Patent Abstract:
A refrigerator shelf having a plate surrounded by a frame. A guide is connected to the frame for slidable guiding of a closure member. The closure member is formed from an assembly of hinged-together bar elements which are able to pass between an extended position in which the closure member closes a chamber formed between the shelf and an underlying shelf, and a retracted position into the guide.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a refrigerator shelf. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the refrigerator sector, the need for internal chambers (in which to preserve food for example at a temperature different from that in the rest of the preservation compartment, or otherwise separated from other foods) is satisfied in various ways. One example of such a chamber is represented by the so-called crisper representative of a chamber specifically dedicated to the preservation of fruit and vegetables. Another example is represented by the generally transparent containers resting on the shelves, for preserving foods to be maintained separated from others, for example for olfactory reasons (for example in the case of cheese). 
     There exist however situations which cannot be satisfied by the aforedescribed solutions, such as a partly consumed delicate cake, confectionery products and the like, which are usually preserved in a refrigerator by resting them on a shelf in the box in which they were sold, and hence exposed to odors, contamination due to other food, and damage due to careless insertion and extraction of other food products into and from the refrigerator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a shelf which by virtue of its specific construction enables a closable chamber to be obtained inside the refrigerator. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf able to form a chamber by retractable means. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a shematic section through parts of a shelf according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a section on the line A—A of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a shematic view of guide means for a retractable closure member. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the figures, the reference numeral  1  indicates the shelf overall. It comprises a plate  2  of glass or of engineered polymer surrounded by a frame  3  of a different engineered Polymer. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the plate  2  can be transparent, translucent or opaque as chosen by the designer. 
     According to the invention, the shelf is provided, along its two lateral sides, with C-shaped guide means  4  opening downwards at the front of the shelf and longitudinally towards each other. Guide means  4  may be formed in one piece with the frame  3 . Guides means  4  have their front end (see FIG. 1) terminating downwards in the form of an arch (as indicated at  4 A). 
     The guide means  4  serve to guide a closure member  5 , which for convenience is identified hereinafter by the term “roll shutter”. The roll shutter is formed from a plurality of substantially identical bar elements  5 A hinged together by the snap-engagement of a rectilinear bulbous projection  6  in a matching groove  7  of the adjacent element. In other words each element includes a groove  7  on one side and a bulbous projection  6  on the other side. 
     The material of these elements can be polyvinylchloride. As with the plate  2 , bar elements  5 A can be formed of material that is transparent, translucent or opaque as determined by the designer. 
     As can be seen from the figures, the rectilinear bulbous projection  6  is situated at the end of a rib  6 A which is inclined towards the lower side of the guide means  4  (when the element  5 A is inside these latter). The matching groove  7  is also placed towards the lower side of guide means  4  to enable the roll shutter, as shown in FIG. 1, to describe with the minimum possible radius the 90° bend through which the roll shutter passes from its horizontal path defined by the guides  4  to its vertical path. When the roll shutter is in its vertical position it closes a chamber bounded on the top by the shelf which supports the roll shutter in question, in the front by the roll shutter, on the bottom by the underlying shelf and laterally by the walls of the refrigerator compartment. As shown in FIG. 3, these refrigerator walls can carry shaped vertical guide projections, indicated by  8  in said figure. 
     The operation of the invention should be apparent from the aforegoing description. 
     When the roll shutter  5  is retracted substantially entirely within the guide means  4  of its shelf  1 , the aforesaid chamber is open. The roll shutter can be extended by manually moving the roll shutter frontwards (arrow F) by sliding it, it passes between the guide projections  8  to close said chamber. 
     As will be apparent, movement in the opposite direction causes the roll shutter to retract, i.e. to substantially withdraw below the shelf. 
     The figures also show that on the upper surface of part  4 A of the guide means a fixed bulbous projection  9  similar to the bulbous projections  6  can be provided. A groove  7 A on the leading edge of the front element  5 A can be arranged to snap-engage with bulbous projection  9  in order to retain the roll shutter in position to close the chamber. 
     The front element of the roll shutter can differ from the others by the presence of an operating appendix or handgrip  11  and, if desired, a lever  12  to facilitate release of the bulbous projection  9  from the groove  7 A with which it is engaged. 
     In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the roll shutter elements  5 A can be provided with longitudinal channels or depressions  13  which can be arranged to engage toothed wheels  14  supported in appendices  15  of the guide means  4  and connected to torsion springs (not shown) which are loaded when the roll shutter is lowered (chamber closed) and are released on opening the chamber, to facilitate or cause retraction of the roll shutter. 
     The roll shutter elements are essentially bars obtained by extrusion (hence at low cost) and can be easily adapted to refrigerator preservation compartments of different widths by cutting them to the required size. The elements are hollow and can, if desired, be filled with heat insulating material, expanded in situ. The invention is versatile in the sense that within determined limits (shelf depth), it can be used to close chambers of different by means of its roll shutter.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5