Refrigerator with increased stability

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body including a storage compartment; a drawer-type door movable in a forward/backward direction of the main body; a storage box connected to the drawer-type door and moving in the forward/backward direction of the main body; and a supporting unit provided below the drawer-type door. The supporting unit includes a detecting member provided at the main body and/or the drawer-type door and configured to detect whether or not the drawer-type door is pulled out from the main body, one or more wheel members connected to a lower part of the drawer-type body and configured to assist the forward/backward movement of the drawer-type door and support the drawer-type door, and an elevation unit connected to the wheel members and configured to selectively raise and lower the wheel members depending on pulled out or insertion state of the drawer-type door which state is detected by the detection unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body comprising a storage compartment; a drawer-type door movable in a forward/backward direction of the main body;   a storage box connected to the drawer-type door and moveable in the forward/backward direction of the main body; and   a supporting unit disposed below the drawer-type door,   wherein the supporting unit comprises:   a detecting member disposed at least one of the main body and the drawer-type door and configured to detect if drawer-type door is pulled out from the main body;   one or more wheel members connected to a lower part of the drawer-type door and configured to facilitate the forward/backward movement of the drawer-type door and support the drawer-type door; and   an elevation unit connected to the one or more wheel members and configured to selectively raise and lower the one or more wheel members depending a pulled out or inserted state of the drawer-type door wherein the state is detected by the detecting member.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the supporting unit further comprises: a restraint member disposed at the drawer-type door and configured to selectively restrict rotation of the one or more wheel members depending on the pulled out or insertion state of the drawer-type door. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the elevation unit comprises:
 a driving motor provided at the drawer-type door;   a first gear portion connected to the driving motor and configured to rotate during the rotation of the driving motor;   a second gear portion spaced apart from the first gear portion and configured to rotate by the rotation of the first gear portion;   a chain configured to interlock the first gear portion and the second gear portion; and   a driving link part having one end connected to the second gear portion to rotate together with the second gear portion during the rotation of the second gear portion and having the other end connected to the wheel members to raise and lower the one or more wheel members.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising a control unit configured to control at least one of the elevation unit and the restraint member. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the elevation unit to raise and lower the one or more wheel members when the detecting member detects the insertion state of the drawer-type door into the main body. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the restraint member to restrict the rotation of the one or more wheel members when the detecting member detects the pulled out state of the drawer-type door from the main body. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising an accommodating part configured to selectively accommodate the supporting unit and formed in the drawer-type door. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , further comprising a cover part being partially inclined and extended to cover the supporting unit and formed at the lower part of the drawer-type door, and
 wherein at least a part of the restraint member is disposed in the cover part and the rest of the restraint member is exposed through a communicating part and selectively brought into contact with the one or more wheel members.   
     
     
         9 . A refrigerator with enhanced drawer stability, the refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body comprising a storage compartment;   a pull-out door operable to be moved in a forward/backward direction from the main body and comprising a storage box; and   a supporting unit disposed below the pull-out door,   wherein the supporting unit comprises:   a detecting member disposed at least one of the main body and the pull-out door and configured to detect if pull-out door is pulled out from the main body;   a plurality of wheel members coupled to a lower part of the pull-out door and configured to facilitate the forward/backward movement thereof and support the pull-out door; and   an elevation unit coupled to the plurality of wheel members and configured to selectively raise and lower the plurality of wheel members depending a pulled out or inserted state of the pull-out door wherein the state is detected by the detecting member.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the supporting unit further comprises: a restraint member disposed at the pull-out door and configured to selectively restrict rotation of the plurality of wheel members depending on the pulled out or insertion state of the pull-out door. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the elevation unit comprises:
 a driving motor provided at the pull-out door;   a first gear portion connected to the driving motor and configured to rotate during the rotation of the driving motor;   a second gear portion spaced apart from the first gear portion and configured to rotate by the rotation of the first gear portion;   a chain configured to interlock the first gear portion and the second gear portion; and   a driving link part having one end connected to the second gear portion to rotate together with the second gear portion during the rotation of the second gear portion and having the other end connected to the wheel members to raise and lower the plurality of wheel members.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising a control unit configured to control at least one of the elevation unit and the restraint member. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the elevation unit to raise and lower the plurality of wheel members when the detecting member detects the insertion state of the pull-out door into the main body. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the restraint member to restrict the rotation of the one or more wheel members when the detecting member detects the pulled out state of the pull-out door from the main body. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , further comprising an accommodating part configured to selectively accommodate the supporting unit is formed in the pull-out door. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , further comprising a cover part that is partially inclined and extended to cover the supporting unit formed at the lower part of the pull-out door, and
 wherein at least a part of the restraint member is disposed in the cover part and the rest of the restraint member is exposed through a communicating part and selectively brought into contact with the plurality of wheel members.