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In a guide rail attaching structure for a sliding door and a refrigerator using the same, the structure includes a support member coupled to an inner plate of a door of a refrigerator main body and having support coupling portions, and a pair of guide rails each having a guide rail coupling portion

In a guide rail attaching structure for a sliding door and a refrigerator using the same, the structure includes a support member coupled to an inner plate of a door of a refrigerator main body and having support coupling portions, and a pair of guide rails each having a guide rail coupling portion coupled to the corresponding support coupling portion, and slidable with respect to the refrigerator main body, wherein the support coupling portion and the corresponding guide rail coupling portion are coupled to each other by a hinge, whereby a force applied to the guide rail can be minimized to prevent warping of the guide rail even if the sliding door is open in any direction.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A guide rail attachment adapted for attachment to a sliding door of a refrigerator main body comprising: a support member adapted to be coupled to an inner plate of the door and having support coupling portions formed at a right and left end of the support member;a pair of guide rails each having

1. A guide rail attachment adapted for attachment to a sliding door of a refrigerator main body comprising: a support member adapted to be coupled to an inner plate of the door and having support coupling portions formed at a right and left end of the support member;a pair of guide rails each having a guide rail coupling portion coupled to one of the support coupling portions, the guide rail coupling portions extending in an up and down direction, the guide rails being slidable with respect to the refrigerator main body; anda pin extending through support coupling portion and a respective guide rail coupling portion in the up and down direction, wherein the support coupling portion and the corresponding guide rail coupling portion are coupled to each other to be relatively rotatable about the pins, and wherein the door is rotatable with respect to the guide rails in the right and left direction. 2. The attachment of claim 1, further comprising connector rails integrally formed with the corresponding guide rails, respectively, each having a connector rail coupling portion coupled to an other side of the support coupling portion to be relatively rotatable thereto. 3. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the support member extends between the pair of guide rails and is coupled to the pair of guide rails. 4. The attachment of claim 3, wherein the support member comprises bent ribs that protrude forwardly from upper and lower end portions thereof. 5. The attachment of claim 2, wherein the support coupling portion, the guide rail coupling portion and the connector rail coupling portion are formed as through holes, such that one of the pins is inserted therethrough. 6. The attachment of claim 5, further comprising a torsion spring located between each support coupling portion and one of the guide rail coupling portions and/or between each support coupling portion and one of the connector rail coupling portions, each pin extending through one of the torsion springs. 7. The attachment of claim 6, wherein the torsion spring has one leg supported by the support member and the other leg supported by the guide rail. 8. The attachment of claim 3, further comprising a buffer located between each support coupling portion and one of the guide rail coupling portions and/or between each support coupling portion and one of the connector rail coupling portions, each pin extending though one of the buffers. 9. The structure of claim 8, wherein the buffer is in form of a foam ring. 10. A refrigerator having a guide rail attachment for a sliding door comprising: a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber therein;a sliding door configured to open or close the storage chamber of the refrigerator main body;a support member formed on an inner plate of the door and having support coupling portions formed at a right and left end of the support member; anda pair of guide rails each having a guide rail coupling portion coupled to one of the support coupling portions, the guide rail coupling portions extending in an up and down direction, the guide rail being slidable with respect to the refrigerator main body; anda pin extending through each support coupling portion and each respective guide rail coupling portion in the up and down direction, wherein the support member and the guide rails are coupled to each other to be relatively rotatable, and wherein the door is rotatable about each pin, and wherein the door is rotatable with respect to the guide rails in the right and left direction. 11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the support member extends in a horizontal direction between the pair of guide rails to contact end portions of the guide rails coupled to the door. 12. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the support member is implemented as a pair of members extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein each of the support members comprises the support coupling portion, and one side of the support coupling portion is coupled to the guide rail coupling portion to be relatively rotatable, andwherein connector rails are integrally formed with the respective guide rails and each of the connector rails comprises a connector rail coupling portion coupled to an other side of the support coupling portion to be relatively rotatable. 13. The refrigerator of claim 12, wherein the support coupling portion of the support member is provided in plurality to be coupled to the guide rail and the connector rail to be relatively rotatable, and wherein the connector rail coupling portion of the connector rail is provided in plurality in correspondence with the plurality of support coupling portions. 14. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein a torsion spring is located between each support coupling portion and one of the guide rail coupling portions and/or between each support coupling portion and one of the connector rail coupling portions, each pin extending through one of the torsion springs, and with a predetermined angle, the torsion spring having an elastic restoring force toward the predetermined angle when the support member and the guide rail are rotated. 15. The refrigerator of claim 11, wherein a torsion spring is located between the each support coupling portion and one of the guide rail coupling portions and/or between each support coupling portion and the connector rail coupling portion, each pin extending through one of the torsion springs, the torsion spring having one leg supported by the support member and an other leg supported by the guide rail. 16. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the support member is integrally formed with the inner plate of the door. 17. A guide rail attachment adapted for attachment to a sliding door of a refrigerator main body comprising: a support member adapted to be attached to and extending laterally across an inner plate of the door, the support member having support coupling portions formed at a right end and a left end of the support member, the support coupling portions forming hinge knuckles whose axes extend transversely up and down relative to the support member;a pair of guide rails attached to the refrigerator main body, the guide rails being slidable with respect to the refrigerator main body, each guide rail having a guide rail coupling portion formed at an end thereof, the guide rail coupling portions forming hinge knuckles whose axes extend transversely up and down relative to the guide rail; andpins extending through each support member knuckle and guide rail knuckle, respectively, to form a hinges between the support member and each of the guiderails to permit rotation of the sliding door about the pins and wherein the sliding door is rotatable with respect to the guide rails in the right and left directions. 18. The guide rail attachment of claim 17, further a connector rail integrally formed with each guide rail, respectively, each having a connector rail coupling portion, the connector rail coupling portions forming hinge knuckles whose axes extend transversely up and down relative to the connector rail, the pins extending through each connector rail knuckle to further form the hinge. 19. The attachment of claim 18, further comprising a torsion spring located between one of each support coupling knuckle and each respective guide rail coupling knuckle or between each support coupling knuckle and each respective connector rail coupling knuckle, each pin extending through the respective torsion spring. 20. The attachment of claim 19, further comprising an annular buffer located between the other of each support coupling knuckle and each respective guide rail coupling knuckle or between each support coupling knuckle and each respective connector rail coupling knuckle, each pin extending through the respective buffers.