Shelf for refrigerator

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a shelf for a refrigerator and, more particularly, to a shelf for a refrigerator suitable to secure a space for receiving a tall stuff in a refrigerator.

[0003] 2. Description of the Background Art

[0004] In general, a refrigerator, storing frozen stuffs and refrigerated stuffs, is widely adopted for a home use and an industrial use.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator in accordance with a conventional art.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 includes a freezing chamber 3 formed at either side of an upper portion and a lower portion thereof and having a receiving space for storing a frozen stuff; a refrigerating chamber 5 compartmented by a wall from the freezing chamber 3; a freezing chamber door 8 and a refrigerating chamber door 9 opened and closed forwardly of the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5; a cooling air supply unit (not shown) for supplying cooling air to the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5; a plurality of shelves 7 mounted in the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5 and compartmenting the receiving space for receiving frozen stuffs and refrigerated stuffs.

[0007] The shelf 7 has a cantilever shape formed of a plate with a predetermined thickness, being extended from a rear wall of the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5 toward the doors 8 and 9. The shelf is detachably fixed at a shelf holder 10 installed at the rear wall of the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5.

[0008] That is, the shelf 7 is detachably fixed at the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5 to allow a user to enlarge or reduce the space (C) between the shelves 7 according to the size of storage stuff stored in the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5, in order to receive more storage stuffs into the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5.

[0009] However, the conventional refrigerator has the following problems.

[0010] That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the conventional refrigerator 1, if a tall storage stuff 11 is received thereinto, in order to secure a receiving space for the storage stuff 11, the shelf 7 is separated from the freezing chamber 3 or from the refrigerating chamber 5 and stores the storage stuff 11.

[0011] At this time, since the shelf 7 can not be mounted at the space where the storage stuff 11 is placed, a receiving space is failed to be secured around the storage stuff 11, resulting a problem that it is not possible to store more storage stuffs.

[0012] In addition, when the tall storage stuff 11 is intended to be stored, other storage stuffs which have been already received on the shelf should be all removed therefrom and the shelf 7 should be separated from the freezing chamber 3 and the refrigerating chamber 5, so that operation for storing the storage stuff 11 is complicate and hard.

[0013] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a shelf for a refrigerator suitable for securing a receiving space for receiving a tall storage stuff by allow a receiving space of upper/lower sides compartmented by shelves in a refrigerator to communicate at a certain portion thereof.

[0014] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a shelf for a refrigerator including: A shelf body for compartmenting a receiving space in a refrigerator to receive a storage stuff and having a space portion cut out as large as a certain area at a certain portion; and an open/close plate rotatably mounted at the space portion of the shelf body and opening the space portion of the shelf body when a tall storage stuff is received.

[0015] The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a shelf for a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective-exploded view showing a shelf for a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, refrigerator shelves 7 and 30 for compartmenting a receiving space 22 in a refrigerator are formed as a plate with a certain thickness extended forwardly from a rear wall of the refrigerator so as to receive a storage stuff thereon, and detachably fixed at fixing slots 25 of a shelf holder 23 installed at the rear wall of the refrigerator so as to enlarge or reduce the space between shelves depending on the size of a received storage stuff, thereby suitably controlling the receiving space 22.

[0027] The shelf for a refrigerator in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator shelf 30 in accordance with the present invention includes a shelf body 31 compartmenting a receiving space 22 of the refrigerator 1 to receive storage stuffs and having a space portion 33 cut out as wide as a certain area at a predetermined portion thereof; an open/close plate 35 rotatably mounted at a space portion 33 of the shelf body 31 and opening the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31 when a tall storage stuff is received; and a hinge unit 40 formed between the shelf body 31 and the open/close plate 35 and rotatably supporting the open/close plate 35.

[0029] The space portion 33 of the shelf body 31 is not limited in its horizontal width or vertical width but is preferred to be formed smaller than the half of the overall width of the shelf body 31 and provided at one of both sides of the shelf body 31.

[0030] The open/close plate 35 is formed as a plate with the same thickness as that of the shelf body 31 and with the same area as that of the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31.

[0031] The hinge unit 40 includes a hinge shaft 41 engaged at one side of the shelf body 31 and a hinge ring 71 rotatably inserted into the hinge shaft 41 and formed at one side of the open/close plate 35.

[0032] The hinge shaft 41 includes an upper side support portion 45 fixed at one lower surface of the shelf body 31; a rod portion 43 formed at a lower side of the upper side support portion 45 and having a certain length; a lower side support portion 47 formed at an end of the rod portion and preventing the hinge ring 71 from releasing; and a central support portion 49 integrally formed at an outer circumferential surface of the center of the rod portion 43 to compartment the rod portion 43 to an upper portion and a lower portion, and having at least one or more slots 51 formed in the circumferential direction so that the hinge ring 75 can be positioned and supported at the upper side of the rod portion 43 when the open/close plate 35 is positioned at the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31.

[0033] The upper side support portion 45, the rod portion 43 and the lower side support portion 47 of the hinge shaft 41 can be fixed by welding or by bonding, or can be fixed with means such as an engagement bolt, without being limited thereto.

[0034] The hinge ring 71 includes a connection portion 73 attached to the open/close plate 35 and formed with a slope; an annular ring portion 75 fixed at one end of the connection portion 73 and having an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the rod portion 43 of the hinge shaft 41, and at least one or more protrusions 77 protruded from the inner circumferential surface of the ring portion 75, formed with a size corresponding to the slot 51 of the central support portion 49, and formed to be movable vertically penetrating the slot 51.

[0035] As for the hinge ring 71, the inner diameter of the ring portion 75 is at least greater than the outer diameter of the rod portion 43 but smaller than the outer diameter of the central support portion 49, and the radial width of the protrusion 77 is formed as wide as a difference between a radius of the rod portion 43 and a radius of the central support portion 49.

[0036] Meanwhile, in order to support a load of a storage stuff mounted on the upper surface of the open/close plate 35, step portions 70 and 72 is preferably formed at a left corner of a front end of the margin of the shelf body 31 and at a right corner of a front end of the margin of the open/close plate 35.

[0037] With reference to FIG. 4, the step portion 70 can be formed in a stair form and not limited in its shape so long as it can support the load of the open/close plate.

[0038] The operation of the shelf for a refrigerator constructed as described above will now be explained.

[0039] First, referring to a state that the open/close plate 35 is installed, the protrusion 77 of the hinge ring 71 is positioned at an upper side of the central support portion 49 of the hinge shaft 41, and the shelf body 31 and the open/close plate 35 are leveled with each other, so that the upper surface of the open/close plate 35 and the upper surface of the shelf body 31 have the same height. Accordingly, the shelf 30 is maintained at the same height and thus a storage stuff can be stably received on the shelf 30.

[0040] Meanwhile, If a tall storage stuff is desired to be received into the receiving space 22 of the refrigerator 1, the open/close plate 35 is rotated centering around the hinge shaft 41 clockwise (in view of FIG. 4) in a state that the open/close plate 35 is mounted at the shelf body 31. Then, the protrusion 77 of the hinge ring 71 supported at the upper portion of the central support portion 49 of the hinge shaft 41 corresponds to the position of the slot 51 of the central support portion 49, so that the hinge ring 71 can be moved downwardly.

[0041] At this time, when the hinge ring 71 is lowered downwardly, the hinge ring 71 is positioned at the upper surface of the lower side support portion 47 and the open/close plate 35 is positioned at a lower side than the shelf body 31.

[0042] At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the open/close plate 35 is rotated counterclockwise centering around the rod portion 43 of the hinge shaft 41 to move the open/close plate 35 lower side of the shelf body 31, the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31 is opened, allowing the upper side and the lower side of the receiving space to communicate with each other.

[0043] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the tall storage stuff 11 can be received passing through the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31.

[0044] Meanwhile, if the entire upper surface of the shelf 30 is desired to be used, the open/close plate 35 positioned at the rear lower side of the shelf body 31 is rotated clockwise and the hinge ring 75 is moved upwardly of the hinge shaft 43 by letting the protrusion 77 of the hinge ring 71 and the slot 51 formed at the central support portion 49 of the hinge shaft 41 to come to the same position, and then, the hinge ring 75 is rotated counterclockwise. Then, the protrusion 77 of the hinge ring 71 is supported at the upper surface of the central support portion 49. At this time, the open/close plate 35 closes the space portion 33 of the shelf body 31 and the upper surface of the open/close plate 35 and the upper surface of the shelf body 31 are leveled, so that the entire upper surface of the shelf 30 can be used.

[0045] In addition, as the step portion 70 formed at the left corner of the front end of the margin of the shelf body 31 and the step portion 72 formed at the right corner of the front end of the margin of the open/close plate 35 are insertedly joined to each other, the storage stuff received at the upper surface of the shelf 30 can be more stably supported.

[0046] As so far described, the shelf for a refrigerator of the present invention has the following advantages.

[0047] That is, since the space portion of the shelf body is selectively opened to receive a tall storage stuff and closed to utilize the entire space of the shelf, the receiving space inside the refrigerator can be effectively used.

[0048] In addition, since the open/close plate is positioned at a lower space of the shelf body by being supported by the hinge shaft, it is not necessary to provide a separate receiving unit for keeping the open/close plate or separately keep the open/close plate outside the refrigerator, accomplishing convenience in use.

[0049] As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.