System and method for driving a drawer in a refrigerator

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator. In a system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator according to present embodiments, in a state where a storage box is withdrawn and stops, the storage box is inserted or further withdrawn in accordance with a user's intention or action to reduce cool air loss.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator. Background technique [0002] Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance used to store food in a refrigerated or frozen state. [0003] Specifically, refrigerators can be roughly divided into top-mounted refrigerators, bottom freezer-type refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators according to respective positions of the freezing chamber and the refrigerating chamber. [0004] The bottom freezer configuration has a freezer compartment positioned below the refrigerator compartment. The door to open and close the refrigerating compartment is provided pivotable around the edge of the main body, while the door to open and close the freezer compartment is provided in a forward and rearward moving storage box door configuration. [0005] Since the freezer is provided below the refrigerating chamber, in order to open the freezer, the user has to bend dow...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, when the storage box is set on the bottom of the refrigerator, the user must bend over to pull it out, potentially straining the body

Namely, opening refrigerator storage boxes can be physically demanding for children, elderly people, and women

[0011] In addition, to allow the storage box to be pulled, the handle protrudes from the front surface of the storage box, thereby increasing the size of the refrigerator package

When the refrigerator is installed indoors, because more installation space is required to accommodate the projection of the handle, the practicality of the product is reduced

[0012] Also, because the handle is a protrusion that protrudes from the front surface of the refrigerator, she is a danger to users who can hit the protrusion while walking and children who are running

[0013] The following limitation accompanies the above-mentioned refrigerator provided with a draw-out device for the storage box that pushes the storage box to a distance that separates the latter from the main body of the refrigerator

[0014] First, even in refrigerators provided with a device for separating the storage box from the main body, handles are required

That is, because the device is configured to separate the storage box from the main body only when the user grasps the handle to pull the storage box forward, the handle is a necessary element, which therefore has the above-mentioned limitations

[0015] Second, the time it takes for the controller to sense the environment and actuate the storage box extraction device is too much compared to the time it takes for the user to grasp the handle and pull the storage box forward, thus reducing practicality

That is, when the movement is performed to draw out the storage box, the reaction speed of the storage box extraction device is slow, so that the user may not perceive any improvement in convenience

[0016] Third, because the storage box extraction device simply pushes the storage box far enough to separate it from the main body of the refrigerator, there is a limitation that the user must directly grasp the handle and thereafter pull the storage box forward

[0019] Second, if the drive motor and gear transmission were to be installed inside the inner shell of the refrigerator, it would cause a loss of insulation in the body of the refrigerator

In this structure, if the inner case is to be recessed to accommodate the motor, the heat insulating layer will become thinner, so that there is a limitation of reduced heat insulation between the inside of the refrigerator and the room

[0020] Third, in the case where the motor and the gear transmission are fixedly mounted on the bottom surface inside the refrigerator, a rack engaged to the gear must be installed elongatedly from front to rear along the bottom surface of the storage box.

[0023] Fifth, in the related art configured with a refrigerator that is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the refrigerator main body to draw out the storage box, there is no additional function of monitoring and controlling the speed of drawing out the storage box during the process of drawing out the storage box

Therefore, there are limitations as follows: it cannot sense whether the storage box is withdrawn at a normal speed; whether the storage box is withdrawn by an obstacle; food weight

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