GB2198511A - Supporting drawers in a refrigerating appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance, in particular of domestic type having vertically hinged doors and inside door panels projecting into the interior of the refrigerating compartments, has a support shelf (14) comprising pairs (19, 20; 21, 22) of lower guides for removably supporting two or more drawers (15, 16) in side-by-side relationship, at least the pair of guides (21, 22) of the drawer (16) adjacent to the hinged side of the door (11) and the adjacent guide (20) of the drawer (15) in lateral relationship having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the shelf (14) by means of pivots (23) and the front ends of said guides (20, 21, 22) each being provided with a pin (23) and slot (26) connection in which the pin (23) is fixed to a slider (24) slidable in a transverse rail (25) which is also fixed to the underneath surface of the shelf (14). Alternatively the guides 20, 21 may be integral. <IMAGE>

Description

REFRIGERATING APPLIANCE The present invention relates to a refrigerating appliance, in particular of domestic type, having a shelf for supporting items to be preserved within the compartment of the refrigerating appliance with a vertically hinged door and an inside door panel which project into the interior of the compartment.

In that type of appliance, the trend is to increase the possible ways of making use of the internal space of the compartment by also making provision for the use of a plurality of drawers which are to be supported slidably and removably in guides provided beneath a support shelf.

It may happen that removal of the drawer which is adjacent to the hinged side of the door of the refrigerator is obstructed by the projecting portions of the inside panel of the door whenever the pivotal opening movement of the door cannot exceed an angle of around 900 because of a wall or an item of furniture adjacent thereto.

In order to remedy that disadvantage, US patent No 3 266 858 proposes a support shelf which is sub-divided into halfshelves which are disposed in side-by-side relationship and which are provided with lower guides for supporting respective storage drawers.

When required, the half-shelf and the drawer which are not impeded by the inside door panel can be removed from the compartment to permit the other half-shelf and the associated drawer to slide laterally between suitable transverse guides into a position from which the drawer can be removed, avoiding the obstacles presented by the door panel.

Apart from the inconvenient but essential operation of first removing the half-shelf and the drawer which are not impeded by the inside door panel, that construction is disadvantageous since it requires alterations in the compartment of the refrigerator in order to be able to receive or fit at different heights the transverse guides for the lateral displacement of the half shelf and the associated drawer.

In addition, the movements of the two half-shelves have to be preceded by an inconvenient operation of clearing off their support surfaces.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerating appliance having a removable support shelf insertable in the compartment of the refrigerating appliance and vertically hinged doors and inside door panels projecting into the interior of the refrigerating compartments, the shelf comprising pairs of lower guides for removably supporting two or more drawers in side-by-side relationship, at least the pair of guides of that one of the drawers which is adjacent to the hinged side of the door and the adjacent guide of the drawer in lateral relationship having their rearward ends connected to the underneath surface of the shelf by means of rotational pivots and the front ends of said guides provided with a pin and slot connection in which the pin is fixed to a slider slidable in a transverse rail which is also fixed to the underneath surface of the shelf.

As will become apparent from the following description, the invention can provide a one-piece shelf which can be removably fitted into the normal support guides provided in the refrigerating compartment and provided with lower guides capable of supporting at least two drawers in side-by-side relationship, and which permits the removal thereof even when the door of the refrigerator cannot be opened through an angle of greater than 900, further the support surface of the shelf is not affected by the operations for removal of the drawers.

The features and the advantages of the shelf according to the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a refrigerator provided with the shelf according to the invention, Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a front view and a side view of the shelf shown in Figure 1, Figures 4 and 5 show the underneath side of the shelf with the guides for supporting the drawers respectively in the rest position and in the position for removal of the drawer adjacent to the door of the refrigerator, and finally Figure 6 is a partial view in cross-section of the compartment of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates a conventional refrigerator appliance of domestic type having an external casing 7 in which a freezer compartment 8 and a preserving compartment 9 are disposed, with the interposition of heat-insulating material. Both the compartments 8 and 9 are produced by moulding thermoplastic material and they are fitted with respective closure doors 10 and 11.

Provided on the side walls of the compartment 9 integrally therewith are horizontal guides 12 to carry either conventional support shelves 13 or support shelves 14 which are capable of supporting beneath them two or more drawers 15 and 16 in side-by-side relationship.

The internal panel or door panel 17 of the door 11 of the compartment 9 is also produced by moulding thermoplastic material and is generally shaped with regions 18 which project inwardly of the compartment both for accommodating bottles and similar containers and to permit the fitting of suitably shaped containers and cups or trays.

It may happen that the refrigerator is arranged by the user in a position in which the doors 10 and 11 thereof can only be opened through an angle of around 900 (for example in the corner position shown in Figure 1).

Consequently, the projection portions 18 on the door panel 17 obstruct removal of the drawer 16 which is adjacent to the hinge side of the door 11.

To overcome that disadvantage, the invention proposes a support shelf 14 which is made with a solid surface, for example by means of moulding suitable thermoplastic material, and which is provided on its underneath surface with pairs of guides 19, 20, 21, 22 (see Figures 2, 4 and 5) which are capable of slidably and removably supporting two storage drawers 15 and 16.

After removal of the drawer 15, at least the pair of guides 21, 22 of the drawer 16 and the guide 20 adjacent thereto can pivot in a horizontal plane and in the opposite direction to the direction of opening of the door 11 to an angular position from which the drawer 16 can be removed, avoiding the obstacles presented by the door panel 17 (see Figure 6).

As can be clearly seen from Figures 2 to 5, each guide 19, 20, 21, 22 is made with a C-shaped cross-section, for example by means of a process for the extrusion of suitable plastics material.

At least the pair of guides 21, 22 adjacent to the hinge side of the door 11 and the guide 20 which is closest thereto have their rearward ends connected to the underneath surface of the shelf 14 by means of vertical rotational pivots or pins 23, for example pins and counter-pins of screw type with the interposition of spacer bushes (not shown in the drawings).

The front ends of the guides 20, 21 22 are connected by connecting means comprising a pin 23 and a slot 26 to a slider bar 24 of T-shaped cross-section and slidable, when the drawer 15 is removed, within a corresponding transverse rail 25 provided integrally with and over the entire width on the underneath surface of the shelf 14.

The oscillating movement of the guides 20, 21 and 22 to the angular position shown in Figure 5 is made possible by the elongated shape of the slots 26 thereof within which the pins 23 can move to follow the slider bar 24.

Clearly, the slots 26 are of dimensions proportional to the angle of pivotal movement necessary to avoid the projection portions 18 of the door panel 17.

Then, in accordance with the invention, the drawer 16 can be easily removed from its guides 21 and 22 without affecting the support surface of the shelf 14.

It should be noted that the shelf 14 is made in the same dimensions as the normal support shelves 13.

Consequently, it can be fitted at any height within the guides 12 in the compartment 9 and can be provided with those retaining means which are known per se for locking it in position during the sliding movement of the drawers 15 and 16 and to prevent the drawers 15 and 16 from accidentally coming out of the respective guides 19, 20 and 21,22.

In addition, the shelf 14 may also advantageously be used in refrigerating appliances which make provision for reversing the direction of opening of the door 11. In fact, it is only necessary to provide that all the guides are connected to the shelf 14 by means of the pivots 23 so that if necessary it is possible to connect to the slider bar 24 the front ends of the guides which are involved in removal of the drawer, from time to time, which is adjacent to the hinge side of the door.

Alternatively to the above-described embodiment, the guides 20, 21 and 22 may be of a different cross-section, for example a G-shaped cross-section, and they may be connected by their front ends to respective slider pins which are slidable in the rail 25. Alternatively the guides 20 and 21 which are interposed between two drawers may be produced in a one-piece element provided with a single rotational pivot 23 and a single connecting means comprising pin 23 and slot 26.

It will be appreciated that the shelf may also be formed in different ways, for example by a metal grid or glass, with the provision of suitable devices for connecting the guides and the transverse rail to the underneath surface thereof without thereby departing from the main features claimed hereinafter.

Claims (4)

1. A refrigerating appliance having a removable support shelf insertable in the compartment of the refrigerating appliance and vertically hinged doors and inside door panels projecting into the interior of the refrigerating compartments, the shelf comprising pairs of lower guides for removably supporting two or more drawers in side-by-side relationship, at least the pair of guides of that one of the drawers. which is adjacent to the hinged side of the door and the adjacent guide of the drawer in lateral relationship having their rearward ends connected to the underneath surface of the shelf by means of rotational pivots and the front ends of said guides provided with a pin and slot connection in which the pin is fixed to a slider slidable in a transverse rail which is also fixed to the underneath surface of the shelf.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein the two adjacent guides of two drawers in side-by-side relationship are produced in one piece and are provided with a single rotational pivot and a single connection with pin and slot to said slider.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the connection with the pin and slot is formed by a slot provided in the top side of the guides and a pin having a head within the guides and a leg fixed to said slider.

4. A refrigerating appliance constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.