Patent Publication Number: US-2023145594-A1

Title: Drawer-shelf system for a refrigerator appliance

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an appliance such as a refrigerator. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In order to keep food fresh, a low temperature must be maintained within a refrigerator to reduce the reproduction rate of harmful bacteria. Refrigerators circulate refrigerant and change the refrigerant from a liquid state to a gas state by an evaporation process in order cool the air within the refrigerator. During the evaporation process, heat is transferred to the refrigerant. After evaporating, a compressor increases the pressure, and in turn, the temperature of the refrigerant. The gas refrigerant is then condensed into a liquid and the excess heat is rejected to the ambient surroundings. The process then repeats. 
     SUMMARY 
     A refrigerator drawer-shelf system includes a refrigerator, a support rail, a crisper drawer, and a planar shelf. The refrigerator defines an internal cavity and has at least one shelf support protruding into the internal cavity. The support rail defines a crisper drawer support channel on an internal side of the support rail. The support rail defines a shelf mounting recess along a top of the support rail, along a back end of the support rail, and above the crisper drawer support channel. The crisper drawer has a support lip configured to slidably engage the crisper drawer support channel. The planar shelf has an outer edge extending about an outer periphery of the shelf. A portion of the outer edge is configured to slidably engage the shelf mounting recess to secure the shelf to the support rail such that the support rail supports at least a portion of a weight of the shelf 
     A drawer-shelf system for a refrigerator includes a crisper drawer, first and second opposing spaced-apart support rails, and a planar shelf. The crisper drawer has first and second ridges extending outward from opposing first and second sides of crisper drawer. The first and second support rails define first and second channels along first and second internal sides of the first and second support rails, respectively. The first and second channels receive the first and second ridges, respectively, (i) to support the crisper drawer and (ii) such that the crisper drawer is slidable relative, to the first and second support rails. The first and second support rails have first and second protrusions extending upward from first and second back ends of the first and second support rails, respectively. The first and second protrusions define first and second C-channels, respectively. The first and second C-channels have first and second forward, facing open ends, respectively. The planar shelf has an outer edge extending about an outer periphery of the shelf. A back portion of the outer edge is disposed within the first and second C-channels such that the planar shelf is supported by the first and second back, ends. 
     A drawer-shelf system for a refrigerator includes a drawer, a support rail, and a shelf plate. The drawer has a ridge protruding therefrom. The support rail defines a first channel along a side of the support rail. The first channel is configured to receive the ridge such that the drawer is slidable relative to and supported by the support rail. The support rail has a protrusion extending upward from a first end of the support rail. The protrusion defines a second channel. The shelf plate has an outer edge extending about an outer periphery of the shelf. A first portion of the outer edge is configured to be disposed within the second channel such that the shelf plate is supported by the first end. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective front view of a side-by-side type refrigerator; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective front view of a drawer-shelf system that is utilized in, the refrigerator; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective exploded view of the drawer-shelf system that is utilized, in the refrigerator; and 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective front view illustrating an engagement between the drawer-shelf system and shelf supports within the refrigerator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or describe. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , generally a refrigerator  10  of the side-by-side type is illustrated. However, it should be understood that this disclosure could apply to any type of refrigerator, such as a side-by-side, French-Door Bottom Mount, or a top-mount type. The refrigerator  10  defines internal cavities. More specifically, the refrigerator  10  defines a fresh food or refrigeration compartment  12  and a freezer compartment  14  that are separated by a dividing wall  15 . It is generally known that the freezer compartment  14  is typically kept at a temperature below the freezing point of water, and the refrigeration compartment  12  is typically kept at a temperature above the freezing point of water and generally below a temperature of from about 35° F. to about 50° F., more typically below about 38° F. 
     The interior of refrigerator  10 , including the refrigeration compartment  12  and the freezer compartment  14 , is cooled by an evaporator (not shown) that is part of a refrigerant circuit. The evaporator may be located in the freezer compartment The refrigerant circuit also includes a compressor (not shown) and a condenser (not shown), which may be located in a machinery compartment  19 . The condenser is configured to reject heat from the refrigerant circuit to the ambient surroundings. Fans may be utilized to direct air across the evaporator and the condenser to facilitate exchanging heat. The compressor and the fans may be connected to a controller. Sensors that measure the air temperature within the refrigeration compartment  12  and the freezer compartment  14  may be in communication with the controller. The controller may be configured to operate the compressor, fans, etc. in response to the air temperature within the refrigeration compartment  12  and the freezer compartment  14  being less than a threshold. 
     Such a controller may be part of a larger control system and may be controlled, by various other controllers throughout the refrigerator  10 , and one or more other controllers can collectively be referred to as a “controller” that controls various functions of the refrigerator  10  in response to inputs or signals to control functions of the refrigerator  10 . The controller may include a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) in communication with various types of computer readable storage devices or media. Computer readable storage devices or media may include volatile and nonvolatile storage in read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM), for example. KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that may be used to store various operating variables while the CPU is powered down. Computer-readable storage devices or media may be implemented using any of a number of known, memory devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically PROM), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROM), flash memory, or any other electric, magnetic, optical, or combination memory devices capable of storing data, some of which represent executable instructions, used by the controller in controlling the refrigerator  10 . 
     The refrigerator has openable doors  16  and  17  providing access to the interior of the refrigeration compartment  14  and the freezer compartment  14 , respectively. The refrigeration compartment  12  is provided with one or more drawers  18  for storing food and one or more shelves  20  for storing food. The drawers  18  may more specifically be crisper drawers that are slidably secured to the internal walls or liner walls  24  within the refrigeration compartment  12 . Crisper drawers define storage spaces that are kept at a desired humidity that may be different from the remainder of the refrigeration compartment  12 , but that is optimal for maintaining freshness of fruits and vegetables. The drawers  18  and shelves  20  are supported by shelf supports  22 , that are secured to the liner walls  24  of the refrigeration compartment  12  and protrude into the refrigeration compartment  12 . The freezer compartment  14  may also include shelves  20  that are supported by shelf supports  22 . Door shelves  26  are secured to the interior sides of doors  16 ,  17 . The door shelves  26  may be secured to the interior sides of doors  16 ,  17  via shelf supports or may be permanently affixed to the interior sides of doors  16 ,  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , a drawer-shelf system  28  for the refrigerator  10  is illustrated. The drawer-shelf system  28  may more specifically, be a combination of a drawer  30  (e.g., drawer  18 ) and, a shelf  32  (e.g., shelf  20 ). The drawer  30  and the shelf  32  are illustrated, as being constructed from a transparent material (e.g., a transparent glass or plastic). However, it should be understood that the drawer  30  and shelf  32  may be made from non-transparent materials. The drawer  30  may more specifically be a crisper drawer. The drawer  30  has at least one support lip or ridge  34  protruding therefrom. More specifically, the drawer  30  may have first and second ridges  34  extending outward from opposing first and second sides  36  of the drawer  30 . 
     The drawer-shelf system  28  includes at least one support rail  38  defining a drawer support channel  40  on an internal side  42  of at least one support rail  38 . More specifically, the drawer-shelf system  28  may include first and second opposing spaced-apart support rails  38  defining first and second drawer support channels  40  along, first and second internal sides  42  of the first and second support rails  38 , respectively. The first and second crisper drawer support channels  40  are configured to receive the first and second ridges  34 , respectively, to support the drawer  30  and such that the drawer  30  is slidable relative to the first and second support rails  38 . More specifically, the first and second ridges  34  are configured to slidably engage the first and second drawer support channels  40 , respectively, such the drawer  30  is slidable in a direction  44  from front, to back ends of the first and second support rails  38 , between an open position and a closed position. 
     Each support rail  38  defines a shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  46  along a top  48  of the respective support rail  38 , along a first or back end  50  of the respective support rail  38 , and above the respective drawer support channel  40 . Each support rail  38  may include a protrusion  52  extending upward from back end  50  of the support rail  38 . Each protrusion  52  may define one of the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46 . More specifically, the first and second support rails  38  may have first and second protrusions  52  extending upward from first and second back ends  50  of the first and second support rails  38 , respectively, wherein the first and second protrusions  52  define first &gt;and second shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46 , respectively. Each shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  46  may have forward facing open ends  54  (e.g., open ends that face toward a front side  56  of the drawer  30 . 
     The shelf  32  may be a planar shelf or a plate forming a shelf. The shelf  32  has an outer edge  58  extending about an outer periphery  60  of the shelf  32 . Portions of the outer edge  58  are configured to slidably engage the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46  to secure the shelf  32  to the support rails  38  such that each support rail  38  supports at least a portion of a weight of the shelf  32 . Stated in other terms, portions of the outer edge  58  are configured to be disposed within the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46  of each support rail  38  such that the shelf  32  is supported by the back ends  50  of each support rail  38 . More specifically, the portions of the outer edge  58  that are disposed within the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46  of each support rail  38  may be portions of a back edge or back portion  62  of the outer edge  58 . 
     The drawer-shelf system  28  may further include a support bar  64  configured to secure a portion of the outer edge  58  to second or front ends  66  of the support rails  38 . The portion the outer edge  58  that is secured to front ends  66  of the support rails  38  may be a front edge or front portion  68  of the outer edge  58 . The support bar  64  defines a shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  70 . The front portion  68  of the outer edge  58  is configured to be or is disposed within the shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  70 . 
     The front ends  66  of the support rails  38  are opposite to the back ends  50  of the support rails  38  (e.g., the front ends  66  of the support rails  38  are on opposite ends of the support rails  38  relative to the back ends  50 ). The front portion  68  of the outer edge  58  is opposite to the back portion  62  of the outer edge  58  (e.g., the front portion  68  of the outer edge  58  is on an opposite end of the shelf  32  relative to the back portion  62  of the outer edge  58 ). The shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  70  has a rearward facing open end  72  that faces the open ends  54  of the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46 . 
     The drawer-shelf system  28  may further include horizontally extending posts  74  disposed on and extending upward from the front ends  66  of each support rail  38 . The support bar  64  may engage the horizontally extending posts  74  to secure the front portion  68  of the outer edge  58  to the front ends  66  of the support rails  38 . More specifically, the support bar  64  may engage the horizontally extending posts  74  to secure the shelf  32  to the front ends  66  of the support rails  38  such that each front end  66  of each support rail  38  supports at least a portion of a weight of the shelf  32 . The support bar  64  may further define a channel or C-channel  76  that is disposed below the shelf mounting recess, channel, or C-channel  70 . The channel or C-channel  76  may also have a rearward facing open end  78  that faces the open ends  54  of the shelf mounting recesses, channels, or C-channels  46 . The horizontally extending posts  74  may be disposed within the; channel or C-channel  76  in order to secure the support bar  64  and shelf  32  to the front ends  66  of the support, rails  38 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   , a perspective front view illustrating an engagement between the drawer-shelf system  28  and shelf supports  22  within the refrigerator  10  is illustrated. The image of  FIG.  4    only illustrates an engagement along one side of the drawer-shelf system  28  (e.g., the left side). It should be understood, however, that each side of the drawer-shelf system  28  may be secured to a separate shelf support  22  (e.g., the left side and the right side of the drawer-shelf system  28  may each be secured to a separate shelf support  22 ). Furthermore, it should be understood that each side of the drawer-shelf system  28  (e.g., the left side and the right side of the drawer-shelf system  28 ) may be mirror images of each other and the shelf supports engaging each side of the drawer-shelf system  28  may also be mirror image versions of each other. 
     The shelf supports  22  may comprise protrusions that extend from the liner walls  24  and into the internal cavities defined by the refrigerator  10  (e.g., refrigeration compartment  12  or freezer compartment  14 ). Sets  80  of shelf supports  22  may be configured to support a drawer  18 , a shelf  20 , or a drawer-shelf system  28 . The shelf support  22  toward the back wall  82  of each set  80  of shelf supports  22  may define a notch  84 . More specifically, the shelf support  22  toward the back wall  82  of each set  80  of shelf supports  22  may be C-shaped. It is noted that only a left side set  80  of shelf supports  22  (e.g., shelf supports  22  extending from a left side wall) is illustrated in  FIG.  4   . However, it should be understood each set  80  of shelf supports  22  will have a corresponding mirror image set of shelf supports (e.g., shelf supports  22  extending from a right side wall) so that each drawer  18 , shelf  20 , and drawer-shelf system  28  are supported on both left and right sides. 
     Referring more specifically to the drawer-shelf system  28  depicted in  FIG.  4   , each support rail  38  is configured to slidably engage the at least one shelf support  22  to secure the support rail  38  to the refrigerator  38  within an internal cavity (e.g., refrigeration compartment  12 ). More specifically, each protrusion  52  that extends upward from a back end  50  of each support rail  38  is configured to be received within one of the notches  84  when the support rails  38  engage the shelf supports  22 . 
     Current, designs of drawer-shelf systems include a single frame that defines the crisper drawer support channels and a cover/shelf that is disposed on the top of the single frame. This single frame, however, is not attached to the cover/shelf. The single frame, and hence the entire crisper drawer, may fall down if the customer removes the cover/shelf from the refrigerator compartment. The current application directly secures the tracks (e.g., support rails  38 ) to the cover/shelf (e.g., shelf  32 ). This helps to ensure that the tracks and the entire crisper drawer do not fall down as a result of a customer removing the cover/shelf. 
     The solution described herein replaces a full frame with separate spaced apart tracks. These tracks provide easy assembly to the cover/shelf increasing customer satisfaction. The force required to place tracks in a final position is small compared with the tracks that are attached with snaps. The solution described allows a drawer-shelf system  28  to slide into shelf supports (e.g., shelf supports  22 ) more easily. 
     It should be understood that the designations of first, second, third, fourth, etc. for any component, state, or condition described herein may be rearranged in the claims so that they are in chronological order with respect to the claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that any component, state, or condition described herein that does not have a numerical designation may be given a designation of first, second, third, fourth, etc. in the claims if one or more of the specific component, state, or condition are claimed. 
     The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are&gt;not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications. cm  1 . A refrigerator drawer-shelf system comprising:
         a refrigerator defining an internal cavity and having a shelf support (i) protruding into the internal; cavity from an internal lateral wall of the refrigerator and (ii) defining a C-shaped notch facing toward a front of the refrigerator;   a support rail (i) defining a crisper drawer support channel on an internal side of the support rail and (ii) having a protrusion extending upward from a top surface of the support rail, along a back end of the support rail, and above the crisper drawer support channel, wherein the protrusion defines a C-channel having an open end facing toward a front of the support rail, and wherein the protrusion is disposed within the C-shaped notch such that the shelf support secures at least the back end of the support rail to the refrigerator within the internal cavity;   a crisper drawer having a support lip configured to slidably engage the crisper drawer support channel; and   a planar shelf having an outer edge extending about an outer periphery of the shelf, wherein a portion of the outer edge is disposed within the C-channel to secure the shelf to the support rail such that the support rail supports at least a portion of a weight of the shelf.