Abstract:
A food support element, such as a shelf, drawer or the like, for removable insertion into a refrigeration compartment of a refrigerator having differential temperature zones, the temperature in the zone overlying the support element being set and controlled by a known control device provided with setting and control means associated with the element. The support element comprises a body having two spaced-apart opposing flat elements connected together by perimetral securing means, an interspace being present between the surfaces to receive the setting and control means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a food support element, such as a shelf, drawer or the like, for removable insertion into a refrigeration compartment.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    From an earlier filing in the name of the same applicant, a refrigerator is known provided with a compartment having internal zones at different controlled temperatures. In such a refrigerator, to support foods a removable element is used, such as a shelf, a drawer or the like, which enables the zones to be created within the refrigerator compartment. Such an element, which forms the subject of another earlier filing in the name of the same applicant, comprises a body to be positioned on supports present on opposing walls of the refrigeration compartment, setting means being provided, associated with the body of the element, which enable the internal temperature of the compartment to be set and the set temperature information to be transferred to control means for the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator, the means being provided within a structure or cabinet in which the compartment is formed.  
           [0005]    The setting means comprise an electrical circuit arranged to generate a signal which can be modified on the basis of the set temperature, or of a set temperature range, by modifying at least one electrical characteristic of that circuit, the signal being remotely sensed by the control means (without there being any physical connection between these latter and the setting means). The electrical circuit is preferably a resonant circuit.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    An object of the present invention is to offer a food support element provided with the aforesaid setting means which is of simple construction and of low cost.  
           [0007]    A further object is to offer a food support element of the stated type which is reliable in use.  
           [0008]    These and further objects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by an element in accordance with the accompanying claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing, which is provided by way of non-limiting example and in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a food support element according to the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a section on the line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the element of FIG. 1 shown partly assembled;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a section similar to that of FIG. 2 showing a different embodiment of the element of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the part indicated by A in FIG. 4;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 shows a further different embodiment of the element of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 shows a further different embodiment of a food support element according to the invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a section on the line  8 - 8  of FIG. 7. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    With reference to the figures, and in particular to FIGS.  1 - 3 , these show a food support element removably insertable into a refrigeration compartment and represented in the form of a shelf  1 . This shelf comprises two flat elements  3  and  4 , positioned parallel to and spaced apart from each other to form an interspace  5  housing a device (not shown) enabling the temperature to be set for that part of the compartment overlying the shelf  1  and lying between this latter and the adjacent overlying flat surface (which can be defined by another shelf, by the base of a drawer, or by the top of the refrigeration compartment). Such a device forms the subject of another filing in the name of the same applicant and has already been described in its essential parts in the introduction to the present document, and will therefore not be further described.  
         [0019]    In the figures the flat element  3  overlies the flat element  4 . The upper surface of this element acts as the support surface for foods placed in the refrigeration compartment for their preservation. To maintain the distance between the elements  3  and  4 , along at least two of their opposing edges  3 A and  4 A there is present at least one spacer  7  having a body provided with an intermediate portion  8  which lies spatially perpendicular to the flat elements and to which there are connected end arms  10  lying parallel to each other and to the elements  3 ,  4 . These latter rest on the arms and are thus supported on each spacer.  
         [0020]    Advantageously each spacer  7  comprises a sidepiece  1  and a sidepiece  12 , the first facing the interspace  5  and the second facing outwards from this latter and from the shelf  1 . In the sidepiece  12  there is provided a recess  13  to house the electrical connectors  14  connected to the device in the interior of the shelf, of which a component  15  (an antenna) is shown in FIG. 3, the component also being housed in the recess  13 .  
         [0021]    Each spacer  7  is preferably obtained by extrusion or by co-injection moulding and possibly bent over for their positioning between the elements  3  and  4  (in order to form the support arms  10  for these latter). The elements  3 ,  4  themselves are preferably formed in one of the following materials: glass, polycarbonate or the material known by the commercial name of Perspex (formed of methyl-methacrylate).  
         [0022]    Finally the shelf  1  comprises at least one lateral frame  20  (or a plurality of frames) which covers it along its entire perimeter. This frame is of plastic material, preferably obtained by co-injection moulding around the elements  3  and  4  by known methods.  
         [0023]    The shelf  1  is hence obtained by arranging the elements  3  and  4  on the opposing sides of the spacers  7  and enclosing the entire assembly by the frame or frames  20 . The front frame, or that frame part located to the front of the opening in the refrigeration compartment, presents an interface  27  on which setting means  28  are present for the device located inside the interspace  5 ; in the example, these means  28  are a slider  29  slidable along the interface  27  which presents a plurality of windows  30 , possibly retro-illuminated, on which symbols or other elements are located to identify a particular temperature set in the compartment portion overlying the shelf  1  when the slider  29  lies above a particular window  30 .  
         [0024]    Each frame or frame portion  20  lying along each side of the elements  3  and  4  presents a shape which in cross-section resembles a C. This portion hence presents an intermediate part  32 , vertical in the figures, which connects together two end arms  33  and  34  each having, facing the other arm, a wall  35  in which a step  36  is provided. On this latter there rests the edge  3 A or  4 A of the relative element  3  or  4  also provided with a step  37  on which the corresponding end arm  33  and  34  lies.  
         [0025]    The frame hence embraces the elements  3  and  4  to close each spacer  7 .  
         [0026]    A controlled atmosphere environment can be created within the interspace  5  to ensure greater thermal insulation. To enable an inert gas to be fed into the interspace  5 , a valving member  40  is located in the spacer  7  (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and is provided with through conduits  41  so that when the shelf has been completed, tubes  42  can enter the interspace to feed inert gas (for example nitrogen) into the interspace and extract the air present therein. The member  40  is then sealed by cutting the tubes and closing them by hot deformation.  
         [0027]    Moreover to ensure that the flat elements  3  and  4  do not collapse one onto the other when securing the frame  20  or when vacuum is created, one or more spacers  50  can be positioned in the interspace  5 .  
         [0028]    Finally, according to another variant of the invention, the flat elements  3  and  4  can be made concave, each with a bent lateral edge  60  which faces and counteracts the bent edge  60  of the other element. The elements  3  and  4  are fitted together at the free surfaces  61  or  62  of these edges, by means respectively of an annular recess  63  and an annular rib  64  which provide a form fit between the edges (FIG. 8). The elements  3 ,  4  are then joined together in any known manner (gluing, ultrasonic bonding, etc.). Obtaining the shelf in this manner creates the interspace  5  therein for the aforesaid purposes.  
         [0029]    The edges  60  are also provided with a profiled perimetral portion  66  facilitating the fixing of the moulded frame  20 , which performs an aesthetic function and provides sealing for the flat elements  3  and  4 .