Anti-falling device for refrigerators

An anti-falling device for refrigerators has an improved structure capable of effectively preventing a refrigerator from falling flat on a front thereof despite a heavy door and allowing the cabinet of the refrigerator to move from a wall of a building easily when the rear portion of the cabinet needs to be cleaned or repaired. The anti-falling device is provided at a position between the cabinet of a refrigerator and a wall of a building against which the cabinet stands, thus preventing the cabinet from falling flat on the front. The anti-falling device includes a hooking rod provided on the wall of the building. A rotary hook is rotatably mounted to the cabinet and is engaged with or disengaged from the hooking rod in accordance with a rotation thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2002-54310, filed Sep. 9, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to refrigerators and, more particularly, to an anti-falling device provided in a refrigerator to prevent the refrigerator from falling flat on a front of the refrigerator.

2. Description of the Related Art

As is well known to those skilled in the art, refrigerators are electric appliances that are provided with refrigeration systems and that store food to maintain freshness of the food for a lengthy period of time. As shown inFIG. 1, a conventional refrigerator includes a cabinet1that defines an appearance of the refrigerator, with a storage chamber defined in the interior of the cabinet1and open at the front. The storage chamber is divided into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment by a partition wall. In the conventional refrigerator, the freezing compartment preferably stores frozen food therein, while the refrigerating compartment preferably stores cold food therein.

A door2is mounted to the front of the cabinet1, thus allowing a user to open the storage chamber. The door2is hinged at an inside edge thereof to the front of the cabinet1, so that the door2is rotatable around the hinged joints to open or close the storage chamber.

Several door shelves are installed on the inner surface of the door2such that the shelves are arranged in a plurality of parallel stories. Therefore, foods and/or containers containing foods, such as beverage bottles, are preferably stored on the door shelves as well as on the shelves arranged in the storage chamber.

The door2is increased in gross weight since the weight of foods stored on the door shelves is added to the net weight of the door2, so that the center of gravity of the refrigerator is shifted to the front of the cabinet1, possibly causing the refrigerator to fall flat on the front unexpectedly. Such a possibility of falling flat on the front of the refrigerator is increased when the heavy door2is opened.

In an effort to prevent such a problem of unexpected falling of the refrigerator, an anti-falling device4according to an embodiment of the conventional art may be used with a refrigerator, as shown inFIG. 1.

The anti-falling device4for refrigerators includes a support bracket5that is mounted to a wall3of a building by using a setscrew5a. The anti-falling device4also includes a support member6that is mounted to the bracket5by driving another setscrew5ato hold tightly the rear portion of the top wall of the refrigerator's cabinet1, which stands against the wall3.

If the upper portion of the refrigerator leans forward to fall flat on the front due to the heavy door2, the rear portion of the top wall of the cabinet1is stopped by the support member6of the anti-falling device4, preventing the refrigerator from falling flat on the front.

In addition to the anti-falling device4ofFIG. 1, another anti-falling device7has been proposed and used, as shown inFIG. 2. As shown in the drawing, the anti-falling device7according to the second embodiment of the conventional art provides that the cabinet1of a refrigerator is directly screwed, using a setscrew9, to a support member8that is mounted to a wall3against which the refrigerator stands.

That is, the anti-falling device7ofFIG. 2includes a support member8that is mounted to a wall3and a setscrew9that fixes a predetermined portion of the top wall of the cabinet1to the support member8. Therefore, the anti-falling device7directly holds the cabinet1to the support member8mounted to the wall3.

Refrigerators are typically installed in rooms of buildings while standing against walls3, with the rear wall of a cabinet1placed close to a wall3without leaving a substantial space between the cabinet1and the wall3. Therefore, when the rear portion of the cabinet1needs to be cleaned or repaired, a user must move the refrigerator away from the wall3to create a substantial space between the cabinet1and the wall3.

However, when an anti-falling device4or7is used and a refrigerator must be moved away from a wall3to clean or repair the rear portion of the cabinet1, a problem occurs.

That is, in the anti-falling device4ofFIG. 1, the support member6tightly holds the rear portion of the top wall of the refrigerator's cabinet1and prevents the cabinet1held by the anti-falling device4from being moved away from the wall3. Therefore, in order to move the cabinet1from the wall3, the setscrew5amust be unscrewed and the support member6must be removed from the bracket5prior to moving the cabinet1. After cleaning or repairing the rear portion of the cabinet1, the cabinet1is moved backward to a position close to the wall3, and the support member6is mounted to the bracket5by driving the setscrew5aagain. The anti-falling device4is thus inconvenient for a user who wants to move the refrigerator.

In the anti-falling device7ofFIG. 2, the cabinet1of a refrigerator is fixed to the support member8by using a setscrew9, preventing the cabinet1held by the anti-falling device7from being moved away from the wall3. Therefore, in order to move the cabinet1from the wall3to clean or repair the rear portion of the cabinet1, the setscrew9must be removed to separate the cabinet1from the support member8. After cleaning or repairing the rear portion of the cabinet1, the cabinet1is moved backward to a position close to the wall3, and the cabinet1is fixed again to the support member8by driving the setscrew9. This anti-falling device7is thus inconvenient for a user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide an anti-falling device for refrigerators which has an improved structure capable of effectively preventing a refrigerator from falling flat on a front irrespective of a heavy door, and allowing the cabinet of the refrigerator to move easily from a wall of a building when the rear portion of the cabinet needs to be cleaned or repaired.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing an anti-falling device for refrigerators, provided at a position between a cabinet of a refrigerator and a wall of a building against which the cabinet stands, thus preventing the cabinet from falling flat on the front, including a hooking rod provided on the wall of the building and a rotary hook rotatably mounted to the cabinet and engaged with or disengaged from the hooking rod in accordance with a rotation thereof.

The anti-falling device may further include a first support bracket mounted on the wall of the building for supporting the hooking rod and a second support bracket mounted on a top wall of the cabinet for supporting the rotary hook.

The rotary hook includes a hook part formed by bending a first end of the rotary hook that functions by engaging with or disengaging from the hooking rod, with a hinge shaft mounted to the second support bracket and assembled with the rotary hook at an intermediate position between both ends of the rotary hook, thus rotatably mounting the rotary hook to the second support bracket.

The rotary hook also includes an actuating part at a second end thereof, opposite to the first end having the hook part, with an elastic biasing member connecting the actuating part to a predetermined portion of the second support bracket to pull the actuating part to rotate the rotary hook around the hinge shaft in a direction opposite to the hooking rod. The second support bracket of the anti-falling device is provided at a predetermined position on the cabinet with an upwardly extended holding part to hold an end of the biasing member.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides an anti-falling device for refrigerators that is provided at a position between a cabinet of a refrigerator and a wall of a building against which the cabinet stands to prevent the cabinet from falling flat on the front. The anti-falling device includes a support bracket mounted on the wall of the building, a guide member held at an end thereof by the wall of the building using the support bracket, with a guide channel formed in the guide member such so that the guide channel extends to a predetermined length in a direction extending from a rear to the front of the cabinet, and a guide pin mounted to an external surface of the cabinet while passing the guide channel to move the guide pin along the guide channel in opposite directions. The guide pin has a head with a size larger than a width of the guide channel.

The support bracket of the above anti-falling device includes a hooking part formed by bending a predetermined portion of the support bracket to provide a predetermined distance between the hooking part and the wall of the building. The guide member includes a hook part formed by bending the end of the guide member, wherein the hook part is engaged with or disengaged from the hooking part of the support bracket.

In accordance with a further aspect, the present invention provides an anti-falling device for refrigerators that is provided at a position between a cabinet of a refrigerator and a wall of a building against which the cabinet stands to prevent the cabinet from falling flat on the front. The anti-falling device includes an elastic member connecting an external surface of the cabinet to the wall of the building. The anti-falling device further includes a guide member connected to a first end of the elastic member, a first support bracket mounted on a top wall of the cabinet and having a guide member reception part to receive the guide member to move the guide member under the guide of the first support bracket in a direction extending from the front to a rear of the cabinet. A guide slit formed along the guide member reception part guides a movement of the first end of the elastic member, and a second support bracket mounted on the wall of the building functions to support a second end of the elastic member. The guide slit of the anti-falling device is open at an end thereof directed toward the front of the cabinet. The elastic member of the anti-falling device may be a compression spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The refrigerator of the present invention is provided with a refrigeration system and stores food therein to maintain freshness of the food for a lengthy period of time. As shown inFIG. 3, the refrigerator includes a cabinet10that defines an appearance of the refrigerator, with a storage chamber defined in the interior of the cabinet10and open at the front. A door11is mounted to the front of the cabinet10, thus allowing a user to open the storage chamber. The refrigerator is installed in a room of a building while standing against a wall20, with the rear wall of the cabinet10placed closely to the wall20without leaving a substantial space between the cabinet10and the wall20.

The door11is hinged at an inside edge thereof to the front of the cabinet10to allow the door11to rotate around the hinged joints to open or close the storage chamber. Several door shelves (not shown) are installed on the inner surface of the door11such that the shelves are arranged in a plurality of parallel stories. Therefore, foods and/or containers containing foods, such as beverage bottles, are preferably stored on the door shelves as well as on the shelves arranged in the storage chamber.

The door11is increased in gross weight since the weight of foods stored on the door shelves (not shown) is added to the net weight of the door11, shifting the center of gravity of the refrigerator to the front of the cabinet10and the refrigerator may unexpectedly fall flat on the front. In an effort to prevent such a problem of unexpected falling flat on the front of the refrigerator, an anti-falling device is installed at a position between the top wall of the cabinet10and the wall20against which the refrigerator stands.

The anti-falling device for refrigerators in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention has an improved structure capable of effectively preventing the cabinet10from falling flat on the front despite the heavy door11and allowing the cabinet10to be moved away from the wall20easily when the rear portion of the cabinet10needs to be cleaned or repaired. A variety of anti-falling devices having the above functions is described in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention. An anti-falling device30for refrigerators in accordance with first embodiment of the present invention is described herein below, with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the anti-falling device30for refrigerators according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first support bracket40and a second support bracket50. The first support bracket40is mounted to the wall20of a building at a position near the top wall of the cabinet10. The second support bracket50is mounted to the top wall of the cabinet10. The first and second support brackets40and50of the anti-falling device30are mounted to the wall20of the building and the top wall of the cabinet10by using setscrews41and51, respectively.

The first support bracket40includes a main body, with upper and lower extensions42integrally extending from the middle portions of the upper and lower edges of the main body and being perpendicular to the main body. A hooking rod43extends between the upper and lower extensions42.

A longitudinal rotary hook60is hinged to the second support bracket50to engage the rotary hook60with the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40. The rotary hook60includes a hook part61and an actuating part62. The hook part61is formed by bending a first end of the longitudinal rotary hook60, forming the actuating part at the second end of the rotary hook60. The rotary hook60is hooked at the hook part61by the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40. The longitudinal rotary hook60is hinged to the second support bracket50at an intermediate portion of the hook60by using a hinge shaft63. The hinge shaft63thus rotatably mounts the longitudinal rotary hook60to the second support bracket50and functions as a rotating shaft of the rotary hook60during a rotation of the rotary hook60on the second support bracket50.

A biasing member52connects the actuating part62of the longitudinal rotary hook60to a predetermined portion of the second support bracket50. The biasing member52elastically pulls the actuating part62to rotate the rotary hook60relative to the second support bracket50around the hinge shaft63in a direction opposite to the hooking rod43. For example, the rotary hook60is rotated in a clockwise direction in the drawings, where the hook part61of the rotary hook60is brought into, and maintains engagement with, the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40when no external force is applied to the rotary hook60. In order to hold an end of the biasing member52easily, one end of the second support bracket50is bent upward to form a holding part53.

In a normal state of the anti-falling device30with no external force applied to the rotary hook60, the biasing member52pulls the rotary hook60to engage the hook part61of the rotary hook60with the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40and maintains stable engagement. The anti-falling device30thus effectively prevents the cabinet10of the refrigerator from falling flat on the front even when the center of gravity of the refrigerator is shifted to the front of the cabinet10.

When the rear portion of the cabinet10needs to be cleaned or repaired, the cabinet10must be moved away from the wall20to create a substantial space between the cabinet10and the wall20. In such a case, the rotary hook60is rotated slightly in a direction, for example, a counterclockwise direction in the drawings, overcoming the restoring force of the biasing member52and disengaging the hook part61of the rotary hook60from the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40, as shown inFIG. 4. When the hook part61of the rotary hook60disengages from the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40, the cabinet10may be moved away from the wall20easily. Therefore, the anti-falling device30is not disassembled from the cabinet10or the wall20when moving the cabinet10away from the wall20. After cleaning or repairing the rear portion of the cabinet10, the cabinet10is moved backward to a position close to the wall20, and the rotary hook60is actuated to engage the hook part61of the rotary hook60with the hooking rod43of the first support bracket40and to maintain stable engagement. The anti-falling device30in the above state stably holds the cabinet10against the wall20while preventing the cabinet10from falling flat on the front.

An anti-falling device70for refrigerators in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention will be described herein below, with reference toFIGS. 5 and 6. As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, the anti-falling device70for refrigerators according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a support bracket80and a longitudinal guide member90. The support bracket80is mounted, using setscrews81, to a wall20of a building at a position near the top wall of the cabinet10. The longitudinal guide member90is arranged on the top wall of the cabinet10in a direction extending from the rear wall to the front wall of the cabinet10. The support bracket80is bent at a middle portion thereof to form a hooking part82that is spaced apart from the wall20by a predetermined distance when the support bracket80is screwed to the wall20at both ends of the bracket80. The longitudinal guide member90is bent at an end thereof close to the support bracket80, thus forming a hook part91that is hooked by the hooking part82of the support bracket80.

The longitudinal guide member90has a guide channel92having a predetermined length. The guide channel92is formed along the central axis of the guide member90to guide a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20of a building. A guide pin93is mounted to the top wall of the cabinet10and moves along the guide channel92in opposite directions when the cabinet10is moved relative to the wall20.

The head of the guide pin93preferably has a size larger than the width of the guide channel92. Due to the head, the guide pin93prevents the guide member90from being removed from the top wall of the cabinet10and moves along the guide channel92to guide a movement of the cabinet10when the cabinet10is moved relative to the wall20.

In a normal state of the anti-falling device70according to the second embodiment, the guide member90, supported on the top wall of the cabinet10by the guide pin93, is locked to the support bracket80mounted to the wall20of a building. Therefore, the anti-falling device70effectively prevents the cabinet10of the refrigerator from falling flat on the front even when the center of gravity of the refrigerator is shifted to the front of the cabinet10.

When the rear portion of the cabinet10needs to be cleaned or repaired, the cabinet10is moved away from the wall20to create a substantial space between the cabinet10and the wall20. Then, the anti-falling device70stably guides a forward movement of the cabinet10from the wall20without forcing a user to dissemble the anti-falling device70from the cabinet10or the wall20, as shown inFIG. 6.

That is, when the cabinet10is moved away from the wall20to create a substantial space between the cabinet10and the wall20, the guide member90allows the guide pin93to move forward along with the cabinet10under the guide of the guide channel93. The anti-falling device70allows a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20without forcing a user to disassemble the anti-falling device70from the cabinet10or the wall20. During a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20, the hook part91of the guide member90maintains a locked state relative to the hooking part82of the support bracket80, and the guide member90is held on the top wall of the cabinet10by the guide pin93. Therefore, the anti-falling device70effectively prevents the cabinet10from falling flat on the front during such a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20.

Thus, it is not necessary to remove the anti-falling device70of the second embodiment from the cabinet10or the wall20during a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20. The anti-falling device70allows a user to more easily, quickly and conveniently move the cabinet10relative to the wall20. In addition, the anti-falling device70prevents the cabinet10from falling flat on the front during a movement of the cabinet10. After cleaning or repairing the rear portion of the cabinet10, the cabinet10may be placed at a position close to the wall20by simply moving the cabinet10toward the wall20to move the guide pin93to a position near the rear end of the guide channel92.

An anti-falling device100for refrigerators in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention will be described herein below, with reference toFIGS. 7 and 8. As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the anti-falling device100for refrigerators according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a first support bracket110and a second support bracket120. The first support bracket110is mounted to the top wall of a cabinet10, and the second support bracket120is mounted to a wall20of a building at a position near the top wall of the cabinet10. The first and second support brackets110and120of the anti-falling device100are mounted to the top wall of the cabinet10and the wall20of the building by using setscrews111and121, respectively.

An elastic member130is connected to the first and second support brackets110and120to prevent the cabinet10from falling flat on the front. The elastic member130is fixedly connected at a second end thereof to the second support bracket120and is movably connected at a first end thereof to the first support bracket110.

In order to allow a movable connection of the first end of the elastic member130to the first support bracket110, a ball-shaped guide member131is provided at the first end of the elastic member130. In addition, the first support bracket110bulges upward along a central axis to form a guide member reception part112that extends upward to define a tunnel between the first support bracket and the top wall of the cabinet10when the first support bracket110is mounted to the top wall of the cabinet10. When connecting the first end of the elastic member130to the first support bracket110, the ball-shaped guide member131of the elastic member130is movably received in the tunnel and stopped by the guide member reception part112of the first support bracket110to prevent removal of the ball-shaped guide member131from the first support bracket110.

A longitudinal guide slit113is formed along the central axis of the guide member reception part112to guide a movement of the first end of the elastic member130along the axis of the first support bracket110. The first support bracket110is arranged on the top wall of the cabinet in a direction extending from the front to the rear of the cabinet10, and the longitudinal guide slit113extends in the same direction. The above guide slit113is open at a front end and is closed at a rear end to allow removal of the first end of the elastic member130having the ball-shaped guide member131from the guide member reception part112of the first support bracket110through the open front end of the guide slit113. In the present invention, the width of the guide slit113may be selected to prevent an undesired removal of the ball-shaped guide member131from the first support bracket110through the guide slit113. In addition, in order to allow the elastic member130, with the ball-shaped guide member131stopped at the closed rear end of the guide slit113of the first support bracket130, to elastically support the cabinet10and prevent the cabinet10from falling flat on the front, a compression spring may be used as the elastic member130.

When the center of gravity of the cabinet10is shifted to the front of the cabinet10, the cabinet10may otherwise fall flat on a front thereof. The anti-falling device100according to the third embodiment effectively prevents the cabinet10from falling flat on the front since the ball-shaped guide member131of the elastic member130may be stopped at the closed rear end of the guide slit113of the first support bracket110.

When the rear portion of the cabinet10needs to be cleaned or repaired, the cabinet10is moved away from the wall20to create a substantial space between the rear wall of the cabinet10and the wall20. Then, the anti-falling device100stably guides a forward movement of the cabinet10from the wall20without forcing a user to disassemble the anti-falling device100from the cabinet10or the wall20, as shown inFIG. 8.

In the same manner as that described for the anti-falling device70according to the second embodiment, the anti-falling device100according to the third embodiment maintains the connected state of the first and second support brackets110and120by using the elastic member130during a forward movement of the cabinet10from the wall20. Therefore, the anti-falling device100effectively prevents the cabinet10from falling flat on a front thereof during such a movement of the cabinet10relative to the wall20.

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides an anti-falling device for refrigerators. As described for the embodiments of the present invention, the present anti-falling device has a simple construction and allows the cabinet of a refrigerator to be moved away from a wall of a building without forcing a user to disassemble the anti-falling device from the cabinet or the wall of the building. The anti-falling device of the present invention thus effectively prevents the cabinet from falling flat on a front thereof even when the center of gravity of the cabinet is shifted to the front of the cabinet due to a heavy door of the cabinet. The anti-falling device of the present invention also allows a user to move the cabinet away from a wall of a building simply and easily when the rear portion of the cabinet needs to be cleaned or repaired.