IP Library Granted Patent US 11,408,668
Granted Patent B2
US 11,408,668 · App. 16/720,622 · Granted Aug 9, 2022

Refrigerator

Inventors: Changwoan Yang (Seoul, KR); Seungjin Choi (Seoul, KR); Hanhyo Kim (Seoul, KR); Yoomin Park (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
F25D25/025A47B88/417A47B96/16F25D23/02F25D23/028F25D23/062F25D23/067F25D23/068A47B88/493A47B2210/0059A47B2210/175F25D2323/024
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,408,668
App. No.
16/720,622
Granted
Aug 9, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a cabinet that includes a storage compartment having an opening formed on the front side thereof; a door rotatably connected to the cabinet to open and close the opening; a drawer disposed within the storage compartment to accommodate stored goods therein; a drawer guide that supports the drawer and guides the drawer in order to enable the drawer to move forward and rearward; an extraction mechanism that includes a base part that is disposed below the drawer and moves forward while the door is opened and rearward while the door is closed, a rear frame that extends from the base part toward the rear side of the drawer and pushes the drawer forward when the base part moves forward, and an arm that extends forward from the rear frame and is disposed between the drawer and a side of the storage compartment; and an arm guide disposed between the side of the storage compartment and the drawer to guide the arm in order to enable the arm to move forward and rearward.

Claims (27)

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet with a storage compartment, the storage compartment provided in a front surface of the cabinet with an opening;

a door hinged to the cabinet that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening;

a drawer disposed in the storage compartment that is configured to store goods;

a drawer guide that is configured to support the drawer and to guide the drawer to move in a forward-rearward direction; and

a withdrawal mechanism comprising a base part disposed at a lower side of the drawer, and a rear frame that is configured to extend from the base part,

wherein forward movement of the base part of the withdrawal mechanism by electronic force causes the rear frame of the withdrawal mechanism to contact the drawer and push the drawer forward to withdraw at least partially through the opening in the cabinet based on opening of the door,

wherein the withdrawal mechanism is separated from the drawer, and

wherein forward movement of the base part of the withdrawal mechanism by electronic force causes the rear frame of the withdrawal mechanism to temporarily achieve contact with the drawer to withdraw the drawer at least partially through the opening in the cabinet.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the withdrawal mechanism comprises an arm that extends forward from the rear frame to be disposed between the drawer and a side surface of the storage compartment.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , further comprising an arm guide disposed between the side surface of the storage compartment and the drawer that is configured to guide the arm to move horizontally in the forward-rearward direction.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the withdrawal mechanism comprises a roller rotatably provided at the arm to be guided along the arm guide.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein the arm guide comprises a roller guide surface configured to contact the roller at a lower side of roller, the roller guide surface configured to extend in a direction in which the roller is moved.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5 , wherein the arm guide includes a guide groove, which has a section that is open toward the drawer, and the roller is supported by the roller guide surface in the guide groove.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the drawer comprises a plurality of drawers arranged in an upward-downward direction, the rear frame is configured to extend up to a height corresponding to an uppermost one of the drawers, and the arm is disposed between the uppermost drawer and the side surface of the storage compartment.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the arm comprises at least a pair of arms, the arms are disposed between the drawer and opposite side surfaces of the storage compartment, and the arm guide comprises at least a pair of arm guides for guiding the arms.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein forward movement of the base part of the withdrawal mechanism by electronic force causes the rear frame of the withdrawal mechanism to contact each of the plurality of drawers and push each of the plurality of drawers forward to withdraw at least partially through the opening in the cabinet.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the rear frame comprises a pair of vertical bars extending upward from the base part which are spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the storage compartment.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the rear frame pushes and moves the drawer without supporting a load of the drawer even when contact between the rear frame and the drawer is temporarily achieved.

12. A refrigerator comprising:

a cabinet with a storage compartment, the storage compartment provided in a front surface of the cabinet with an opening;

a door hinged to the cabinet that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening;

a drawer disposed in the storage compartment that is configured to store goods;

a drawer guide that is configured to support the drawer and to guide the drawer to move in a forward-rearward direction; and

a withdrawal mechanism comprising a base part disposed at a lower side of the drawer, and a rear frame that is configured to extend from the base part,

wherein forward movement of the base part of the withdrawal mechanism by electronic force causes the rear frame of the withdrawal mechanism to contact the drawer and push the drawer forward to withdraw at least partially through the opening in the cabinet based on opening of the door, and

wherein the withdrawal mechanism does not support a load of the drawer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2020
From: YANG, CHANGWOAN; CHOI, SEUNGJIN; KIM, HANHYO; PARK, YOOMIN
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 052393/0872 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16272423 · Feb 11, 2019
Continuation 15550518
Related Publication 20200200469A1 · Jun 25, 2020