of protrusions 48 (protrusion 48 a andprotrusion 48 b) on thecontainer 41. - The
cover 42 provides a lid that covers theopening 47 of thecontainer 41. Thecover 42 decreases its distance from thecontainer 41 in accordance with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 41 and comes into contact with thecontainer 41 when thecontainer 41 is housed inside the refrigerator 40. Conversely, thecover 42 moves away from thecontainer 41 in conjunction with the slide-out motion of thecontainer 41. - More specifically, when the rotation arm 45 rotates, the angle between the
cover 42 and the rotation arm 45 changes, which in turn changes the area of a part of thecover 42 that is in contact with thecontainer 41. The refrigerator 40, equipped with this mechanism, is capable of restricting air from flowing in and out of the inside of thecontainer 41, without requiring the user to place thecover 42 on thecontainer 41. - The spring 44 is an elastic that can be stretched and/or compressed in conjunction with the slide-in/out motion of the
container 41. The spring 44 has an end thereof fixed to the internal rear prat of the refrigerator and the other end connected to the rotation arm 45. - The rotation arm 45 is a member that is connected to the
cover 42 and that rotates in conjunction with the slide-in motion of thecontainer 41. Specifically, as thecontainer 41 is slid in, each protrusion 48 on thecontainer 41 pushes an end of the rotation arm 45 so that the rotation arm 45 rotates around the rotation rod 46. Accordingly, the angle between thecover 42 and the rotation arm 45 changes, which in turn changes the area of a part of thecover 42 that is in contact with thecontainer 41. - The rotation rod 46 is fixed to an internal side face of the refrigerator to support the rotation arm 45.
- As shown in
FIG. 13(c) as an example, there may be provided a plurality of springs 44, rotation arms 45, rotation rods 46, and protrusions 48. - The refrigerator 40 restricts air inflow/outflow in sliding in the container. The refrigerator 40 can thus keep stocks fresh inside the container.
- The present disclosure, in a first aspect thereof, is directed to a refrigerator including a lid section inside the refrigerator, the lid section being configured to: cover an opening of a container slidable into the refrigerator; decrease distance between the lid section and the container in conjunction with the container being slid in; and when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, be in contact with the container.
- In a second aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of the first aspect is configured such that when the container is housed inside the refrigerator, there is a force acting on either one or both of the lid section and the container in such a direction as to move the lid section and the opening of the container away from each other.
- In a third aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of the first or second aspect, is configured such that the refrigerator further includes: a rotation member inside the refrigerator, the rotation member being configured to rotate in conjunction with the container being slid in; and an arm inside the refrigerator, the arm being configured to connect the lid section to the rotation member and to move the lid section in conjunction with the rotation member being rotated, wherein the lid section is moved to decrease the distance and into contact with the container by the arm moving the lid section.
- In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of the third aspect is configured such that the container includes a protrusion configured to abut the rotation member when the container is slid in, and the rotation member is rotated by the rotation member abutting the protrusion.
- In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of the third aspect is configured such that the rotation member is a gear engaged with the arm, and the arm moves the lid section in conjunction with the gear being rotated.
- In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of any of the first to fifth aspects is configured such that the refrigerator further includes a rail with a tilted portion inside the refrigerator, wherein the lid section is moved to decrease the distance and into contact with the container by the container moving on the tilted portion of the rail.
- In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerator of any of the first to sixth aspects is configured such that the refrigerator further includes a rotation arm inside the refrigerator, the rotation arm being connected to the lid section and configured to rotate in conjunction with the container being slid in, wherein the lid section is moved by the rotation arm rotating so as to change an angle between the lid section and the rotation arm, thereby changing an area of a part of the lid section that is in contact with the container.
- While there have been described what are at present considered to be certain embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto, and it is intended that the appended claim cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (7)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2019-110470 | 2019-06-13 | ||
JP2019110470A JP2020201025A (en) | 2019-06-13 | 2019-06-13 | refrigerator |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20200390239A1 true US20200390239A1 (en) | 2020-12-17 |
Family
ID=73736091
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US16/894,312 Abandoned US20200390239A1 (en) | 2019-06-13 | 2020-06-05 | Refrigerator |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20200390239A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2020201025A (en) |
CN (1) | CN112082305A (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20220295988A1 (en) * | 2019-12-09 | 2022-09-22 | Julius Blum Gmbh | Vacuum drawer device for storing groceries |
US20220299260A1 (en) * | 2019-12-09 | 2022-09-22 | Julius Blum Gmbh | Drawer device and cover with lifting means |
Family Cites Families (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS512854Y2 (en) * | 1971-11-30 | 1976-01-27 | ||
JPS4935664U (en) * | 1972-07-03 | 1974-03-29 | ||
JP2004251598A (en) * | 2003-02-21 | 2004-09-09 | Toshiba Corp | Refrigerator |
JP4693699B2 (en) * | 2006-06-09 | 2011-06-01 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Dishwasher |
KR101852831B1 (en) * | 2011-06-28 | 2018-04-30 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Cooling apparatus and refrigerator having this and control method of refrigerator |
JP5380406B2 (en) * | 2010-09-17 | 2014-01-08 | 日立アプライアンス株式会社 | refrigerator |
JP5885979B2 (en) * | 2011-03-17 | 2016-03-16 | 株式会社東芝 | refrigerator |
US20130300276A1 (en) * | 2012-05-08 | 2013-11-14 | General Electric Company | Drawer assembly for a refrigerator appliance |
JP6105233B2 (en) * | 2012-09-05 | 2017-03-29 | シャープ株式会社 | refrigerator |
JP6571998B2 (en) * | 2015-06-09 | 2019-09-04 | 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社 | refrigerator |
WO2017057995A1 (en) * | 2015-10-02 | 2017-04-06 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator |
-
2019
- 2019-06-13 JP JP2019110470A patent/JP2020201025A/en active Pending
-
2020
- 2020-06-05 US US16/894,312 patent/US20200390239A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2020-06-10 CN CN202010522468.2A patent/CN112082305A/en active Pending
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20220295988A1 (en) * | 2019-12-09 | 2022-09-22 | Julius Blum Gmbh | Vacuum drawer device for storing groceries |
US20220299260A1 (en) * | 2019-12-09 | 2022-09-22 | Julius Blum Gmbh | Drawer device and cover with lifting means |
US11805900B2 (en) * | 2019-12-09 | 2023-11-07 | Julius Blum Gmbh | Vacuum drawer device for storing groceries |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2020201025A (en) | 2020-12-17 |
CN112082305A (en) | 2020-12-15 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9976794B2 (en) | Chest with access doors | |
US20200390239A1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
EP2587199B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
CN102042740B (en) | Refrigerator with a split type shelf | |
KR100885410B1 (en) | Refrigerator with apparatus for preventing leakage of cooling air | |
KR102043198B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
EP3742092B1 (en) | Refrigerator and refrigerator door | |
CN1985063B (en) | Door device and refrigerator | |
US10267554B2 (en) | Mullion for a refrigerator appliance | |
AU2002316693B2 (en) | French door chiller compartment for refrigerators | |
WO2022037542A1 (en) | Adjustable shelf device and refrigerator having same | |
US11434677B2 (en) | Freezer with releasable door hinges | |
KR102609769B1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
EP2431691A1 (en) | Refrigerator | |
KR200162013Y1 (en) | Auxiliary rack of a refrigerator | |
US10995977B2 (en) | Mullion hinge assembly | |
AU2021327809B2 (en) | Adjustable shelf device and refrigerator having same | |
US10928122B2 (en) | Dual asymmetrical and symmetrical architecture cantilever positioning | |
US20240102725A1 (en) | Synchronized basket flap | |
KR102234259B1 (en) | drawer apparatus for refrigerator | |
KR101175558B1 (en) | Structure for Door Pocket of Refrigerator | |
US20200378678A1 (en) | Storage structure for an appliance | |
KR101250779B1 (en) | Door opening and shutting device for showcase | |
KR900003953Y1 (en) | Low temperatore drawer of refrigerator | |
JP5801781B2 (en) | Shelf freezer |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WADA, SATOSHI;BABA, SEIJI;URAKUBO, MINORU;REEL/FRAME:052855/0855 Effective date: 20200525 |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: APPLICATION DISPATCHED FROM PREEXAM, NOT YET DOCKETED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: DOCKETED NEW CASE - READY FOR EXAMINATION |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NON FINAL ACTION MAILED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: RESPONSE TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION ENTERED AND FORWARDED TO EXAMINER |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: NON FINAL ACTION MAILED |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: RESPONSE TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION ENTERED AND FORWARDED TO EXAMINER |
|
STPP | Information on status: patent application and granting procedure in general |
Free format text: FINAL REJECTION MAILED |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |