GB2394764A

GB2394764A - Extractable shelf for a refrigerator

Info

Publication number: GB2394764A
Application number: GB0325256A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Caprio Salvatore De; Carlo Piccolini
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 2002-10-30
Filing date: 2003-10-29
Publication date: 2004-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2023-10-29
Also published as: GB2394764B; ITVA20020019U1; ITVA20020019V0; GB0325256D0

Abstract

A refrigerator of the double-door type, with an upper cavity and a lower one both closed by doors 12,14 comprises, below the upper cavity, an extractable shelf 20 capable of taking on a retracted configuration and ab extended configuration in order to allow support for the products to be introduced into the cavity. The shelf 20 is preferably shaped as a sector of a circle and has a vertex articulated to a hinge 22.

Description

1 2394764

REFRIGERATOR

The present invention concerns a refrigerator, of the type comprising a cavity closed by a door.

The term refrigerator here refers to any electrical appliance suitable for the preservation of foodstuffs and having one or more cavities at the same or different temperatures, for example one cavity suitable for the preservation of foodstuffs at a temperature close to 0 C (preservation compartment proper) and one cavity at a temperature below 0 C (freezer compartment).

As known in such refrigerators the traditional arrangement of the cavities provides for the freezer compartment to be positioned below the preservation compartment, the cavities each having its own door hinged to the structure of the refrigerator along a vertical axis. These refrigerators, known as the "double-door" type, have an upper cavity of dimensions greater than those of the lower cavity, permitting the insertion of substantial amounts of products to be preserved.

It is precisely when inserting substantial amounts of products that the user often finds himself constrained to move back and forth between a support plane, for example a table or work surface, and the cavity. During this whole operation, the duration of which is proportional to the amount of products to be inserted into the cavity, the user normally keeps the door of the refrigerator open with the inevitable consequence of increased power consumption by the electrical appliance and increased amount of water vapour entering the cavity.

Even with a prudent user, who closes and reopens the door every time he introduces some of the products inside the cavity, the above-mentioned problems can be reduced but not eliminated (not to mention the longer time required for the entire loading operation).

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks simply and economically, with obvious advantages to the user, in the phase of introducing and removing products from the refrigerator cavity.

This object is achieved due to the fact that, below the cavity, the refrigerator is provided with a movable device in the manner of an extractable shelf capable of assuming a rest configuration and an extracted configuration in order to provide support for the products to be introduced into said cavity.

Preferably the mobile device comprises an extractable shelf shaped substantially as a sector of a circle articulated in correspondence with the vertex about a vertical axis.

Other advantages and characteristics of a refrigerator according to the invention will become evident from the following detailed description, provided

by way of example, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the invention, with the movable device in its extracted configuration; Figure 2 is a front view of the refrigerator in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detail on a larger scale from Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view analogous to Figure 1, in which some elements of the refrigerator have been removed for greater clarity; and Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the refrigerator illustrated in Figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, the reference number 10 illustrates the whole of a refrigerator of the double-door type, having an upper "fridge" cavity closed by a door 12 and a lower "freezer" cavity closed by a door 14, both doors being hinged to the structure of the refrigerator along a single vertical axis which, with reference to Figure 1 or 2, is arranged to the right of the cavities.

Between the two above-mentioned cavities a zone 16 is interposed, in which is housed an intermediate cavity 18, which is not very high and is shaped as a sector of a circle (Figure 5) extending over an arc of 90 . The intermediate cavity, made for example of polymeric material or sheet metal, has at the front an opening 18a in which a shelf 20 is mounted so as to slide. The shelf 20 is

shaped as a sector of a circle and has a vertex 20a articulated to a hinge 22.

The shelf has a vertical articulation pivot 22a, two spacing bushes 22b and a support element 22c capable of being fixed to the structure of the refrigerator, for example by screws or similar fixing systems. The pivot 22a of the hinge 22 has a vertical axis substantially coinciding with the axis of articulation of the two doors 12 and 14. The end of the pivot 22a can advantageously be used to hinge the two doors 12 and 14 of the refrigerator 10, above and below respectively. In the area opposite the hinge 22, in the intermediate cavity 18, two rollers 24 are provided, parallel and spaced from each other, freely rotatable about horizontal axes and with cantilevered support from a support element 23 fixed in the intermediate cavity. The rollers 24, for example made of elastomeric material, are arranged in contact with the face of the shelf 20 so as to guide it in its movement of extraction and insertion into the intermediate cavity 18. The shelf 20 is also provided with a frontal structural shape 26, either for decorative purposes or to make it easier for the user to get hold of it.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the system of mounting the movable device on the structure of the refrigerator 10. In particular, mounting provides for the use of lateral reinforcement elements 28a and 28b, for example of shaped sheet metal, provided in correspondence with a bottom wall and side walls of the refrigerator respectively. The lateral reinforcing elements 28b are advantageously fixed to metal sides F of the refrigerator structure. The lateral reinforcing elements are supplemented by a front element 30 having a rectangular slot 30a corresponding to the opening 18 of the intermediate cavity, and with transverse reinforcing bars 32 fixed to the reinforcing elements 28b. During the process of producing the refrigerator 10, insulating expanded material is injected around the intermediate cavity 18, just as happens at the same time for the other two cavities (fridge and freezer) for food preservation. The cavity 18 is thus thermally insulated from both the fridge and freezer cavities.

During use of the refrigerator according to the invention, the user can rotate the shelf 20 to its completely extended position (limited by a stop, not illustrated), or in an intermediate position, before or after having opened the door 12 of the fridge compartment. In this way, with both the door 12 open and the shelf 20 extended, the user can position the food products (for example, whilst still contained in a shopping bag) directly on the shelf 20 and quickly insert them into the cavity (for example, directly from the bag). It is also possible to make the movement of extracting the shelf 20 subject to the opening of the door 12, for example by means of a simple mechanical or magnetic connection between the door and the shelf.

Other variants of the solution described here by way of example are possible, without thereby going beyond the scope of the invention. For example it is possible to use a rectangular shelf slidable horizontally and supported solely by rollers or sliding runners, as well as by a lateral hinge and rollers as is the case of the rotatable shelf in the form of a sector of a circle.

Claims

1. Refrigerator, of the type comprising a cavity closed by a door, wherein below said cavity, a movable device is arranged in the way of an extractable shelf capable of assuming a retracted configuration and an extracted configuration in order to allow support for products to be introduced into said cavity.

2. Refrigerator according to Claim 1, wherein said movable device

comprises an extractable shelf shaped substantially like a sector of a circle articulated in correspondence with the vertex of the sector about a vertical axis.

3. Refrigerator according to Claim 2, wherein the axis of articulation of the shelf is parallel and adjacent to the axis of articulation of the door of the cavity.

4. Refrigerator according to Claim 2, wherein the axis of articulation of articulation of the shelf coincides with the axis of articulation of the door of the cavity.

5. Refrigerator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable device is inserted into a corresponding seat interposed between an upper cavity and a lower cavity of the refrigerator.

6. Refrigerator according to Claim 5, wherein said seat has a front opening, by way of a slot, in which said movable device is capable of sliding.

7. Refrigerator according to Claims 2 and 6, wherein said seat has, in a position substantially opposite the axis of articulation of the shelf, a pair of rotatable rollers capable of guiding the shelf interposed between them.

8. Refrigerator substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.