1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a storage unit in a refrigerator. The refrigerator storage unit of the invention takes the form of a bucket assembly that can either be tilted-out from, or be picked-off of, an inner liner of a refrigerator door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is known to provide the inner portion of a refrigerator door with stationary trays or bins for the storage of food products. It is also known, as demonstrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,924, to provide mounting supports or ribs on a refrigerator door liner for mounting removable storage units. Readily removable storage units enable a consumer to maximize the use of available storage space in a refrigerator by positioning storage units in a manner that best accommodates a variety of food items. Although useful from an organizational standpoint, the retaining walls on these types of storage units may not adequately retain food items when the refrigerator door is being opened or shut. Obviously, the higher the retaining wall, the better the retention capabilities, but the more the view of the food items is obstructed.
Another known type of storage unit constitutes a storage bucket which is pivotally connected to a refrigerator door liner. Such a bucket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,910. This type of storage unit has the advantage of retaining food items, while providing a relatively unobstructed view of and easy access to food items. However, the specific structure required for connecting the pivoting bucket to a refrigerator door liner prevents the bucket from being removed and readily interchanged with other types of storage units.
Another known storage unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,029 and takes the form of a removable shelf unit with a built-in retaining member. This arrangement advantageously prevents items supported by the storage unit from falling off due to abrupt movements of the refrigerator door, while also allowing a consumer to position the storage unit in a manner that best accommodates various food items.
Other arrangements, such as demonstrated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0020386, include a bucket frame or retainer that is mounted to refrigerator door liner. The retainer pivotally supports a removable bucket having structure specifically designed to engage with the retainer. The retainer is provided with a plurality of clips that engage with the bucket to prevent inadvertent tipping of the bucket when the refrigerator door is opened/closed.
Regardless of these known arrangements, there is considered to exist a need in the art for an extremely versatile removable storage system that allows consumers to further enhance the utilization of available storage space on a refrigerator door and that securely retains food items, while providing easy access to and an unobstructed view of the items.
The present invention is directed to a versatile bucket assembly for a refrigerator door. The bucket assembly includes a bucket designed to either be supported by a bucket frame attached to a refrigerator liner or directly to the refrigerator door liner. The bucket frame includes a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members. Each of the opposing side portions is provided with an upwardly extending pivot element. The bucket frame is detachably mounted to the refrigerator door liner through the mounting members in a manner that enables the entire bucket frame to be readily picked-off the door liner. More specifically, the door liner is provided with a plurality of spaced support members that are adapted to receive the mounting members of the bucket frame so as to position the bucket frame at a select one of various vertical locations on the door liner.
In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the bucket includes a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall and opposing side walls that collectively define a storage cavity. The bucket is also provided with a keeper element preferably arranged at an upper rear portion of each opposing side wall. The keeper element is designed to support, at least partially, the bucket on either the bucket frame or directly on the door liner. If the bucket is placed on the bucket frame, the bucket can tilt-out about a pivot axis defined by the keeper element to enhance access to articles stored in the bucket or selectively picked-off the bucket frame. In contrast, supporting the bucket directly on the door liner only allows the bucket to be picked-off the liner, rather than being tilted. Regardless of the position, a single bucket design can be used either for tilt-out storage or stationary/pick-off storage on the refrigerator door liner.
In further accordance with the present invention, the bucket assembly includes stop structure that limits the overall degree of rotation of the bucket about the pivot axis. The stop structure includes a stop surface and a travel limiter that abut one another to limit forward rotation of the bucket. Preferably, the stop surface is provided on at least one pivot element formed as part of the bucket frame and the travel limiter is provided on the keeper element. In this manner, when the bucket is pivoted about the pivot axis, the travel limiter abuts the stop surface on the pivot element(s) so as to enhance access to the storage cavity, while preventing the bucket from over-rotating which could cause spilling of articles stored in the bucket.
In still further accordance with the present invention, each of the opposing side portions of the bucket frame includes first, second and third lands, with the second land being raised relative to the first and third lands. With this arrangement, when the bucket is in an upright position, the keeper element rests on the first land. With the bucket supported on the first land, operation of the refrigerator door will not cause the bucket to tilt forward. Moreover, as the pivot axis is located forward of the first land and at an upper portion of the bucket, the possibility of the bucket inadvertently tilting forward upon operation of the door is substantially eliminated.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.
With initial reference to
The present invention is particularly directed to a bucket assembly 40 arranged on inner liner 22 of fresh food door 10. Although
Referring to
As best shown in
As described above, each opposing side portion 62, 63 is provided with a corresponding mounting member 66, 67. As each mounting member 66, 67 is identical, a description of mounting member 67 will be made with an understanding that mounting member 66 is similarly formed. With particular reference to
Reference will now be made to
As shown in
Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, the particular shape of the bucket frame, bucket and support elements could be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the bucket assembly is described for use on the fresh food door of a side-by-side refrigerator, the bucket assembly could be employed on fresh food and/or freezer door liners of a wide range of refrigerators. In addition, while only one bucket frame is shown, multiple bucket frames could be provided. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited to the scope of the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country |
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