Refrigerator rail assembly and refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus having the same

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator rail assembly for guiding a storage box while the storage box is being extracted from or retracted into a space of a refrigerator. The refrigerator rail assembly includes: a guide rail provided on a side of the storage space to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the storage space, the guide rail having a guide channel formed in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and opened at a side thereof; a movable rail having a guide channel formed in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail and opened at a side opposed to the guide channel of the guide rail, the storage box being removably installed to the movable rail; an intermediate rail having a pair of guide flanges which are inserted into the guide channels, respectively; and a plurality of ball bearings interposed between the guide channels and the guide flanges. The guide rail and the movable rail move in relation to the intermediate rail, so that the storage box is extracted from or retracted into the storage space.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator rail assembly for guiding a refrigerator storage box while the storage box is being extracted from or retracted into a storage space of the refrigerator, and a refrigerator storage box extracting / retracting apparatus having such a rail assembly. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] A refrigerator is provided with a storage space within the body thereof, which is selectively opened or closed by a door. The door may be a pivotable type or a slidable type in opening or closing the storage space. In particular, if the door is a slidable type in opening or closing the storage space, a refrigerator storage box is provided within the storage space in such a manner that the storage box can be extracted from or retracted into the storage space simultaneously when the storage space is opened or closed. In addition, there is also prov...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator rail assembly which can be used more safely and a refrigerator storage box extracting / retracting apparatus having such a rail assembly.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator rail assembly configured to be capable of preventing an impact or noise occurring while a refrigerator storage box is being extracted from or retracted into the storage space of the refrigerator and a refrigerator storage box extracting / retracting apparatus having such a rail assembly.

[0015] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator rail assembly configured to be capable of minimizing the friction between a refrigerator storage box and a storage space of the refrigerator and a refrigerator storage box extracting / retracting apparatus having such a rail assembly.

[0018] In addition, the one surface of the guide flange opposed to the inner surface of the guide channel may be formed with a partition rib extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide flange so as to prevent the bearings from moving in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the intermediate rail.

[0019] Further more, the intermediate rail may be formed to extend in the longitudinal direction so that it is positioned within the guide channels in such a manner that its widthwise opposite edges are spaced from the inner surfaces of the guide channels by a predetermined distance. The guide flanges are spaced from the widthwise opposite edges of the intermediate rails by a predetermined distance, respectively. As a result, the ball bearings are prevented from moving in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the intermediate rail by the widthwise opposite edges of the intermediate rail.

[0033] According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to enhance the safety and convenience in use of a final product.

Problems solved by technology

However, the above-mentioned conventional refrigerator storage box extracting / retracting apparatus has problems as follows.

As a result, a part of a user's body may be caught in between the refrigerator body 10 and the storage box, whereby the user may be injured.

Furthermore, if the velocity of the storage box retracted into the storage space 11 is increased, an impact or noise may occur while the storage box is being received in the storage space 11.

As a result, the bottom wall of the storage box may sag due to the food contained in the storage box.

As a result, the storage box is not readily extracted or retracted due to the frictional force between the bottom wall of the storage space 11 and the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the storage box.

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