US-12618614-B2 - Refrigerator

US12618614B2US 12618614 B2US12618614 B2US 12618614B2US-12618614-B2

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment; a shelf provided in the storage compartment; a shelf frame provided at a lower side of the shelf and configured to support the shelf; a drawer configured to be withdrawn at a lower side of the shelf frame; a drawer cover coupled to the shelf frame between the shelf frame and the drawer, the drawer cover including a cold air blocking portion extending toward a front of the storage compartment; and a support member contacting a portion of a bottom surface of the shelf frame and configured to support a load of the shelf.

Inventors

Yeongjun LEE
Jinhong Yu
Kyoungsun Park
Jisick HWANG

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230623
Priority Date: 20210224

Claims (12)

1 . A refrigerator comprising: a storage compartment; a shelf provided in the storage compartment; a shelf frame provided at a lower side of the shelf and configured to support the shelf; a drawer and a sub-drawer that are configured to be withdrawn at a lower side of the shelf frame by being withdrawn from the storage compartment along a first direction; a drawer cover coupled to the shelf frame between the shelf frame and the drawer, the drawer cover comprising a cold air blocking portion extending toward a front of the storage compartment; and a support member contacting a portion of a bottom surface of the shelf frame and configured to support a load of the shelf, wherein at least part of the support member is, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, between the sub-drawer and the shelf frame, wherein the support member comprises: a shelf support portion comprising a surface, as the at least part of the support member, parallel to the shelf frame and contacting the shelf frame; and a leg portion extending downward from the shelf support portion, wherein the refrigerator further comprises: a plurality of drawers comprising the drawer and a second drawer; and inner rails to which inner sides of the plurality of drawers are respectively coupled in a sliding manner, and wherein the support member further comprises: an extension portion extending horizontally outward from an end of the leg portion; and a locking portion protruding from the extension portion and toward at least one of the inner rails.
2 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the inner rails comprise an insertion portion configured to receive the locking portion and lock the support member in position.
3 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the sub-drawer is provided between the drawer and the second drawer, wherein the sub-drawer is slidably coupled to the inner rails, and wherein the sub-drawer is at least partly disposed inside of the support member.
4 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the drawer comprises: a storage box; and a cover panel coupled to a front side of the storage box and comprising a grip.
5 . The refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the cover panel further comprises an edge frame surrounding an opening portion that is open to an inside of the drawer.
6 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the cold air blocking portion extends from the edge frame to a side of the cover panel of the drawer and covers a gap between the shelf frame and the cover panel.
7 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the drawer cover further comprises a side rib extending from the edge frame and toward a side surface of the storage compartment, and wherein the side rib covers a gap between the shelf frame and the storage box.
8 . The refrigerator of claim 5 , wherein the shelf frame comprises: an opening that is open to the opening portion of the drawer cover; and a cover portion supported by the support member.
9 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the shelf frame comprises a shelf seating portion on which the shelf is seated, and wherein the shelf seating portion is stepped inward from an upper surface of the shelf frame.
10 . The refrigerator of claim 9 , further comprising a trim coupled to a front side of the shelf frame, wherein the trim is configured to press the shelf seated on the shelf seating portion from an upper side.
11 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising a duct mounted on a rear surface of the storage compartment, wherein the duct is configured to supply air into the storage compartment, wherein the duct comprises an air discharge hole, and wherein the drawer cover further comprises an air inlet in communication with the air discharge hole.
12 . The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the shelf frame comprises a support rib on the bottom surface, and wherein the drawer cover comprises a mounting protrusion protruding to an inside of the support rib and configured to keep the drawer cover in position by engagement with the support rib.

Description

This application is by-pass continuation application of International Application No. PCT/KR2022/000222, filed on Jan. 6, 2022, which based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0025079, filed on Feb. 24, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a refrigerator having an improved structure of supporting a shelf. 2. Description of Related Art A refrigerator is a home appliance that is equipped with a storage compartment storing food and a cold air supply device, supplying cold air to the storage compartment, and keeps food in a fresh state. The temperature of the storage compartment is maintained within a certain range required to keep food fresh. The storage compartment of the refrigerator is provided with a front side that is open, and the open front side is normally closed by a door to maintain the temperature of the storage compartment. The storage compartment is provided inside the refrigerator with a shelf, dividing the storage compartment into a plurality of zones, and a drawer having an inner space for storing food and the like. Such a drawer has a shape whose upper side is open, and the drawer is generally provided to be withdrawn at a lower side of a shelf. In addition, the shelf is formed of a transparent material, such as glass and the like, to allow the user to observe the inside of the drawer from the upper side of the shelf. However, in order to prevent sagging of the shelf when heavy articles are stacked on the top of the shelf, a relatively thick glass may be used or a separate member for reinforcing strength may be coupled, which may result in a complicated structure and an increase in material cost. In addition, the internal temperature of the drawer may be individually adjusted according to the user's convenience. However, through a gap between the drawer and the shelf, cold air inside the drawer may leak into the storage compartment, making it difficult to implement the set temperature in the drawer. SUMMARY According to an aspect of the disclosure, a refrigerator includes: a storage compartment; a shelf provided in the storage compartment: a shelf frame provided at a lower side of the shelf and configured to support the shelf: a drawer configured to be withdrawn at a lower side of the shelf frame: a drawer cover coupled to the shelf frame between the shelf frame and the drawer, the drawer cover including a cold air blocking portion extending toward a front of the storage compartment; and a support member contacting a portion of a bottom surface of the shelf frame and configured to support a load of the shelf. The support member may include: a shelf support portion including a surface parallel to the shelf frame and contacting the shelf frame; and a leg portion extending downward from the shelf support portion. The refrigerator may further include: a plurality of drawers including the drawer and a second drawer; and inner rails to which inner sides of the plurality of drawers are respectively coupled in a sliding manner. The support member may further include: an extension portion extending horizontally outward from an end of the leg portion; and a locking portion protruding from the extension portion and toward at least one of the inner rails. The inner rails may include an insertion portion configured to receive the locking portion and lock the support member in position. The refrigerator may further include: a sub-drawer provided between the drawer and the second drawer, the sub-drawer may be slidably coupled to the inner rails, and the sub-drawer may be at least partly disposed inside of the support member. The drawer may include: a storage box; and a cover panel coupled to a front side of the storage box and including a grip. The cover panel may further include an edge frame surrounding an opening portion that is open to an inside of the drawer. The cold air blocking portion may extend from the edge frame to a side of the cover panel of the drawer and cover a gap between the shelf frame and the cover panel. The drawer cover may further include a side rib extending from the edge frame and toward a side surface of the storage compartment, and the side rib may cover a gap between the shelf frame and the storage box. The shelf frame may include: an opening that is open to the opening portion of the drawer cover; and a cover portion supported by the support member. The shelf frame may include a shelf seating portion on which the shelf is seated, and the shelf seating portion may be stepped inward from an upper surface of the shelf frame. The refrigerator may further include a trim coupled to a front side of the shelf frame, and the trim is configured to press the shelf seated on the shelf seating portion from an upper side. The refrigerator may further include a duct mounted on a rear surface of the storage compartment, the duc