Patent Publication Number: US-8113609-B2

Title: Guide rail for refrigerator

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a guide rail for a refrigerator, which guides the movement of a receiving container that is accommodated in or taken out from a storage space of the refrigerator. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A refrigerator is an electric home appliance for keeping foods in a fresh state for a long time by freezing or refrigerating the foods. In the refrigerator, there is provided a storage space for storing foods to be refrigerated or frozen. A receiving container such as a vegetable box is installed in the storage space such that the receiving container can be accommodated in or taken out from the storage space. Furthermore, guide rails for guiding the vegetable box or the like are installed on both side surfaces defining the storage space. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state where a conventional guide rail for a refrigerator is mounted in a storage space.  FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the conventional guide rail when viewed at the rear of the guide rail.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state where the conventional guide rail mounted in the storage space is used. 
     As shown in these figures, guide ribs  11  are provided at the same level on both side surfaces of an inner case  10  that defines a storage space of a refrigerator. The guide ribs  11  are formed to protrude in a direction in which the both side surfaces of the inner case  10  face each other, i.e., toward the interior of the storage space, and to be elongated in a fore and aft direction. The guide ribs  11  are to substantially guide a receiving container  40  (see  FIG. 6 ) that is accommodated in or taken out from the storage space. 
     Each of the guide ribs  11  includes an upper guide rib  13  and a lower guide rib  15 . The upper guide rib  13  and the lower guide rib  15  are provided to be vertically spaced apart by a certain distance from each other. Furthermore, the lower guide rib  15  more extends forward relative to the upper guide rib  13 . Moreover, a lower portion of the lower guide rib  15  is provided with an inclined portion  15 A that is inclined downwardly toward the inner case  10 . 
     Further, a fastening hole (not shown) and a pair of fastening grooves (not shown) are formed in a region on each of the both side surfaces of the inner case  10  in the vicinity of the guide rib  11 . A screw S 1  penetrating a through-hole  21 H, which will be described later, is screwed into the fastening hole. Furthermore, locking hooks  22  that will be described later are fastened to the fastening grooves. 
     Guide rails  20  are installed in regions on the both side surfaces of the inner case  10  in front of the guide ribs  11 . The guide rails  20  function to substantially extend the lengths of the guide ribs  11 . To this end, when the guide rails  20  are installed on the both side surfaces of the inner case  10 , rear ends of the guide rails  20  abut on front ends of the guide ribs  11 . 
     Rail bodies  21  of the guide rails  20  are formed to be elongated in a lengthwise direction, and back faces of the rail bodies are in close contact with the both side surfaces of the inner case  10 . The through-hole  21 H is formed at a side of each of the rail bodies  21 . The through-hole  21 H is a hole through which the screw S 1  to be screwed into the fastening hole penetrates. 
     Meanwhile, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the pair of locking hooks  22  is provided on the back face of each of the rail bodies  21 . On the back face of the rail body  21 , the locking hooks  22  are positioned to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance with respect to the through-hole  21 H. Each of the locking hooks  22  is formed of a pair of hook members that are vertically spaced apart by a certain distance from each other so as to be elastically deformed. The locking hooks  22  are inserted into the fastening grooves in a state where the back faces of the rail bodies  21  are brought into close contact with the both side surfaces of the inner case  10 . 
     Furthermore, opposite surfaces of the guide rail  20  are provided with an upper guide portion  23  and a lower guide portion  25 . The upper guide portion  23  is formed to be elongated in the fore and aft direction at the same level as the upper guide rib  13 . Furthermore, the lower guide portion  25  is formed to be elongated in the fore and aft direction at the same level as the lower guide rib  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the upper guide ribs  13  and the upper guide portions  23  are to support a shelf  30 . The shelf  30  is accommodated in or taken out from the storage space while being moved in the fore and aft direction in a state where both side ends of a bottom surface of the shelf are supported on upper surfaces of the upper guide ribs  13  and the upper guide portions  23 . Furthermore, the lower guide ribs  15  and the lower guide portions  25  are to support a receiving box  40 . That is, the receiving box  40  is accommodated in or taken out from the storage space while being moved in the fore and aft direction of the storage space in a state where support ribs provided at upper ends of both side surfaces of the receiving box  40  are supported on upper surfaces of the lower guide ribs  15  and the lower guide portions  25 . 
     However, such a conventional guide rail for a refrigerator has the following problems. 
     As described above, the receiving box  40  is moved in the fore and aft direction within the storage space in the state where the support ribs are supported by the upper guide ribs  13  and the upper guide portions  23 . However, since foods are contained in the receiving box  40 , a load may be concentrated only on any one of the upper guide rib  13  and the upper guide portion  23  in the process of moving the receiving box  40  in the fore and aft direction within the storage space. That is, in a state where a front end of the receiving box  40  is taken out from the storage space and only a rear end of the receiving box  40  is supported by the upper guide portion  23 , a load of the receiving box  40  may be concentrated only on a front end of the upper guide portion  23 . 
     However, since the guide rails  20  are fixed to the both side surfaces of the inner case  10  by the screws S 1 , the guide rails  20  are rotated about the screws S 1  by the load of the receiving box  40 . Thus, the guide rails  20  cannot be maintained in a horizontal state, so that the guide rails  20  cannot correctly guide the movement of the receiving box  40 . 
     Furthermore, if the guide rails  20  are rotated about the screws S 1  and thus cannot be maintained in the horizontal state, certain external forces are also exerted on the locking hooks  22  that are inserted into the fastening grooves. Hence, the inner case  10  and/or the guide rails  20  may be damaged. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     Technical Problem 
     The present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail for a refrigerator, which is constructed to secure the operational reliability of a product. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail for a refrigerator, which is constructed to secure the durability of a product. 
     Technical Solution 
     According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a guide rail for a refrigerator, comprising a rail body having a back face to be brought into close contact with a side surface of an inner case defining a storage space of the refrigerator, a guide portion provided in the rail body so that the guide portion extends in front of a guide rib formed to be elongated in a fore and aft direction on the side surface of the inner case, thereby guiding the movement of a receiving container to be accommodated in or taken out from the storage space, and a seating space provided in the rail body so that a portion of the guide rib is inserted into the seating space when the back face of the rail body is brought into close contact with the side surface of the inner case. 
     ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS 
     According to the present invention thus constructed, there is an advantage in that it is possible to secure the operational reliability and durability of a product. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a state where a guide rail for a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed in a storage space. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the guide rail according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention when viewed at the rear of the guide rail. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing the guide rail according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state where a conventional guide rail for a refrigerator is mounted in a storage space. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the conventional guide rail when viewed at the rear of the guide rail. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state where the conventional guide rail mounted in the storage space is used. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a guide rail for a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a state where a guide rail for a refrigerator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed in a storage space,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the guide rail according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention when viewed at the rear of the guide rail, and  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing the guide rail according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in these figures, guide ribs  51  are provided on both side surfaces of an inner case  50  that defines a storage space of a refrigerator. The guide ribs  51  are formed to be elongated in a fore and aft direction within the storage space. Each of the guide ribs  51  includes an upper guide rib  53  and a lower guide rib  55  which are located to be vertically spaced apart by a certain distance from each other. Furthermore, the lower guide rib  55  more extends forward relative to the upper guide rib  53 . 
     The upper guide rib  53  and the lower guide rib  55  are to substantially guide a shelf  70  and a receiving box  40  (see  FIG. 2 ) which are installed to be accommodated in or taken out from the storage space. Furthermore, the upper guide rib  53  and the lower guide rib  55  are formed in such a manner that a portion of the inner case  50  protrudes in a predetermined shape toward the interior of the storage space, and an insulating layer (not shown) is formed in a space corresponding to the interior of each of the upper and lower guide ribs  53  and  55 . 
     The lower guide rib  55  has an upper surface  55 A, a side surface  55 B and an inclined portion  55 C, which define an approximately trapezoidal longitudinal section. The upper surface  55 A extends horizontally from the side surface of the inner case  50 . The side surface  55 B extends vertically at an edge of the upper surface  55 A, and the inclined portion  55 C extends from a lower end of the side surface  55 B so as to be inclined downwardly at a predetermined angle toward the side surface of the inner case  50 . 
     Guide rails  60  are installed in regions in front of the guide ribs  51  on the both side surfaces of the inner case  50 . The guide rails  60  substantially cause the lengths of the guide ribs  51  to extend forward, thereby functioning to guide the movement of the receiving box  40 . 
     Rail bodies  61  of the guide rails  60  are formed to have a predetermined length, and back faces of the rail bodies are in close contact with the both side surfaces of the inner case  50 . A through-hole  61 H and a pair of locking hooks  62  are formed in each of the rail bodies  61 . The through-hole  61 H is a hole through which a screw S 2  to be screwed into a fastening hole (not shown) formed in each of the both side surfaces of the inner case  50  penetrates in a state where the back face of the rail body  61  is brought into close contact with each of the both side surfaces of the inner case  50 . The locking hooks  62  are provided in regions on the rear face of the rail body  61  which are on both sides with respect to the through-hole  61 . The locking hooks  62  are inserted into fastening grooves (not shown) formed on the both side surfaces of the inner case  50  in the state where the back faces of the rail bodies  61  are brought into close contact with the both side surfaces of the inner case  50 . 
     Moreover, each of the guide rails  61  is provided with an upper guide portion  63  and a lower guide portion  65 . The upper guide portion  63  and the lower guide portion  65  are formed to be elongated in the fore and aft direction at the same levels as the upper guide rib  53  and the lower guide rib  55 , respectively. Hence, the lengths of the upper and lower guide ribs  53  and  55  are extended in the fore and aft direction by the upper and lower guide portions  63  and  65 . 
     Here, the upper guide ribs  53  and the upper guide portions  63  are to support the shelf  70 . To this end, both side ends of a bottom surface of the shelf  70  are supported on upper surfaces of the upper guide ribs  53  and the upper guide portions  63 . The shelf  70  is moved in the fore and aft direction within the storage space in the state where the both side ends of the bottom surface of the shelf are supported on the upper surfaces of the upper guide ribs  53  and the upper guide portions  63 . 
     Each of the upper guide portions  63  is formed with a shelf guide groove  63 A for guiding each of the side ends of the bottom surface of the shelf such that the side end is seated on the upper surface of the upper guide portion  63  in the process of mounting the shelf  70  in the storage space. Furthermore, catching hooks  71 , which are to be caught by bottom surfaces of the upper guide portions  63 , are provided at front regions of the both side ends of the bottom surface of the shelf  70 . 
     Support ribs (not shown) provided at upper ends of both side surfaces of the receiving box  40  are supported on the upper surfaces of the lower guide ribs  55  and the lower guide portions  65 . Furthermore, the receiving box  40  is moved in the fore and aft direction within the storage space in a state where the support ribs are supported on the upper surfaces of the lower guide ribs  55  and the lower guide portions  65 . 
     Meanwhile, a rear end of the lower guide portion  65  is provided with a support portion  66 . Furthermore, a seating space  66 ′ is provided in a region on the back face of the rail body  61  corresponding to the support portion  66 . The seating space  66 ′ is a space in which a front end of the lower guide rib  55  is seated in a state where the back face of the rail body  61  is brought into close with the side surface of the inner case  50 . The seating space  66 ′ is defined by the lower guide portion  66  that is formed by depressing a portion of the rail body  61  in a direction far away from the side surface of the inner case  50 . 
     A plurality of contact ribs  67  are formed in a region on the back face of the rail body  61  corresponding to the interior of the seating space  66 ′. The contact ribs  67  function to support the support portion  66  while being brought into close contact with the front end of the lower guide rib  55  that is seated in the seating space  66 ′. 
     Each of the contact ribs  67  includes a front contact portion  67 A that is brought into close contact with the front surface  55 B and an inclined contact portion  67 B that is brought into close contact with the inclined portion  55 C. The front contact portion  67 A extends vertically on the back face of the rail body  61 , and the inclined contact portion  67 B extends to be inclined downwardly at a predetermined angle from a lower end of the front contact portion  67 A toward the side surface of the inner case  50 . Furthermore, the ceiling of the seating space  66 ′ is brought into close contact with the upper surface  55 A in a state where the lower guide portion  55  is seated in the seating space  66 ′. 
     Furthermore, the rail body  61  is provided with a roller  68 . The roller  68  is formed by protruding upwardly in a region where a part of the lower guide portion  65  is depressed downwardly. The roller  68  is to further facilitate the movement of the receiving box  40  along the lower guide rib  55  and the lower guide portion  65 . To this end, it is preferred that the level of an upper end of an outer periphery surface of the roller  68  be the same as or higher than that of the upper surface of the lower guide portion  65 . 
     Hereinafter, the operation of the guide rail for a refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in greater detail. 
     First, the process of mounting the guide rail for a refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     The guide rail  60  is moved such that the back face thereof is brought into close contact with the side surface of the inner case  50 . At this time, the through-hole  61 H is positioned to communicate with the fastening hole, and the locking hooks  62  are inserted into the fastening grooves. Furthermore, the guide rail  60  is fixed to the side surface of the inner case  50  by causing the screw S 2  to penetrate through the through-hole  61 H and to be fastened into the fastening hole. 
     The lower guide rib  55  is seated in the seating space  66 ′ in a state where the back face of the guide rail  60  is in close contact with the side surface of the inner case  50 . In such a state where the lower guide rib  55  is seated in the seating space  66 ′, the contact rib  67  is in close contact with the lower guide rib  55 . 
     Next, the process of causing a storage container to be accommodated in or taken out from a storage space by using the guide rail for a refrigerator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. 
     As described above, the shelf  70  or the receiving box  40  is mounted in the storage space in a state where the guide rails  60  are installed on the both side surfaces of the inner case  50 . At this time, the shelf  70  is mounted in the storage space in such a manner that the both side ends of the bottom surface of the shelf  70  are supported on the upper surfaces of the upper guide ribs  53  and the upper guide portions  63 . Furthermore, the receiving box  40  is mounted in the storage space in such a manner that the support ribs are supported on the upper surfaces of the lower guide ribs  55  and the lower guide portions  65 . 
     Meanwhile, in order to use the receiving box  40 , the receiving box  40  is moved in the fore and aft direction within the storage space. At this time, the receiving box  40  is moved in the fore and aft direction within the storage space in the state where the support ribs are supported by the lower guide ribs  55  and the lower guide portions  65 . 
     When the receiving box  40  is moved forward from the storage space in a state where foods are contained in the receiving box, a load resulting from the weight of the receiving box  40  and foods contained therein may be concentrated on the lower guide portion  65 . However, as described above, the guide rail  60  is supported by the screw S 2  and the locking hooks  62  as well as the lower guide rib  55  seated in the seating space  66 ′. Hence, even though a load is concentrated on the lower guide portion  65  in the process of causing the receiving box  40  to be accommodated in or taken out from the storage space, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the guide rail deviates from its correct position as the rear end of the guide rail  60  is lifted relatively with respect to the front end thereof. 
     The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above but is defined by the appended claims. It will be apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes thereto within the scope of the invention defined by the claims. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     With the guide rail for a refrigerator according to the present invention thus constructed, the following advantages can be expected. 
     In the present invention, since the guide rib formed on the side surface of the inner case is seated in the seating space provided in the guide rail, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the guide rail deviates from its correct position, even though a load of the receiving container is concentrated on one side of the guide rail. Hence, the movement of the receiving container guided by the guide rails can be more smoothly performed, resulting in improvement of the operational reliability of a product. 
     Furthermore, since the guide rail is prevented from deviating from its correct position, deformation of or damage to the guide rails and/or a structure for fixing the guide rails is avoided. Hence, the durability of a product can be improved.