U.S. patent application number 15/523667 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-02 for refrigerator shelf assembly allowing partial repositioning of shelf units.
The applicant listed for this patent is ARCELIK ANONIM SIRKETI. Invention is credited to Kadir Ridvan CELIK, Bulent HATIPOGLU, Mehmet Ercan KAYMAK, Faik Emre OZYUKSEL, Mehmet YASAR.
Application Number | 20170314847 15/523667 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51845411 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170314847 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
OZYUKSEL; Faik Emre ; et
al. |
November 2, 2017 |
REFRIGERATOR SHELF ASSEMBLY ALLOWING PARTIAL REPOSITIONING OF SHELF
UNITS
Abstract
The present invention relates to a household appliance and more
particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf which is
sectionally arranged to provide a space-increasing shelf assembly.
The present invention more specifically relates to a refrigeration
appliance having a sectionally organized shelf assembly (1) in a
refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly (1) comprising a
front and a rear shelf units (2, 3) respectively neighboring in the
depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front and rear
shelf units (2, 3) being displaceable relative to a pair of
brackets to which they are attachable.
Inventors: |
OZYUKSEL; Faik Emre;
(Istanbul, TR) ; CELIK; Kadir Ridvan; (Istanbul,
TR) ; KAYMAK; Mehmet Ercan; (Istanbul, TR) ;
HATIPOGLU; Bulent; (Istanbul, TR) ; YASAR;
Mehmet; (Istanbul, TR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ARCELIK ANONIM SIRKETI |
Istanbul |
|
TR |
|
|
Family ID: |
51845411 |
Appl. No.: |
15/523667 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
November 3, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2014/073526 |
371 Date: |
May 1, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/067 20130101;
F25D 23/06 20130101; F25D 25/027 20130101; F25D 25/024 20130101;
A47B 96/025 20130101; F25D 2325/021 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 25/02 20060101
F25D025/02; F25D 23/06 20060101 F25D023/06; A47B 96/02 20060101
A47B096/02 |
Claims
1. A refrigeration appliance having a sectionally organized shelf
assembly in a refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly
comprising a front and a rear shelf units respectively neighboring
in the depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front
and rear shelf units being displaceable relative to a pair of
brackets to which they are attachable, characterized in that the
rear shelf unit is a shelf section hingedly rotatable so as to take
a position different than on the shelf assembly plane.
2. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that
the front shelf unit is slidable towards the rear shelf unit in
condition that the rear shelf unit is rotated.
3. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 2, characterized in that
the rear shelf unit of the shelf assembly is rotated to upright
position by means of a grip portion.
4. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that
the rear shelf unit is hingedly attached to a first and second
brackets by means of a first and second hinging means.
5. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that
the first and second hinging means are respectively attached to the
first and second brackets by insertion of a hinge head of the
hinging means into respective hinge slots of the brackets.
6. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that
the front shelf unit is movable in a guided manner through the
first and second brackets.
7. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 4, characterized in that a
first and a second support element supports and connects the first
and second brackets.
8. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 6, characterized in that
movement of the front shelf unit is supported in a guided manner by
bracket channels of the first and second brackets into which
slideway extensions of the front shelf unit are receivable.
9. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 8, characterized in that
bracket channels are hollow longitudinal bodies receiving slideway
extensions in a telescopic manner.
10. A refrigeration appliance as in claim 1, characterized in that
the front shelf unit is movable forward from a position adjacent to
the rear shelf unit's unrotated position on the shelf assembly
plane such that an opening between the rear and front shelf units
in extended configuration of the front shelf unit is obtained.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance and
more particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf which is
sectionally arranged to provide a space-increasing shelf
assembly.
[0002] In refrigeration appliances, inner storing area efficiency
is one of the most important concerns for the consumer. There are
different solutions in the state of art provided for storing
products having big dimensions such as bigger bottles. To this end,
various designs of shelf assemblies are proposed, having different
techniques to increase the efficiency of the inner storage.
[0003] A refrigeration appliance has a plurality of shelves and
containers for preserving food items. While a plurality of shelves
may carry various size food containers, a sectional shelf may
typically be employed to extend the inner capacity of the appliance
to allow the users to store items having bigger dimensions.
[0004] Sectional shelves are generally comprised of two pieces
wherein the front unit of the shelf can be placed below or above
the rear unit of the shelf to store larger items such as long
bottles on the lower shelf. Alternatively, the front unit may be
moved forward a certain distance.
[0005] The translocation of the shelf is possible by means of a
railing system connected to the shelves. Railing systems generally
consist of two different sliding axes while a first axis brings the
pair of the shelves to the same level and the other axis allowing
for sliding the front unit above or underneath the rear shelf.
Alternatively, the front shelf can be removed and placed over the
rear shelf. This placement has the disadvantage in that the usage
of the inner volume of the fridge is unnecessarily inefficient due
to the space occupation by the removed unit for the temporary
storage thereof.
[0006] A prior art publication in the technical field of the
present invention may be referred to as EP2749828, disclosing a
shelf assembly for a refrigerator. The shelf assembly includes a
rear shelf and a front shelf movable with respect to the rear
shelf, where the front shelf is selectively located at an
overlapping position where the front shelf at least partially
overlaps the rear shelf in a vertical direction and projects at an
extending position in front of the rear shelf, the rear shelf
includes a rear glass plate and a first frame portion connected to
a front edge portion of the rear glass plate. The first frame
portion includes an extending portion extending forward and having
a hook portion at a distal end thereof. The front shelf includes a
front glass plate and a second frame portion connected to a rear
edge portion of the front glass plate, and the second frame portion
includes a second edge covering portion extending along a lower
surface of the front glass plate. When the front shelf is located
at the extending position, the extending portion overlaps the front
glass plate in the vertical direction, and the hook portion is
clamped to a front end surface of the second edge covering
portion.
[0007] According to the present invention, the volume of the lower
compartment is maintained in the case where the sectional units of
the upper shelf as well as the lower shelf are not overlapped such
that it is still possible to benefit from both halves of the shelf
units by forwarding the front shelf so that bigger/longer
containers can be placed on the lower shelf while a longer neck
portion of a bottle extends through an opening between the two
halves of the shelf units.
[0008] The present invention provides a refrigeration appliance
with a shelf assembly comprised of two sections with a first one
arrangeable to be rotated and a second one slidable to replace the
first unit as defined by the characterizing features in Claim 1 and
subsequent Claims.
[0009] Primary object of the present invention is hence to provide
a sectionally arrangeable shelf assembly enabling locational
configuration of the shelf units depending on the specific storage
needs.
[0010] The present invention proposes a refrigeration appliance
with a sectional shelf assembly having a rear shelf unit which can
be rotated around an axis parallel to the inner rear wall of the
refrigeration cabin. When the rear shelf unit is lifted, the front
shelf unit becomes slidable in the depthwise direction into the
cabin such that an enlarged vertical space is formed on the front
part of a lower shelf.
[0011] Alternatively, the user may also configure positioning of
the front and rear shelf units such that while the front unit
maintains its original position, the vertical space proximate the
rotated or lifted rear shelf unit is advantageously used for
storing bigger-size containers, for example in the case where such
receptacles contain substances needed on a less frequent basis.
[0012] It is further possible to bring the front shelf unit forward
a certain amount to carry food items and containers in extended
position. This extended position will provide a relatively small
opening in the event that the rear shelf unit remains unlifted and
this opening will serve for allowing passage of bigger containers'
upper portions placed on the lower shelf such as neck portions of
bottles.
[0013] Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of
exemplifying a sliding shelf system whose advantages over prior art
were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
[0014] The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of
protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred
to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in the
claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the
description of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 1 demonstrates a general perspective view representing
a sliding shelf system inside a refrigeration appliance according
to the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 demonstrates an enlarged view of a sliding shelf
system according to the present invention.
[0017] FIGS. 3a to 3d demonstrate side views of four different
storage options according to the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 demonstrates an enlarged view of a first storage
option according to the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 5 demonstrates another enlarged view of the first
storage option according to the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 6 demonstrates an enlarged view of a second storage
option according to the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 7 demonstrates an enlarged view of a third storage
option according to the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 8 demonstrates an enlarged view of a fourth storage
option according to the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 9 demonstrates a general perspective view of the shelf
assembly in a partially assembled manner according to the present
invention.
[0024] FIG. 10 demonstrates an enlarged view of a slideway channel
according to the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 11 demonstrates a lower side enlarged view of a bracket
channel and a slideway channel in the non-displaced state of the
front shelf unit according to the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 12 demonstrates an enlarged view of a hinge head and a
hinge slot in an unassembled manner according to the present
invention.
[0027] FIG. 13 demonstrates another perspective view of the shelf
assembly in a partially assembled manner according to the present
invention.
[0028] FIG. 14 demonstrates a lower side perspective view of the
shelf assembly in an unassembled manner according to the present
invention.
[0029] FIG. 15 demonstrates an upper side perspective view of the
shelf assembly in an unassembled manner according to the present
invention.
[0030] The following numerals are assigned to different part number
used in the detailed description: [0031] 1. Shelf assembly [0032]
2. Front shelf unit [0033] 3. Rear shelf unit [0034] 4. First
bracket [0035] 5. Second bracket [0036] 6. First support element
[0037] 7. Second support element [0038] 8. Connection means [0039]
9. First hinging means [0040] 10. Second hinging means [0041] 11.
First slideway [0042] 12. Second slideway [0043] 13. Railing system
[0044] 14. Railing frame [0045] 15. Hinge slot [0046] 16. Bracket
channel [0047] 17. Slideway extension [0048] 18. Hinge head [0049]
19. Connection means slot [0050] 20. Grip portion [0051] 21. Lower
shelf
[0052] The present invention relates to a household appliance and
more particularly a refrigeration appliance having a shelf assembly
(1) in the manner that a sectionally configured shelf provides a
plurality of storage options for placing containers with different
sizes in a flexible manner.
[0053] The refrigeration appliance according to the invention
proposes a shelf assembly (1) having front and rear shelf units (2,
3) while the rear shelf unit (3) is a liftable shelf section to be
rotatably leaned on the rear inner compartment wall of the
refrigeration appliance. The front shelf unit (2) is operable
through a railing system (13) on first and second brackets (4, 5)
being fixedly secured in the refrigeration compartment. A first and
a second support element (6, 7) supports and connects the two
brackets through connection means (8) to form the railing frame
(14).
[0054] The rear shelf unit (3) is connected to the resulting
railing frame (14) by means of first and second hinging means (9,
10) which are attached to the first and second brackets (4, 5) by
insertion of a hinge head (18) into a hinge slot (15). The hinge
heads (18) thereby provide rotational movement of the rear shelf
unit (3) to be oriented in perpendicular direction with regard to
its original non-rotated plane. This raised position advantageously
allows placement of big size containers on a lower shelf (21), the
upper parts of such containers extending through the opening which
would otherwise be closed by the rear shelf unit (3). This
configuration is demonstrated in FIG. 3a.
[0055] The front shelf unit (2), on the other hand, is connected to
the railing frame (14) by means of a first and second slideways
(11, 12) in a way that slideway extensions (17) are telescopically
movable within bracket channels (16) in association with the first
and second brackets (4, 5) of the railing frame (14). The movement
of the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by the
bracket channels (16) into which the slideway extensions (17) are
telescopically received.
[0056] The shelf assembly (1) can be used as one complete shelf
when the front and rear shelf units (2, 3) are in their default
position. In case a bigger-size container is needed to be placed on
the back side of a lower shelf (21), as mentioned earlier, the rear
shelf unit (3) of the shelf assembly (1) is easily lifted to
upright position (FIG. 3a) by means of a grip portion (20). In this
way, it is ensured that the inner storing area of the appliance is
used efficiently by not limiting the lower shelf area, such as in
the cases where the front shelf unit (2) is removed for allowing
room to the big container to be placed over the lower shelf (21) or
the rear shelf unit (3). Such a temporary placement of the removed
shelf unit is not only inconvenient for the user but also the
removed shelf unit unnecessarily occupies the shelf area on which
it is placed.
[0057] When the rear shelf unit (3) is rotated upwards, bigger
bottles can either be placed directly adjacent to the lifted rear
shelf unit (3) or the front shelf unit (2) can be slid towards the
rear shelf unit (3) and the then-emptied front part on the lower
shelf (21) can be used (FIG. 3b).
[0058] Accordingly, the front shelf unit (2) can slide backwards
after the rear shelf unit (3) is lifted to upright position in case
a given container is intended to be placed on the front side of the
lower shelf (21), this configuration also providing an ease of
access to reach for the container on the part of the user.
Therefore, the storing area on the backside of the lower shelf (21)
can be efficiently used depending on the specific needs thanks to
the advantageously oriented rear shelf unit (3) in perpendicular
position and subsequent displacement option of the front shelf unit
(2).
[0059] Further, the front shelf unit (2) can also slide forward
from its original position in loaded state a certain amount (FIG.
3c) so as to allow easier reach for consumers to containers on the
outer part thereof, thereby allowing easier access to the stored
items. While this extended configuration allows storage of big
containers on the outer part of the front shelf unit (2), it also
advantageously provides that a big-size container with the neck
portion thereof can extend through an opening between the rear and
front shelf units (2, 3) in extended configuration, the big-size
container being placed on the central part (FIG. 3d) of the lower
shelf (21).
[0060] As the in-between opening in the extending configuration of
the front shelf unit (2) as well as the relative distance of
neighboring shelves is limited, only a container having a
corresponding size and a neck portion dimension matching the
relative distance and the size of the in-between opening can be
fitted in the proposed configuration. Nevertheless, the proposed
configuration offers an additional storage option which can be of
real use in case of need. Therefore, this extended configuration
allows the full capacity usage of the shelves of the appliance.
[0061] According to the present invention, a single railing system
being employed in the contrary to the known configurations in which
a second channel of displacement is needed to move the front shelf
section to the underside of the rear shelf section, a railing
system (13) operable on a single axis allowing easy and quick
configuration of the shelf assembly (1) is obtainable. As two
different sliding axes necessitate relocation of items placed on
the shelf section intended to be displaced, the present invention
ensures a more practical and more configurable shelf assembly (1)
avoiding such inconveniences.
[0062] Perpendicular positionment of the rear shelf unit (3) is
ensured by means of the first and second hinging means (9, 10)
attachable to the rear shelf unit (3). The hinge head (18) fitted
inside the hinge slot (15) allows perpendicular orientation by way
of rotating the rear shelf unit (3) in the counter-clockwise
direction. The grab portion (20) is specifically designed to ensure
an ease of use when handling the rear shelf unit (3).
[0063] In summary, the present invention proposes a shelf assembly
(1), having a front shelf unit (2) and a rear shelf unit (3)
wherein the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by
a railing system (13) in the manner that first and second brackets
(4, 5) having bracket channels (16) and first and second slideways
(11, 12) having slideway extensions (17) cooperate to ensure a
depthwise movement of the front shelf unit (2) on the horizontal
plane; the shelf assembly (1) further providing that the rear shelf
unit (3) is hingedly attached to the first and second hinging means
(9, 10) having a hinge head (18) engageable into hinge slots (15)
and rotatable therein so as to impart a perpendicular position to
the rear shelf unit (3).
[0064] In a nutshell, the invention proposes a refrigeration
appliance having a sectionally organized shelf assembly (1) in a
refrigeration cabin thereof, the shelf assembly (1) comprising a
front and a rear shelf units (2, 3) respectively neighboring in the
depthwise direction of the refrigeration cabin, the front and rear
shelf units (2, 3) being displaceable relative to a pair of
brackets to which they are attachable.
[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear shelf
unit (3) is a liftable shelf section to be hingedly rotatable so as
to take a position different than on the shelf assembly (1)
plane.
[0066] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front
shelf unit (2) is slidable towards the rear shelf unit (3) in
condition that the rear shelf unit (3) is rotated upwards.
[0067] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the rear
shelf unit (3) of the shelf assembly (1) is lifted to upright
position by means of a grip portion (20).
[0068] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the rear
shelf unit (3) is hingedly attached to a first and second brackets
(4, 5) by means of a first and second hinging means (9, 10).
[0069] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the first
and second hinging means (9, 10) are respectively attached to the
first and second brackets (4, 5) by insertion of a hinge head (18)
of the hinging means into respective hinge slots (15) of the
brackets.
[0070] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front
shelf unit (2) is movable in a guided manner through the first and
second brackets (4, 5).
[0071] In a further embodiment of the present invention, a first
and a second support element (6, 7) supports and connects the first
and second brackets (4, 5).
[0072] In a further embodiment of the present invention, movement
of the front shelf unit (2) is supported in a guided manner by
bracket channels (16) of the first and second brackets (4, 5) into
which slideway extensions (17) of the front shelf unit (2) are
receivable.
[0073] In a further embodiment of the present invention, bracket
channels (16) are longitudinal hollow bodies receiving slideway
extensions (17) in a telescopic manner.
[0074] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the front
shelf unit (2) is movable forward from a position adjacent to the
rear shelf unit's (3) unrotated position on the shelf assembly (1)
plane such that an opening between the rear and front shelf units
(2, 3) in extended configuration of the front shelf unit (2) is
obtained.
[0075] Therefore, the household appliance of the invention has a
shelf assembly (1) consisting of two shelf units disposed at the
rear and front sides of the appliance's cabin. With the proposed
system, various usability options for the inner capacity of the
appliance are offered by the placement of the rear shelf unit (3)
in the original or perpendicular position and by positioning the
front shelf unit (2) as desired.
* * * * *