cooler

专利摘要:
REFRIGERATOR A refrigerator including a storage container that can be selectively attached to a refrigerator body or door by a storage container support device is provided. The refrigerator may include a refrigerator body having a storage compartment formed therein, a revolving door to open or close the storage compartment, a gasket provided between the door and the refrigerator body, a storage container that can be selectively coupled to the door or refrigerator body, a storage container support device provided on the door, the refrigerator body or the storage container to allow the storage container to be selectively coupled to and supported by the refrigerator body or the door, and a control device provided at the door to selectively control the operation of the storage container support device from outside the door.
公开号:BR102012015111B1
申请号:R102012015111-1
申请日:2012-06-19
公开日:2021-02-17
发明作者:Jihyun IM；Moongyo JUNG；Jindong KIM；Gyeongjin Jang；Myoungju KANG
申请人:Lg Electronics, Inc.；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

[0001] This order claims the priority of Korean Orders No. 10-2012-0008600, 10-2012-0008601, 10-2012-0008602, 10-2012-0008603, 10-2012-0008604, 10-2012-008605, 10-2012-008606, 10-2012-0008607 and 10- 2012-0008608, all deposited in Korea on January 27, 2012, and Korean Order No. 10-2012-0000457, filed in Korea on January 3, 2012, the full disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND 1. Field
[0002] This refers to a refrigerator and more particularly, a refrigerator having a storage container can be selectively disposed in a door or a refrigerator body. 2. Rationale
[0003] In general, a refrigerator keeps items frozen or at a temperature just above freezing, lowering the refrigerator's interior temperature using the cold air generated by a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator. Such a refrigerator may include a freezer compartment in which the items are stored in the frozen state and a refrigeration compartment in which the items are stored at a low temperature. As the interior of the refrigerator is usually kept at a lower temperature than outside, it can be advantageous to structure the access doors of the freezer compartment and the refrigeration compartment to minimize the loss of cold air. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The modalities will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which the same reference numerals refer to similar elements, being that: FIGs. 1 and 2 are seen in perspective of a refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here; FIGs. 3A-3C are sectional plan views of various positions of a refrigerator storage container shown in FIGs. 1 and 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the refrigerator storage container and refrigerator door shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; FIGs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a connection support device provided in the refrigerator storage container, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIGs. 7A-7B are seen in perspective of the connection support device; FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the connection support device; FIG. 9 is a side view of the connection support device connected to a door fixing device; FIG. 10 is a side view of the connecting support device separate from the door fixing device; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the door fixing device and a fixing member; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the connection support device; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a locking hook of the connection support device shown in FIG. 12; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the connection support device of FIG. 12, in which a side portion of an angle is omitted to show a rotation limiter of the connecting support device; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a drawer for an auxiliary storage compartment removed from the refrigerator shown in FIGs. 1 and 2; FIGs. 16A-16B are perspective views of two drawers provided in the refrigerator shown in FIGs. 1 and 2; FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the storage container separate from the door; FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a pair of bearing devices mounted on the storage container shown in FIG. 17; FIGs. 19A-19B are perspective views of the rolling device shown in FIG. 18; FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of the rolling device shown in FIGS. 19A-19B; FIG. 21 is a partial side sectional view of the bearing device coupled to and supported by a body of the refrigerator; FIG. 22 is a partial side sectional view of the bearing device in contact with a door bearing support bar; FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a first latch device coupled to the refrigerator's storage container, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the first latch device shown in FIG. 23; FIG. 25 is an enlarged perspective view of the first latch device shown in FIGs. 23 and 24; FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a second latch device coupled to the refrigerator's storage container, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the second latch device shown in FIG. 26; FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of the second latch device shown in FIGs. 26 and 27; FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the door and a refrigerator latch switching device, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 30 is an enlarged perspective view of the storage container and the refrigerator door, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 31 is a perspective view of an installation of the first latching device with respect to the storage container according to another embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 32 is a perspective view of an installation of the second latching device with respect to the storage container according to another embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 33 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the first latch device and second latch device; FIG. 34 is an enlarged perspective view of a first latching device according to another embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 35 is an enlarged perspective view of a second latching device according to another embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 36 is a perspective view of support members of the first and second latch devices shown in FIGs. 33-35, illustrating the connection between support members using a connector; FIG. 37 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the connection between the support members of the first and second latch devices shown in FIGs. 33-35; FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a first guide support device and a cooler fixing member, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 39 is a perspective view of a second guide support device and a cooler fixing member, according to an embodiment as widely described here; FIG. 40 is a perspective view of a connection structure of the latch switching device; FIG. 41 is an enlarged perspective view of the latch switching device shown in FIG. 40; FIGs. 42 and 43 are side views illustrating the operation of the latch switching device; FIG. 44 is a perspective view of the latch switching device and an interrupting device; FIG. 45 is an enlarged perspective view of the latch switching device; FIGs. 46 and 47 are side views illustrating the operation of the latch switching device and interrupting device; FIGs. 48A and 48B are plan views respectively illustrating the coupling between the fixing member and the first latching device and coupling between the fixing member is the second latching device, according to modalities as widely described here; FIG. 49 is a plan view of a position of a support member shown in FIGs. 48A-48B; FIGs. 50A and 50B are planar sectional views illustrating a relationship between the fastening member and the first or second latch device and a relationship between the fastening member and the first or second guide support device shown in FIGs. 48A-48B; FIGs. 51A and 51B are plan views illustrating the separation between the first latching device and the fixing member, according to modalities as widely described here; FIG. 52 is a plan view showing a position of the support member shown in FIGs. 51A-51B; FIGs. 53A and 53B are planar sectional views illustrating a relationship between the fastening member and the first or second latch device and a relationship between the fastening member and the first or second guide support device shown in FIGS. 51A-51B; FIG. 54 is a view illustrating the case in which a cap is inserted into an interruption recess, in accordance with modalities as widely described here; FIG. 55 is a view illustrating the case in which the cap is separated from the interruption recess, in accordance with modalities as widely described here; FIG. 56 is a side sectional view illustrating a state in which a door and the storage container are connected to each other through the coupling between the fastening device provided on the door and the support device of the storage container provided on the storage container; and FIG. 57 is a side sectional view illustrating a state in which the door and the storage container are separated from each other by separating the fastening device provided on the door and the support device of the storage container provided on the storage container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0005] A refrigerator can include, for example, a freezer compartment and a refrigeration compartment defined in a cabinet, and can be selectively opened or closed by a freezer compartment door and a refrigeration compartment door, respectively. The freezer compartment door and the refrigeration compartment door can be swiveled to open on the front sides of the freezer compartment and cooling compartment. Each door may include a gasket to seal the interior of the corresponding storage compartment. The freezer compartment door and / or the refrigeration compartment door can each be provided with a storage container configured to store small storage items.
[0006] To minimize the loss of cold air due to frequent door opening / closing, the freezer compartment door and / or the refrigeration compartment door can include an auxiliary opening that provides access to the storage container and an auxiliary door that is rotating mounted on the door to selectively open and close the auxiliary opening. The auxiliary door can allow a user to place items inside or remove items from a receiving space without opening the refrigeration compartment door or the freezing compartment door.
[0007] In other words, the freezer compartment door and / or the refrigeration compartment door can be pivotally connected to the refrigerator body by, for example, a hinge and, in turn, the auxiliary door can be pivotally mounted on the compartment door. freezing compartment and / or the refrigeration compartment door.
[0008] A gasket for sealing the freezing compartment or the cooling compartment can be installed along an edge portion of an internal surface of the freezing compartment door and / or the cooling compartment door that contacts a front surface of the refrigerator body. A gasket can also be installed along an edge of an inner surface of the auxiliary door that contacts a freezing compartment door and / or the cooling compartment door, in order to seal the receiving space inside the door. help.
[0009] However, the provision of a gasket on the auxiliary door, in addition to the freezing compartment door and / or the cooling compartment door, can increase the loss of cold air compared to the case in which an auxiliary door is provided.
[0010] In addition, condensation can accumulate in a gasket contact region, ie the front surface of the refrigerator body and the front surface of the freezer compartment door and / or the refrigeration compartment door due to a temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor. This can be prevented by heating these two regions, but the use of two heaters to prevent condensation in these areas can increase energy consumption.
[0011] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, a refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here may include a refrigerator body 10 in which a storage compartment 20 is defined, compartment 20 being divided into cooling and freezing compartments, doors 30 and 40 configured to selectively open and closing a front opening of the refrigerator body 10, a storage container 100 detachably coupled to and supported by the refrigerator body 10 or one of the doors 30 and 40, and a connecting support device 200 provided between the storage container 100 and one of the ports 30 and 40 so that storage container 100 can be selectively supported by one of ports 30 and 40.
[0012] Although the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 include an upper cooling compartment (ie storage compartment 20) and a lower freezing compartment, the modalities as widely described here can be applied to a refrigerator in which the positions of the cooling compartment and the freezing compartment are inverse, or in which the cooling compartment and the freezing compartment are located side by side, on the left and right sides.
[0013] As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIGs. 1 and 2, a fastening device 210 can be provided on an interior / rear surface of the door 30, in a position corresponding to the connection support device 200, such that the connection support device 200 can be selectively coupled by the connection device fastening 210. In alternative embodiments, such a fastening device 210 can be provided on a rear / inner surface of the door 40. Simply to facilitate discussion, in this exemplary embodiment, the storage container 100 is coupled to the door of the cooling compartment 30. Other arrangements may also be appropriate.
[0014] The connection support device 200 can be selectively connected to and released from the fixture 210 according to whether or not the connection support device 200 comes into contact with an entry margin of the storage compartment 20 defined in the body of the refrigerator 10 .
[0015] Refrigerator doors 30 and 40 can be pivotally connected to one side of the refrigerator body 10 through hinges 13, in order to open or close front openings of the refrigeration compartment and the freezing compartment, respectively.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, a gasket 31 can be attached to an edge of an internal surface of the door 30 which contacts a front surface of the refrigerator body 10, in order to seal the storage compartment 20. Alternatively, the gasket can be provided in the front body surface 10.
[0017] The doors 30 and 40 can respectively include handles 32 and 42. In particular, in the case of the door 30 to which the storage container 100 is mounted, the handle 32 can be provided, for example, in a lower left corner of the door 30 when seen from the front side of the refrigerator. Other arrangements may also be appropriate.
[0018] Storage container 100, as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, can be selectively supported by the refrigerator body 10 and the door 30, with the storage container 100 directly attached or to the door 30, as shown in FIG. 3B, or to the body of the refrigerator 10, as shown in FIG. 3C, without being connected to the hinge 13. Thus, the storage container 100 can rotate together with the door 30 without the aid of the hinge 13 when the storage container 100 is mounted to the door 30.
[0019] For this purpose, additional devices can be provided for connection or disconnection between storage container 100 and port 30, and between storage container 100 and refrigerator body 10. These devices may include, for example, the support device connector 200, the first latch device 520 (see FIGS. 24 and 31) and the second latch device 530 (see FIGS. 27 and 31), the first guide support device 510 (see FIG. 38), the second guide support device 540 (see FIG. 39), interruption recesses 111 and 121 (see Figures 31 and 32) and support guide recesses 112 and 122 (see Figures 31 and 32) in which portions of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 can be selectively inserted. The aforementioned devices can generally be referred to as a storage container support device.
[0020] In FIG. 1 the storage container 100 is positioned in the body of the refrigerator 10 to allow a user to place storage items inside or remove storage items from storage container 100. Thus, when the user opens door 30, the front surface of the storage container 100 is exposed to the outside, but cold air inside storage compartment 20 is maintained in storage compartment 20 due to the position of storage container 100. In FIG. 2, the storage container 100 is coupled to the door 30. Thus, when the user opens the door 30, the front surface of the storage compartment 20 is exposed to allow the user to place storage items inside or remove the storage items from the storage compartment 20.
[0021] A button 610 can be provided at an upper end of the handle 32 of the port 30. The button 610 can change a coupling position of the storage container 100 of the refrigerator body 10 to the port 30. In certain embodiments, a controller 600 can selectively control the operation of some / all components of a particular support device of the storage container, and can be provided, for example, on port 30 so that the user can operate controller 600 from outside port 30. Such controller 600 can include button 610 and a plurality of components connected to button 610.
[0022] If the user opens door 30 while pushing button 610, as shown in FIG. 1, the storage container 100 can be detached from the port 30 and coupled to the storage compartment 20. As such, the front surface of the storage container 100 (serving as an auxiliary storage compartment) is exposed.
[0023] As previously noted, the storage container 100 can be supported by each of the body of the refrigerator 10 and the door of the refrigeration compartment 30, and can be fixed to maintain the supported position of the same. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, a refrigerator as incorporated and widely described herein can include first and second latch devices 520 and 530 provided in storage container 100, to allow storage container 100 to be selectively supported by and attached to port 30 or the storage compartment 20.
[0024] In this case, a lower portion of the connection support device 200 can be covered by the storage container 100 and not seen from the outside. Only a portion of the connecting support device 200 that contacts an entry margin 24 of the storage compartment 20 of the refrigerator body 10 can project upwardly and be exposed.
[0025] In FIG. 3A the door 30 is positioned to close the storage compartment 20 of the refrigerator body 10. In this case, the storage container 100 can be connected to the body of the refrigerator 10 so as to cover the front opening of the storage compartment 20, or it can be connected to port 30 to cover the front opening of the storage compartment 20.
[0026] The operations of various devices that can constitute the storage container support device for carrying out the first operation for coupling storage container 100 to port 30 will be described below.
[0027] If the storage container support device connects port 30 and storage container 100 to each other and port 30 is rotated, storage container 100 rotates together with port 30, and the front opening of storage compartment 20 it can be opened or closed depending on a position of the door 30. In this way, the user can remove storage items from or place storage items in the storage compartment 20.
[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 3C, the storage container support device can perform a second operation to connect the refrigerator body 10 and the storage container 100 to each other. The operations of various devices that may constitute the support device of the storage container for carrying out the second operation will be described below.
[0029] If the storage container support device for connecting the refrigerator body 10 and the storage container 100 to each other, the storage container 100 can be connected to an entrance of the storage compartment 20 and be fixed in the connected position. In this state, if the user rotates the door 30, the front surface of the storage container 100 is opened or closed because the storage container 100 is held in the fixed position without movement. Since the storage container 100 has an open front surface, if the door 30 is opened, the user can remove storage items from the storage container 100 or place storage items inside the storage container 100, without exposing the interior of the compartment storage 20 out.
[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage container 100 may include a frame 110 forming a rim of the storage container 100, one or more receiving shelves 120 mounted on the frame 110, and a cover 130 coupled to the frame 110 at the rear of the frame 110 in order to define a receiving space that is separate from the storage compartment 20 of the refrigerator body 10.
[0031] In certain embodiments, the frame 110 may form a rectangular border and may be formed of a metallic material.
[0032] The one or more receiving shelves 120 can be detachably mounted within the frame 110. Since in this particular embodiment the storage container 100 generally defines a vertically elongated rectangular receiving space, the receiving shelves 120 can divide the interior receiving space of the storage container 100 in a plurality of receiving spaces, in order to improve space utilization. For this purpose, in certain embodiments, two or more receiving shelves 120 can be vertically separated from each other by a predetermined distance.
[0033] The cover 130 can be attached to the frame 110 at the rear of the frame 110 so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the frame 110, with the receiving shelves 120 mounted on the frame 110, and can be positioned to face the cooling compartment 20 In certain embodiments, the cover 130 can be formed of a transparent material so that, if the door 30 is opened in a state in which a storage container 100 is coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10, the interior of the storage compartment 20 of the refrigerator body 10 can be visible through the transparent cover 130. Likewise, if the door 30 is opened in a state in which a storage container 100 is coupled to the door 30, the interior receiving space of the storage container 100 can be visible through the transparent cover 130.
[0034] In alternative embodiments, the storage container 100 may include only the receiving shelves 120. In this case, appropriate portions of the storage container support device may be provided on the receiving shelves 120. In this case, the interior of the storage compartment 20 it can be visible through spaces between adjacent receiving shelves 120.
[0035] The connecting support device 200 can be provided, for example, in the center of an upper surface of the frame 110, and the fixing device 210 can be provided on the rear surface of the door 30, in a position corresponding to the connection support device. 20 in order to be selectively connected to the connection support device 200. Other positions and arrangements may also be suitable.
[0036] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when viewed from the front side, the handle 32 is mounted in the lower left corner of the door 30, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are respectively mounted in a lower left corner and an upper left corner of the storage container. 100, and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are respectively mounted in a lower right corner and an upper left corner of the storage container 100.
[0037] In this embodiment, the controller 600 which selectively controls the operation of the storage container support device is incorporated as a latch switching device 600 provided in a portion of the port 30 where the handle 32 is installed. Latch switching device 600 can operate, for example, latching device 520 by applying pressure to latching device 520.
[0038] Latch switch 600 is connected to button 610 in order to apply force to the back of door 30. As latch device 520 is operated by operating latch switch 600, coupling between the door 30 and the storage container 100 can be released. Specifically, port 30 and storage container 100 can remain continuously coupled to each other as long as the user does not press button 610. However, if button 610 is pressed, coupling between port 30 and storage container 100 can be released and the storage container 100 can be coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10.
[0039] The handle 32 can be attached to a side surface of the door 30. The handle 32 can include, for example, a vertical stem forming a handle portion and a coupling portion that extends horizontally from the vertical stem to be secured to the side surface of the door 30. The latch switching device 600 can be recessed into the door 30, in the vicinity of a position where the handle 32 is attached to the door 30.
[0040] Fixing members 550 can be provided on the edge portions of door 30 and projecting backwards from the rear surface of door 30. Fixing members 550 can be inserted into latch devices 520 and 530 and guide support devices 510 and 540 in order to be coupled to or engaged by these devices 520, 530, 510 and 540.
[0041] The fastening members 550 can be selectively inserted into the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 of the storage container 100 so as to be coupled by the first and second latch devices 520 and 530, thus facilitating the coupling of the storage container 100 to the door 30. Thus, when door 30 is rotated, storage container 100 rotates together with door 30 via coupling between latch devices 520 and 530 and the corresponding fixing members 550.
[0042] In certain embodiments, the latch switching device 600 can push a specific latching device 520 and 530, ie the latching device 520 located in the lower left corner of the storage container 100 when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator, thus releasing the latch device 520 of a locked state.
[0043] As such, if the user releases the latch device 520 from a locked state via the latch switching device 600, push the button 610 provided in the handle 32 of the door 30 and thus pull the handle of the door 32, the storage container 100 it remains attached to the body of the refrigerator 10 and only the door 30 is turned and opened.
[0044] A pair of bearing devices 300 can be provided in the lower portion of the storage container 100. The bearing devices 300 can be considered components of the support device of the storage container.
[0045] Rolling devices 300 may include a plurality of graters each of which selectively supports storage container 100 on a lower surface of storage compartment 20, an upper surface of a shelf 23, and a support bar 35 projecting from of a rear surface of the door 30. Specifically, in the case in which a storage container 100 and the refrigerator body 10 are connected to each other, the bearing devices 300 come into contact with the lower surface of the storage compartment 20 or the upper surface of the shelf 23, thus supporting the load of the storage container 100. In the case in which a storage container 100 and the port 30 are connected to each other, the bearing devices 300 come into contact with the support bar 35 of the port 30, thus supporting the load of the storage container 100 on the support bar 35.
[0046] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the storage container 100 does not completely cover the front opening of the storage compartment 20. Instead, the storage container 100 covers a portion of a front opening above the shelf 23. The shelf 23 is positioned above an arranged drawer 26 in a lower region of the storage compartment 20. In this arrangement, the storage container 100 together with the shelf 23 and drawer 26 provides a substantially complete closure of the front opening of the compartment 20.
[0047] In this case, when the storage container 100 is coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10, one or more graters of the rolling devices 300 are supported by a front region of the upper surface of the shelf 23 which is positioned above the lower drawer 26.
[0048] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, shapes / dimensions of a plurality of shelves 21 and 22 and the drawer 25 above the lower drawer 26 in the cooling compartment 20 can also be designed to accommodate the storage container 100 coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10 at a predetermined depth.
[0049] A refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here can be configured such that the storage container 100 completely closes the front opening of the storage compartment 20. In this case, the storage container 100 can have a vertical height corresponding to a height of a front opening. of the storage compartment 20 and a width corresponding to the width of a front opening of the storage compartment 20, so that the storage container 100 fits within a front opening. If this arrangement includes two drawers 25 and 26 provided in the cooling compartment 20, a shape and dimension of the lowest drawer 26 can be selected so as not to interfere with the storage container 100, similar to drawer 25 above. In this arrangement, the bearing devices 300 come into contact with the lower surface of the cooling compartment 20, and not the shelf 23 above the lower drawer 26.
[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 4 and discussed above, the latch devices 520 and 530 and the guide support devices 510 and 540, which can selectively secure the storage container 100 to the body of the refrigerator 10 or the port 30 can include the first latch device 520 provided in a portion of the lower (left) corner of the frame 110 of the storage container 100 and the second latch device 530 provided in a portion of the upper (left) corner of the frame 110, on one side of the door 30 opposite the hinge 13, of so that the fastening members 550 can be selectively coupled by and coupled to the first and second latch devices 520 and 530.
[0051] The fixing members 550 can be located in the four corners of the rear surface of the door 30 in order to secure and couple the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540. As such, a pair of upper fixing members 550 and a pair of lower fixing members 550 can be provided to match latch devices 520 and 530 and support guide devices 510 and 540.
[0052] By operating the components described above, the storage container 100 can be connected to port 30 in order to be moved together with port 30, or it can be detached from port 30 and attached to the body of the refrigerator 10.
[0053] In the case in which a storage container 100 is attached to the body of the refrigerator 10, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are coupled by the body of the refrigerator 10, and the connection between the connecting support device 200 and the port 30 is released. In such a state, the bearing devices 300 are supported by the body of the cooler 10, thus supporting the downward load of the storage container 100.
[0054] The case in which a storage container 100 is connected to port 30 can be further considered on the basis of the following two cases.
[0055] In the case where a storage container 100 is connected to port 30, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 provided in a storage container 100 are connected to port 30 and connection between storage container 100 and the refrigerator body 10 is released. If the door 30 is opened in this state, the connection support device 200, also provided in a storage container 100, is connected to the door 30, thus preventing the downward movement of the storage container 100. Rolling devices 300 are supported by the support bar 35 provided in the lower portion of the door 30, thus supporting the load of the storage container 100. However, if the door 30 is closed, connection between the connection support device 200 and the door 30 is released, and the bearing devices 300 are supported by the cooler body 10. Since the storage container 100 can be received in and supported by the cooler body 10 even if the connection between the connecting support device 200 and the port 30 is released, the storage container 100 can be stably located in a fixed position.
[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the connection support device 200 can be located on top of the storage container 100. Based on whether or not the connection support device 200 contacts the inlet 24 of the storage compartment 20, the positions internal components can be adjusted in this way.
[0057] A detailed configuration and operation of the connection support device 200 will be described below.
[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the connecting support device 200 may include a support 240 coupled to the frame 110, a pivoting member 220 pivotally provided in the support 240, an upper end of the pivoting member 220 being configured to contact an upper portion of the inlet in the storage compartment 20, and a connecting member 230 configured to contact a rotating member 220, connecting member 230 being connected to or disconnected from the fixture 210 provided on port 30 according to whether or not the member connector 230 contacts a rotating member 220.
[0059] As shown in FIGs. 7A-7B and 8, the connecting support device 200 may include the swivel member 220, the connecting member 230 and the support 240. When the storage container 100 is coupled to the body of the cooler 10, the swivel member 220 is tightened through an upper portion of the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 and rotated. By rotating the rotating member 220, the connecting member 230 is rotated together with the rotating member 220. The holder 240 can support both the connecting member 230 and the rotating member 220, and can be coupled to an upper portion of the holding container. storage 100.
[0060] Holder 240 can be shaped in a "U" shape having a predetermined height when viewed from the top side. A rear wall surface of support 240 can be attached to the upper portion of the storage container 100 using, for example, a plurality of threads or other fastening mechanisms as appropriate.
[0061] Rotating axes 226 and 236 of the swivel member 220 and the connecting member 230 are respectively swiveled between opposite side walls of the U-shaped support 240.
[0062] The swivel member 220 may include the pivot shaft 226 mounted on an upper left portion of the support 240 when viewed from the side. The turning axis 226 may include a contact portion 222 and a clamping portion 224 in a central portion thereof.
[0063] When one side of the swivel member 220 is pinched by the upper portion of the front surface of the cooler body 10 causing it to rotate backwards or forwards, a portion of the swivel member 220 pushes the connecting member 230, thereby causing a connecting member 230 rotate too.
[0064] The connecting member 230 can be coupled with the clamping device 210 in a state in which a connecting member 230 is not in a rotated position. The coupling between the connecting member 230 and the clamping device 210 can be released when the connecting member 230 is rotated.
[0065] The connecting support device 200 can also include an elastic member 250 positioned between a connecting member 230 and a corresponding side of the support 240 to return the connecting member 230 to its original position when the rotating member 220 no longer pushes the connecting member 230.
[0066] Although in certain embodiments the elastic member 250 may be a coil spring, other components can be used as they provide adequate elastic force.
[0067] Thus, as the connecting member 230 is rotated upwardly by the elastic member 250, the connecting member 230 pushes the rotating member 220 upward, and the connecting member 230 and the rotating member 220 are returned to their original positions.
[0068] The fixing device 210 may include a plate 212 coupled, for example, by the thread to an upper portion of the rear surface of the door 30, and a receiving portion 214 formed integrally with the plate 212, the receiving portion 214 taking the form of a U-shaped loop horizontally attached to the plate 212 in order to receive a portion of the connecting member 230. The plate 212 can have a horizontally elongated rectangular shape and can be provided close to the opposite side edges thereof with a plurality of holes to receive a plurality of fasteners.
[0069] The receiving portion 214 can extend horizontally from the plate 212, and can be integrally formed with the plate 212. The receiving portion 214 can define an opening therein that receives the connecting member 230 by rotating it.
[0070] In certain embodiments, the fixture 210 can be formed of a high strength material because the fixture 210 supports a significant portion of the weight of the storage container 100. Therefore, the fixture 210 can be an integral component formed of a reinforced metal or plastic material.
[0071] As described above, the swivel member 220 includes the pivot shaft 226 pivotally mounted between the opposite side walls of the support 240, the contact portion 222 projecting upwardly from the pivot shaft 226 so as to contact the entrance of the storage compartment 20, and the clamping portion 224 extending from the turning axis 226 and connected to the contact portion 222.
[0072] When the contact portion 222 contacts the storage compartment 20 and is rotated downwards, the clamping portion 224 is moved along with the contact portion 222, thus pushing the connecting member 230.
[0073] The contact portion 222 and the clamping portion 224 can be integrally formed to define a substantially right angle between them. Both the contact portion 222 and the clamping portion 224 can be integrally formed with the pivot shaft 226, or they can be pivotally mounted on the pivot shaft 226.
[0074] The contact portion 222 can be positioned substantially vertically at an initial position thereon. When the storage container 100 is inserted into the storage compartment 20, the contact portion 222 is clamped by an inclined surface provided in an upper portion of the entrance of the storage compartment 20, thus being rotated forward or downward.
[0075] The clamping portion 224 formed integrally with the contact portion 222 is rotated together with the contact portion 222, thus pushing a depressible portion 232 eccentric to the turning axis 236 to allow rotation of the connecting member 230.
[0076] The depressable portion 232 of the connecting member 230 can extend in a left-and-right direction between opposite side walls of the support 240 and can contact and be pushed by the clamping portion 224, with the turning shafts 236 provided respectively at opposite ends of the depressable portion 232 for the swivel connection to the support 240.
[0077] Rotating guide members 237 can be provided at the opposite end of the depressable portion 232 respectively to provide smooth rotation of the connecting member 230 and serve as a spacer between the depressable portion 232 and the support 240. In certain embodiments, the guide members slewing rings can take the form of bearings or washers.
[0078] Connecting member 230 may also include a hook 234 having a curved concave shape extending from the depressable portion 232 towards the fixture 210 so as to be easily secured by or released from the receiving portion 214 of the fixture 210 .
[0079] A connection region between the hook 234 and the depressable portion 232 of the connecting member 230 can be provided with an insertion opening 238 into which the clamping portion 224 of the rotating member 220 can be inserted. The insertion opening 238 can be substantially rectangular in shape and can be located close to the depressible portion 232, instead of being centered on the upward convex hook 234.
[0080] In certain embodiments, a plurality of connection support devices 200 can be arranged in an upper portion of the storage container 100, or homemade bar cabinet, so that they are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance.
[0081] Two (or more) support devices can more effectively prevent left and right (i.e., lateral) swinging of the storage container 100 compared to a single connection support device.
[0082] One of the side walls of the support 240 can be provided with a first support piece 245 which extends inwardly from the side wall of the support 240 such that one end of the elastic member 250 is sandwiched by the first support piece 245. A second piece support member 239 can be provided on an upper surface of the depressable portion 232 such that the other end of the elastic member 250 is pressed by the second support member 239. In this way, if the connecting member 230 is rotated upwardly by the pushing operation of the rotating member 220, elastic member 250 is elongated so as to accumulate elastic force therein. Then, if the pressure force applied to the connecting member 230 is removed, the connecting member 230 is pivoted downwards by the elastic force of the elastic member 250 and returned to its original position. Through this operation of the connecting member 230, the rotating member 220 can be returned to its original position.
[0083] As illustrated in FIG. 9, in a state in which the contact portion 222 of the rotating member 220 does not come into contact with an inclined surface 15 provided at the entrance of the storage compartment 20, the contact portion 222 is substantially vertically oriented and the clamping portion 224 is substantially horizontally oriented.
[0084] The depressable portion 232 of the connecting member 230 may contact the clamping portion 224, or may be spaced from the clamping portion 224. In this case, since the clamping portion 224 does not actually push the depressible portion 232, although the clamping portion 224 contacts the depressable portion 232, the clamping portion 224 can remain horizontally oriented. While the clamping portion 224 remains horizontally oriented, one end of the hook 234 is received at and coupled by the receiving portion 214 of the clamping device 210, thereby connecting the connecting support device 200 to the clamping device 210, and connecting the container storage 100, to which the connecting support device 200 is mounted, and the door 30, to which the fastening part 210 is mounted. If the door 30 is rotated in the state described above, the storage container 100 can be moved along with the door 30.
[0085] As illustrated in FIG. 10, if the contact portion 222 of the swivel member 220 comes into contact with the inclined surface 15 provided at the entrance of the storage compartment 20 and is pressed forward, the entire swivel member 220 is rotated forward or downward, inserting the portion clamping 224 in the insertion opening 238 while pushing the depressable portion 232 of the connecting member 230. When the depressable portion 232 is tightened, the depressable portion 232 is rotated backwards or upwards, thereby causing a hook 234 to be rotated to above and separated from the receiving portion 214 of the fixture 210, thereby releasing the connection between the connecting support device 200 and the fixing device 210, and releasing the storage container 100, to which the connecting support device 200 it is mounted, from the door 30, to which the fixing device 210 is mounted. Thus, in the case in which a position of the storage container 100 is maintained at the entrance of the storage compartment 20 and the door 30 is rotated, the storage container 100 does not move together with the door 30, and only the door 30 rotates. .
[0086] As illustrated in FIGs. 4 and 11, the fixture 210 can be located on the upper portion of the rear surface of the door 30, and, as shown in FIGs. 7-10, may include plate 212 mounted on the rear surface of port 30 and receiving portion 214 extending outwardly from plate 212.
[0087] As previously described, the fixing member 550 can be provided on a lateral portion of the rear surface of the door 30 so as to be inserted into and coupled by the latch device 530. As shown in FIG. 11, the fixing member 550 can include legs 551 extending from the rear surface of the door 30 and a fixing pin 552 arranged at the distal ends of the legs 551 so as to be secured by the latch device 530.
[0088] A connection support device 1200 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGs. 12 to 14.
[0089] The connecting support device 1200 may include a connecting member 1230 including a pivot axis 1236 pivotally coupled to a support 1240, a hook 1234 extending from the pivot axis 1236 so as to be selectively coupled with a pivoting device. fastening 1210, and the depressable portion 1232 extending from the pivot axis 1236 in an opposite direction of the hook 1234, the depressible portion 1232 being adapted to be pressed by a rotating member 1220.
[0090] Similar to the first embodiment described above, in addition to the connecting member 1230 including the depressable portion 1232 and the hook 1234 which are integrally formed with each other and are rotatable about the turning axis 1236, the connecting support device 1200 accordingly. with this embodiment it can also include the rotating member 1220 including the contact portion 1222 and the clamping portion 1224, which are integrally formed with each other and are rotatable about a turning axis 1226, and the support 1240, to which the turning shafts 1226 and 1236 of the rotating member 1220 and the connecting member 1230 are mounted. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the clamping device 1210 is configured to be coupled with the connecting member 1230.
[0091] However, in connection member 1230 shown in FIGs. 12-14, the depressable portion 1232 and the hook 1234 can have a predetermined angle formed between them with respect to the pivot axis 1236. In addition, the contact portion 1222 and the clamping portion 1224 of the rotating member 1220 can respectively extend to upwards and forwards from the turning axis 1226 to form an obtuse angle between them, instead of a substantially right angle.
[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the spring 1250 can be connected between the protrusion formed on an internal surface of a side wall of the support 1240 and the protrusion laterally extending from one end of the depressable portion 1232 of the connecting member 1230.
[0093] The connecting support device 1200 may also include a rotation limiter 1245 attached to a lower portion of the support 1240 to limit a rotation angle of the depressable portion 1232. The rotation limiter 1245 can be fixed to a portion of the support 1240 below the pivoting member 1220 to limit a pivoting angle of the connecting member 1230 such that the depressable portion 1232 is pivotally rotatable only to a substantially horizontal position thereof.
[0094] Operation of the connection support device 1200 according to this modality is similar to that of the first modality, however there are differences as follows.
[0095] If the connection support device 1200 is clamped by the inclined surface 15 formed in the upper portion of the cooling compartment 20 and rotated, the various components of the connection support device 1200 are positioned as illustrated in FIG. 13. Then, if the storage container 100 is coupled to the port 30 and is removed from the cooling compartment 20, the various components of the connection support device 1200 are positioned as shown in FIG. 12.
[0096] In this case, as a lower surface of the hook 1234 of the connecting member 1230 comes into contact with an upper surface of the receiving portion 1214 of the fastening part 1210 by the weight of the storage container 100, the connecting support device 1200 acts to support the storage container 100. Thus, the storage container 100 is suspended from the fixing device 1210 in a manner similar to that of the hook on a rod.
[0097] Meanwhile, if the door 30 moves to close the cooling compartment 20, the rotating member 1220 contacts the upper portion of the front surface of the cooling compartment 20, thus being pushed forward. As the entire rotating member 1220 is rotated downward, the clamping portion 1224 pushes the depressible portion 1232 of the connecting member 1230, and the connecting member 1230 is again rotated to the position as shown in FIG. 13, thus being spaced from the fixing device 1210. In this way, the connection between the connecting member 1230 and the fixing device 1210 is released. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the speed limiter 1245 limits the rotation of the connecting member 1230.
[0098] As illustrated in FIG. 15 and discussed above, the refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here may include the refrigerator body 10, the storage compartment 20 defined in the refrigerator body 10, the doors 30 and 40 including handles 32 and 42 and pivotally coupled to the refrigerator body 10 through the hinge 13, the storage container 100 configured to be selectively mounted to the door 30 or to the body of the refrigerator 10, one or more first shelves 21 and 22 detachable and evenly installed in the storage compartment 20, a second shelf 23 disposed below of the first shelves 21 and 22 to selectively support the storage container 100, the second shelf 23 having a length from front to back close to a corresponding length from the rear surface to a front opening of the cooling compartment 20 in order to support the storage container 100 when storage container 100 is assembled placed on the front surface of the cooling compartment 20. As such, the storage container 100 can be selectively positioned on the second shelf 23 when inserted into the front opening of the cooling compartment 20.
[0099] The embodiment shown in FIG. 15 may also include an auxiliary storage compartment 400 defined within the body of the refrigerator 10 independent of the storage compartment 20. The auxiliary storage compartment 400 may include drawer 26, which can be removably inserted between the second shelf 23 and the bottom surface auxiliary storage compartment 400. Drawer 26 can be pulled out of auxiliary storage compartment 400 to remove food from drawer 26 when door 30 is opened, even when storage container 100 is coupled to the front surface of the compartment cooling unit 20.
[0100] For example, a vegetable chamber in the form of a drawer can be provided in a lower region of the cooling compartment. Thus, if the front surface of the auxiliary storage compartment 400 takes the shape of the drawer, the storage efficiency can be improved.
[0101] The refrigerator can also include drawer 25 removably disposed between the second shelf 23 and the first shelf 22. Drawer 25 can be placed removably on the second shelf 23 and located behind the storage container 100 when the storage container 100 is attached to the body of the refrigerator 10. Hereinafter, drawer 25 located below the first shelf 22 will be referred to as the first drawer, and drawer 26 placed below the second shelf 23 will be referred to as a second drawer.
[0102] The first shelf 22 can have a length from front to back that is less than that of the second shelf 23, since the first shelf 22 is located behind the storage container 100 when the storage container 100 is coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10 .
[0103] On the other hand, since the second shelf 23 is configured such that the front region of the upper surface of the second shelf 23 can selectively support the storage container 100, the second shelf 23 can extend as close to a front opening of the compartment cooling capacity 20 as possible, close to a rear surface of the door 30. In this way, the first shelf 22 may have a length from front to back that is less than that of the second shelf 23.
[0104] As illustrated in FIGs. 16A-16B, the first drawer 25 below the first shelf 22 and the second drawer 26 below the second shelf 23 can be similarly configured such that the front-to-back length of the second drawer 26 is greater than a front-to-back length. behind the first drawer 25. In addition, a surface of the first drawer 25 positioned next to door 30 can coincide vertically with an end surface of the first shelf 22 positioned next to door 30, and a surface of the second drawer 26 positioned next to door 30 it can coincide vertically with an end surface of the second shelf 23 positioned next to the door 30. As such, the second shelf 23 can divide the upper storage compartment 20 from the lower auxiliary storage compartment 400.
[0105] As illustrated in FIGs. 17, 18 and 19A-19B, the pair of bearing devices 300 can be provided in the lower portion of the storage container 100 to selectively support the storage container 100 with respect to the refrigerator body 10 and the port 30. The bearing devices 300 can be supported by the front region of the upper surface of the second shelf 23 when the storage container 100 is mounted on the body of the refrigerator 10. The bearing devices 300 can include a plurality of bearings 310 and 320 such that bearings 310 and 320 selectively support the storage container 100 with respect to the upper surface of the second shelf 23 placed on the body of the refrigerator 10 and the support bar 35 projecting from the lower portion of the rear surface of the door 30.
[0106] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the storage container 100 is not configured to completely cover the front opening of the cooling compartment 20, but instead, it is configured to cover a portion of the front opening above the shelf 23 placed in a drawer 26 disposed in the lowest region of the cooling compartment 20. In this case, if the storage container 100 is mounted on the body of the refrigerator 10, the single bearing 320 is supported by the front region of the upper surface of the second shelf 23 placed in the second lower drawer 26.
[0107] The plurality of shelves 21 and 22 mounted in the cooling compartment 20 and the drawer 25 above the lower drawer 26 can be shaped and sized to allow the storage container 100 to be mounted on the refrigerator body 10 to a predetermined depth.
[0108] As noted above, in alternative embodiments the refrigerator can be configured such that the storage container 100 completely closes the front opening of the cooling compartment 20. In this case, the vertical height and horizontal width of the storage container 100 can be close to a height and corresponding width of the front opening of the cooling compartment 20 to allow the storage container 100 to be positioned in the opening. If two drawers are provided in such a cooling compartment 20, the lower drawer 26 may have shapes and dimensions suitable for being internally located so as not to interfere with the storage container 100, similar to drawer 25. In this case, the storage devices bearing 300 come into contact with the bottom surface of the cooling compartment 20, instead of the shelf 23 above the lower drawer 26.
[0109] As illustrated in FIGs. 19-22, the bearing device 300 may include the first bearing 310 configured to be selectively supported by a door 30, a second bearing 320 configured to be selectively supported by the cooler body 10, and a bearing support 330 to which the first bearing 310 and second bearing 320 are pivotally mounted, bearing support 330 being attached to storage container 100.
[0110] The bearing support 330 can include an upper support 340 configured to cover bearings 310 and 320, and a lower support 350 coupled to the storage container 100. The second bearing 320 can be pivotally mounted on one side of the upper support 340, and the first bearing 310 can be pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the lower bracket 350. For this purpose, the upper bracket 340 and the lower bracket 350 may include fixing holes 345 and 355 in which the second bearing 320 and the first bearing 310 can be pivotally inserted.
[0111] The first bearings 310 are supported by a door 30 and therefore, the pivot shafts of the first bearings 310 can be located in front of the second bearing 320 (in the example view shown in FIG. 2), as a region of the door 30 where the bearings 310 support the storage container 100 is located forward (ie towards port 30) of the lower surface region of the refrigerator body 10 where the bearing 320 supports the storage container 100.
[0112] The first bearing 310 and the second bearing 320 can be installed at different heights. That is, the region of the door 30 where the first bearing 310 supports the storage container 100 and the lower surface region of the refrigerator body 10 where the second bearing 320 supports the storage container 100 are located at different heights. Thus, reliability in the movement of the storage container 100 when the storage container 100 is transferred between the body of the refrigerator 10 and the door 30 so as to be selectively supported by the body of the refrigerator 10 and the door 30 can be achieved.
[0113] In particular, the first bearing 310 can be installed higher than the second bearing 320. As a result of the first bearing 310 being mounted higher than the second bearing 320, the bearing device 300 including bearing bracket 330 can reach greater durability as well as improved reliability in the clamping / uncoupling operation of the storage container 100.
[0114] The door 30 can include the support bar that protrudes internally 35 on a lower portion of the rear surface thereof to support the first bearing 310. This provides a flat surface on which the first bearing 310 can be seated and freely rotated, already that the first bearing 310 vertically supports the storage container 100 in a state in which a storage container 100 comes in close contact with the port 30. For this reason, the support bar 35 can project horizontally from the bottom portion of the rear surface of the door 30, ie into the storage compartment 20 for a predetermined length, taking into account its height in relation to the first bearing 310. The protruding length of the support bar 35 can be based on the position of the support bar 35 in relation to the storage container 100 mounted on the port 30 as well as the interference between the support bar 35 and the container of storage 100.
[0115] Referring again to FIG. 4, the support bar 35 can be tilted, rising to a predetermined angle as it approaches the internal surface of the door 30, and thus when the first bearing 310 comes into contact with and is supported by the support bar 35, the storage container 100 can be slightly raised.
[0116] The pair of rolling devices 300 can be symmetrically arranged in the lower portion of the storage container 100. The rolling devices 300 can support the storage container 100 vertically, and also facilitate the horizontal alignment of the storage container 100. For this reason, it may be beneficial to provide the pair of rolling devices 300 in the lower portion of the storage container 100, separated by a predetermined interval, than to provide a single rolling device 300 in the center of the lower portion of the storage container 100.
[0117] As illustrated in FIGs. 19A-19B, the first bearing pair 310 can be arranged in the center of bearing support 330, and the single second bearing 320 can be mounted on the side portion of bearing support 330. The pair of bearing devices 300 can be arranged in so that the left rolling device 300 and the right rolling device 300 can be symmetrical to each other.
[0118] Hereinafter, the configuration of the rolling devices 300 according to an exemplary embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 20 which, for the purposes of the discussion, provides an enlarged perspective view of the right bearing device 300 shown in FIG. 19B.
[0119] As described above, the bearing bracket 330 of the bearing device 300 may include the upper bracket 340 and the lower bracket 350. The upper bracket 340 may be formed by the integration of two plates with one another and may be shaped like a "L" when viewed from the side. A bearing assembly 344 and fixing hole 345, to which the second bearing 320 can be coupled by a fastener 325, can be integrally formed on the right side of the upper support 340. The two plates of the upper support 340 can include a cover plate 342 configured to define a top surface of the bearing device 300 and a mounting plate 346 (see FIGS. 19A-19B) that extends vertically downwardly from the cover plate 342.
[0120] The bearing device 300 is provided on its left side with the side wall 348. The side wall 348 can be integrally formed with an upper support 340 in order to cover the first bearing 310 on the left side thereof.
[0121] The first bearing 310 can be installed on the lower bracket 350. The lower bracket 350 can have a "T" shape when viewed from the upper side. The bottom bracket 350 may include a mounting plate 356 configured to be coupled to the storage container 100, and the bearing assembly 352 and fixing holes 355 that allow the first bearing 310 to be symmetrically coupled to the bearing assembly 352 by the fasteners 315 The mounting plate 356 can also include a plurality of fixing holes in order to be mounted on the storage container 100 using a plurality of screws 370.
[0122] The fixing hole 345 formed in the bearing assembly 344 of the upper support 340 can be located behind and below the fixing holes 355 formed in the bearing assembly 352 of the lower support 350.
[0123] The arrangement of the fixing holes 345 and 355 can be determined taking into account that the first bearing 310 and the second bearing 320 are respectively supported by the lower surface of the storage compartment 20 and the support bar 35 of the door 30.
[0124] In addition, the mounting plate 346 of the upper support 340 can include fixing holes corresponding to those formed in the mounting plate 356 such that the fasteners 370 are secured through the fixing holes of the lower support 350 and the fixing holes of the upper support 340.
[0125] Although in the above-described embodiment a bearing assembly includes a pair of bearing devices 300, only one bearing device 300 can be supplied as occasion demands. If only one bearing device is provided, a pair of second bearing 320 can be symmetrically supplied on the opposite sides of the bracket 330 or the upper bracket 340, instead of the single second bearing 320 on one side of the bracket 330 or the upper bracket 340.
[0126] Hereinafter, the operation of the rolling devices 300 will be described with reference to FIGs. 21 and 22.
[0127] FIG. 21 is a partial side sectional view illustrating a state in which a storage container 100 is coupled to and supported by the body of the refrigerator, and FIG. 22 is a partial side sectional view illustrating a state in which a rolling device 300 comes into contact with the support bar 35 formed on the rear surface of the door 30.
[0128] As illustrated in FIG. 21, since the storage container 100 has been coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10, the second bearing 320 of the bearing device 300 contacts and is supported by the upper surface of the shelf 23 covering the lower drawer 26 within the compartment cooling element 20 of the refrigerator body 10. In this case, since the first bearing 310 is located on the right side of the second bearing 320 and in a higher position, the first bearing 310 is suspended and does not come into contact with the upper surface of the shelf 23.
[0129] In the arrangement shown in FIG. 21, door 30 is opened and thus door 30 is not shown. However, if the door 30 was closed, the first bearing 310 of the bearing device 300 would contact the support bar 35 formed on the rear surface of the door 30, providing support for both the first bearing 310 and the second bearing 320.
[0130] As illustrated in FIG. 22, since the storage container 100 has been coupled to the door 30, the first bearing 310 of the bearing device 300 comes into contact with and is supported by the support bar 35 formed on the rear surface of the door 30. In this case, since a second bearing 320 is located on the left side of the first bearing 310, the second bearing 320 is suspended, instead of coming in contact with the support bar 35.
[0131] Thus, when the storage container 100 is mounted on the body of the refrigerator 10 or on the door 30, the bearing device 300 can facilitate the support of the storage container 100 by the support bar 35 of the door 30 or on the body of the refrigerator 10.
[0132] In addition, in the case in which a storage container 100 is mounted to door 30 and the door 30 rotates, the rolling device 300 can guide the movement of the storage container 100 towards or away from the body of the refrigerator 10 without great friction.
[0133] FIG. 23 illustrates the first latch device 520 provided in the lower portion of the frame 110, and FIG. 26 illustrates the second latch device 530 provided in the upper portion of the frame 110.
[0134] The first latch device 520 can be connected to and operated in response to the operation of the latch switch device 600 provided on port 30. When the locking member 550 of port 30 is inserted into the first latch device 520, the first latch device 520 can actively fix the fixing member 550, so that the fixing member 550 can be continuously inserted into and fixed by the first latch device 520.
[0135] When the button 610 provided on the latch switch 600 is pressed, the first latch device 520 can press the clamping member 550 outwardly to separate the clamping member 550 from the first latch device 520. That is, the first latch device 520 performs an active role in order to ensure that the fixing member 550 can be smoothly inserted or separated from the first latch device 520.
[0136] On the other hand, the second latch device 530 illustrated in FIG. 26 does not necessarily fix the locking member 550 inserted in the second locking device 530, because the second locking device 530 is not directly connected to the locking switch device 600. In an attempt to insert the locking member 550 in the second locking device 530, a portion of the clamping member 550 can be smoothly inserted into the second latch device 530. However, unlike the first latch device 520 that actively clamps the clamping member 550, the second latch device 530 simply holds the clamping member fixing 550 stuck in it.
[0137] If the door 30 is pulled forward (open) while releasing the lock between the first latch device 520 and the clamping member 550 by operating the latch switching device 600, the clamping member 550 inserted in the second latching device 530 it can also be separated from the second latch device 530. In this scenario, some components of the second latch device 530 can press on the clamping member 550 inserted in the second latch device 530 in order to guide the separation externally from the clamping member 550.
[0138] As illustrated in FIG. 23, the first latch device 520 can be installed on the frame 110 and arranged close to the bearing device 300.
[0139] The first latch device 520 may include a cap 523 and a support pin 5247. An interrupt recess 111, into which the cap 523 is inserted, and a support guide recess 112, into which the support pin 5247 is inserted. , can be formed on a lower rim of the storage compartment 20 or on the upper surface of the shelf 23. An expanded “C” shaped recess can be formed in the position of the support guide recess 112 adjacent to the interruption recess 111.
[0140] In the case in which a storage container 100 is coupled to the port 30 in order to move together with the port 30, the support pin 5247 is not secured by the expanded recess of the support guide recess 112 and can freely move according to a direction of rotation of the door 30.
[0141] When the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30, the support pin 5247 can move into the expanded recess until it is secured by a stepped portion 112a of the expanded recess, thus preventing forward movement of the storage container 100.
[0142] The lid 523 can take the form of, for example, a rod or bearing extending downwardly from the bottom of the first latch device 520. The lid 523 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 to be inserted very deeply into the storage compartment 20 as the storage container 100 rotates together with the door 30 to close the front opening of the storage compartment 20. As the lid 523 comes into contact with the rear surface of the recess of interruption 111, the lid 523 can prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted into the storage compartment 20 beyond the predetermined depth.
[0143] As illustrated in FIG. 24, the first latch device 520 may include a housing 521 having a U-shaped sectional shape with a front opening, and a support member 524 rotatably installed in housing 521, the support member 524 being configured to be secured by the member fastening system 550 (see FIG. 11) or the support guide recess 112 (see FIG. 23). A rotation limiter 525 can also be pivotally installed in housing 521, below the support member 524, and configured to be inserted in the support member 524 in order to limit the rotation of the support member 524 when the support member 524 is disconnected or separated from the fixing member 550.
[0144] A movement guide 526 (see FIG. 25) can be connected to the support member 524 via a first elastic member 5291 (see FIG. 25) to guide the rotation of the support member 524. A press piece 522 can be provided at a front end of the casing 521 to press the movement guide 526 so as to rotationally rotate the movement guide 526. The press piece 522 can come into contact with the latch switch 600 (see FIG. 4) and moved inside the housing 521 when pushed by the latch switch 600, thus moving the movement guide 526 and consequently rotating the support member 524. The support pin 5247 can extend downwards from the bottom surface of the support member 524, which may include a support recess 5242 at a side end thereof by which the fixing member 550 can be secured and supported.
[0145] The housing 521 can include insertion guide recesses 5211 on the top and bottom of it to guide the insertion of the fixing member 550, and a movement guide recess 5212 can be formed on the bottom of the housing 521 to guide the movement of the pin. support 5247.
[0146] When the support member 524 is rotated, the support pin 5247 can move in the same direction of rotation, as the movement guide recess 5212 can have a region corresponding to the motion trace of the support pin 5247. A corresponding region of the 5212 motion guide recess may have a shape corresponding to that of the support guide recess 112 (see FIG. 23) when viewed from the upper side. The cover 523 can extend downwardly from the bottom surface of the housing 521, and can be cylindrical in shape.
[0147] The housing 521, as described above, can include the insertion guide recesses 5211 on the top and bottom of it and the movement guide recess 5212 on the bottom thereof. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 25, housing 521 may also include insertion holes 5213, 5214 and 5215 on the bottom of which into which the pivoting axes 5267, 5268 and 5269 can be inserted to pivotably support the support member 524, the rotation limiter 525 and the movement guide 526. A guide hole 5216 can be formed at an upper front end of the housing 521 to receive and support the press piece 522 and guide the movement of the press piece 522 back and forth.
[0148] A support rod 5217 can be provided in housing 521 to couple and support a second elastic member 5292, such as, for example, a coil spring. The second elastic member 5292 can be connected between the support rod 5217 and the support protrusion 5254 of the rotation limiter 525.
[0149] In this way, if an external force, which was applied by the fixing member 550 to the speed limiter 525, is removed after the rotation of the speed limiter 525, the speed limiter 525 can return to its original position.
[0150] Fixing holes 5218 can be formed in a rear wall of the housing 521 such that certain fixing members can pass through the fixing holes 5218 and be coupled to the frame 110.
[0151] The support member 524 may include a body 5241, the support recess 5242 formed on a lateral portion of the body 5241, a support protrusion 5243 provided on an upper surface of the body 5241, a first insertion recess 5244 and a second recess of insert 5245 respectively formed in the body 5241 in opposite positions of the support recess 5242, a first hole of the rotation axis 5246 in which a first axis of rotation 5267 is inserted, and the support pin 5247 extending downwards from the surface lower body 5241.
[0152] One end of the first elastic member 5291 can be secured by the supporting protrusion 5243 and the other end of the first elastic member 5291 can be secured by a supporting protrusion 5265 provided in the movement guide 526. The first elastic member 5291 can be, for example , a coil spring or the like.
[0153] Thus, if the movement guide 526 is clamped by the press part 522 and rotated, this rotation of the movement guide 526 is transmitted to the support member 524 through the first elastic member 5291, and thus the support member 524 is also transferred. rotated and moved forward in a state in which a support recess 5242 faces sideways.
[0154] The first axis of rotation 5267 is inserted into the first hole of the axis of rotation 5246 of the support member 524 in a state being inserted into the insertion hole 5215.
[0155] A first upper protrusion 5271 and a first lower protrusion 5281 on the upper and lower surfaces of the support member 524, respectively, may allow the support member 524 to be spaced from the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 521.
[0156] The rotation limiter 525 can include a body 5251, a first extension 5252 extending from one side of the body 5251 so as to contact a fixing member 550, the first extension 5252 having a belt shape, and a second extension 5253 extending in a direction different from the first extension 5252. The body 5251 can include a second hole of the rotation axis 5256. The supporting protrusion 5254 can be provided at one end of the second extension 5253 such that the second elastic member 5292 is sandwiched by the support protrusion 5254. An insert 5255 can extend upwards from an upper surface of the second extension 5253 in order to be selectively inserted into the second insert recess 5245 of the support member 524. When the part insert 5255 is inserted into the second insert recess 5245, the rotation of the support member 524 can be limited. This corresponds to a case in which a fixing member 550 and supporting member 524 are separated from each other.
[0157] A second axis of rotation 5269 can pass through the insertion hole 5214 after being inserted into the second hole of the axis of rotation 5256. In this case, a second upper protrusion 5272 and a second lower protrusion 5282 can be provided respectively on the upper and lower surfaces of the rotation limiter 525 to support rotation limiter 525 and to allow rotation limiter 525 to be spaced from the lower and upper surfaces of housing 521.
[0158] The second axis of rotation 5269 can penetrate the second upper protrusion 5272, the second hole of the rotation axis 5256 and the second lower protrusion 5282.
[0159] The second upper protrusion 5272 and the second lower protrusion 5282 can be, for example, washers.
[0160] The movement guide 526 can include a body 5261, a contact part 5263 that extends in a lateral direction from the body 5261 so as to come into contact with the press part 522, an insert part 5262 extending in a different direction from the body 5261 in order to be selectively inserted into the first insertion recess 5244 of the support member 524, and the support protrusion 5265 extending upwardly from the body portion 5261 such that the second elastic member 5292 can be secured by the support protrusion 5265. A third hole of the rotation axis 5264 can be formed in the center of rotation of the body 5261, with a third upper protrusion 5273 and a third lower protrusion 5283 provided above and below the third hole of the axle. rotation 5264. A third axis of rotation 5268 can pass through the insertion hole 5213, the third lower protrusion 5283, the third hole of the rotation axis 5264 and the third upper protrusion 5273 by hand rotatingly support the movement guide 526.
[0161] As illustrated in FIG. 26, the second latch device 530 can be installed in an upper portion of the frame 110, and may include a cap 533 and a support pin 5347. A break recess 121, into which the cap 533 can be inserted, and a recess support guide 122, into which the support pin 5347 can be inserted, can be formed in an upper ring 24 of the storage compartment 20. An expanded “C” shaped recess can be formed in the position of the support guide recess support 122 adjacent to the interruption recess 121.
[0162] In the case in which a storage container 100 is coupled to port 30 in order to move together with port 30, support pin 5347 is not secured by the expanded recess of support guide recess 122 and can freely move according to a direction of rotation of the door 30. When the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30, the support pin 5347 can move into the expanded recess until it is secured by a stepped portion 122a of the expanded recess, thus preventing forward movement storage container 100.
[0163] The lid 533 can be, for example, a rod or bearing that extends downwardly from the bottom of the second latch device 530. The lid 533 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted very deeply into the storage compartment 20 as the storage container 100 rotates with the door 30 to close the front opening of the storage compartment 20.
[0164] As the lid 533 contacts the rear surface of the interrupt recess 121, the lid 533 can prevent the storage container 100 from being introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth.
[0165] As illustrated in FIG. 27, the second latch device 530 can include a housing 531 having a U-shaped side sectional shape with a front opening, and a rotating support member 534 provided in housing 531, the support member 534 being configured to be secured by the fixing member 550 or support guide recess 122. The second latch device 530 may also include a rotation limiter 535 pivotally provided in housing 531, the rotation limiter 535 being located below a support member 534 and configured to be inserted into the support member 534 in order to limit the rotation of the support member 534 when the support member 534 is disconnected or separated from the fixation member 550.
[0166] The support pin 5347 can extend upwards from an upper surface of the support member 534 and can include a support recess 5342 that engages and supports the fixing member 550.
[0167] The housing 531 may also include insertion guide recesses 5311 formed at the top and bottom of it to guide the insertion of the fixing member 550. A movement guide recess 5312 to guide the movement of the support pin 5347 can be formed at the top of the housing 531 in a position close to the upper insertion guide recess 531.
[0168] When the support member 534 is rotated, the support pin 5347 can move in the same direction of rotation. The motion guide recess 5312 can have a region corresponding to the motion trace of the support pin 5347. The corresponding region of the motion guide recess 5312 can have a shape corresponding to that of the support guide recess 122 when viewed from the upper side. The cover 533 can extend upwards from an upper surface of the housing 531 and can be cylindrical in shape.
[0169] The housing 531, as described above, can include the insertion guide recesses 5311 and the movement guide recess 5312. As can be shown more clearly in FIG. 28, housing 531 may also include insertion holes 5314 and 5315 at the bottom thereof into which pivoting axes 5361 and 5362 pivotably support support member 534, rotation limiter 535 and movement guide 536 can be inserted. The support rod 5317 can be provided in the housing 531 to secure and support an elastic member 5392. The elastic member 5392 can be connected between the support rod 5317 and the support protrusion 5354 of the speed limiter 535.
[0170] In this way, if an external force, which was applied by the fixing member 550 to the speed limiter 535, is removed after the speed limiter 535 is rotated, the speed limiter 525 can be returned to its original position.
[0171] Fixing holes 5318 can be formed in a rear wall of the housing 531 such that certain fixing members can pass through the fixing holes 5318 to thus be coupled to the frame 110.
[0172] The support member 534 can include a body 5341, the support recess 5342 formed in a lateral portion of the body 5341, a first insertion recess 5344 and a second insertion recess 5345 formed respectively in the body 5341 in opposite positions of the support recess. 5342, a first bore of the axis of rotation 5346 into which a first axis of rotation 5361 is inserted, and the support pin 5347 extending upwardly from an upper surface of the body 5341.
[0173] In a state in which a fixing member 550 is secured and supported by the support recess 5342, the support recess 5342 can be oriented to face laterally. Then, when the fixing member 550 is separated from the support recess 5342, the support recess 5342 can be oriented to face to the front.
[0174] The first axis of rotation 5361 can be inserted into the first hole of the axis of rotation 5346 of the support member 524 in a state being inserted into the insertion hole 5315.
[0175] A first upper protrusion 5371 and the first lower protrusion 5381 can be provided respectively on the upper and lower surfaces of the support member 534, to allow the support member 534 to be spaced from the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 531.
[0176] The rotation limiter 535 can include a body 5351, a first extension 5352 extending from one side of the body 5351 so as to contact a fixing member 550, the first extension 5352 having a belt shape, and the second extension 5353 extending in a different direction from the first extension 5352. The body 5351 may include a second hole of the rotation axis 5356. The supporting protrusion 5354 may be provided at one end of the second extension 5353 such that the elastic member 5392 is sandwiched by the support protrusion 5354. An insert 5355 can extend upwardly from an upper surface of the second extension 5353 so as to be selectively inserted into the second insert recess 5345 of the support member 534. When the insert insert 5355 is inserted into the second insertion recess 5345, the rotation of the support member 534 can be limited. This corresponds to a case in which a fixing member 550 and supporting member 534 are separated from each other. A second axis of rotation 5362 can pass through the insertion hole 5314 after being inserted into the second hole of the axis of rotation 5356.
[0177] In this case, a second upper protrusion 5372 and a second lower protrusion 5382 can be provided respectively on the upper and lower surfaces of the speed limiter 535, thus serving to support the speed limiter 535 and to allow the speed limiter 535 to be spaced from the lower and upper surfaces of the casing 531.
[0178] The second axis of rotation 5362 can penetrate the second upper protrusion 5372, the second hole of the rotation axis 5356 and the second lower protrusion 5382.
[0179] The second upper protrusion 5372 and the second lower protrusion 5382 can be, for example, washers.
[0180] Although the first and second latch devices described above 520 and 530 are of the mechanical type, these latch devices can be of an electrical or electronic type and more particularly, they can be solenoid devices, or other types of devices as appropriate.
[0181] In particular, the latch switching device 600, which serves as the control device provided at port 30, can be connected to latching devices 520 and 530. Thus, latching devices 520 and 530 can make the connection between the container of storage 100 and the body of the refrigerator 10 or connection between the storage container 100 and the port 30 according to the operation of the latch switching device 600.
[0182] A difference between the second latch device 530 illustrated in FIG. 28 and the first latch device 520 illustrated in FIG. 25 is that the second latch device 530 does not include the movement guide 526 and the press part 522 which are included in the first latch device 520. Specifically, in the first latch device 520, the movement guide 526 guides the pivoting rotation of the support member 524, or is inserted into the first insertion recess 5244 of the support member 524. The insertion of the movement guide 526 into the first insertion recess 5244 can prevent the support recess 5242 from the support member 524 from being oriented forward. In this way, once the fixation member 550 has been inserted into and secured by the support recess 5242 and the movement guide 526 has been inserted into the first insertion recess 5244, it is possible to prevent the separation of the fixation member 550 from the support member 524. That is, through the interaction between the support member 524 and the movement guide 526, the first latch device 520 can actively keep the fixing member 50 fixed on the first latch device 520.
[0183] Then, if the press piece 522, whose operation is connected to the latch switching device 600, is tightened, the press piece 522 can press the movement guide 526, thereby releasing the lock between the movement guide 526 and the member support member 524. Since the support member 524 can rotate freely in such a state, if the door 30 is pulled (open), the support member 524 rotates forward, thus allowing the securing member 550 to be separated from the securing member support 524 and released from the first latch device 520. Thus, like the second latch device 530, which provides the most passive closure, it is separated from the fixing member 550, the storage container 100 and the door 30 can be separated from each other other.
[0184] As illustrated in FIG. 29, the handle 32 can be provided on a front surface of the door 30, and the button 610 on the upper end of the handle 32. The gasket 31 can be installed along the rim of the rear surface of the door 30. The latch switching device 600 connected to handle 32 can be located, for example, on the rear surface of door 30 and may include a release pin 650. The connection provided on latch switch device 600 can move in response to the operation of button 610. The pin Release 650 can be located at one end of the connection. In this way, if the button 610 is pressed, the connection is moved to move the release pin 650 backwards, thus allowing the release pin 650 to push the press piece 522 of the first latch device 520.
[0185] The fixing member 550 can be located below the latch switching device 600. As previously discussed, the fixing member 550 includes legs 551 extending backwards from the rear surface of the door 30 and the fixing pin 552 disposed on the leg ends 551. Legs 551 can be vertically separated from each other to define a predetermined space between them, and the fixing pin 552 can be arranged at the ends of the upper and lower legs 551 so that the fixing pin 552 can be secured and supported by the support recess 5242 (see FIGS. 24 and 25) of the first latch device 520.
[0186] FIG. 30 illustrates another embodiment in which a first and second latch device 520 and 530 are connected to each other via a connector 1500 in order to be operated simultaneously.
[0187] As illustrated in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 30, when viewed from the front side, the handle 32 is mounted in the lower left corner of the door 30, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are respectively located in the lower left corner and the upper left corner of the storage container 100 , and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are located in the lower right and upper left corner of the storage container 100.
[0188] In particular, the first latch device 520 and the second latch device 530 can be located on a first side of the door 30 opposite a second side of the door on which the hinge 13 that couples the door 30 to the refrigerator body 10 is provided. .
[0189] The first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 can be located respectively opposite positions of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530, corresponding to the second side of the door 30.
[0190] Latch switch 600 is provided in a region of port 30 where handle 32 of port 30 is installed to operate the first latch device 520 by pressing the first latch device 520. The latch switch 500 serves as the control device for the first latch device 520.
[0191] As previously discussed, latch switching device 600 is connected to button 610 in order to apply force in a predetermined direction, for example, behind door 30. As latching device 520 is operated through operation from the latch switching device 600, coupling between port 30 and storage container 100 can be released.
[0192] Specifically, port 30 and storage container 100 can remain attached to each other as long as the user does not press button 610. However, if button 610 is pressed, the coupling between port 30 and storage container 100 is released from port 30, and the storage container 100 is then coupled to the body of the refrigerator 10 instead. The handle 32 can include the vertical rod forming a handle portion and the coupling portion that extends horizontally from the vertical stem so as to be attached to the side surface of the door 30. The latch switch 600 can be embedded in the port 30 in the vicinity of a handle 32.
[0193] In addition, the fastening members 550 can be attached to the edge positions of the door 30 and project backwards from the rear surface of the door 30 so as to be inserted into and coupled with the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540. More particularly, the fastening members 550 can be selectively inserted into and coupled by the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 of the storage container 100 so as to facilitate coupling of the storage container 100 to door 30. Thus, when door 30 is rotated, storage container 100 rotates along with door 30 through the coupling between the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the fastening members 550.
[0194] The handle 32 can include the button 610 to operate the latch switch device 600, and the connection of the latch switch device 600 can push a specific latch device 520 or 530, ie, the first latch device 520, releasing thus the first latch device 520 of a locked state. If the first latch device 520 is released from the locked state in this way and the door 30 is then opened, the storage container 100 can remain attached to the body of the refrigerator 10 and only the door 30 is rotated and opened.
[0195] In certain embodiments, the first latch device 520 and the second latch device 530 can be connected to each other via connector 1500 in order to be operated simultaneously. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 30, the first latch device 520 is located in a lower portion on one side of the frame 110, and the second latch device 530 is located in an upper portion on the same side of the frame 110. The connector 1500 can be vertically oriented to connect the first and second latch devices 520 and 530. In this arrangement, the first latch device 520 can serve as a drive device and the second latch device 530 can serve as a driven device, inasmuch as the switching device of latch 600 is located next to the first latch device 520.
[0196] In alternative modes, the positions and actuation-actuated ratios of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 can be reversed / repositioned as appropriate.
[0197] As illustrated in FIG. 31, the first latch device 520 can be installed in the frame 110, next to the bearing devices 300, and can include the cap 523 and the support pin 5247. The break recess 111, into which the cap 523 is inserted, and the support guide recess 112, into which the support pin 5247 is inserted, can be formed on the lower rim of the storage compartment 20 or on the upper surface of the shelf 23 as appropriate, and the expanded recess in the shape of a "C" can be formed in the position of the support guide recess 112 adjacent to the interrupt recess 111.
[0198] In the case in which a storage container 100 is coupled to the port 30 in order to move together with the port 30, the support pin 5247 is not secured by the expanded recess of the support guide recess 112 and can be moved freely according to the direction of rotation of the door 30. When the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30, the support pin 5247 is moved into the expanded recess until it is sandwiched by the stepped portion 112a of the expanded recess, thus preventing forward movement of the container of storage 100.
[0199] As previously noted, the lid 523 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted too deeply into the storage compartment 20 as the storage container 100 rotates with the door 30 to close the lid. front opening of the storage compartment 20. As the lid 523 contacts the rear surface of the interrupt recess 111, the lid 523 prevents the storage container 100 from being introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth .
[0200] The connector 1500 can be connected to the top of the first latch device 520 and to the bottom of the second latch device 530, as shown in FIGs. 30-33. The interrupt recess 121, into which the cap 533 of the second latch device 530 is inserted, and the support guide recess 122, into which the support pin 5347 of the second latch device 530 is inserted, can be formed in the rim. upper part of the storage compartment 20, with the expanded recess in the form of "C" formed in the position of the support guide recess 122 adjacent to the interruption recess 121.
[0201] In the case in which a storage container 100 is coupled to port 30 in order to move together with port 30, support pin 5347 is not secured by the expanded recess of support guide recess 122 and can freely move according to a direction of rotation of the door 30. When the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30, the support pin 5347 is moved into the expanded recess until it is sandwiched by the stepped portion 122a of the expanded recess, thus preventing forward movement of the container of storage 100.
[0202] The lid 533 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted too deeply into the storage compartment 20 as the storage container 100 rotates with the door 30 to close the front opening of the compartment of storage 20. As the lid 533 contacts the rear surface of the interrupt recess 121, the lid 533 prevents the storage container 100 from being introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth.
[0203] Thus, as described above, if the connector 1500 is moved by operating the first latch device 520, the second latch device 530 can be simultaneously moved in the same direction.
[0204] As illustrated in FIG. 33, the first latch device 520 includes housing 521, support member 524 pivotally provided in housing 521 and configured to be secured by fixing member 550 or support guide recess 112, rotation limiter 525 pivotally provided in housing 521 below the support member 524 and configured to be inserted into the support member 524 to limit the rotation of the support member 524 when it is separated from the fixation member 550, the movement guide 526 provided in the housing 521 and connected to the support member support 524 through the first elastic member 5291 in order to guide the rotation of the support member 524, and the press piece 522 provided in front of the housing 521 to press the movement guide 526 in order to rotate the movement guide 526.
[0205] The press part 522 can come into contact with the latch switching device 600, and can move in the housing 521 when pushed by the latch switching device 600 to move the movement guide 526 and consequently rotate the support member 524.
[0206] The support pin 5247 extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the support member 524 and includes the support recess 5242, the insertion guide recesses 5211, and the movement guide recess 5212. When the support member 524 is rotated, the support pin 5247 is moved in the same direction of rotation. The 5212 motion guide recess has a region corresponding to the motion pin of the support pin 5247. The corresponding motion guide recess 5212 region can have a shape corresponding to that of the support guide recess 112 when viewed from the side. higher. The cover 523 extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the housing 521 and can be cylindrical in shape. The connector 1500 can penetrate the top of the casing 521 and end upwards, taking the form of a vertically elongated axis.
[0207] As previously described, the second latch device 530, which is connected to the first latch device 520 through connector 1500, can include housing 531, the support member 534 rotatably provided in housing 531 and configured to be secured by the fixing member 550 or the support guide recess 122, the rotation limiter 535 pivotally provided in housing 531 below the support member 534 and configured to be inserted into the support member 534 in order to limit the rotation of the support member 534 when it is separated of the fixing member 550, the movement guide 536 provided in the housing 531 and connected to the support member 534 through a first elastic member 5391 in order to guide the rotation of the support member 534, the support pin 5347 extending to upwards from the upper surface of the support member 534 and including the support recess 5342 to secure and support the fixing member 550, the insertion guide recesses 5311 to guide the insertion fixation member 550, and the movement guide recess 5312 to guide the movement of the support pin 5347.
[0208] When the support member 534 is rotated, the support pin 5347 is moved in the same direction of rotation. The motion guide recess 5312 has a region corresponding to the movement pin of the support pin 5347. The corresponding region of the motion guide recess 5312 can have a shape corresponding to that of the support guide recess 122 when viewed from the side. higher.
[0209] The connector 1500 can penetrate the housing 531 in order to be connected to the movement guide 536. In this way, the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520 and the movement guide 536 of the second latch device 530 can be connected to each other. other.
[0210] FIG. 34 is an enlarged perspective view of the first latch device 520, in accordance with embodiments as widely described here. The embodiment of the first latch device 520 shown in FIG. 34 is very similar, both in construction and operation, to the modalities discussed previously. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 34, the connector 1500 can be connected to the third axis of rotation 5268 of the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520, or it can be formed integrally with the third axis of rotation 5268.
[0211] Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 34, the third axis of rotation 5268, the connector 1500 and the movement guide 526 can be moved together, causing a connector 1500 to be rotated through the rotation of the movement guide 526. A hole in the connector 5219 can be formed at the top of the housing 521 so that the connector 1500 can be pivotally inserted through it and supported by the housing 521.
[0212] FIG. 35 is an enlarged perspective view of the second latch device 520, according to the modalities as described here widely. The embodiment of the second latch device 530 shown in FIG. 35 is similar to the modalities discussed earlier, so that only the differences will be discussed in detail.
[0213] In addition to the insertion guide recesses 5311 and the movement guide recess 5312, housing 531 can also include insertion holes 5313, 5314 and 5315 into which pivoting axes 5367, 5368 and 5369 can be inserted to pivotably support the member support 534, speed limiter 535 and movement guide 536.
[0214] The support rod 5317 provided in housing 531 can hold and support a second elastic member 5392. The second elastic member 5392 can take the form of a coil spring. The second member 5392 can be connected between the support rod 5317 and the support protrusion 5354 of the pivotable rotation limiter 535. Thus, if the external force, which was applied (by the fixing member 550) to the rotation limiter 535, is removed after rotation of the speed limiter 535, the speed limiter 535 can be returned to its original position.
[0215] In addition to the body 5341, the support recess 5342, the first insertion recess 5344 and the second insertion recess 5345, the first hole of the rotation axis 5346 into which the first axis of rotation 5367 is inserted, and the support pin 5347 as previously described, the support member 534 can also include the support protrusion 5343 which extends upwardly from an upper surface of the body 5341. One end of the first elastic member 5391 can be secured by the support protrusion 5343 and the other The end of the first elastic member 5391 can be secured by a support protrusion 5365 provided on an upper surface of the body 5361 of the movement guide 536.
[0216] Thus, if the movement guide 536 is rotated by the connector 1500, which is, at its other end, connected to the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520, the rotation of the movement guide 536 is transmitted to the limb. support 534 through the first elastic member 5391, thus rotating the support member 534 and moving the support member 534 forward in a state in which a support recess 5342 is oriented to face laterally.
[0217] The first axis of rotation 5367 can be inserted into the first hole of the axis of rotation 5346 of the support member 534 through the insertion hole 5315, with the first upper protrusion 5371 and the first lower protrusion 5381 respectively provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the limb support 534 to allow the support member 534 to be spaced from the upper and lower surfaces of the housing 531.
[0218] As previously described, the rotation limiter 535 can include the body 5351, the first extension 5352 which contacts the fixing member 550, the second extension 5353, the second hole of the rotation axis 5356, the support protrusion 5354 provided at the end of the second extension 5353 such that the second elastic member 5392 is sandwiched by the support protrusion 5354, and the insert 5355 extending upwardly from the upper surface of the second extension 5353 so as to be seitively inserted in the second recess insert 5345 of the support member 534 to limit the rotation of the support member 534 (when the fixation member 550 and the support member 534 are separated from each other).
[0219] The second axis of rotation 5369 can pass through the insertion hole 5314 after being inserted into the second hole of the axis of rotation 5356, with the second upper protrusion 5372 and the second lower protrusion 5382 respectively provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the rotation limiter 535 to support the speed limiter 535 and to allow the speed limiter 535 to be spaced from the lower and upper surfaces of the housing 531.
[0220] The movement guide 536 shown in FIG. 35 may also include a contact piece 5363 extending in a lateral direction from the body 5361, an insert 5362 extending in a different direction from the body 5361 so as to be selectively inserted into the first insertion recess 5344 of the support member 534, with the support protrusion 5365 extending upwards from the body 5361, and a third hole of the rotation axis 5364 formed in the center of rotation of the body 5361. A third upper protrusion 5373 and a third protuberance bottom 5383 can also be supplied respectively above and below the third hole of the rotation axis 5364.
[0221] The third axis of rotation 5368 can pass through the insertion hole 5313, the third lower protrusion 5383, the third hole in the axis of rotation 5364 and the third upper protrusion 5373, to pivotably support the movement guide 536. The third axis of rotation 5368 can be configured to move together with the movement guide 536 so that the third axis of rotation 5368 can be simultaneously rotated with the movement guide 536.
[0222] The connector 1500 can be connected to the third axis of rotation 5368, or it can be integrally formed with a third axis of rotation 5368. In such an arrangement, the second axis of rotation 5368, the connector 1500 and the movement guide 536 can be moved together such that the connector 1500 can be rotated by rotating the movement guide 536.
[0223] Although the first and second latch devices described above 520 and 530 are of the mechanical type, these latch devices 520 and 530 can be of an electrical or electronic type and more particularly, they can be solenoid devices, or other types of devices as appropriate.
[0224] In particular, the latch switching device 600, which serves as the control device provided at port 30, can be connected to latching devices 520 and 530. Thus, latching devices 520 and 530 can make the connection between the container of storage 100 and the body of the refrigerator 10 or connection between the storage container 100 and the port 30 according to the operation of the latch switching device 600.
[0225] FIGs. 36 and 37 illustrate the connection of the support member 524 and the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520 and the support member 535 and the movement guide 536 of the second latch device 530. As illustrated in FIGs. 36 and 37, the respective movement guides 526 and 536 can be arranged in the upper and lower end portions of the connector 1500. As described above, the movement guides 526 and 536 can be connected to the respective support members 524 and 534 through the elastic members such that the support members 524 and 534 can rotate through the rotation of the movement guides 526 and 536, thus being selectively connected to the separate from the respective fixing members 550.
[0226] In particular, if the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520 is rotated through the operation of the press part 522, the rotation is transmitted to the movement guide 536 of the second latch device 530, thereby causing a guide of movement. movement 536 is rotated. Thus, the movement guide 526 of the first latch device 520 and the movement guide 536 of the second latch device 530 have the same direction of rotation. As a result, the support member 524 of the first latch device 520 and the support member 534 of the second latch device 530 have the same direction of movement. This allows coupling / separation between the first latch device 520 and the clamping member 550 and coupling / separation between the second latch device 530 and the clamping member 550 to be carried out simultaneously.
[0227] As illustrated in FIG. 38, the first guide support device 510 can be mounted on the frame 110. For example, when viewed from the front side, the first guide support device 510 can be attached to the lower right corner of the frame 110 and is configured as such. that the fixing member 550 provided on the rear surface of the door 30 can be inserted into the first guide support device 510. Specifically, if the door 30 is rotated in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are not coupled to each other, the fixing member 550 is inserted into or separated from the first guide support device 510.
[0228] The first guide support device 510 may include a housing 511, a support plate 512 provided in the housing 511, an insert guide recess 513 formed in the support plate 512, and the cover 514 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the support plate 512. The cover 514 can be inserted in a break recess 131 formed in a lower right ring of the entrance of the storage compartment 20.
[0229] The lid 514 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted too deeply into the storage compartment 20 when the storage container 100 moves with the door 30 so as to close the front opening of the compartment of storage 20. As the lid 514 comes into contact with the rear surface of the interrupt recess 131, the lid 514 prevents the storage container 100 from being introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth.
[0230] Since the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550 can move along the rotation axis of the door 30, the interruption recess 131 can diagonally extend to correspond to the rotation axis of the fixation pin 552 and the side wall of the break recess 131 may have a predetermined curvature. Specifically, since the fastening member 550 located near hinge 13 of the door 30 can have a curvilinear rotation stroke, the side wall of the interrupt recess 131 can have a curvature to correspond to the curvilinear rotation stroke.
[0231] As illustrated in FIG. 39, the second guide support device 540 can be mounted on the frame 110. For example, when viewed from the front side, the second guide support device 540 can be attached to the upper left corner of the frame 110 and can be configured such that the fastening member 550 provided on the rear surface of the door 30 can be inserted into the second guide support device 540. Specifically, if the door 30 is rotated in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are not coupled together, the fixing member 550 is neither inserted nor separated from the second guide support device 540.
[0232] The second guide support device 540 may include a housing 541, the support plate 542 provided in the housing 541, an insert guide recess 543 formed in the support plate 542, and the cover 544 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the support plate 542. The lid 544 can be inserted into an interrupt recess 141 formed in an upper right ring of the entrance of the storage compartment 20.
[0233] The lid 544 can limit the movement of the storage container 100 to prevent the storage container 100 from being inserted too deeply into the storage compartment 20 in the event that a storage container 100 moves with the door 30 to close the front opening of the storage compartment 20. As the lid 544 contacts the rear surface of the interrupt recess 141, the lid 544 prevents the storage container 100 from being introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth.
[0234] Since a fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550 moves along a line of rotation of the door 30, the interrupt recess 141 can diagonally extend to correspond to the line of rotation of the fixing pin 552 and the side wall of the break recess 141 may have a predetermined curvature. Specifically, since the fastening member 550 located near hinge 13 of the door 30 has a curvilinear rotation feature, the side wall of the interrupt recess 141 may have a curvature to correspond to the curvilinear feature of rotation.
[0235] FIG. 40 is a perspective view illustrating the connection structure of the latch switch device operatively coupled to the door handle, and FIG. 41 is an enlarged perspective view of the latch switching device.
[0236] Latch switching device 600 may include button 610 provided on handle 32 of port 30, and a motion conversion device for converting the direction of movement and an action position of the pressure force applied by button 610 in a different direction and position so as to selectively release the first latch device 520 from a locked state. The motion conversion device of the latch switching device 600 can be, for example, a connection 630 which is operatively coupled to the button 610 in order to be rotated by the button 610. For example, when connection 630 pushes the release pin 650, the release pin 650 can release the first latch device 520 from a locked state to thereby allow operation of the first latch device 520.
[0237] As illustrated in FIG. 40, button 610 can protrude from the upper end of handle 32 to allow the user to push button 610 with his thumb while holding handle 32 with other fingers. Other arrangements may also be appropriate. The connection 630 can be pivotally embedded in the port 30 and can, for example, have a rod shape, with its two opposite ends extending in different directions perpendicular to each other. As the rotating connection 630 pushes the release pin 650, the release pin 650 can press the press piece 522 of the first latch device 520.
[0238] The latch switching device 600 may also include a push lever 620 connected to button 610 in order to be moved together with button 610 when button 610 is pressed, thus turning connection 630 ..
[0239] The push lever 620, as illustrated in FIG. 41, may include a sliding portion 621 connected to the button 610 and configured to vertically slide into the handle 32, the horizontal extension 622 that extends horizontally from an upper end of the sliding portion 621, a vertical extension 623 that extends downwards from one end of the horizontal extension 622, and a U-shaped connecting insert portion 624 protruding from a lower end of the vertical extension 623 such that one end of the connecting member 630 is inserted into the insertion portion of U-shaped connection 624. The push lever 620 can also include a protrusion 625 provided at a lower end of the sliding portion 621 and configured to press the spring 626 provided in the handle 32.
[0240] Latch switching device 600 may also include a case 680 embedded in port 30. Connection 630 may be pivotally received in case 680.
[0241] Case 680 may include a first case 681 and a second case 682 coupled facing each other, and a third case 683 coupled to one side of the second case 682, the third case 683 being configured to guide the straight movement of the release pin 650.
[0242] The first case 681 and the second case 682 may include a plurality of fixing holes for securing the first case 681 and the second case 682 to each other. The second case 682 can also have a fixing hole for coupling the second case 682 to port 30, and the third case 683 can have a fixing hole for coupling the third case 683 to the second case 682.
[0243] The door 30 can contain insulating foam in it and therefore the case 680 can be sealed to prevent the foam from entering the case 680. The connection 630 can be pivotally mounted on the portion of the case 680 consisting of the first case 681 and the second case 682 In particular, connection 630 can be indirectly mounted on case 680 with two bearing members 631 and 632 interposed between them, instead of being directly attached to case 680. This can reduce the friction of connection 630 and facilitate smooth rotation of the connection 630.
[0244] Latch switching device 600 may also include spring 660 to return release pin 650 to its original position.
[0245] If the pressure force applied to the button 610 is removed after the connection 630 has pushed the release pin 650 to thereby push the press piece 522, the release pin 650 will be returned to its original position because the connecting member 630 no longer displays the rotation force. For this purpose, the spring 660 can surround the release pin 650. As the spring 660 is compressed by the third case 683 it is expanded by its elastic force, the spring 660 acts to return the release pin 650 to its original position the same.
[0246] The release pin 650 may include a pin member 651 configured to be moved straight in the third case 683 and a push member 652 coupled to one end of the pin member 651.
[0247] Pin member 651 and push member 652 can be formed from different materials. In one example, the pin member 651, which performs the rectilinear movement, can be formed of plastic, and the push member 652, which acts to push the press part 522, can be formed of elastic rubber. Other materials may also be suitable.
[0248] The latch switching device 600 may also include a slide 640 slidably mounted in the case 680 to convert the rotation of the connection 630 into a straight motion, thus transmitting the force of the straight motion to the release pin 650.
[0249] For this purpose, slide 640 may include a connection receiving recess 642 formed on one surface of it to receive and contact the other end of connection 630, and guide protrusions 644 projecting from opposite surface sides likewise to be slidably inserted into the guide grooves 684 formed on the inner surface sides of the third case 683.
[0250] The release pin 650 can be coupled and fixed to the slide 640 in order to move together with the slide 640 when the connection 630 pushes the slide 640.
[0251] One end of the spring 660 can be supported by an internal surface of the third case 683, and the other end of the spring 660 can be supported by a slide of the surface 640 opposite the connection receiving recess 642.
[0252] The push lever 620 may include a guide 690 provided in an extension projecting from the upper end of the handle 32 to allow the handle 32 to be attached to the side surface of the door 30. The 690 guide may include portions stepped on the upper ends and lower parts to guide the vertical movement of the push lever 620 while defining upper and lower limits of vertical movement.
[0253] Hereinafter, operation of the latch switching device will be described with reference to FIGs. 42 and 43.
[0254] As illustrated in FIG. 42, when the button 610 is not pushed, the button 610 does not push the push lever 620 and thus, there is no rotation of the connection 630, the connection 630 does not push the slide 640, and the release pin 650 remains in an initial position in which the release pin 650 protrudes from the internal surface of the door 30. In such a state, the spring 626 applies elastic force to the push lever 620 coupled to the button 610, causing the upper surface of the push lever 620 between in contact with the stepped portion formed at the upper end of the guide 690, thus preventing the button 610 coupled to the push lever 620 from being separated upwards from a mounting portion thereof. Also, the spring 660 around the release pin 650 pushes the slide 640 towards connection 630 while making contact with the inner surface of the third case 683, with the spring 626 below the push lever 620 and the spring 660 between the internal surface of the third case 683 and the slide 640 keeping the connection 630 in a rotated initial position.
[0255] So, if the user pushes the button 610, as illustrated in FIG. 43, the push lever 620 is moved downward, rotating one end of the connection 630 by a predetermined angle. As the other end of connection 630 pushes the slide 640 by a predetermined distance, the spring 660 is compressed against the inner surface of the third case 683 and the release pin 650 coupled to the slide 640 protrudes from the inner surface of the door 30, thus pushing the press piece 522 of the first locking device 520. If the press piece 522 is tightened as described above, the first locking device 520 (and the second locking device 530 coupled thereto, by the connector 1500) is released from a locked state, whereby the locking pin 552 of the locking member 550 can be separated from the first latch device 520.
[0256] In this way, if the user pushes the button 610 to release the first latch device 520 from a locked state and thereafter opens the door 30, the fixing member 550 is separated from the first latch device 520. This can allow the container storage compartment 100 is coupled to the cooling compartment 20 and separated from the door 30, thus causing only the door 30 to be opened.
[0257] In an alternative embodiment, the latch switch device 600 can prevent the button 610 from being pushed when the door 30 opens the storage compartment 20. Specifically, if the button 610 is pressed, the connection between the first latch device 520 and the fixing member 550 of the door 30 can be released and the storage container 100 could, in certain situations, be unintentionally detached from the rear surface of the door.
[0258] FIG. 44 is a perspective view of an internal configuration of the alternative embodiment of the latch switching device 600, and FIG. 45 is an enlarged perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the latch switching device 600.
[0259] As illustrated in FIG. 44, the button 610 can protrude from the upper end of the handle 32, with the connection 630 pivotally mounted on the door 30 in order to push the release pin 650 through its rotation. As the rotating connecting member 630 pushes the release pin 650, the release pin 650 pushes the press piece 522 of the first latch device 520 shown in FIG. 24. Push lever 620 can be connected to button 610 in order to move with button 610 when button 610 is pressed and turns connection 630. When the user pushes button 610, the push lever 620 is moved downwards together with the button 610, thus rotating one end of the connecting member 630.
[0260] The push lever 620, as illustrated in FIG. 45, may include the sliding portion 621 connected to the button 610 and adapted to slide vertically within the handle 32, the horizontal extension 622 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the sliding portion 621, the vertical extension 623 that extends downwardly to from the end of the horizontal extension 622, and the U-shaped connecting insert portion 624 projecting from the lower end of the vertical extension 623 to receive an end of the connecting 630. The push lever 620 may also include the protrusion 625 provided at the bottom end of the sliding portion 621 and configured to press the spring 626 placed on the handle 32. The case 680 of the latch switching device 600 can be embedded in the port 30 and the connection 630 can be pivotally received in the case 680.
[0261] Case 680, as illustrated in FIG. 45, can include the first case 681, the second case 682, and the third case 683 as described above.
[0262] The connection 630 can be indirectly rotatably mounted on the portion of the case 680 consisting of the first case 681 and the second case 682 with two bearing members 631 and 632 interposed between them, and the spring 660 can return the release pin 650 to its original position the same.
[0263] As described above, slide 640 can include connection receiving recess 642 and guide protrusions 644. Release pin 650 can be coupled and attached to slide 640 in order to move with slide 640 when connection 630 pushes the slide 640. One end of the spring 660 can be supported by the inner surface of the third case 683, and the other end of the spring 660 can be supported by the slide of the surface 640 opposite the connection receiving recess 642. As illustrated in FIG. 46, the push lever 620 can include a guide 690 on the inner surface of the upper end extension of the handle 32 to allow the handle 32 to be attached to the side surface of the door 30. A left portion of the guide 690 can form a first portion of vertically oriented guide 692 having stepped portions at the upper and lower ends thereof to guide the vertical movement of the push lever 620 while defining upper and lower limits of vertical movement.
[0264] In addition, an interrupting device 700 can be provided. The interrupting device 700 can be pushed by the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 when the door 30 is closed, thus operating the latch switching device 600.
[0265] As shown in FIGs. 44 and 46, the interruption device 700 may include a clamping bar 710 configured to be pushed by the front surface of the refrigerator body 10 when the door 30 is closed, the cap 720 pivotally connected to the clamping bar 710 to release the clamping device switch latch 600 in a locked state, and spring 730 to return cover 720 to a locked position thereof.
[0266] The clamping bar 710 can be supported by a second guide portion 694 formed on a straight portion of the guide 690. The second guide portion 694 can guide the horizontal movement of the clamping bar 710, allowing the clamping bar 710 to slide horizontally . The second guide portion 694 can be formed in the lower right corner of the handle extension 32 to guide the sliding bar 710.
[0267] The clamping bar 710 can project from a right end of the handle extension 32. The cap 720 can be connected to the clamping bar 710 so that it can be rotated correspondingly to the straight movement of the clamping bar 710. The cap 720 can contact the push lever 620 of the latch switch 600 when the clamping bar 710 is not pushed, ie, in a state in which the clamping bar 710 protrudes backwards instead of being moved towards the handle 32, thus preventing downward movement of the push lever 620.
[0268] The spring 730 can be mounted to return the cover 720 to a locked position thereof. The spring 730 can be, for example, a torsion spring mounted on a turning shaft 724 of the cover 720.
[0269] One end of the cap 720 can be connected to the clamping bar 710 so that it can be rotated by moving the clamping bar 710. The other end of the cap 720 can include a portion of belt 726 coupled with the supporting protrusion 627 formed in a side of the latch switching device 600 in order to keep the latch switching device 600 in a locked state, thus preventing inadvertent operation of the latch switching device 600.
[0270] The clamping bar 710 may include a vertically elongated notch 712 which receives the protrusion formed in the connecting portion 722 of the cap 720 therein. When the clamping bar 710 performs the rectilinear movement, the protrusion formed in the connecting portion 722 of the cover 720 can be inserted into the elongated notch 712 and moved vertically, thus allowing the rotation of the cover 720.
[0271] The belt portion 726 of the cap 720 may first extend downwardly from the pivot axis 724 and then be folded to the left.
[0272] The push lever 620 may include a support protrusion projecting laterally 627 so that it is secured by the strap portion 726 of the cover 720. The support protrusion 627 is configured so as not to interfere with the cover 720 except that it is secured by the strap portion 726 of the cap 720 during vertical movement of the cap.
[0273] Hereinafter, the operations of the latch switching device 600 and the interrupting device 700, according to modalities, will be described with reference to FIGs. 46 and 47.
[0274] As illustrated in FIG. 46, if the door 30 comes in close contact with the front surface of the refrigerator body 10, the clamping bar 710 of the interrupting device 700 cannot be pushed. Thus, the cap 720 is held in an initial position to limit the operation of the latch switching device 600. In this case, the supporting protrusion 627 of the push lever 620 is coupled with the belt portion 726 of the cap 720, thereby limiting downward movement of push lever 620. Thus, even if the user tries to push button 610, button 610 cannot be pushed because the push lever 620 coupled to button 610 cannot be moved down and connection 630 cannot can rotate. As a result, connection 630 does not push slide 640 and release pin 650 is held in its initial position. In such a state, the spring 626 applies upward elastic force to the push lever 620 coupled to the button 610. As the upper surface of the push lever 620 comes into contact with the stepped portion formed at the upper end of the first guide portion 692, upward separation of the button 610 coupled to the push lever 620 can be prevented.
[0275] The spring 660 configured to support the release pin 650 can also push the slide 640 towards the connection 630 while making contact with the inner surface of the third case 683. Thus, the connection 630 can be kept in an initial position rotated by the spring 626 below the push lever 620 and the spring 660 between the inner surface of the third case 683 and the slide 640. Thus, in a state in which a door 30 opens the body of the refrigerator 10, the button 610 is not operated, no thus having no effect on the operations of the first latch device 520. Assuming that the storage container 100 and port 30 are connected to each other, consequently, the connection can be maintained in a stable manner.
[0276] Then, if the refrigerator door 30 closes the refrigerator body 10, as illustrated in FIG. 47, the front surface of the cooler body 10 pushes the clamping bar 710, causing the clamping bar 710 to be moved internally. Thus, as the cap 720 is rotated as shown, the support protrusion 627 of the push lever 620 can be moved downwards without being secured by the belt portion 726. If the user pushes the button 610 in such a state, as illustrated in FIG. 46, the push lever 620 is moved downward, causing one end of connection 630 to be rotated by a predetermined angle. As the other end of connection 630 pushes the slide 640 by a predetermined distance, the spring 660 is compressed against the inner surface of the third case 683, and the release pin 650 coupled to the slide 640 still protrudes from the surface rear of the door 30, thus pushing the press piece 522 of the first latch device 520. If the press piece 522 is tightened, as described above, the first latch device 520 is released from a locked state and the locking pin 552 of the fixing member 550 can be separated from the first latch device 520.
[0277] Thus, as the user pushes the button 610 in a closed state of the door 30 to release the first latch device 520 from a locked state and opens the door 30, the first latch device 520 is separated from the fastening member 550 As a result, the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30 while it is coupled to the cooling compartment 20, where the door 30 is opened.
[0278] If the pressure force applied to the button 610 is removed, the spring 626 below the button 610 pushes the push lever 620 and the button 610 upward, returning the push lever 620 and the button 610 to their original positions.
[0279] FIG. 48A is a sectional plan view of the first latch device 520 illustrated in FIG. 22, and FIG. 48B is a plan sectional view of the second latch device 530 illustrated in FIG. 27. The first latch device 520 of FIG. 24 and the second latch device 530 of FIG. 27 are separated from each other, instead of being connected to each other as illustrated in FIG. 33. Operation of the first and second separate latch devices 520 and 530 will be described.
[0280] In FIGs. 48A and 48B, the fastening members 550 are inserted into and supported by the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 to couple the storage container 100 and the port 30.
[0281] As illustrated in FIG. 48A, the fixing member 550 is inserted into the insertion guide recess 5211 of the housing 521. In such a state, the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550 is located in the support recess 5242 and is surrounded by a side wall of the recess support 5242. That is, the support recess 5242 serves as the cover for the fixing pin 552, thus preventing the fixing member 550 from being separated from the first latch device 520. In this case, the support pin 5247 of the member support plate 524 is located on the right side of the movement guide recess 5244 so as not to be trapped by the support guide recess, thus releasing the storage container 100 from the refrigerator body 10.
[0282] To ensure that the support member 524 firmly supports the fixing member 550, rotation of the support member 524 can be prevented. To this end, the insert 5262 provided in the movement guide 526 is inserted into the first insertion recess 5244 of the support member 524, preventing rotation of the support member 524. Meanwhile, the first extension 5252 of the rotation limiter 525 it is tightened by the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550, thus being moved backwards from the insertion guide recess 5211 and completely rotating the speed limiter 525.
[0283] FIG. 48B illustrates a state in which a fixing member 550 is inserted into the insertion guide recess 5311 of the housing 531 of the second latch device 530. In such a state, the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550 is located in the bearing groove 5342 and is surrounded by a side wall of the support recess 5342. That is, the support recess 5342 serves as the cover for the fixing pin 552, thus preventing the fixing member 550 from being separated from the second latch device 530. In this case, the support pin 5347 of the support member 534 is located on the right side of the movement guide recess 5344 so as not to be trapped by the support guide recess 122, thus releasing the storage container 100 from the refrigerator body 10.
[0284] Meanwhile, the first extension 5352 of the rotation limiter 535 is clamped by the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550, thus being moved backwards from the insertion guide recess 5311 and completely rotating the rotation limiter 535.
[0285] The positions of the support members 524 and 534 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 in FIG. 49 are the same as those of support members 524 and 534 shown in FIGs. 48A and 48B. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 49, the door 30 continuously closes the storage compartment 20 of the refrigerator body 10. In this case, the support pins 5247 and 5347 of the support members 524 and 534 are located on the right side of the support guide recesses 112 and 122 for prevent the support pins 5247 and 5347 from being secured by the support guide recesses 112 and 122. Meanwhile, the stops 523 and 533 are located in the interruption recesses 111 and 121 that surround the rear and side sides of the stops 523 and 533 .
[0286] If the user pulls the door 30 in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are coupled together, the door 30 and the storage container 100 are simultaneously rotated forward, thus opening the storage compartment 20. Since the support pins 5247 and 5347 are located on the right side of the support guide recesses 112 and 122 and the support guide recesses 112 and 122 are opened forward, the support pins 5247 and 5347 can be freely moved without be secured by the support guide recesses 112 and 122 even if the support pins 5247 and 5347 are moved forward along with the door 30 and the storage container 100.
[0287] As illustrated in FIG. 50A, the support members 524 and 534 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 secure the fixing members 550. The support recesses 5242 and 5342 of the support members 524 and 534 surround the fixing pins 552 of the fixing members 550, preventing separation of the fixing members 550, so that the door 30 and the storage container 100 can be coupled to each other. The movement guide 526 is moved when pushed by the press piece 522. The press piece 522 is provided only on the first latch device 520 and therefore, in this embodiment only the first latch device 520 includes the movement guide 526. The piece insert 5262 of the movement guide 526 is inserted into the first insertion recess 5244, preventing rotation of the support member 524.
[0288] The contact piece 5263 provided in the movement guide 526 continuously contacts the press piece 522. Thus, when the press piece 522 is moved forward, the contact piece 5263 is rotatable, and thus capable of rotating the member support 524.
[0289] As illustrated in FIG. 50B, the fastening members 550 are also inserted into the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540. The guide guide recesses 513 and 543 provided in the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are formed diagonally to guide the movement of the locking pins 552 of the locking members 550. If the locking pins 552 reach the rear positions of the insertion guide recesses 513 and 514, the front ends of the locking pins 552 are secured by the supporting protrusions 516 and 546 enclosures 551 and 541, preventing the fixing pins 552 from being separated forward instead of being separated diagonally.
[0290] FIG. 51A illustrates the separation of the fixing member 550 from the first latch device 520, and FIG. 51B illustrates the complete separation of the fixing member 550 from the first latch device 520.
[0291] If the user pushes the button 610 provided on the handle 32, the release pin 650 is moved backwards through the operation of the internal connection structure. As illustrated in FIGs. 51A and 51B, the press part 522 is moved in the housing 521 by the release pin 650, pressing on the extension 5263 of the movement guide 526. If the press piece 522 is pressed, the movement guide 526 is rotated, for example, clockwise as shown in this example. This separates the insert 5263 from the first insert recess 5244 from the support member 524. Since the support member 524 is connected to the movement guide 526 through the second elastic member 5292, if the movement guide 526 is rotated in the direction clockwise, the support member 524 is pulled by the movement guide 526 and rotated counterclockwise. Through rotation of the support member 524, the support recess 5242, which was oriented to face the side, is oriented to face the front, allowing the support pin 552 to be released from the support recess 5242 and to be moved forward.
[0292] If the support member 524 is rotated counterclockwise, the support pin 5247 is moved to the left of the movement guide recess 5244 and the support pin 5247 is moved to the left of the support guide recess 112 and it is surrounded by a stepped portion 112a of the expanded recess of the support guide recess 112. In the meantime, the first extension 5252 of the rotation limiter 525 contacts the fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550. The rotation limiter 525 it is connected to the first elastic member 5291, which is connected to the second extension 5292 and provides elastic force to pull the second extension 5292 so that the rotation limiter 525 tends to be turned counterclockwise. In this way, if the fastening member 550 is released from the support member 524, as the rotation limiter 525 is turned counterclockwise, the first extension 5252 pushes the fastening pin 552 forward.
[0293] If the user pulls the door 30 forward in such a state, the fastening member 550 is separated forward from the 5211 insertion guide recess. Then, after the fastening member 550 is completely separated from the latch device 520, the rotation limiter 525 is also rotated counterclockwise, causing the insert 5255 provided in the rotation limiter 525 to be inserted into the second insertion recess 5245 provided in the support member 524, thus preventing further rotation of the support member. support 524.
[0294] In this way, the storage container 100 is separated from the door 30 and is located on the body of the refrigerator 10. If the user opens the door 30, the front surface of the storage container 100 is exposed, which allows the user to place items from storage inside or remove storage items from storage container 100.
[0295] In comparison with the first latch device 520, the second latch device 530 does not necessarily include a component corresponding to the movement guide 526, but can exhibit similar operation of coupling / separating the support member and the fixing member. Thus, the separation between the second latch device 530 and the clamping member 550 can be replaced by the above description with respect to the separation between the first latch device 520 and the clamping member 550.
[0296] The positions of the support members 524 and 534 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 illustrated in FIG. 52 are the same as those of support members 524 and 534 of FIGs. 51A and 51B. In this embodiment, the door 30 is opened and the storage container 100 is located at the entrance to the storage compartment 20.
[0297] In this case, the support pins 5247 and 5347 of the support members 524 and 534 are located in the expanded recesses located on the left side of the support guide recesses 112 and 122 and are also located close to the stepped portions 112a and 122a formed in the front rims of the expanded recesses. This arrangement limits the forward movement of the support pins 5247 and 5347. The stops 523 and 533 are located in the interruption recesses 111 and 121 that surround the rear and side sides of the stops 523 and 533. If the user pulls the door 30 in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are coupled together, only the door 30 is rotated forward, thus opening the storage container 100.
[0298] Support pins 5247 and 5347 are located in the expanded recesses provided on the left side of support guide recesses 112 and 122. Since a front side of the expanded recesses is closed by stepped portions 112a and 122a, support pins 5247 and 5347 they are secured by the stepped portions 112a and 122a even if the door 30 is opened forward, which prevents forward movement of the support pins 5247 and 5347.
[0299] As illustrated in FIG. 53A, the support members 524 and 534 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are separate from the fixing members 550. The support recesses 5242 and 5342 of the support members 524 and 534 are oriented to face forward. Thus, the recesses 5242 and 5342 no longer surround the fixing pins 552 of the fixing members 550, allowing the fixing members 550 to be separated forward and the door 30 to be separated from the storage container 100.
[0300] The movement guide 526 is moved when pressed by the press piece 522. Since the press piece 522 is provided only in the first latch device 520 in this mode, it is observed that only the first latch device 520 makes use of the movement 526. The insertion part 5262 of the movement guide 526 is separated from the first insertion recess 5244, guiding the rotation of the support member 524. The contact part 5263 provided in the movement guide 526 continuously contacts the press 522. Thus, the contact piece 5263 can be rotated as the press piece 522 is moved forward, thus being able to cause the rotation of the support member 524.
[0301] As illustrated in FIG. 53B, the fastening members 550 are separated from the first and second guide devices 510 and 540. The insertion guide recesses 513 and 543 provided in the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are formed diagonally to guide the separation of the fixing pins 552 of the fixing members 550. Since the fixing members 550 arranged adjacent the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are rotated along the curvilinear stroke, the fixing members 550 can be moved forward under the guide of the diagonally formed insertion guide recesses 513 and 543, and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 can be separated from the fixing members 550.
[0302] Although the separation sequence between the storage container 100 and the port 30 has been described above, it will be appreciated that the re-coupling between the storage container 100 and the port 30 can be carried out in a reverse order.
[0303] As described above, coupling and separation between the first latch device 520 and the clamping member 550 is substantially similar to the coupling and separation between the second latch device 530 and the clamping member 550 and thus the description with respect to the second device latch 530 can be replaced by the above description with respect to the first latch device 520.
[0304] That is, as illustrated in FIG. 51B, if the user pushes the door 30 into a state in which a fastening member 550 and the first latch device 520 are separated from each other, the fastening member 550 is inserted into the first latch device 520 as illustrated in FIG. 51A. The fixing member 550 is inserted into the insertion guide recess 5211, pushing the first extension 5252 of the rotation limiter 525 back. As the rotation limiter 525 rotates (clockwise), the insert 5255 of the rotation limiter 525 is separated from the second insertion recess 5245 of the support member 524, rotating the support member 524 (clockwise) ). The fixing pin 552 of the fixing member 550 is inserted into the support recess 5242, pushing the support recess 5242 backwards and causing a support member 524 to be rotated (clockwise). If the support member 524 is rotated (clockwise), the movement guide 526 connected to the support member 524 through the second elastic member 5292 is pulled and rotated (counterclockwise). In this way, the insertion part 5262 of the movement guide 526 is located close to the first insertion recess 5244.
[0305] After the fixing member 550 is fully inserted, the support recess 5242 of the support member 524 is oriented to face laterally, in order to surround the fixing pin 552, and the insert 5262 of the movement guide 526 is inserted into the first insertion recess 5244, thus limiting the rotation of the support member 524, with the fixation member 550 completely secured by the support member 524 to prevent forward separation of the fixation member 550.
[0306] FIGs. 48 and 53 refer to the operations of the first latch device 520 illustrated in FIG. 22 and the second latch device 530 illustrated in FIG. 25. In the case of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 connected to each other as illustrated in FIG. 33, the operation of the first and second latch devices 510 and 520 is substantially the same as that of the first latch device 520 of FIG. 24. Thus, the description with respect to the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 illustrated in FIG. 33 can be replaced by the description above from FIGs. 48 and 53 with respect to the first latch device 520 illustrated in FIG. 24.
[0307] As illustrated in FIG. 54, in a state in which a storage container 100 is located in storage compartment 20, the stops 523 and 524 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are located respectively in the interruption recesses 111 and 121 formed at an entrance 24 of the storage compartment 20 or on the top surface of the shelf 23. Also, the stops 514 and 544 provided in the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are located respectively in the interruption recesses 131 and 141 provided in the entrance 24 of the storage compartment. storage 20 or on the top surface of the shelf 23.
[0308] Interruption recesses 111 and 121, in which the stops 523 and 533 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are inserted, and the interruption recesses 131 and 141, in which the stops 514 and 544 provided in the first and second devices guide brackets 510 and 540 are inserted, they have different formats. This is because when the storage container 100 coupled to the door 30 is rotated, the storage container 100 exhibits a slightly curved pivoting pivot trace in a region close to the hinge 13 of the door 30, but exhibits a substantially rectilinear pivot trace in a distant region from hinge 13. Therefore, the recess recesses 111 and 121, in which the stops 523 and 533 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are inserted, open the front ends forward and tapered with increasing distance to from the opening of the front ends.
[0309] However, the interruption recesses 131 and 141, in which the stops 514 and 544 provided in the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are inserted, are formed diagonally to correspond to the curved line and inlets also oriented to face diagonally.
[0310] The stops 523 and 524 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the stops 514 and 544 of the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 can have a substantially circular cross section. Also, the interruption recesses 111, 121, 131 and 141 can have a curvilinear rear shape to correspond to the stops 523 and 524 provided in the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the stops 514 and 544 provided in the first and second control devices. guide support 510 and 540.
[0311] Naturally, it will be appreciated that the rear shape of the interruption recesses 111, 121, 131 and 141 can be modified according to the shapes of the stops 523 and 524 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the stops 514 and 544 of the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540.
[0312] Through the configuration described above, in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are coupled to each other, if the door 30 is closed as illustrated in FIG. 55, storage container 100 is located at the entrance to the storage compartment when door 30 is tightened. In this case, the stops 523 and 524 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and the stops 514 and 544 of the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 are respectively inserted into and secured by the interruption recesses 111, 121, 131 and 141 as illustrated in FIG. 55. Stops 523 and 524 of the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 and stops 514 and 544 of the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 can be prevented from being pushed further into the storage compartment 20, thus preventing the storage container 100 is introduced into the storage compartment 20 beyond a predetermined depth.
[0313] As illustrated in FIG. 56, if the door 30 is pulled forward in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are coupled to each other via the first and second latch devices 520 and 530, the pivot member 220 of the support device connector 200, which contacts the inclined top surface 15 of the storage compartment 20, is separated from the inclined surface 15. Thus, since the swivel member 220 no longer presses the connecting member 230, the connection 230 is pressed by a fixing device 210.
[0314] In this way, the storage container 100, in which the connection support device 200 is provided, is connected to the door as the connection support device 200 is sandwiched by a fixing device 210 of the door 30, thus being continuously placed on the rear surface of the door 30. In this way, the connection support device 200 and the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 can steadily maintain coupling or connection between the door 30 and the storage container 100. As a result, if the door 30 is pivoted, the storage container 100 can be moved along with the door 30 without a risk of being separated from the door 30.
[0315] Since storage compartment 20 is opened if port 30 is opened in a state in which coupling or connection between storage container 100 and port 30 is maintained, the user can neither place storage items nor remove items from storage compartment storage 20.
[0316] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 57, if the door 30 closes the storage compartment 20 in a state in which a door 30 and the storage container 100 are coupled to each other or separated from each other via the first and second latch devices 520 and 530, the member turning device 220 of the connecting support device 200 contacts the inclined top surface 15 of the storage compartment 20. As the turning member 200 is rotated forward or downward to press the connecting member 230 , the connecting member 230 is rotated backwards or upwards. In this way, connection between the connecting member 230 and the clamping device 210 is released.
[0317] In particular, if the connection support device 200 is disconnected from the fixture 210 in a state in which the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 are separated from the port 30 and are connected to the body of the refrigerator 10, the storage container storage 100 is completely disconnected from door 30. Thus, if door 30 is rotated, only door 30 is moved, while storage container 100 remains in storage compartment 20. This causes the front surface of storage container 100 exposed. Therefore, the user can access a front surface of the storage container 100 in order to place storage items or remove the storage items from storage container 100.
[0318] As described above, the storage container support device may include the connecting support device 200, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530, and the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540.
[0319] In addition, as described above, during the first operation of the storage container support device, port 30 and storage container 100 are connected to each other so as to be rotated together as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B. In this case, the storage compartment 20 is opened, providing access to the user.
[0320] Meanwhile, during the second operation of the storage container support device, the storage container 100 is separated from the door 10 and is connected to the refrigerator body 10. If the door 30 is opened, the front surface of the storage container 100 is exposed to provide access to the user, as shown in FIGs. 2 and 3C.
[0321] The first and second latch devices 520 and 530 can be continuously connected to the fastening members 550 of the port 30 during the first operation of the storage container support device.
[0322] Also, the fastening members 550 can be inserted into and supported by the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 during the first operation of the storage container support device.
[0323] In a state in which a door 30 opens the storage compartment 20 during the first operation of the support device of the storage container, the connecting support device 200 can be connected to the fixing device 210 provided in the door 30.
[0324] Meanwhile, the storage container 100 is separated from the port 30 and is connected to the body of the refrigerator 10 during the second operation of the storage container support device.
[0325] In this case, the storage container 100 is continuously located at the entrance to the storage compartment 20 defined in the body of the refrigerator 10 even if the door 30 is rotated, thus being continuously positioned in the storage compartment 20.
[0326] During the second operation of the storage container support device, the first and second latch devices 520 and 530 can be separated from the fastening members 550 of the door 30 and secured by the support guide recesses 112 and 122 formed at the entrance of the compartment of storage 20.
[0327] Also, during the second operation of the storage container support device, although the fastening members 550 can be inserted in the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540, the fastening members 500 are not necessarily held in the inserted positions, but they are separated from the first and second guide support devices 510 and 540 when the door 30 is opened.
[0328] In a state in which a door 30 opens the storage compartment during the second operation of the storage container support device, the connecting support device 200 is not connected to the fixture 210 provided in the port 30.
[0329] A refrigerator is provided in which a storage container can be selectively detachable and supported between the refrigerator body and a door, rather than providing a door with a separate storage container door.
[0330] In a refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here, only one main port is provided without an auxiliary port. This can reduce the loss of cold air as well as energy consumption compared to the case of using two gaskets and two heaters.
[0331] In addition, a storage container detachably coupled to and supported by a rear surface of the single door or the refrigerator body, as incorporated and widely described here can improve convenience in use.
[0332] In a refrigerator according to modalities as widely described here, when a user tries to place storage items in or remove storage items from the storage container in a state in which a storage container is coupled to a storage compartment defined in the body of the refrigerator, the storage container can serve to hermetically seal a front opening of the storage compartment, which can prevent the loss of cold air.
[0333] A latch device as incorporated and widely described here can be configured to be operated by a button, and can be operated to perform coupling or separation between the door and the storage container. That is, if a user pulls the door without pushing the button in order to access the storage compartment, the locking device can couple the storage container to the door, thus allowing both the storage container and the door to be moved together. to open the storage compartment. Conversely, if the user pulls the door in a state of pushing the button in order to access the storage compartment, the latching device can separate the storage container from the door, thus allowing the storage to be coupled to an entrance of the compartment storage to be opened.
[0334] A latch device as incorporated and widely described here may include a support member, a movement guide for moving the support member, and a pivoting rotation limiter to limit the pivotal rotation of the support member when the support member is separated of a fixing member provided on the door. With this configuration, the storage container can be more precisely and quickly attached to the door or the refrigerator body through the operation of the latching device.
[0335] In a refrigerator as incorporated and widely described here, a connection support device can connect the storage container and the door to each other or release the connection, providing a more stable coupling between the storage container and the door can be achieved.
[0336] In addition, since the storage container can be stably supported by the refrigerator body instead of being mounted on the door when the user places storage items in or removes the storage items from the storage container, the storage items agitation due door rotation can be prevented.
[0337] The storage container can be supplied independently of the storage compartment regardless of its mounted position. In this way, the storage container can serve as an auxiliary storage compartment to allow the user to easily remove items from it when opening the door, which increases the convenience of using the refrigerator.
[0338] Any reference in this specification to "one (1) modality", "a modality", "exemplary modality", etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or feature described in connection with the modality is included in at least one modality of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all with reference to the same modality. In addition, when a given resource, structure, or feature is described in connection with any modality, it is presented that it is within the competence of a person wearing the technique to effect that feature, structure, characteristic in connection with the others of a modality. .

权利要求:
Claims (11)
[0001]
Refrigerator, comprising: a body (10) having a storage compartment (20); a door (30) pivotally coupled to the body (10) in order to selectively open and close an access opening formed on a front side of the body (10); a hinge (13) that swivels the door (30) to the body (10); a seal installed along a peripheral edge of one of the doors (30) of the body (10) so as to be positioned between the body (10) and the door (30) when the door (20) closes the access opening; and a storage container (100) configured to be coupled to the door (30) in a first mode, such that an interior of the body (10) is accessible when the door (30) is opened, and to be coupled to the body (10) in a second mode such that an interior of the storage container (100) is accessible when the door (30) is opened, wherein a width of the storage container (100) is less than a width of the access opening; at least one latch (520, 530) that couples the storage container (100) to the door (30) in the first mode; and a control mechanism (600) which provides the selection of the first mode or second mode and which controls the latch (520, 530) based on the selection of the first mode or second mode, characterized by the fact that: at least one latch (520, 530) is provided in the storage container (100) and couples the storage container (100) to the body (10) in the second mode; and the refrigerator additionally comprises: a support guide recess (112) formed in the storage compartment (20); a support pin (5247) provided on the latch (520, 530), where the support pin (5247) is coupled to the support guide recess (112) in the second mode, such that the storage container (100) is coupled to the body (10); at least one guide support device (510, 540) mounted on the storage container (100); fastening members (550) provided on the door (30), where the fastening members (550) are coupled with at least one latch (520, 530) and at least one guide support device (510, 540) in the first mode; a connection support device (200) provided between the storage container (100) and the port (30); and a fixing device (210) provided in an interior of the door (30), in a position corresponding to the connection support device (200), such that the fixation device (210) is coupled with the connection support device ( 210) in the first mode.
[0002]
Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that, in the first mode, the storage container (100) rotates together with the door (30) but is not directly coupled to the hinge (13).
[0003]
Refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the second mode, the storage container (100) extends through the access opening formed in the body (10) in order to close the access opening while the interior the storage compartment (20) remains accessible when the door (30) is opened.
[0004]
Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the first mode, the storage container (100) is coupled to the door (30) such that an open side of the storage container (100) is positioned against one side interior of the door (30), and a closed side of the storage container (100) is exposed when the door (30) is opened.
[0005]
Refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the second mode, the storage container (100) is coupled to the body (10), such that the closed side of the storage container (100) faces the interior of the storage compartment (20) and the open side of the storage container (100) is exposed when the door (30) is opened.
[0006]
Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the seal is installed along a peripheral edge on the inner side of the door (30), surrounding a periphery of the storage container (100), and is positioned between the door (30) and the body (10) when the door (30) is closed so as to form a seal between them, both in the first mode and in the second mode.
[0007]
Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises at least one division that defines the first and second compartments within the storage compartment (20), the interior of the storage container (100) forming a third compartment, in that an interior of the first compartment and an interior of the second compartment are accessible in the first mode, and the interior of the second compartment and an interior of the third compartment are accessible in the second mode.
[0008]
Refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the room comprises a shelf that extends in a front and rear direction of the storage compartment (20), with the first compartment formed above the shelf and the second compartment (400 ) formed below the shelf, and in which a drawer (26) is slidably received in the second compartment (400).
[0009]
Refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that, in the second mode, the storage container (100) extends only through a portion of the access opening corresponding to the first compartment, such that the interior of the second compartment ( 400) remains accessible when the door (30) is opened and the storage container (100) is coupled to the body (10).
[0010]
Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the storage container (100) comprises: a frame (110); a plurality of shelves (120) provided in the frame (110); and a cover (130) extending through the frame (110) and the plurality of shelves (120), on only one side of the frame (110).
[0011]
Refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that, in the first mode, the storage container (100) is coupled to the door (30), such that a front side of the plurality of shelves (120) is positioned against a inner side of the door (30), and the cover (130) is exposed when the door (30) is opened, and, in the second mode, the storage container (100) is coupled to the body (10), such that the cover (130) faces the interior of the storage compartment (20) and the second side of the plurality of shelves (120) is opened and exposed when the door (30) is opened.

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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JP5658198B2|2015-01-21|

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CN103185433B|2015-09-02|

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US20130168975A1|2013-07-04|

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CN103185437A|2013-07-03|

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CN103185438B|2016-01-20|

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JP5307918B2|2013-10-02|

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CN103185433A|2013-07-03|

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EP2613113B1|2020-01-15|

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US8857865B2|2014-10-14|

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EP2613115A3|2017-11-29|

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EP2613112B1|2019-10-30|

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JP2013139985A|2013-07-18|

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EP3660428A1|2020-06-03|

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JP2013139984A|2013-07-18|

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EP2613113A2|2013-07-10|

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CN103185432A|2013-07-03|

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US20130170897A1|2013-07-04|

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EP2613114A2|2013-07-10|

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BR102012015110B1|2021-02-17|

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US8857930B2|2014-10-14|

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US20130169139A1|2013-07-04|

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JP5385429B2|2014-01-08|

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BR102012015111A2|2014-05-20|

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CN103185438A|2013-07-03|

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EP2613113A3|2017-12-06|

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EP2613113B8|2020-03-04|

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EP2613115B1|2020-08-05|

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CN103185432B|2015-07-08|

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JP2013139986A|2013-07-18|

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EP2613114A3|2013-11-27|

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US20130169138A1|2013-07-04|

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US8844983B2|2014-09-30|

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EP2613112A2|2013-07-10|

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EP2613115A2|2013-07-10|

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EP2613114B1|2019-12-11|

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JP2013139987A|2013-07-18|

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US8801124B2|2014-08-12|

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EP2613112A3|2013-11-27|

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CN103185437B|2015-12-09|

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JP5658199B2|2015-01-21|

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BR102012015110A2|2014-05-20|

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法律状态:
2014-05-20| B03A| Publication of an application: publication of a patent application or of a certificate of addition of invention|

---

2018-12-11| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|

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2019-12-17| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: suspension of the patent application procedure|

---

2020-11-24| B09A| Decision: intention to grant|

---

2021-02-17| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 19/06/2012, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |

优先权:

---

申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

---

KR1020120000457A|KR101929776B1|2012-01-03|2012-01-03|A latch device, and a refrigerator comprising a sub-storage chamber and the latch device|

---

KR1020120000457|2012-01-03|

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KR1020120008601A|KR101952678B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|A latch device, and a refrigerator comprising a storage container and the latch device comprising the latch device|

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KR1020120008607A|KR101988308B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|Refrigerator|

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KR1020120008605|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008608A|KR101952681B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|Refrigerator|

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KR1020120008603|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008603A|KR101956034B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|A refrigerator comprising a storage container|

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KR1020120008606A|KR101988307B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|Refrigerator|

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KR1020120008600A|KR102007838B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|A latch device, and a refrigerator comprising a storage container and the supporting device including the latch device|

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KR1020120008608|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008605A|KR101952680B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|Refrigerator|

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KR1020120008602|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008604A|KR101988306B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|Refrigerator|

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KR1020120008600|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008602A|KR101952679B1|2012-01-27|2012-01-27|A refrigerator comprising a sub-storage chamber|

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KR1020120008604|2012-01-27|

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KR1020120008606|2012-01-27|

---