Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
  • A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
  • A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
  • A47F3/0482—Details common to both closed and open types
  • A47F3/0486—Details common to both closed and open types for charging, displaying or discharging the articles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B88/00—Drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture; Guides for drawers
  • A47B88/90—Constructional details of drawers
  • A47B88/969—Drawers having means for organising or sorting the content
  • A47B88/994—Drawers having means for organising or sorting the content in the form of trays or inserts
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
  • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
  • F25D25/024—Slidable shelves
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B2210/00—General construction of drawers, guides and guide devices
  • A47B2210/0002—Guide construction for drawers
  • A47B2210/0029—Guide bearing means
  • A47B2210/0037—Rollers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B2210/00—General construction of drawers, guides and guide devices
  • A47B2210/0002—Guide construction for drawers
  • A47B2210/0051—Guide position
  • A47B2210/0059—Guide located at the side of the drawer
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
  • F25D2331/804—Boxes
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
  • F25D2331/809—Holders

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to the storage of material inside a refrigerator, cold room or the like referred to generally hereinafter as "a refrigerator"
• Refrigerators are often provided with large single compartment drawers and fixed shelves.
• a typical refrigerator is used with a large number of relatively small items which are
• US patent No 5,182,923 described a refrigerator unit for food products which is used for storing and serving salads and the like The unit provides access from above to various food pans when a cover is lifted
• US patent No 5, 527,016 relates to a carousel device for freezing drops of a liquid reagent for biological samples
• US patent No 4,831 ,841 shows a cooling system for a merchandising machine which makes use of a rotatable drum
• International application No WO99/56071 illustrates medicine refrigerating drawers, in a column configuration
• Devices of the preceding types are generally custom-made for a particular purpose or cooling arrangement and do not address the problem referred to, viz the convenient accessibility of food or other items in a typical refrigerator, such as a domestic refrigerator
• the invention is concerned with a storage tray which at least partly alleviates the aforementioned problem
• the invention provides a storage tray for use in a refrigerator, the tray including a body and a plurality of formations on or in the body which define receptacles or with which containers are engageable
• the formations may be openings on or in the body, be channels, ribs, flanges or the like, or have any other suitable shape or form
• the formations may define respective openings or inlets to, or mouths of, receptacles which are integrally formed with the body Alternatively a plurality of containers may respectively be engaged with the formations
• the openings may be formed so that they are of the same size or in at least two different sizes
• the body of the storage tray may be formed to accommodate at least one drawer which is mounted to, and which is s dably movable relatively to, the body.
• At least one lid may be provided for covering at least one respective container or receptacle According to requirement each of the containers or receptacles may be covered directly or indirectly by one or more lids The lids may sealingly engage with the body so that the respective containers or receptacles are effectively isolated and sealed. As indicated the receptacles may be formed integrally with the tray and the mouth of each receptacle may define a respective opening
• the word “receptacle” designates a compartment, holder, or the like, formed integrally with the tray body, while the word “container” designates a compartment, holder, or the like, which is separable from the body.
• the receptacles may define respective recesses in an upper surface of the tray.
• separate containers are e ⁇ gageable with, or insertable into the formations in the tray
• the formations are mouths of respective receptacles and the containers are shaped so that they can be inserted with ease into the receptacles
• the containers are tapered so that engagement of the containers with the respective receptacles, formations or openings, as the case may be, is facilitated.
• the invention also provides, in combination, a refrigerator and a tray of the preceding type, the tray being mounted to the refrigerator for sliding movement relatively to the refrigerator
• the refrigerator includes a shelf and the tray is supported on the shelf and is slidably movable relatively to the shelf
• the tray may be guided for movement by means of at least one guide which is fixed to the shelf
• the tray in effect, forms a shelf, which preferably is slidably movable relatively to the refrigerator
• Containers which are engageable with the tray may be slidably movable relatively to the tray
• the tray body may have slide ribs or other formations and each container may have complementary formations which are engageable therewith
• the combination includes at least one slide mechanism with at least first and second relatively slidable members, the first member being fixed to the refrigerator and the second member being fixed to the tray so that the tray is slidingly movable relatively to the refrigerator
• the tray may be made from any suitable material eg it may moulded from a suitable plastics material and, for example, except for the openings, may be in sheet form It is possible though to fabricate the tray from a mesh material eg a wire or plastics mesh In
• openings may be defined by apertures in the mesh.
• the invention also extends to a storage tray for use in a refrigerator, the tray including a body with a plurality of container-receiving formations on the body, and mounting formations for mounting or installing the body inside a refrigerator
• the container-receiving formations are respective openings or recesses in the body into which a plurality of containers are at least partly respectively insertable
• the container-receiving formations are guide formations with which a plurality of containers are respectively slidingly engageable
• the mounting formations permit sliding movement of the body relatively to the refrigerator
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray according to one form of the invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tray according to a second form of the invention
• Figure 3 is a side view of a slide mechanism which is suitable for use with a tray of the invention
• Figure 4 is an end view of the slide mechanism of Figure 3
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tray according to a different form of the invention
• Figure 6 is a view of a receptacle which is engageable with the tray of Figure 5
• Figure 7 illustrates an expansion mechanism for use with a tray which is retro-fitted to a refrigerator
• Figure 8 is an end view of a different slide mechanism
• Figure 9 is a view of a shelf-tray slide arrangement
• FIG 10 illustrates a tray according to the invention which is made from mesh
• FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a tray 10 according to one form of the invention which is made from any suitable material.
• the tray may for example be injection moulded from PVC so that it is in sheet material form
• the tray includes a body 12 which has a base 14 and a surrounding side wall 16.
• a number of internal walls 18 traverse the base and form, in this example, six small compartments or receptacles 20 and a single relatively large receptacle 22.
• Each receptacle has a respective mouth or opening 23
• a tray of the kind shown in Figure 1 is dimensioned to fit, making effective use of available space, inside a domestic refrigerator, not shown.
• the tray is slidingly located on a conventional shelf inside the refrigerator and can be pushed so that it rests wholly on the shelf or it can be withdrawn to a desired extent from the shelf and, if required, can be removed totally from the refrigerator
• a catch or hook formation, of any appropriate type can be used to prevent the tray from inadvertently being totally withdrawn from the shelf
• the tray could alternatively be engaged with guide or slide formations fixed to the refrigerator, so that it does not rest on a shelf
• the various receptacles 20 and 22 are used for the storage of separate items
• the receptacles keep the items separated from one another
• a principal benefit which arises from the use of the tray is that it is no longer necessary to remove items sequentially from a shelf inside a refrigerator to access an item at an inner end of the shelf All that is necessary is to withdraw the tray select the desired item and then replace the tray on the shelf
• the tray may include a handle 24 on a front side of the side wall, to facilitate handling and
• Each container 30 is designed to receive food or liquid directly and is dimensioned so that it fits through a respective mouth or opening 23 and snugly into a respective receptacle 20 which thus acts as a container-receiving formation on the tray body
• Side walls 32 of the container may be slightly tapered to facilitate insertion of the container into a receptacle
• the container may be used in conjunction with a removable lid 34
• FIG. 2 illustrates a tray 40 according to a different form of the invention
• the tray has a
• the tray has an upper plate 46 and on one side the plate is formed with a plurality of openings 48 Each opening forms the mouth of a respective receptacle 50 of rectangular dimensions In this case the receptacles are formed in at least two sizes
• Each receptacle has a removable lid 52 which is transparent so that the contents of the receptacle can be viewed Again it is possible to place a removable container with food in each receptacle instead of, for example, placing food directly into a receptacle
• the tray can, as is the case with the Figure 1 embodiment, be accommodated on a conventional shelf in a refrigerator Alternatively the tray is attached to the refrigerator by
• Each slide mechanism includes three telescopic components 66, 68 and 70 and a number of rollers 72 and 74
• the component 68 can move with a sliding action into the component 70, riding on the rollers 74, and in a similar way the component 66 can move with a sliding action into the component 68, moving over the rollers 72
• the component 70 can be attached to an inner side wall 76 of a refrigerator by means of fasteners 78, as is shown in Figure 4 and an outer end 80 of the component 66 is secured by means of a fastener 82 to the wall 44 of the tray
• the tray is not supported on a shelf inside the refrigerator but is supported only by the slide mechanisms
• the tray can be withdrawn from the refrigerator to access the containers or the receptacles when required, and is then restored with a sliding action to its original position
• Figure 5 shows a tray 90 which is moulded from a suitable plastics material and which is formed with a number of rectangular formations or openings 92
• Figure 6 shows a container 94 which is one of a number of similar containers, not shown, which are respectively insertable into the openings of the tray of Figure 5
• Each container has an upper ⁇ m 96 which rests on a perimeter of the opening into which the container is inserted, thereby keeping a mouth 98 of the container slightly above the upper surface of the tray
• a lid 91 which preferably is transparent, is engageable with the receptacle
• the tray has rollers or slides 100 on its side which are engageable with guides, not shown, installed inside a refrigerator
• the tray has slide mechanisms of the kind shown in Figures 3 and 4 fixed to opposed sides of the tray Either approach allows the tray to be moved into the refrigerator and withdrawn when needed to allow for access to a desired container
• a handle 102 on what, in use, is a front side of the tray facilitates movement of the tray Stops 104 which are optionally used depending on the slide arrangement adopted, prevent total inadvertent withdrawal of the tray from its installed position
• the tray of the invention can be made to fit closely inside a refrigerator, particularly as original equipment, to maximize space utilization
• a need for an after market, or retro-fit, arrangement and to this end trays can be made in a range of sizes but, nonetheless, it may not be possible to arrange matters to ensure that a tray can be easily and effectively fitted inside a refrigerator
• Figure 7 illustrates one possible approach to the problem
• a tray 20, of the general kind described in connection with Figure 5 is formed with side flanges 122
• a guide rail 124 is mounted to threaded spigots 126 which are fixed, eg adhesively or by means of suitable fasteners, to an inner surface of a side wall 128 of a refrigerator
• the guide rail 124 is locked to the spigots by means of respective lock nuts 130 It is evident that the guide rail can be moved towards or away from the side wall 128 so that, within reason, adjustments can be made to take account of the available space for installing the tray 120 inside the refrigerator
• Figure 8 shows a tray 140 with a side flange 142 which fits inside a slotted guide rail 144 which is fixed to a side wall 146 of a refrigerator
• the side flange 142 if initially oversized, can be trimmed or cut to size to enable the tray to be installed effectively inside the refrigerator
• FIG. 9 shows a shelf-tray slide arrangement wherein a tray 160, with downwardly extending sides 162, is mounted to a mesh or wire shelf 164 installed as original standard equipment in a ref ⁇ gerator 166. Each side terminates in a lower longitudinally extending enlarged bead 168 which is slidingly engaged in a channel 170 of a slide 172. A lower channel 174 in the slide is clipped onto a wire 176 of the shelf 164.
• the tray 160 is on top of the shelf and in a sense "stands" on its sides as opposed to being suspended from guide rails which are fixed to walls of the refrigerator and accordingly is independent of the inner width of the refrigerator.
• 164 could have a catch formation (not shown) of any appropriate type which prevents the tray from accidentally being pulled off the shelf.
• the trays are moulded from a plastics material and have a sheet material form. This is not limiting though for the tray could alternatively be made from a different material eg. a wire mesh.
• Figure 10 for example shows a tray 180 which is made from a wire mesh 182 with a plurality of small apertures, in which are formed larger openings 184 which receive respective containers 186, similar to the arrangement of Figures 5 and 6.
• the wire tray is similar to the tray 160 of Figure 9 in that it has downwardly extending sides 188 which are slidingly engaged with guides 190 fixed to an upper surface of a shelf (not shown).
• FIG 11 shows another form of the invention wherein a tray 200 has a body 202 made, for example, from wire mesh, with a number of parallel guide wires 204 which stand proud of transverse supports 206.
• the tray could be fixed in position inside a refrigerator, not shown, or could be mounted for sliding movement relatively to the ref ⁇ gerator using techniques of the kind already described.
• a number of custom-made containers 208 are engageable with the tray body
• Each container is moulded from a plastics material and has a number of grooves 210, in its undersurface, which are respectively engageable with the guides 204
• the grooves could engage with the guides with a clip action, which permits the aforementioned sliding action but which prevents inadvertent disengagement of the container from the guides Alternatively a different type of retaining mechanism is used for this purpose
• the container could include internal partitions 212

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
• Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
• Freezers Or Refrigerated Showcases (AREA)
• Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
• Pallets (AREA)

Priority Applications (11)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=69399715

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (15)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1999
  • 1999-06-21 ZA ZA9904076A patent/ZA994076B/xx unknown
• 2000
  • 2000-06-15 WO PCT/ZA2000/000110 patent/WO2000078187A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2000-06-15 MX MXPA01013185A patent/MXPA01013185A/es unknown
  • 2000-06-15 AP APAP/P/2001/002334A patent/AP2001002334A0/en unknown
  • 2000-06-15 KR KR1020017014555A patent/KR20020041786A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-15 CN CN00809344A patent/CN1359463A/zh active Pending
  • 2000-06-15 EP EP00947644A patent/EP1187543A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-15 JP JP2001504260A patent/JP2004506862A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-06-15 BR BR0010317-9A patent/BR0010317A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-15 NZ NZ515076A patent/NZ515076A/en unknown
  • 2000-06-15 AU AU61215/00A patent/AU6121500A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-15 IL IL14717300A patent/IL147173A0/xx unknown
  • 2000-06-15 TR TR2001/03686T patent/TR200103686T2/tr unknown
  • 2000-06-15 RU RU2002101938/12A patent/RU2002101938A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-15 CA CA002371868A patent/CA2371868A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (5)

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