Patent Publication Number: US-9903643-B2

Title: Drawer assembly

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/333,805, filed on Jul. 17, 2014. This application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The instant application relates generally to a drawer assembly for a refrigeration appliance and, more particularly, a drawer assembly that avoids slanting of the drawer during horizontal movement. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Drawer assemblies of a refrigeration appliance often utilize laterally located sliding mechanisms to allow horizontal movement for opening and closing of a drawer. When the sliding mechanisms move horizontally at different rates, the drawer can become slanted in a horizontal direction and may even become stuck in the cabinet. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some example aspects described in the detailed description. 
     In one example aspect, a drawer assembly is provided for a refrigeration appliance comprising a cooled compartment. The cooled compartment is comprised of opposed, first and second interior walls. The drawer assembly comprises a unitary storage bin configured to move relative to the cooled compartment. The storage bin is defined by a front wall, a rear wall and opposed sidewalls that are arranged adjacent to the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment. An uppermost portion of each of the opposed sidewalls comprises a projecting edge that extends outwards of the storage bin towards a respective one of the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment. The rear wall comprises a reinforced edge that inhibits deflection of the rear wall along at least two axes. A pair of linear motion elements is installed between the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment and the opposed sidewalls of the storage bin to enable movement of the storage bin in and out of the cooled compartment. A pair of support brackets couple the pair of linear motion elements to the opposed sidewalls of the storage bin. Each support bracket comprises a vertical face fixed to one respective linear motion element and a support face arranged at an angle relative to the vertical face that is fixed to one respective projecting edge of the storage bin. 
     In another example aspect, a drawer assembly is provided for a refrigeration appliance comprising a cooled compartment. The cooled compartment comprising opposed, first and second interior walls. The drawer assembly comprises a unitary storage bin configured to move relative to the cooled compartment. The storage bin is partially defined by opposed sidewalls that are arranged adjacent to the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment. An uppermost portion of each of the opposed sidewalls comprises a projecting edge extending outwards of the storage bin towards a respective one of the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment. The drawer assembly comprises a pair of linear motion elements installed between the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment and the opposed sidewalls of the storage bin to enable movement of the storage bin in and out of the cooled compartment. The drawer assembly comprises a pair of support brackets coupling the pair of linear motion elements to the projecting edges of the sidewalls of the storage bin. The drawer assembly comprises a plurality of mounting blocks with at least one mounting block disposed between each support bracket and a respective sidewall of the storage bin. The projecting edges of the sidewalls comprise a first set of teeth and the plurality of mounting blocks comprise a second set of teeth configured to lockingly engage with the first set of teeth. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects are better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an example refrigeration appliance discussed herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the refrigeration appliance; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a storage bin of the example refrigeration appliance, in an isolated state; 
         FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of the unitary storage bin taken along line  3 A- 3 A of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a pair of support brackets and a pair of linear motion elements in an extended condition; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a support bracket, mounting blocks and a linear motion element in a retracted condition; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of mounting blocks attached to a support bracket; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an example mounting block; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1  of a projecting edge of the storage bin in an example engagement with a mounting block. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which example embodiments are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. However, aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a refrigeration appliance  10  is shown that includes a fresh-food compartment  11  with a single door and a cooled compartment  12 , although other embodiments can be refrigerators with an alternative arrangement of compartments. This may include side by side refrigerators, top-mount refrigerators, drawer-style refrigerators, or French door refrigerators. Alternatively, the refrigeration appliance  10  can also be any other cabinet-like structure that provides a cooled compartment  12  that may be characterized as a drawer, a chest or the like. The cooled compartment  12  comprises opposed, first and second interior walls  13  and may accommodate a drawer assembly  14  or a box-like configuration. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cooled compartment  12  of the refrigeration appliance  10  may be provided such that the drawer assembly  14  makes up substantially an entire compartment and is accessed directly from the exterior of the refrigeration appliance  10 . Alternatively, the drawer assembly  14  may make up a part of a compartment and may be accessed indirectly after a door of such a compartment is first opened. 
       FIG. 2  shows a partial exploded view of an example embodiment of the refrigeration appliance  10 . The drawer assembly  14  includes a drawer  16  and a pair of linear motion elements  18 . The drawer  16  may include a door portion  20  and a bin portion  22 . The door portion  20  of the drawer  16  may include an external side  28  that is configured to conform to other parts of the refrigeration appliance  10  in shape. The door portion  20  may include a grasping structure, such as a handle  30 , so that the drawer  16  can be manually pulled out of and pushed into the cooled compartment  12 . The bin portion  22  may include a unitary storage bin  24 , a pair of support brackets  26 , and a pair of door braces  34 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the unitary storage bin  24  may be flanked by the pair of support brackets  26  on substantially opposite locations. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the unitary storage bin  24  is shown. The unitary storage bin  24  is defined by a front wall  33 , a rear wall  36  and opposed sidewalls  38 . The opposed sidewalls  38  of the unitary storage bin  24  are arranged adjacent to the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment  12  ( FIG. 1 ). The unitary storage bin  24  may be formed as a monolithic body, where the unitary storage bin  24  is made of a single piece of material. Alternatively, the unitary storage bin  24  may be constructed of multiple elements that are secured together as an unitary body. Preferably, the unitary storage bin  24  may be composed of a polymer material. Materials other than polymer may be used so long as the unitary storage bin  24  is of a rigid material. The preferred method of construction of the unitary storage bin  24  is injection molding; however, other construction methods known in the art may be used. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the unitary storage bin  24  may be made of a material with a sufficient thickness to prevent inward twisting and warping when food articles are placed for storage. The unitary storage bin  24  may be a uniform thickness or alternatively, portions of the unitary storage bin  24  may be different thicknesses. In a preferred embodiment, the unitary storage bin  24  may also include ventilation holes  60  that allow cold air to pass through the unitary storage bin  24 . These ventilation holes  60  may be of varying sizes and shapes. Alternatively, the unitary storage bin  24  may include other ways to provide ventilation known in the art. 
     As mentioned earlier, the unitary storage bin  24  includes the rear wall  36 . The rear wall  36  may comprise a reinforced edge  42  that inhibits deflection of the rear wall  36  along at least two axes to keep the unitary storage bin  24  from bending from food articles. Specifically, the reinforced edge  42  will assist in deflecting movement in the lateral and longitudinal axes as the drawer assembly  14  is pulled to the open and closed positions. The reinforced edge  42  reduces the ability of the rear wall  36  to bend and skew as the drawer assembly  14  is in motion. The reinforced edge  42  is preferably positioned at an uppermost portion of the rear wall  36  and extends outward from the unitary storage bin  24 . The reinforced edge  42  may be of a variety of thicknesses and lengths to prevent bending, and the reinforced edge  42  may additionally include various strength-enhancing structures or geometries to further reduce bending and twisting, such as corrugation, bracing, etc. In addition to the reinforced edge  42 , rear wall  36  may also have strength-enhancing structures and/or be corrugated. When the drawer assembly  14  is in the closed position, the rear wall  36  of the unitary storage bin  24  is adjacent to the rear wall  36  of the cooled compartment  12 . 
     In addition to the rear wall  36 , the unitary storage bin  24  may include projecting edges  40  that extend outwards of the unitary storage bin  24  towards the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment  12  ( FIG. 2 ). The projecting edges  40  may be present on the opposed sidewalls  38  and are preferably located at or near an uppermost portion of each of the opposed sidewalls  38 . The projecting edges  40  are extensions off of the unitary storage bin  24 . The projecting edges  40  may be of a width to resist twisting and warping of the unitary storage bin  24  from food articles. For instance, when the drawer assembly  14  is pulled in and out of the refrigeration appliance  10 , the width of the projecting edges  40  resists inward movement in the lateral and longitudinal directions from food articles in the unitary storage bin  24 . The projecting edge  40  may be thicker or thinner than the cross-section of the unitary storage bin  24 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the projecting edges  40  may run along the entire length of the opposed sidewalls  38 . Alternatively, the projecting edges  40  may extend along only a portion of the opposed sidewalls  38 . The projecting edges  40  may be a varied thickness along the unitary storage bin  24 . For instance, the projecting edge  40  may be thicker near an end of the projecting edge  40  as shown in  FIG. 3 . Additionally, the shape of the projecting edge  40  may vary. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the projecting edges  40  are generally rectangular in shape, but the projecting edges  40  may be rounded or curved edges. At least a portion of the opposed sidewalls  38  may also be double-walled and/or may include reinforcing supports, such as a plurality of internal struts that extend between the double-walls, to provide additional strength-enhancing structures or geometries to further reduce bending and twisting of the unitary storage bin  24 . The opposed sidewalls  38  or front wall  33  may also be corrugated to reduce bending and twisting. 
     The projecting edges  40  may further include projecting edge holes  47  or openings to allow for the unitary storage bin  24  to be secured to the drawer assembly  14 . The projecting edge holes  47  are preferably through holes in the projecting edges  40 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , four projecting edge holes  47  are shown, which include two projecting edge holes  47  on each projecting edge  40 . The projecting edge holes  47  may vary in number, size and shape. The projecting edge holes  47  may also optionally include threading in its interior. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3A , an underside  45  of the projecting edge  40  may further comprise a first set of teeth  44 , or grooves. The first set of teeth  44  can have various profiles, such as a linear profile as shown in  FIG. 3A . The first set of teeth  44  may be formed underneath the projecting edges  40  during construction of the unitary storage bin  24 . Alternatively, the first set of teeth  44  may be added to the underside  45  of the projecting edge  40  following construction of the unitary storage bin  24 . The first set of teeth  44  may be composed of polymer or a similar rigid material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the first set of teeth  44  or grooves may be pointed. Alternatively, the first set of teeth  44  may be rounded. In addition to differences in shape, the first set of teeth  44  may be a variety of thicknesses and depressions. Specifically, the depression of the first set of teeth  44  may be deep or shallow, or the thickness of the first set of teeth  44  may be varied. For example, the first set of teeth  44  may be relatively thicker, which would allow for less teeth or grooves to be present on the projecting edge  40 , or if the first set of teeth  44  are relatively thinner, more teeth or grooves may be present on the projecting edge  40 . Additionally, the first set of teeth  44  may be of varying lengths on the underside  45  of the projecting edge  40 . For example, the first set of teeth  44  may be along the entire side length of the opposed sidewalls  38 , or as shown in  FIG. 3 , the first set of teeth  44  may be present along only a portion of the opposed sidewalls  38 . 
     The first set of teeth  44  may be arranged substantially parallel to the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment  12 , which is in the sliding direction of the drawer  16 . This arrangement presents the first set of teeth  44  as perpendicular to a lateral axis of the unitary storage bin  24  to thereby inhibit or prevent the unitary storage bin  24  from collapsing inwards due to the weight of food articles stored in within the unitary storage bin  24 . The first set of teeth  44  may also be arranged at various other angles relative to the opposed sidewalls  38 , and the angle may be varied in other directions so long as the first set of teeth  44  may be engaged. By varying the angle, the inward skewing of the unitary storage bin  24  may be reduced. For example, inward skewing of the unitary storage bin  24  may be diminished by placing the first set of teeth  44  at a lower angle near an end of the projecting edge  40 . Additionally, if the first set of teeth  44  is at a steep angle, the first set of teeth  44  may also provide a stronger engagement point. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , the underside  45  of the projecting edge  40  may be arranged to provide an underneath cavity  43 , or box-like structure. For example, protrusions  41  may create a perimeter surrounding the first set of teeth  44  to form the underneath cavity  43 . The protrusions  41  may be the same length or of differing lengths, but preferably, the protrusions  41  are of uniform length. The protrusions  41  may be manufactured before, during, or after the construction of the projecting edges  40 , and the protrusions  41  may be made of polymer or similar material. The underneath cavity  43  may provide a housing for the first set of teeth  44 . 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the drawer  16  may be configured to selectively close the cooled compartment  12  by the pair of linear motion elements  18 . The linear motion element  18  may comprise any mechanism that allows for sliding. In one example, the linear motion elements  18  may be made of metal ball bearing slides or even a roller style slide or the like. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the linear motion elements  18  are shown in an extended position. The pair of linear motion elements  18  may be installed between the first and second interior walls of the cooled compartment  12  ( FIG. 1 ) and corresponding support bracket  26  that connects to the opposed sidewalls  38  to enable movement of the unitary storage bin  24  ( FIG. 3 ). The linear motion elements  18  are provided on the drawer  16  ( FIG. 2 ), for example, one on each side. Each linear motion element  18  comprises an outer slide member  19  fixed to one interior wall of the cooled compartment  12  and an inner slide member  17 . The inner slide member  17  is fixed to a respective support bracket  26  and slides with the outer slide member  19 . 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 4-5 , the pair of door braces  34  may be used to attach the drawer assembly  14  ( FIG. 2 ) to an internal side  32  of the door portion  20 .  FIG. 5  illustrates an isolated view of a door brace  34 . Each door brace  34  may include a vertical support  62  and a horizontal support  64 . The vertical support  62  and the horizontal support  64  may be a single part (as shown) or may be welded together or attached by any securing structure known in the art. The vertical support  62  may also be attached to the internal side  32  of the door portion  20  by any securing structure known in the art. The horizontal support  64  may include securing structures known in the art to attach to the corresponding support bracket  26  for movement of the drawer assembly  14 . By attaching the horizontal support  64  to the corresponding support bracket  26 , the drawer assembly  14  may be pulled in and out of the cooled compartment  12  by the handle  30 . As described earlier, the support bracket  26  is fixed to the inner slide member  17  of the linear motion element  18 . When the drawer assembly  14  is pulled out of the cooled compartment  12 , the inner slide member  17  may slide out of the outer slide member  19 , which is attached to the respective interior wall of the cooled compartment  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , each support bracket  26  comprises a vertical face  54  and a support face  56 . Preferably, the vertical face  54  and the support face  56  may be arranged perpendicular to one another at a 90 degree angle. Alternatively, the vertical face  54  and the support face  56  may be attached to one another at angles other than 90 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, the support bracket  26  may be comprised of angle iron or the like. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the vertical face  54  of the support bracket  26  is attached to the linear motion element  18 , and the support bracket  26  may also fasten to one horizontal support  64  of the door brace  34 . By attaching to the linear motion element  18  and door brace  34 , the support bracket  26  provides a connection so that the unitary storage bin  24  may move in the linear direction in and out of the cooled compartment  12 . The support bracket  26  and the horizontal support  64  of the door brace  34  may include corresponding holes, which may be used to permanently secure the support bracket  26  to the horizontal support  64  of the door brace  34  using tamper-resistant screws, bolts or similar securing structures. Alternatively, other securing structures known in the art may be used to attach the support bracket  26  to the door brace  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , an example support bracket  26  is shown with the vertical face  54  and the support face  56 . To fasten the support bracket  26  to the linear motion element  18  and the door brace  34 , the support bracket  26  may include support bracket holes  55  that correspond with respective holes on the linear motion element  18  and the door brace  34 . These support bracket holes  55  are present along the vertical face  54  of the support bracket  26 . On the support face  56  of the support bracket, a mounting block  46  is provided that is used to attach the unitary storage bin  24  to the support bracket  26  as well as inhibit lateral movement of the unitary storage bin  24 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the support face  56  of the support bracket  26  may additionally include upward projections  58  that may be used to engage the mounting block  46 . Alternatively to the upward projections  58 , the support bracket  26  may provide other methods in the art to engage or locate the mounting block  46 . The support face  56  may optionally include openings that allow the mounting block  46  to become engaged. The support bracket holes  55  may be manufactured into the support face  56  to correspond with the respective mounting block  46 . The openings may be of various sizes and shapes, and may be added to the support bracket  26  during or after manufacturing the support bracket  26 . The openings in the support bracket  26  may be the same size as the mounting block  46  or may be smaller than the mounting block  46 . However, one preferred embodiment includes the opening in the support bracket  26  that corresponds with the projecting edge holes  47  of the unitary storage bin  24  and the mounting block  46 . 
     The mounting block  46  may be temporary or permanently engaged into the support bracket  26 . The mounting block  46  may be placed into the support bracket  26  so that mounting block  46  resists movement. To remove the mounting block  46 , force may be used to disengage the mounting block  46 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the preferred embodiment includes two mounting blocks  46  that are removably secured to the support bracket  26 . The mounting blocks  46  are placed on opposing ends of the support bracket  26 , but the mounting blocks  46  may be placed at any location on the support bracket  26 . Moreover, the number and size of mounting blocks  46  may vary. Specifically, more than two mounting blocks  46  may be used, or one relatively larger mounting block  46  may be used along an extended length of the support bracket  26 . The mounting block  46  as shown in  FIG. 6  is rectangular in shape, although various geometries can be used. 
     An example mounting block  46  is shown in  FIG. 7 , which illustrates the mounting block  46  having four sides along its perimeter. The mounting block  46  may include two sets of parallel sides, a through hole  70 , a resilient latch arm  52  and second set of teeth  50 . One set of parallel sides may be longer than the other set of parallel sides, but the sets of parallel sides may be of equal length depending upon the chosen geometry and are flat as shown in  FIG. 7 . To connect the two sets of parallel sides, the mounting block  46  may have rounded edges. Alternatively, the mounting block  46  may have pointed edges connecting the two sets of parallel sides. Size, width, and height of the mounting block  46  may vary based upon the configuration of the support bracket  26  and the unitary storage bin  24 . Because the illustrated mounting block  46  is rectangular in shape, the mounting block  46  may fit in the underneath cavity  43  of the projecting edge  40 . The protrusions  41  surrounding the first set of teeth  44  may provide a housing to insert the mounting block  46 . The sizes of the mounting block  46  and the underneath cavity  43  should preferably correspond to each other. 
     The mounting block  46  may be formed as a unitary piece as shown in  FIG. 7 . The mounting block  46  may be manufactured from polymer material, but similar materials in the art may also be used. Alternatively, the mounting block  46  may be constructed of several pieces that may be combined to form the mounting block  46 . Preferably, the mounting block  46  may be hollow construction; however, the mounting block  46  may alternatively be solid construction. The mounting block  46  may be manufactured from injection molding or a similar process. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the mounting block  46  may include an opening as the through hole  70 . The through hole  70  may be flat or threaded in its interior (e.g. see  FIG. 8 ) and may have a circumference that corresponds to openings on the support bracket  26  and the projecting edge  40  of the unitary storage bin  24 . The through hole  70  may be formed during the manufacturing of the mounting block  46 , or alternatively, the through hole  70  may be formed following manufacturing of the mounting block  46 . 
     The mounting block  46  may additionally include at least one resilient latch arm  52 , which may be formed with or added during or after the construction of the mounting block  46 . The resilient latch arm  52  may be placed on a bottom of the mounting block  46  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Preferably, the resilient latch arm  52  is pointed and includes a catch to lock the resilient latch arm  52  into place, and may be flexible so as to allow the mounting block  46  to be removed from the support bracket  26 . The resilient latch arm  52  may also be composed of the same polymer material as the mounting block  46 . Alternatively, the resilient latch arm  52  may also be composed of materials other than polymer. In addition to the resilient latch arm  52 , the mounting block  46  may include a fixed latch arm  53 . The fixed latch arm  53  may be a lip that may be installed underneath the support bracket  26 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the resilient latch arm  52  and the fixed latch arm  53  are placed at opposing ends; however, the resilient latch arm  52  and the fixed latch arm  53  may be placed in other locations on the mounting block  46 . The mounting block  46  may be installed in the support bracket  26  by first placing the fixed latch arm  53  into the opening of the support bracket  26 ; the lip of the fixed latch arm  53  may slip underneath the support bracket  26 . Next, the mounting block  46  is pivoted downwards upon the fixed latch arm  53  until the resilient latch arm  52  securely engages the support bracket  26 . Because the resilient latch arm  52  may be flexible and include a wedge or cam-shaped end, the resilient latch arm  52  may be bent and placed into the opening of the support bracket  26 . The catch of the resilient latch arm  52  may be securely placed underneath the support bracket  26 . 
     The mounting block  46  may additionally contain a second set of teeth  50  or grooves. The second set of teeth  50  may be present on a top side of the mounting block  46 . The second set of teeth  50  may be added when the mounting block  46  is manufactured (e.g. molded in) or may be added after the manufacturing of the mounting block  46 . Referring back to  FIG. 3 , when the mounting blocks  46  are placed in the support brackets  26 , the unitary storage bin  24  and the corresponding projecting edge  40  may be placed over the support brackets  26 . The underside  45  containing the first set of teeth  44  is configured to engage the second set of teeth  50  on the respective mounting block  46 . Preferably, the second set of teeth  50  should include the same number of linear grooves as well as the same thickness of the first set of teeth  44 . Still, various engagement schemes are contemplated. When the first set of teeth  44  and the second set of teeth  50  are arranged at the same angle, a locking engagement  66  is formed when the first set of teeth  44  of the projecting edge  40  and the second set of teeth  50  are pressed together. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the locking engagement  66  between the first set of teeth  44  and the second set of teeth  50  aligns the linear grooves in a direction that is perpendicular to the inward movement of the unitary storage bin  24 , which will inhibit lateral movement when the unitary storage bin  24  is full with food articles  61  as shown in  FIG. 3A . Arrows W illustrate the inward force that walls of the unitary storage bin  24  may experience from the weight loading of the food articles  61 . By inhibiting or preventing relative movement of the first and second sets of teeth  44 ,  50 , inward movement of the front wall, the rear wall and/or opposed sidewalls of the unitary storage bin  24  may therefore be counteracted. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 8 , the first set of teeth  44  and the second set of teeth  50  are shown to be in the locking engagement  66 . After the locking engagement  66  is achieved, a fastener  68 , such as a thumb screw, may pass through the projecting edge  40 , the mounting block  46 , and support bracket  26 . The fastener  68  may extend through the corresponding fabricated holes of the projecting edge hole  47 , through hole  70  of the mounting block  46 , and support bracket  26 . If the mounting block  46  or the projecting edge  40  includes interior threading, the fastener  68  may be screwed into the respective interior threading. Preferably, the fastener  68  may be attached and removed without the use of tools. For instance, the thumb screw is preferred because a user may easily turn the thumb screw using only their fingers. However, the fastener  68  may be attached with the use of tools, such as a screw driver and the like. By providing a fastener  68  that does not require removal with tools, a user may easily remove the unitary storage bin  24  from the drawer assembly  14 , which may allow the user to quickly remove the fasteners  68  to either clean the unitary storage bin  24  or remove food articles. In addition to the locking engagement  66 , the fastener  68  applies a clamping force to further engage the first set of teeth  44  to the second set of teeth  50 . This clamping force also will inhibit movement between the first set of teeth  44  and the second set of teeth  50  and reduce movement in the lateral direction. 
     Turning back to  FIG. 3 , one preferred embodiment is shown. The support brackets  26  are attached to both the door portion  20  and the pair of linear motion elements  18 . The support brackets  26  are attached to the door portion  20  by the pair of door braces  34 . Each support bracket  26  includes two mounting blocks  46 , which results in a total of four mounting blocks  46  for the preferred embodiment. The unitary storage bin  24  is flanked by two support brackets  26  along the opposed sidewalls  38 . The projecting edges  40  of the unitary storage bin  24  lay over the two support brackets  26 . Each projecting edge  40  includes the respective underside  45 , where the underside  45  contains the first set of teeth  44 . When the projecting edge  40  is placed over the support bracket  26 , each underside  45  will fit over the respective mounting block  46 . The first set of teeth  44  of the projecting edge  40  and the second set of teeth  50  of the respective mounting block  46  are placed to form the locking engagement  66 , which is fastened using the fastener  68 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , when the user pulls the handle  30  of the refrigeration appliance  10 , the drawer assembly  14  will be moved in the horizontal direction as a single unit. Thus, the unitary storage bin  24  is moved outwards from the cooled compartment  12  and is accessible to the user. As mentioned earlier, the unitary storage bin  24  is attached to the door portion by support brackets  26  and door braces  34 , and the unitary storage bin  24  is connected to the cooled compartment  12  using linear motion elements  18 . As the drawer assembly  14  is moved in the horizontal direction, the four locking engagements  66  provide for a stable and anti-skew connection from the door portion  20  to the unitary storage bin  24 . The locking engagements  66  also prevent the drawer assembly  14  from becoming slanted or stuck when the user grabs the handle  30  to open or close the cooled compartment  12 . 
     The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Examples embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.