Patent Publication Number: US-6908163-B1

Title: Bucket assembly for a refrigerator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a storage unit in a refrigerator. The refrigerator storage unit of the invention takes the form of a bucket assembly that can either be tilted-out from, or be picked-off of, an inner liner of a refrigerator door. 
   2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
   It is known to provide the inner portion of a refrigerator door with stationary trays or bins for the storage of food products. It is also known, as demonstrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,924, to provide mounting supports or ribs on a refrigerator door liner for mounting removable storage units. Readily removable storage units enable a consumer to maximize the use of available storage space in a refrigerator by positioning storage units in a manner that best accommodates a variety of food items. Although useful from an organizational standpoint, the retaining walls on these types of storage units may not adequately retain food items when the refrigerator door is being opened or shut. Obviously, the higher the retaining wall, the better the retention capabilities, but the more the view of the food items is obstructed. 
   Another known type of storage unit constitutes a storage bucket which is pivotally connected to a refrigerator door liner. Such a bucket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,910. This type of storage unit has the advantage of retaining food items, while providing a relatively unobstructed view of and easy access to food items. However, the specific structure required for connecting the pivoting bucket to a refrigerator door liner prevents the bucket from being removed and readily interchanged with other types of storage units. 
   Another known storage unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,029 and takes the form of a removable shelf unit with a built-in retaining member. This arrangement advantageously prevents items supported by the storage unit from falling off due to abrupt movements of the refrigerator door, while also allowing a consumer to position the storage unit in a manner that best accommodates various food items. 
   Other arrangements, such as demonstrated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0020386, include a bucket frame or retainer that is mounted to refrigerator door liner. The retainer pivotally supports a removable bucket having structure specifically designed to engage with the retainer. The retainer is provided with a plurality of clips that engage with the bucket to prevent inadvertent tipping of the bucket when the refrigerator door is opened/closed. 
   Regardless of these known arrangements, there is considered to exist a need in the art for an extremely versatile removable storage system that allows consumers to further enhance the utilization of available storage space on a refrigerator door and that securely retains food items, while providing easy access to and an unobstructed view of the items. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a versatile bucket assembly for a refrigerator door. The bucket assembly includes a bucket designed to either be supported by a bucket frame attached to a refrigerator liner or directly to the refrigerator door liner. The bucket frame includes a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members. Each of the opposing side portions is provided with an upwardly extending pivot element. The bucket frame is detachably mounted to the refrigerator door liner through the mounting members in a manner that enables the entire bucket frame to be readily picked-off the door liner. More specifically, the door liner is provided with a plurality of spaced support members that are adapted to receive the mounting members of the bucket frame so as to position the bucket frame at a select one of various vertical locations on the door liner. 
   In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the bucket includes a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall and opposing side walls that collectively define a storage cavity. The bucket is also provided with a keeper element preferably arranged at an upper rear portion of each opposing side wall. The keeper element is designed to support, at least partially, the bucket on either the bucket frame or directly on the door liner. If the bucket is placed on the bucket frame, the bucket can tilt-out about a pivot axis defined by the keeper element to enhance access to articles stored in the bucket or selectively picked-off the bucket frame. In contrast, supporting the bucket directly on the door liner only allows the bucket to be picked-off the liner, rather than being tilted. Regardless of the position, a single bucket design can be used either for tilt-out storage or stationary/pick-off storage on the refrigerator door liner. 
   In further accordance with the present invention, the bucket assembly includes stop structure that limits the overall degree of rotation of the bucket about the pivot axis. The stop structure includes a stop surface and a travel limiter that abut one another to limit forward rotation of the bucket. Preferably, the stop surface is provided on at least one pivot element formed as part of the bucket frame and the travel limiter is provided on the keeper element. In this manner, when the bucket is pivoted about the pivot axis, the travel limiter abuts the stop surface on the pivot element(s) so as to enhance access to the storage cavity, while preventing the bucket from over-rotating which could cause spilling of articles stored in the bucket. 
   In still further accordance with the present invention, each of the opposing side portions of the bucket frame includes first, second and third lands, with the second land being raised relative to the first and third lands. With this arrangement, when the bucket is in an upright position, the keeper element rests on the first land. With the bucket supported on the first land, operation of the refrigerator door will not cause the bucket to tilt forward. Moreover, as the pivot axis is located forward of the first land and at an upper portion of the bucket, the possibility of the bucket inadvertently tilting forward upon operation of the door is substantially eliminated. 
   Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partial, perspective view of a side-by-side refrigerator including a plurality of bucket assemblies constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on an inner liner portion of a fresh food door of the refrigerator; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a bucket frame member of the bucket assembly of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the bucket frame member of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the bucket frame member of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial perspective view of an inner liner portion of the refrigerator door of  FIG. 1  depicting the bucket assembly of the present invention with a first bucket being supported by the bucket frame member of  FIG. 2 , and a second bucket being supported directly on the inner liner portion; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the refrigerator door of  FIG. 5  depicting the first bucket in a tilt-out position; and 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the refrigerator door of  FIG. 5  depicting the first bucket in a home or retracted position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , a side-by-side refrigerator  2  is shown including a cabinet shell  4  within which is positioned a liner  6  that defines a fresh food compartment  8 . In a manner known in the art, fresh food compartment  8  can be accessed by the selective opening of a fresh food door  10 . In a similar manner, a freezer door  12  can be opened to selectively access a freezer compartment (not shown). In the embodiment shown, fresh food compartment  8  is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced shelves  14 , along with a slidably mounted bin  16 . Also illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a control housing  18  arranged at an upper portion of fresh food compartment  8 . In a manner known in the art, fresh food door  10  includes an outer shell  20  and an inner liner  22  including dike portions  26  and  27  integrally molded with a plurality of vertically spaced support members  29 . In general, the basic structure of refrigerator  2  described above is known in the art and presented only for the sake of completeness. However, at this point, it should be realized that refrigerator  2  can take various forms known in the art without departing from the present invention as will be realized more fully below in discussing the specific aspects of the invention. 
   The present invention is particularly directed to a bucket assembly  40  arranged on inner liner  22  of fresh food door  10 . Although  FIG. 1  illustrates four such bucket assemblies  40 , it should be realized that the actual number of bucket assemblies  40  can be readily varied. As shown, bucket assembly  40  includes a bucket frame  50  and bucket  53 . However, while bucket  53  is shown mounted upon bucket frame  50 , it should be understood that other correspondingly constructed buckets, such as those illustrated at  54 – 56 , could be mounted directly to inner liner  22  of fresh food door  10 . As will be detailed more fully below, positioning bucket  53  on bucket frame  50  provides a tilt-out storage unit to enhance access to articles stored in bucket  53 . In contrast, bucket  53  could be attached directly to inner liner  22  through support elements  29  in a manner directly corresponding to buckets  54 – 56  to provide a stationary storage unit on fresh food door  10  that can be readily picked-off inner liner  22 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2–4 , bucket frame  50  preferably includes a rear portion  60  and opposing side portions  62  and  63 . In accordance with one aspect of the invention, opposing side portions  62  and  63  are integrally molded from plastic with rear portion  60  so as to define a unitary member. In addition, rear portion  60  is provided with a plurality of stiffener elements  65  that add to the overall structural stability of bucket frame  50 . As further shown in these figures, each opposing side portion  62 ,  63  is provided with a corresponding mounting member  66 ,  67  which, as will be discussed more fully below, are adapted to engage with support members  29  to detachably secure bucket frame  50  to inner liner  22 . Furthermore, each opposing side portion  62 ,  63  is provided with a corresponding pivot or hook element  70 ,  71  that projects generally upward so as to at least partially support bucket  53  as detailed below. In any event, as each opposing side portion  62 ,  63  is identically constructed, a detailed description will be made with respect to opposing side portion  63  with an understanding that side portion  62  has commensurate structure. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 4 , provided on an upper surface (not separately labeled) of opposing side portion  63  are a plurality of lands or distinct supporting surfaces  79 – 81 . That is, opposing side portion  63  includes a first land  79  that extends to a second land  80  which, in turn, leads to a third land  81  that terminates at pivot element  71 . Preferably, third land  81  is provided with a forward most angled portion  83 . As will be detailed more fully below, angled portion  83 , in combination with a stop surface  85  provided on each of pivot elements  70  and  71 , limits an overall degree of pivoting of bucket  53  when tilted away from inner liner  22 . As shown, second land  80  is preferably raised relative to first and third lands  79  and  81 . 
   As described above, each opposing side portion  62 ,  63  is provided with a corresponding mounting member  66 ,  67 . As each mounting member  66 ,  67  is identical, a description of mounting member  67  will be made with an understanding that mounting member  66  is similarly formed. With particular reference to  FIG. 4 , mounting member  67  is formed with a first angled portion  90  that extends toward a first, substantially vertical segment  91 . First vertical segment  91  leads to a horizontal segment  92  that extends to a second, substantially vertical segment  93 . With this overall geometry, mounting member  67  generally defines a recessed mounting zone which is constructed so as to engage with a respective one of the plurality of support members  29  to detachably support bucket frame  50  on fresh food door  10  in a manner that enables bucket frame  50  to be retained on, but readily picked-off of, inner liner  22 . 
   Reference will now be made to  FIGS. 1 and 5  in describing the particular configuration of buckets  53 – 56 . Although buckets  53 – 56  can be sized or shaped differently, each bucket  53 – 56  is preferably identically constructed with respect to the structure thereof used to support the bucket  53 – 56  on inner liner  22 . With this in mind, a detailed description of bucket  53  will be made and it is to be understood that buckets  54 – 56  have corresponding structure. As indicated above, bucket  53  is designed to be selectively mounted on inner liner  22  either through bucket frame  50  so as to be tiltable in order to enhance access to articles stored in bucket  53 , or directly to fresh food door  10  through support elements  29 . In any case, bucket  53  is shown to include a front wall  103 , a bottom wall  105 , a back or rear wall  107  and opposing side walls  109  and  110 , all of which combine to collectively define a storage cavity  112 . In addition, bucket  53  is provided with a peripheral lip or support flange  113  that extends across front wall  103  and along each of opposing side walls  109  and  110 . As will be detailed more fully below, support flange  113  cooperates with pivot elements  70  and  71  of bucket frame  50  to support bucket  53  on inner liner  22 . Bucket  53  is also provided with a pair of keeper elements, one of which is indicated at  114 , positioned at an upper rear portion (not separately labeled) of each opposing side wall  109  and  110 . Preferably, keeper elements  114  are integrally formed on opposing side walls  109  and  110 . As best shown in  FIG. 6 , each keeper element  114  includes an angled frontal portion  118  that extends downward from support flange  113  and leads to a horizontal or support portion  119 . As shown, support portion  119  returns upward to support flange  113  through a notched or offset portion  120 . With this particular construction, angled portion  118  is designed to abut stop surface  85  on bucket frame  50  to limit the degree of pivoting of bucket  53  relative to bucket frame  50 . Correspondingly, angled portion  118  is also constructed so as to nest between support member  29  and inner liner  22  if it is desired to mount bucket  53  in a stationary/pick-off mounting position, like buckets  54 – 56 , on fresh food door  10 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , bucket member  53 , when supported by bucket frame  50 , can be tilted-out away from inner liner  22  to enhance access to articles stored therein. That is, bucket  53  can be moved from a home position represented in  FIG. 7 , wherein keeper element  114  rests on first land  79  of side portion  63 , to a tilt-out position represented in  FIG. 6 , wherein keeper element  114  rests within angled portion  83  of third land  81 . As further represented in these figures, bucket  53  can be mounted directly to inner liner  22  through support elements  29  in a manner directly corresponding to bucket  54  by simply removing bucket frame  50 . Thus, regardless of the particular support structure, a single bucket design can be utilized that can be tiltable, i.e. when mounted through bucket frame  50 , or stationary relative to inner liner  22  when directly interconnected with respective support elements  29 . Thus, the overall manufacturing costs associated with developing a versatile bucket assembly can be reduced while, at the same time, providing a flexible and unique storage system for refrigerator  2 . 
   Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, the particular shape of the bucket frame, bucket and support elements could be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the bucket assembly is described for use on the fresh food door of a side-by-side refrigerator, the bucket assembly could be employed on fresh food and/or freezer door liners of a wide range of refrigerators. In addition, while only one bucket frame is shown, multiple bucket frames could be provided. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited to the scope of the following claims.