Refrigerator having basket lift apparatus

Abstract

A refrigerator having a basket lift apparatus comprises a body having a cooling chamber, a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber, a lifting frame mounted at the door to be movable up and down and on which a basket is positioned, and a buffer installed at the door for attenuating a shock generated when the basket is lowered.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising: 
 a body having a cooling chamber;    a door for opening and closing the cooling chamber;    a lifting frame mounted at the door to be movable up and down and on which a basket is positioned; and    a buffer installed at the door for attenuating a shock generated when the basket is lowered.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a driving motor for lifting the lifting frame.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a lifting arm contacting the lifting frame and hinge-connected to the door for lifting the lifting frame.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door is provided with a lifting rail for guiding the lifting frame to be movable up and down.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the lifting frame is provided with a contact portion contacting the buffer when the lifting frame is lowered.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the contact portion is provided with a buffering pad for attenuating a shock generated when the contact portion comes in contact with the buffer.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer is constructed as a shock absorber.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer comprises: 
 a cylinder fixed to the door and containing fluid therein;    a piston movably arranged in the cylinder and having a fluid channel through which the fluid passes and a flow resistance is generated therein; and    an operation rod connected to the piston and contacting the lifting frame.    
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the operation rod is provided with a support plate contacting the contact portion formed at the lifting frame at an upper end thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the support plate is provided with a buffering pad for attenuating a shock generated when the support plate comes in contact with the contact portion of the lifting frame.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the buffer further comprises a spring for providing an elastic force to the operation rod along a direction that the operation rod is extended.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the spring has a lower end supported by a spring seat formed at an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder, and an upper end supported by the support plate formed at an upper surface of the operation rod.  
   
   
       13 . A refrigerator, comprising: 
 a body having a cooling chamber;    an upper cooling chamber arranged at an upper side of the body;    a lower cooling chamber arranged at a lower side of the body, and having a door opened back and forth;    a lifting frame mounted at a door to be movable up and down for loading a basket; and    a buffer installed at the door for attenuating a shock generated when the basket is lowered.    
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the lifting frame is provided with a contact portion with which the buffer comes in contact when the lifting frame is lowered.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the contact portion is provided with a buffering pad for attenuating a shock generated when the contact portion comes in contact with the buffer.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the buffer is a shock absorber.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the buffer comprises: 
 a cylinder fixed to the door and containing fluid therein;    a piston movably arranged in the cylinder and having a fluid channel through which the fluid passes and a flow resistance is generated therein; and    an operation rod connected to the piston and contacting the lifting frame.    
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the operation rod is provide with a support plate contacting the contact portion formed at the lifting frame at an upper end thereof.  
   
   
       19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the support plate is provided with a buffering pad for attenuating a shock generated when the support plate comes in contact with the contact portion of the lifting frame.  
   
   
       20 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the buffer further comprises a spring for providing an elastic force to the operation rod in a direction that the operation rod is extended.