US3185116A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 25, 1965 G. L. GILBERT 3,185,116

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A TTO/PNE Y United Statesv Patent 3,185,116 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Gordon L. Gilbert, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 263,220 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-141) This application relates to refrigerators and more particularly to an adjustable shelf arrangement in the food storage compartment thereof.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an unusually compact shelf adjusting mechanism for vertically adjusting a shelf within a compartment such as the food storage space of a refrigerator or the like, without removing the shelf from or extending the same outwardly of the compartment.

Another object is to provide a shelf adjusting mechanism including an actuator on one side only of the shelf for moving it into one of a plurality of vertical positions without tilting the shelf.

Still another object is to provide such shelf adjusting mechanism which is associated with a cantilevered shelf including means in association therewith for effecting pivotal movement of the shelf outwardly of the compartment; and to provide such a shelf adjusting mechanism including a single knob for actuating the operative parts thereof so as to produce a desired vertical adjustment of the shelf.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a refrigerator cabinet including the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view partially broken away of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view in side elevation of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings, for purposes of illustrating the invention, a household type refrigerator cabinet 10 is shown in FIGURE 1 comprising an outer shell or panel 12 and an inner liner 14 forming the top, bottom, back and upright side walls of a food storage space 18 within the refrigerator cooled by an evaporator of a closed refrigerating system (not shown). A door 22 normally closes an opening in the front of the refrigerator cabinet.

In FIGURE 1 it can be seen that a plurality of shelves 24 are formed as cantilevers supported at one corner thereof by improved lifting mechanisms and shelf brackets 26 supported on the side wall of the liner 14 in an out of the way location in the food storage space 18. More particularly, in the preferred embodiment, each shelf 24 is supported by a bracket or pivot block 28 having fingers 29 directed radially outwardly of the top surface thereof fitting into channels 30 in the base of the shelf 24 at one corner thereof, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, for securing the shelf 24 against tilting with respect to the lifting mechanism and shelf bracket arrangement 26. The pivot block 28 is connected to a bracket portion 31 of the lifting mechanism 26 by means of a pin 32 extending through aligned openings 33, 34 in the pivot block 28 and Patented May 25, 1965 bracket 31, respectively, and the block 28 is recessed at 36 to be freely pivoted relative to the lifting mechanism and shelf bracket 26 whereby the shelf 24 can be swung outwardly of the food storage compartment 18 as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Each lifting mechanism and shelf bracket 26 is associated with an elongated, substantially vertically extending rack 38 secured to one of the upright side walls of the inner liner 14 adjacent the front of the refrigerator by suitable fastening means such as screws 40 with said rack having tracks formed at 42, 43 on either side thereof interlockingly engaged with channel portions 44, 45 in the bracket portion 31 of the lifting mechanism 26 for slidably supporting it for vertical movement therealong.

The lifting mechanism 26 further comprises a knob 46 disposed on the front face of the bracket 31 in a recess 48 formed therein and a shaft 50 connected to and extending from the rear face of the knob being rotatably supported in the bracket 31 by means of sleeve bearings 52, 54 on either end thereof (see FIGURE 5). The intermediate portion of the shaft 50 is formed as a worm gear 56 held in spaced relation with the bracket 31 by means of a spacer 58 rotatably mounted on the shaft 50 and located in axial abutment with the bracket 31 and one end of the worm gear 56. The worm gear 56 operatively engages a gear 62 secured to a cross shaft 64 directed transversely of the bracket 31 having the ends thereof rotatably journalled therein by means of sleeve bearings 66, 68. The outboard end of the shaft 64 is secured to a pinion 70 that engages teeth 72 on the inside surface of the rack 38, whereby rotation of the knob 46 will drive the gears 56, 62 and pinion 70 to move the bracket 31 vertically of the rack 38 so that the cantilevered, nontilting shelf 24 secured to the bracket 31 will be moved into one of a plurality of vertical positions within the food storage compartment 18 depending upon the desires of an individual user.

The shelf 24 is free to pivot about the shelf bracket 31 of the lifting mechanism 26 throughout the vertical movement of the bracket 31 on the rack 38 and in all positions the mounting of the pivot block 28 on the bracket 31 is such that the cantilevered shelf 24 is held against nontilting relative to a substantially horizontal plane. Thus, food or the like supported by the adjustable shelf arrangement of the present invention is always readily accessible and furthermore, will not tip or spill during the vertical adjustment.

While the embodiment of the present invention, as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

A vertically adjustable pivotal shelf structure for use in a refrigerator cabinet comprising, an elongated rack adapted to be fixedly secured to a side wall of the refrigerator cabinet, a housing slidably supported on said rack, a shelf cantilevered outwardly from said housing, means connecting said shelf to said housing for pivoting said shelf relative to said housing, said housing having a front face, a knob supported on said front face, a first shaft rotatably supported by said housing having one end thereof fixedly secured to said knob, means forming an opening interiorly of said housing, actuator means located within said opening including a Worm element fixedly secured to said first shaft for rotation therewith and a gear having the teeth thereof meshed with said Worm, a second shaft directed transversely of said first shaft having the ends thereof rotatably supported by said housing, said second shaft being fixedly secured to said gear, said second shaft having an end extension thereon directed exteriorly of said housing, a drive gear fixedly secured to said shaft extension having the teeth thereon meshing with the teeth of said rack whereby upon rotation of said cabinet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,653,657 12/27 Pretsch 108146 X 1,981,680 11/34 Tindale 108-147 X 4 Taylor et a1. 108-147 Frank- 108-147 Johnson 108-139 Anderson et a1 108-l41 Topel 108139 Richter 108139 Snowman 108141 H FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

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