Patent Publication Number: US-6663204-B2

Title: Two part refrigerator shelf

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This present invention relates to a two part shelf for use in a refrigerator cabinet, and in particular a shelf where one or both parts of the shelf may be used depending on the manner in which the cabinet space is used. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In refrigerator shelving units, there has been considerable development in the past relating to the use of shelving ladders located along the rear wall of the refrigerator cabinet from which shelves may be supported in a cantilever fashion. This ladder shelving usually requires considerable reinforcement support behind the rear wall or of the refrigerator cabinet. 
     In top and bottom mount refrigerators where the freezer compartment is respectively located above and below the fresh food compartment, the freezer compartment typically has a single shelf arrangement located in this freezer compartment that spans the width of the freezer. Typically the single shelf arrangement is mounted on a series of studs that are mounted into the side walls or rear wall of the freezer compartment. While the single shelf mounting arrangement within the freezer compartment is less complex than the ladder type shelf mounting arrangements, the shelf needs to be properly supported at it&#39;s corners so as to permit for the shelf to carry a load without placing undo stress on the liner of the refrigerator cabinet. Also, while the single shelf construction permits for the entire shelf to be removed from the freezer compartment for the insertion of a ice maker or ice bucket, there is no flexibility to allow for a partial shelf removal. 
     A partial shelf removal feature is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,116 issued Dec. 22, 1936 to Constantine et al. The shelf is a single shelf which extends across the width of the refrigerator cabinet and has an opening in the self to one side of the cabinet. The opening in the shelf may be covered by a flat metal cover having a grill shaped pattern. The cover also carries beneath it a sliding basket. While such a construction provides flexibility in using the refrigerator shelf, the refrigerator shelf is supported in four locations and requires a front frame member that extends across the entire front width of the refrigerator cabinet. This front frame member partially obstructs direct access to the shelf opening by presenting an obstacle that objects must be carried over to be placed in an upright position within the shelf opening. 
     There is a need for a flexible refrigerator shelving assembly of simple construction which may readily facilitate the insertion and removal of taller items or an ice bucket into a position adjacent a main portion of the refrigerator shelf without having to carry articles over a cross member. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a two-part shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator cabinet. The two-part shelf assembly comprises a first main shelf portion having a supporting floor or shelf within the refrigerator cabinet. This shelf extends partially within the refrigerator cabinet and has an open section which does not extend at least partially across the open front of the cabinet. This main shelf portion is preferably supported by at least three shelf support members mounted to the cabinet. The main shelf portion has a frame assembly for supporting the shelf or the floor and has a frame member that extends beyond the floor along either one of the cabinet side walls or rear wall. The two part shelf assembly further includes an auxiliary shelf portion which may be mounted adjacent to the main shelf portion. The auxiliary shelf portion has a supporting floor that is adapted to extend across that portion of the cabinet which the main shelf portion does not extend to provide shelf support across the open front of the cabinet. The auxiliary shelf portion is adapted to be supported by at least one shelf support member mounted to the cabinet and by flange or hooks overlying the frame member of the main shelf portion extending along either one of the side walls or the rear wall. 
     Additionally, it is contemplated that the two frames of the auxiliary shelf portion and the main frame portion may be interconnected by a load sharing interconnecting member such as for example, a spring like bracket carried by one of the two shelf portions and clipped to the other of the shelf portions along adjacent sections of the frame member. Alternatively, studs extending below and from each shelf portion under the other shelf portion may provide the load sharing interconnecting members. 
     The present invention provides a refrigerator shelf whereby the user may utilize a continuous shelf across the refrigerator cabinet or may remove a portion of the shelf for the use of larger articles or an ice maker where access into the cabinet through the open front is not obstructed by the shelf. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a two part shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator cabinet having a rear wall, two opposing side walls and an open front. The two part shelf assembly comprises at least four shelf support members mounted to the cabinet for supporting the two part shelf assembly, a main shelf portion and an auxiliary shelf portion. The main shelf portion has a first frame supporting a first load supporting floor. The first load supporting floor extends from the rear wall towards the open front and extends from one of the side walls partially across the width of the cabinet. The first frame has a forward portion mounted by at least one of the shelf supports to the one side wall. The first frame has a rear frame member supported by at least two shelf support members to the cabinet to extend across the width of the cabinet adjacent the rear wall. The auxiliary shelf portion has a second frame supporting a second load supporting floor. The second load supporting floor extends from the rear wall towards the open front and extends from the other one of the side walls partially across the width of the cabinet to lie adjacent and spaced from the first load supporting floor. The second frame has a forward portion mounted by at least one of the shelf support members to the other side wall. The second frame is supported by the rear frame member of the first frame adjacent the rear wall. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention the main shelf portion may alternatively have a first load supporting floor that extends from the rear wall partially towards the open front and extends between the side walls. The first frame has a forward portion mounted by at least one of the shelf supports to one side wall and the first frame has a rear frame member supported by at least two shelf support members to the cabinet to extend across the depth of the cabinet adjacent the side walls. The auxiliary shelf portion may be inserted into the front opening across the cabinet and be supported to the frame member and to at least one shelf support member mounted to the cabinet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a bottom mount refrigerator having the two part refrigerator shelf assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial front perspective view similar to FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view showing both the main and auxiliary shelf portions with the auxiliary shelf portion illustrated in broken line; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main shelf portion; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the auxiliary shelf portion; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the auxiliary shelf portion; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shelf supporting member, 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 are views similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing stud load support interconnecting members. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In FIG. 1, a bottom mount refrigerator  10  includes an upper fresh food compartment  12 , closed by door  26 , and a lower freezer compartment  14 . The lower freezer compartment  14  has a cavity  16  with rear wall  18 , opposing side walls  20 , and an open front generally indicated by arrow  22 . The open front  22  of the freezer compartment  14  is closed by door  24 . Shelves, bins and trays are shown in the fresh food compartment  12  and on doors  24 ,  26  for storing food articles. In the freezer compartment  14  the two part shelf assembly  30  of the present invention is shown. It should be understood that the two part shelf assembly  30  may also be used in the fresh food compartment. Further, the refrigerator may be a top mount refrigerator where the freezer compartment is located above the fresh food compartment or a side by side refrigerator where the freezer compartment is located beside the fresh food compartment. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  7 , the two part refrigerator shelf assembly  30  comprises a main shelf portion  42  and an auxiliary shelf portion  60  which are supported by at least four shelf supporting members  32 ,  34 ,  36 , and  38  solely from the rear wall  18  and opposing side walls  20  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Throughout the disclosure and claims reference is made to the shelf assembly  30  as a “two part” assembly because the main shelf portion  42  and auxiliary shelf portion  60  each provide article support. It should be understood that this assembly further includes the shelf supporting members  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38 . These members each comprise a stud portion  39  mounted to the freezer cabinet  14  for supporting the two part shelf assembly  30 . Each of the shelf supporting members  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38  has a U-shaped supporting bracket  40  adapted to hold the two part shelf assembly  30  that extends from the stud portion  39 . It is noted that three of the shelf support members  34 ,  36  and  38  have U-shaped supporting brackets  40  that open in an upward direction and that one of the shelf support members  32  has a U-shaped supporting bracket  40  that opens towards the open front  22  of the freezer compartment or cabinet  14 . The orientation of U-shaped brackets  40  permits for the main shelf portion  42  to be inserted into the refrigerator cabinet and then subsequently permits for the auxiliary shelf portion  60  to be inserted into the refrigerator cabinet and mounted relative to the side wall and the main shelf portion  42 . Thus a user has the choice of utilizing the main shelf portion  42  by itself or in combination with the auxiliary shelf portion  60 . 
     The main shelf portion  42  has a first frame  44  that supports a first load supporting floor  46 . The first load supporting floor  46  comprises a plurality of parallel extending spaced apart rod members  48  mounted to the first frame  44 . The first load supporting floor  46  extends from the rear wall  18  towards the open front  22  and at least partially across the width of the freezer compartment  14  from one of the side walls  20 . The first frame  44  has a forward stem  50  mounted or inserted into the U-shaped bracket  40  of member  36  so as to support the stem  50  relative to one of the side walls  20 . The first frame  44  has a rear frame member  52  which comprises an elongate bar that extends across the width of the cabinet adjacent the rear wall  18 . The rear frame member has two opposing stems  54  and  56  which are inserted into the U-shaped brackets  40  of supporting members  32  and  34 , respectively. 
     The auxiliary shelf portion  60  has a second frame  62  that supports a second load supporting floor  64  comprising a plurality of parallel extending spaced apart rods  65  mounted to the second frame  62 . The second load supporting floor  64  extends from the rear wall  18  towards the open front  22  and extends from the other of the side walls  20  partially across the width of the freezer compartment  14  to lie adjacent and slightly spaced from the first load supporting floor  46  of the main shelf portion  44 . The second frame  62  has a forward stem  66  that is mounted within the U-shaped bracket  40  of the shelf support member  38 , so as to locate the second frame  62  relative to and supported from the other side wall  20 . The second frame  62  is supported to the rear frame member  52  of the first frame  44  of the main shelf portion  42  adjacent the rear wall  18 . The auxiliary shelf portion  60  has two spaced apart hook members  70  mounted to the second frame  62  and adapted to overlap or surround the rear frame member  52  of the first frame  42  adjacent the rear wall  18 . In this manner, the second or auxiliary shelf portion  60  may be placed over the rear frame member  52  and pulled forward until the hooks  70  engage the rear frame member  52 . Thereafter the auxiliary shelf portion is pivoted about the rear frame member so as to bring the forward stud portion  66  into engagement or supporting relation with the bracket  40  of the support stud  38 . 
     To provide for further securement and limit relative movement between the main shelf portion  42  and the auxiliary shelf portion  60  the auxiliary shelf portion  60  carries on it&#39;s second frame  62  a U-shaped bracket member  72  which is crimped or spring locked in place. The U-shaped bracketing member  72  is adapted to snap over the first frame  44  of the main shelf portion  42  when the auxiliary shelf portion  60  is pivoted into position. This bracket  72  acts as a shelf interconnecting bracket and locks the main shelf portion relative to the auxiliary shelf portion. 
     Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the main body portion  42  is shown with a first interconnecting stud  80  which extends out from the first frame  44  below the supporting floor  46 . Also, the auxiliary shelf portion  60  has a second interconnecting stud  82  that extends away from frame  62  below the supporting floor  64 . When the main shelf portion  42  is connected with the auxiliary shelf portion  60 , stud  80  extends below and supports frame  62  and stud  82  extends below and supports frame  44 . Studs  80  and  82  are spaced apart from each other to provide two interconnecting support locations. 
     It should be understood that the two part shelf assembly of the present invention is shown employed in a bottom mount refrigerator. However, the shelf could be utilized in a side by side refrigerator, or top or bottom mount refrigerator with the rear frame  52  extending along one of the side walls of the refrigerator such that the main shelf portion  42  is positioned back towards the rear of the refrigerator cabinet. The main body shelf portion  42  would extend across the width of the cabinet and partially toward the open front. The auxiliary shelf portion  60  would be placed in the cabinet forward of the main shelf portion  42 . 
     Certain embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. From a reading of this disclosure, obvious modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention disclosed or from the scope of the appended claims.