Patent ID: 7731316
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: F25D

Abstract:
1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet shell; a liner arranged within the cabinet shell, said liner defining at least a fresh food compartment having top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls; a door pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet shell for selectively closing the fresh food compartment; at least one shelf support rail mounted to one of the rear and opposing side walls of the fresh food compartment; and a universal shelf module configured to be mounted in one of a stationary configuration and a sliding configuration, said universal shelf module including a shelf unit having a base portion and a peripheral frame, said peripheral frame including a front frame member, a rear frame member and opposing side frame members joined to the front and rear frame members, each of said opposing side frame members including a bottom edge portion, a top surface portion, a side portion extending from the bottom edge portion to the top surface portion, a channel defining member which is sized to receive the base portion and being spaced from the side portion to define a groove, at least one mounting boss projecting from the side portion, and at least one locating element positioned within the groove wherein, when mounted in the stationary configuration, said universal shelf module further includes a first support unit having first and second side frame sections joined to a rear frame section, each, of the first and second side frame sections including at least one mounting aperture and at least one locating tab, each of said at least one mounting aperture of the first support unit receiving a corresponding one of each of the at least one mounting boss and each of the at least one locating tab of the first support unit cooperating with a corresponding one of each of the at least one locating element so as to secure the shelf unit to the first support unit; and when mounted in the sliding configuration, said universal shelf module further includes a second support unit having first and second side frame sections joined to a rear frame section as well as first and second glide members slidingly supported on corresponding ones of the first and second side frame sections, each of said first and second glide members including at least one mounting aperture and at least one locating tab, each of said at least one mounting aperture of the first and second glide members receiving a corresponding one of each of the at least one mounting boss and each of the at least one locating tab of the first and second glide members cooperating with a corresponding one of each of the at least one locating element so as to slidingly secure the shelf unit to the second support unit.