Patent ID: 7600833

Claim:
A method for raising and lowering a basket of a refrigerator comprising: providing a refrigerator having: a basket door; a pair of lifting rails connected to a rear surface of the basket door; a lifting frame having a lifting portion movably connected to each of the pair of lifting rails, and a loading portion extending from the lifting portion for loading the basket; and a basket driving unit for driving the lifting frame, the basket driving unit including: a pair of driving arms, each driving arm contacting the lifting frame and being hinge-connected to the basket door, for lifting the lifting frame, each driving arm being provided with a roller roll-movably in contact with a lower surface of the loading portion of the lifting frame at one end thereof, the pair of driving arms being connected by a hinge shaft extending therebetween, wherein the hinge shaft is rotatably supported by a supporting frame fixed to the rear surface of the basket door; and a driving motor for generating a driving force to rotate the pair of driving arms, wherein a distance between the connections of the lifting portion to the lifting rails measured in a lateral direction of the door is greater than a distance between the pair of driving arms measured in the lateral direction of the door; inputting a signal for lifting or lowering the basket supported by the lifting frame; driving the basket driving unit in a forward direction or a backward direction according to the signal inputted to lift or lower the basket; and stopping the basket when the basket reaches a maximum position or a minimum position, wherein lifting and lowering the basket is controlled by rolling the roller forwardly or rearwardly at the lower surface of the lifting frame, thereby lifting or lowering the basket.