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.

1 . 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, comprising: 
 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, wherein the guide rail and the movable rail move in relation to the intermediate rail, whereby the storage box is extracted from or retracted into the storage space.    
   
   
       2 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the guide channels is formed to have a polyhedral cross-section, one side of which is at least partially opened, 
 each of the guide flanges is formed so as to be positioned within a corresponding guide channel in such a manner that one surface of the guide flange is spaced from an inner surface of the guide channel opposed to the guide flange by a predetermined interval, and    the ball bearings are interposed between an inner surface of each of the guide channels and one surface of each of the guide flanges, wherein the inner surface and the one surface are opposed to each other.    
   
   
       3 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the damping device comprises: 
 the one surface of the guide flange opposed to the inner surface of the guide channel is 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.    
   
   
       4 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the intermediate rail is 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, and    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.    
   
   
       5 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of the opposite side walls of the storage space is provided with the guide rail.  
   
   
       6 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail is provided on the bottom wall of the storage space.  
   
   
       7 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a damping device providing a damping force for controlling the moving velocity of the movable rail in relation to the guide rail.  
   
   
       8 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the damping device comprises: 
 a damping unit providing a damping force for reducing the moving velocity of the movable rail in relation to the guide rail in the direction of retracting the storage box into the storage space; and    an engagement means rendering the movable rail and the damping unit to be selectively engaged with each other depending to the moving direction of the movable rail in relation to the guide rail in the direction of extracting the storage box to the outside of the storage space.    
   
   
       9 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the damping unit comprises: 
 a piston installed to be movable in the moving direction of the movable rail in relation to the guide rail; and    damping fluid restricting the movement of the piston in the direction of retracting the storage box into the storage space.    
   
   
       10 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the damping unit further comprises an elastic member applying an elastic force to the piston in the direction of retracting the storage box into the storage space.  
   
   
       11 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the engagement means comprises: 
 a cooperation cam engaged with the piston;    a guide member provided on the guide rail, the guide member having a first guide slot for guiding the movement of the cooperation cam; and    a cooperation member provided on a side of the movable rail, the cooperation member being selectively engaged with the cooperation cam depending on the moving distance of the movable rail in relation to the guide rail in the direction of extracting the storage box to the outside of the storage space.    
   
   
       12 . A refrigerator rail assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein if the movable rail is moved in relation to the guide rail in the direction of retracting the storage box into the storage space, a retracting-cooperative projection provided on the cooperation cam comes into close contact with a retracting-cooperative part provided on the cooperation member, whereby the cooperation cam and the cooperation member are engaged with each other; 
 wherein if the movable rail is moved in relation to the guide rail in the direction of extracting the storage box to the outside of the storage space, an extracting-cooperative projection provided on the cooperation cam is seated on an extracting-cooperative part provided on the cooperation member, whereby the cooperation cam and the cooperation member are engaged with each other; and    wherein if the storage box is moved by a predetermined distance in relation to the guide rail in the direction of extracting the storage box to the outside of the storage space, a guide projection provided on the cooperation cam is moved along a second guide slot formed in the guide member, whereby the cooperation cam is elastically deformed in relation to the piston, so that the extracting-cooperative projection is released from the state seated on the extracting-cooperative part.    
   
   
       13 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus comprising: 
 a storage box installed to be capable of being extracted from/retracted into a storage space of a refrigerator;    a rail assembly as claimed in any of  claims 1  to  4  for guiding the extraction and retraction of the storage; and    an engagement means rendering the storage box and the rail assembly to be removably engaged with each other.    
   
   
       14 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each of the opposite side walls is provided with the guide rail of the rail assembly.  
   
   
       15 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the engagement means is a hook provided on a side of the guide rail of the rail assembly to be selectively hooked to a side of the storage box.  
   
   
       16 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a door connected to an end of the guide rail so as to selectively open or close the storage space like a drawer.  
   
   
       17 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the guide rail of the rail assembly is provided on the bottom wall of the storage space.  
   
   
       18 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the engagement means comprises: 
 a mounting groove formed on one of the bottom surface of the storage box and the guide rail of the rail assembly; and    a mounting boss formed on the other of the bottom surface of the storage box and the guide rail of the rail assembly and engaged with the mounting groove.    
   
   
       19 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the bottom surface of the storage box is provided with a mounting channel, into which the guide rail is inserted, the mounting channel being formed by deforming a part of the bottom surface upwardly, so that the bottom surface is recessed.  
   
   
       20 . A refrigerator storage box extracting/retracting apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising a door connected to an end of the guide rail so as to selectively open or close the storage space like a drawer.