Refrigerator

Abstract

 A refrigerator includes a bottle receiving shelf (30) to receive bottle-shaped containers containing contents. The refrigerator includes a body (10) having a storage chamber (11) defined therein, and a bottle receiving shelf (30) in the storage chamber (11) to allow a bottle-shaped container to be stored in a laid state. The bottle receiving shelf (30) includes a first partition shelf (31) having a first seat (31a), and a second partition shelf (32) having a second seat (32a). The second partition shelf (32) is positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf (31) to move backward and forward, and overlaps the first partition shelf (31) when being moved backward. The first and second seats are alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the second partition shelf (32) to overlap the first partition shelf (31) when the second partition shelf (32) is moved backward, so that the bottle-shaped containers can be received in an upright state in the storage chamber (11).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator which includes a bottle receiving shelf to receive bottle-shaped containers containing contents.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0002] Generally, a conventional refrigerator includes a storage chamber maintained at a low temperature, to store food or other contents in a fresh state for a long time period. The conventional refrigerator includes a body which constitutes an outer appearance of the refrigerator and includes the storage chamber defined therein to store the contents therein, a door hingably coupled to one side of the body to open the storage chamber at a front side of the body, a refrigerating system received in the body to refrigerate the storage chamber, and the like.

[0003] One type of conventional refrigerator is a wine refrigerator as disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open No. 2005-110383.

[0004] The conventional wine refrigerator stores wine contained in a bottle-shaped container(i.e. a wine bottle). A storage chamber of the wine refrigerator includes a plurality of bottle receiving shelves that divide the storage chamber into upper and lower spaces to allow a plurality of wine bottles to be efficiently received in or drawn out of the storage chamber.

[0005] In general, an inlet of the wine bottle stored in the wine refrigerator is closed by a cork. Since the cork must be maintained in a wet state to prevent oxidation of wine caused by induction of air from an exterior, it is desirable that the bottle having the wine therein be stored in a laid state.

[0006] In the conventional wine refrigerator, the bottles are stored in the laid state on the bottle receiving shelves, which are generally spaced from each other a distance slightly wider than the diameter of the wine bottle so as to allow the plurality of wine bottles to be efficiently laid and stored on the shelves.

[0007] Meanwhile, since it is very difficult to achieve complete resealing of the inlet of the bottle having been opened once even when closing the wine bottle by use of the cork to store remaining wine in the bottle, there is a likelihood of leakage of the wine through a fine gap between the inlet of the wine and the cork in the event where the bottle is received in the laid state in the storage chamber.

[0008] Thus, for the wine bottle having been once opened, it is more desirable to be stored in an upright state. However, since the conventional wine refrigerator is configured to have the bottle receiving shelves spaced slightly wider than the diameters of the wine bottles, there is a problem in that the wine bottle cannot be stored in the upright state in the conventional wine refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator which can receive containers, such as wine bottles, having contents, in any state selected from a laid state and an upright state.

[0010] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide the refrigerator, which allows an easy withdrawal of the containers containing the contents and being received deeply inside a storage room.

[0011] Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

[0012] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a refrigerator including a body having a storage chamber defined therein, and a bottle receiving shelf positioned in the storage chamber to allow a bottle-shaped container having contents therein to be stored in a laid state, the bottle receiving shelf including a first partition shelf having a first seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, and a second partition shelf having a second seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, wherein the second partition shelf is positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to move backward and forward, and overlaps the first partition shelf when being moved backward, and the first and second seats are alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the second partition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when the second partition shelf is moved backward.

[0013] According to an aspect of the present invention, the first partition shelf includes a plurality of the first seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, and the second partition shelf includes a plurality of the second seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, wherein as the second partition shelf is moved backward, the plurality of second seats enter spaces between the plurality of first seats, respectively.

[0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, the bottle receiving shelf further includes a pair of first guide rails extending forward on opposite sides of the first partition shelf and having first guide recesses to receive opposite sides of the second partition shelf such that the second partition shelf can be moved backward and forward in the first guide recesses.

[0015] According to an aspect of the present invention, The storage chamber includes a pair of second guide rails extending backward and forward on opposite walls of the storage chamber, and including second guide recesses to receive the first guide rails such that the first guide rails are moved backward and forward in the second guide recesses.

[0016] According to an aspect of the present invention, the first guide rail includes a stopper to force the backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf to be performed in the first guide recess.

[0017] The refrigerator further includes a locking device to maintain a state of the second partition shelf being disposed at the front side of the first guide rail.

[0018] The locking device includes a locking member positioned at either side of the second partition shelf to be moved in the transverse direction, and a latch jaw protruding from the first guide rail to latch a rear end of the locking member advanced in the transverse direction.

[0019] According to an aspect of the present invention, a leading end of the locking member facing in the transverse direction includes a guide protrusion integrally formed therewith to move backward and forward in the first guide recess, the latch jaw protruding from an inner surface of the first guide recess and latching a rear end of the guide protrusion.

[0020] According to an aspect of the present invention, a total width of the latch jaw and the guide protrusion in the transverse direction may be narrower than a width of the first guide recess in the transverse direction.

[0021] The locking member includes a knob protruding downward from a lower surface to allow easy application of an external force to the locking member.

[0022] According to an aspect of the present invention, the locking device further includes a resilient member to resiliently support the locking member in the transverse direction, and the latch jaw includes opposite rounded end surfaces in a longitudinal direction.

[0023] Each of the first and second seats includes an arcuate cross-section to allow the bottle-shaped container having the contents therein to be stably seated thereon.

[0024] Each of the first and second seats includes a through-hole through which chilled air flows up and down.

[0025] The refrigerator further includes an ordinary receiving shelf positioned below the bottle receiving shelf and including a planar shape, and the second partition shelf includes a first support groove formed at an upper side of a front end of the second partition shelf to slantly support an inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container having the contents therein, and the ordinary receiving shelf includes a second support groove formed at a front side of an upper surface of the ordinary receiving shelf to support a rear-side lower end of the bottle-shaped container.

[0026] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator including a body having a storage chamber defined therein, and a bottle receiving shelf positioned in the storage chamber to allow a bottle-shaped container having contents therein to be stored in a laid state, the bottle receiving shelf including a first partition shelf, and a second partition shelf positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to be horizontally moved backward and forward substantially on a same height as that of the first partition shelf, and to overlap the first partition shelf when being moved backward.

[0027] The first partition shelf includes a first seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, and the second partition shelf includes a second seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, the first and second seats being alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the second partition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when the second partition shelf is horizontally moved backward.

[0028] The first partition shelf includes a plurality of the first seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, and the second partition shelf includes a plurality of the second seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, wherein as the second partition shelf is horizontally moved backward, the plurality of second seats enter spaces between the plurality of first seats, respectively.

[0029] It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a refrigerator including a body having a storage chamber defined therein, a first partition shelf positioned in the storage chamber and including a plurality of first seats arranged in a transverse direction, on which bottle-shaped containers, each including contents therein, are seated in a laid state, and a second partition shelf positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to be moved from a front side of the first partition shelf to a rear side of the first partition shelf, and including a plurality of second seats arranged in the transverse direction, on which other bottle-shaped containers, each including other contents therein, are seated in the laid state, wherein the first partition shelf includes a pair of first support members extending in the transverse direction and being respectively secured to front and rear ends of the plurality of first seats to support the plurality of first seats, the plurality of second seats being supported on an upper surface of one of the first support members secured to the front ends of the first seats.

[0030] The second partition shelf includes a pair of second support members extending in the transverse direction and being secured to front and rear ends of the plurality of second seats to support the plurality of second seats, the plurality of first seats being supported on an upper surface of one of the second support members secured to the rear ends of the second seats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a bottle receiving shelf of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which both front and rear spaces of a storage chamber are partitioned into upper and lower spaces by the bottle receiving shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which only the rear space of the storage chamber is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the bottle receiving shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the refrigerator in which the bottle receiving shelf is spread out in the front side according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a locking device for the bottle receiving shelf of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views illustrating operation of the locking device for the bottle receiving shelf of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[0033] Herein, a wine refrigerator to store wine contained in bottle-shaped containers will be described as an example of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the wine refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a body 10 which comprises a storage chamber 11 and is opened at a front side thereof, and a door 20 hingably coupled with one side of the body 10 to open and close the storage chamber 11. A refrigerating system (not shown) is equipped in the body 10 to refrigerate the storage chamber 11.

[0035] The storage chamber 11 comprises a plurality of receiving shelves 30 and 40, which divide a space of the storage chamber 11 into upper and lower spaces to allow a plurality of bottle-shaped containers to be efficiently received in or drawn out of the spaces. The receiving shelves 30 and 40 comprises at least one bottle receiving shelf 30 to allow the bottle-shaped containers, such as wine bottles, each having wine therein, to be seated thereon in a laid state within the storage chamber 11, and at least one ordinary receiving shelf 40 including a planar shape, to allow various kinds of containers having various kinds of contents therein, including the wine bottles to be seated thereon. According to an embodiment of the present invention, such bottle receiving shelves 30 and such ordinary receiving shelves 40 are alternately arranged up and down in the storage chamber 11.

[0036] Here, a front space of the storage chamber 11 can be selectively partitioned by use of the bottle receiving shelf 30 so as to allow the bottle-shaped containers having the wine therein, to be stored freely in various manners within the storage chamber 11, such as when a user desires to store the bottle-shaped containers including the wine bottles in an upright state within the storage chamber 11. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the heights of the containers are lower than a separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40, both the front and rear spaces of the storage chamber 11 are optionally partitioned by the bottle receiving shelf 30. While, if any one of the containers includes a height higher than the separation therebetween as in the case of storing the container having the wine in the upright state within the storage chamber 11, only the rear space of the storage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by reducing the length of the bottle receiving shelf 30 in a backward and forward direction (i.e., a longitudinal direction), so that the front space of the storage chamber 11 can receive the container having the height greater than the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the bottle receiving shelf 30 comprises a first partition shelf 31 which is positioned at the rear side of the storage chamber 11 to be moved backward and forward, and a second partition shelf 32 which is positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf 31 to be moved backward and forward, and to overlap the first partition shelf 31 when being moved backward, in order to allow the front space of the storage chamber 11 to be selectively partitioned into the upper and lower spaces, if desired, as described above.

[0038] Thus, when the second partition shelf 32 is positioned at the front side of the first partition shelf 31 as shown in FIG. 3, the front space of the storage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the second partition shelf 32, and the rear space of the storage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the first partition shelf 31 so that both of the front and rear spaces of the storage chamber 11 are partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the bottle receiving shelf 30.

[0039] When the second partition shelf 32 is moved backward and overlaps the first partition shelf 31 as shown in FIG. 4, only the rear space of the storage chamber 11 is partitioned into the upper and lower spaces by the first and second partition shelves 31 and 32.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the first partition shelf 31 comprises a plurality of first seats 31 a, which are spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction and extend in the longitudinal direction to allow the bottle-shaped containers to be seated thereon, and the second partition shelf 32 comprises a plurality of the second seats 32a, which are spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction and extend in the longitudinal direction to allow the bottle-shaped containers to be seated thereon.

[0041] Thus, when the second partition shelf 32 is positioned at the front side of the first partition shelf 31, it is possible to store two rows of bottle-shaped containers, each containing wine, on the bottle receiving shelf 30 in such a way that one row of bottle-shaped containers is seated on the first seats 31 a of the first partition shelf 31, and the other row of bottle-shaped containers is seated on the second seats 32a of the second partition shelf 32. On the other hand, when the length of the bottle receiving shelf 30 is reduced through superposition of the first and second partition shelves 31 and 32, only one side of the first and second seats 31 a and 32a allows the one row of bottle-shaped containers to be seated and stored thereon, and the front space of the storage chamber having been partitioned by the second partition shelf 32 will be used to store containers, of which the height is higher than the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 (as shown in FIG. 4, for example).

[0042] In this embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and second seats 31 a and 32a is downwardly concaved to have an arcuate cross-section, in order to maintain a stable posture of the bottle-shaped containers having wine contained therein when being seated on the first and second seats 31 a and 32a, respectively. In addition, the first and second seats 31 a and 32a comprise through holes 31 b and 32b through which chilled air flow up and down, respectively, such that the chilled air can be easily delivered to the bottle-shaped containers laid on the first and second seats 31 a and 32a.

[0043] To prevent the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 from decreasing while the second partition shelf 32 is moved backward, to overlap the first partition shelf 31, the second partition shelf 32 is positioned substantially at the same height as that of the first partition shelf 31, and allows horizontal backward movement and superposition with the first partition shelf 31. Thus, the first seats 31 a and the second seats 32a are alternately arranged in the transverse direction.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, as the second partition shelf 32 is moved backward, the second seats 32a enter spaces separated from each other between the first seats 31 a, respectively, so that the second partition shelf 32 is horizontally moved backward and then overlaps the first partition shelf 31. Consequently, the overall length of the bottle receiving shelf 30 is reduced in the longitudinal direction without change in the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40, so that the upper and lower spaces of the storage chamber 11 at the front side having been partitioned by the second partition shelf 32 are integrated into a single front space, enabling the bottle-shaped containers to be stored in an upright state in the front space of the storage chamber 11 or allowing the bottle-shaped containers higher than the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 to be stored in the storage chamber 11.

[0045] The first partition shelf 31 comprises first support members 31 c to support the plurality of first seats 31 a, and the second partition shelf 32 comprises second support members 32c to support the plurality of second seats 32a such that the backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf 32 can be stably performed through the first and second support members 31c and 32c.

[0046] The first support members 31 c extend in the transverse direction, and are secured to lower surfaces of the first seats 31 a to support the first seats 31 a. The second support members 32c also extend in the transverse direction, and are secured to lower surfaces of the second seats 32a to support the second seats 32a. In this embodiment, a pair of first support members 31c are secured to the lower surfaces of the first seats 31 a at front and rear ends of the first seats 31 a, respectively, and a pair of second support members 32c are secured to the lower surfaces of the second seats 32a at front and rear ends of the second seats 32a, respectively.

[0047] Here, the first seats 31 a are spaced from each other, and the second seats 32a are also spaced from each other. Thus, an upper surface of the first support member 31c secured to the front ends of the first seats 31 a is partially exposed to the space between the first seats 31a, and an upper surface of the second support member 32c secured to the rear ends of the second seats 32a is partially exposed to the space between the second seats 32a.

[0048] Thus, the second seats 32a are supported on the exposed upper surface of the first support member 31 c such that the second seats 32a can be moved in the longitudinal direction thereon, and the first seats 31 a are supported on the exposed upper surface of the second support member 32c such that the first seats 31a can be moved in the longitudinal direction thereon, whereby the first partition shelf 31 and the second partition shelf 32 are supported to move in the longitudinal direction via the first support member 31 c positioned at the front side and the second support member 32c positioned at the rear side, enabling a stable backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf 32.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, for example, in order to receive bottle-shaped containers containing contents therein in an inclined state at the front side of the storage chamber 11, the second partition shelf 32 is formed at an upper side of the front end with a first support groove 32d to support an inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container, and the ordinary receiving shelf 40 positioned below the bottle receiving shelf 30 is formed at a front side of an upper surface with a second support groove 41 to support a rear-side lower end of the bottle-shaped container. With this configuration, the inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container is supported on the first support groove 32d, and the rear-side lower end is supported on the second support groove 41 so that the bottle-shaped container containing the contents can be received in the inclined state in the front space of the storage chamber 11.

[0050] In order to install such a bottle receiving shelf 30 in the storage chamber 11, the first partition shelf 31 is provided at opposite sides with a pair of first guide rails 12 extending forward to receive opposite sides of the second partition shelf 32 therein such that the second partition shelf 32 can be moved backward and forward on the first guide rails 12, and the storage chamber 11 is provided at opposite sides with a pair of second guide rails 13 extending in the longitudinal direction to receive the pair of first guide rails 12 such that the first guide rails 12 can be moved backward and forward on the second guide rails 13, respectively. Each of the first guide rails 12 comprises a first guide recess 12a to receive a corresponding side of the second partition shelf 32 such that the second partition shelf 32 can be moved backward and forward therein, and each of the second guide rails 13 comprises a second guide recess 13a to receive the first guide rail 12 such that the first guide rail 12 can be moved backward and forward therein. The second partition shelf 32 comprises guide protrusions 33a of locking members 33 (to be discussed in detail below) at opposite sides thereof, which are fitted into the first guide recesses 12a and moved backward and forward therein, respectively. In addition, each of the first guide rails 12 comprises a stopper 14 at a front end thereof, which is caught by a front end of the guide protrusion 33a to force the backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf 32 to be performed only in the first guide rail 12. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stopper 14 is formed at a rear surface with a securing portion 14a which is press-fitted into the first guide recess 12a (see FIG. 6, for example).

[0051] When the second partition shelf 32 is forced and pulled forward from the rear space of the storage chamber 11, of which the front space has been defined to receive the bottle-shaped container having the height higher than the separation between the receiving shelves 30 and 40 in the storage chamber 11, the second partition shelf 32 is first guided toward the front space of the storage chamber 11 along the first guide rails 12, and then temporarily stopped by the stoppers 14, so that the second partition shelf 32 is positioned at the front side of the first partition shelf 31. In this state, both the first and second partition shelves 31 and 32 can store the bottle-shaped containers.

[0052] Therefore, when there are needs of positioning or withdrawing the containers on or from the first partition shelf 31 having been positioned deeply inside the storage chamber 11, the second partition shelf 32 is pulled forward by applying force to the second partition shelf 32, and then, the force is transferred to the first guide rails 12 through the stoppers 14, causing the first guide rails 12 to be guided along the second guide recesses 13a of the second guide rail 13. Finally, the first guide rails 12 are extended in the front side so that the overall bottle receiving shelf 30 positioned on the first guide rails 12 is moved to the front space of the storage chamber 11, thereby allowing the bottle-shaped containers having been positioned on the first partition shelf 31 deeply inside the storage chamber 11 to be easily withdrawn therefrom or allowing the bottle-shaped containers to be stored on the first partition shelf 31 deeply inside the storage chamber 11.

[0053] The wine refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention further comprises a locking device to maintain a state of the second partition shelf 32 being positioned at the front end of the first guide rails 12, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0054] The locking device comprises a pair of locking members 33 positioned at the opposite sides of the second partition shelf 32 to be moved in the transverse direction, and a latch jaw 12b protruding from each first guide rail 12 to latch a rear end of the locking member 33 and prevent the second partition shelf 32 from being moved backward when the locking member 33 is protruded from the second partition shelf 32 in the transverse direction. Each of the locking members 33 comprises a knob 33b, which is integrally formed with a lower surface of the locking member 33 and protrudes downward therefrom, to allow easy application of external force from a user to the locking member. In this embodiment of the present invention, a leading end of the locking member 33 facing in the transverse direction has the aforementioned guide protrusion 33a integrally formed therewith, and the latch jaw 12b is protruded from an inner surface of the first guide recess 12a to latch the rear end of the guide protrusion 33a.

[0055] In this embodiment of the present invention, for example, to allow the locking member 33 to move in the transverse direction, the first guide recess 12a comprises a width W1 greater than a width W2 of the guide protrusion 33a formed at the leading end of the locking member 33, and a total width (W2 + W3) of the guide protrusion 33a and the latch jaw 12b in the transverse direction is smaller than the width (W1) of the first guide recess 12a in the transverse direction.

[0056] Thus, when the locking member 33 is protruded at either side by a resilient member 33c, as shown in FIG. 7, the guide protrusion 33a is latched by the latch jaw 12b, and thus cannot be moved backward along the first guide recess 12a so that the second partition shelf 32 is maintained at the front side of the first guide rail 12. Then, when the locking member 33 is retreated into the second partition shelf 32 by application of the external force from the user thereto through the knob 33b, the guide protrusion 33 can be moved backward along the first guide recess 12a so that it is possible to move the second partition shelf 32 backward along the first guide recess 12a, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0057] In this embodiment of the present invention, the locking member 33 comprises a rear end resiliently supported by the resilient member 33c in the transverse direction, and the latch jaw 12b comprises rounded opposite surfaces in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, not only when the force is applied to the knob 33b as described above, but also when a predetermined level of external force or more is applied to the second partition shelf 32 in the longitudinal direction, the locking member 33 can be moved backward along the rounded opposite surfaces of the latch jaw 12b.

[0058] Although the bottle receiving shelf 30 of the present invention has been described as being applied to the wine refrigerator in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited hereto, and can be applied to any of refrigerators when receiving bottle-shaped containers containing various contents in a laid state.

[0059] As apparent from the above description, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises first seats of a first partition shelf and second seats of a second partition shelf alternately arranged in the transverse direction such that the second partition shelf can be moved backward to overlap the first partition shelf, whereby bottle-shaped containers having various contents therein can be stored in an upright state in a front space of the storage chamber by moving the second partition shelf toward the rear space of the storage chamber.

[0060] Furthermore, the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of guide rails positioned at opposite sides of the bottle receiving shelf and operable with a pair of second guide rails positioned at opposite sides of the storage chamber such that the bottle receiving shelf can be moved forward by moving the pair of first guide rails along the pair of second guide rails, enabling the bottle-shaped container having been received deeply inside the storage chamber to be easily withdrawn therefrom.

[0061] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a body having a storage chamber defined therein; and

a bottle receiving shelf positioned in the storage chamber to allow a bottle-shaped container having contents therein to be stored in a laid state, the bottle receiving shelf comprising a first partition shelf and a second partition shelf positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to be horizontally moved backward and forward substantially at a same height as that of the first partition shelf, and to overlap the first partition shelf when being moved backward.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first partition shelf comprises a first seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, and the second partition shelf comprises a second seat on which the bottle-shaped container is seated in the laid state, the first and second seats being alternately arranged in a transverse direction to allow the second partition shelf to overlap the first partition shelf when the second partition shelf is horizontally moved backward.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the first partition shelf comprises a plurality of the first seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, and the second partition shelf comprises a plurality of the second seats spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the transverse direction, wherein as the second partition shelf is horizontally moved backward, the plurality of second seats enter spaces between the plurality of first seats, respectively.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the bottle receiving shelf further comprises a pair of first guide rails extending forward on opposite sides of the first partition shelf and comprises first guide recesses to receive opposite sides of the second partition shelf such that the second partition shelf can be moved backward and forward in the first guide recesses.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the storage chamber comprises a pair of second guide rails extending backward and forward on opposite walls of the storage chamber and comprises second guide recesses to receive the first guide rails such that the first guide rails are moved backward and forward in the second guide recesses.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the first guide rail comprises a stopper to force the backward and forward movement of the second partition shelf to be performed in the first guide recess.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4, further comprising:

a locking device to maintain a state of the second partition shelf being disposed at the front side of the first guide rail.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the locking device comprises:

a locking member positioned at either side of the second partition shelf to be moved in the transverse direction; and

a latch jaw protruding from the first guide rail to latch a rear end of the locking member advanced in the transverse direction.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein a leading end of the locking member facing in the transverse direction comprises a guide protrusion integrally formed therewith to move backward and forward in the first guide recess, the latch jaw protruding from an inner surface of the first guide recess and latching a rear end of the guide protrusion.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein a total sum of widths of the latch jaw and the guide protrusion in the transverse direction is narrower than a width of the first guide recess in the transverse direction.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the locking member comprises a knob protruding downwardly from a lower surface to allow easy application of an external force to the locking member.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the locking device further comprises a resilient member to resiliently support the locking member in the transverse direction, and the latch jaw has opposite rounded end surfaces in a longitudinal direction.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and second seats has an arcuate cross-section to allow the bottle-shaped container having the contents therein to be stably seated thereon.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and second seats comprises a through-hole through which chilled air flows up and down.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising:

an ordinary receiving shelf positioned below the bottle receiving shelf and comprises a planar shape, and

wherein the second partition shelf comprises a first support groove formed at an upper side of a front end of the second partition shelf to slantly support an inlet-side end of the bottle-shaped container having the contents therein, and the ordinary receiving shelf comprises a second support groove formed at a front side of an upper surface of the ordinary receiving shelf to support a rear-side lower end of the bottle-shaped container

16. A refrigerator, comprising:

a body having a storage chamber defined therein;

a first partition shelf positioned in the storage chamber and comprises a plurality of first seats arranged in a transverse direction, on which bottle-shaped containers, each having contents therein, are seated in a laid state; and

a second partition shelf positioned at a front side of the first partition shelf to be moved from a front side of the first partition shelf to a rear side of the first partition shelf, and having a plurality of second seats arranged in the transverse direction, on which other bottle-shaped containers, each having other contents therein, are seated in the laid state,

wherein the first partition shelf comprises a pair of first support members extending in the transverse direction and being respectively secured to front and rear ends of the plurality of first seats to support the plurality of first seats, the plurality of second seats being supported on an upper surface of one of the first support members secured to the front ends of the first seats.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the second partition shelf comprises a pair of second support members extending in the transverse direction and being secured to front and rear ends of the plurality of second seats to support the plurality of second seats, the plurality of first seats being supported on an upper surface of one of the second support members secured to the rear ends of the second seats.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the bottle receiving shelf and the ordinary receiving shelf are alternately arranged up and down in the storage chamber.

Drawing