Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a basket to enhance utility of a storage space of a door of the refrigerator. The refrigerator may include a cabinet having a storage space formed therein, one side of which is open, a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the open side of the storage space, a mounting frame coupled to an inner surface of the door, and a basket rotatably coupled to the mounting frame so as to be rotatable between a closed airtight position and an open position. A locking device may be provided at the mounting frame to lock or unlock the basket at the closed airtight position, and a rotation limiter may limit a maximum rotation angle of the basket when the basket is opened.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet defining a storage space therein having one open side;   a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the open side of the storage space;   a frame coupled to an inner surface of the door;   a basket rotatably coupled to the frame such that the basket is rotatable with respect to the frame between a closed position and an open position;   a locking device provided at the frame to selectively lock the basket at the closed position and release the basket for rotation from the closed position; and   a rotation limiter provided between the basket and the frame and configured to limit a rotation angle of the basket relative to the frame.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is separably coupled to the inner surface of the door. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the frame comprises:
 a pair of sidewalls coupled to the inner surface of the door so as to extend across a portion of a corresponding pair of sidewalls of the basket;   a bottom wall configured to extend across a portion of a corresponding bottom wall of the basket; and   a top wall configured to selectively cover an open top of the basket.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a door shelf coupled to a top surface of the top wall of the frame;   a first auxiliary basket separably coupled to a top of the door shelf; and   a second auxiliary basket provided at a rear of the first auxiliary basket, between the first auxiliary basket and the inner surface of the door.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the locking device is positioned between the door shelf and the top wall of the frame, and is operably coupled to the basket and the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a pair of pivots that protrude from a lower surface of the basket, the pivots defining an axis of rotation of the basket; and   a corresponding pair of receivers formed at the bottom wall of the frame and configured to respectively receive the pair of pivots.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein the basket comprises:
 a first chamber configured to be positioned between the pair of sidewalls of the frame; and   a second chamber positioned adjacent to the first chamber, and extending outside of frame, wherein a distance between first portions of the pair of sidewalls of the basket defining the first chamber is less than a distance between second portions of the pair of sidewalls of the basket defining the second chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein each of the pair of sidewalls of the basket comprises:
 a first sidewall defining a corresponding lateral side of the first chamber;   a second sidewall defining a corresponding lateral side of the second chamber; and   a stepped portion connecting the first sidewall and the second sidewall.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein the locking device comprises:
 a shaft coupled to the top wall of the frame;   a detent that protrudes from each of two opposite ends of the shaft, wherein each detent is configured to engage a corresponding stepped portion when the basket is in the closed position; and   a button operably coupled to the shaft, wherein the shaft is configured to rotate in response to depression of the button.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein each detent is selectively caught by the corresponding stepped portion of the basket so as to limit rotation of the basket. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the locking device further comprises an elastic member coupled between the shaft and the frame and configured to restore an original position of the shaft in response to removal of a rotation force. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the elastic member comprises at least one leaf spring protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the shaft, and wherein a distal end portion of the at least one leaf spring is pressed against an upper surface of the frame. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising a grip coupled to an upper end of a front surface of the basket. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the top wall of the frame is curved at a substantially constant radius of curvature with respect to an axis of rotation of the basket. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the basket comprises a pair of lateral sidewalls respectively corresponding to the pair of sidewalls of the frame, and wherein a top edge of each of the pair of lateral sidewalls of the basket is curved, corresponding to the top wall of the frame. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 at least one guide groove extending along the top wall of the frame, in a direction corresponding to a movement direction of the basket; and   at least one guide piece protruding from an upper end of a back wall of the basket and configured to be received in the at least one guide groove.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one guide groove includes a support portion provided at one end thereof, wherein the guide piece is supported against the support portion in a maximum open position of the basket. 
     
     
         18 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a door rotatably coupled to the cabinet to open and close an open side of the cabinet;   a door shelf that protrudes from an inner surface of the door; and   a basket coupled to the inner surface of the door, the basket defining a storage space having an open top, wherein the open top of the basket is selectively engaged with a bottom surface of the door shelf to cover the open top of the basket and block the storage space from an outside of the basket.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising interposed seal positioned between the open top of the basket and the bottom surface of door shelf, wherein the seal forms a seal between the basket and the door shelf when the basket is coupled to the bottom surface of the door shelf. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising a grip provided at an upper end of a front surface of the basket. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerator of  claim 20 , wherein the grip comprises:
 a body having two opposite ends each rotatably coupled to the basket about a pivot shaft;   a grasping portion extending from a first edge of the body; and   a locking portion protruding from a second edge of the body, opposite the first edge thereof, wherein the locking portion is selectively received in a locking groove formed in the bottom surface of the door shelf.   
     
     
         22 . The refrigerator of  claim 21 , wherein the grasping portion extends in a first direction from the first edge of the body, and the locking portion extends in a second direction from the second edge of the body, and wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction. 
     
     
         23 . The refrigerator of  claim 21 , further comprising a seal provided in the locking groove, wherein the seal seals a gap between the locking portion and the locking groove when the locking portion is received in the locking groove. 
     
     
         24 . The refrigerator of  claim 23 , further comprising an elastic member coupled to the pivot shaft, wherein the elastic member maintains coupling between the locking groove and the locking portion when no external force is applied to the grasping portion. 
     
     
         25 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising a hinge assembly provided at the inner surface of the door and spaced apart from the door shelf by a distance corresponding to a height of the basket, wherein the hinge assembly includes a hinge shaft coupled to a bottom of the basket. 
     
     
         26 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising a pair of side frames coupled to the inner surface of the door and configured to come into contact with two opposite sidewalls of the basket, wherein each of the sidewalls of the basket includes a recessed portion having a depth corresponding to a thickness of its respective side frame. 
     
     
         27 . The refrigerator of  claim 26 , further comprising a rotation stopper configured to limit a rotation range of the basket to within a predetermined angular range. 
     
     
         28 . The refrigerator of  claim 26 , wherein the rotation stopper comprises an anti-rotation protrusion that extends downward from the bottom surface of the door shelf, and that selectively contacts a rear surface of the basket as the basket rotates with respect to the pair of side frames. 
     
     
         29 . The refrigerator of  claim 26 , wherein the rotation stopper comprises a beveled ledge provided at an outer peripheral portion of hinge assembly that rotatably couples a bottom of the basket to the inner surface of the door, the beveled ledge having a beveled upper surface oriented at a predetermined angle such that the bottom of the basket contacts the beveled upper surface as the basket rotates to limit the rotation range of the basket. 
     
     
         30 . The refrigerator of  claim 18 , further comprising a plate spaced apart from an inner bottom surface of the basket by a predetermined distance, the plate having a plurality of drain holes extending therethrough. 
     
     
         31 . The refrigerator of  claim 30 , further comprising a pedestal provided at a lower surface of the plate to maintain a gap between the inner bottom surface of the basket and the plate.