Abstract:
The present invention relates to a door basket for a refrigerator. According to the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a door basket for a refrigerator, comprising: a fixed casing portion which includes a predetermined seating space opened upward and forward and is formed to extend from side to side and fixed horizontally to a door liner; and a pivotable accommodation portion which is pivotably installed to the fixed casing portion, includes a predetermined accommodation space opened upward, and is formed to extend from side to side. A lower surface of the pivotable accommodation portion is supported on a bottom surface of the fixed casing portion in the state that foods are accommodated in the accommodation space. All of the fixed casing portion  60  and the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are formed by injection molding. According to the present invention, the door basket of the refrigerator can be manufactured with reduced cost, prevent the accommodated foods from hindering the pivoting thereof, be easily manufactured and installed, and be freely adjusted in its installation height.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a door basket for a refrigerator which is installed on a rear surface of a door to store foods therein.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a door basket for a refrigerator according to a prior art.  
         [0005]     As shown in the figures, a pair of projections  14  are formed along the vertical direction at both sides of a door liner  12  which defines a rear surface of a door  10  for the refrigerator. A plurality of supporting shelves  16 ,  17 , and  18  are formed to extend from side to side between the projections  14  and provided at predetermined intervals. At least a pair of holders  22  are installed on inner side surfaces of the projections  14 , respectively. The holders  22  for installing a door basket  30 , which will be described bellow, are installed so that lower surfaces thereof are supported on upper surfaces of the supporting shelves  17  and  18 . Lower edges of inner side surfaces of the holders  22  are formed with hinge holes  24  flush with each other, respectively.  
         [0006]     The respective door baskets  30  are installed between the inner side surfaces of the holders  22 . The door basket  30  for accommodating foods, which is formed substantially in a hexahedron extending from side to side, is provided with an accommodation space  32  which is formed by arranging a plurality of wires with a certain diameter at predetermined intervals and the upper surface of which is opened.  
         [0007]     In the meantime, both side surfaces of a lower end of the door basket  30  are formed with hinge projections  34  which are inserted into the hinge holes  24 , respectively. Thus, with the hinge projections  34  being inserted into the hinge holes  24 , the door basket  30  is installed so that a lower surface thereof is supported on the upper surface of the supporting shelf  18 .  
         [0008]     In the accommodation space  32  of the door basket  30  so constructed, a variety of foods are accommodated. With the foods being accommodated in the accommodation space  32 , the lower surface of the door basket  30  is supported on the upper surface of the supporting shelf  18 . When the foods are taken in and out of the door basket  30 , if the door basket  30  pivots forward (i.e., counterclockwise in  FIG. 2 ) about the hinge projections  34  inserted into the hinge holes  24 , it is easy to take the foods in and out of the door basket.  
         [0009]     However, the door basket of the refrigerator according to the prior art as described above has the following problems.  
         [0010]     As described above, since the door basket  30  is formed by knitting the plurality of the wires, the above door basket  30  is manufactured with increased cost as compared with ones manufactured by other methods such as injection molding.  
         [0011]     In addition, since the door basket  30  consists of the plurality of the wires, the accommodation space  32  communicates with the outside through gaps between the wires. Therefore, the foods or parts thereof accommodated in the accommodation space  32  are projected through such gaps and bump against a portion of the holders  22  in a pivoting process of the door basket  30 , which may hinder the door basket  30  from pivoting.  
         [0012]     Further, in order to install the door basket  30 , the door basket  30  should be installed between the holders  22  after fixing the holders  22  to the projections  14  of the door liner  12 . That is, since the door basket  30  should be installed to the holders  22  in a narrow space between the inner side surfaces of the projections  14 , it is not easy to assemble the door basket  30  to the door liner  12 .  
         [0013]     Furthermore, since the door basket  30  is installed to the projections  14 , i.e., the holders  22  fixed to the projections  14  of both the sides of the door liner  12 , it is not easy to adjust a height of the door basket  30 .  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Accordingly, the present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a door basket for a refrigerator of which manufacturing costs can be reduced.  
         [0015]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a door basket for a refrigerator of which pivoting action cannot be hindered by stored foods.  
         [0016]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a door basket for a refrigerator which can be easily installed.  
         [0017]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a door basket for a refrigerator of which the height can be freely adjusted.  
         [0018]     According to the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a door basket of a refrigerator, comprising a fixed casing portion including a predetermined seating space opened upward and forward, the fixed casing portion being formed to extend from side to side and fixed horizontally to a door liner; and a pivotable accommodation portion pivotably installed to the fixed casing portion, the pivotable accommodation portion including a predetermined accommodation space opened upward and being formed to extend from side to side, wherein a lower surface of the pivotable accommodation portion is supported on a bottom surface of the fixed casing portion in the state that foods are accommodated in the accommodation space.  
         [0019]     The fixed casing portion is fixed to the door liner by means of a plurality of fastening projections and fastening grooves, the fastening projections and the fastening grooves being formed at positions corresponding to each other on both sides of the door liner and both side surfaces of the fixed casing portion, respectively.  
         [0020]     Preferably, the plurality of the fastening projections are provided at opposite positions on both the sides of the door liner at regular vertical intervals.  
         [0021]     More preferably, hinge projections and hinge holes into which the hinge projections are inserted are provided at positions corresponding to each other of lower edges of both side surfaces of the fixed casing portion and lower edges of both side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion, respectively, so that the pivotable accommodation portion is pivotably installed into the fixed casing portion.  
         [0022]     Still more preferably, catching projections which allow the pivotable accommodation portion to pivot with respect to the fixed casing portion within a predetermined range and stoppers onto which the catching projections are caught are provided at positions corresponding to each other of on both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion and both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion, respectively.  
         [0023]     Still more preferably, the catching projections are provided at front ends of pivoting guides, which are formed in upper ends of both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion and guide pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion, respectively; the stoppers are provided in lower surfaces of flanges protruding outward from upper ends of both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion, respectively.  
         [0024]     The fixed casing portion and the pivotable accommodation portion are formed by injection molding.  
         [0025]     According to the present invention, there are advantages in that the door basket for the refrigerator can be manufactured with reduced cost, prevent the stored foods from hindering the pivoting action thereof, be easily installed, and be freely adjusted in its installation height. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a rear elevational view of a door on which a door basket for a refrigerator according to a prior art is installed;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the door taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a door basket for a refrigerator according to the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of a door for the refrigerator on which the embodiment of  FIG. 3  is installed; and  
         [0031]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are views showing the operation of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0032]     Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0033]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a door basket for a refrigerator according to the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of a door for the refrigerator on which the embodiment of the present invention is installed.  
         [0034]     As shown in the figures, a rear surface of a door  40  for the refrigerator is mounted with a plurality of door baskets  50 . Each door basket  50  comprises a fixed casing portion  60  fixed to a door liner  42  of the door  40  and a pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivotably installed in the fixed casing portion  60 . In addition, it is preferred that the fixed casing portion  60  and the pivotable accommodation portion  70  be formed by injection molding.  
         [0035]     The fixed casing portion  60 , which is formed substantially in a hexahedron extending from side to side, is opened to its upper and front faces. Both side surfaces of the fixed casing portion  60  are formed with projection bosses  61 , respectively. Fastening grooves  62  are formed by the projection bosses  61 . The fastening grooves  62  for fixing the fixed casing portion  60  to the door liner  42 , are formed on both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion  60  to be opened outward and downward, respectively.  
         [0036]     Fastening projections  45  formed on both inner side surfaces of projections  44  of the door liner  42  are inserted into the fastening grooves  62 , so that the fixed casing portion  60  is caught onto the projections  44  formed on both sides of the door liner  42 .  
         [0037]     In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of the fastening projections  45  are provided at opposite positions on both the projections  44  at regular vertical intervals. Therefore, by selecting the fastening projections  45  to be inserted into the fastening grooves  62 , the height where the door basket  50  is installed may be adjusted.  
         [0038]     Hinge projections  64  are provided so as to face each other on both inner side surfaces of the fixed casing portion  60 , which are opposite to both the side surfaces where the projection bosses  61  are formed, respectively. The hinge projections  64  are formed at both the side surfaces of a front and lower portion of the fixed casing portion  60 . The hinge projections  64  are portions about which the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots. The hinge projections  64  are inserted into hinge holes  74 , which will be described bellow.  
         [0039]     In addition, pivoting guides  66  are formed over predetermined sections of upper ends of both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion  60 . An end of each pivoting guide  66  is provided with a catching projection  68 . The pivoting guides  66  for guiding the pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are formed by cutting off portions having predetermined width and length from the upper ends of both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion  60 . The catching projections  68  protrude upward from the front ends of the pivoting guides  66 , and restrict the pivotable accommodation portion  70  to pivot only within a predetermined angular range.  
         [0040]     A predetermined accommodation space  72  opened upward is provided in the pivotable accommodation portion  70 , which is shaped substantially in a hexahedron extending from side to side. Both outer side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are formed with the hinge holes  74 , respectively. The hinge projections  64  are inserted into the hinge holes  74 , so that the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots with respect to the fixed casing portion  60 .  
         [0041]     Upper ends of both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are formed with flanges  76  which protrude outward. Lower surfaces of the flanges  76  are provided with stoppers  78 . The stoppers  78  serve to guide the pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  and to prevent the pivotable accommodation portion  70  from pivoting in excess of a predetermined angular range with respect to the fixed casing portion  60 . That is, the stoppers  78 , which protrude downward from front ends of the lower surfaces of the flanges  76 , move back and forth along the pivoting guides  66  when the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots, and are caught onto the catching projections  68  in the state after the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots by the predetermined angle.  
         [0042]     Hereinafter, the operation of the door basket for the refrigerator according to the present invention with the configuration as described above will be described in detail.  
         [0043]     First, installation of the door basket of the present invention to the door will be described. The fixed casing portion  60  formed by injection molding is fixed between the projections  44  provided on both the sides of the door liner  42  of the door  40 . Then, the pivotable accommodation portion  70  which is also formed by injection molding is mounted pivotably back and forth to the fixed casing portion  60 .  
         [0044]     That is, the hinge projections  64  of the fixed casing portion  60  are inserted into the hinge holes  74  of the pivotable accommodation portion  70 , respectively. In addition, the stoppers  78  of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are positioned on the pivoting guides  66  of the fixed casing portion  60 . In the state that the pivotable accommodation portion  70  is mounted to the fixed casing portion  60  as described above, the door basket  50  is mounted to the door  40 .  
         [0045]     Therefore, the door basket  50  is mounted by catching the fastening grooves  62  of the fixed casing portion  60  onto both the fastening projections  45  with a desired height, which are selected out of the plurality of the fastening projections  45  provided on the projections  44  of the door liner  42 . Here, since the fastening grooves  62  are opened downward, the fastening projections  45  can be inserted into the fastening grooves  62  by pushing the door basket  50  downward from an upper portion of the door liner  42 .  
         [0046]     If the door basket  50  is installed to the fastening projections  45  properly selected as described above, height differences between the door baskets  50  installed on the rear surface of the door  40  may be set up as desired. Accordingly, it is possible to properly accommodate tall foods, for example, contained in drinking water bottles.  
         [0047]     In addition, as described above, since the fixed casing portion  60  and the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are formed by the injection molding, it is possible to reduce manufacturing cost of the door basket  50 . Furthermore, since in the state that the pivotable accommodation portion  70  is installed in the fixed casing portion  60 , the fixed casing portion  60  is fixed to the door liner  42  only by pushing the fixed casing portion  60  thereinto, causing the installation to be easy.  
         [0048]     Next, referring to  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b,  the operation of the door basket  50  of the present invention will be described.  
         [0049]      FIG. 5   a  shows the state that foods are taken in and out of the accommodation space in the door basket. That is, in order to take the foods in and out of the door basket  50 , the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots with respect to the fixed casing portion  60  by a predetermined angle. Here, the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots about the hinge holes  74 , into which the hinge projections  64  are inserted, counterclockwise in the figure.  
         [0050]     In the meantime, while moving from right to left in the figure along the pivoting guides  66  of the fixed casing portion  60 , the stoppers  78  of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  guide the pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion  70 . In addition, if the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots from its initial position counterclockwise with respect to the fixed casing portion  60  within the predetermined angular range, front surfaces of the stoppers  78  are caught onto rear surfaces of the catching projections  68  of the front ends of the pivoting guides  66 , and thus, the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots no more.  
         [0051]     If the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots and then is inclined at the predetermined angle as described above, it is easy to accommodate the foods, for example, contained in drinking water bottles into the accommodation space  72  in the pivotable accommodation portion  70 , or to take the foods accommodated in the accommodation space  72  out thereof. In addition, since the foods accommodated in the pivotable accommodation portion  70  are not projected to the outside, it is possible to prevent the pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  from being hindered by the projection of such foods.  
         [0052]     In addition,  FIG. 5   b  shows the state that the foods are accommodated in the accommodation space of the pivotable accommodation portion. That is, if the foods are accommodated in the accommodation space  72 , the pivotable accommodation portion  70  is made pivot clockwise in the figure. The pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots about the hinge projections  64  and the hinge holes  74 , and the stoppers  78  move from left to right in the figure along the pivoting guides  66 .  
         [0053]     Then, if the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots and reaches its initial position, the stoppers  78  are positioned on rear ends of the pivoting guides  66 . In addition, since a lower surface of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  is supported on a bottom surface of the fixed casing portion  60  and a rear surface of the pivotable accommodation portion  70  is in close contact with a rear surface of the fixed casing portion  60 , the pivotable accommodation portion  70  pivots no more.  
         [0054]     As described above, since the door basket of the refrigerator according to the present invention comprises the fixed casing portion and the pivotable accommodation portion which are formed by the injection molding, the manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced.  
         [0055]     In addition, it is possible to prevent the pivoting action of the pivotable accommodation portion from being hindered by the projection of the foods or parts thereof accommodated in the pivotable accommodation portion.  
         [0056]     Further, in the state that the pivotable accommodation portion is installed in the fixed casing portion, since the fixed casing portion is fixed to the door liner by pushing the fixed casing portion downward from the upper portion of the door liner, it is easy to install the door basket.  
         [0057]     Furthermore, by forming the plurality of the fastening projections for fixing the fixed casing portion on both the sides of the door liner to correspond to each other at predetermined intervals, the height of the door basket can be easily adjusted. Thus, it is possible to effectively use the accommodation space of the pivotable accommodation portion.  
         [0058]     The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated 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 technical spirit of the invention. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.  
         [0059]     Although in the illustrated embodiment, the hinge projections and the hinge holes are formed on both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion and both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion, the hinge projections and the hinge holes may be formed on both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion and both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion, respectively.  
         [0060]     In addition, although in the illustrated embodiment, the fastening projections provided on both the inner side surfaces of projections of the door liner are inserted into the fastening grooves formed on both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion, it is worth consideration that the fastening projections are provided on both the side surfaces of the fixed casing portion and the fastening grooves are formed on both the inner side surfaces of projections of the door liner.  
         [0061]     In the meantime, since the flanges provided in the pivotable accommodation portion are for forming the stoppers, it is possible to form the stoppers to protrude outward from both the side surfaces of the pivotable accommodation portion.