U.S. patent application number 10/195622 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-30 for refrigerator shelves with rolled hook for cantilever fastening.
Invention is credited to Eveland, Michael J., Gose, Thomas E., Kniffen, Todd E., Miersen, Roger C., Pink, John J., Wing, Forrest F..
Application Number | 20030020387 10/195622 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23182026 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030020387 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wing, Forrest F. ; et
al. |
January 30, 2003 |
Refrigerator shelves with rolled hook for cantilever fastening
Abstract
Improved shelving is provided for a refrigerator. The shelving
includes a pair of upper and lower rails which extend across the
back of the food compartment, and a pair of half-width shelves
selectively positionable on either of the upper and lower rails.
The shelves can therefore be arranged in a side-by-side manner at
the same level, in a side-by-side manner at different levels, or
one shelf immediately above the other in closely spaced proximity
so as to provide a tall storage area within the food compartment of
the refrigerator.
Inventors: |
Wing, Forrest F.; (Des
Moines, IA) ; Pink, John J.; (Cedar Rapids, IA)
; Gose, Thomas E.; (Cedar Rapids, IA) ; Miersen,
Roger C.; (Marion, IA) ; Eveland, Michael J.;
(Cedar Rapids, IA) ; Kniffen, Todd E.;
(Williamsburg, IA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCKEE, VOORHEES & SEASE, P.L.C.
ATTN: MAYTAG
801 GRAND AVENUE, SUITE 3200
DES MOINES
IA
50309-2721
US
|
Family ID: |
23182026 |
Appl. No.: |
10/195622 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60305718 |
Jul 16, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/408 ;
108/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2325/022 20130101;
A47B 96/067 20130101; A47B 96/025 20130101; F25D 25/02 20130101;
A47B 45/00 20130101; F25D 2325/021 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/408 ;
108/108 |
International
Class: |
A47B 009/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Improved shelving for a refrigerator having a food compartment
with opposite sides and a back wall, the improved shelving
comprising: first and second rails extending across the food
compartment adjacent the back wall and being closely vertically
spaced; first and second half-width shelves each being selectively
positionable on either of the first and second rails such that the
shelves can be positioned side-by-side at the same level,
side-by-side at different levels, and one immediately above the
other in closely spaced proximity.
2. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein each shelf includes a
rear edge with a hook adapted to retentively engage one of the
rails to support the shelf thereon.
3. The improved shelving of claim 2 wherein each rail includes a
groove for receiving the hook.
4. The improved shelving of claim 2 wherein each shelf further
includes a leg for further supporting the shelf on the rail.
5. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein the rails each have
opposite ends and are joined at the opposite ends by end
plates.
6. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein each rail has a sloped
front face such that each shelf can be lifted rearwardly and
upwardly for removal from the rail while being maintained in a
horizontal orientation.
7. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein the rails comprise an
assembly and the assembly is vertically adjustable within the food
compartment.
8. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein the shelves are
laterally slidable on the rails.
9. The improved shelving of claim 1 wherein each shelf has an
internal and an external frame, and the hook is formed integrally
with the internal frame for each shelf.
10. A refrigerator comprising: a food compartment having a rear
wall and opposite side walls defining a compartment width; a rail
assembly including a pair of interconnected upper and lower rails
mounted on the back wall of the food compartment and each rail
extending substantially between the opposite side walls; a pair of
shelves independently mountable on each of the rails and having a
combined width approximately equal to the compartment width, such
that the shelves can be selectively laterally offset, vertically
offset, and laterally and vertically offset with respect to one
another.
11. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the upper and lower rails
are closely spaced to one another.
12. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the shelves each include a
hook adapted to engage the rails to cantilever the shelves from the
rails.
13. The refrigerator of claim 12 wherein each rail has a groove for
receiving the shelf hooks.
14. The refrigerator of claim 12 wherein the shelves each include a
leg to engage the rails to further support the shelf thereon.
15. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the rail assembly includes
opposite end plates at each end of the rails.
16. The improved shelving of claim 10 wherein each rail has a
sloped front face such that each shelf can be lifted rearwardly and
upwardly for removal from the rail while being maintained in a
horizontal orientation.
17. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the rail assembly is
vertically adjustable in the food compartment.
18. The refrigerator of claim 10 wherein the shelves are laterally
slidable on the rails.
19. The improved shelving of claim 10 wherein each shelf has an
internal and external frame, and the hook is formed integrally with
the internal frame for each shelf.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to the United States
provisional patent application serial No. 60/305,718 entitled
"Refrigerator Shelves With Rolled Hook For Cantilever Fastening"
filed on Jul. 16, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many different types of shelf structures have been provided
in refrigerators to provide for storage of foods in the food
compartment. Fixed and adjustable shelves are well known, as are
partial shelves. Some times there is a need for a larger storage
area in the refrigerator so as to accommodate large or tall objects
in the food compartment. Thus, a shelf must be removed and stored
outside the refrigerator, which raises concerns about potential
damage to the removed shelf.
[0003] Accordingly a primary objective of the present invention is
the provision of improved shelving for a refrigerator.
[0004] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of a removable refrigerator shelf which may be stored within the
food compartment with minimal loss of space.
[0005] A further objective of the present invention is the
provision of improved shelving for a refrigerator which can be
quickly and easily installed and removed.
[0006] A further objective of the present invention is the
provision of refrigerator shelving which can be removed in a
horizontal orientation so as to avoid spillage from the shelf.
[0007] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of a pair of half-width refrigerator shelves which can be
positioned side-by-side to provide a full width shelf, one
immediately above the other to provide a tall storage space, or
vertically and horizontally offset with respect to one another.
[0008] Another objective of the present invention is the provision
of a refrigerator shelf with a rolled hook for cantilever mounting
of the shelf in the refrigerator food compartment.
[0009] A further objective of the present invention is a removable
refrigerator shelf with an elongated hook to distribute the load
substantially over the width of the shelf.
[0010] Still another objective of the present invention is the
provision of a refrigerator shelf having a frame and support hook
with unitary construction.
[0011] These and other objectives become apparent from the
following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The improved refrigerator shelving of the present invention
utilizes a rail assembly with upper and lower rails mounted on the
back of the food compartment and extending horizontally between the
opposite sides of the food compartment. First and second half-width
shelves are selectively positionable on either the upper or lower
rails such that the shelves can be positioned side-by-side at the
same level, side-by-side at different levels, or one immediately
above the other in closely spaced proximity. The rear edge of each
shelf includes a rolled hook adapted to retentively engage the
rearward side of the rails, and a leg engaging a forwardly sloped
portion of the rail so as to cantilever the shelf from the
respective rail. The shelf frame and hook preferably have a unitary
construction. The rolled hook allows each shelf to be laterally
slidable along the rails. The shelf can be quickly and easily
installed and removed while maintained in a horizontal orientation,
thereby preventing spillage of liquids from the shelf during
removal for cleaning purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator having the
improved shelving of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shelving wherein the
half-width shelves are laterally and vertically offset with respect
to one another, with one shelf being on the upper rail and one
shelf being on the lower rail.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the improved shelving
wherein the shelves are positioned one immediately above the other
to provide a tall storage space adjacent the shelves, with one
shelf on the upper rail and one shelf on the lower rail.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the improved shelving
in lateral side-by-side orientation to extend substantially the
full width of the food compartment, with both shelves mounted on
the lower rail.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG.
2.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing the unitary construction
of the shelf hook and frame.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing an alternative
embodiment for the rail assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] A refrigerator 10 is shown in FIG. 1 with a door 12 for the
fresh food compartment 14 and a door 16 for the freezer
compartment. While the refrigerator 10 is shown to be a
side-by-side model, it is understood that the refrigerator 10 may
have other configurations wherein the freezer is above or below the
fresh food compartment 14.
[0021] The fresh food compartment 14 includes one or more food
storage bins 18 and shelves 20 for the efficient storage of food
and drink.
[0022] The present invention is directed towards a pair of shelves
22, 24. Preferably, each shelf 22, 24 has a width which is
approximately one-half the width of the food compartment 14. As
seen in FIGS. 2-4, a pair of support brackets 26 are mounted in a
vertical orientation adjacent the back corners of the food
compartment 14. The brackets 26 may be mounted in any convenient
fashion, and may be mounted to either the side walls or rear wall
of the food compartment 14. The brackets 26 include a plurality of
slots 28 for mounting a rail assembly 30.
[0023] More particularly, the rail assembly 30 includes upper and
lower horizontally disposed rails 32, 34, which are closely spaced
to one another. The rails 32, 34 are connected to one another at
their opposite ends by end plates 36. The end plates include a hook
or catch 38 extending rearwardly near the upper edge of the end
plates 36 and the pin 40 adjacent the lower edge of the end plates.
The catch 38 and pin 40 of each end plate 36 is adapted to be
received in the slots 28 in the respective support brackets 26.
Thus, the rail assembly 30 can be selectively positioned at a
desired height along the brackets 26.
[0024] The shelves 22, 24 each have an external frame 42, with a
panel 44 mounted within the frame 42. Preferably, the external
frame 42 is injection molded and the panel 44 is made of glass.
[0025] A rolled hook 46 extends rearwardly from the rear edge of
the internal frame 45, as shown in FIG. 6. Preferably, the hook 46
and internal frame 45 have a unitary construction, as shown in FIG.
7. Preferably, the hook 46 extends across the width of each shelf
22, 24, though multiple spaced apart hooks could also be utilized.
The hooks 46 are adapted to extend over the top edge of either the
upper rail 32 or the lower rail 34 to engage the back of the rails
32, 34. An optional groove 48 may extend across the back of the
rails 32, 34 to receive the hook 46, as best seen in FIG. 5. The
external frame 42 of the shelves 22, 24 also includes a downwardly
extending leg 50 adapted to engage the rails 32, 34, such that the
shelves 22, 24 cantilever forwardly from the rails 32, 34. The
internal frame 45 may optionally include a metal reinforcement
member 52 for the leg 50. As with the hook 46, preferably the leg
50 extends substantially across the width of each shelf 22, 24, but
alternatively separate spaced apart legs can be provided.
[0026] Each rail 32, 34 includes a sloped forward surface 54.
Therefore, when it is necessary to remove the shelves 22, 24 for
cleaning, for example if there is spillage on the shelf, the
shelves 22, 24 can be lifted upwardly and rearwardly while being
maintained in a horizontal position, such that material does not
spill from the shelf. The external frame 42 defines a raised lip 56
extending above the panel 44 so as to prevent liquids spilled onto
one of the shelves 22, 24 from spilling off the shelf 22, 24.
[0027] The shelves 22, 24 can be arranged on the rails 32, 34 in
several manners. In FIG. 2, the shelves are side-by-side but
vertically offset, with shelf 22 being mounted on the upper rail
32, and the shelf 24 being mounted on the lower rail 34. If space
is needed in the fresh food compartment 14 for a tall item, shelf
24 can be slid laterally along the rail 34 so as to be positioned
immediately below the shelf 22, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the space
previously occupied by shelf 24 is now open to receive a tall
object within the food compartment 14, without losing any
substantial storage space beneath the shelf 22, and without having
to store the shelf 24 somewhere outside the refrigerator 10. It is
understood that the shelves 22, 24 can slide in either lateral
direction along the rails 32, 34, such that the shelves can be on
either the left or right sides of the food compartment 14.
[0028] The elongated hook 46 and the sloped rail faces 54, 54A
enhance distribution of the shelf load substantially across the
width of the hook and rail faces. The slope faces 54, 54A also
increases the reactive distance for the shelf load, as compared to
a vertical rail of the same height. Therefore, the shelves 22, 24
can be stacked in a vertical height of approximately 3 inches, as
shown in FIG. 3.
[0029] Another shelf arrangement is shown in FIG. 4, wherein the
shelves 22, 24 are mounted side-by-side at the same level. It is
understood that the shelves 22, 24 can both be mounted on the lower
rail 34, as shown in FIG. 4, or can both be mounted on the upper
rail 32 so as to provide an effective full-width shelf area
extending substantially between the sidewalls of the refrigerator
10.
[0030] An alternative embodiment of the rail assembly is shown in
FIG. 7, and includes elongated metal plates or rails 32A, 34A which
are mounted angularly upon the end plates 36A so as to define a
sloped face 54A on each rail 32A, 34A. The mounting of the shelves
22, 24 upon rails 32A, 34A is the same as described above with
respect to rails 32, 34.
[0031] The invention has been shown and described above with the
preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many
modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are
within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the
foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes
at least all of its stated objectives.
* * * * *