Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include at least one first rail installed on a bottom surface of a storage compartment, and at least one corresponding second rail installed on a bottom of a drawer and engaged with the at least one first rail to slide the drawer into and out of the storage compartment. The at least one first rail may include a first roller for slidably supporting the at least one second rail, and the at least one second rail may include at least one second roller for slidably supporting the at least one first rail.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a cabinet having a storage compartment formed therein;   at least one recess formed in a bottom surface of the storage compartment;   at least one first rail at least partially received in the at least one recess;   a drawer slidably received in the storage compartment;   at least one second rail provided on a bottom of the drawer such that the at least one second rail is slidably coupled to the at least one first rail;   a first roller provided in the at least one first rail and slidably supporting the at least one second rail, wherein the first roller is at least partially received in the at least one recess formed in the bottom surface of the storage compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first rail comprises a first vertical leg extending vertically upward from the at least one recess, and a first horizontal leg extending horizontally from a top end of the first vertical leg. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the first roller is provided at a bottom end of the first vertical leg. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second rail comprises a stopper for limiting a movement range of the at least one second rail. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second rail comprises a second vertical leg extending vertically downward from the bottom of the drawer, and a second horizontal leg extending horizontally from a bottom end of the second vertical leg. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one second rail further comprises a second roller that maintains rolling contact with the at least one first rail. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the second roller is provided at a distal end of the second horizontal leg. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the drawer further comprises a handle. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the storage compartment is formed by a barrier that extends horizontally across the storage compartment to partition the storage compartment into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the freezing compartment is disposed below the refrigerating compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein the freezing compartment is disposed above the refrigerating compartment. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the storage compartment is a lowermost wall of a freezing compartment or a lowermost wall of a refrigerating compartment formed within the storage compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second rail comprises a pair of second rails arranged along opposite end portions of an outer bottom surface of the drawer, and wherein the at least one recess comprises a pair of recesses and the at least one first rail comprises a pair of first rails respectively arranged in the pair of recesses, at positions respectively corresponding to the pair of second rails. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a body;   a barrier that extends horizontally across an interior of the body to vertically partition the interior into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment;   at least one first rail at least partially received in the barrier; and   a drawer slidably extracted from and retracted into the interior of the body; and   at least one second rail provided on a bottom of the drawer and slidably coupled to the at least one first rail.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the freezing compartment is positioned below the barrier and the refrigerating compartment is positioned above the barrier. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one first rail comprises a first roller and the at least one second rail comprises a second roller, and wherein the at least one first rail and the at least one second rail are engaged with the first and second rollers therebetween such that the first roller maintains rolling contact with the at least one second rail, and the second roller maintains rolling contact with the at least one first rail. 
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one first rail is at least partially received in a recess formed in the barrier. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one second rail comprises a pair of second rails respectively arranged along opposite end portions of an outer bottom surface of the drawer, and wherein the at least one first rail comprises a pair of first rails respectively arranged in a pair of recesses formed in the barrier, at positions respectively corresponding to the pair of second rails.