Abstract:
Disclosed is a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising support parts formed on internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket, slide rails coupled with both sides of the storage basket so as to correspond to the support parts, being moved by sliding relative to the support part, and roller members coupled with the slide rails, being rotatable so as to contact the support parts by rolling. With this configuration, there is provided a refrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operated when it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment, thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance is graceful.

Description:
[0001]     This invention is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0002603 filed on Jan. 11, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, a refrigerator wherein a storage basket can be easily inserted into and exited from the refrigerator, and it is agreeable in visual appearance.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     A storage basket of a refrigerator may include a plastic basket formed by an injection molding, or a wire basket formed with a plurality of wires, etc.  
         [0006]     Generally, since the other faces of the plastic basket, except for an opening part, are closed, transmission of cool air in a storage compartment has not been facilitated. For this reason, use of the wire basket is preferred, rather than the plastic basket.  
         [0007]     A conventional refrigerator disclosed in Korean Patent First Pub. No. 10-2004-0082698 comprises a main cabinet formed with a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and a refrigerator compartment door and a freezer compartment door installed in front of the main cabinet, opening and closing the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment respectively.  
         [0008]     In the lower part of the freezer compartment is inserted a storage box accommodating therein goods to be stored. The storage box is coupled to the rear face of the freezer door whereby it is inserted into or exited from the freezer compartment together with the freezer door when the freezer door is opened and closed.  
         [0009]     The upper part of the freezer compartment is partitioned into the left and the right by a partition. In the left, an ice maker and an ice bank are installed and a storage basket formed with wires is disposed in the right.  
         [0010]     On both sides of the upper right space of the freezer compartment are mounted rail guides whereby the storage basket is slid forward and backward. On both sides of the storage basket are mounted moving rails coupled to the rail guides, along which the storage basket can be entered into and taken out of the freezer compartment.  
         [0011]     With this configuration, the moving rails slidably move with respect to the rail guides. Accordingly, the storage basket can be inserted into or exited from the freezer compartment. However, in this conventional refrigerator, a friction force of the rail guide and the moving rail generated when the storage basket is entered into or taken out of the freezer compartment causes insertion and exit operations not to be facilitated, thereby causing inconvenience in use.  
         [0012]     In addition, when no moving rail is mounted on the storage basket, wires coupled to sides of the storage basket contact the rail guide, to thereby cause friction between them. At this time, the coating covering the wires is worn off, thereby making an external appearance of the storage basket disagreeable.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operated when it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment, thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance is agreeable.  
         [0014]     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising: a support part formed on both internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket; a slide rail coupled with both sides of the storage basket corresponding to the support part, being moved by sliding relative to the support part; and a roller member coupled with the slide rail, being rotatable to contact the support part by rolling.  
         [0015]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basket further comprises a second horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the basket body and coupling with the slide rail. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the roller member comprises an upper roller member mounted on an upper part of the slide rail, and a lower roller member mounted on a lower part of the slide rail; and an upper roller receiving part and a lower roller receiving part in which the upper roller member and the lower roller member are respectively received are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the slide rail.  
         [0016]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, a guide rail guiding sliding movement of the slide rail is mounted on the support part.  
         [0017]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the lower roller member is disposed in front of and separately from the upper roller member; and at least one projection to define movement of the lower roller member is formed on a front area or a rear area of the guide rail.  
         [0018]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, a horizontal region is formed on the front area of the guide rail and a lower inclined region is formed on the rear area thereof.  
         [0019]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, an engagement part to maintain an engagement of the slide rail with the storage basket or disengaging the slide rail from the storage basket is formed on the slide rail and the storage basket respectively.  
         [0020]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagement part comprises a region of the wire of the basket body, and a wire inserting part formed on the slide rail, in which the wire is inserted. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the slide rail comprises a rail body coupled to a side part of the basket body; a rear coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a rear part of the basket body; and a front coupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a front part of the basket body.  
         [0021]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part having the second horizontal wire and a horizontal wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the second horizontal wire; and a vertical engagement part having the vertical wire and a vertical wire inserting part formed in the rail body and inserted with the vertical wire.  
         [0022]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the roller member comprises a roller body, a rotational shaft formed on the roller body, and a roller support part coupled with the rotational shaft, rotatably supporting the roller body.  
         [0023]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basket further comprises a cover coupled to one side of the basket body.  
         [0024]     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a method of detachably coupling a slide rail to a storage basket formed with a vertical wire and a horizontal wire, comprising coupling a first side of the slide rail to one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket; positioning a corresponding part of the slide rail to a horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sides of the storage basket and coupling them; coupling a second side of the slide rail to the other one of vertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket.  
         [0025]     According to the embodiment of the present invention, the coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket comprising coupling the slide rail to the side part of the storage basket without an extra tool by applying pressure. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the front of a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a guide rail mounted on an internal face of a body cabinet of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a connection of a lower storage basket and a slide rail in the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a disconnection of the lower storage basket and the slide rail of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view illustrating a main configuration of the lower storage basket of  FIG. 4 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 6A  is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basket inserted into the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 6B  is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basket exited from the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0035]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a body cabinet  10  having a storage compartment  11  formed with a front opening  10   a , and a door  20  installed on the body cabinet  10 , opening and closing the storage compartment  11 .  
         [0036]     The storage compartment  11  is partitioned into an upper part and a lower part by a primary partition  14 . A refrigerator compartment  12  is formed in the upper part of the body cabinet  10  and a freezer compartment  13  is formed in the lower part thereof.  
         [0037]     The doors  20  includes a refrigerator compartment door  21  and a freezer compartment door  22  which are mounted correspondingly with the refrigerator compartment  12  and the freezer compartment  13 , respectively opening and closing the refrigerator compartment  12  and the freezer compartment  13 .  
         [0038]     The refrigerator compartment door  21  and the freezer compartment door  22  are horizontally rotated based on a hinge part provided on one side of the body cabinet  10 .  
         [0039]     Within the refrigerator compartment  12  are installed shelves disposed vertically at predetermined intervals, dividing the refrigerator compartment  12 .  
         [0040]     The upper part of the freezer compartment  13  is divided vertically by a secondary partition  15 . In the left space is disposed an ice maker  25  making ices and removing the ices from the ice maker  25  and an ice storage container  26  in the lower part of the ice maker  25 , storing therein the ices removed. In the right space is installed an upper storage basket  27  moveable by sliding.  
         [0041]     In the lower part of the freezer compartment  13  is installed a lower storage basket  28  received movably by sliding in the lower space.  
         [0042]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , support parts  16  supporting the lower storage basket  28  are formed on both internal wall faces of the freezer compartment  13 , and projections  17  on which the top of the lower storage basket  28  to be described later is seated are formed on the upper parts of the support parts  16 .  
         [0043]     The support parts  16  are depressed laterally on both internal wall faces of the freezer compartment  13 , and guide rails  60  are mounted on inside parts of the support parts  16 .  
         [0044]     The guide rails  60  may be prefabricated in the body cabinet  10  when it is molded by foaming, to thereby be integrally coupled to the body cabinet  10 . A horizontal region  61  is formed on the front area of the guide rails  60  and a downward inclined region  62  is formed on the rear area thereof (refer to  FIGS. 6A and 6B . When the lower storage basket  28  is inserted in the inside of the freezer compartment  13  along the guide rails  60 , it moves along the horizontal region  61  in the front area of the guide rails  60  and moves along the downward inclined region  62  in the rear area thereof, to then be seated in the freezer compartment  13 . Accordingly, where the body cabinet  10  is inclined forwardly, the downward inclined regions  62  of the guide rails  60  prevent the lower storage basket  28  from being easily exited forwardly. In addition, a front engagement projection  63  is formed in the front area of the guide rail  60 , the front engagement projection  63  preventing the lower storage basket  28  from being completely exited from the freezer compartment  13 . Also, a rear engagement projection  64  is formed in the rear area of the guide rail  60 , the rear engagement projection  64  determining an insertion of the lower storage basket  28 . If the lower storage basket  28  is completely exited from the freezer compartment  13  due to a use&#39;s carelessness, this may cause the user to be hurt. In this respect, the front engagement projection  63  would block the lower storage basket  28  from being completely exited from the freezer compartment  13 , thereby preventing the user from being hurt. In addition, when the lower storage basket  28  is inserted in the freezer compartment  13 , a position of the lower storage basket  28  to be inserted is determined by the lower engagement projection  64  whereby the lower storage basket  28  is blocked from colliding with the body cabinet  10 , thereby preventing the lower storage basket  28  from being damaged.  
         [0045]     As illustrated in FIGS.  3  to  5 , the lower storage basket  28  comprises a lower basket body  29  formed with a plurality of wires  71  shaped with a grid, and a cover  30  coupled to the front of the lower basket body  29 .  
         [0046]     On the rear of the cover are formed hooks  30   a  coupled to the wires  71  of the lower basket body  29 . The cover  30  may function as a handler with which the user can hold it, a cover externally covering goods stored in the lower basket body  29 , a blocker blocking cool air of the freezer compartment  13  from being discharged forwardly.  
         [0047]     The lower basket body  29  is shaped with a quadrilateral box having an upper opening, the top of which is outwardly bent from the circumferential edges of both sides thereof. According to this, the top of the lower basket body  29  can be seated on the projections  17  formed on internal wall faces of the body cabinet  10 .  
         [0048]     On both sides of the lower basket body  29  are mounted slide rails  40  corresponding to the guide rails  60 , along which the lower basket body  29  is slid relative to the guide rails  60 . Here, the refrigerator comprises a roller member  50  coupled to the slide rails  40 , being rotated so that the lower storage basket  28  contacts the guide rails  60  by rolling. According to this, the lower storage basket  28  can be smoothly inserted and exited by the roller member  50 , thereby being convenient in use. Further, engagement parts  70  are preferably formed on the slide rails  40  and the lower storage basket  28 , the engagement parts  70  maintaining engagement of the slide rails  40  with the lower storage basket  28  or disengaging the slide rails  40  from the lower storage basket  28 . (Refer to  FIG. 5 )  
         [0049]     The slide rail  40  comprises a rail body  41 , a front coupling part  42  formed in front of the rail body  41 , coupled to the front part of the lower basket body  29  and a rear coupling part  43  formed in rear of the rail body  41 , coupled to the rear part of the lower basket body  29 .  
         [0050]     On the upper part of the rail body  41  is formed an upper roller receiving part  44  in which an upper roller member  51  to be described later is received, and a lower roller receiving part  45  receiving therein a lower roller member  52  to be described later is formed on the lower part of the rail body  41 .  
         [0051]     The upper roller receiving part  44  and the lower roller receiving part  45  are each depressed to a predetermined depth from a planar surface of the rail body  41 .  
         [0052]     The roller member  50  comprises the upper roller member  51  mounted on the upper part of the slide rail  40  and the lower roller member  52  mounted on the lower part thereof.  
         [0053]     The upper roller member  51  comprises an upper roller body  51   a , a rotational shaft  51   b  mounted on both sides of the upper roller body  51   a , and an upper roller support part  51   c  coupled to the rotational shaft  51   b , rotatably supporting the upper roller body  51   a . Accordingly, the upper roller body  51   a  can be rotated based on the rotational shaft  51   b  to thereby contacting the upper part of the guide rail  60  by rolling.  
         [0054]     The lower roller member  52  comprises a lower roller body  52   a , a rotational shaft  52   b  formed on both sides of the lower roller body  52   a , and a lower roller support part  52   c  coupled to the rotational shaft  52   b , rotatably supporting the lower roller body  52   a . Accordingly, the lower roller body  52   a  is rotatable based on the rotational shaft, thereby contacting the lower part of the guide rail  60  by rolling. Desirably but not necessarily, the lower roller member  52  is disposed in and separately from the front of the upper roller member  51 , under which the lower roller member  52  is engaged with the front engagement projection  63  when the storage basket is exited from the freezer compartment  13 , and the lower roller member  52  is engaged with the rear engagement projection  64  when the storage basket is inserted in the inside of the freezer compartment  13 .  
         [0055]     The engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part  80  having a second horizontal wire  29   d  and a horizontal wire inserting part  81  formed on the rail body  41  and inserted with the second horizontal wire  29   a ; and a vertical engagement part  70  having a vertical wire  29   b  and a vertical wire inserting part  72  formed on the rail body  41  and inserted with a vertical wire  29   b . Here, the slide rail is coupled with the second horizontal wire and the vertical wire of the lower storage basket. Alternatively, the slide rail may be coupled with a first horizontal wire and a vertical wire of the lower storage basket.  
         [0056]     The second horizontal wire  29   a  and the vertical wire  29   b  respectively couple with/are separated from the horizontal wire inserting part  81  and the vertical wire inserting part  72  without an extra tool, thereby simplifying an assembling process thereof.  
         [0057]     Insertion of the lower storage basket  28  of the refrigerator according to the present invention into and exit thereof from the freezer compartment  13  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 6A and 6B .  
         [0058]     While the lower storage basket  28  is inserted in the freezer compartment  13 , the lower roller member  52  is engaged with the rear engagement projection  64  of the guide rail  60 .  
         [0059]     Thereafter, if a user pulls the lower storage basket  28  forward to thereby exit it from the freezer compartment  13 , the upper roller member  51  and the lower roller member  52  are rolled along the upper part and the lower part of the guide rail  60  whereby the former contacts the latter, and they are moved by sliding. After each of the roller members  51  and  52  is moved upward along the lower inclined region  62  of the guide rail  60 , it can continue to be moved forward along the horizontal region  61 . At this time, the lower storage basket  28  cannot be completely exited forwardly from the freezer compartment  13  since it is engaged with the front engagement projection  63  of the guide rail  60 .  
         [0060]     With this configuration, a method of coupling the storage basket and the slide rail of the refrigerator according to the present invention is as follows.  
         [0061]     First, a user couples the vertical wire  29   b  disposed on a rear part of the lower storage basket  28  and the rear coupling part  43  of the slide rail  40 . At this time, the vertical wire  29   b  on a rear part of the lower storage basket  28  forcibly fits the vertical wire inserting part  72  formed in the rear coupling part  43  by applying pressure.  
         [0062]     Then, a corresponding part of the slide rail  29  is positioned to a horizontal wire  29   d  laterally disposed outside the lower storage basket  28  to be coupled therewith. At this time, the horizontal wire  29   d  laterally disposed outside the lower storage basket  28  forcibly fits the vertical wire inserting part  81  formed in the rail body  41  of the slide rail  40  by applying pressure.  
         [0063]     Finally, the vertical wire  29   b  on a front part of the lower storage basket  28  is coupled to the front coupling part  42  of the slide rail  40 . The vertical wire  29   b  on a front part of the lower storage basket  28  fits the vertical wire inserting part  81  formed in the front coupling part  42  by applying pressure. Here, the coupling of the front part of the lower storage basket and the front coupling part of the slide rail occurs at the same time as the coupling of the lateral part of the lower storage basket and the rail body of the slide rail.  
         [0064]     Thus, the storage basket and the slide rail are assembled and detached from each other without an extra tool, thereby improving work efficiency.  
         [0065]     In connection with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that the roller member contacts the guide rail by rolling, but the roller member is available for contact by rolling where no guide rail is provided; at this time, the roller member can contact the support part by rolling.  
         [0066]     In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been described that the lower storage basket contacts both internal wall faces of the body cabinet by rolling, but the upper storage basket may also contact an internal wall face of the body cabinet and a secondary partition by rolling.  
         [0067]     In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been described that the rear parts of the storage basket and the slide rail are coupled with each other first, then the side parts thereof are coupled with each other, and finally the front parts thereof are coupled. Alternatively, the front parts of the storage basket and the slide rail may be coupled with each other first, and then the side parts and the rear parts thereof may be coupled. The method of coupling the storage basket and the slide rail is not limited thereto, and may be various as long as it provides a simple assembling process.  
         [0068]     Although the present invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the invention.