Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator equipped with a storage container, wherein the storage container includes a container body, a cover slidably laid on the container body to partially cover the top of the container body, rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body, and a pinion engaged between the rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the rack gear provided at the container body to move the rack gear provided at the cover in a direction opposite to that of the rack gear provided at the container body, such that the cover is rearwardly moved when the container body is forwardly moved to be opened, thereby increasing an opened degree of the container body.

1 . A refrigerator including a storage container, the storage container comprising: 
 a container body;    a cover, slidably at on the container body, to partially cover a top of the container body; rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body; and    a pinion, engaged between the rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the rack gear provided at the container body in a first direction to move the rack gear provided at the cover in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the cover in the second direction when the container body is moved in the first direction to be opened to increase an opened degree of the container body when the storage container is opened.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the pinion is rotatably mounted to a fixed shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a groove provided along a long axis of the cover; and    a guide member, slidably fitted in the groove, to guide the movement of the cover.    
   
   
       4 . A refrigerator including a storage container, further comprising: 
 a container body;    a cover, slidably at the container body, to cover a front top portion of the container body;    a humidity control member fixedly mounted to cover at least a top portion of the container body not covered by the cover; and    a moving unit to move the cover in response to a movement of the container body in a first direction, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, whereby the cover is moved into the refrigerator when the container body is moved to extend out of the refrigerator to be opened to increase an opened degree of the container body.    
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the moving unit the cover comprises: 
 rack gears respectively connected to the cover and the container body while being slidably supported by the humidity control member; and    a pinion, engaged between the rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the rack gear connected to the container body to move the rack gear connected to the cover in the second direction opposite to the first direction of the rack gear connected to the container body.    
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the pinion is rotatably mounted to the humidity control member.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the rack gear mounted to the container body is separably mounted to a rear end of the container body by a connecting member extending vertically through the humidity control member; and    the humidity control member includes a slot to receive the connecting member to allow the connecting member to move therealong during the movement of the container body.    
   
   
       8 . A refrigerator including a storage container having a container body, the storage container comprising: 
 a cover, slidably disposed at the container body, to at least partially cover the opening of the container body;    first and second rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body; and    a pinion, coupled with the first and second rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the second rack gear, to cause the first rack gear to move in a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the second rack gear to move the cover rearward when the container body is moved forward.    
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a groove along a length of the cover in a direction that corresponds with the sliding direction of the cover; and    a guide member to cooperate with the groove to guide the sliding of the cover.    
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the cover has a length which is shorter than that of the storage container and covers only a front portion of the opening of the storage container when the storage container is closed.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein a front end of the first rack gear engages the pinion when the storage container is closed and a remaining portion of the first rack gear extends rearwardly from substantially the middle portion of the container body.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein a rear end of the second rack gear engages the pinion when the storage container is closed and a remaining portion of the second rack gear extends forwardly from substantially the middle portion of the container body.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein the pinion is rotatably mounted on a shaft which is fixedly mounted to the refrigerator.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , wherein, when a user draws the storage container forward from a closes position, the second rack gear is moved in accordance with the storage container to cause the pinion to rotate to cause the first rack gear to move in a direction which is opposite to the direction the storage container is moved.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising a first elongated groove in the cover, having curved surfaces at ends thereof, in which the first rack gear is located, the curved surfaces serving as stoppers when the curved surfaces contact with the pinion during operation of the storage container.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 15 , wherein the curved surfaces prevent the first rack gear from disengaging from the pinion.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising a second elongated groove in the container body, in which the second rack gear is located.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8  further comprising a humidity control member to at least partially cover the opening of the container body not covered by the cover and to control a level of humidity in the storage container.  
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a first connecting member to connect the first rack gear to the cover;    a second connecting member, extending through the humidity control member, to connect the second rack gear to the container body.    
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the first and second connecting members comprise vertical pin structures, respectively.  
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the humidity control member is fixedly combined with the storage container and comprises an elongated slot to receive the second connecting member such that the second connecting member is movable in the slot.  
   
   
       22 . The refrigerator according to  claim 21 , wherein the elongated slot extends longitudinally from a rear end of the humidity control member toward a front end of the humidity control member by a length.  
   
   
       23 . The refrigerator according to  claim 22 , wherein the humidity control member further comprises guiding members attached to an upper surface of the humidity control member to guide the first and second rack gears during movements of the first and second rack gears.  
   
   
       24 . A reverse movement mechanism for use in a refrigerator including a storage container having a container body and a cover, slidably laid on the container body, to partially cover the top of the container body, the mechanism comprising: 
 first and second rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body; and    a pinion, coupled with the first and second rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the second rack gear, to cause the first rack gear to move in a direction opposite to a direction of the movement of the second rack gear to move the cover rearward when the container body is moved forward.    
   
   
       25 . A refrigerator including a storage container having a container body with can opening, the storage container comprising: 
 means for at least partially covering the opening of the container body;    means for moving the cover in a first direction when the container body is moved in a second direction other than the first direction.    
   
   
       26 . A refrigerator including a storage container having a container body, the storage container comprising: 
 a cover, slidably disposed at the container body, to at least partially cover the opening of the container body;    a reverse movement mechanism that, in response to a first direction, moves the cover relative to the opening in a second direction.    
   
   
       27 . The refrigerator according to  claim 26 , wherein the reverse movement mechanism comprises first and second rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body.  
   
   
       28 . The refrigerator according to  claim 27 , wherein the reverse movement mechanism further comprises a pinion, coupled with the first and second rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the second rack gear, to cause the first rack gear to move in a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the second rack gear to move the cover rearward when the container body is moved forward.  
   
   
       29 . A storage container comprising: 
 a container body having an opening;    a cover, slidably disposed at the container body, to at least partially cover the opening of the container body; and    a reverse movement mechanism that, in response to movement of the container body in a first direction, moves the cover relative to the opening in a second direction.    
   
   
       30 . The storage container according to  claim 29 , wherein the reverse movement mechanism comprises first and second rack gears respectively provided at the cover and the container body.  
   
   
       31 . The storage container according to  claim 30 , wherein the reverse movement mechanism further comprises a pinion, coupled with the first and second rack gears, to rotate in accordance with a movement of the second rack gear, to cause the first rack gear to move in a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the second rack gear to move the cover rearward when the container body is moved forward.