US2170717A - Refrigerator cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22', 1935 M. R. HULL REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Nov. 21, 19:55

Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATE 2.110.117 aarmoeaa'roa canmsr Application November 21, 1935, Serial No. 50,952 Claims. (Cl. 62-89) S PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a refrigerator cabinet construction and more particularly to a utility shelf combined with a door of the refrigerator cabinet.

It is sometimes desirable to rearrange the position of dishes and the like on the shelves in the cooling compartment of a refrigerator. When the shelves are crowded with dishes, difficulty is often experienced in holding one'or more of the dishes while arranging others.

In accordance with this invention a utility shelf is provided which is attached to a door of a compartment disposed below the cooling compartment of a refrigerator. This compartment may be the one used to house refrigerating apparatus.

When the door is opened this shelf slides out and provides a convenient place for resting certain dishes while rearranging or removing others from the cooling compartment.

Objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in this particular art from the claims and the description in the specification taken in connection with the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator anddoor illustrative of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of an illustrative embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional front elevation ofa structural detail of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the apparatus compartment of the refrigerator of Fig. 1, the refrigerating equipment being omitted for the purpose of clarity.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation partly in section of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

In the embodiment of the invention which has been chosen for the purposes of illustration in Fig. 1 is shown a refrigerator Ill having an upper or cooling compartment with the evaporator or analogous cooling unit Ila therein and a lower or apparatus compartment l2 mounted on a base |3.- The apparatus compartment l2 houses conventional refrigerating equipment generally indicated at Ho and has a door It pivotally secured proximate the lowermost portion of the base I3. A shelf I5 is plvotally secured to the door It by means of links or brackets l6.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 5, the shelf I5 is made up of side members II, a front frame member It, a rear frame member I! and a suitable base portion 20 connecting the rear and front frame members and which may be in the form of a wire screen. Secured to the side of the apparatus compartment proximate its uppermost portion are a pair of supports 22.

These supports are provided with grooves 23 facing the interior of the apparatus compartment and in which are slidably mounted the side frame members I! of the shelf l5.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2 it is seen that the side member l1 extends beyond the grooved support and the rear frame member I9 is secured at a point intermediate of the ends of the side members, whereby, when the shelf is in open position, as shown in Fig. 1, goodly portions of the side members ll remain within the grooved supports and furnish a firm support f r the shelf. This feature is clearly illustrated in F g. 2.

Referring now to Figs. 1,2, 4 and 5, a bracket 25 is secured to the door It and pivotally holds one end of a link IS. The other end of each link is looped around or otherwise pivotally secured to each of the frame members l9 at 21. Secured to the ceiling of the compartment i2 is a limiting member 29 which may be in the form of a bar having two downwardly projecting loops 30 disposed proximate but interiorly of the side frames ll. These loops are adapted to engage the rear shelf frame member I! when the shelf is in exteriorly extended position and due to their inherent resilience have a cushioning efiect should thedoor be swung open violently.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 4 a bracket 32 is shown secured to the front of the base portion l3 and consists'of a main and downwardly extending portion 33 bolted or otherwise secured to the inner face of the front of the base. a horizontal portion 34 bent forwardly of the base and a short upwardly extending portion 35. The upwardly extending portion 35 engages a grooved portion 36 of the door ll making a simple but effective pivotal juncture of the door with the base l3. Conventional resilient gaskets 31 are provided for the pivoted door and a conventional resilient catch 38 will hold the door snugly and firmly in closed position against these gaskets.

A door opening member is provided that consists of a cam 40 pivotally secured to a side wall of the compartment 12 by means of 9. lug ll. A link 12 is pivoted to the cam 40 by a bent over portion 43. At its lowermost portion it is bent and projects through the walls of the compartment to form a treadle 44.

In the operation of this device when it is desired to use the shelf one has merely to step on the treadle member link 42 forces the elongated edge of the cam 40 against the inner face of the door and forces the door open against the action of the spring catch 38. By virtue of the grooved supports 22 H which through the the food storage compartment, and a connection will be in fully extended position.

and pivotal link connections l6 this movement of the door causes the shelf to slide outward in its grooved support until it is engaged by the limiting members 30. At this point the shelf By pivoting the door l4 proximate the lowermost portion of the base l3 a longer radius is provided for the doorfrom its pivotal point to the point where the links [6 are pivotally secured. This securing arrangement makes it possible to fully extend the shelf without undue swinging of the door.

A specific refrigerator and door structure has been described in some detail but it is to be understood that changes, additions, substitutions and omissions may be made in the structure herein shown within the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment and an apparatus compartment beneath the food storage compartment with doors affording access to said compartments, a combined support and transfer shelf in the apparatus compartment movable out of the compartment to a position to support articles to be inserted into and articles to be removed from between the door of the apparatus compartment and said transfer shelf so that the shelf is brought into and out of operative position by the opening and closing of the door of the apparatus compartment.

2. Refrigeration apparatus comprising a food storage compartmentand an apparatus compartment beneath the food storage compartment with doors afiording access to said compartments, the door for the apparatus compartment being hinged along its lower portion so that when both doors are opened cold air settling from the food storage compartment will be deflected into the apparatus compartment, a combined support and transfer shelf in the apparatus compartment movable out of the compartment to a position to support articles to be inserted into and articles removed from the storage compartment, and

a connection between the door of the apparatus compartment and the transfer shelf so that the shelf is moved into and out of operativeposition upon the opening and closing of the door of the apparatus compartment.

3. A refrigerator cabinet having a. food storstorage compartment, guides in said apparatus compartment for supporting said transfer shelf,

and means connecting the shelf and the door of the apparatus compartment whereby when the door of the apparatus compartment is opened the transfer shelf will be slid in a substantially horizontal plane outward to a position of use.

4. A refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment and an apparatus compartment beneath the food storage compartment with doors affording access to said compartments, a. combined support and transfer shelf in the apparatus compartment movable out of the compartment to a position to support articles to be inserted into and articles to be removed from the food storage compartment, a connection between the door of the apparatus compartment and said transfer shelf so that the shelf is brought into and out of operative position by the opening and closing of the door of the apparatus compartment, and treadle means for opening the door of the apparatus compartment.

5. Refrigeration apparatus including a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment and an apparatus compartment beneath the food storage compartment, doorsaffording access to said compartments, means for refrigerating-the food storage compartment and thereby causing air circulation within said compartment, a combined support and transfer shelf in the apparatus compartment movable out of the apparatus compartment into article supporting position within cooling adjacency to said food storage compartment whereby articles on the transfer shelf will be cooled by flow of air from the food storage compartment when the door of the food storage compartment is opened, a connection between the door of the apparatus compartment and said transfer shelf so that the shelf is moved into and out of operative position -upon the opening and closing of the door in the apparatus compartment, and means for cushioning movement of the shelf in one direction.

' MA'I'I'HEW R. HULL.

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