Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes: a main body; a storage compartment comprising a front side that opens inside the main body; a drawer configured to be insertable and withdrawable within the storage compartment; and a guide rail configured to guide an insertion and withdrawal of the drawer and comprising a catch portion configured to limit an insertion range and a withdrawal range of the drawer; wherein the drawer comprises: a stopper provided on side walls of the drawer and configured to contact the catch portion to limit the insertion range and the withdrawal range of the drawer, and a rib elastically formed on at least one of the sides of the drawer and configured to contact a plurality of protrusions provided on the guide rail before the stopper contacts the catch portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a main body;   a storage compartment comprising a front side that is open inside the main body;   a drawer configured to be insertable and withdrawable within the storage compartment; and   a guide rail configured to guide an insertion and withdrawal of the drawer and comprising a catch portion configured to limit an insertion range and a withdrawal range of the drawer;   wherein the drawer comprises:
 a stopper provided on side walls of the drawer and configured to contact the catch portion to limit the insertion range and the withdrawal range of the drawer, and 
 a rib elastically formed on at least one of the sides of the drawer and configured to contact a plurality of protrusions provided on the guide rail before the stopper contacts the catch portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail is integrally formed with a shelf provided on a lower portion of the drawer, and
 wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being inserted or withdrawn, the plurality of protrusions are configured to contact the rib to cause the rib to elastically deform.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the guide rail is integrally formed with side walls of the storage compartment, and
 wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being inserted or withdrawn, the plurality of protrusions are configured to contact the rib to cause the rib to elastically deform.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the rib is provided on a rear side of the side walls of the drawer, and comprises:
 a damping portion provided in a grooved shape that is recessed downwardly, and   a reinforcing rib protruding upwardly from a center of the damping portion.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions protrude upwardly from the guide rail and are configured to contact a lower portion of the damping portion to elastically deform the damping portion upwardly based on a movement of the drawer, and
 wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise a first protrusion at a rear of the guide rail with respect to the center of the guide rail, and a second protrusion at a front of the guide rail with respect to the center of the guide rail.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the drawer further comprises a guide portion provided on the side walls of the drawer and configured to enable movement of the drawer to along the guide rail, and
 wherein the stopper is at a rear end of the guide portion.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the catch portion comprises:
 a first catch portion provided on a rear side of the guide rail and configured to enable contact with the stopper to limit the insertion range of the drawer, and   a second catch portion provided on a front side of the guide rail and configured to enable contact with the stopper to limit the withdrawal range of the drawer.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being withdrawn from a state of being inserted in the storage compartment, the rib is elastically deformed by the first protrusion, the damping portion is elastically deformed by the second protrusion, and then the stopper contacts the second catch portion. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being inserted from a state of being withdrawn from the storage compartment, the rib is elastically deformed by the second protrusion, the damping portion is elastically deformed by the first protrusion, and then the stopper contacts the first catch portion. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the rib is provided on sides of a lower surface of the drawer at a rear side thereof, and comprises:
 a damping portion comprising a grooved shape that is recessed along a left-to-right direction toward the drawer, and   a reinforcing rib.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions protrude along the left-to-right direction from the guide rail toward the drawer and are configured to elastically deform the damping portion including being received in an inside of the damping portion and then being released from the inside of the damping portion based on movement of the drawer, and
 wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise a first protrusion provided at a rear with respect to a center of the guide rail and a second protrusion provided at a front with respect to the center of the guide rail.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the drawer further comprises a guide portion provided on the side walls of the drawer and configured to enable movement of the drawer along the guide rail, and
 wherein the stopper is at a rear end of the guide portion.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein the catch portion comprises:
 a first catch portion provided on a rear side of the guide rail and configured to enable contact with the stopper to limit the insertion range of the drawer when the drawer is inserted, and   a second catch portion provided on a front side of the guide rail and configured to enable contact with the stopper to limit the withdrawal range of the drawer when the drawer is withdrawn.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being withdrawn from a state of being inserted in the storage compartment, the rib is elastically deformed based on the first protrusion being released from the inside of the damping portion, the damping portion is elastically deformed by the second protrusion and is configured to receive the second protrusion in the inside thereof, and then the stopper contacts the second catch portion. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein, in a state in which the drawer is being inserted from a state of being withdrawn from the storage compartment, the rib is elastically deformed based on the second protrusion being released from the inside of the damping portion, the damping portion is elastically deformed by the first protrusion and is configured to receive the first protrusion in an inside thereof, and then the stopper contacts the first catch portion.