Abstract:
A refrigerator which includes a main body cabinet having an inner cabinet, and the inner cabinet including a storage compartment and a guide rail disposed in an inner side of the inner cabinet, a slide rail sliding on the guide rail, and a door assembly including a storage container which is accommodated in the storage compartment and a supporting frame supporting the storage container and sliding on the slide rail, the supporting frame includes a first through hole through which an air current in the storage compartment passes, and the storage container includes a ventilating hole disposed in a surface thereof to correspond to the first through hole so that the air current passes therethrough. Thus, the refrigerator allows a door assembly to be smoothly opened and closed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0097641, filed on Oct. 17, 2005, and No. 2005-0131938, filed on Dec. 28, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, to a refrigerator including a door assembly having a ventilating hole.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Generally, a conventional refrigerator includes a main body cabinet having storage compartment, a door provided to the main body cabinet to open and close the storage compartment, and a cooling system supplying cool air to the storage compartment.  
         [0006]     The cooling system is a direct cooling type system in which an evaporator is provided to an outer surface of an inner cabinet and directly exchanges heat with the storage compartment, and an indirect cooling type system in which cool air around an evaporator is supplied to the storage compartment by a fan.  
         [0007]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional refrigerator  100  includes a plurality of main body cabinets  101  respectively provided with a storage compartment  103 . A door assembly  110  is slidably coupled to each main body cabinet  101  to open and close the storage compartment  103 . The door assembly  110  is provided with a supporting frame  112  supporting a storage container  111 . The door assembly  110  includes a door cover  113  integrally coupled to the supporting frame  112  and provided with a handle  114 .  
         [0008]     A couple of guide rails  102  for the opening and closing of the door assembly  110  are disposed in opposite sides of the storage compartment  103  of the main body cabinet  101 . A slide rail  120  is slidably coupled to each guide rail  102 , and is slidably coupled to the supporting frame  112  of the door assembly  110 .  
         [0009]     With this configuration, a user can grasp the handle  114  of the door cover  113  to draw the door assembly  110  from the storage compartment  103  of the main body cabinet  101 . Here, the slide rail  120  allows the door assembly  110  to smoothly slide with respect to the main body cabinet  101 .  
         [0010]     However, in the conventional refrigerator  100 , when the door assembly  110  is opened and closed, the supporting frame  112  and the slide rail  120  contact with external air, and consequently, moisture in the external air may be frozen. Since the supporting frame  112  and the slide rail  120  are cooled by cool air of the storage compartment  101 , when the door assembly  110  is drawn to the outside, the supporting frame  112  and the slide rail  120  are exposed to external air having relatively high temperature. At this time, moisture in the external air contacts with the supporting frame  112  and the slide rail  120  and becomes saturated to be condensed or frozen. Also, when the door assembly  110  remains inside the storage compartment  103 , the condensed or frozen moisture becomes hard by cool air of the storage compartment  103 . As the opening and closing of the door assembly  110  is repeated, the frozen moisture is accumulated.  
         [0011]     Accordingly, the slide ability among the guide rail  102 , the slide rail  120  and the supporting frame  112  is deteriorated, and the opening and closing of the door assembly  110  needs an excessive force because of an increase in frictional resistance.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which allows a door assembly smoothly opened and closed.  
         [0013]     Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
         [0014]     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator including a main body cabinet including an inner cabinet wherein the inner cabinet includes a storage compartment and a guide rail disposed in an inner side of the inner cabinet, a slide rail to slide on the guide rail, and a door assembly including a storage container which is accommodated in the storage compartment and a supporting frame to support the storage container and to slide on the slide rail, wherein the supporting frame includes a first through hole through which an air current in the storage compartment passes, and the storage container includes a ventilating hole disposed in a surface thereof to correspond to the first through hole so that the air current passes therethrough.  
         [0015]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the slide rail includes a second through hole allowing the air current passed through the first through hole to be transferred to the guide rail therethrough.  
         [0016]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage container further includes a sub-ventilating hole adjacent to the ventilating hole.  
         [0017]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes an inner rail coupled with the supporting frame and to slide on the slide rail.  
         [0018]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the inner rail includes a third through hole allowing the air current passed through the first through hole to be transferred to the slide rail therethrough.  
         [0019]     Another aspect of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator including an inner cabinet including a storage compartment and a guide rail, a slide rail to slide on the guide rail, a storage container which is accommodated in the storage compartment, and a supporting frame to support the storage container and to slide on the slide rail, to thereby move between a closing position in which the storage container is accommodated in the storage compartment and an opening position in which the storage container is drawn therefrom, wherein the supporting frame includes a first through hole through which an air current in the storage compartment passes, and the slide rail includes a second through hole disposed to correspond to the first through hole at the closing position so that the air current passes therethrough.  
         [0020]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage container includes a ventilating hole disposed to correspond to the first through hole at the closing position so that the air current passes therethrough.  
         [0021]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes an inner rail coupled with the supporting frame to slide on the slide rail, and the inner rail including a third through hole allowing the air current passed through the first through hole to be transferred to the slide rail through the third through hole.  
         [0022]     Another aspect of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator including an inner cabinet wherein the inner cabinet includes a storage compartment and a guide rail, the refrigerator further including an air current generating part to generate an air current in the storage compartment, a storage container which is accommodated in the storage compartment, the storage container including an inlet in a first side thereof through which the air current generated from the air current generating part flows into the storage container, and a ventilating hole in a second side thereof through which the air current inside the storage container flows out, and a supporting frame which is supported by the guide rail, to thereby support the storage container, wherein the storage container moves between a closing position in which the storage container is accommodated in the storage compartment and an opening position in which the storage container is drawn therefrom, and includes a first through hole disposed to correspond to the ventilating hole so that the air current inside the storage container passes through the ventilating hole and the first through hole.  
         [0023]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes a slide rail interposed between the guide rail and the supporting frame, to support the supporting frame to slide on the guide rail, and with the slide rail including a second through hole disposed to correspond to the first through hole, wherein the air current passed through the first through hole passes through the second through hole when the supporting frame is in the closing position.  
         [0024]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage container further comprises a sub-ventilating hole adjacent to the ventilating hole.  
         [0025]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further includes an inner rail coupled with the supporting frame and to slide on the slide rail.  
         [0026]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the inner rail is formed with a third through hole allowing the air current passed through the first through hole to be transferred to the slide rail therethrough.  
         [0027]     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a refrigerator comprising an inner cabinet forming a storage compartment and having a guide rail, further comprising: a storage container formed with a ventilating hole through which an air current passes; and a slide rail supporting the storage container with respect to the guide rail to allow the storage container to move between a closing position in which the storage container is accommodated in the storage compartment and an opening position in which the storage container is drawn therefrom, and having a through hole disposed to correspond to the ventilating hole when the storage container is at the closing position.  
         [0028]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator further comprises a supporting frame supporting the storage container, interposed between the storage container and the slide rail to slide on the slide rail, and having a through hole disposed to correspond to the ventilating hole. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings of which:  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a conventional refrigerator;  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view illustrating a door assembly coupled with a main body cabinet in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 4  is a side view illustrating the door assembly drawn from the main body cabinet in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
         [0035]     The refrigerator  100  shown in  FIG. 1  will now be used to illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the reference numerals shown in  FIG. 1  refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , an air current generating part  130  is provided to the storage compartment  103  to generate an air current such as cool air. The air current generating part  130  may be a duct or a fan. Alternatively, the air current generating part  130  may be a unit transferring air current generated in other storage compartments to the storage compartment  103 . The present invention is not limited hereto and may vary, accordingly.  
         [0037]     Further,  FIG. 2  illustrates a door assembly  210  coupled to the guide rail  102  through a slide rail  220 .  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the door assembly  210  comprises a storage container  211 , a supporting frame  212  disposed around a circumference of the storage container  211  to support the storage container  211 , and a door cover  213  coupled with the supporting frame  212 . The supporting frame  212  supports the storage container  211  so that the storage container  211  moves between a closing position in which the storage container  211  is accommodated in the storage compartment  103  and a opening position in which the storage container  211  is drawn therefrom.  
         [0039]     The supporting frame  212  comprises a plurality of first through holes  212   a , and a plurality of ventilating holes  211   a  are formed in a side of the storage container  211  to correspond to the first through holes  212   a.    
         [0040]     Also, a plurality of inlets  211   c  are formed in a rear side of the storage container  211  to allow cool air generated from the air current generating part  130  to flow into the storage container  211 .  
         [0041]     The cool air generated from the air current generating part  130  is supplied into the storage container  211  through the inlets  211   c , to cool an inside of the storage container  211 .  
         [0042]     Also, the cool air supplied into the storage container  211  is transferred to all portions of the supporting frame  212  and the slide rail  220  through the ventilating holes  211   a  and the first through holes  212   a.    
         [0043]     The storage container  211  comprises a plurality of sub-ventilating holes  211   b  adjacent with the ventilating holes  211   a . The sub-ventilating holes  211   b  allow the cool air to flow more smoothly.  
         [0044]     The supporting frame  212  comprises an inner rail  215 , and is slidably coupled with the slide rail  220 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view illustrating the state in which the supporting frame  212  is positioned in the closing position so that the door assembly  210  is coupled with the main body cabinet  101 .  
         [0046]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a groove ‘H’ is provided in an inner surface of the storage compartment  103 , and the guide rail  102  is disposed to the groove ‘H’. The slide rail  220  is slidably coupled with an inner side of the guide rail  102 . The slide rail  220  slides on the guide rail  102 . The slide rail  220  comprises a plurality of second through holes  220   a  disposed to correspond to the first through holes  212   a  when the supporting frame  212  is positioned in the closing position, so that cool air can pass through the first through holes  212   a  and the second through holes  220   a.    
         [0047]     The inner rail  215  of the door assembly  210  is slidably coupled with an inner side of the slide rail  220 . The inner rail  215  slides on the slide rail  220 . Thus, the door assembly  210  is accommodated/drawn in/from the main body cabinet  101  by a sliding means among the inner rail  215 , the slide rail  220  and the guide rail  102 .  
         [0048]     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a ball bearing  230  is disposed among the respective rails  102 ,  220  and  215 , but alternatively, the respective rails  102 ,  220  and  215  may be slidably coupled by means of a sliding contact, a rolling contact, etc.  
         [0049]     When the door assembly  210  is drawn from the main body cabinet  101  to open the storage compartment  103 , first, the inner rail  215  slides integrally with the door assembly  210  along the slide rail  220  a predetermined distance. Then, an end portion of the inner rail  215  becomes engaged with an end portion of the slide rail  220 , and the slide rail  220  moves integrally with the door assembly  210 . The slide rail  220  slides on the guide rail  102  to be drawn from the main body cabinet  101 , and accordingly, the door assembly  210  is drawn from the main body cabinet  101 .  
         [0050]     Alternatively, the inner rail  215  can be omitted as necessary. The supporting frame  212  is formed in the shape of the inner rail  215  to be directly slidably coupled with the slide rail  220 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 4  illustrates a state in which the door assembly  210  is drawn from the main body cabinet  101 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the supporting frame  212  is positioned in the opening position and the door assembly  210  is fully drawn from the main body cabinet  101 , the slide rail  220  slides on the guide rail  102  of the main body cabinet  101  to protrude from a front of the refrigerator  100 , and the inner rail  215  protrudes forward over the slide rail  220 .  
         [0052]     In  FIG. 3 , the storage container  211  comprises the ventilating holes  211   a  and the sub-ventilating holes  211   b . The supporting frame  212  comprises the first through holes  212   a  disposed to correspond to the ventilating holes  211   a . Also, the inner rail  215  comprises a plurality of third through holes  215   a  disposed to correspond to the ventilating holes  211   a.    
         [0053]     When the door cover  213  of the door assembly  210  closes the storage compartment  103 , cool air generated from the air current generating part  130  flows into the storage container  211  through the inlets  211   c . Then, the cool air flowed in the storage container  211  flows to the guide rail  102  through the ventilating holes  211   a  of the storage container  211 , the first through holes  212   a  of the supporting frame  212 , the third through holes  215   a  of the inner rail  215 , and the second through holes  220   a  of the slide rail  220  in an ordered sequence. At this time, the cool air flowed to the respective rails  102 ,  220  and  215  removes moisture or ice remaining in the respective rails  102 ,  220  and  215  by means of drying or sublimation. Alternatively, the air current generating part  130  can be omitted as necessary. Thus, moisture or ice thereon can be removed by a natural convection in the storage compartment  103 .  
         [0054]     Accordingly, moisture condensed or ice frozen on the supporting frame  212 , the slide rail  220  and the inner rail  215  when the door assembly  210  is drawn to the outside can be immediately removed by cool air passing through the supporting frame  212 , the slide rail  220  and the inner rail  215  to circulate in the storage compartment  103  when the door assembly  210  is accommodated in the main body cabinet  101 . Thus, moisture or ice can be prevented from being accumulated thereon. Consequently, the guide rail  102 , the slide rail  220  and the supporting frame  212  can slide smoothly without being hindered by means of frozen moisture or ice thereon.  
         [0055]     In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the supporting frame supports the storage container, and is slidably supported with the slide rail. However, alternatively, the supporting frame can be omitted. The slide rail can directly support the storage container, and slide integrally with the storage container on the guide rail. Also, cool air can pass through the ventilating holes of the storage container and the second through holes of the slide rail to remove moisture or ice thereon.  
         [0056]     As described above, the present invention provides the refrigerator comprising the ventilating holes formed to the storage container and the first through holes formed to the supporting frame allowing cool air to be supplied to the slide rail and the guide rail to remove moisture or ice thereon, and accordingly can decrease frictional resistance between the slide rail and the guide rail, and thereby allowing the door assembly to be smoothly opened and closed.  
         [0057]     Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.