1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a refrigerator having a vegetable storage container, and particularly, to a hermetic structure of a vegetable storage container for a refrigerator capable of sealing an inner accommodation space of a vegetable box.
2. Background of the Invention
In general, a refrigerator is equipment for keeping food stuffs in a cold state for a long term of time by generating cold air by way of driving a refrigerating cycle installed in the refrigerator and supplying the cold air into a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber.
The refrigerator may include a vegetable container for keeping vegetables. When the vegetables are kept in the refrigerator, they should be maintained as fresh as possible. Therefore, it may be important to maintain the space for storing the vegetables in an optimal condition.
FIGS. 1 to 3 show main parts of a vegetable container for a refrigerator according to the related art, which are a perspective view and coupled views of a sealing structure of the vegetable container for the refrigerator according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art vegetable container may include a vegetable box 200 having an accommodation space having an upper opening for storing vegetables therein, and a cover 100 for covering the upper opening of the vegetable box 200.
The cover 100 may include an inner cover 120 having cover gaskets 123 for sealing the upper opening of the vegetable box 200, and an outer cover 110 located on the inner cover 120.
The vegetable box 200 may include a main body 210 defining the accommodation space for the vegetables therein, and a front part 230 having a front panel 231 formed thereon.
The cover 200, as shown in FIG. 2, may be pushed in a slidable manner to close the upper opening of the accommodation space of the vegetable box 200.
Especially, cover rails 113 may be disposed long in back and forth directions on both sides of a lower surface of the outer cover 110 of the cover 100. The cover rails 113 of the outer cover 110 and main body rails 211, which are disposed on both sides of an upper surface of the main body 210, may be mutually slidable to open or close the inner accommodation space of the vegetable box 200.
Referring to FIG. 3, the cover 100 may be closed in a manner that stopping protrusions 1131 of the outer cover 110 are engaged with protrusions 2111 formed on end portions of the rails 211 on the upper surface of the main body 210 such that the cover 100 cannot be slid.
Accordingly, when the cover 100 is closed with sealing the upper opening of the vegetable box 200, the cover gaskets 123 may be pressed due to the weight of the cover 100, thereby realizing a sealing function.
However, the vegetable box for the refrigerator according to the related art may have the following problems.
Referring to FIG. 3, the related art vegetable box cover 100 may cover the upper opening of the vegetable box 200 in the sliding manner. However, without a force applied upwardly, the cover 100 and the vegetable box 200 may be separated from each other by a predetermined gap at a gasket-loosed portion S. This may make it difficult to completely engage the cover gaskets with the vegetable box, and accordingly a gap may be generated. Also, the accommodation space of the vegetable box 200 may not be completely sealed by the cover 100.
Consequently, odors of food stuffs stored in the refrigerating chamber or the freezing chamber of the refrigerator may permeate vegetables stored in the inner accommodation space of the vegetable box 200 via the gasket-loosed portion S. Also, the accommodation space of the vegetable box 200 may not be maintained with proper humidity, and accordingly the vegetables may not be kept in a fresh state.
Also, due to the loosed gap, the vegetable box may not be sealed depending on a user's usage pattern. Accordingly, a sealing force shortage may be caused and the vegetables may be caught.