Patent ID: 12253302

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may 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 present invention.

Referring toFIGS.1and2, a refrigerator appliance20includes an outer housing or cabinet (not shown) that forms the exterior of the appliance20. Within the cabinet are one or more compartments or cavities such as a fresh-food compartment24and a freezer compartment. The refrigerator appliance20may include one or more liners that define the compartments. For example, a liner22defines the fresh-food compartment24. The liner22includes a back wall26, a top wall28a bottom wall30, and opposing first and second sidewalls32and34that cooperate to define the compartment or cavity24. While not shown, a second liner may be used to form the freezer compartment. The freezer compartment may be disposed above or below the fresh-food compartment24. In one embodiment, the refrigerator appliance20is a so-called “French-style refrigerator” having the fresh-food compartment24on top and the freezer compartment below. One or more doors (not shown) are attached to the cabinet to seal the one or more compartments.

The refrigerator20includes an air circulation system for cooling the compartment24. The air circulation system may include a cover36disposed against the back wall26of the liner22. An air gap may be provided between the back wall26and the cover36. The cover36may define a vertical slot38centered on the back wall26such that a first distance between the first sidewall and the ladder is substantially equal to a second distance between the second sidewall and the ladder. Herein, substantially equal means within 5 percent. Additional openings may be provided in the cover36in addition to the vertical slot. Of course, other types of air circulation systems are contemplated, and this disclosure is not limited to systems that include the cover36.

The refrigerator appliance20has a shelving system40configured to support food items stored within the fresh-food compartment24. The shelving system40includes an elongate shelf-support ladder42arranged vertically on the back wall24and positioned centrally. The support ladder42may be received in the slot38and secured to the liner22by fasteners or other joining techniques. The ladder42forms the backbone of the shelving system40and is a main structural component. One or more shelf assemblies46of the system40are supported by the ladder42.

Referring toFIGS.3and4, each shelf assembly46may include a central arm44attached to the support ladder42. The central arm44has a rear portion48configured to connect with the ladder42. The rear portion48may include connection features50, e.g., hooks, configured to engage with connection features52, e.g., slots or openings, of the ladder42. The arm is44designed to only attach at the rear portion48and cantilever from the ladder42. The ladder42has a plurality of connection features52allowing the arm44to be placed at various heights. The arm44extends forwardly from the rear portion48located at a back of fresh-food compartment24to a front portion54located at the front of the fresh-food compartment24. The arm44includes a planar top surface56that generally extends between the rear portion48and the front portion54.

Referring back toFIGS.1and2, each shelf assembly46further includes a pair of half shelves58and60supported by a common central arm44. The half shelf58may include a pane62, e.g., glass, a rear support member or brace64and a front support member or brace66. The pane62includes an upper surface63configured to support food items and a lower surface65. The rear support member64is received on a rear edge68of the pane62. The front support member66is received on a front edge70of the pane62. The half shelf60may include a pane72, e.g., glass, a rear support member or brace74and a front support member or brace76. The pane72includes an upper surface73configured to support food items and a lower surface75. The rear support member74is received on a rear edge78of the pane62. The front support member66is received on a front edge80of the pane72.

Referring toFIG.6, the rear support64may be an elongate member having an inside end82and an outside end86. A channel84may extend between the inside end82and the outside end86and has an upper planar portion88and a lower planar portion90. The channel84is configured to receive the rear edge68of the pane62therein with the upper planar portion88disposed on the upper surface63and the lower planar portion90disposed against the lower surface65. The length of the channel84may be substantially the same as the length of the rear edge68.

Referring toFIG.7, the rear support74may be an elongate member having an inside end92and outside end94. A channel96may extend between the inside end92and the outside end94and has an upper planar portion98and a lower planar portion100. The channel96is configured to receive the rear edge78of the pane72therein with the upper planar portion98disposed on the upper surface73and the lower planar portion100disposed against the lower surface75. The length of the channel96may be substantially the same as the length of the rear edge78.

Referring toFIG.5, the rear support64and the pane62may include connection features for securing the rear support64to the pane62. In one embodiment, the pane62defines a groove102recessed into the bottom surface65and extending in the width direction of the pane62. The groove102is located near the rear edge68so that it is received within the channel84. The groove102may or may not extend across the entire width of the pane62. In some embodiments, the groove102may be a plurality of discontinuous grooves that are linearly arranged in the width direction.

The rear support64may include a projection104that is located within the channel84and configured to be received within the groove102. The projection104may extend in the width direction, i.e., between the inner and outer ends82/86. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection104extends upwardly from the lower planar portion90. In some embodiments, the projection104may be a plurality of discontinuous projections that are linearly arranged in the width direction to match the discontinuous grooves of the pane62.

While the groove102and the projection104are illustrate as being on the bottom, they can be flipped in other embodiments and be provided on the top. In other embodiments, the projection may be of the pane62and the groove may be formed in the rear support64.

The rear support74may be attached to the pane72in the same or similar way as described above with regards to pane62and rear support64. For brevity, this connection will not be described again. In some embodiments, the pair of rear supports may instead be a single rear support for both panes.

Referring toFIGS.8and9, in one or more embodiments, each half shelf is supported centrally by the arm44and on the outside by a support member of the liner22. For example, the sidewall32of the liner22defines a support rail110configured to engage with the rear support64. The support rail110may be an integrally formed feature of the liner22or maybe a standalone component that is attached to the liner22. The support rail110projects outwardly from the sidewall32and includes a top112and a bottom114. The top112may include a planar surface116configured to engage with the bottom side65of the pane62. A second support rail118may be placed in front of the support rail110and is also configured to engage with the bottom side65of the pane62. The front support rail118may be smaller than the rear support rail110.

The rear support member64may have a connector120that is rotatably connected to the support rail110such that the first shelf58is pivotal relative to the support rail110. The connector120may include a planar portion122configured to rest on the top112of the support rail110and a hooked portion124configured to partially extend around the rail110. The planar portion122may include a plurality of ribs126.

Referring toFIGS.8and10, the arm44may have first and second opposing sidewalls130and132that are spaced apart from each other such that the interior of the arm44is generally hollow. Each of the sidewalls130,132may extend from the rear portion48to the tip54of the arm44. The rear support64may be supported by the first sidewall130and the rear support74is supported by the second sidewall132. The central arm44may define a rear cut out134in the top surface56allowing the rear supports64,74to engage with the sidewalls130,132.

In one example embodiment, the rear support64includes a connector136configured to connect the rear support64to the central arm44. The connector136may be received on a top edge138of the first sidewall130. The connector136may include an inner member140depending downwardly into the arm44and configured to be received against the inner surface141of the sidewall130. The connector136may also include an anti-rotation tab142disposed on the outside of the arm44and configured to engage with the outer surface144of the sidewall130. The anti-rotation tab142inhibits excessive rotation of the shelf58in the downward direction.

Referring toFIGS.8and11, the front supports66and76may also attached to the central arm44. For example, the front support66may include a connector146that is received within a slot or opening150of the central arm44. The connector146may also be received on the first sidewall130. The connector146may include first and second portions152and154that cooperate to define a vertical slot156received on the sidewall130.

The shelf58may be installed by positioning the shelf58at an angle and aligning the pane62onto the front and rear support rails118and110with the connector120of the rear bracket64received around the rear support rail110. The shelf58is then pivoted downwardly until the connector34of the rear support64and the connector154of the front support engage with the central arm44. The lower side65of the pane62is supported by the upper surface56of the arm44.

For brevity, only the connections for the shelf58are described. However, it is to be understood that the other shelves may be supported within the refrigerator appliance20in a similar or same manner. Only one shelve assembly is shown, it is to be understood that the ladder42can support a plurality of shelve assemblies that are arranged vertically relative to each other.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, 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 invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.