# US 11,898,794 B2 · Refrigerator

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- Number: US 11,898,794 B2
- Document ID: US11898794B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/112,331
- Filed: 2023-02-21
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-08
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Kwanghyun Choi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898794B2

## CPC

- F25D 25/025: {Drawers}
- F25D 23/028: {Details}
- F25D 23/04: with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
- F25D 11/02: with cooling compartments at different temperatures
- F25D 23/021: {Sliding doors}
- F25D 25/04: by conveyors (in general B65G)
- F25D 2323/02: Details of doors or covers not otherwise covered
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)

## Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a lower storage space, a front panel door part, a drawer part connected to the front panel door part, a support member located at the drawer part and configured to seat one or more objects stored in the drawer part, at least one draw-out rail that is configured to connect the drawer part to an inner wall surface of the lower storage space, and that is configured to extend and retract in multiple stages to assist insertion and withdrawal of the drawer part based on movement of the front panel door part, and at least one elevation device that is located at each of both side surfaces of the drawer part, that is connected to each of both sides of the support member, and that is configured to elevate the support member relative to the drawer part.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space;
a drawer door including (i) a drawer part configured to insert into and withdraw from the storage space and (ii) a front panel door part coupled to a front portion of the drawer part and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space;
an elevation device provided in the drawer part and configured to elevate an object stored in the drawer part relative to a bottom surface of the drawer part;
a driving device located in the front panel door part and configured to supply power for operation of the elevation device; and
a drawer-side shaft connected to the driving device and configured to rotate based on operation of the driving device, the drawer-side shaft extending in a front-rear direction,
wherein the elevation device comprises an elevation shaft connected to the drawer-side shaft and configured to rotate based on rotation of the drawer-side shaft, the elevation shaft extending in a direction crossing the drawer-side shaft.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the elevation device further comprises an elevation block configured to move along the elevation shaft based on rotation of the elevation shaft, and
wherein the elevation block comprises a block body having a block through-hole which the elevation shaft passes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the elevation shaft comprises a first screw thread on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and
wherein the elevation block further comprises a second screw thread disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the block through-hole corresponding to the first screw thread.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The refrigerator of claim 2, wherein the elevation block further comprises a body coupling part that extends from a center of the block body, and
wherein a block groove extending in a vertical direction is defined in an extending end of the body coupling part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the elevation device further comprises:
an elevation block configured to move along the elevation shaft based on rotation of the elevation shaft;
a block holder coupled to the elevation block; and
a housing that accommodates the elevating elevation shaft and the block holder.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the housing defines a housing opening, and
wherein a horizontal width of the housing opening is greater than a diameter of the elevation shaft, and less than a width of the block holder.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The refrigerator of claim 6, wherein the elevation device further comprises a rail cover that covers the housing opening,
wherein the housing and the rail cover include a pair of guide slits extending in a vertical direction, and
wherein the elevation block and the block holder are elevated along the pair of guide slits.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The refrigerator of claim 7, wherein the rail cover comprises:
a cover covering part disposed on an area of the housing opening;
a cover bent part bent from the cover covering part to an inside of the housing; and
a cover extension part bent outward from an extending end of the cover bent part.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein a distance between both ends of the cover extension part is greater than the horizontal width of the housing opening.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the block holder comprises a stepped or bent shape within the housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the elevation block further comprises a block coupling hole defined in a top surface of the elevation block, and
wherein a screw is coupled to the block coupling hole so that the elevation block is coupled to the block holder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the housing further comprises a shaft insertion hole that is defined at an upper end of the housing and that receives an end of the drawer-side shaft.

### Claim 13 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the block holder includes an inner part accommodated in the housing, and an outer part exposed to an outside of the housing,
wherein a block accommodation part in which the elevation block is accommodated is provided in a lower portion of the inner part.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the block holder further includes:
a shaft through-part passing in a vertical direction and provided above the block accommodation part through which the elevation shaft passes an inside thereof,
a side extension part extending in a lateral direction and disposed on each of both sides of the shaft through-part, and
a bearing mounting part recessed inward and disposed on the side extension part facing a side surface of the housing, and
wherein a retainer is fixed to the bearing mounting part, and a plurality of bearings are mounted in a state of being rotatable by the retainer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the plurality of bearings are disposed between an inner surface of the housing and the side extension part to respectively contact the housing and the side extension part.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein a hollow space is defined inside the inner part and the outer part,
wherein a rail cover is accommodated in the hollow space, and
wherein the block holder is configured to move vertically along a guide slit defined by the rail cover and the housing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 5)

The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the elevation device further comprises a connecting bracket configured to connect the block holder and the elevation block,
wherein the connecting bracket includes:
a rail coupling part coupled to the block holder, and
an elevation block coupling part coupled to the elevation block.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the rail coupling part is inserted into a connecting bracket mounting part that is cut and defined at each of both left and right surfaces of the elevation block,
wherein the elevation block coupling part defines a coupling groove on which the elevation block is seated.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprising a door-side shaft connected to the driving device and configured to rotate by a drive of the driving device; and
wherein the drawer-side shaft is connected to the door-side shaft, configured to rotate by a rotation of the door-side shaft.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The refrigerator of claim 1, further comprises:
a door connection member that is disposed in the front panel door part and that extends in the front-rear direction, wherein a first end of the door connection member is configured to connect to the driving device; and
a drawer connection member disposed in the drawer part at a position corresponding to the door connection member in the front-rear direction,
wherein a first end of the drawer connection member is configured to connect to the drawer-side shaft, and a second end of the drawer connection member is configured to connect to a second end of the door connection member.

### Claim 21

A refrigerator, comprising:
a cabinet that defines a storage space;
a drawer door including a drawer part configured to insert into and withdraw from the storage space, and a front panel door part coupled to a front portion of the drawer part and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space;
an elevation device provided in the drawer part and configured to elevate an object stored in the drawer part relative to a bottom surface of the drawer part;
a driving device located in the front panel door part and configured to supply power for operation of the elevation device;
a drawer-side shaft configured to rotate based on operation of the driving device and disposed in the drawer part, the drawer-side shaft extending in a front-rear direction;
a door connection member that is disposed in the front panel door part and that extends in the front-rear direction, wherein a first end of the door connection member is configured to connect to the driving device; and
a drawer connection member disposed in the drawer part at a position corresponding to the door connection member in the front-rear direction, wherein a first end of the drawer connection member is configured to connect to the drawer-side shaft, and a second end of the drawer connection member is configured to connect to a second end of the door connection member.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The refrigerator of claim 21, wherein the elevation device comprises:
an elevation shaft connected to the drawer-side shaft in a direction crossing to the drawer-side shaft and configured to rotate based on rotation of the drawer-side shaft; and
an elevation block configured to move along the elevation shaft based on rotation of the elevation shaft.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The refrigerator of claim 22, wherein the elevation device further comprises:
a block holder coupled to the elevation block; and
a housing that accommodates the elevation shaft and the block holder.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The refrigerator of claim 23, wherein the door connection member and the drawer connection member are configured to be exposed to a rear surface of the front panel door part and a front surface of the drawer part, respectively.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The refrigerator of claim 21, further comprising a pair of driving devices provided at both sides of the front panel door part in a width direction, the pair of driving devices including the driving device, and
wherein the door connection member is connected to each of the pair of driving devices and configured to rotate based on rotation of the pair of driving devices.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The refrigerator of claim 25, wherein the door connection member and the drawer connection member are configured to be separated from each other such that the front panel door part is separable from the drawer part.