Drawer assembly and refrigerator having same

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a drawer assembly and a refrigerator having the same. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a drawer assembly and a refrigerator having the same, in which the drawer assembly includes a casing unit configured to slidably move in forward and backward directions in a refrigerating chamber or a freezing chamber and to store food therein, and a space between the casing unit and a shelf disposed at a lower portion of the casing unit is partitioned to additionally store food. In addition to the cashing unit, a support unit is included that is configured to partition a lower space of the casing unit and a coupling unit is included and is coupled to one of: an end of the support unit or a side of the support unit at a position adjacent to the end thereof, the coupling unit configured to be detachably locked to the lower surface of the casing unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drawer assembly comprising:
 a casing unit substantially boxed shaped and comprising an open upper portion and a lower surface, the casing unit configured to store contents therein;   a support unit configured to partition a lower space of the casing unit; and   a coupling unit coupled to one of: an end of the support unit; and a side of the support unit at a position adjacent to the end thereof, wherein the coupling unit is configured to be detachably locked to the lower surface of the casing unit.   
     
     
         2 . The drawer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support unit comprises a mesh structure. 
     
     
         3 . The drawer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the support unit comprises an elastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The drawer assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the support unit comprises multiple layers. 
     
     
         5 . The drawer assembly of  claim 1  further comprising
 an automatic winding unit disposed on the lower surface of the casing unit and configured to allow the support unit exposed outside to be automatically wound inwardly, and 
 wherein the support unit is rolling locked to an inside of the automatic winding unit. 
 
     
     
         6 . The drawer assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic winding unit comprises:
 a rotating member having a cylindrical shape and configured to roll the support unit in multiple steps along an outer circumferential surface thereof and further configured to be rotated to selectively wind and unwind the support unit;   an elastic member disposed adjacent to the rotating member and configured to provide a restoring force in an opposite direction when the rotating member is rotated in one direction due to unwinding of the support unit; and   a contact member coupled to a part of the elastic member to lock an end of the elastic member.   
     
     
         7 . The drawer assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the contact member comprises an elastic member-insertion portion recessed from one side of the contact member wherein an end of the elastic member is inserted and locked, causing the elastic member to twist due to rotation. 
     
     
         8 . The drawer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the casing unit comprises a ring shaped receiving portion disposed on the lower space thereof to be coupled to the coupling unit, and wherein
 the coupling unit has a hook like shape and is configured to be inserted in and locked to the ring shaped receiving portion.   
     
     
         9 . The drawer assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the ring shaped receiving portion is replicated along a longitudinal direction on the lower surface of the casing unit. 
     
     
         10 . The drawer assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the ring shaped receiving portion is configured to be moveable along the lower surface of the casing unit. 
     
     
         11 . The drawer assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the casing unit comprises a receiving portion comprising elastic material with a U shaped groove provided on the lower space thereof wherein the receiving unit is configured to be coupled to the coupling unit, and wherein
 the coupling unit has a cylindrical shape and is configured for insertion in the U shaped groove of the receiving portion.   
     
     
         12 . The drawer assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the automatic winding unit further comprises a housing member configured to enclose the rotating member and the elastic member within an internal recessed space and provide an overall appearance thereof, and wherein
 the housing member comprises a draw-out hole formed in an outer circumferential surface thereof along a longitudinal direction and wherein the support unit is configured to be to selectively drawn in and out of the housing member.   
     
     
         13 . The drawer assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the draw-out hole has a height smaller than a thickness of the coupling unit to prevent insertion of the coupling unit into the housing member. 
     
     
         14 . The drawer assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic winding unit is detachably locked to the lower surface of the casing unit. 
     
     
         15 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a body unit having a rectangular shape, and comprising a storage chamber for food storage, the storage chamber being disposed in an internal recessed space of the body unit;   an opening and closing unit coupled to a front side of the body unit to selectively open and close the internal recessed space of the body unit; and   a drawer assembly comprising:
 a casing unit substantially boxed shaped and comprising an open upper portion and a lower surface, the casing unit configured to store contents therein; 
 a support unit configured to partition a lower space of the casing unit; and 
 a coupling unit coupled to one of: an end of the support unit; and a side of the support unit at a position adjacent to the end thereof, the coupling unit configured to be detachably locked to the lower surface of the casing unit. 
   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the casing unit is operable to slidably move along an inner side surface of the storage chamber at an upper portion of the chamber, wherein
 the refrigerator further comprises a shelf disposed at a lower portion of the casing unit, to and wherein   the support unit partitions a space between the casing unit and the shelf.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 15  wherein the drawer assembly further comprises:
 an automatic winding unit disposed on the lower surface of the casing unit and configured to allow the support unit exposed outside to be automatically wound inwardly, 
 wherein the support unit is rolling locked to an inside of the automatic winding unit. 
 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 17 , wherein the automatic winding unit comprises:
 a rotating member having a cylindrical shape and configured to roll the support unit in multiple steps along an outer circumferential surface thereof and further configured to be rotated to selectively wind and unwind the support unit;   an elastic member disposed adjacent to the rotating member and configured to provide a restoring force in an opposite direction when the rotating member is rotated in one direction due to unwinding of the support unit; and   a contact member coupled to a part of the elastic member to lock an end of the elastic member.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the storage chamber is one of: a refrigeration chamber; and a freezer chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 15 , wherein the casing unit comprises a ring shaped receiving portion disposed on the lower space thereof to be coupled to the coupling unit, and wherein
 the coupling unit has a hook like shape and is configured to be inserted in and locked to to the ring shaped receiving portion.