Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a cabinet that defines a lower storage space, a front panel door part, a drawer part connected to the front panel door part, a support member located at the drawer part and configured to seat one or more objects stored in the drawer part, at least one draw-out rail that is configured to connect the drawer part to an inner wall surface of the lower storage space, and that is configured to extend and retract in multiple stages to assist insertion and withdrawal of the drawer part based on movement of the front panel door part, and at least one elevation device that is located at each of both side surfaces of the drawer part, that is connected to each of both sides of the support member, and that is configured to elevate the support member relative to the drawer part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a cabinet having a storage space;   a drawer door configured to open and close at least a portion of the storage space, the drawer door being configured to move relative to the cabinet;   a draw-out rack disposed at a bottom surface of the drawer door;   a draw-out rail disposed at the cabinet and coupled to the drawer door, the draw-out rail being configured to support movement of the drawer door relative to the cabinet;   a pinion gear disposed at a bottom portion of the storage space and coupled to the draw-out rack;   a draw-out motor disposed at the cabinet and configured to move the drawer door into the storage space and to move the drawer door out from the storage space; and   a draw-out detection device disposed at the cabinet and configured to detect a position of the drawer door.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a manipulation part disposed at the drawer door, the manipulation part comprising at least one of (i) a touch sensor, (ii) a button, (iii) a sensor configured to detect proximity or movement of a user, or (iv) an input unit configured to operate the drawer door based on a motion or a voice of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the draw-out rack or the draw-out rail defines a draw-out distance limit of the drawer door. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the draw-out rack is disposed above the pinion gear, the draw-out rack comprising a rack gear that is defined at a lower surface of the draw-out rack facing the pinion gear and that is configured to couple to the pinion gear. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the drawer door is configured to move between (i) a first position in which the drawer door is inserted to the storage space and (ii) a second position in which the drawer door is withdrawn from the storage space, and
 wherein the refrigerator further comprises a switch that is disposed at each of the first and second positions of the drawer door and that is configured to detect a draw-out state of the drawer door.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the draw-out detection device is configured to detect a draw-out state of the drawer door based on counting a number of rotations of the draw-out motor. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the drawer door comprises:
 a front panel door part configured to open and close at least the portion of the storage space;   a drawer part coupled to a rear surface of the front panel door part and configured to move together with the front panel door part; and   a pair of door frames disposed at the rear surface of the front panel door part and configured to maintain a coupled state of the front panel door part and the drawer part.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the drawer part comprises at least one rail mounting part disposed at a lower end of an outer surface of the drawer part, and
 wherein the draw-out rail comprises:
 a first fixing rail fixed to the at least one rail mounting part of the drawer part, 
 a second fixing rail disposed vertically below the first fixing rail and fixed to an inner wall surface of the storage space, and 
 an intermediate rail that connects the first fixing rail to the second fixing rail and that is configured to move relative to the first fixing rail and the second fixing rail. 
   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the draw-out detection device is configured to detect a draw-out state of the drawer door based on measuring a distance between the rear surface of the front panel door part and a front end of the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein the draw-out rack is disposed at the bottom surface of the drawer part and configured to protrude from a rear surface of the drawer part based on the drawer door being moved out from the storage space by a draw-out distance limit. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the draw-out rack is disposed at each side of the bottom surface of the drawer door and is configured to, based on operation of the draw-out motor, move the drawer door relative to the storage space. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 10 , wherein the draw-out motor is disposed at the bottom portion of the storage space. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the pinion gear is configured to, based on the draw-out motor being driven, rotate to cause the draw-out rack to move relative to the storage space, and
 wherein the drawer door is configured to, based on movement of the draw-out rack relative to the storage space, move into the storage space or move out from the storage space.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 12 , wherein the draw-out motor is accommodated in a space that is recessed downward from the bottom portion of the storage space. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 14 , wherein the draw-out motor is positioned rearward relative to the draw-out detection device. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of magnets disposed at the bottom surface of the drawer door, the plurality of magnets comprising:
 a first magnet disposed at a front portion of the bottom surface of the drawer part; and   a second magnet disposed at a rear portion of the bottom surface of the drawer part, and   wherein the draw-out detection device comprises a detection sensor configured to detect the first magnet and the second magnet.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the draw-out detection device is configured to be disposed at (i) a first position corresponding to a position of the first magnet based on the drawer door being closed and (ii) a second position corresponding to a position of the second magnet based on the drawer door being moved out from the storage space. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a container;   an elevation device disposed in the drawer part and configured to elevate the container; and   a driving device configured to supply power to the elevation device.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a height detection device configured to detect a vertical position of the container; and   a support member that supports the container and that is configured to move vertically,   wherein the height detection device comprises a plurality of sensors disposed at the front panel door part, the plurality of sensors being disposed at heights corresponding to (i) an uppermost ascending position of the support member and (ii) a lowermost descending position of the support member.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator according to  claim 19 , wherein the elevation device is disposed at each side surface of the support member.