FR2660740A1 - Refrigerator, in particular domestic cabinet (full-size) refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to removable adjustable-height shelves mounted inside a refrigerator. The shelves are formed by a glass plate (15) surrounded by a closed plastic frame (16). Elements (19, 21) forming projections laterally on the side edges (17, 18) of the frame engage between the ledges inside the refrigerator.

Description

REFRIGERATOR, ESPECIALLY REFRIGERATOR CABINET
HOUSEHOLD
The invention relates to a refrigerator, in particular a household refrigerator cabinet comprising a thermally insulated body inside which removable shelves made of transparent material are mounted with the possibility of height adjustment between battens protruding from the side walls.

 In refrigerators of the known type indicated, use of transparent plastic shelves or glass plates has been used more and more recently instead of shelves. While the transparent plastic shelves easily deform and can break under a heavy load and must therefore be reinforced with an additional support frame, it is necessary when using glass plates to provide at least their front edge of an impact-resistant snap ring. The other free edges must be carefully ground in order to eliminate any risk of injury to the sharp edges. While in the first case the additional supporting frame, most often made of steel wire, causes additional costs, the grinding of the edges necessary with the glass plates is an expensive operation in the second case.

 In a known refrigerator equipped with glass plates as shelves for the products to be stored, it is common to equip their front and rear edges with nested plastic profiles. Their lateral edges are provided with guide elements in the form of pins or lugs, which engage between the cleats forming projections on the side walls of the bodywork. Since these molded parts are easily detached from the edges of the glass plates with which they are associated, it is also necessary in this case, in order to avoid injuries, to perfectly grind all the edges of the glass plate - including those covered by the molded parts -. This results in an unwanted increase in the costs of manufacturing the shelves.

 The objective of the present invention is, in refrigerators of the type indicated in the introduction, to simply improve their shelves and thus increase the utility value of the appliances.

 The problem is solved according to the present invention by the fact that the shelves under produced in the form of glass plates and are surrounded by a closed plastic frame, which can be engaged by lateral projections cantilevered between the cleats in the bodywork.

 With the shelves produced according to the invention in the form of glass plates surrounded by a closed plastic frame, these can be produced in a particularly simple and economical manner.

In addition, the glass plates surrounded by a closed plastic frame according to the invention are of safe and robust use.

 When, in addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the object of the invention, the plastic frame is formed by molding on the glass plate, the handling of the shelves is particularly simple and safe.

 According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the plastic frame is provided in the anterior region of its lateral edges with laterally cantilevered guide tabs, while nipples projecting laterally are arranged nearby from the rear edge, and engage between the battens in the bodywork.

 It has proven particularly advantageous for the use of the shelves that the plastic frame forms, according to another advantageous embodiment of the object of the invention, a peripheral rim on the upper face of the glass plate.

 In this way, it is avoided in a simple way, in the case of negligent storage of liquids stored in containers, that these spill over the edge of the shelf and can flow down.

In this case, the walls of the refrigerator would be dirty, and the products stored on the shelf below would be wet.

 In order to avoid the product to be stored, when pushed on the shelf, coming into contact with the rear wall of the thermally insulated body, and in some cases sticking to the evaporator, it is provided according to another advantageous improvement of the invention, that the shelves are provided at their rear edge with a stop wing projecting upwardly on their edge.

 The invention is described in the following using an example embodiment of a household refrigerator cabinet shown in a simplified manner in the appended drawing, comprising glass plates surrounded by a closed plastic frame as shelves .

 Figure 1 shows the household refrigerator cabinet, in perspective, with the door open, provided with shelves arranged between battens projecting from the side walls inside the body, which shelves are in the form of glass plates surrounded by a closed plastic frame.

 Figure 2 shows a shelf in front view and on a larger scale compared to Figure 1, in section along line II-II of Figure 3.

 Figure 3 shows the shelf in top view, parts of the plastic frame being torn off in order to show the constructive details.

 Figure 4 shows the shelf in side view and again enlarged compared to Figures 2 and 3, in section along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

 A refrigerator cabinet 10 is usually provided with a thermally insulating body 11, which can be closed by a door 12. Inside the body 11, shelves 14 for the products to be stored are mounted between horizontal battens 13 forming projections on the side walls, the shelves being removably mounted and adjustable in height between the battens 13.

 The shelves 14 are, as can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 to 4, produced in the form of glass plates 15, which are surrounded by a closed plastic frame 16. The plastic frame 16 comprising lateral edges 17 and 18 is provided at the front part thereof with cantilevered lateral projections in the form of guide tabs 19, which can engage between the battens 13. At the level from its rear edge, the plastic frame 16 is provided with an edge 20, at the ends of which pins 21 protrude from the side edges 17 and 18. These can also engage between the battens 13 on the interior walls of the bodywork 11. The edges of the plastic frame 16 produced generally in the form of U-shaped profiles form a narrow peripheral edge 22 on the upper face of the glass plate 15, which retains the liquid spilled on the glass plate 15 and thus prevents it from flowing down over the ledge. The plastic frame 16 is further provided on its rear edge 20 with an abutment wing 23 projecting upwards on the edge 22, which prevents the product stored on the shelf 14 from being pushed too far back and coming in contact with the rear wall of the body 11.

As shown more particularly by
Figures 3 and 4, the laterally cantilevered guide tabs of the lateral edges 17 and 18 of the plastic frame 16 are provided with chambers 24 on their underside, which give the guide tabs 19 sufficient strength while limiting the amount of material used.

Claims (5)

 1. Refrigerator, in particular household refrigerator cabinet, comprising a thermally insulating body inside which removable shelves in transparent material are arranged with the possibility of height adjustment between battens or the like forming protrusions on the side walls, charac terized in that the shelves (14) are made in the form of glass plates (15) and are surrounded by a closed plastic frame (16), which can be mounted by lateral projections (19, 21) in carrier false between the cleats (18) in the body (11).  2. Refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the plastic frame (16) is produced by molding on the glass plate (15).  3. Refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plastic frame (16) is provided in the anterior region of its edges (17, 18) with guide tabs (19) laterally cantilevered , while pins (21) projecting laterally are arranged near the rear edge (20) and engage between the cleats (13).  4. Refrigerator according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the plastic frame (16) forms a peripheral flange (22) on the upper face of the glass plate (15).  5. Refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that the plastic frame (16) is provided on its rear edge (20) with a wing (23) vertically projecting from the flange (22).