JP2014040933A - Shelf structure of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow space where foods and food containers with height taller than a usual vertical interval of a shelf can be placed to be arranged either on the right side or the left side.SOLUTION: A shelf unit 30 housed in a storage room of a refrigerator is configured by combining a left-front shelf 32L and a right-front shelf 32R slidable forward and backward with respect to a rear shelf. Each of the left-front shelf 32L and the right-front shelf 32R is supported by a support rod 35 installed on a shelf arranged under the shelf unit 30 by one side edge. Between the support rod 35 and the left-front shelf 32L and the right-front shelf 32R, an engaging part 36 is provided which allows the left-front shelf 32L and the right-front shelf 32R to move in the forward and backward direction with respect to the support rod 35, but does not allow them to move in the left and right direction. Also, between the support rod 35 and the left-front shelf 32L and the right-front shelf 32R, a locking part is formed to maintain a state in which the left-front shelf 32L and the right-front shelf 32R are drawn out of the rear shelf.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator shelf structure.

  In a storage room of a refrigerator, particularly a storage room used as a refrigeration room, shelves for placing food and food containers are usually provided in a plurality of stages. An example of such a shelf structure can be seen in US Pat.

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a substantially L-shaped shelf is placed on a normal flat shelf. Since the side of the substantially L-shaped shelf is a high space, food and food containers that are taller than the normal vertical spacing of the shelf can be placed there.

Japanese Patent No. 4667949

  In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, a space for placing food and food containers that are taller than the normal vertical space of the shelf (this space is referred to as a “blow-out space” in this specification) is a substantially L-shaped shelf. It was limited to the side. The present invention expands the range of the atrium space and allows the user to freely select whether the left space as viewed from the user is the atrium space or the right space as viewed from the user is the atrium space. With the goal. It is another object of the present invention to make it possible to stand without wobbling between the right and left atrium spaces.

  In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator shelf structure according to the present invention is capable of expanding and contracting the width in the depth direction of the storage room, which is configured by a rear shelf and a front shelf that is slidable back and forth on the rear shelf. The front shelf is divided into a left front shelf and a right front shelf that can slide back and forth independently of each other, and each of the left front shelf and the right front shelf is a shelf arranged below the shelf unit. It is characterized in that one side edge is supported by a support column installed on the top.

  In the refrigerator shelf structure configured as described above, it is preferable that the front width differs between the left front shelf and the right front shelf.

  In the refrigerator shelf structure configured as described above, the left front shelf and the right front shelf are allowed to move in the front-rear direction with respect to the support column between the left front shelf and the right front shelf and the support column, but in the left-right direction. It is preferable that an engaging portion that is not allowed to move is provided.

  In the refrigerator shelf structure configured as described above, it is preferable that the engaging portion is formed by a groove formed in the support column, a protrusion formed in the left front shelf and the right front shelf, and fitted in the groove.

  In the shelf structure of the refrigerator configured as described above, a lock portion is formed between the left front shelf and the right front shelf and the support column to maintain the state where the left front shelf and the right front shelf are pulled out from the rear shelf. Preferably it is.

  In the refrigerator shelf structure configured as described above, the lock portion includes a corner portion formed on the support column and a claw portion formed on the left front shelf and the right front shelf, and the claw portion is formed on the corner portion. It is preferable to be in a locked state by engaging, and to be in an unlocked state by lifting the front ends of the left front shelf and the right front shelf and removing the claw portion from the corner portion.

  In the refrigerator shelf structure configured as described above, the rear shelf is preferably divided into a left rear shelf corresponding to the left front shelf and a right rear shelf corresponding to the right front shelf.

  According to the present invention, by sliding the left front shelf or the right front shelf backward, the location where the left front shelf or the right front shelf existed can be used as a blow-off space, the range of the blow-through space is expanded, and either the left or right space is blown You can choose freely. Further, since the left front shelf and the right front shelf are engaged with the column, the column does not wobble.

It is a perspective view of the refrigerator of the state which opened the door. It is a perspective view of the inner box part of a refrigerator. It is a side view of a shelf unit and the support | pillar which supports it. It is an AA arrow line view of FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of FIG. It is a side view of a support | pillar. It is a disassembled perspective view of a support | pillar and the shelf which supports it. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which expanded the width | variety of the shelf unit. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which shrunk | reduced the width | variety of the shelf unit. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which stood up the shelf unit which shrunk | reduced the width | variety.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a refrigerator. The left side and the right side in FIG. 1 are expressed as “left” and “right” in the following description.

  The refrigerator 1 has a total of five storage rooms 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14. The uppermost storage room 10 has a large volume and is used as a refrigerator room. Two storage chambers 11 and 12 that are arranged side by side have a small volume and are used as an ice making chamber or a multipurpose storage chamber. The lower storage room 13 is used as a freezing room, and the lowermost storage room 14 is used as a vegetable room.

  The front opening of the storage chamber 10 is closed with double doors 15L and 15R. The storage chambers 11, 12, 13, and 14 are all configured as drawers. The doors 16, 17, 18, and 19 in front of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13, and 14 are only indicated by broken lines.

  There are a total of four shelves in the storage chamber 10. That is, the shelf 20, the shelf unit 30, the shelf 21, and the shelf 22 in order from the bottom. The lowermost shelf 20 also serves as a ceiling portion of the storage compartment 23 formed therebelow. The storage compartment 23 is configured as a drawer and is used as a chilled chamber.

  FIG. 2 shows an inner box 2, a shelf 20, and a shelf unit 30 of the refrigerator 1. The shelf unit 30 has a complicated structure different from other shelves, and the name “unit” is used for that purpose. Hereinafter, the structure and function of the shelf unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The shelf unit 30 includes a rear shelf and a front shelf, and has a basic structure in which the front shelf is combined with the rear shelf so as to be slidable back and forth. Here, “front” means the near side when facing the storage chamber 10, and “rear” means the back side of the storage chamber 10. Each of the rear shelf and the front shelf is obtained by molding a synthetic resin frame part into a transparent panel made of glass or synthetic resin, and the front shelf is pulled out to the near side of the rear shelf (see FIG. 8). The width of the storage chamber 10 in the depth direction can be expanded and contracted until the front shelf is under the rear shelf (see FIG. 9).

  In the first embodiment, the rear shelf is configured as a rear shelf 31 that expands to the full left and right width of the storage chamber 10. The front shelf is divided into left and right, and is configured as a left front shelf 32L and a right front shelf 32R that can slide back and forth independently of each other. The left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R have different widths when viewed from the front. That is, the front width of the right front shelf 32R is wider than the front width of the left front shelf 32L.

  From the left and right side surfaces of the rear end portion of the rear shelf 31, a short support shaft 33 protrudes outward as shown in FIG. The support shaft 33 is fitted into a bearing hole (not shown) formed in the inner wall of the storage chamber 10, whereby the shelf unit 30 is supported rotatably in a vertical plane with the support shaft 33 as a fulcrum.

  The left side edge of the left front shelf 32 </ b> L pulled out from the rear shelf 31 is supported by a shelf receiving portion 34 (see FIG. 2) formed on the inner wall of the storage chamber 10. The right side edge of the left front shelf 32 </ b> L is supported by a support column 35 installed on the shelf 20. The right side edge of the right front shelf 32R pulled out from the rear shelf 31 is supported by a shelf receiving portion (not shown) formed on the inner wall of the storage chamber 10 so as to face the shelf receiving portion 34. The left side edge of the right front shelf 32 </ b> R is supported by the column 35.

  Between the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R and the support column 35, the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are allowed to move in the front-rear direction with respect to the support column 35 but are not allowed to move in the left-right direction. 36 (see FIG. 5) is provided. The engaging portion 36 is formed on the right side of the upper portion of the column 35 and the combination of the upward groove 37L formed on the left side of the upper portion of the column 35 and the downward projection 38L formed on the right side edge of the left front shelf 32L. Further, it is configured by a combination of a downwardly extending projection 37R formed on the left side edge of the right upward shelf 37R and the right front shelf 32R. The protrusions 38L and 38R are formed as protrusions having a predetermined length in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lengths of the grooves 37L and 37R in the front-rear direction are short, and only when the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are pulled out from the rear shelf 31, the engagement of the grooves 37L and the protrusions 38L, and the grooves 37R and protrusions 38R. Engagement occurs.

  The engaging portion 36 may have a structure other than the structure shown in FIG. For example, a structure in which an upward projection is formed on the side of the support column 35 and a downward groove is formed on the side edges of the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R is possible.

  Between the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R and the support column 35, a lock portion 39 (see FIG. 8) is formed that maintains the state in which the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are pulled out from the rear shelf 31. The lock portion 39 includes a corner portion 40 formed on the upper front edge of the support column 35, and a claw portion 41 formed on each of the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R.

  The lock part 39 can also have a structure other than the structure shown in FIG. For example, a structure is possible in which a hole is formed on the side of the support column 35 and protrusions that fit into the hole are formed on the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R. The positional relationship between the hole and the protrusion may be reversed.

  An upward bearing recess 42 (see FIG. 6) is formed at a position near the rear of the support 35. A support shaft 43 (see FIG. 3) supported on the lower surface of the rear shelf 31 engages with the bearing recess 42. The support shaft 43 exists on the same axis as the support shaft 33.

  The support column 35 is a member that is long in the front-rear direction and flat in the left-right direction, and is placed on the shelf 20 so as to cross the shelf 20 back and forth. In the shelf 20, a holding portion 44 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) for receiving the support column 35 from the rear of the shelf 20 is formed. The holding portion 44 includes a socket portion 45 into which the lower front end of the support column 35 is inserted, and an engagement receiving portion 47 (see FIG. 7) that engages a hook portion 46 formed at the lower rear end of the support column 35.

  When the shelf 20 in which the support column 35 is inserted into the holding unit 44 is stored in the storage chamber 10, the wall behind the storage chamber 10 becomes an obstacle to the movement of the support column 35 about to come out of the holding unit 44. Since the shelf 20 that also serves as the ceiling of the storage compartment 23 is rarely pulled out after being attached to the storage chamber 10, the column 35 is attached to the shelf 20 by a simple insertion operation. There is no fear of coming off the shelf 20.

  The usage of the shelf unit 30 is as follows. If both the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are pulled out to the maximum from the rear shelf 31, the shelf unit 30 can be set to the maximum area to place food or food containers. At this time, the claw portion 41 engages with the corner portion 40. That is, the lock unit 39 is in a locked state, and the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R maintain the state of being pulled out from the rear shelf 31.

  When the lock part 39 is in the locked state, the engaging part 36 is also in the engaged state. The column 35 supports the load from the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R, and itself is restrained from moving in the left-right direction by the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R. For this reason, although it is the simple attachment method of only inserting in the holding | maintenance part 44, the attachment of the support | pillar 35 is stabilized and the load of the shelf unit 30 can be supported reliably.

  When it is desired to use the left front shelf 32L as an open space, the front end of the left front shelf 32L is lifted to remove the claw portion 41 from the corner portion 40. As a result, the left front shelf 32L is unlocked, so that the left front shelf 32L is moved backward as shown in FIG. When it is desired to use the right front shelf 32R as a blow-off space, the front end of the right front shelf 32R is lifted to remove the claw portion 41 from the corner portion 40. As a result, the right front shelf 32 </ b> R is unlocked, and the right front shelf 32 </ b> R is retracted to enter under the rear shelf 31. As described above, since the front width of the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are different from each other, the left front shelf 32L or the right front shelf 32R may be retracted according to the front width of an object to be placed in the atrium space.

  When both the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are retracted, the width of the shelf unit 30 in the depth direction of the storage chamber 10 is reduced. In this state, the radius of rotation of the front end of the shelf unit 30 is shorter than the distance to the upper shelf 21, so that the shelf unit 30 is rotated with the support shafts 33 and 43 as fulcrums to obtain the standing state shown in FIG. it can. In the state of FIG. 10, the center of gravity of the shelf unit 30 exists to the right of the support shafts 33 and 43 in the drawing, and the shelf unit 30 keeps its posture in the form of hitting the inner wall of the storage chamber 10.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the left front shelf 32L and the right front shelf 32R are combined with the common rear shelf 31, but the rear shelf is also divided into a left rear shelf corresponding to the left front shelf and a right rear shelf corresponding to the right front shelf. can do. In that case, the left rear shelf and the right rear shelf can be rotated independently in the vertical plane.

<Others>
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, only one support 35 is provided, but a plurality of support 35 may be provided. In that case, the left front shelf for each column 35 is the left front shelf for the column 35, and the right front shelf is the right front shelf for the column 35.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is widely applicable to refrigerator shelf structures.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 10 Storage room 20, 21, 22 Shelf 30 Shelf unit 31 Rear shelf 32L Left front shelf 32R Right front shelf 35 Post 36 Engagement part 37L, 37R Groove 38L, 38R Protrusion 39 Lock part 40 Corner part 41 Claw part

Claims (7)

A shelf unit composed of a rear shelf and a front shelf combined to be slidable back and forth on the rear shelf, and a shelf unit capable of expanding and contracting the width in the depth direction of the storage room,
The front shelf is divided into a left front shelf and a right front shelf that can slide back and forth independently of each other,
Each of the left front shelf and the right front shelf is supported on one side edge by a support column installed on a shelf arranged under the shelf unit.   The refrigerator shelf structure according to claim 1, wherein the left front shelf and the right front shelf have different front widths.   An engagement portion between the left front shelf and the right front shelf and the support column that allows the left front shelf and the right front shelf to move in the front-rear direction with respect to the support column but does not allow movement in the left-right direction. The refrigerator shelf structure according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator shelf structure is provided.   4. The refrigerator shelf according to claim 3, wherein the engaging portion includes a groove formed in the column, a protrusion formed in the left front shelf and the right front shelf, and fitted into the groove. 5. Construction.   2. A lock portion is formed between the left front shelf and the right front shelf and the support column to maintain the left front shelf and the right front shelf pulled out from the rear shelf. 5. The refrigerator shelf structure according to any one of items 1 to 4.   The lock portion is constituted by a corner portion formed on the support column, and a claw portion formed on the left front shelf and the right front shelf, and the claw portion is in a locked state by engaging with the corner portion, The shelf structure for a refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the front end of the left front shelf and the right front shelf is lifted and the claw portion is removed from the corner portion to be unlocked.   The refrigerator shelf according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rear shelf is divided into a left rear shelf corresponding to the left front shelf and a right rear shelf corresponding to the right front shelf. Construction.

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