Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shelves for domestic appliances, such as refrigerators.
Description of Related Art
Domestic refrigerators typically have a plurality of shelves for supporting stored food items. Some refrigerators have movable shelves that can be withdrawn from a food storage chamber when the refrigerator is open.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance includes an appliance housing. A liner within the appliance housing provides an upper interior storage chamber and a lower interior storage chamber. The upper interior storage chamber and the lower interior storage chamber are separated by a mullion. An upper movable closure is movable between an open position providing access to the upper interior storage chamber, and a closed position closing the upper interior storage chamber. A lower movable closure is movable between an open position providing access to the lower interior storage chamber, and a closed position closing the lower interior storage chamber. The mullion forms a storage pocket, and the refrigeration appliance further includes a deployable shelf configured to be withdrawn from the storage pocket in the mullion.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a refrigeration appliance. The refrigeration appliance includes an appliance housing. A liner within the appliance housing provides an upper fresh food storage chamber and a lower freezer storage chamber. The fresh food storage chamber and the freezer storage chamber are separated by a mullion. An upper door is movable between an open position providing access to the fresh food storage chamber, and a closed position closing the fresh food storage chamber. A lower drawer is movable between an open position providing access to the freezer storage chamber, and a closed position closing the freezer storage chamber. The mullion forms a storage pocket between the upper door and the lower drawer. The refrigeration appliance includes a deployable shelf configured to be withdrawn from the storage pocket in the mullion while the upper door and the lower drawer are in their respective closed positions.
The present invention relates to shelves for a domestic appliance, in particular a refrigeration appliance, such as a refrigerator. The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. Additionally, other embodiments of the invention are possible and the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in ways other than as described. The terminology and phraseology used in describing the invention is employed for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the invention and should not be taken as limiting.
The refrigerator 11 has an outer appliance housing 17 and one or more inner liners 19. In
The refrigerator 11 includes upper movable closures (e.g., hinged doors 29, 31) for providing access to the fresh food storage chamber 13. The hinged doors are movable between an open position providing access to the fresh food storage chamber 13 (see
The refrigerator includes a lower movable closure for providing access to the freezer storage chamber 15. The lower movable closure could be a hinged door, or the lower movable closure could part of a pull-out drawer 33 as shown in the figures. The pull-out drawer 33 is movable between an open position providing access to the freezer storage chamber 15 (see
The liner 19 includes a central or horizontal mullion 35 that separates the fresh food 13 and freezer 15 storage chambers. Door gaskets 37 on the inner surfaces of the hinged doors 29, 31 and the drawer 33 seal against the mullion 35 when in their respective closed positions.
The mullion 35 has a recess or storage pocket 39 that accommodates a deployable shelf 41. The pocket 39 with the shelf removed is shown in
The refrigerator 11 is configured such that the shelf 41 is deployable while the doors 29, 31 and drawer 33 are in their respective open or closed positions. Thus, the mullion 35 is vertically tall enough to accommodate the shelf 41 and also provide sealing surfaces for the gaskets 37 on the doors 29, 31 and the drawer 33. The sealing surfaces for the gaskets 37 can be located on the mullion 35 above and below the pocket 39. Because the shelf 41 can be withdrawn from the storage pocket 39 and deployed while the doors 29, 31 and drawer 33 are in their closed position, the shelf can be used for long periods of time without causing a rise in temperature in either the fresh food storage chamber 13 or the freezer storage chamber 15.
The shelf 41 can include one or more deployable legs 43 for supporting the shelf against the front surface of the refrigerator, in particular against the drawer 33, when the shelf is withdrawn from the storage pocket 39. The legs 43 can be hinged to swing downward from the underside of the shelf 41 when the shelf is withdrawn from the pocket 39. The shelf 41 can include a manual release handle 45 for operating a latch to release the legs 43 and allow the legs to drop downward from the underside of the shel.
The shelf 41 and latch 47 are shown in further detail in
In certain embodiments, the pocket in the mullion and/or the shelf can include tracks or drawer slides to facilitate movement of the shelf between the deployed and stored positions. If the pocket and/or shelf include tracks or drawer slides, the shelf can include legs as described above, or the legs can be eliminated if desired. The pocket and/or shelf can further include stops to prevent the inadvertent complete removal of the shelf from the pocket.
In
A further example embodiment of a refrigerator 11 having separately deployable shelves is shown in
The deployable shelves described herein could be incorporated into appliances other than refrigerators. For example, the shelves could be incorporated into combination appliances such as a combination washer and dryer.
It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention is therefore not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.
Benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/140,582, filed Mar. 31, 2015, is hereby claimed and the disclosure incorporated herein by reference.
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