GB2289522A

GB2289522A - Shelves for use in refrigeration appliances

Info

Publication number: GB2289522A
Application number: GB9509799A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Santo Sist
Original assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1994-05-20
Filing date: 1995-05-15
Publication date: 1995-11-22
Also published as: FR2720145B3; ITPN940019U1; DE29507682U1; GB9509799D0; ES1031133Y; ES1031133U; ITPN940019V0; IT235023Y1; FR2720145A1

Abstract

A refrigerating appliance, in particular for domestic use, comprising one or more compartments for preserving foods, said compartments being subdivided by a plurality of shelves (8) which are supported at the sides and/or at the rear, said shelves being provided with removable frame portions (1) of plastics material fitted to said shelves by inserting the respective edges (3) into corresponding recesses (2) provided in said frame portions, and which have plurality of internal projections (5) capable of engaging with said edges (3). The shelves may have a plurality of grooves disposed in the vicinity of the edges thereof and parallel to said respective edges, said internal projections of the respective frame portions being capable of engaging with a latch action against said respective grooves. The frame portions may be L-shaped, with the foot of the L extending part way along a second edge of the shelf. The foot may house rubber buttons which impede sliding movement of the shelf. <IMAGE>

Description

REFRIGERATION APPLIANCE WITH IMPROVED SHELVES The invention concerns an improved type of shelf for a refrigeration appliance provided with at least one compartment for preserving foods.

For the sake of greater simplicity the following description refers to a refrigeration appliance having a single compartment, but it will still be appreciated that the invention can also be freely applied to refrigeration and/or freezing appliances with a plurality of compartments and associated shelves.

Shelves are known which are disposed horizontally in the interior of the compartments which are used for placing the foods there, the shelves performing the dual function of vertically defining the different compartments and supporting the foods.

In particular utility model patents DE-GB 9004180 and DE-GB 9006513 disclose shelves, in particular of glass, the edges of which are enclosed by respective frame portions made of plastics material which is injected over same.

The frame portions are produced with a continuous frame structure which completely encloses the respective shelf and, besides having an aesthetic function, have in particular the function of constituting the element for supporting the respective shelf on suitable supports disposed along the sides of the compartment, but also the function of protecting the sharp edges of the respective glass shelf.

That construction is a sound and secure one and guarantees fixing as between the frame portion and the shelf, but it suffers from the disadvantage that the operation of injecting the frame portions over the shelf is always relatively expensive in comparison with the low value of the shelf; in addition, in the event of breakage even of only one side of one of the frame portions the entire shelf has to be completely replaced, having regard to the nondetachable join between the shelf and the respective frame portions.

It would therefore be desirable, and this is the aim of the present invention, to provide a domestic refrigerator having at least one compartment for preserving foods and a plurality of shelves disposed in the interior thereof, which can be produced in a more economical fashion and which make it possible to separate as required the shelves from the respective frame portions.

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerating appliance comprising a plurality of compartments for preserving foods, said compartments being subdivided by at least one horizontal shelf which is supported at the sides and/or at the rear, at least one such shelf being provided with frame portions of plastics material and being supported by said frame portions which are separate from and which are fitted to said shelf by inserting the respective edges into corresponding recesses provided in said frame portions, said recesses having a plurality of internal projections capable of engaging with said edges.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 respectively show a view in crosssection and a partial front view of two frame portions according to the invention; Figure 3 is a view in cross-section of an alternative configuration of the frame portion according to the invention; Figure 4 is a horizontal plan section of a shelf before fitting of the frame portion, in accordance with the invention; Figures 5 and 6 are on an enlarged scale a view in cross-section and front view of the shelf shown in Figure 4; and Figures 7 and 8 are two orthogonal views of buttons which may be used to assist in retaining the shelf/frame in situ.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, this substantially involves the provision of a plurality of removable frame portions 1 provided with respective recesses 2, within which the edges 3 of the respective shelves 8 are accommodated by a press fit.

The recesses are provided on one of their inside walls 4 with a plurality of internal projections 5 which are in one piece with the frame portion, as shown in Figure 1.

The recess is of such a dimension as to be able to accommodate the respective shelf with a tight fit, so that the presence of the internal projections 5, even if that affords an obstacle to fitting the frame portion, after the fitting operation generates a pressure and thus friction between the frame portion and the shelf to prevent those components from accidentally coming apart.

An advantageous configuration of this invention is shown in Figure 3 illustrating that the internal projection 5 is produced by bending inwardly one of the upper or lower edges 6 of the recess 2.

That also simplifies production of the frame portions and increases the degree of retaining efficiency of the projection since it is extended over the entire dimension of the frame portion and is thus effective to the highest degree.

A particularly effective alternative configuration of the present invention is achieved if the shelves, in particular if they are of glass, have grooves 7 along the edges to which the frame portions are fitted, the grooves being of a shape, dimension and position such as to accommodate the projections and thus come into latching engagement therewith, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

That affords the advantage that the force for fitting the frame portions is not increased, while the stress involved in disengagement thereof is greatly increased. A further advantage is that this groove formation, in particular of longitudinal type and in glass, would be very economical since it wold be effected at the same time as the phase involving trimming the edges of the shelf.

An advantage of this construction is also due to the fact that some frame portions can be of an L-shape, as shown by the upper frame portion in Figure 2, with the foot of the L extending part way along a second edge of the shelf 8.

In that way the side arm of the frame portion, i.e. the foot of the L, can be caused to interfere with a corresponding fastener or catch (not shown) which is disposed within the compartment and at the same level as the shelf, thereby to prevent the shelf from moving forwardly and possibly falling out.

With reference to Figure 2 it is possible to arrive at an advantageous improvement in the present invention if a plurality of openings, preferably circular, are disposed within the frame portions and at positions corresponding to the lateral edges.

Fitted into those openings are corresponding buttons 11 which are shown in two orthogonal views in Figures 7 and 8 and which project slightly both in respect of their head 12 and at the side 13; they are made of nonslip material, preferably rubber, and the use thereof involves impeding sliding movement of the shelves and also preventing them from falling off the supports of the frame portions due to the effect of the friction produced by the parts projecting from the frame portion of the buttons.

It will be appreciated that the shelf can also be produced in different shapes from those illustrated without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

CLAINS

1. A refrigerating appliance comprising at least one compartment for preserving foods, said compartments being subdivided by at least one horizontal shelf which is supported at the sides and/or at the rear, at least one such shelf being provided with frame portions of plastics material and being supported by said frame portions which are separate from and which are fitted to said shelf by inserting the respective edges into corresponding recesses provided in said frame portions, said recesses having a plurality of internal projections capable of engaging with said edges.

2. A refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 wherein said internal projections are provided by means of inwardly directed curvature of at least one upper or lower edge of said recesses which elastically engage against the respective shelf edge.

3. A refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one such shelf is provided with a plurality of grooves disposed in the vicinity of the edges thereof and parallel to said respective edges, said internal projections of the respective frame portions being capable of latching engagement with said respective grooves.

4. A refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said frame portions are produced in an L-shape and are capable of retaining the associated shelf on its support.

5. A refrigeration appliance according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said frame portions are provided with a plurality of openings which are capable of accommodating respective buttons which project slightly both in respect of the head and at the side, said buttons being made of non-slip material, preferably rubber.

6. An appliance according to claim 5 wherein the openings are cylindrical.

7. A refrigeration appliance constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.