US2950157A - Freezer cabinet shelving - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23,` 1960 E. .1. BuzlcKY 2,950,157

v FREEZER CABINET SHELVING Filed Aug. 18, 1955 2 Sheeizs-Sl'lee'lI 1 INVENTOR [dma/va J. az/'cky ,BY m

ATTORNEY Aug. 23, 1960 5.7.1. BuzlcKY j 2,950,157 a FREEZER CABINET SHELVING' Filed Aug. 1a. 1955 zlsl'ieets-sheetvz INVENTOR famand d. @az/'dry 575 BY @im 01.@9

ATTORNEY FREEZER CABINET SHELLVENG Edmund l. Buzicky, t. Paul, Minn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 18, 1955, Ser. No. 529,225

18 Claims. (Cl. S12-391B This invention relates to providing an improved space and labor saving ice cream and juice rack for freezers. More particularly, the improvement concerns the collapsible mounting of a partially enclosing or opening side and top basket shelving to the inside of a freezer door.

Generally freezers are shelved vertical or horizontal cabinets with or without stacking shelving positioned therein. In either case it is usually necessary to dig yaround and move frozen items from one place to another in order to take out the articles desired. This is particularly true with small items as juice and like cans and ice cream containers or like sized cartons. Consequently convenient shelving spaces for smaller items of daily use as fruit juices, ice cream and the like are in demand and have been needed.

lt is accordingly an object of this improvement to provide a conveniently attachable collapsible shelving depending from a horizontal freezer cabinet cover.

It is another object of this improvement to provide a space and labor saving shelving suspended on a horizontal freezer door for holding cartons and containers which do not spill therefrom when the door is tipped at an opening angle.

Itis another object of this improvement in freezer space shelving to provide a retaining shelving particularly for rounded containers and which is adapted to be hinged from the vertical plane of the freezer lining and suspended inmoveable relation from the plane of the freezer door liner in opened position.

An additional object of this improvement is to provide a freezer chest with a food retaining shelving attachable in moveable suspended relation to a freezer lid and which is supported by the freezer cabinet adjacent the lid lining and the molded cabinet edge when the led is closed.

Another object is to provide a freezer chest shelving suspended in spaced relation to the lid lining with lid in open position and in substantially the same relative horizontal plane when the freezer lid is closed.

It is a further object of this improvement to provide a retaining basket or shelving for frozen foods collapsibly suspended from a freezer lid and with top and side openings for ingress and egress of packaged foodstuffs stored therein.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is aside view with one side of the freezer cabinet removed to show the shelving in a door attached and detached position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the basket or shelving detached from the chest lid or door as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the freezer chest door or lid with the basket suspension bracket attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a hinge bracket by which the basket or shelving is mounted in hinged relation to the freezer chest wall lining.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the suspension bracket shown in Fig. 3.

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With reference to the drawings like parts will be similarly indicated.

In this description it will be understood that the freezer chest 10, its horizontally hinged door 11 and the linings 12 and 13, respectively, with suitable molding 14 and proper insulation `are all of conventional character. Likewise the provision of the front flange 15 and the flexible rubber gasket 16 on cover 11 are conventional. The gasket 16 is adapted to rest on molding 14 when the cover 1.1 is closed, in the manner as hereinafter described. Usually the freezer chest is provided with one or more conventional spacer walls 17, if desired.

As illustrated in Figures l and 2 the shelving is a wire basket A formed as a frame body having a substantially rectangular Wire rim 29 provided with a back side rim portion 21, opposite parallel side rim portions 22 and 23 extended forwardly to parallel upward bends 24 and 2S and ending in flattened end bends 26 and 27, respectively. The parallel bends 24 and 25 in the rim sides 22 and 23 aid in spacing the basket rim 2i) from direct contact with the lining 13. This spacing affords extra room for the basket contents and aligns the basket in horizontal position when collapsed adjacent the closed cover of the freezer chest. A cross rod `28 is spot 'welded at its ends to the opposite parallel upward bends 24 and 25 to extend between the sides 22 and 23 as a raised front side portion of the substantially rectangular rim 20. The ends 26 and 27 of the rim side portions 22 and 23, respectively, are flattened to take up less vertical Ispace and then bent at right angles thereto and back with their respective ends 29 and 30 spot welded to the cross bar 2?. The ends 26 and 27 thus provide an extension of the basket rim to ride upon the edge of the cabinet aperture or the molding 14. usually installed about lthe edges of the opening in the freezer cabinet, as illustrated in Figures l and 2.

The basket shelving, as more clearly shown in Figure l, is divided into sections B, C and D with the section D being of greater depth than the sections B and C. To form the basket shelving there are a number of spaced U-shaped wires 32, 33, 34 and 35, spot welded at their ends to frame sides 22 and 23 to extend downwardly therebetween and serve as shelf supports or spacer bars, as will be hereinafter indicated. There is also provided a front U-"haped wire 3o having its leg ends spot welded at the ends of bar 23 to hold the U-shaped wire 36 at a slight inwardly sloping angle between the rim side portions 22 and 23. The angle of slope inwardly of basket end formed by wire 35 is sufficient to provide clearance of the cabinet wall edge upon opening or closing the chest cover 11 and pivoting of the basket A, which is to be attached thereto, in the manner as hereinafter described.

Connected between the forward U-.ihaped wire 36 and intermediate U-bar 33 are the U-shaped frame wires 3S and 39 each having shorter forward legs bent to extend at an angle as indicated by the numeral 4t?, with their ends spot welded to the base of Wire 35, and longer rear legs (not shown) bent upwardly at right angles and spot Welded to the base of U-shaped wire 33. The shorter front legs of Wire 38 and longer rear legs align the wires forming the bottom support of the shelving basket sections B and C and overcome the difference between the depths of the U-shaped wires y33 and 36. Extending at spaced intervals across the tops of the wires are a. series of wire supports 42, 43, 44 and 45. Each of these wire supports 42, 43, 44 and 45 are provided with their opposite ends turned back as at 46, 47, 48 and 49, respectively. The wires 42, 43, 44 and 45 and their respective ends are each spot welded where they cross and meet the underlying wires 38 and 39. Each of the ends 46, 47, 4S and 49 are bent upwardly at a slight angle, as indicated more clearly in Figure l, to serve as flexible shelving or basket side stops which normally retain a number of cans 51 and 52 in the open sided basket shelving. The wire stops 46, 47, 48 and 49 are liexible to permit forcible rolling of the cans into and out of the side of the basket sections C.

The U-shaped wires 33, 34 and 35 serve as partition Vwalls between which the cans are rolled into the basket section C.

To prevent the cans from being involuntarily tipped from the top of the basket shelving, a pair of partial closure wires 53 and 54 extend across the basket top with each of their respective ends spot welded to the side rims 22 and 23. These can retaining wires 53 and 54 are positioned near theU ends of the compartmental shelving adjacent the wall or partition wires 33 and 34 to provide top opening spaces giving access to the basket shelving for placement or removal of cans and other articles.

A cross bar 55 is spot welded at its ends to the upper legs of the U-shaped partition wall 35. This bar 55 and partition member 35 with forward wall member 36 form the compartment B which is open to the conventional fruit juice can size only from the top of the basket. The bar 55 prevents rolling or tipping of the can 56 from basket section B.

The basket section D serves for holding ice cream packages and is formed by spot welding respective leg ends of a pair of U-shaped bent wires 60 and 61 to the partition wall 33 and back U-shaped wall 32. The extreme ends of the upwardly and rearwardly extending legs 62 and 6'3 of UV- shaped wires 60 and 61, respectively, are spot welded to the back rim section 21 and aid in strengthening the basket structure. Resting uponA and spot welded to the wires 60 and 61 is relatively U-shaped carton retaining wire shelf frame 65. The portion 65 of the basket frame is formed with the legs 66 and 67 bent upwardly at the corners 68 and 69, respectively, in off-set relation to the connecting cross wire shelf section 69. The ends 70 and 71 of the' legs 66 and 67, respectively, are bent upwardly at right angles and spot Welded to the connecting wire between the-legs of the U-shaped back wall 32. Additional spaced frame wires are provided by the U-shaped cross wire' 73 having its opposite leg ends spot welded to the off-set legs 66 and 67 of frame wire 65 and a pair of spaced center wires 74 and 75 having their relative inner ends spot welded to the wire 69 and their outer ends 78 and 79, respectively, bent upwardly at right angles and spot welded to the connecting piece between the legs of the U-shapedV back wall wire 32. Inasmuch as the U-shaped partition wall 33 also serves as a principal support for the bottoms of the basket sections B, C and D, which are not otherwise relatively supported at the sides, it is formed of a size wire substantially the same as the basket rim 20. At the rearmost end of basket shelving section D, -a pair of spaced wires 76 and 77 are positioned across the top of the basket frame by spot welding their respective ends to the rim sides 22 and 23. 'Ihe spaced wires 76 and 77 serve as retaining walls for ice cream cartons and the like which are slidable thereunder from the top or side opening to the basket shelving section, as described.

In order to provide a pivotal mounting for the basket shelving there is secured to the vertical back section of lining 12 a bracket 80 in which the back basket rim 21 is removably mounted in a pivotal relation. The bracket 80 is formed for example with a base mounting portion 81, provided with rivet, screw or bolt apertures 82, an angularly off-set intermediate section 83 having a portion 84 bent in the plane of the base portion 81, and an end portion 85 rolled back, downwardly and up to form a groove Ywithin which the back rim 21 of the basket shelving can be mounted to ride in pivotal relation therewith. As

. illustrated in Figure 2, taken in conjunction with Figure 1, pairs of mounting rivets, screws or bolts 86 and 87 are used to fasten a pair of spaced brackets 80 to the lining 12 When the basket rim section 21 is placed in the Ab ack nds Yansehen' 4 tended end bends 26 and 27 of sides 22 and 23, respectively, rest upon the edge of the cabinet opening.

While it may be apparent that my improved basket shelving structure can be utilized in its pivotal relation with the cabinet aperture, without attachment to the cover, it is my preferred embodiment to attach the shelving in pivotal and collapsible relationship with the cabinet cover. In order to make such an attachment there is provided a relatively small U-shaped wire 88 having its leg endsv spot welded to the front cross bar 28. The connecting section between the legs of U-shaped wire 88 is substantially centered to support a U-shaped linkage element 89 having its leg ends 90 and 91 bent around the connecting section of U-shaped wire 88. A connecting section 92, between the legs of U-shaped wire 88, is pivotally connected into a bracket member secured to the lining 13 of cabinet cover 11, in the manner as hereinafter described.

As more particularly shown in Figures 3 and 5, taken in conjunction with the portion of Figure 1 in dotted outline, this bracket member is formed of multiple components. One of the components'is a flat plate 93 having attachment apertures 94 therein and a protruding locking lip 95 which may be punched out from the plate 93. Another component is a catch plate provided with an attaching base portion 96 having spaced oval shaped apertures 97 therein in adjustable alignment with the apertures 94, and a catching groove portion. The groove portion is formed by bending an intermediate section 9 8 at right angles to the base 96, bending a second intermediate section 99 at right angles to the section 98 and bending a top lip or the edge section 100 back at right angles to section 99 in substantially theplane of the first bent section 98. Thus there is provided a groove Within which the connecting end 92 of U-shaped linkage S9 is to be 4fitted for pivoting with the cover 11.

As illustrated in Figure 3 the apertures 94 in bracket Y plate 93 and the oval apertures 97 in the base of catch the tension on the screw thread of bolts 102 the oval apertures 97 permit the end 100 t'o be adjusted with respect to protruding lip 95. Thereby, for mounting the basket shelving to the cover 11, the end 100 is spaced from the lip 95 a distance to permit inserting the end 92, of linkage 89, into the bracket groove, as described. After mounting the base 96 is slid down over the plate 93 and the screws 102 are tightened, positioning end 100 close to lip 95. This fitting prevents accidental displacement of linkage 89 from its pivotal attachment to cover 11.

As an alternative, the end 100 may be set spaced from lip 95 so that the shelving when not permanently attached yto the freezer cover lining 13 may be lifted and linkage 89 readily connected into the bracket whenever it is desired to reach under the shelving.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the pivotal linkages connecting -the shelving between the cabinet lining and the lining of the cabinet cover will raise and lower the .shelving giving it relative tangential spacing pivotal movement upon opening of the cover and relative collapsing movement into substantial parallel alignment with respect to the cover lining in its closed position. Also ingress and egress to the shelving sections may be had from the sides and top facilitating removal of the canned fruit juices and ice cream packs for which this freezer chest shelving is particularly provided.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in freezer cabinet shelving, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

asso-,1er

I claimt l. In combination, a freezer chest provided with vertical front, rear and side walls, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper end of said rear wall, a basket having laterally projecting relatively flat means at its forward side adapted to engage the upper end of said front wall, hinge means releasably and pivotally connecting the rear side of the basket to the upper end of said rear wall, bracket means mounted on the under side of said cover nearer its forward end, and link means pivotally connected to the forward side of said basket and pivotally and releasably engaging said bracket means, whereby connection of said link means to said bracket means will cause said basket to pivot upwardly when said cover is raised and release of said link means from said bracket means will cause said projecting means to support said basket in a depending relationship with respect to said vertical front, rear and side walls.

2. The structure of claim l in which said bracket means includes a base plate secured to the under side of said cover, said base plate having a downwardly projecting locking lip, and said bracket means further including a catch plate having a hooked end overlying said locking lip, said catch plate being adjustably mounted with respect to said base plate so as to permit variation in the clearance between said hooked end and said locking lip, whereby said catch plate may be moved to a position to either permit or prevent release of said link means.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said link means constitutes a U-shaped wire having its ends pivotally attached to said basket and its bight is loca-ted in the clearance space between said locking lip and said hook end.

4. In combination, a freezer chest having parallel front and rear walls terminating on a substantially common horizontal plane and a hinged cover hingedly connected to the upper end of said rear walls and extending over the top of said front wall, a separable hinged shelf structure hinged adjacent said rear wall for pivotal movement on an axis parallel to the hinge axis of said cover, a supporting means projecting from the forward end of said shelf structure and engageable over the upper surface of said front wall, and means detachably connecting the forward end of said shelf structure to said cover to swing the forward end of said shelf structure upwardly with said shelf structure in generally parallel relation to said cover as said cover is hinged upwardly, said connecting means being slidably connected at one end to permit said cover to hinge partially open before pivoting said shelf structure.

5. The structure of claim 5 and in which said connecting means comprises a link hingedly connected to said cover and to said shelf structure along parallel pivots parallel to the cover axis.

6. In combination with a horizontal chest type freezer having an open topped body and a lid hingedly connected to the body along the rear edge thereof, a storage rack, means pivotally connecting said rack to said freezer body along an axis substantially parallel to the hinge axis of the freezer lid, said pivot axis being nearer to the rear wall of the freezer compartment to which the lid is hinged than to the opposite forward wall thereof, and means on said rack engageable with the upper edge of the forward wall of the freezer compartment opposite that to which the lid is hinged for supporting the portion of the rack adjoining said opposite wall.

7. In combination with a horizontal chest type freezer having an open topped body and a lid hingedly connected to the rear wall of said body, a rack body, pivot means pivotally connecting said rack body to said open topped freezer body along an axis parallel to the lid hinge axis at a point on the rack body nearer the rear wall of the freezer body than the front wall thereof, and projecting means on said rack body for overlying upper edge of the forward wall of said freezer body, thereby limiting the d downward pivotal movement of-the forward end' of the rack body.

8. The construction described in claim 7 and including a handle hingedly connected to the rack body near the forward end thereof on an axis substantially parallel to the lid hinge axis, and cooperable means on said freezer lid for pivotal attachment to said handle.

9. In combination with a chest type freezer having an open topped freezer body and a lid hingedly secured to the rear wall of said freezer body to form a top closure therefor, a pair of sockets attached to said freezer body near the rear wall thereof, the axes of said sockets being parallel to the hinge axis of the lid, a rack body having a pair of aligned pivots detachably engageable in said sockets, said rack body extending between the rear wall of the freezer body and the opposite forward wall thereof, means on the forward end of said rack body engageable with the upper surface of the forward wall of the freezer body to limit downward pivotal movement of the forward end of the rack body, said rack body being tiltable upwardly at its forward end when the freezer lid is in open position.

l0. The construction described in claim 9 and including a link pivotally connected to said rack body near the forward end thereof and pivotally connected to said freezer lid for tilting said rack body and lid in unison.

1l. The construction described in claim 9 and including a link pivotally connected to the rack body near the forward end thereof and detachably and pivotally connected to said freezer lid whereby said freezer lid and rack body may be pivoted in unison.

12. The construction described in claim 9 and in which said opposed sockets are provided with open upper sides to permit said pivots to be disengaged therefrom.

13. in combination with a freezer chest having front, rear, and side walls, a cover hingedly connected to the upper end of said rear wall, a basket supported in the upper portion of said chest beneath said cover, means pivotally supporting the rear portion of said basket to said chest, and means detachably connecting the forward portion of said basket to said cover to swing therewith generally parallel thereto, said basket including means forming a can compartment and including an opening in the top of said compartment to permit ingress and egress of cans into the same, the basket being further provided with openings in the sides of said can compartment through which cans may be removed when said basket is swung upwardly with said cover, said cover overlying the top of said basket when said detachable connecting means is connected.

14. The structure of claim 13 and in which the top of said can compartment includes a partial closure to prevent accidental tipping of cans from said compartment when said basket is swung upwardly with said cover.

l5. The structure of claim 13 and in which the sides of said compartment include flexible stop means for normally retaining cans in said compartment.

l6. In combination, a freezer chest having a cover hingedly secured thereto along one wall thereof, a shelving structure for cans tiltably connected to said chest beneath said cover and including a shelf bottom, transversely extending parallel guides extending above said shelf bottom, and a transversely extending shelf top member in spaced parallel relation to said shelf bottom closely adjacent to one of said guides, the sides of said shelf structure between said shelf bottom and said shelf top being open, the sides of said shelf bottom projecting upwardly a `distance just sufiicient to prevent cans placed on said shelf bottom arranged on axes parallel to the sides of the shelf structure from rolling from said open sides, the space between said top member and the other of said guides being open, hinge means connecting one end of said shelf structure in said chest adjacent the wall to which the cover is hinged, and including means detachably connecting 4the other end of said shelf structure to said cover Y at a point substantially spaced from its hinge connection,

Vrectangular top frame, a plurality Vof parallel partitions extending downwardly from said top frame transversely thereof, a shelf bottom in spaced parallel relation to said top frame, the sides of said shelf structure being open between said top frame and said shelf bottom, the sides of said bottom extending upwardly a distance sufcient to prevent cans placed thereon with their axes parallel to said shelf sides from rolling through said open sides, and a topV cross member closely spaced to certain of said partition members to overlie one end of cans resting on said shelf bottom against said partitions, whereby cans'may be inserted and withdrawn from the shelf sides or from the top of said shelf structure by tilting upwardly the other ends of the cans, means pivotally supporting an end of said shelf structure adjacent to the wall to which said cover is hinged, and including detachable connecting 81 means connecting the other end of said shelf structure to said cover at a point spaced from the hinge connection thereof, said connecting means maintaining said shelf structure and cover generally parallel when connected.

18. The structure of claim 17 and in which said top cross members are positioned to overlie the ends of cans most closely adjacent to the hinged end of the shelf struc-A ture.

References Cited in the le of this patent y UNITED STATES PATENTS v1,455,506 Patey May 15, 1923 1,927,398 Glasser Sept. 19, 1933 2,116,564 DOlive May 10, 1938 2,122,501 Thomas July 5, 1938 2,149,114 Constantine Feb. 28, 1939 2,376,561 Smith May 22, 1945 2,635,779" Pfeiffer Apr. 2l, 1953 2,636,707 Baker Apr. 28, 1953 2,675,289 Whitmore Apr. 13, 1954 lFOREIGN PATENTS 3,333 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1903Y

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