US2236866A - Refrigerator receptacle - Google Patents

Description

1941- c. w. BENSON REFRIGERATOR RECEPTAQLE Filed Aug. 4. 1939 R m E N w W 0 M w n 6 Q B W a 0 Y B 2 4 w Patented A... 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR RECEPTAO'LE Carl W. Benson, Altadena, Calif. Application August 4, 1939, Serial No. v288,355

4 Claims. (or. 312-189) V This invention relates to food containers for refrigerators.

Immoral object of the invention isto provide a refrigerator having a novel food container therein. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator having a receptacle therein and wherein a closure for the receptacle is mounted on the refrigerator door.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator receptacle which is located in the refrigerator and which has the walls thereof exposed to the atmosphere in the refrigerator so that the entire receptacle is chilled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable storage receptacle for a refrigerator and a novel closure movably mounted on the door so that it will serve to close the receptacle in various positions of the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel food storage receptacle for refrigerators.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator showing my invention applied thereto and with the door open:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line.

2-2, Fig. 1 with the door closed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation showing the refrigerator receptacle closure with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of a refrigerator with the door open and disclosing a modification of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5--5, Fig. 4 with the door closed; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of a portion of the refrigerator showing a further modification.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have shown my invention as embodied in a refrigerator whichis indicated generally at Ill.

As shown the refrigerator includes a body ll having a door l2 hingedly mounted thereon. The body I I includes a refrigerator unit l3 which may be operated in any suitable manner and includes a storage compartment ll as is customary with refrigerators of this character.

The compartment I4 is provided with a depending support member l5 and with an inwardly extending support member. It at one end. Each of these support members includes an attaching flange H which is perforated as at l8 to afford circulation and includes a groove I9.

' frigerator.

I 23 with the flanges 2| and 23 disposed in the grooves l9 of members l5 and I6 and slidable therein so that the receptaclemay be supportedin the-compartment M. The flanges 2i, 22 and 23 are provided with spaced apertures 24 to provide circulation entirely about the receptacle. 1 The inner end of the receptacle 20 is provided with an end closure 25 which has a spacing member 26 thereon consisting of a metal strap having apertures 21 to afford circulation. The strap 26 serves as a handle for moving the receptacle and also serves to limit the inward movement of the receptacle when it is slid along the grooves l5 and I6. I

The front of the receptacle 20 is open and is adapted to be closed by a closure member 30 which preferably includes a pair of' metal plates secured together as by rivets 30'. The closure has an aperture 3| and a tongue 32 extending into the aperture. The tongue 32 is adapted to engage behind tongues 33 which extend inwardly from the inner wall 34 of the door l2 of the re- The closure member 30 is provided with a. peripherally extending rubber seal 35 held between the plates and which is of the same shape as the open end of the receptacle 20. The

closure 30 is so positioned in the door that when the latter is closed, the seal 35 engages the end of the receptacle to hermetically seal the receptacle.

.The compartment I4 is provided with a plurality of shelf brackets 36 which support the movable shelves 31. rearrange the interior of the refrigerator so that articles of different sizes and shapes may be accommodated in the storage compartment and to provide for this the lower shelf 31 may be removed and the receptacle 20 withdrawn by sliding it along the grooves l5 and IS. The receptacle 20 may then be placed in the dotted line position indicated at Ain Fig. 1 wherein the flanges 22 and 23 engage the bottom of the compartment I4 and the flange 2| engages the end wall of, the compartment. These flanges, it will be remembered, are apertured so that circulation is provided entirely about the receptacle 20.

To close the receptacle when in the position shown in dotted lines the inner wall of the door I2 is provided with a second set of tongues 33 which receive the tongue 32 on the closure 30 At times it is desirable to movable receptacle 43 is disposed.

in securing access to the second receptacle and .further when the refrigerator door is closed,

there is no circulation from the interior of the receptacle 20, although full circulation'is afforded aasaso'o support being arranged on the side wall of the compartment, said supports being made of metal and having apertures therethrough, a rectansaid supports, said receptacle flanges having aparound this receptacle so that the foods stored in the receptacle will be properly preserved.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show a modification of my invention wherein the refrigerator 40 has a hinged door 4| thereon. The refrigerator includes an inner compartment 42 in which a This receptacle includes a top, bottom, sides and an inner end 44. The front of the receptacle is open and has a gasket member or seal 45 thereabout. This gasket member preferably has a groove or slot 48 which slides over and engages the free end of the receptacle to resiliently hold the gasket in place. The gasket 45 is adapted to engage the door-4| when the latter is closed.

. The receptacle 43 preferably has feet 46' thereon which are spaced apart so that circulation is provided entirely around the receptacle.

In use the receptacle 43 is placed. in the refrigerator compartment in any desired location and the door when closed will serve as the closure for the outer open end of the receptacle. It will be noted that the length of the receptacle corresponds to the length of the inside of the compartment so that when the door is closed, the rear wall 44 of the receptacle is urged against the rear wall of the compartment and thus a;

seal is maintained at the front of the receptacle by the door.

In Fig. 6 I show a further modification of my invention wherein a receptacle 5. including sides 5|, top and a bottom 53 is fixedly mounted in the refrigerator compartment. The side wall 5| adjacent the cabinet wall and the top 52 are spaced from the adjoining wall of the cabinet to provide for circulation entirely about the receptacle. A rubber sealing strip 54 is mounted on the door 55 of the cabinet andis of rectan- .erator construction by means of which one storage compartment may be hermetically sealed from another compartment in a refrigerator cabinet when the door is closed and wherein the -contents of this receptacle will be accessible "whenever the door is open.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a refrigerator; a cabinet having a door and having a food storage compartment-therein.

said cabinet having a pair of grooved supports therein, one of said supports. being arranged on the top wall of the compa f ment and the-other of the receptacle to.

"end when said door is in ertures therethrough, said receptacle being removable from said supports and being adapted to'be positioned in the cabinet remote from the supports, saiddoor having spaced tongues thereon, a closure member having a tongue engaging said flrst mentioned tongues, said closure member having a peripheral sealing member thereon, said closure and said sealing member being positioned to' engage the outer edge of said receptacle open end, and a second pair of tongues on said door, said closure tongue being adapted to engage said second tongues to effect a. seal for said receptacle when the latter is in said position remote from said supports.

2. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having a door and having a food storage compartmeht therein. said cabinet having a pair of spaced receptacle support means therein each adapted to support a receptacle, a receptacle, said receptacle including sides, top and bottom and having an open outer end, said receptacle selectively engaging either of said support means, a closure member, spaced closure engaging support means on said door, said means on the door being so disposed that a closure engaged with either will be aligned with the open front of the receptacle disposed upon one of the first mentioned support means.

3. In a refrigerator, a cabinet having a door and having a food storage compartment therein,

said cabinet having supports therein, a recep tacle, said receptacle engaging said supports, said receptacle being removable from said supports and being adapted to be positioned in the cabinet remote from the supports, said door I having spaced tongues thereon, a closure memher having a tongue engaging said first mentioned tongues, said closure member having a ripheral sealing member thereon, said closure and said sealing member being positioned to ge the outer edge of said receptacle open) I compartment, a door for said cabinet, said re-, ceptacle including top, bottom and side walls and having an open front end, a closure member for said receptacle removably secured to said door, said closure member comprising a pair of spaced plates having a flexible resilient ringseal member disposed therebetween and extending beyond the edges of said piates, said door having spaced tongues thereon; said closure member including a tongue engageable with said door tongues, said sealmember being adapted to engage the outer edge of said receptacle open closed position. CARL W. BENSON.

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