Patent ID: 7810891

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a basket; a body having a cooling chamber; a base frame movable in back and forth directions of the body and having a door; a lifting frame arranged at an upper surface of the base frame for the loading a basket, said lifting frame including a lower plate having an upper surface contacting a lower surface of the basket positioned thereon, a first side plate extending upwardly from said lower plate on a left side of said base frame and a first mounting portion extending leftward from said first side plate, and a second side plate extending upwardly from said lower plate on a right side of said base frame and a second mounting portion extending rightward from said second side plate; a first lifting rail, coupled to the lifting frame and door, to guide the lifting frame to be lifted up and down, the first side plate including a first protrusion slidably coupled to the first lifting rail; a second lifting rail, parallel to the first lifting rail and coupled to the lifting frame and door, to guide the lifting frame to be lifted up and down, the second side plate including a second protrusion slidably coupled to the second lifting rail, a lifting frame driving unit mounted at left and right sides of the base frame and connected to the left and right sides, respectively, of the lifting frame for lifting the lifting frame, said lifting frame driving unit including a first driving unit mounted on said first mounting portion and a second driving unit mounted on said second mounting portion; a first control switch to generate a first control signal for simultaneously activating the first and second driving units to lift the lifting frame to a predetermined height; and a second control switch to generate a second control signal to lower the lifting frame to a retracted position from said predetermined height, wherein the first and second control switches are mounted on a surface of the refrigerator and adapted to be operated by a user in controlling movement of the lifting frame when the door is in an open position, wherein the refrigerator further comprises: a first sensor to generate a first stop signal to prevent the lifting frame from continuing to be lifted during activation of the first control switch, the first sensor to generate the first stop signal to prevent the lifting frame from being lifted beyond said predetermined height; and a second sensor to generate a second stop signal to prevent the lifting frame from continuing to be lowered during activation of the second control switch, the second sensor to generate the second stop signal to allow the basket to be lowered to a position that allows the door to be closed, wherein the first sensor is coupled to the first lifting rail and the second sensor is coupled to the second lifting rail.