US 10,648,726 B2Granted

Refrigerator

AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.

InventorsJihyun Im, Hyunbum Kim, Dongjeong Kim

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Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage compartment, a sliding shelf configured to discharge forward from the compartment, a folding shelf configured to, based on rotation of the folding shelf, switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, a hinge unit configured to couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the compartment, a rotation stopper located on the side surface and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf, and a supporter that is configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position and that includes a protrusion at a bottom surface of the folding shelf, and a press portion at the hinge unit and configured to press the protrusion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage compartment and an opening at a front side of the storage compartment;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage compartment, the door comprising a basket;
a sliding shelf that is located in the storage compartment, that extends in a horizontal direction, and that is configured to discharge forward from the storage compartment;
a folding shelf located in the storage compartment and configured to switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, the folding shelf being configured to switch to the second position based on rotation of the folding shelf from the first position;
a hinge unit configured to rotatably couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the storage compartment;
a rotation stopper located on the side surface of the storage compartment and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf;
a supporter configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the supporter comprising a protrusion located at a bottom surface of the folding shelf and a press portion that is located at a lower side of the hinge unit and configured to apply pressure to the protrusion in the horizontal direction;
a fixing unit that faces the side surface of the storage compartment, that is configured to couple the hinge unit and the rotation stopper to the side surface of the storage compartment, and that is configured to support the hinge unit and the rotation stopper, the fixing unit protruding from the side surface of the storage compartment toward the hinge unit and the rotation stopper;
and
a cantilever that extends forward from a rear wall of the storage compartment, that is configured to slidably support the sliding shelf, and that is configured to selectively support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the cantilever being configured to detach from the rear wall of the storage compartment,
wherein the door comprises a first door coupled to a first side of the cabinet and a second door coupled to a second side of the cabinet,
wherein the folding shelf comprises:
a first folding shelf configured to couple to a first side surface of the storage compartment, and
a second folding shelf configured to couple to a second side surface of the storage compartment that is opposite to the first side surface, and
wherein each of the first folding shelf and the second folding shelf has a predetermined width to allow the sliding shelf to discharge forward without interference with the basket of the door based on the door opening the storage compartment.

12 more elements

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage compartment and an opening at a front side of the storage compartment
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage compartment, the door comprising a basket
a sliding shelf that is located in the storage compartment, that extends in a horizontal direction, and that is configured to discharge forward from the storage compartment;
a folding shelf located in the storage compartment and configured to switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, the folding shelf being configured to switch to the second position based on rotation of the folding shelf from the first position;
a hinge unit configured to rotatably couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the storage compartment;
a rotation stopper located on the side surface of the storage compartment and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf;
a supporter configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the supporter comprising a protrusion located at a bottom surface of the folding shelf and a press portion that is located at a lower side of the hinge unit and configured to apply pressure to the protrusion in the horizontal direction;
a fixing unit that faces the side surface of the storage compartment, that is configured to couple the hinge unit and the rotation stopper to the side surface of the storage compartment, and that is configured to support the hinge unit and the rotation stopper;
a cantilever that extends forward from a rear wall of the storage compartment, that is configured to slidably support the sliding shelf, and that is configured to selectively support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the cantilever being configured to detach from the rear wall of the storage compartment;
and
a side-end support piece that is located at the cantilever and that is configured to support an inner side end of the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position,
wherein the door comprises a first door coupled to a first side of the cabinet and a second door coupled to a second side of the cabinet,
wherein the folding shelf comprises:
a first folding shelf configured to couple to a first side surface of the storage compartment, and
a second folding shelf configured to couple to a second side surface of the storage compartment that is opposite to the first side surface,
wherein each of the first folding shelf and the second folding shelf has a predetermined width to allow the sliding shelf to discharge forward without interference with the basket of the door based on the door opening the storage compartment, and
wherein the hinge unit is configured to rotatably support an outer side end of the folding shelf that is opposite to the inner side end.

14 more elements

A refrigerator, comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage compartment and an opening at a front side of the storage compartment;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage compartment, the door comprising a basket;
a sliding shelf that is located in the storage compartment, that extends in a horizontal direction, and that is configured to discharge forward from the storage compartment;
a folding shelf located in the storage compartment and configured to switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, the folding shelf being configured to switch to the second position based on rotation of the folding shelf from the first position;
a hinge unit configured to rotatably couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the storage compartment;
a rotation stopper located on the side surface of the storage compartment and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf;
a supporter configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the supporter comprising a protrusion located at a bottom surface of the folding shelf, and a press portion is located at a lower side of the hinge unit and configured to apply pressure to the protrusion in the horizontal direction;
a fixing unit that faces the side surface of the storage compartment, that is configured to couple the hinge unit and the rotation stopper to the side surface of the storage compartment, and that is configured to support the hinge unit and the rotation stopper;
and
a cantilever that extends forward from a rear wall of the storage compartment, that configured to slidably support the sliding shelf, and that is configured to selectively support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the cantilever being configured to detach from the rear wall of the storage compartment,
wherein the door comprises a first door coupled to a first side of the cabinet and a second door coupled to a second side of the cabinet,
wherein the folding shelf comprises:
a first folding shelf configured to couple to a first side surface of the storage compartment, and
a second folding shelf configured to couple to a second side surface of the storage compartment that is opposite to the first side surface,
wherein each of the first folding shelf and the second folding shelf has a predetermined width to allow the sliding shelf to discharge forward without interference with the basket of the door based on the door opening the storage compartment,
wherein the first door comprises a first basket, and the second door comprises a second basket,
wherein a width of the sliding shelf is less than or equal to a distance between the first basket and the second basket based on the first door and the second door opening the storage compartment, and
wherein the sliding shelf is located between the first folding shelf and the second folding shelf.

15 more elements

A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet that defines a storage compartment and an opening at a front side of the storage compartment;
a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage compartment, the door comprising a basket;
a sliding shelf that is located in the storage compartment, that extends in a horizontal direction, and that is configured to discharge forward from the storage compartment;
a folding shelf located in the storage compartment and configured to switch positions between a first position in which the folding shelf is disposed along a plane of the sliding shelf and a second position in which the folding shelf is disposed transverse to the plane, the folding shelf being configured to switch to the second position based on rotation of the folding shelf from the first position;
a hinge unit configured to rotatably couple the folding shelf to a side surface of the storage compartment;
a rotation stopper located on the side surface of the storage compartment and configured to resist rotation of the folding shelf;
a supporter configured to support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the supporter comprising a protrusion located at a bottom surface of the folding shelf, and a press portion that is located at a lower side of the hinge unit and configured to apply pressure to the protrusion in the horizontal direction;
a fixing unit that faces the side surface of the storage compartment, that is configured to couple the hinge unit and the rotation stopper to the side surface of the storage compartment, and that is configured to support the hinge unit and the rotation stopper;
and
a cantilever that extends forward from a rear wall of the storage compartment, that configured to slidably support the sliding shelf, and that is configured to selectively support the folding shelf based on the folding shelf being disposed at the first position, the cantilever being configured to detach from the rear wall of the storage compartment,
wherein the door comprises a first door coupled to a first side of the cabinet and a second door coupled to a second side of the cabinet,
wherein the folding shelf comprises:
a first folding shelf configured to couple to a first side surface of the storage compartment, and
a second folding shelf configured to couple to a second side surface of the storage compartment that is opposite to the first side surface,
wherein each of the first folding shelf and the second folding shelf has a predetermined width to allow the sliding shelf to discharge forward without interference with the basket of the door based on the door opening the storage compartment,
wherein the hinge unit comprises a plurality of hinge units, and the rotation stopper is located between the plurality of hinge units, and
wherein the fixing unit has:
a first side that is fixed to the side surface of the storage compartment, and
a second side to which the hinge unit and the rotation stopper are fixed.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.