KR20100070512A - A refrigerator and shelf height adjustment apparatus for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention, the storage space is formed body; A grill pan that partitions the inside of the storage space forward and backward and guides cold air; A shelf height adjusting device provided at a rear side of the grill pan and vertically moved by an operation of an operation switch provided at one side of the main body; A variable shelf provided in the storage space and detachably mounted to the shelf height adjusting device to penetrate the grill pan, wherein the shelf height adjusting device includes: a mounting frame to which the shelf is mounted and fixed; A drive motor mounted to the mounting frame; A plurality of pinions disposed up and down so as to be interlocked with the rotation shaft of the drive motor; A rack member fixed to the grill pan or the main body and gear-coupled with the pinion to move the mounting frame up and down; It is provided on both the left and right sides of the mounting frame, and comprises a guide member for limiting the vertical movement and vertical movement distance of the mounting frame.

Refrigerator, Shelf, Height Adjustable, Frame

Description

{A refrigerator and shelf height adjustment apparatus for refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a refrigerator shelf height adjusting device.

In general, a refrigerator is a home appliance that allows food to be stored at a low temperature in an interior storage space shielded by a door, and is stored by cooling the inside of the storage space using cold air generated through heat exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle. It is configured to keep foods in optimal condition.

Such refrigerators are becoming larger and more versatile as the dietary changes and user's preferences are diversified.

Various foods for refrigeration or freezing storage are appropriately stored in shelves, drawers, baskets, etc. provided in the refrigerator, and the drawers, shelves, baskets, etc. partition the interior of the refrigerator to store food having various sizes and storage conditions at low temperature. Make it possible.

On the other hand, the shelf partitioning the interior can be changed in various ways by changing its mounting position, the user can adjust the mounting position of the shelf for the storage of food or containers containing food of various sizes It will make a proper space.

The most typical mounting structure of such a shelf has a structure in which a forming end is formed on the left and right wall surfaces of the shelf and the shelf is mounted thereon. A guide having a plurality of holes is installed on the rear wall surface of the shelf, and the guide hole has a ring shape. There is also a structure configured to mount the shelf in the form of cantilever by combining the shelf formed with the coupling portion. However, in such a structure, there is an inconvenience in using the recombination after separating the shelves in order to adjust the height of the shelves.

In order to solve this problem, a refrigerator has been developed to easily adjust the height of the shelf while the shelf is mounted.

Representatively, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0074676 discloses a driving means for forward and reverse rotation according to an operation of an operation switch, a worm shaft for forward and reverse rotation according to an operation of the driving means, a support member having a gear engaged with the worm shaft, Disclosed is a shelf lifting device of a refrigerator including a guide plate coupled to a support member and lifted according to a rotational operation of a gear, and a shelf detachably coupled to the guide plate.

And, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0074425, the drive means for forward and reverse rotation according to the operation of the operation switch, the worm shaft is rotated forward and reverse according to the operation of the drive motor, and the lifting plate which is geared up and down operation with the worm shaft, A shelf apparatus of a refrigerator including a guide plate coupled to a lifting plate and a shelf detachably coupled to the guide plate is disclosed.

An object of the present invention is provided in the rear of the grill pan, the shelf is moved up and down by a rack member geared with a plurality of pinions which are mounted through the grill pan and interlocked with the drive motor provided in the mounting frame. It is to provide a refrigerator having a height adjustment device.

Another object of the present invention, a plurality of pinions are provided in the drive motor provided in the mounting frame detachably mounted on the shelf, the mounting frame is moved up and down by a rack member geared to the pinion to adjust the height of the variable shelf It is to provide a shelf height adjustment device.

Refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, the storage space is formed body; A grill pan that partitions the inside of the storage space forward and backward and guides cold air; A shelf height adjusting device provided at a rear side of the grill pan and vertically moved by an operation of an operation switch provided at one side of the main body; A variable shelf provided in the storage space and detachably mounted to the shelf height adjusting device to penetrate the grill pan, wherein the shelf height adjusting device includes: a mounting frame to which the shelf is mounted and fixed; A drive motor mounted to the mounting frame; A plurality of pinions disposed up and down so as to be interlocked with the rotation shaft of the drive motor; A rack member fixed to the grill pan or the main body and gear-coupled with the pinion to move the mounting frame up and down; It is provided in both the left and right sides of the mounting frame, and comprises a guide member for limiting the vertical movement and vertical movement distance of the mounting frame.

In addition, the grill pan is provided with a plurality of mounting slots for mounting the fixed shelf is adjustable height by detachment.

In addition, the left and right rear ends of the fixed shelf and the variable shelf is further provided with a locking portion that can be selectively mounted to the mounting slot and shelf height adjustment device.

In addition, the left and right sides of the main frame are provided with a slider formed of a plastic material, the guide member is provided with a slider guide for receiving the slider, and guides the vertical movement of the slider.

In addition, the slider is configured to be received inside the slider guide.

In addition, the slider is mounted to the edge of the mounting frame, the slider guide is formed to contact at least two surfaces of the slider.

In addition, the refrigerator shelf height adjusting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in another aspect, a mounting frame on which the shelf is mounted; A drive motor mounted to the mounting frame; A plurality of pinions provided on the rotation shaft of the drive motor; A rack member fixed to one side of the rack and gear-coupled with the pinion to move the mounting frame up and down; It is fixedly mounted on both left and right sides of the mounting frame, and comprises a guide member for limiting the vertical movement guide and the vertical movement distance of the mounting frame.

In addition, the plurality of pinions are arranged on the same extension line in the longitudinal direction of the rack member.

In addition, the left and right sides of the mounting frame is provided with a slider formed of a plastic material, the guide member is provided with a slider guide in contact to guide the vertical movement of the slider.

In addition, the slider guide is formed in a shape that accommodates the slider to be in surface contact with the slider.

The guide member may include a mounting portion to which the slider guide is mounted, and a movement limiting portion protruding inward from the upper end and the lower end of the mounting part to limit vertical movement of the mounting frame.

According to the refrigerator and the refrigerator shelf height adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention constituting the above configuration, since the shelf is detachably mounted to a mounting frame which can adjust the height of the shelf, the space structure by the vertical movement of the shelf is, of course, the It is possible to create a space according to the detachment of the shelf, which enables the production of various spaces.

Therefore, it is possible to expect an effect of improving the convenience of use by storing a variety of sizes of the product by varying the space configuration inside the refrigerator compartment.

In addition, a driving motor is provided on a mounting frame that enables height adjustment of the shelf, and a plurality of pinions are provided on the driving motor to vertically move the mounting frame while moving up and down along the rack member.

Therefore, the height adjustment of the shelf is transmitted by a plurality of pinions can be made stably without the left and right flow occurs.

In addition, the slider of the plastic material provided on the left and right sides of the main frame and the slider guide which is accommodated in the surface contact with the slider is provided in the guide member to enable the stable and smooth vertical movement of the shelf has the advantage that the performance is improved. .

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented, and other embodiments included within the scope of other inventive inventions or the scope of the present invention can be easily added by adding, changing, or deleting other elements. I can suggest.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view showing the door of the refrigerator is opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its appearance is defined by a main body 10 having a storage space therein and a door 20 selectively shielding the opened front surface of the main body 10. Is formed.

The inside of the main body 10 is divided into upper and lower sides by the barrier 12 to form the refrigerating chamber 30 and the freezing chamber 40, respectively. The door 20 includes a refrigerating compartment door 22 that shields the refrigerating compartment 30 and a freezing compartment door 24 that shields the freezing compartment 40. The refrigerating compartment door 22 is constituted by a pair of doors 20 to be opened and closed by rotating to both left and right sides, and the freezer compartment door 24 is pulled out front and rear in a drawer manner to open and close the freezer compartment 40. Configured to do so.

On the other hand, the inside of the main body 10 is provided with a plurality of shelves 100 and drawers 50, etc. for storing food, and a plurality of baskets 26 are also mounted on the back of the door 20 to the door It is possible to store food on the back.

In particular, the shelf 100 and the drawers 50 provided in the refrigerating compartment 30 are divided into left and right sides in the refrigerating compartment 30, and each of them can be independently adjusted in height or withdrawn independently. It is configured to enable the production of various spaces.

3 is a front view showing the shelf is separated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the shelf 100 is provided inside the refrigerating chamber 30 and is mounted on the rear wall of the inside of the refrigerator in a cantilever manner. The shelf 100 is configured to be detachable, forms an outer shape, and is formed on a shelf frame 110 selectively mounted on a high inner side, and forms a surface on which the food can be seated on the shelf frame 110. It consists of a shelf plate 120.

The plurality of shelves 100 mounted in the shed are divided into fixed shelves 130 and variable shelves 140 according to the mounting structure but having the same structure. The fixed shelf 130 is configured to be height-adjustable by detachable like a general shelf, the variable shelf 140 is mounted to the shelf height adjustment device 300 to be described in detail below by the user's operation It is configured to allow height adjustment without detachment.

And, all of these shelves 100 are configured to be detachable through the grill pan 200 that partitions the inside and outside of the storage space in which the refrigerating chamber 30 is formed. In addition, according to a user's needs, the mounting height of the plurality of shelves 100 may be changed on the grill pan 200 so that various spaces may be produced.

The grill pan 200 forms an inner rear wall surface of the refrigerating chamber 30, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the front. The grill pans 200 are disposed on the left and right sides of the refrigerating chamber 30, respectively, and are spaced apart from the inner rear wall of the main body 10 so as to allow movement of cold air through the rear space of the grill pan 200. do.

That is, the inside of the storage space in which the refrigerating chamber 30 is formed by the grill pan 200 may be partitioned in the front and rear, the space in front of the grill pan 200 is formed in the storage space, the grill pan ( 200, the space at the rear side is a space through which cold air supplied from an evaporator (not shown) provided at one side of the main body 10 may flow.

The grill pan 200 may have a flow path and a discharge port formed therein so that cold air may be supplied to various positions inside the refrigerating chamber 30, and a duct (not shown) forming a separate flow path may be formed in the grill pan 200. It may be provided in a space behind the fan 200.

In addition, a plurality of components constituting the shelf height adjusting device 300 may be arranged in the space behind the grill pan 200 formed by the grill pan 200, as shown in FIG. 5.

In addition, mounting slots 210 and guide slots 220 for mounting a plurality of shelves 100 are formed at left and right sides of the grill pan 200. The mounting slot 210 and the guide slot 220 are disposed up and down at both left and right ends of the grill pan 200, respectively. In this case, the mounting slot 210 may be disposed in plural numbers in succession, and may be formed in both the upper and lower or upper and lower portions of the guide slot 220.

The mounting slot 210 is a hook portion 112 protruding from the rear end of the fixing shelf 130 is inserted, the hook portion 112 is drilled into a shape that can be inserted, a plurality of continuous up and down is formed. Therefore, the user can select the mounting height of the fixing shelf 130 according to the position of the mounting slot 210 in which the hook portion 112 is inserted.

On the other hand, the guide slot 220 is to be mounted on the mounting frame 400 to be described later to pass through the rear end of the hook portion 112, it is drilled on the extension line of the mounting slot 210, It is formed by drilling long in the vertical direction. The guide slot 220 is formed to have a length corresponding to the distance that the variable shelf 140 can be moved up and down, and when the variable shelf 140 is mounted up and down, the guide slot 220 of the hanger 112 The vertical movement path is formed.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the shelf height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 and Figure 6 is an operating state diagram showing a vertical movement state of the shelf height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the configuration of the shelf height adjustment device 300 with reference to these drawings in detail as follows.

The shelf height adjustment device 300 is disposed at the rear of the grill pan, the mounting frame 400, the drive motor 500, the pinion 510, the rack member 610, the slider 420, the slider guide ( 730, the guide member 700, and comprises a fixing member 600.

In detail, the mounting frame 400 is mounted to the variable shelf 140 and is provided in a space formed at the rear of the grill pan 200, and the pinion 510 and the rack member 610 to be described below. It is configured to be movable up and down by engagement.

In more detail, the mounting frame 400 is formed to be larger than the width of the variable shelf 140 in the horizontal direction, and when viewed from the rear, the mounting frame 400 is formed in the shape of a block having a long rectangular shape in the horizontal direction or an empty box shape inside. .

At this time, the inside of the mounting frame 400 is hollow so that the flow of cold air through the mounting frame 400 is hollow and the upper and lower surfaces are opened so that the movement of the cold air can be smoothly made through the mounting frame 400. Can be configured.

On the other hand, mounting holes 410 are respectively formed on the front left and right sides of the mounting frame 400. The mounting hole 410 is for inserting the hook portion 112 of the variable shelf 140 or the fixed shelf 130, it is formed to be drilled so that the hook portion 112 is inserted and fixed.

In addition, the mounting holes 410 are provided on the left and right sides of the mounting frame 400 by a pair of upper and lower sides, and the hook part 112 is selectively inserted or formed to be detachable from the mounting hole 410 so that the variable shelf ( Desorption of 140 is possible.

The driving motor 500 is mounted at the center of the rear side of the mounting frame 400. The drive motor 500 is to provide a rotational power for the shangdong of the variable shelf 140, an electric motor can be used.

The drive motor 500 may be driven by an operation switch 32 provided in the refrigerator, and configured to enable forward and reverse rotation according to the operation of the operation switch 32. In addition, the driving motor 500 is configured to be automatically stopped by the load applied when the movement limiting unit 720 and the mounting frame 400 to be described below.

On the other hand, the drive motor 500 is equipped with a plurality of pinions (510). The pinion 510 is directly or indirectly connected to the rotating shaft of the drive motor 500 to be rotatable according to the driving of the drive motor 500, and is configured to be gear-coupled with the rack member 610 to be described below. .

The plurality of pinions 510 are disposed in the vertical direction, and are arranged at regular intervals on the same extension line. Accordingly, the plurality of pinions 510 may support the rack members 610 at a plurality of points at the upper and lower parts of the rack member 610 when the pinions 510 are coupled to the rack members 610, and the mounting frame 400 To enable stable Shanghaidong.

On the other hand, a plurality of the drive motor 500 may be mounted, in this case, the pinions 510 are respectively mounted on the rotation axis of each drive motor 500, so that the pinions 510 may be arranged on the same extension line The arrangement of the driving motor 500 may be adjusted.

The rear of the drive motor 500 is provided with a rack member 610 and a fixing member 600 for fixing the rack member 610. The rack member 610 is for guiding the shanghaidong of the mounting frame 400, and is formed to have a length corresponding to the shanghaidong distance of the variable shelf 140, that is, the vertical movement distance of the mounting frame 400. do.

The rack member 610 is formed to maintain a fixed state in the rear space of the grill pan 200 by the fixing member 600 to be described below, the gear coupled to the pinion 510 is the left side It is formed to face. Therefore, when the driving motor 500 is driven, the pinion 510 can move up and down along the rack member 610.

The fixing member 600 is to allow the rack member 610 to be fixed in a gear-coupled state to the pinion 510, is bent to have a substantially 'c' shape when viewed from the side, The rack member 610 is disposed between the bent up and down.

In addition, the fixing member 600 is fixed to the rear of the grill pan 200, or fixed to the rear wall surface of the main body 10, the rack member 610 is fixed during the relative movement of the pinion (510) Keep it in place.

On the other hand, the left and right sides of the mounting frame 400, the slider 420 is provided. The slider 420 smoothly moves the mounting frame 400, and is configured to make surface contact with the slider guide 730 to be described below.

The slider 420 is formed of a plastic material. In detail, the slider 420 may be formed of an engineering plastic such as POM material having excellent wear resistance and lubricity, and may be formed of an oil-impregnated plastic material.

The slider 420 may be mounted at corners of both left and right sides of the mounting frame 400. The slider 420 is formed in a substantially 'b' shape when viewed from above, and is formed to have a height corresponding to the height of the mounting frame 400.

In addition, the left and right sides of the mounting frame 400 to guide the vertical movement of the mounting frame 400, the guide member 700 for limiting the vertical movement distance of the mounting frame 400 is formed.

In detail, the guide member 700 is fixedly mounted on the rear surface of the grill pan 200 or fixedly mounted on the rear wall surface of the rear of the grill pan 200. The guide member 700 is formed vertically long, the mounting portion 710 on which the slider guide 730 to be described below is mounted, and the movement limiting portion 720 protruding inward from the upper and lower sides of the mounting portion 710. It consists of.

The mounting part 710 provides a space in which the slider guide 730 is mounted. The mounting part 710 is elongated vertically and is formed to have a length corresponding to the vertical movement distance of the mounting frame 400.

On the other hand, the slider guide 730 is to accommodate the slider 420, is fixedly mounted to the mounting portion 710 of the guide member 700, it is configured to move up and down relative to the slider 420.

In detail, the slider guide 730 is formed of a metal material, the plate-like material is bent so that at least a portion of the slider 420 can be accommodated inside. The slider guide 730 is formed to be opened upward and downward, and is formed to have a length corresponding to the length of the mounting portion 710.

The slider guide 730 is formed to be in contact with at least two surfaces, such as both sides and the rear surface of the slider 420 mounted to protrude from the mounting frame 400, the slider inside the slider guide 730 420 is configured to be moved up and down in surface contact with the slider guide 730.

On the other hand, the movement limiting unit 720 of the guide member 700 is formed to protrude in the inward direction from the top and bottom of the mounting portion 710. Therefore, when the mounting frame 400 is moved upward or downward, the top or bottom of the mounting frame 400 can be in contact with the movement limiting unit 720, the movement limiting unit 720 When the mounting frame 400 comes into contact with the mounting frame 400, the movement of the mounting frame 400 is restricted so that it is no longer possible to move upward or downward.

Hereinafter, the operation of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

In the state in which the variable shelf 140 is mounted inside the refrigerator 1, the user can operate the operation switch 32 to adjust the height of the variable shelf 140.

That is, when the operation switch 32 is pressed to adjust the height of the variable shelf 140, the driving motor 500 is operated, and the plurality of pinions 510 is operated by the operation of the driving motor 500. ) Will rotate simultaneously.

The plurality of pinions 510 may not only transmit a more reliable rotational force to the rack member 610 in contact with the upper and lower portions of the rack member 610, but also the vertical direction of the mounting frame 400. The rack member 610 is supported in contact with a plurality of points so that flow does not occur during movement.

Therefore, the mounting frame 400 on which the driving motor 500 is mounted at the moment when the plurality of pinions 510 is in gear engagement with the rack member 610 is rotated. It can be moved up and down.

That is, when the driving motor 500 is driven, the mounting frame 400 moves in the vertical direction according to the guide of the rack member 610, and the variable shelf also moves in the vertical direction in accordance with the movement of the mounting frame 400. Moving to the end it is possible to adjust the vertical height of the variable shelf 140.

As the mounting frame 400 moves up and down, the slider 420 mounted on the mounting frame 400 is moved up and down in a state accommodated inside the slider guide 730. At this time, the slider 420 is in sliding contact with the slider guide 730 in a surface contact state.

Therefore, the horizontal flow of the mounting frame 400 is more stably limited, and the mounting frame 400 is guided to move smoothly in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, the variable shelf 140 may be variously mounted according to the space configuration of the refrigerator compartment 30 desired by the user.

For example, the fixing shelf 130 mounted on the mounting slot 210 may set the upper and lower spaces of the shelf 100 by inserting the fixing shelf 130 in a desired position among the plurality of mounting slots 210. In addition, the variable shelf 140 mounted on the mounting frame 400 through the guide slot 220 may set the upper and lower spaces of the fixed shelf 130 by manipulation of the operation switch 32. .

Therefore, the user can set the upper and lower spaces by adjusting the height of the fixed shelf 130 and the variable shelf 140, it is possible to produce a space that can accommodate food having various heights.

On the other hand, since the variable shelf 140 has the same structure as the fixed shelf 130, the variable shelf 140 mounted on the mounting frame 400 is removed, and the variable shelf is mounted to the mounting slot 210. 140 may be mounted.

In addition, by selectively mounting the shelves 100 mounted on the mounting slot 210 and the mounting frame 400, the space configuration inside the refrigerating compartment 30 may be further varied. That is, by selectively removing the shelf 100 mounted on the mounting frame 400 may implement a wider space.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a front view showing a state in which the door of the refrigerator is opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a front view showing a state that the shelf is separated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the shelf height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6 is an operating state showing the vertical movement of the shelf height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A body in which a storage space is formed; A grill pan that partitions the inside of the storage space forward and backward and guides cold air; A shelf height adjusting device provided at a rear side of the grill pan and vertically moved by an operation of an operation switch provided at one side of the main body; A variable shelf provided in the storage space and detachably mounted to the shelf height adjusting device so as to pass through the grill pan; The shelf height adjustment device, A mounting frame to which the shelf is mounted and fixed; A drive motor mounted to the mounting frame; A plurality of pinions disposed up and down so as to be interlocked with the rotation shaft of the drive motor; A rack member fixed to the grill pan or the main body and gear-coupled with the pinion to move the mounting frame up and down; Refrigerators are provided on the left and right sides of the mounting frame, including a guide member for limiting the vertical movement and vertical movement distance of the mounting frame. The method of claim 1, The grill pan is characterized in that a plurality of mounting slots for mounting a fixed shelf that can be adjusted by detachable height is formed. The method of claim 2, Refrigerators are formed on the left and right rear ends of the fixed shelf and the variable shelf further comprises a locking portion that can be selectively mounted to the mounting slot and the shelf height adjustment device. The method of claim 1, Both left and right sides of the main frame are provided with a slider formed of a plastic material, The guide member accommodates the slider, the refrigerator is provided with a slider guide for guiding the vertical movement of the slider. The method of claim 4, wherein And the slider is configured to be received inside the slider guide. The method of claim 4, wherein The slider is mounted to an edge of the mounting frame, The slider guide is formed to be in contact with at least two surfaces of the slider. A mounting frame on which the shelf is mounted; A drive motor mounted to the mounting frame; A plurality of pinions provided on the rotation shaft of the drive motor; A rack member fixed to one side of the rack and gear-coupled with the pinion to move the mounting frame up and down; Refrigerator shelf height adjustment device is fixed to the left and right sides of the mounting frame, comprising a guide member for limiting the vertical movement guide and the vertical movement distance of the mounting frame. The method of claim 7, wherein And a plurality of pinions are arranged on the same extension line in the longitudinal direction of the rack member. The method of claim 7, wherein The left and right sides of the mounting frame is provided with a slider formed of a plastic material, The guide member has a height adjustment device of the refrigerator shelf is provided with a slider guide in contact to guide the vertical movement of the slider. The method of claim 9, The slider guide is a refrigerator shelf height adjustment device is formed in a shape that accommodates the slider to be in surface contact with the slider. The method of claim 9, The guide member, A mounting part to which the slider guide is mounted; Refrigerator shelf height adjustment device is formed to protrude inward from the top and bottom of the mounting portion, including a movement restriction for limiting the vertical movement of the mounting frame.

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