A doubling shelf, particularly for domestic appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like

Abstract: A removable shelf for domestic appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like, comprising: an upper support panel (1); a lower support panel (2) joined to the former by connection means (3) which enable the two support panels to undergo relative movement towards and away from each other to bring them into assigned positions; and a locking means (4, 4A) for locking the lower support panel (2) close to the upper support panel (1) and for releasing it when it has to be moved away therefrom to enable it to be used by the user.

Description: This invention relates to a removable shelf for domestic appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like, on which products to be processed (refrigerated, frozen or cooked) are placed. In such appliances the support surfaces, in the form of shelves, are known to be often insufficient, particularly, and this applies especially to refrigerators, when most of the food purchased in a supermarket or hypermarket is obtained on a Saturday. US-A-4 528 825 discloses a foldable refrigerator shelf appropriate for suspension from a plan cantilevered refrigerator shelf. The main object of the invention is to provide a composite shelf which is able to satisfy these peak support surface requirements of the user, while being able, in the absence of such requirements, to be substantially returned to a usual shelf. This and further objects which will be apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter are attained by a composite shelf in accordance with the teachings of the accompanying claims. The invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description of preferred embodiments thereof given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from below with some parts interrupted, of the composite shelf of the invention in its closed position, ie in the position in which its supplementary support panel is not used; Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the lever for locking/releasing the supplementary support panel of the shelf of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of the support plate for the lever of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an oblique perspective view of a modification of the composite shelf in the position in which the supplementary support panel is used; Figure 5 is a perspective view from a different angle showing the composite shelf of Figure 4 in its closed position (analogous to that of Figure 1). Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the composite shelf of the invention. The illustrated composite shelf comprises essentially an upper support panel 1, an underlying lower supplementary support panel 2, a pair of elements 3 for connecting them together, and locking/release means 4 for retaining the lower support panel 2 in its inoperative or non-utilization position (in which position it is close to the upper support panel 1), and to release it when it is required to be used by the user. The upper support panel 1 consists in this example of a series of parallel metal rods 6 bent upwards, for example through a right angle, at one end 6A. The rods 6 are rigid with transverse members, for example other rods, indicated by 7. The lower support panel 2 comprises a series of metal rods 8, 8A parallel to each other and to the rods 6 of the upper support panel 1. The rods 8, 8A are rigid with transverse rods 9. The rods indicated by 8A are the two end rods, these being longer than the others 8 so as to project at their ends 10 for a short distance beyond the transverse rods 9. The rods 8 are fixed onto the upper side of the transverse rods 9, the two end rods 8A being fixed onto the lower sides of these latter. The mutually identical connection elements 3 are preferably of plastic construction, with a non-rectilinear profile in that they comprise two parts, namely a substantially rectilinear part 3A and an arched part 3B. At their upper ends the parts 3B have a hook shaped or open-slotted profile as indicated by 3C in Figure 1, the purpose of which is to engage on the end rods 6 of the upper support panel 1 to enable the connection elements 3 to move angularly relative to the upper support panel 1 about the end rods 6. Substantially in their part 3B, the connection elements 3 comprise slide guides 11 into which the projecting parts 10 of the end rods 8A of the lower support panel 2 extend. These guides are channel-shaped and can be represented by grooves closed at their outer ends, at 11A. On these closed ends there rest the projecting ends 10 of the end rods 8A. The slide guides 11 enable the lower support panel 2 to move relative to the connection elements 3 during passage of the surface 2 from the inoperative position of Figure 1, in which it is close to the upper support panel 1, to the operative position in which it is spaced from this latter by a useful distance to enable the user to use the support panel 2 for supporting objects, food etc. The spaced-apart position is shown in Figure 4, which however relates to a modified embodiment of the locking/release means 4. The locking/release means 4 comprise a plate 12 (Figure 3) and a lever 13 (Figure 2) rotatably supported by the plate. The plate 12, of plastic construction, comprises a series of teeth or toothed projections 14 for its snap-engagement (see Figure 1) with two rods 6 of the upper support panel 1. It also comprises a diametrically (partly) slotted pin 15 provided with a conical lead-in head to allow snap-mounting of the lever 13 which, once mounted, can undergo a certain angular rotation limited by a stop 16 present on the plate. The plate can also comprise at its front end a positioning semi-eyelet 17 which can engage the front transverse rod 7 (which in the figures is covered by a section piece 18). The lever 13, mounted on the plate 12 as already stated, comprises a hole 19 for its mounting on the pin 15 and also a front handgrip 13A accessible to the user, and a pair of projecting eyelets 13B open in the same direction (see also Figure 1) to snap-engage two rods 8 of the lower support panel 2 when this is in its inoperative position (Figure 1), ie in contact with or close to the upper support panel 1. When the user wishes to use the lower support panel 2 (the utilization position is shown in Figure 4), he rotates the lever 13, so releasing its eyelets 13B from the rods 8 of the lower support panel 2. By the effect of the weight of the combined connection elements 3 and support panel 2, and of the degrees of freedom provided by the hinging of the connection elements 3 to the upper surface 1 and by the guides 11, the lower support panel 2 moves into the position of Figure 4, ie into its utilization position in which it is able to act as a supplementary shelf. When the user does not intend to use the support panel 2, he raises it until the two rods re-engage the eyelets 13B of the lever 13. The lever 13 can be subjected to the action of a centering spring, for example a torsion spring acting between the lever 13 and plate 12. The modified embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 differs only in its locking/release means, here indicated by 4A The remainder corresponds to that already described with reference to Figures 1-3, the corresponding parts therefore being identified in Figures 4, 5 by the same reference numerals. The locking/release means 4A comprise a substantially flat upper part 20 by which they rest on the upper surface 1, and a semicircular discontinuous side wall 21 which extends into two frontally projecting arms 22 via a region 23 shaped conventionally to form an elastic hinge for the arms 22 such that these can be squeezed together by the user and when abandoned return elastically to their initial position. To retain the lower support panel 2 in its inoperative position (Figure 5), the arms 22 are provided with lead-in steps 24 on which the rods 8 of the lower surface 2 engage and from which the rods disengage when the user, wishing to use the lower surface 2, squeezes the arms 22 together. The plate 20 is provided with snap-fitting means (for example open eyelets) for its snap-fitting to the rods 6 of the upper support panel 1. These snap-fitting means can be similar to those of the plate of Figure 3 or of the lever of Figure 2. In the modification of Figures 4 and 5, to use the lower support panel 2, it is released by squeezing together the arms 22. This release can however also be achieved by pulling the arms apart if the release means 24 are situated on the inner side of the arms and the arms are shaped such that they are external to the engagement rods 8, and passages for these rods are provided in the side wall 21 to which the arms are connected. The locking/release means can be different from the aforedescribed and, although more rudimentary and certainly less acceptable to the user, can in the limit be reduced to a hook connected to one of the support panels and to be hooked to one or more rods of the other. Moreover, instead of being formed from rods, the support panels can in the limit be formed from grids or plates, of which one (the upper one) is provided with hinge means (for example provided on added or applied rim or frame parts) and the other is provided with projections guidable within the connection elements 3 (for example provided on added or applied rim or frame parts). In this case the locking/release means can be formed from a spring-loaded hook rotatably carried by a frame and cooperating with a projection on the other frame.

Claims: A removable shelf for domestic appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like, comprising an upper support panel (1); a lower support panel (2) joined to the former by connection means (3) which enable the two support panels to undergo relative movement towards and away from each other to bring them into assigned positions; and a locking means (4, 4A) for locking the lower support panel (2) close to the upper support panel (1) and for releasing it when it has to be moved away therefrom to enable it to be used by the user, wherein the connection means comprise a hinge connection to one of the support panels (1, 2) and a slide guide connection to the other of the support panels (1, 2), characterized in that said connection means are only a pair of identical connection elements (3). A shelf as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge connection acts on the upper support panel (1) only and the slide guide connection acts on the lower support panel (2) only. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking/release means (4, 4A) are fixed to the upper support panel and cooperate with counter-means (8) provided on or within the lower support panel (2). A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking/release means (4, 4A) comprise a lever (13) possibly loaded by a centering spring. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking/release means comprise elastic arms which can be squeezed together or drawn apart. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking/release means comprise a hook. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the support panels (1, 2) are formed from rod-like parallel elements (6, 8, 8A) joined together by rod-like transverse elements (7, 9). A shelf as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the lower support panel (2) has end rod-like elements (8A) projecting into the slide guides (11, 11A) of the connection elements (3). A shelf as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connection elements (3) are hinged on rod-like elements (6) of the upper support panel (1). A shelf as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking/release means (4, 4A) are snap-fitted to the rod-like elements (6) of the upper support panel (1).

Inventors: RIBOLZI AUGUSTO, SALLANDER MARTIN, RIBOLZI, AUGUSTO, SALLANDER, MARTIN, Ribolzi, Augusto c/o WHIRLPOOL EUROPE s.r.l., Sallander, Martin c/o WHIRLPOOL EUROPE s.r.l.
Applicants: WHIRLPOOL CO, WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A47B77
IPC codes: F25D25, A47B96