Patent Publication Number: US-6220684-B1

Title: Adjustable retainer assembly for a refrigerator door shelf

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to an adjustable retainer assembly for maintaining food containers in a desired storage condition upon a shelf provided on an interior portion of a refrigerator door. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     It is well known in the art to form refrigerator doors with inner liners which incorporate a plurality of shelves upon which various food containers may be stored. These shelves are often designed to hold narrow containers, such as wine bottles or salad dressings. Most often, a refrigerator door shelf will be provided with an associated front wall or a cross bar such that, when the refrigerator door is abruptly opened, the front wall of the shelf will serve as a retainer and prevent any forward motion of the food container. Thus, the front wall would prevent undesirable movement of the container upon the shelf, thereby hindering any tipping over of the food container. 
     Recently, refrigerator shelves have been made much deeper than in the past in order to acconmmodate much wider and taller containers, such as large mayonnaise jars or one gallon milk jugs. In a manner similar to prior known arrangements, the shelf has an associated front wall or cross bar which prevents fore-to-aft movement of the containers in order to prevent the containers from falling off the shelf when the refrigerator door is opened. However, when a rather tall and narrow food container is placed on the same shelf, the front wall of the shelf cannot prevent a substantial amount of fore-to-aft movement of the container. Thus, such containers will be prone to toppling over, spilling and perhaps even breaking when the refrigerator door is abruptly opened. 
     In an attempt to solve this known problem, it is heretofore been proposed to attach additional retaining structure to the refrigerator door liner itself. Such retaining structures, typically taking the form of retaining bars, are used to effectively change the depth of the shelf by applying pressure to an upper portion of the food container, thus holding the container in place when the refrigerator door is opened. U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,029 discloses various retainer arrangements, each including a removable retainer element mounted to the inner liner of a refrigerator door and capable of being pivoted to adapt modern deep refrigerator door shelves for use with varying food container sizes. More specifically, in accordance with this patented arrangement, a retainer bar can be pivoted to various discreet positions relative to the liner, while being maintained in a desired position by cooperating with detent structure. Although this known prior art solves numerous problems encountered with deep refrigerator shelves, the adjustable retainer assembly still has certain drawbacks. Primarily, the number of positions in which the bar can be retained is preset and therefore limited. 
     Based on the above, it would be desirable to have an adjustable retainer assembly which can be set in a substantially infinite number of positions such that it could be adjusted to a selected position dedicated to the specific size of the food container supported on the shelf. In addition, it is desirable to provide an adjustable retainer assembly which can be selectively incorporated into new refrigerators or readily retrofitted onto existing refrigerator door shelving arrangements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an adjustable retainer assembly for a refrigerator door shelf designed to prevent unwanted movement of food containers placed on the shelf so as to assure that the food containers will not topple over, even when the refrigerator door is abruptly opened. More particularly, the invention is directed to providing an adjustable retainer assembly that can be readily shifted between various, non-discreet positions so as to be substantially, infinitely adjustable in order to accommodate a full range of different containers on the shelf. 
     In accordance with most preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustable retainer is constituted by an elongated, inverted U-shaped retaining element, such as a rod or bar, defined by a substantially straight central section and bent end sections. Each of the bent sections includes a in-turned terminal end for pivotally mounting the retaining element. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining element is pivotally connected to a pair of support elements carried by a mounting sheath. More specifically, the terminal ends are pivotally mounted to the support elements, with the support elements having camming surfaces which are abutted by the bent sections of the retaining element. The bent sections are biased inward against the camming surfaces such that, as the retaining element is pivoted relative to the mounting sheath, the bent sections are forced slightly inward or outward, i.e., toward or away from each other. This deformation of the retaining element provides the necessary force to maintain the element in any one of a substantially infinite number of positions along the camming surface. 
     Most preferably, the retaining element can be maintained in an infinite number of positions between first and second extreme positions. In one extreme position, the retaining element extends substantially vertically above the shelf and, in the second extreme position, the retaining element is rotated towards a horizontal position. The mounting sheath is designed to be snap-fittingly attached to a cross piece that extends laterally across a front portion of a refrigerator door shelf, thereby enabling the adjustable retainer assembly to be easily incorporated into newly produced refrigerators or retrofitted into existing units. Furthermore, the entire retainer assembly can be detached from the refrigerator door if desired. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the adjustable retainer assembly of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof 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 perspective view of a side-by-side refrigerator having an open fresh food compartment door including multiple shelves and an adjustable retainer assembly constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the adjustable retainer assembly of FIG. 1, with the retainer assembly shown in an upright, first 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the adjustable retainer assembly in an intermediate position; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the adjustable retainer assembly in a second extreme position; 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of the adjustable retainer assembly in the second extreme position; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view generally taken a long line VI—VI in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 depicts an adjustable retainer assembly constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear view of one end of the adjustable retainer assembly of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 depicts an adjustable retainer assembly constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the adjustable retainer assembly of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a refrigerator  1  including a cabinet shell  3 . Pivotally mounted to cabinet shell  3  is a freezer door  5  and a fresh food door  7 . Fresh food door  7  is shown open so as to expose a fresh food compartment  10  defined by a liner  12 . Shown provided within fresh food compartment  10  is a plurality of vertically spaced, generic shelves  14 - 18 , as well as a pair of spaced, lower slidable bins  19  and  20 . 
     In the embodiment shown, refrigerator  1  represents a side-by-side refrigerator. However, as will become more readily apparent below, the invention is equally applicable to various types of refrigerator arrangements, including top-mount refrigerator models. In any event, as further shown, fresh food compartment door  7  includes an outer panel  26  to which is attached an inner liner  28 . Extending about inner liner  28  is an annular gasket  30  for use in sealing fresh food compartment door  7  against cabinet shell  3 . Inner liner  28  includes a rear upstanding wall portion  33  from which project a pair of laterally spaced dike portions  36  and  37 , an upper dike portion  39  and a lower dike portion  40 . In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, liner  28  is thermoformed in a manner known in the art. Extending across dike portions  36  and  37  are shown a plurality of vertically spaced shelves  45 - 50 . Each shelf  45 - 50  includes a respective base  52 . Above each base  52 , each shelf  45 - 50  is shown to include a respective crosspiece  55 - 60  which also extends between dike portions  36  and  37 . 
     At this point, it should be realized that the basic configuration of refrigerator  1  is known in the art and that generic structure is shown in this figure and described above for the sake of simplicity, while enabling a full understanding of the present invention. As would be readily recognized to one of ordinary skill in the art, shelves  45 - 50  can also be thermoformed so as to be integral with liner  28  or separately formed as either a planer shelf, bin or basket which could be supported by liner  28  in a manner also widely known in the art. Furthermore, although crosspieces  55 - 60  are shown to be separate and spaced from shelves  45 - 50 , it should be recognized that one or more of crosspieces  55 - 60  could be integrally formed with the respective shelf  45 - 50 , such as being defined by a front wall portion of a pick-off bin. In any case, it is only important to note that crosspieces  55 - 60  extend across dike portions  36  and  37  at a position spaced above base  52  of a respective shelf  45 - 50  and finction to aid in maintaining containers or the like supported upon base  52  when fresh food compartment door  7  is opened or closed. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a retainer assembly, generally indicated at  64  in FIG. 1, is provided to further aid in preventing food containers supported upon base  52  of a respective shelf  45 - 50  from tipping over when fresh food compartment door  7  is moved such that retainer assembly  64  supplements the function of a respective crosspiece  55 - 60 , while also adding versatility to the overall structure and function. As will be described in detail below with respect to each of the preferred embodiments of the invention, retainer assembly  64  can be adjusted to a substantially infinite number of positions between two extreme positions. In the most preferred embodiments of the invention, retainer assembly  64  is generally defined by a mounting sheath  67  to which is pivotally mounted a retaining element  69 . 
     As clearly shown with reference to FIGS. 2-6, mounting sheath  67  of the retainer assembly  64  constructed in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention is defined by an elongated front leg  78 , a top leg  80 , an aft leg  82  and a lower leg  84 . Preferably, leg  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  are integrally molded. In any event, the front leg  78  is preferably spaced from aft leg  82  by a distance defined by top leg  80 , with this distance being slightly greater than the fore-to-aft dimension of a respective crosspiece  55 - 60 . Mounting sheath  67  also defines an elongated opening  86  located below front leg  78 . More specifically, aft leg  82  extends vertically a distance greater than front leg  78  and lower leg  84  is substantially parallel to top leg  80  such that front leg  78  is spaced from lower leg  84  by elongated opening  86 . Due to the presence of elongated opening  86 , the inherent flexibility of leg  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  and the fact that the lateral ends of mounting sheath  67  are open such as indicated at  89  in FIG. 6, mounting sheath  67  can be generally snap-fit onto a respective crosspiece  55 - 60 . That is, legs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  can be flexed apart to enable mounting sheath  67  to receive a respective crosspiece  55 - 60 , with legs  78 ,  80 ,  82  and  84  being also elastic in nature such that they snap back and essentially clamp down onto the respective crosspiece  55 - 60  as generally shown in FIG.  6 . Obviously, sheath  67  must be somewhat larger than the respective crosspiece  55 - 60  to permit the mounting of sheath  67 . Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, top leg  80  and lower leg  84  actually bear directly on the crosspiece  55 - 60 . 
     Provided on top leg  80  of mounting sheath  67  is a pair of spaced support elements or blocks  94  and  95 . In essence, support elements  94  and  95  are mirror images of one another such that the structure of support element  94  will now be detailed and it is to be understood that support element  95  is similarly constructed. As shown in these figures, support element  94  includes an inner lateral surface portion  97  and an outer lateral surface portion  98 . Outer lateral surface portion  98  includes a frontal, upright groove  102  having an open upper end  104  and a lower end  106 . Lower end  106  leads to a lateral bore  108  extending within support element  94 . Adjacent upright groove  102  along outer lateral surface  98  is defined a camming surface  111 . Camming surface  111  preferably tapers downwardly towards top leg  80  of mounting sheath  67 . The particular purpose of this camming surface  111  will become more fully apparent below. 
     As indicated above, retainer assembly  64  also includes retaining element  69  that preferably takes the form of an inverted, generally U-shaped bar. In any event, retaining element  69  includes a central portion  119  which leads to opposing bent end sections  122  and  123 . Bent sections  122  and  123  are provided with in-turned terminal ends  127  and  128  respectively. As shown, each in-turned terminal end  127 ,  128  is received within a respective lateral bore  108  of support blocks  94  and  95 . In positioning retaining element  69  in this manner, retaining element  69  will be permitted to pivot about an axis defined by in-turned terminal ends  127  and  128 . Upon mounting retaining element  69 , bent sections  122  and  123  are preferably deflected outwardly such that there is an inherent biasing force within retaining element  69  tending to draw bent sections  122  and  123  toward one another. 
     FIG. 2 shows retaining element  69  mounted in the manner set forth above to mounting sheath  67 , as well as mounting sheath  67  being attached to an exemplary crosspiece  58 . Here, retaining element  69  is shown to be arranged in a first extreme position wherein retaining element  69  extends in a substantially vertical plane above crosspiece  58 . In this position, a lower portion of each bent section  122 ,  123  is arranged within a respective upright groove  102  to firmly maintain retaining element  69  in position substantially directly above crosspiece  58 . Retaining element  69  can pivot from this first extreme position toward upstanding wall portion  33  of liner  12  as shown in FIG.  3 . When shifting retainer element  116  from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3, bent sections  122  and  123  are forced out of the respective upright grooves  102  and engage camming surfaces  111 . In shifting to camming surfaces  111 , bent sections  122  and  123  are physically deformed and an inherent force is created which tends to further bias bent sections  122  and  123  toward one another. In any event, in this position, it can be seen that central portion  119  of retaining element  69  can substantially abut a container  136  supported upon base  52  of shelf  45 . The exact positioning of retaining element  69  can be customized to accommodate the particular configuration of container  136 . That is, it is preferable to have camming surfaces  111  constitute smooth, downward tapering surfaces which will enable a substantially infinite number of positions to be established for retaining element  69 . In addition to acting as an extension of crosspiece  58 , the versatility of adjustment of retaining element  69  is considered to be an important advantageous feature of the invention. 
     As retaining element  69  continues to be rotated, retaining element  69  can assume the position shown in FIG. 4 wherein retaining element  69  is preferably in a substantially horizontal plane. In accordance with this preferred embodiment of the invention, each support element  94 ,  95  is also formed with a respective horizontal groove  137  (see FIG. 5) into which a portion of a respective bent section  122 ,  123  is received when retaining element  69  reaches the position shown in FIG.  4 . When in this position, central portion  119  of retaining element  69  is slightly spaced from upstanding wall portion  33  as clearly shown in FIG.  5 . Of course, the actual spacing from upstanding wall portion  33  will merely depend on the spacing of crosspieces  55 - 60  from upstanding wall portion  33 , as well as the length of bent sections  122  and  123 , both of which could be readily varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     Reference will now be made to FIGS. 7 and 8 in describing a second preferred embodiment of the retainer assembly of the present invention. In essence, retainer assembly  64 ′ of these figures is essentially identical to that described above with respect to retainer assembly  64 , except for the exact construction of mounting sheath  67 ′ and support elements  152  and  153 . Due to the analogous structure between these embodiments, only the differences will be detailed here. As shown in these figures, mounting sheath  67 ′ includes legs  78 ′,  80 ′,  82 ′ and  84 ′, with front leg  78 ′ being spaced from lower leg  84 ′ by an elongated opening  86 ′. The overall shape of mounting sheath  67 ′ is slightly different from that of mounting sheath  67  of the first embodiment described above. In general, it should be readily understood that the particular shape and construction of the mounting sheath used in accordance with the present invention can vary depending upon the actual configuration of the type of shelf rail or the like to which the retainer assembly is attached. Therefore, the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 merely illustrates another preferred configuration of the overall retainer assembly of the present invention. As shown, each support element  152 ,  153  includes a front upright leg  156  which leads from open end  89  to a curved section  158 . Curved section  158  leads to a transition portion  160  which, in turn, leads to a downwardly angled, camming surface portion  162 . Camming surface portion  162  is preferably formed with an inwardly tapering section  165  against which retaining element  69  can slide. 
     With this construction, curved section  158  defines a recess or groove  168 . In addition, at the bottom of camming surface  162 , i.e., where camming surface  162  meets top leg  80 , a radiused section  171  is formed. Radiused section  171  preferably conforms to retaining element  69  and can define a second extreme position for retaining element  69 . Furthermore, each support element  152 ,  153  includes a hollow body portion  173  which defines a bore  174  that opens up into groove  168 . In a manner similar to lateral bore  108 , the in-turned terminal ends  127  and  128  of retaining element  69  are received in respective bores  174  to permit rotation of retaining element  69 . Due to the inclusion of camming surface  162  and tapering section  165 , retaining element  69  can assume substantially an infinite number of positions between the first and second extreme positions in a manner directly correspondent to that described above with respect to the first embodiment of the invention. In the most preferred embodiment, both camming surface  162  and tapering section  165  extend downwardly and inwardly at an angle in the range of approximately 23° to 27° and, most preferably 25°. It has been determined that this angle is optimal in not only allowing smooth movement of retainer element  69 , but also providing a requisite resistance force against moving retainer element  69  up, i.e., a sufficient retaining force is established against the shelf supported food items. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a still further embodiment of the invention. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, this embodiment differs from that described above only with respect to support elements  177  and  178 . Here, each support element  177 ,  178  includes a front upright leg  181  which leads to an inner curved section  183 , a transition portion  185  and an angled camming surface portion  187 . Curved section  183  defines a recess or groove  193  which functions to hold retaining element  69  in a first, generally upright position. Each support element  177 ,  178  also includes a body portion  195  that is provided with a bore  197  opening into a respective groove  193  for receiving in-turned terminal ends  127 ,  128  of retaining element  69 . Again, retaining element  69  can be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 9 towards the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 10 by being physically deformed when riding on transition portion  185  and camming surface  187 . Due to the friction between bent sections  122  and  123  and camming surfaces  187 , as well as the forces tending to bias bent sections  122  and  123  together, retaining element  69  can be maintained in a substantially infinite number of positions along camming surface  187 . This allows retaining element  69  to universally retain containers exhibiting an extremely wide range of different shapes and sizes on fresh food compartment door  7 . 
     Support elements  177  and  178  also differ from those described above with respect to the first two embodiments of the invention in that support elements  177  and  178  include respective bases  202  which include sloped surfaces  204 . This aspect of the invention is presented here to illustrate that the extreme positions for retaining element  69  can readily vary in accordance with the present invention. Therefore, front upright leg  181  could be provided with a similar sloped or tapered surface such that the first extreme position of retaining element  69  is other than vertical, with groove  193  being preferably, appropriately angled with respect to the vertical. 
     Based on the above, it should be realized that retainer assembly  64  constructed in accordance with each of the embodiments set forth herein can be used to advantageously maintain a wide range of containers on shelves  45 - 50  of fresh food compartment door  7 . Although the most preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a mounting sheath  67  as part of retainer assembly  64  wherein mounting sheath  67  can be separately attached to a respective crosspiece  55 - 60 , it should be noted that the various support elements could be equally integrated as part of the crosspieces  55 - 60  without departing from the spirit of the invention. In any event, although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be readily apparent that various changes and/or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Instead, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.