Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator including a shelf having a step between shelf portions at different heights, light devices to illuminate the interior of a storage chamber, and support ribs to support the shelf and having grooves to receive the light devices. The inner space of the refrigerating chamber is partitioned using the shelves according to the tastes of a user. The interior of the refrigerating chamber is illuminated by light emitted from the support ribs and shelves, thereby providing the interior of the refrigerating chamber with an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator having a storage chamber, and a door to open and close the storage chamber, the refrigerator comprising:
 at least one shelf having a step, to partition a space of the storage chamber into upper and lower spaces having varying heights and at least one pair of support ribs provided at opposite sides of the storage chamber to support the shelf,   wherein the shelf on the support ribs is rearranged to change how the storage chamber is partitioned.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf comprises a first shelf part, a second shelf part and an inclined part connected between the first shelf part and the second shelf part. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf is rearranged by being turned upside down and detachably mounted at the support ribs. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf is made of transparent tempered glass or reinforced plastic. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf is provided at an edge thereof with a water overflow preventing protrusion extending upward and downward. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , wherein the shelf is formed by injection molding. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one pair of lighting devices provided at the sides of the storage chamber to illuminate an interior of the storage chamber,
 wherein each of the support ribs has a lighting device receiving groove to receive a corresponding one of the lighting devices.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein
 each of the support ribs extends in a forward and backward direction of the refrigerator and comprises a flat support plane to support the shelf and a coupling plane attached to a corresponding side of the storage chamber, and   the lighting device receiving groove is formed in the coupling plane.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the support ribs is made of a transparent material transmitting light emitted from a corresponding one of the lighting devices. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the lighting devices comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged at predetermined intervals. 
     
     
         11 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a storage chamber;   at least one shelf, bent so that the shelf has two shelf parts forming a step, to partition an inner space of the storage chamber; and   at least one pair of support ribs provided at opposite sides of the storage chamber to support the shelf,   wherein the shelf is turned upside down and detachably mounted at the support ribs to change how the storage chamber is partitioned.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , further comprising at least one pair of lighting devices provided at the sides of the storage chamber to illuminate an interior of the storage chamber,
 wherein the lighting devices are received in the respective support ribs.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the shelf is provided at an edge thereof with a water overflow preventing protrusion extending upward and downward. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein the shelf is made of transparent tempered glass or reinforced plastic. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator according to  claim 11 , wherein
 each of the lighting devices comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, and   light emitted from the light emitting diodes illuminates an interior of the storage chamber via a corresponding one of the support ribs.   
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator having a storage chamber, the refrigerator comprising:
 a first reversible shelf having a step, and   a support provided at a side of the storage chamber to detachably support the shelf,   wherein the shelf is reversible between a first position partitioning a space of the storage chamber into upper and lower spaces having varying heights, and a second inverted position partitioning the space of the storage chamber into upper and lower spaces with different, respective heights.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the shelf comprises a first shelf part, a second shelf part parallel to the first shelf part and an inclined part connecting the first shelf part and the second shelf part. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , wherein the shelf is provided at an edge thereof with a water overflow preventing protrusion extending upward and downward. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator according to  claim 16 , further comprising a lighting device,
 wherein the support has a lighting device receiving groove to receive the lighting device.