Drawer type refrigerator

Abstract

A drawer type refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator main body having an open front surface; a plurality of sliding doors configured to open and close the front surface of the refrigerator main body and pullable out from the refrigerator main body; and a guide rail providing a moving route of the sliding door pulled out from the refrigerator main body, wherein the sliding door has a plurality of shelves spaced apart from each other and configured to store items in a height direction of the sliding door.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drawer type refrigerator, comprising:
 a refrigerator main body having an open front surface;   a plurality of sliding doors configured to open and close the front surface of the refrigerator main body, wherein the plurality of sliding doors are configured to be pulled out from the refrigerator main body; and   a guide rail providing a displacement route of a sliding door, of the plurality of sliding doors, pulled out from the refrigerator main body,   wherein the sliding door comprises a plurality of shelves configured to store items and spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the sliding door.   
     
     
         2 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising: wheels rotatably disposed at a lower part of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors, wherein the wheels are configured to support a load of the sliding door. 
     
     
         3 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail comprises:
 a fixed rail fixed to both sides of the refrigerator main body along a direction in which the sliding door is pulled out; and   a moving rail that is slidably coupled to the fixed rail and configured to move along the fixed rail and connected to the sliding door to move together with the sliding door.   
     
     
         4 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the moving rail is disposed at both sides of the plurality of shelves to support the plurality of shelves. 
     
     
         5 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the guide rail further comprises a guide roller rotatably disposed on a displacement route of the moving rail. 
     
     
         6 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an operation switch disposed at one side of the sliding door and operable to generate a drive signal in response to a user interaction therewith;   a door driving unit configured to apply an external force to the moving rail to move the sliding door; and   a control unit configured to control the door driving unit by a received drive signal.   
     
     
         7 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the door driving unit comprises:
 a rack gear formed at one side of the moving rail; and   a pinion gear that is rotatably disposed at one side of the refrigerator main body, wherein the pinion gear is tooth-engaged with the rack gear, and driven by the control unit.   
     
     
         8 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a foot sensor disposed at a lower end of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors and configured to detect a user's foot and responsive thereto to transmit a drive signal to the control unit.   
     
     
         9 . A drawer type refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body having an open front;   a plurality of sliding doors configured to open and close the front of the main body, wherein the plurality of sliding doors in operation are configured to be pulled out from, and pushed into, the main body; and   a plurality of guide rails providing displacement routes of the plurality of sliding doors during operations thereof,   wherein each respective sliding door of the plurality of sliding doors comprises a plurality of shelves configured to store items and spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the respective sliding door.   
     
     
         10 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 9 , further comprising: wheels rotatably disposed at a lower part of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors and wherein the wheels are configured to support a load of the sliding door. 
     
     
         11 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein a respective guide rail of the plurality of guide rails comprises:
 a fixed rail fixed to both sides of the main body along a direction in which the respective sliding door is pulled out; and   a moving rail that is slidably coupled to the fixed rail and configured to move along the fixed rail and connected to the respective sliding door to move together therewith.   
     
     
         12 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the moving rail is disposed at both sides of the plurality of shelves to support the plurality of shelves. 
     
     
         13 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the respective guide rail further comprises a guide roller rotatably disposed on a displacement route of the moving rail. 
     
     
         14 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an operation switch disposed at one side of the respective sliding door and operable to generate a drive signal responsive to a user interaction therewith;   a door driving unit configured to apply an external force to the moving rail to move the respective sliding door; and   a control unit configured to control the door driving unit by a received drive signal.   
     
     
         15 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the door driving unit comprises:
 a rack gear formed at one side of the moving rail; and   a pinion gear that is rotatably disposed at one side of the main body, wherein the pinion gear is tooth-engaged with the rack gear, and driven by the control unit.   
     
     
         16 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a foot sensor disposed at a lower end of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors and configured to detect a user's foot and responsive thereto to transmit a drive signal to the control unit.   
     
     
         17 . A drawer type refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body having an open front;   a plurality of sliding doors configured to open and close the front of the main body, wherein the plurality of sliding doors in operation are configured to be pulled out from, and pushed into, the main body;   a plurality of guide rails providing displacement routes of the plurality of sliding doors during operations thereof,   wherein each respective sliding door of the plurality of sliding doors comprises a plurality of shelves configured to store items and spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the respective sliding door; and   a sliding door opener operable to facilitate opening of the plurality of sliding doors responsive to user interaction.   
     
     
         18 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 17 , further comprising: wheels rotatably disposed at a lower part of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors and wherein the wheels are configured to support a load of the sliding door and wherein a respective guide rail of the plurality of guide rails comprises:
 a fixed rail fixed to both sides of the main body along a direction in which the respective sliding door is pulled out; and   a moving rail that is slidably coupled to the fixed rail and configured to move along the fixed rail and connected to the respective sliding door to move together therewith.   
     
     
         19 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the sliding door opener further comprises:
 an operation switch disposed at one side of the respective sliding door and operable to generate a drive signal responsive to a user interaction therewith;   a door driving unit configured to apply an external force to the moving rail to move the respective sliding door;   a control unit configured to control the door driving unit by a received drive signal; and   a foot sensor disposed at a lower end of a lowermost sliding door among the plurality of sliding doors and configured to detect a user's foot and responsive thereto to transmit a drive signal to the control unit.   
     
     
         20 . The drawer type refrigerator of  claim 19 , wherein the door driving unit comprises:
 a rack gear formed at one side of the moving rail; and   a pinion gear that is rotatably disposed at one side of the main body, wherein the pinion gear is tooth-engaged with the rack gear, and driven by the control unit.