Refrigerator including door open module

Abstract

In a refrigerator according to the present invention, by allowing an elastic member to store elastic energy when a hook member rotates about a rotational center axis in a first direction and the elastic member to release the elastic energy when the elastic member rotates in a second direction, the drawer assembly can be naturally engaged and disengaged using a circular trajectory.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a cabinet including one or more storage compartments;   a drawer assembly including a door unit configured to open and close a front surface of the storage compartment and a storage unit accommodated within the storage compartment; and   a door open module which is disposed on a side surface of the storage compartment, disengages from or engages with the drawer assembly, and includes a hook member,   wherein the hook member disengages from or engages with the drawer assembly while rotating about a rotational center axis along a circular trajectory.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the door open module includes: 
 a hook member fixing portion;   an elastic member configured to provide an elastic force to the hook member; and   a fastening pin extending in a direction of one axis to fasten the hook member and the elastic member to the hook member fixing portion.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a rail assembly that guides movement of the drawer assembly in a front-rear direction;   a pair of bracket members fastened to the rail assembly and respectively disposed at both sides of the storage unit; and   a bracket extension bar extending in a left-right direction of the storage compartment so that one side and the other side are connected to the pair of bracket members, respectively, and   the hook member is engaged with the drawer assembly by being fastened to the bracket extension bar and disengaged from the drawer assembly by release from fastening to the bracket extension bar.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the hook member includes a hook head portion and a hook tail portion, respectively, disposed at one side and the other side with respect to the rotational center axis, and 
       when the hook tail portion comes into contact with the rear surface of the storage compartment, the hook member is rotated about the rotational center axis in a first direction, and the hook member disengages from the bracket extension bar. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein a tail bent portion bent inwardly from the hook member is formed at an end of the hook tail portion, and 
       in a state in which the hook member disengages from the bracket extension bar, the tail bent portion and the rear surface of the storage compartment are inclined in the same direction. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein a stopper formed to protrude forward is disposed on the rear surface of the storage compartment, and 
       when the tail bent portion starting to come into contact with the stopper, the hook member is rotated in the first direction. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein a corner of the tail bent portion is curved. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein, as the hook tail portion is released from the contact with the rear surface of the storage compartment, the hook member rotates about the rotational center axis in a second direction, and the hook member engages with the drawer assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein a head bent portion bent inwardly from the hook member is formed at an end of the hook head portion, and 
       when the hook member engages the bracket extension bar, the hook head portion comes into surface contact with the bracket extension bar, and the head bent portion extends outward from the bracket extension bar. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the bracket extension bar positioned in front of the rotational center axis is disposed to overlap the rotational center axis in a diagonal direction, and 
       an extension line orthogonal to a contact surface of the bracket extension bar contacting the hook head portion extends to pass the rotational center axis. 
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator comprising: 
 a cabinet including one or more storage compartments;   a drawer assembly including a door unit configured to open and close a front surface of the storage compartment and a storage unit accommodated within the storage compartment; and   a door open module disposed on a side surface of the storage compartment,   wherein the door open module includes a locking assembly disengaged from the drawer assembly to store elastic energy and engaged with the drawer assembly by releasing the stored elastic energy.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the locking assembly is disposed to overlap the storage unit in a front-rear direction. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the locking assembly includes a hook member configured to disengage from or engage with the drawer assembly, and an elastic member configured to store and release the elastic energy. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein, when the hook member rotates about a rotational center axis in a first direction, the elastic member stores the elastic energy, and 
       when the hook member rotates about the rotational center axis in a second direction, the elastic member releases the elastic energy. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the hook member is disengaged from the drawer assembly by coming into contact with the rear surface of the storage compartment. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein, in a closed state of the drawer assembly, the hook member remains disengaged from the drawer assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the hook member is engaged with the drawer assembly by releasing the contact with the rear surface of the storage compartment. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 13 , wherein the door open module can operate in a manual open mode or an automatic open mode. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the hook member disengages from the drawer assembly in the manual open mode, and 
       the hook member engages with the drawer assembly in the automatic open mode. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , wherein the door open module includes a multi-stage rack-and-pinion assembly and a driving assembly configured to drive the rack-and-pinion assembly, 
       in the automatic open mode, the driving assembly is driven so that the drawer assembly is pushed forward by the rack-and-pinion assembly to move forward and pulled rearward by the locking assembly to move rearward, and 
       in the manual open mode, the driving assembly is not driven.