Basket assembly and basket carrier for refrigerator

• US 8,157,339 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Do-Hyung, Park, Jin-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEFERA, HIWOT E
• Application Number:
  US12/442,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 312/402, 312/404, 312/408, 312/334.7, 312/334.8, 312/334.21, 312/331, 312/401, 312/228.1, 312/311, 211/151, 211/126.15, 211/41.4, 211/133.5, 211/126.9, 211/41.8, 211/41.9, 220/485, 16/21, 16/22, 161/08, 161/09, 134/201
• US Class Current: 312/404
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2088/401 Slides or guides for wire baskets
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0024 Slides, guides for wire basket or drawer
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0078 Drawers with parallel guidance or synchronization by pinion-shaft linkages
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/175 Refrigerators or freezers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/483 with single extensible guides or parts
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/024 Slidable shelves

Abstract

In order to increase the reliability of the parts constituting the basket and to conveniently use the basket and to stably accomplish the operation of the basket, as the shaking of the basket is prevented, there is disclosed a basket operation device of a refrigerator, comprising: a basket freely moved in a back-and-forth direction in the state that the basket is supported by an inner wall of the refrigerator; a rotation shaft supported by the basket and moved with the basket and respectively rotated; a pair of rotation elements supported by both sides of the rotation shaft and rotated at the same angle to guide a movement of the basket when the basket moves in a back-and-forth direction; and a corresponding element formed in the inner wall of the refrigerator in a back-and-forth direction to contact with the rotation elements.

Claims

1. A basket operation device of a refrigerator, comprising:

a basket providing a food storage space and freely pushed in and pulled out of the refrigerator, the basket including a frame formed from a plurality of wires;

a hanger wire fastened to the basket;

a rail member configured to support the hanger wire and extended inside the refrigerator in a back-and-forth direction;

a rotation shaft supported by the basket and moved with the basket and respectively rotated;

a pair of pinions supported by both sides of the rotation shaft and configured to guide a movement of the basket when the basket moves in a back-and-forth direction;

a rack formed in the refrigerator in a back-and-forth direction to contact with the pinions;

a support wire coupled to the frame, the support wire being bent at both sides of the basket to support the pinions;

a shaft hole through which the rotation shaft is passed, the shaft hole being a space formed between the frame and the support wire; and

a shaking prevention cap connected with one of the pinions,

wherein the shaking prevention cap is coupled to the rotation shaft inside the support wire, and said one of the pinions is coupled to the shaking prevention cap outside the support wire.

2. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rotation shaft is provided at a rear side of the basket.

3. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein in case of inserting the basket, the position of the rotation shaft is disposed at an inner place than that of the rack.

4. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the position of the rack is fixed in an inner wall of the refrigerator.

5. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pinions includes a gear configured to be rotatable and a junction configured to be installed into the shaft hole.

6. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the pinions includes a connection groove stepped from an outside of the junction, and wherein the shaking prevention cap includes a fixing hook which is deformed to be inserted into the connection groove.

7. The basket operation device of a refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing rib, which is provided in the shaking prevention cap, for indicating the position where said one of the pinions is fastened in order to indicate the position of said one of the pinions.