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Refrigerator with height adjustable shelfRefrigerator with height adjustable shelf description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070176528, Refrigerator with height adjustable shelf. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of efficiently using a food storage space or facilitating putting and taking foods in and out of the refrigerator by providing a height adjustable shelf. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] In general, a refrigerator is an electric home appliance capable of keeping foods in a frozen or refrigerated state by supplying a storage space in the refrigerator with cold air generated through phase change of refrigerant. Recently, the refrigerator tends to be enlarged according to a variety of life patterns and a consumers' trend. [0005] Further, in order to effectively use a storage space for storing foods, a plurality of shelves are installed in a refrigerator at regular intervals. For example, the shelves are supported on supports which are installed at the same heights on both side surfaces of the storage space in the refrigerator. A plurality of the supports are installed at predetermined intervals. In practice, the supports for supporting the shelves are installed at positions previously determined when the refrigerator is designed. By supporting the shelves using desired supports out of a plurality of the supports for supporting the shelves, it is possible to change the installation positions of the shelves according to users' preference, but there is limitation of the position change. [0006] Furthermore, it is very useful to appropriately set the installation positions of the shelves in order to more effectively use the storage space of the refrigerator. FIG. 1 shows a conventional supporting structure of a height adjustable shelf. [0007] As shown in the figure, a plurality of catching portions 10 are formed on inner surfaces of both side walls of a refrigerator main body. The catching portions 10 are engaged with support members 20 mounted on both side surfaces of a shelf 1 on which food or container is seated, so that the shelf 1 can be fixed at a predetermined position. [0008] Each of the catching portions 10 is formed substantially in a saw tooth shape in such a manner that inclined surfaces 12 upwardly inclined toward the inside of the refrigerator main body and horizontal surfaces 14 flatly formed from inside ends of the inclined surfaces 12 to the outside of the refrigerator main body are alternately formed. [0009] Further, the support members 20 engaged with the catching portions 10 are formed corresponding to the catching portions 10 of the saw tooth shape. That is, each of the support members 20 comprises a horizontal surface 22 which can be seated and supported on each horizontal surface 14, and an inclined surface 24 upwardly inclined from an outside end of the horizontal surface 22 so as to upwardly move in contact with the inclined surfaces 12. [0010] Springs 30 are interposed between the shelf 1 and the support members 20, which are installed on both side surfaces of the shelf 1, so that the support members 20 are always elastically supported outward. [0011] When the shelf 1 is lifted upward in order to adjust a height of the shelf 1, the inclined surfaces 12 of the catching portions 10 and the inclined surfaces 24 of the support members 20 are in contact with and slide on each other. At this time, the springs 30 are compressed, and the support members 20 are lifted upward along the inclined surfaces 12 of the catching portions 10. [0012] When the support members 20 go over the inclined surfaces 12 of the catching portions 10, the support members 20 move outward again by the elasticity of the springs 30, and then, the horizontal surfaces 22 of the support members 20 are caught to the horizontal surfaces 14 of the catching portions 10, so that the shelf 1 can be maintained in a horizontal state. In addition, since the catching portions 10 are constructed in such a manner that the horizontal surfaces 14 and the inclined surfaces 12 are alternately formed, a user can move the shelf to a desired position. [0013] However, although the above prior art so configured makes it possible to adjust the height of the shelf, there are the following problems. [0014] In the above prior art, it is possible to lift the shelf without separating the shelf from the refrigerator, but it is impossible to lower the shelf. That is, since the shelf must be mounted again after it is completely separated from the refrigerator in order to lower the shelf, it is very cumbersome. [0015] Further, even in the above prior art, in a case where a plenty of foods are stored on the whole of the shelf, like a fixed shelf, it is not easy to take out the foods stored in the rear of the shelf. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0016] Accordingly, the present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a shelf height adjuster capable of adjusting a height of a shelf smoothly even in a state where foods are put on the shelf by configuring the shelf to be smoothly moved upward and downward. [0017] Another object of the present invention is to make it easy to take out foods stored in the rear of a shelf by dividing the shelf itself into front and rear halves and making it possible to adjust their heights. [0018] According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a refrigerator with a height adjustable shelf, comprising: the shelf with a plurality of guide protrusions formed on each of both side surfaces of the shelf; and a plurality of guide grooves formed in each of both side surfaces of a refrigerator storage space at the same interval as the guide protrusions, wherein the guide protrusions are guided along the guide grooves, respectively. Each of the guide grooves includes an upper end portion in which the guide protrusion is seated and supported, a lower end portion in which the guide protrusion is seated and supported, and a connecting portion formed to connect the upper end portion and the lower end portion. Further, the lower end portion is in a lower position than the upper end portion. [0019] Preferably, the guide groove further includes a horizontal portion horizontally formed in front of the lower end portion, and the connecting portion is formed to be downwardly inclined forward from the upper end portion and meets the horizontal portion at a front portion of the connecting portion. [0020] More preferably, the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion formed to be downwardly inclined rearward from the upper end portion and meet a front end of the horizontal portion, and a second connecting portion formed to be downwardly inclined rearward from the upper end portion and meet an intermediate portion of the horizontal portion. [0021] A pair of the guide grooves may be formed in each of both the side surfaces of the refrigerator storage space and a pair of the guide protrusions may be formed on each of both the side surfaces of the shelf. [0022] Further, a handle gripped by a user when pulling out the shelf may be formed on a front end of the height adjustable shelf. The handle is preferably formed to be inclined downward. Continue reading about Refrigerator with height adjustable shelf... Full patent description for Refrigerator with height adjustable shelf Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Refrigerator with height adjustable shelf patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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