Food compartment for refrigerators

A food storage compartment for refrigerators includes a housing, a food support tray, and a cover pivoted on the housing. The tray is movable from a storage position to an access position. The cover and housing cooperate to enclose the tray and any food stored thereon when the tray is in the storage position. Cam means are provided to automatically open the cover when the tray is moved to an access position. Return of the tray to the storage position or return of the cover to its closed position automatically returns the tray and cover to the storage condition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the storage of food products, and more 
particularly to a novel and improved food storage compartment structure 
for refrigerators. 
PRIOR ART 
Domestic refrigerators often provide storage trays or compartments on the 
refrigerator door to support various types of food products. Examples of 
such systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,667,758; 2,944,410; 
4,747,245; 4,779,939; 4,798,425; 4,801,182; and 4,859,010. Some such 
letters patent illustrate food storage compartments having covers movable 
from a closed position in which the compartment is isolated from the 
remainder of the refrigerated space and an open position in which the 
stored food within the compartment is accessible. Examples of such storage 
compartments are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,944,410; 4,798,425; and 
4,801,182, also listed, supra. 
Such food storage trays and containers are sometimes removable for cleaning 
and/or transporting the food products to another location. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a novel and improved food storage container 
assembly for refrigerators. Such container assembly provides a housing, a 
cover or compartment door pivoted on the housing, and a storage tray in 
which the food products are supported. 
The tray is movable relative to the housing between a storage position 
within the housing per se and an extended or access position providing 
easy access to the food stored thereon is provided. The cover and tray are 
interconnected so that movement of the tray to the access position 
automatically causes the cover to open. Further, when the tray is returned 
to its storage position, the cover automatically closes. If desired, 
closing of the cover while the tray is in the access position 
automatically moves the tray to the storage position. Further, the tray 
can be removed for cleaning or for transporting the foodstuffs stored 
thereon to other locations. 
In the illustrated embodiment, all of these several functions are provided 
by interengaging cam surfaces integrally provided on the tray and cover. 
Therefore, the entire container assembly only requires three parts, which 
can be economically produced from injection-molded plastic. Further, the 
illustrated embodiment is structured so that the entire assembly can be 
mounted at various locations on a compatible refrigerator door. Still 
further, if desired, more than one container assembly can be mounted on a 
given refrigerator door. 
These and other aspects of the invention are illustrated in the 
accompanying drawings, and are more fully described in the following 
specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical side-by-side refrigerator 10 providing two 
doors 11 and 12. The door 11 functions to close or provide access to the 
freezer compartment of the refrigerator and the door 12 operates to close 
or provide access to the refrigeration or non-freezing compartment 13 in 
which food is stored in a refrigerated but unfrozen state. The door 12 is 
provided with an inner liner 14 having opposed, vertical, forward 
projections 16 and 17 which cooperate to define a recessed zone 18 
therebetween. Each of the projections is provided with a series of 
vertically spaced mounting lugs 19 along their inner surfaces for mounting 
of storage units of various types. 
In FIG. 1, two food storage bins or containers 21 and 22 are mounted on the 
lugs 19, with an upper storage container 21 positioned substantially 
adjacent to the upper end of the door and a lower storage container 22 
located near the bottom of the door. Also illustrated in FIG. 1 are open 
trays 23 and 24 which are also mounted on the mounting lugs 19. As 
illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper side of the storage container also 
functions as an open tray. 
The positioning of the storage containers 21 and 22 and the open trays 23 
and 24 is illustrated as representative of one arrangement that can be 
provided, depending upon the user's preference. The two storage containers 
21 and 22 are constructed in accordance with the present invention, and 
are identical in structure. It should be understood that the trays and 
storage containers can be installed at any desired location where lugs 19 
exist to permit the mounting thereof. 
In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the storage 
containers 21 and 22 are each formed of an assembly including three parts, 
each of which is preferably an injection-molded part. The three parts are 
the housing 26, a cover 27, and a food storage tray 28. The housing 26 is 
sized to fit between the two projections 16 and 17 and into the recess 18, 
as best illustrated in FIG. 3, and is generally rectangular in shape. The 
housing provides a rear wall 29 which fits against the back wall 31 of the 
recessed zone 18 and forwardly extending sidewalls 32 and 33. The housing 
also provides a top wall 34 and a bottom wall 36. These various walls 
cooperate to define a forwardly open chamber in which the tray 28 is 
received. The housing is also provided with a flange 37 which extends 
around the two sidewalls and the top wall, and fits against the forward 
extremity of the two projections 16 and 17. 
The housing provides opposed and similar L-shaped mounting projections 38, 
which engage the adjacent mounting lugs 19 along the top and back sides 
thereof, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, to securely mount the entire 
storage container assembly on the door 12. Installation is accomplished by 
positioning the housing of the assembly within the recess, and lowering it 
until the L-shaped mounting projection engages the back and top sides of 
the associated mounting lug 19. Removal is accomplished by merely raising 
the housing. With this simple structure, the entire assembly can be 
mounted in any one of a plurality of positions on the door. 
The cover 27 is connected to the housing by a pivot 38 for movement between 
a closed position, illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, and an open position, 
illustrated in FIGS. 4b and 5. The cover includes a top wall 39 which 
extends forwardly from the top wall of the housing 34 when the cover is in 
the closed position and cooperates therewith to enclose the top of the 
compartment. The cover also provides a front wall 41 which extends from 
the top wall 39 down to a position in alignment with the tray 28 when in 
the closed position. The cover also provides opposed sidewalls 42 and 43, 
so that the housing and cover cooperate to enclose the tray when the cover 
is in the closed position. 
As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the bottom wall 36 of the housing is 
provided with two upstanding rail-like portions 44 on which the tray rests 
and is supported during its movement between the forward access position 
and the rearward storage position. These rails engage the bottom wall 46 
of the tray and provide a relatively small area of contact between the 
bottom wall of the tray and the housing so that substantial friction does 
not exist when the tray is moved back and forth. The bottom wall of the 
tray is provided with depending flanges 44a along each lateral edge which 
fit down along the outer side of the associated rail 44 to laterally 
position and guide the tray in its movement between the access position 
and the storage or rearward position thereof. 
The bottom wall 36 of the housing extends forwardly to its forward edge 48 
spaced rearwardly of the front wall 41 of the cover when the cover is in 
the closed position, and spaced rearwardly from a forward skirt 49 in the 
tray so that the user can insert fingers between the housing and the skirt 
to pull the tray to the forward and access position when such access is 
desired. 
The cover 27 and the food storage tray 28 are provided with mating camming 
surfaces which function when the tray is pulled forward to the access 
position to automatically open the cover, as best illustrated in FIGS. 4a 
and 4b. The camming surfaces 51 of the cover are generally "S" shaped and 
are provided along the rearward edge of both of the sidewalls 42 and 43 of 
the cover. The camming surfaces 52 of the tray are provided by a laterally 
extending flange 53 formed along each side of the tray in alignment with 
the camming surface 51. The camming surfaces 52 extend upwardly from the 
base of the tray to a pocket 57 and have a shape generally like a portion 
of a spiral in that they extend with gradually decreasing radius. The two 
camming surfaces 51 and 52 interengage along a lower, substantially 
vertical portion 54 when the cover is in the closed position and the tray 
is in the storage position. 
As the tray is pulled forward toward the access position, such engagement 
causes the cover 27 to commence to pivot around the pivot 38 toward an 
open position, as illustrated in FIG. 4a. Continued movement of the tray 
to the access position illustrated in full line in FIG. 4b causes the 
cover to move to its fully open position illustrated in FIG. 4b, in which 
access is provided to any foodstuffs supported on the tray. 
During such movement, the point of engagement between the associated 
camming surfaces 51 and 52 moves upwardly along the two camming surfaces 
until the open position is reached, in which the camming surface 51 
extends over the top of the camming surface 52 and the engagement 
therebetween extends substantially horizontally. As such movement occurs, 
a nose 56 or blocking surface formed at the rearward end of the top wall 
39 of the cover moves to a position within the pocket 57 formed in the 
back wall of the tray to prevent continued movement of the tray out of the 
housing beyond the access position of FIG. 4b. Such engagement between the 
nose 56 and the pocket 57 also holds the rearward edge of the tray down 
against the rails 44 to prevent the weight of the foodstuffs stored on the 
tray from causing its front edge to tip down. Thus, this structure 
involving the nose 56 and the pocket functions to limit extension of the 
tray during normal use and cooperates with the rails to hold the tray in a 
horizontal position. 
When it is desired to remove the tray from the assembly, the front edge of 
the tray is lifted, as illustrated in phantom, to move the pocket down 
away from the nose, as illustrated in FIG. 4b. This causes the point of 
engagement between the two camming surfaces to raise the cover, as 
illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4b, and allows the tray to be moved 
forwardly out of the housing to complete the separation thereof. The tray 
can be removed for cleaning or for transporting foodstuffs supported 
thereon to any location. Reinstallation of the tray is easily accomplished 
by raising the cover and sliding the tray back along the rails in a raised 
position until the nose 56 is repositioned within the pocket 57, and then 
lowering the front edge of the tray back to the access position. 
After the tray is positioned in the access position, the cover and tray can 
be returned to the storage position in either of two ways. If the tray is 
pushed back into the housing, the engagement between the nose 56 and the 
pocket 57 automatically commences pivotal movement of the cover down 
toward its normal closed position, and as the movement is continued, the 
weight of the cover maintains the engagement between the two camming 
surfaces 51 and 52 until the tray is fully back in its storage position 
and the cover is fully closed. Alternatively, the tray can be moved from 
the access position to the storage position by merely closing the cover. 
As the cover commences to close, the engagement of the nose 56 within the 
pocket 57 slides the tray back towards the storage position until a point 
is reached in the engagement between the two camming surfaces in which 
they function to continue the movement of the tray to its storage position 
when the cover is closed. 
With this invention, a simple camming system is provided to automatically 
open the cover as the tray is pulled forward to the access position. 
Return of the tray to the storage position and return of the cover to its 
closed position are easily accomplished by either pushing the tray back 
into the housing or pushing the cover toward its closed position. Further, 
a simple structure is provided in which foodstuffs supported on the tray 
are completely enclosed in the storage position but are easily accessible 
in the access position. Still further, by providing a separate assembly 
for the food storage container, it is possible to locate such container at 
substantially any location desired on the door of the refrigerator and to 
provide more than one food storage container if desired. 
Although the preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and 
described, it should be understood that various modifications and 
rearrangements of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the 
scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed herein.