GB2219851A

GB2219851A - Domestic refrigerator

Info

Publication number: GB2219851A
Application number: GB8910553A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roberto Pezzetta; Angelo Maria Santarossa
Original assignee: Industrie Zanussi SpA
Current assignee: Industrie Zanussi SpA
Priority date: 1988-06-17
Filing date: 1989-05-08
Publication date: 1989-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2009-05-08
Also published as: ES1010104U; IT218172Z2; FR2633037A3; DE8905956U1; FR2633037B3; GB8910553D0; ES1010104Y; IT8834030V0; GB2219851B

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance, in particular an upright cabinet refrigerator of domestic type, comprises a refrigeration compartment of plastics material, on the side walls of which are provided at different heights pairs of horizontal guides (11) for support shelves (12, 13) made of transparent material and provided with a multi-functional shaped member (18) fixed at least along their sides adjacent to the rear wall and the front opening of the refrigeration compartment. Provided on each support guide (11) are at least two support seats which are separated from each other and from the rear wall (16) and the front opening of the compartment (8) by means of projections (15) on the guides (11) for positioning the sides of support half-shelves (12, 13) which are thereby coupled in the transverse direction. The multi-functional member (18) comprises a horizontal portion (19) capable of engaging the edge of the respective half-shelf (12, 13) and a vertical retaining portion (20), the portions being disposed to define an L-shaped cross-sectional profile in such a way that the shaped member (18) can be mounted on the edge of the half-shelves (12, 13) in two functional positions which are rotated substantially through 180 DEG relative to each other. <IMAGE>

Description

DOMESTIC REFRIGERATOR The present invention relates to a domestic refrigerator, of the upright cabinet type, provided with a preservation compartment and horizontal shelves for supporting the foods to be preserved.

The type of refrigerating appliance just mentioned generally uses support grids made of metal wire which can be fitted to horizontal guides provided at different heights on the side walls of the refrigerating compartment. Such support grids require a long production process which is complicated by virtue of the numerous welding operations and anti-corrosion treatments in respect of the metal wire forming the grids. The support grids also suffer from the disadvantages of impeding the view in the refrigeration compartment, in particular in regard to those of the shelves which are at a greater distance from the light source, that they are difficult to clean and that they offer a support of poor stability for articles which are of small dimensions in regard to their bases (for example glasses, cups, small bottles and the like).

Further disadvantages of conventional grids arise out of the ornamental edging members of plastics material which are elastically inserted into or pressed in superposed relationship on to the front edge of the grid.

Indeed, such edging members provide further areas for collecting dirt and they are not easy to remove from and re-fit to the grid when carrying out periodical operations for cleaning the refrigerator.

For the reasons set forth, the aim of the present invention is to provide a refrigeration compartment and a support shelf for the foods to be preserved, which make it possible to eliminate or at least reduce the above described disadvantages and which at the same time make both manufacture and use of the refrigerator appliance more rational and convenient.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator appliance comprising a refrigeration compartment having side and rear walls and a front opening, the side walls being provided at a number of different heights with at least one pair of horizontal guides for a support shelf which is made of transparent material and are provided with a multi-functional shaped member fixed at least along its sides adjacent to the rear wall of the and the front opening of, the refrigeration compartment, in which provided on each support guide are at least two support seats which are separated from each other and from the rear wall of, and the front opening of the compartment by means of projections on the guides for supporting the sides of at lest two part-shelves which are coupled in the transverse direction; said multi-functional member comprising a horizontal portion capable of engaging the edge of the respective part-shelf and a vertical retaining portion, said portions being disposed to define an L-shaped cross-sectional profile in such a way that the shaped member can be mounted on the edge of the part-shelves in two functional positions which are rotated substantially through 1800 relative to each other.

The features of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description given by way of nonlimiting example and the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective front view of a refrigerator according to the invention, Figure 2 is a view from above of the interior of the preservation compartment in figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view in cross-section of a shelf of the refrigerator shown in figure 1.

The drawings illustrate a conventional refrigerator appliance 5 of domestic type having an external casing 6 in which a freezer compartment 7 and a preservation compartment 8 are disposed, with the interposition of insulating material. The two compartments 7 and 8 are produced by moulding thermoplastic material and they have respective closure doors 9 and 10.

Provided integrally on the side walls of the preservation compartment 8 are horizontal guides 11 for supporting support half-shelves 12 and 13 made of transparent material, for example glass.

Provided on each guide 11 are at least two support seats 14, each supporting one side of a half-shelf 12 and 13.

The seats 14 are separated from each other and from the front and rear ends of the compartment 8 by means of shaped projections 15 provided integrally on each guide 11.

The projections make it possible to define, between the front and rear half-shelves 12 and 13 respectively and also between the rear half-shelves 13 and the back 16 of the compartment 8, free spaces 17 (see figure 2) for the circulation of cold air within the preservation compartments.

A multi-functional edging member 18 is mounted by a press fit along the front edge of the front half-shelves 12 and the rear edge of the rear half-shelves 13. The cross-section of the edging member 18 which is preferably made of plastics material substantially comprises a horizontal portion 19 and a vertical portion 20 which are disposed in an L-shape.

The horizontal portion 19 comprises two lips 21 and 22 for engaging the edge of the respective half-shelf while the vertical portion 20 is of a semicircular profile which almost corresponds to the profile of the external end of the support guide 11.

The semicircular portion 20 is capable of acting as a parapet-like member for retaining the foods to be refrigerated if it is mounted in such a way as to project upwardly as shown in relation to the rearward edge of the internal half-shelf 13 shown in figure 3.

However the same portion 20 can perform a protective and ornamental function if it is mounted in such a way as to project downwardly as shown in relation to the front edge of the external half-shelf in figure 3.

In that second position of fitting, the profile of the multi-functional edging member 18 corresponds almost precisely to the semicircular profile of the external end of the support guide 11 in order not to offer dirt-collecting regions and to provide surfaces which are as continuous as possible in order to facilitate cleaning operations.

It should be noted that one half-shelf may be conveniently disposed upon the adjacent half-shelf in order to afford the option of accommodating particularly high and bulky containers on the support surface beneath same (for example bottles and jugs or pots).

The refrigerating compartment and the support shelves thus attain the aims of avoiding the complicated procedures for the production of metal wire grids.

In addition, the cleanability, lighting effect and ease of viewing in regard to the entire refrigeration compartment are improved.

It will be appreciated that the refrigerator may be the subject of modifications and variations with the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerator appliance comprising a refrigeration compartment having side and rear walls and a front opening, the side walls being provided at a number of different heights with at least one pair of horizontal guides for a support shelf which is made of transparent material and are provided with a multi-functional shaped member fixed at least along its sides adjacent to the rear wall of the and the front opening of, the refrigeration compartment, in which provided on each support guide are at least two support seats which are separated from each other and from the rear wall of, and the front opening of the compartment by means of projections on the guides for supporting the sides of at lest two part-shelves which are coupled in the transverse direction; said multi-functional member comprising a horizontal portion capable of engaging the edge of the respective part-shelf and a vertical retaining portion, said portions being disposed to define an L-shaped cross-sectional profile in such a way that the shaped member can be mounted on the edge of the part-shelves in two functional positions which are rotated substantially through 180 relative to each other.

2. A refrigerator appliance according to claim 1 wherein the part-shelves of the or each shelf are two shelf halves.

3. A refrigerator appliance according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said horizontal portion of the shaped member comprises two lips for engaging the peripheral edge of the part-shelves and said vertical portion is of a semicircular profile almost corresponding at least to the profile of the projection provided on the external end of the support guides.

4. A refrigerator appliance according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the multi-functional shaped member is fixed along the rearward edge of the rear part-shelves and along the front edge of the front part-shelves and the shaped member is mounted on the edge of the front part-shelf with its vertical portion projecting downwardly and on the edge of the rear part-shelf with its vertical portion projecting upwardly.

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