CA2453651A1 - Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly - Google Patents

Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2453651A1
CA2453651A1 CA 2453651 CA2453651A CA2453651A1 CA 2453651 A1 CA2453651 A1 CA 2453651A1 CA 2453651 CA2453651 CA 2453651 CA 2453651 A CA2453651 A CA 2453651A CA 2453651 A1 CA2453651 A1 CA 2453651A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
crisper
support member
horizontal support
refrigerator
horizontal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2453651
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Samir Atalla
Nedo Banicevic
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Camco Inc Canada
Original Assignee
Camco Inc Canada
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Camco Inc Canada filed Critical Camco Inc Canada
Priority to CA 2453651 priority Critical patent/CA2453651A1/en
Publication of CA2453651A1 publication Critical patent/CA2453651A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D17/00Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/04Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
    • F25D17/042Air treating means within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/045Air flow control arrangements
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D25/00Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
    • F25D25/02Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
    • F25D25/024Slidable shelves
    • F25D25/025Drawers
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2317/00Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2317/06Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
    • F25D2317/061Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation through special compartments
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2325/00Charging, supporting or discharging the articles to be cooled, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • F25D2325/022Shelves made of glass or ceramic
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2400/00General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/04Refrigerators with a horizontal mullion

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
  • Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)

Abstract

A refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a door pivotally attached to the cabinet. The refrigerator comprises a crisper drawer assembly having a removable rigid unitary frame.
The frame has a front horizontal support member, a rear horizontal support member, two side horizontal support members, and an intermediate horizontal support member. The two side horizontal support members each have a downwardly depending slide carrier having a side end horizontal channel extending between the front and rear support members to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The intermediate slide carrier has opposing horizontal channels to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The opposing horizontal channels extend from the rear horizontal support member and terminate a predetermined distance from the front horizontal support member.

Description

REFRIGERATOR CRISPER DRAWER ASSEMBLY
Fig[d ~f the Invention The present invention relates to a household refrigerator drawer assembly having crisper drawers mounted for ease of removal when the refrigerator door is opened to an angle not greater than 90 degrees.
Back9roun~of the Invention Household refrigerators typically include combination refrigerators, that is, a refrigerator including a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment, with one of the two compartments located above the other and both of which are cooled via circulating air from the two compartments over an evaporator employing a fan to accomplish the circulation.
Combination refrigerators, including an evaporator and a fan for circulating air from the freezer and fresh food compartments over the evaporator are well known. In the operation of such refrigerators, a major portion of the refrigerated air from the evaporator is directed into the freezer compartment while a smaller portion is directed into the fresh food compartment. When cold air from the freezer compartment is used to cool the fresh food compartment, such air, because of its relative dryness, should not directly contact the fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables as they will become dried out and lose their freshness. The fresh foods are desirably isolated from the desicating effect of the cooler air so that they may be kept cool, yet moist. Sealed compartments or drawers have been used for this _2_ purpose. It is desirable, however, that such drawers have the humidity inside the drawer adjustable or controllable by the user to provide the desired humidity, depending on the type of food load. The food load is the source of moisture inside the drawer. Certain types of food have more moisture and will raise the humidity inside the drawer as compared to other types of food.
Moreover, certain types of food, such as green vegetables, should best be stored at a high relative humidity, while others such as fruit should not.
Also, different degrees of humidity are desirable according to the amount of food placed in the drawer. Small loads tend to dry out more so than larger loads.
Various arrangements in the prior art have been used to adjust drawer ventilation and therefore, the humidity inside the drawer.
One arrangement for adjusting the drawer ventilation and therefore controlling the humidity within the drawer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,013,434 issued March 22, 1977 to Kronenberger et al. In this arrangement the drawers have guides along the side of the drawer cover that have vents which are covered by a rotatable damper having a plurality of positions whereby rotation thereof controls the ventilation of the drawers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,118 issued December 10, 1985 to Fink et al has an arrangement wherein there is a passageway all along the rear of the drawer which is unsealed and therefore continuously open to allow air to enter into the drawer through that opening. The front of the cover has a passageway with a slide gate for the user to vary the amount of ventilation of the drawer.
In household refrigerators it is highly desirable to be able to have a drawer system located in the fresh food compartment which includes two drawers side by side. It is common that these two side by side drawers span the distance between the side walls of the interior of the fresh food compartment. One of the problems presented with this drawer arrangement is that in many instances the access door of the fresh food compartment may not be permitted to pivot about the hinged side to angles beyond 90 degrees so as to allow the drawer adjacent the door to be removed from the fresh food compartment. It is, therefore, highly desirable to be able to have a drawer system that will enable the user to remove the drawers from the refrigerator easily when the door is not capable of opening beyond 90 degrees due to space limitations. Furthermore, it is highly desirable to utilize the cover of the side by side drawers as a shelf for storing articles in the fresh food compartment where the drawer system allows removal of the drawers from within the fresh food compartment without unloading and removing the cover/shelf. One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,772 issued November 13, 1962 to Kennedy wherein there is a stationary glass shelf with two drawers underneath the shelf. One drawer is mounted on a rigid stationary glide. The other drawer closest to the hinge side of the door has a rigid slide structure that conforms to the size of the one drawer that it carries. To remove this drawer from the fresh food compartment the drawer mounted on the stationary glide must be removed first and then the slide structure and drawer that it carries is moved in a horizontal direction transverse to its direction of removal and the drawer then pulled out and removed from the slide structure. Such an arrangement, however, requires a load bearing center rail to be pivoted below a glass cover which may result in shifting of the load on the glass cover during door removal.
By this invention there is provided a household refrigerator drawer assembly which does not need to have the cover shelf unloaded and removed before removing the drawers from inside the fresh food compartment.
The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a door pivotally attached to the cabinet for closing the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator comprises a crisper drawer assembly having a removable rigid unitary frame secured within the fresh food compartment. The frame has a front horizontal support member, a rear horizontal support member, two side horizontal support members, and an intermediate horizontal support member. The two side horizontal support members and the intermediate horizontal support member each span the distance between the front and rear horizontal support members. The two side horizontal support members each have a downwardly depending slide carrier having a side end horizontal channel extending between the front and rear support members to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The intermediate slide carrier has opposing horizontal channels to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The opposing horizontal channels extend from the rear horizontal support member and terminate a predetermined distance from the front horizontal support member.
By having the opposing horizontal channels terminate the predetermined distance from the front horizontal support member it is possible to pull the drawer closest to the door forward and pivot the drawer towards the center of the fresh food compartment for removal when the door cannot be opened beyond a 90 degree angle.
In one embodiment the side end horizontal channels and the opposing intermediate channels each include a depending projection spaced the same second predetermined distance from the rear support member. Each of the crisper drawers has stops adapted to engage the depending projections and limit forward sliding of the crisper drawers along the two side and intermediate slide carriers.
In one embodiment the second predetermined distance is slightly more than half way towards the front support member from the rear support member.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a refrigerator having a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a door pivotally attached to the cabinet for closing the fresh food compartment. The refrigerator comprises a crisper drawer assembly comprising two crisper drawers and a removable rigid unitary frame secured within the fresh food compartment. The two crisper drawers each have back, front, bottom and side walls with an open top and outwardly depending flanges along the side walls at the top thereof. The removable rigid unitary frame has a front horizontal support member, a rear horizontal support member, two side horizontal support members, and an intermediate horizontal support member.
The two side horizontal support members and the intermediate horizontal support member each span the distance between the front and rear horizontal support members. The two side horizontal support members each have a downwardly depending slide carrier having a side end horizontal channel extending between the front and rear support members to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The intermediate slide carrier has opposing horizontal channels to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon. The opposing horizontal channels extend from the rear horizontal support member and terminate a first predetermined distance from the front horizontal support member to facilitate removal of the crisper drawer positioned in the fresh food compartment adjacent the door.
BriefDescri~j,.~ Of The Drawinas For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention reference may be had to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator having a crisper assembly;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the crisper frame and cover seal;
Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the crisper assembly;
Figure 4 is a front sectional view of a portion of the crisper assembly;
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the sealing between the crisper drawers and the crisper frame;
Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of showing the air flow into the front of the crisper assembly;
Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the mounting of the crisper assembly to the rear wall of the refrigerator;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing the mounting of the crisper assembly to one of the side walls of the refrigerator; and, Figure 9 is a plan view of the crisper frame showing a shortened guide rail for the middle support rail of the crisper frame.
Detailed Descri~,ion Of The wention The present invention relates to a refrigerator crisper cover and drawer assembly within a refrigerator cabinet. In particular, it relates to the mounting of the crisper drawers to the crisper cover for ease of removal when the refrigerator door is opened to an angle not greater than 90 degrees.
Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a household refrigerator 10, including an upper freezer compartment 12 and a lower fresh food compartment 14 separated from the freezer compartment by an insulated mullion partition 16.
While the embodiment of the refrigerator illustrated is for a top mount refrigerator, it should be understood that the invention is also applicable for bottom mount refrigerators where the freezer compartment is located below the fresh food compartment. The respective compartments 12, 14 are also separated from the outer cabinet walls 17 and the spaces between the compartments and these walls are filled with thermal insulation (not shown). A
hinged door 18 permits access to the freezer compartment 12 and a hinged door 20 permits access to the fresh food compartment 14.
As is common to refrigerators of this design, the compartments 12, 14 are maintained at the desired refrigerating temperatures by means of a single evaporator (not shown) which operates at a below freezing temperature. Air cooled by the evaporator is directed into the two compartments 12, 14 by a forced air circulating system. Most of the air passes into the freezer compartment 12 while a portion of the cooled air is directed by air duct means 22 located either at the rear of the compartments, or in the mullion 16 separating the compartments, downwardly into the fresh food compartment 14.

In household refrigerators 10, it is desirable to provide a crisper drawer and in the case of the present invention two side by side crisper drawers 24 in the fresh food compartment 14 in which fresh fruits and vegetables may be kept. As shown in Figure 1, the crisper drawers 24 are positioned side by side and are of the same size. fn alternative embodiments, the crisper drawers 24 may have different widths. In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention both crisper drawers 24 are supported by a rigid frame 26 in such a manner that the crisper drawers 24 may slide in and out relative to the rigid frame 26. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the rigid frame 26 is attached at its rear to spaced vertical slotted tracks 28 which are suitably secured to the back wall 30 of liner 32 of the fresh food compartment 14. As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the rigid frame 26 is supported at the front by means of support members 34 that are secured to each of the side walls 36 of the fresh food compartment 14 whereby the front portion of the rigid frame 26 rests on the support members 34.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the crisper drawers 24 are supported by the rigid frame 26 and have a back wall 38, a front wall 40, side walls 42, bottom wall 44 (Figure 3) and an open top having a periphery 46. Along the periphery 46 of the open top at the junction of the side walls 42 there are outwardly and downwardiy depending flanges 48 and 50 that generally extend along the length of the top portion of the side walls 42. On the front wall 40 of each of the crisper drawers 24 there is a recess 52 with an outwardly depending flange 54 to allow the user to grip the crisper drawer 24 for moving it in and out relative to the rigid frame 26.
The rigid unitary frame 26 is molded from plastic and extends nearly the entire width of the fresh food compartment 14. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the molded plastic unitary frame 26 has the front horizontal support member 56 that has a downwardly depending sealing flange portion 58 extending along the front horizontal support member 56 for sealing engagement with the front wall 40 of the crisper drawers 24 to restrict air flow past the flange 58 and into the crisper drawer 24.

_g_ Referring now to Figures 3 and 5, the unitary frame 26 is molded to have a rear horizontal support member 60 that has a downwardly depending solid rear wall 62 and one downwardly depending flexible wall portion 64 spaced inwardly of the solid rear wall 62. The flexible wall portion 64 seals against the back wall 38 of the crisper drawers 24 when the drawer is closed to restrict air flow past the flexible wall portion 64 and into the crisper drawer 24. The flexible wall 64 is thinning converging flange wall 64 that abuts against a rear flange 39 that extends outwardly from the back waH 38 adjacent open periphery 46.
In Figures 2, 3 and 4, the molded unitary frame 26 is shown to have two side horizontal support members 66 and a intermediate horizontal support member 68. The two side horizontal support members 66 and the intermediate horizontal support member 68 each span the distance between the front and rear horizontal support members 56, 60 and each have a downwardly depending slide carrier 70 having a horizontal channel 72 to receive the crisper drawer flanges 48, 50 and support the crisper drawers 24 thereon. The intermediate member 68 has a central or intermediate downwardly depending slide carrier 74 that has horizontal channels 76 on opposing sides of the carrier 74. Channels 72 and 76 are underside parallel slide channels.
The crisper assembly 23 has a cover 78 for the crisper drawer assembly is a removable cover which is made from tempered glass or plastic and is supported by the rigid frame 26. This removable cover 78 also acts as a shelf in the fresh food compartment 14 so that items to be refrigerated may be placed on top of the cover 78.
The rigid frame 26 has integrally formed from the rear horizontal support member 60 three spaced apart post projections 80 which engage the slots 184 in the tracks 28 (Figure 7) to thereby retain the frame 26 and the crisper drawers 24 with the rear of the fresh food compartment 14. The rear horizontal member 60 has footings 82 for spacing the rear horizontal member 60 from the vertical tracks 28. One post 80 extends from each the footings 82 _g_ into slotted openings in the vertical tracks 28. The posts 80 are rectangular in cross-section. Alternatively, the posts 80 may be of another shape such as a square shape.
The rigid frame 26 is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 to be supported at the front by means of support members 34 that are secured to the side walls 36 of the fresh food compartment 14. The front horizontal support member 56 of the rigid frame 26 rests on the support members 34. The front horizontal support member 56 has an elongated slotted aperture 84 for receiving a reinforcing bar 86 that extends along the length of the front horizontal support member 56. The elongated slotted aperture 84 of the front horizontal member 56 has two side wails 88 with hook shaped locking tabs 90 (Figure 6) extending into the slotted aperture 84 for holding or grasping the reinforcing support bar 86 when snap fitted into the slotted aperture 84 past tabs 90. End portions 92 (Figure 8) of the reinforcing bar 86 are supported or rest on the protruding side members 34. The front horizontal support member 56 has rounded walls 94 located below the slotted aperture 84 at the end portions 92 of the front horizontal member 56 for receiving the protruding support members 34 to hold the unitary rigid frame 26 within the fresh food compartment 14 thereby preventing forward and rearward movement of the crisper assembly 23 relative to the fresh food compartment 14. Alternatively, walls 94 may be square or rectangular in shape.
The crisper assembly 23 has a feature that facilitates the removal of the crisper drawers 24, and in particular, the crisper drawer 24 positioned in the fresh food compartment 14 closest to the door 20. This feature relates to the slide carriers 70 for supporting the crisper drawers 24. As shown in Figure 9, the two side horizontal support members 66 and the intermediate horizontal support member 68 each span the distance between the front and rear horizontal support members 56, 60. The two side horizontal support members 66 each have a downwardly depending slide carrier 70 having a side end horizontal channel 72 extending between the front and rear support members 56, 60 to receive the crisper drawer flanges 48, 50. The intermediate slide carrier 68 has a side carrier 74 with opposing center located horizontal channels 76 that also receive the crisper drawer flanges.
The opposing center located horizontal channels 70 extend from the rear horizontal support member 60 and terminate a first predetermined distance 98 from the front horizontal support member 56. This predetermined distance 98 is chosen to permit the drawer 24 closest to the door 20 to be pulled forward and at the same time rotated towards the center of the fresh food compartment 14 for removal from the slide carriers 70, 74 when the door cannot be opened beyond a 90 degree angle.
To prevent the crisper drawers 23 from being inadvertently pulled from the frame 26, the side end horizontal channels 72 and the opposing channels 74 each include a downwardly depending projection 102 (see Figures 2 and 3) spaced the same second predetermined distance 104 from the rear support member 60. This second predetermined distance 104 is slightly more than half way towards the front support member 56 from the rear support member 60. Each of the crisper drawers 24 carry upwardly extending stops 106 (see Figures 3 and 4) located on the flange 48 adjacent the back wall 38 of the crisper drawer 24. The stops 106 engage the depending projections 102 and limit forward sliding of the crisper drawers 24 along the two side and intermediate slide carriers 70, 74. The crisper drawers 24 can be removed from the slide carriers 70, 74 by advancing the drawers 24 forward until the stops 106 engages the depending projections 102 and then temporarily lifting up the front of the drawer 24 and pulling the drawer 24 forward until the stops 106 pass under the projections 102.
Each of the crisper drawers 24 in the crisper drawer assembly 23 provides a controlled humidity storage region in a refrigerator fresh food compartment 14. Air flow into the closed drawers 24 is provided through the front horizontal support member 56 of the rigid frame 26 as shown by arrows 111 in Figure 6. The front horizontal support member 56 has a front wall 108 that has a raised flange portion 110 and a forward horizontally projecting lip 112. The lip 112 has a vertically extending forward edge wall portion 114 provided with a hook shaped barb 116. Front sealing flange 58 depends downwardly from the lip 112.
Referring to Figures 2 and 6, a plastic trim cover 118 is secure between the front wall 108 and the forward edge wall portion 114. The trim cover 118 has curved ends 120 that fasten or grasp the raised flange 110 of the front wall portion 108 and the hook shaped barb 116 of the forward edge wall portion 114. When the trim cover 118 is secured to the front horizontal support member 56 there is defined an air flow cavity 122 between the trim cover 118, front wall 108, lip 112, and forward edge wall portion 114.
The forward edge wall portion 114 has a plurality of spaced apart first ports 124 cut out from the corner where the lip 112 and forward edge wall portion 114 meet to provide air flow communication between the air flow cavity 122 and the refrigerator fresh food compartment 14. The front wall 108 has a plurality of spaced apart second ports 126 cut out from the corner where the front wall 108 and lip 112 meet to provide air flow communication between the air flow cavity 122 and the drawer 24.
A flow dividing wall 128 extends vertically into cavity 122 from the lip 112 between the first and second ports 124, 126. The flow dividing wall 128 extends from the lip 112 to contact the trim cover 118 to define separate and distinct forward and rearward channels 130, 132 within the cavity 122. The flow dividing wall 128 has a plurality of spaced apart notches 134 each located adjacent the trim cover 118 to redirect air flow therethrough between the forward and rearward channels 130, 132. This indirect air flow limits the air flow between the fresh food compartment 14 and the drawer 24 to better control humidity within the drawer 24.
A vertically extending single piece shutter 136 is slidable along the forward channel 130 to selectively open and close the first ports 124 to control air flow into the drawer 24. The shutter 136 is formed as one piece having an actuator arm 138 that extends through an opening 140 (see Figure 2) in the forward edge wall portion 114 below the trim cover 118. The trim cover 118 provides an upper boundary for the opening 140 in the forward edge portion 114 when the trim cover 118 is secured to the front wall 108 and the forward edge wall portion 114. This permits for ease of assembly whereby the shutter 136 can simply be placed in the forward channel 130 with the actuator 138 extending forward of the assembly. Next the trim cover 118 is secured on the front horizontal support member 56. The trim cover 118 does not require a slot to be cut out therein for the actuator 138. Also, the actuator 138 is formed of a single piece eliminating the need to glue on the actuator to the shutter after the trim cover 118 is secured.
The forward edge wall portion 114 has a series of notches 144 (see Figure 2) spaced along the opening 140 for receiving the actuator arm 138.
The shutter 136 extends along the forward channel 130 vertically adjacent the flow dividing wall 128. Shutter 13fi is movable horizontally along the forward channel 130 by a user moving actuator arm 138. The horizontal displacement of the shutter is limited by the side walls 150 of opening 140 engaging actuator 138. The shutter 136 has an angled top portion 146 adapted to close the top of the first port openings 124.
While the invention has been described in terms of very specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims (7)

1. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator cabinet having a fresh food compartment and a door pivotally attached to the cabinet for closing the fresh food compartment, the refrigerator comprising a crisper drawer assembly comprising:
two crisper drawers, each having back, front, bottom and side walls with an open top and outwardly depending flanges along the side walls at the top thereof; and, a removable rigid unitary frame secured within the fresh food compartment having a front horizontal support member, a rear horizontal support member, two side horizontal support members, and an intermediate horizontal support member, the two side horizontal support members and the intermediate horizontal support member each spanning the distance between the front and rear horizontal support members, the two side horizontal support members each having a downwardly depending slide carrier having a side end horizontal channel extending between the front and rear support members to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon, and the intermediate slide carrier having opposing horizontal channels to receive the crisper drawer flanges and support the crisper drawers thereon, the opposing horizontal channels extending from the rear horizontal support member and terminating a first predetermined distance from the front horizontal support member to facilitate removal of the crisper drawer positioned in the fresh food compartment adjacent the door.
2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the side end horizontal channels and the opposing channels each include a depending projection spaced the same second predetermined distance from the rear support member, each of the crisper drawers having stops adapted to engage the depending projections and limit forward sliding of the crisper drawers along the two side and intermediate slide carriers.
3. The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the second predetermined distance is slightly more than half way towards the front support member from the rear support member.
4. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the crisper drawer assembly comprises a removable cover supported on the rigid frame above the slide carriers.
5. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein a manually adjustable aperture in air flow communication with the interior of the crisper drawers is located on the front support member of the frame of the crisper drawer assembly.
6. The refrigerator of claim 4 wherein the removable cover is one selected from tempered glass and plastic.
7. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the rigid unitary frame is molded plastic.
CA 2453651 2003-12-18 2003-12-18 Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly Abandoned CA2453651A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2453651 CA2453651A1 (en) 2003-12-18 2003-12-18 Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2453651 CA2453651A1 (en) 2003-12-18 2003-12-18 Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly

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Publication Number Publication Date
CA2453651A1 true CA2453651A1 (en) 2005-06-18

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CA 2453651 Abandoned CA2453651A1 (en) 2003-12-18 2003-12-18 Refrigerator crisper drawer assembly

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2524135B (en) * 2014-01-29 2018-04-04 Illinois Tool Works A locker system
US10883754B2 (en) 2014-01-29 2021-01-05 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Locker system
CN113074477A (en) * 2020-01-03 2021-07-06 博西华电器(江苏)有限公司 Refrigerator with a door
CN113899138A (en) * 2021-10-26 2022-01-07 澳柯玛股份有限公司 Ion sterilization fresh-keeping refrigerator and fresh-keeping method
CN114061212A (en) * 2021-10-27 2022-02-18 安徽康佳同创电器有限公司 Constant-temperature air-control moisturizing device, refrigerator and control method

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2524135B (en) * 2014-01-29 2018-04-04 Illinois Tool Works A locker system
US10883754B2 (en) 2014-01-29 2021-01-05 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Locker system
US10962273B2 (en) 2014-01-29 2021-03-30 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Locker system
US10976092B2 (en) 2014-01-29 2021-04-13 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Locker system
CN113074477A (en) * 2020-01-03 2021-07-06 博西华电器(江苏)有限公司 Refrigerator with a door
CN113074477B (en) * 2020-01-03 2023-09-15 博西华电器(江苏)有限公司 Refrigerator with a refrigerator body
CN113899138A (en) * 2021-10-26 2022-01-07 澳柯玛股份有限公司 Ion sterilization fresh-keeping refrigerator and fresh-keeping method
CN114061212A (en) * 2021-10-27 2022-02-18 安徽康佳同创电器有限公司 Constant-temperature air-control moisturizing device, refrigerator and control method
CN114061212B (en) * 2021-10-27 2023-10-20 安徽康佳同创电器有限公司 Constant-temperature air-control moisturizing device, refrigerator and control method

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