reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . referring to fig1 and 2 illustrating a can receiving apparatus for a refrigerator according to the present invention , the can receiving apparatus includes a case 100 , a can receiving shelf 200 , and holding means 300 . the case 100 is constituted of a rectangular front frame 110 having an opening , an upper frame 120 horizontally extending rearward from an upper end of the front frame 110 , and a pair of side frames 130 extending rearward from both sides of the front frame 110 . both the side frames 130 are obliquely spread outward from the front frame 110 and also , vertically extend downward from the upper frame 120 . all of the front frame 110 , the upper frame 120 and the side frames 130 define an outer appearance of the case 100 . each side frame 130 is provided at a rear end thereof with a rearwardly - extending vertical flange 135 . the rearwardly - extending vertical flange 135 can be mounted to , for example , an independent auxiliary storage apparatus ( not shown ) which can allow a user to conveniently store or remove a variety of food without opening a refrigerator door . the front frame 110 is provided with a cover 111 to open or close the opening of the front frame 110 . the cover 111 is hingedly coupled to both the side frames 130 , so as to be pivotally rotated up and down along an arc path . to keep the cover 111 at a fixed vertical position so as to prevent the cover 111 from being further rotated rearward from a pivotally rotated lower - limit position thereof , both the side frames 130 are provided with stoppers 131 , respectively . the stoppers 132 extend inward from the side frames 130 toward the center of the case 100 . preferably , the cover 111 is made of a transparent material to allow the interior of the case 100 to be visible from the outside . the cover 111 is perforated in an upper portion thereof with a rectangular cover opening 112 for easy observation of cans stored on the can receiving shelf 200 and movement of cold air therethrough . the cover 111 is provided at a lower end thereof with a forwardly - protruding grip 113 , to allow a user to pivotally rotate the cover 111 using the grip 113 . the forwardly - protruding grip 113 has a relatively recessed rear portion , and the user can easily pull up or push up the grip 113 . the upper frame 120 is perforated with frame openings 121 for movement of cold air . as shown , it is preferred that a plurality of frame openings be perforated parallel to each other to achieve a sufficient flow rate of cold air without deteriorating the strength of the upper frame 120 . preferably , both the side frames 130 are provided at outer surfaces thereof with outwardly - protruding longitudinal reinforcing pieces 137 , respectively , to reinforce the side frames 130 . the can receiving shelf 200 is mounted to an upper position of the case 100 such that it is pivotally rotatable up and down along an arc path . for this , the can receiving shelf 200 is provided at both sides thereof with rotatable protrusions 240 , which can be rotatably inserted into a wall surface of the case 100 . the can receiving shelf 200 is constituted of a front wall portion 210 , sidewall portions 220 extending rearward from both sides of the front wall portion 210 , and a bottom portion 230 . the bottom portion 230 is alternately and repeatedly formed with convexly raised portions 231 and concavely recessed portions 232 , which have a gentle curvature to stably store plural cans thereon . the recessed portions 232 serve to retain cans thereon , and the raised portions 231 serve to prevent rolling of the cans . each recessed portion 232 is perforated with an elongated separating hole 233 , through which the user inserts his / her finger to conveniently push up and remove the can stored on the recessed portion 232 . to prevent the stored can from unintentionally falling from a rear end of the can receiving shelf 200 , it is preferred that the bottom portion 230 of the can receiving shelf 200 be normally tilted gradually upwardly and rearwardly . forward separation of the can is naturally limited by the front wall portion 210 of the can receiving shelf 200 . the holding means 300 serve to fix the can receiving shelf 200 at an upper - limit position upon pivotal rotation of the can receiving shelf 200 . each of the holding means 300 includes a holding protrusion 310 formed at one of the case 100 and the can receiving shelf 200 , and a receiving member 320 formed at the other one of the case 100 and the can receiving shelf 200 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , in an embodiment of the present invention , the holding means 300 includes the holding protrusion 310 formed at the can receiving shelf 200 , and the receiving member 320 formed at the case 100 so as to be coupled with the holding protrusion 310 . the holding protrusion 310 is formed at an outer surface of the corresponding sidewall portion 220 of the can receiving shelf 200 , to protrude perpendicular to the outer surface of the sidewall portion 220 . preferably , the holding protrusion 310 is provided near a bottom of the rotatable protrusion 240 , for efficient fixing and release operations thereof . the receiving member 320 is formed at the corresponding side frame 130 of the case 100 . here , in consideration of the fact that the side frame 130 extends rearward from the front frame 110 to be spread outward , to allow the receiving member 320 to oppose the holding protrusion 310 , the receiving member 320 is formed at a supporting plate 132 protruding inward from an inner surface of the side frame 130 . the inwardly - protruding supporting plate 132 is formed with a circular guide recess 133 . in turn , the guide recess 133 is formed at the center of a lower end thereof with a semi - circular receiving recess 134 , to fix the holding protrusion 310 at a lower - limit position of the can receiving shelf 200 . the receiving member 320 is formed of a pair of receiving ribs 321 extending from near an upper end of the supporting plate 132 to the center of the guide recess 133 . lower halves of the receiving ribs 321 are spaced apart from the bottom surface of the guide recess 133 to form free ends , and are curvedly away from each other and then , closer to each other . with this configuration , the pair of receiving ribs 321 defines an approximately circular receiving space s having an entrance port e , through which the holding protrusion 310 can be elastically inserted into the receiving member 320 . although the present invention describes the receiving member 320 using the pair of receiving ribs 321 as shown , of course , the receiving member 320 may employ various other coupling means so long as the other coupling means can fix the holding protrusion 310 at the upper - limit position or lower - limit position of the can receiving shelf 200 . now , operational effects of the can receiving apparatus for a refrigerator according to the present invention having the above - described configuration will be described . when it is desired to store plural cans on the can receiving shelf 200 within the case 100 , the cover 111 , hingedly coupled to both the side frames 130 , is pivotally rotated upward and then , the plural cans are stored in a laid condition on the recessed portions 232 formed at the bottom portion 230 of the can receiving shelf 200 . specifically , for convenience of storage , as shown in fig4 and 5 , after the can receiving shelf 200 is pivotally rotated counterclockwise until it reaches the upper - limit position thereof , the holding protrusion 310 , protruding from either sidewall portion 220 of the can receiving shelf 200 , is fixedly inserted into the receiving space s of the receiving member 320 defined by the pair of receiving ribs 321 . thereby , the can receiving shelf 200 can be fixedly kept at a tilted position , and the respective cans can be stably stored on the can receiving shelf 200 at fixed positions . in such a storage state , the rearwardly and upwardly tilted bottom portion 230 of the can receiving shelf 200 can prevent the cans from falling , the repeatedly formed raised portions 231 can prevent the cans from rolling , and the front wall portion 210 can prevent forward separation of the cans . in particular , as a result of the receiving member 320 being formed of the pair of receiving ribs 321 which have the lower halves spaced apart from the bottom surface of the guide recess 133 to form free ends while being curved away from each other and then being gradually curved closer to each other , the holding protrusion 310 can be elastically inserted into the receiving member 320 and consequently , can maintain a desired coupling force despite frequent use thereof . also , when it is desired to remove the cans stored in the tilted state of the can receiving shelf 200 , the user simply pushes the cans up with one hand by inserting his / her fingers into the elongated separating holes 233 perforated in the recessed portions 232 and thereafter , can conveniently remove the cans by gripping the pushed cans with the other hand . on the contrary , when it is desired to return the can receiving shelf 200 to an original position thereof , as shown in fig2 and 3 , the can receiving shelf 200 is pivotally rotated clockwise to the original position , whereby the holding protrusion 310 is separated from the receiving space s of the receiving member 320 and then , is fixedly inserted into the semi - circular receiving recess 134 formed at the lower end of the guide recess 133 . according to the present invention as described above , the can receiving shelf 200 can be stably fixed at the upper - limit position or the lower - limit position upon pivotal rotation thereof , and this assures easy storage and discharge of the cans . meanwhile , when the flanges 135 of both the side frames 130 are coupled to , for example , an independent auxiliary storage apparatus installed at the refrigerator door , the can receiving shelf 200 occupies a small volume and allows the user to conveniently store or remove cans without opening the refrigerator door . fig6 illustrates a can receiving apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention . in the present embodiment , the receiving member 320 may be a single member . as shown in fig6 , the receiving member 320 takes the form of a plate , and is centrally formed with the receiving space s into which the holding protrusion 310 is fixedly inserted , in the same manner as the above - described embodiment . the receiving member 320 is mounted to the wall surface of the case 100 by means of fasteners 325 . similar to the above - described embodiment , the receiving member 320 shown in fig6 is configured such that an entrance port e thereof is spread outward to assure easy insertion of the holding protrusion 310 . the entrance port e preferably has a smaller width than a diameter of the holding protrusion 310 . the receiving member 320 may be made of , for example , plastic or a sufficiently elastic metal . accordingly , the receiving member 320 can be spread outward upon insertion of the holding protrusion 310 . on the other hand , after the holding protrusion 310 is completely inserted into the receiving space s , the receiving member 320 can hold the holding protrusion 310 in place , so as to prevent the holding protrusion 310 from being rotated to a horizontal position upon receiving the weight of the can receiving shelf 200 and the cans stored on the can receiving shelf 200 . with relation to separating the holding protrusion 310 from the receiving space s , it is preferred that the receiving member 302 have a fixing force suitable to allow the holding protrusion 310 to be easily separated from the receiving space s upon receiving a rotational torque applied to the can receiving shelf 200 by the user . the fixing force of the receiving member 320 may be adjusted by adjusting a size of the entrance port e of the receiving member 320 , or by appropriately selecting a constituent material of the receiving member 320 . in the embodiment shown in fig6 , the receiving member 320 may further include a shock - absorbing recess s 1 , which is connected with the receiving space s and has a smaller width than a diameter of the holding protrusion 310 . the shock - absorbing recess s 1 absorbs collision shock caused as the holding protrusion 310 collides with an inner wall surface of the receiving space s when being seated in the receiving space s . the width of the shock - absorbing recess s 1 is determined so as not to allow insertion of the holding protrusion 310 , and the shock - absorbing recess s 1 can dampen shock applied to the receiving member 320 by the holding protrusion 310 when the holding protrusion 310 is completely inserted into the receiving space s . such a shock - absorbing effect may be accomplished by the shape of the receiving ribs 321 shown in fig3 . that is , the shock - absorbing effect can be accomplished by the configuration of the receiving ribs 321 in which distal ends of the receiving ribs 321 extend closer to each other after defining the receiving space s . specifically , with the above - described configuration of the receiving ribs 321 , the receiving member 320 can exert a repulsive force against a force spreading the receiving member 320 outward upon insertion of the holding protrusion 310 , thereby achieving smooth operation . fig7 illustrates a still further embodiment of the can receiving apparatus according to the present invention . in the present embodiment shown in fig7 , the receiving member 320 may take the form of a single wire . similar to the above - described embodiment shown in fig6 , the receiving member 320 has the shock - absorbing recess s 1 , which is connected with the receiving space s and has a smaller width than a diameter of the holding protrusion 310 . in the embodiments shown in fig6 and 7 , the entrance port e of the receiving member 320 may be configured to be spread outward . this configuration can smoothly guide insertion of the holding protrusion 310 , preventing damage to the receiving member 320 and providing the receiving member 320 with smooth operation . as apparent from the above description , the present invention provides a can receiving apparatus and a refrigerator having the same , which exhibit the following advantageous effects . first , according to the present invention , a can receiving shelf included in the can receiving apparatus can be fixed at an upper limit position or a lower limit position upon pivotal rotation thereof while stably supporting cans stored thereon . this assures easy storage and discharge of the cans . second , when the can receiving apparatus is mounted to an independent auxiliary storage apparatus installed at a refrigerator door , it is possible to conveniently store or remove plural cans without opening the refrigerator door . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent .