Refrigerator

{
  "publication_number": "US10939758B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Refrigerator",
  "abstract": "A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage space therein, and a drawer slidably movable forward and backward from the storage space. The drawer includes a door, a storage box provided at a rear surface of the door, an elevation plate disposed within the storage box, and an elevation device connected with one side of the elevation plate to vertically elevate the elevation plate. The elevation device includes a driving motor, a first curved rack to rotate by a rotational force generated by the driving motor, the first curved rack being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface, a first elevation bar to connect the first curved rack with the elevation plate, a second curved rack being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface to engage with the outer circumferential surface of the first curved rack, and a second elevation bar to connect the second curved rack with the elevation plate.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet having a storage space therein; and a drawer slidably movable forward and backward from the storage space, the drawer comprising: a door; a storage box provided at a rear surface of the door; an elevation plate disposed within the storage box; and an elevation device connected with one side of the elevation plate to vertically elevate the elevation plate, wherein the elevation device comprises: a driving motor; a first curved rack to rotate by a rotational force generated by the driving motor, the first curved rack being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface; a first elevation bar to connect the first curved rack with the elevation plate; a second curved rack provided independently from the first curved rack, being curved at a predetermined curvature and having an outer circumferential surface to engage with the outer circumferential surface of the first curved rack; and a second elevation bar to connect the second curved rack with the elevation plate.",
    "2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second curved racks comprises a circular rack or an arc rack.",
    "3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a driving gear connected with the driving motor and gear-connected with the first curved rack to rotate the first curved rack, wherein the driving gear is gear-connected with the outer circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the first curved rack.",
    "4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising a reduction gear connected with a shaft of the driving motor to reduce a rotational rate of the driving motor, wherein the driving gear is connected with a driving shaft of the reduction gear.",
    "5. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the elevation device is accommodated at the door, and the first elevation bar and the second elevation bar pass through a rear surface of the door to connect with the one side of the elevation plate.",
    "6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the first elevation bar and the second elevation bar move vertically in an arc to ascend or descend the elevation plate, and supporting a left bottom surface and a right bottom surface of the elevation plate, respectively, wherein as the first elevation bar and the second elevation bar move to ascend or descend the elevation plate, the first elevation bar and the second elevation bar traverse horizontally in directions that are away from each other or closer to each other with respect to the elevation plate.",
    "7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein each end of the first elevation and the second elevation bars includes an idle gear that is in connection with the elevation plate, respectively.",
    "8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the elevation plate includes a first gear part at the left bottom surface and a second gear part at the right bottom surface, and the idle gear of the respective first elevation bar and the second elevation bar engages with the respective first gear part and the second gear part.",
    "9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the elevation plate comprises a first guide groove at the left bottom surface and a second guide groove at the right bottom surface to guide the idle gear of the respective first elevation bar and the second elevation bar, the first gear part is disposed at the first guide groove and the second gear part is disposed at the second guide groove.",
    "10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a plate support device to support the elevation plate to maintain a horizontal state while the elevation plate ascends and descends.",
    "11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the plate support device comprises a pair of scissor links to connect the elevation plate with a bottom of the storage box, and one scissor link is disposed to connect one side of the elevation plate with the bottom of the storage box, and another scissor link is disposed to connect another side of the elevation plate with the bottom of the storage box.",
    "12. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the plate support device comprises a rail assembly to connect the elevation plate with the storage box, wherein the rail assembly comprises: a fixed rail connected with the storage box; and a movable rail connected with the elevation plate and movably connected with the fixed rail.",
    "13. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the rail assembly is provided in one or in plurality at one surface and another surface at the storage box.",
    "14. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a spring disposed at an inner circumference of the first rack, the spring being compressed when the elevation plate descends.",
    "15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the door comprises a first arc-shaped guide slit and a second arc-shaped guide slit through which the first bar and the second bar protrude, respectively.",
    "16. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a first rotation plate having an elevation bar insertion hole, through which the first elevation bar is inserted; a second rotation plate having an elevation bar insertion hole, through which the second elevation bar is inserted; and a pair of rotation plate mounting holes disposed at the rear surface of the door into which the first rotation plate and the second rotation plate are respectively mounted.",
    "17. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: another driving motor to provide a rotational force to the second curved rack; a first driving gear gear-connected with the first curved rack to rotate the first curved rack; and a second driving gear gear-connected with the second curved rack to rotate the second curved rack, wherein the first driving gear is gear-connected with the outer circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the first curved rack, and the second driving gear is gear-connected with the outer circumferential surface or an inner circumferential surface of the second curved rack.",
    "18. The refrigerator according to claim 17, further comprising: a first reduction gear connected with a rotation shaft of the driving motor to reduce a rotational rate of the driving motor; and a second reduction gear connected with a rotation shaft of the another driving motor to reduce a rotational rate of the another driving motor, wherein the first driving gear is connected with a driving shaft of the first reduction gear, and the second driving gear is connected with a driving shaft of the second reduction gear.",
    "19. The refrigerator according to claim 17 further comprising: a first spring disposed at the inner circumference of the first rack; and a second spring disposed at the inner circumference of the second rack, wherein the first spring and the second spring being compressed when the elevation plate descends.",
    "20. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a manipulation part provided at the drawer to input at least one of a draw-in/out command of the drawer and an operation command of the elevation device."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator.\n\nIn general, refrigerators are home appliances for storing food at a low temperature in a storage space that is covered by a door. For this, the refrigerators cool the inside of the storage space by using cool air generated by being heat-exchanged with a refrigerant circulated through a refrigeration cycle to store food in an optimum state.\n\nSuch a refrigerator is becoming larger and multifunctioned as dietary changes and user's preferences become more diverse, and thus, a refrigerator having various structures and convenience devices for user's convenience and freshness of stored food has been introduced.\n\nThe storage space of the refrigerator may be opened/closed by the door. Also, refrigerators may be classified into various types according to an arranged configuration of the storage space and a structure of the door that opens and closes the storage space.\n\nThe refrigerator door may be classified into a rotation-type door that opens and closes a storage space through rotation thereof and a drawer-type door that is inserted and withdrawn in a drawer like manner.\n\nAlso, the drawer-type door is often disposed in a lower region of the refrigerator. Thus, when the drawer-type door is disposed in the lower region of the refrigerator, a user has to turn their back to take out a basket or food in the drawer-type door. If the basket or the food is heavy, the user may feel inconvenient to use the drawer-type door or may be injured.\n\nIn order to solve such a limitation, various structures are being developed in which the drawer-type door is capable of being elevated.",
  "cpc": [
    "F25D 25/025",
    "A47B 2088/901",
    "A47B 2210/175",
    "A47B 45/00",
    "A47B 51/00",
    "A47B 88/457",
    "A47B 88/90",
    "F25D 11/02",
    "F25D 23/021",
    "F25D 25/005",
    "F25D 25/028",
    "F25D 25/04"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47B 51/00",
    "A47B 88/90",
    "F25D 23/02",
    "F25D 25/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "LG Electronics Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hyunbum KIM"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-11-06",
  "publication_date": "2021-03-09",
  "grant_date": "2021-03-09",
  "priority_date": "2018-12-28",
  "application_number": "US-201916676165-A",
  "family_id": "68965660",
  "cited_by_count": 15,
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}