Refrigerator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorJeonggil Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a cabinet defining a storage chamber, a drawer door, a motor assembly provided at the storage chamber and configured to provide a driving force that moves the drawer door relative to the storage chamber, and a rack gear assembly provided at the drawer door and having an extendable rack gear. The rack gear includes a fixed rack fixed to the drawer door and a moving rack slidably coupled to the fixed rack. The drawer door includes a drawer part that defines an upwardly open storage space, and a door part that is configured to, based on the drawer door being inserted into the storage chamber, close the storage chamber.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a cabinet that defines a storage chamber that is open to a front side of the cabinet;
- a drawer door comprising:
- a drawer part configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from the storage chamber, the drawer part defining a storage space that is open upward, and
- a door part coupled to the drawer part and configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage chamber;
- a pinion gear disposed at the storage chamber;
- a fixed rack member that extends in a front-rear direction and is fixed to the drawer part, the fixed rack member comprising a fixed rack that extends along a longitudinal direction of the fixed rack member and is configured to couple to the pinion gear;
- a moving rack member coupled to the fixed rack member and configured to slide along the longitudinal direction of the fixed rack member, the moving rack member comprising:
- a moving rack disposed parallel to the fixed rack and coupled to the pinion gear, and
- a fixing assembly mounting part extending in a longitudinal direction of the moving rack;
- a fixing assembly is disposed at the fixing assembly mounting part and selectively fix the moving rack member to the fixed rack member;
- and
- a guide disposed at the storage chamber and selectively constrain the fixing assembly,
- wherein the fixing assembly comprises:
- a slider comprising a slider body that is configured to slide along at the fixing assembly mounting part, the slider body defining a locking member through-hole that passes through the slider body in a vertical direction, and
- a locking member inserted in the locking member through-hole, the locking member being configured to move in the vertical direction and to selectively constrain the guide,
- wherein based on the pinion gear rotating in a state in which the drawer door is inserted into the storage chamber, the fixed rack member is configured to be withdrawn forward, the slider body is configured to be constrained to the fixing assembly mounting part and the moving rack member is configured to be constrained to the guide by the fixing assembly, and
- wherein the slider body releases a constraint from the guide based on the fixed rack member moving by a certain distance and is configured to slide along at the fixing assembly mounting part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.