US2976098A - Shelving arrangement for a refrigerator door - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 v. E. COMBS 2,976,098

SHELVING ARRANGEMENT FOR A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed March 17, 1958 2 heets-Sheet 1 March 21, 1961 v. E. coMBs 2,976,098

SHELVING ARRANGEMENT FOR A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SHELVIN G ARRANGEMENT FOR A REFRIGERATOR DOOR Virgil E. Combs, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 721,830

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-214) This invention relates to a removable shelving arrangement forarefrigerator door.

It has been customary for a number of years to pro vide the inner sideof the door of a refrigerator with an inner surface cavity for the storage of articles in order to increase the capacity of the refrigerator. It has also been customary to provide such doors with removable shelveslocated in the cavity so that the shelves may be moved from one position to another as desired.

The invention here is primarily concerned with the mounting arrangement for a removable shelf in which the shelf or shelves are securely heldin the door but can be readily removed and relocated in a different position or positions when desired;

The primary feature of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved removable shelving arrangement for such a refrigerator door comprising a plurality of pairs of oppositely positioned bosses on the side walls of a refrigerator door cavity, the rear wall of the cavity having a plurality of spaced, substantially horizontal recesses therein each being located rearwardly of and beneath a pair of bosses, a rear edge portion on the shelf bottom adapted to be releasably retained in one of these recesses, and means on the front portion engaging a corresponding pair of bosses for supporting the front of the shelf.

A more specific feature of this invention is to provide such an arrangement wherein the shelf is springy and is distorted to aid in retaining the shelf securely in position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which: I

Fig. l is a front elevational view of the inside of a refrigerator door illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig.- 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of *Fig. 1; a

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the end portion of the shelf as shown in Fig. 2.

The refrigerator door in the accompanying drawings is supported by means of hinges 11 on a refrigerator 12. The door comprises an inner recessed liner 13 and an outer shell 14. The liner and shell are attached together as at 16.

The liner contains an upper chest assembly 17 and a lower chest assembly 18 each provided with its own door. A rubber or the like, gasket 19 is provided on the door to insure a tight seal when closed.

The liner 13 is formed with a pair of cavities 13a each having side 13b and rear 130 Walls. Bosses 20 are on the side walls 13b with each pair being horizontally aligned. Each pair of bosses is adjacent to the front of the side walls 13b. The bosses 20 are generally cube-shaped with inwardly extending projections 20a and 20b.

A plurality of spaced, elongated, substantially hori zontal recesses 21 are located in the rear wall 13c of the liner. For each pair of bosses 20 thereis one recess 21, and the recesses arearranged so as to cooperate. with a pair of horizontally aligned bosses 20 to support a removable shelf 22. Each pair ofbosses. is adjacent to the front of a cavity 13a and is above its corresponding recess 21.

The removable door shelf 22 is normally constructed of a springy material such as sheet metal or the like;

As is shown in Fig. 4 each shelf is substantially L-shaped': having an upstanding front portion 22a and a rearwardly' extending article supporting bottom portion 22b; The portion 22b is, of course, designed to support the stored articles while the upstanding portion 22a serves to retain the articles in place;

The rear portion 22c of the shelf is turned upon itself f as shown inFig. 4 along substantially the entire length} thereof to form the open generally cylindrical-shaped portion 22d. This portion 22d is normally inserted in 7 size that it a substantially the recess 21 and is of such a fills the recess 21.

indicated at 22 and its outer edge rests on top of a boss 20 in supporting the front of the shelf. The rear of each widened portion is provided with a downwardly extending portion 22g, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, with this portion 22g having a contour substantially similar to that of the upper rear tapered surface 200 on each boss 20. Thus the enlarged portion 22 of each end of the bead and the rear portion 22g constitute a socket receiving the upper end of a boss 20 when the shelf is in position.

In order that the shelf will be securely held in position the front 22a and the bottom 22b of each shelf are distorted toward each other when the shelf is locked in position. As the shelf is a springy material such as sheet metal, this distortion causes the bottom'of the bead 22d to be pressed against the bottom of its recess 21 and causes the downwardly extending portions 22g on each socket 22f to be pressed securely against the tapered surface 20c. Because this surface 200 and the portion 22g are tapered forwardly and downwardly, the top of the shelf is securely held in position. This distortion of the front 22a and the bottom 22b of each shelf is brought about by constructing the shelf so that in its free unrestrained condition the front 22a and bottom 22b of each shelf are spaced apart a distance greater than that shown in Fig. 4.

With the shelving arrangement of this invention, each shelf is securely locked in position by means of the natural springiness of the shelf. Also each shelf is easily removed from one position and reinstalled in another position when such is desired. By supporting each shelf at its rear edge and the sides of the upper front only, installation of a shelf is easier, faster and simpler.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A removable shelving arrangement for a refrigerator door having an inner surface cavity with rear and side walls and a removable shelf having an article supporting bottom portion and an upstanding article retaining front portion, comprising: a plurality of pairs of oppositely Patented Mar. 21, 1961 upperends of said bosses, and having parts to closely,

engagethe tapered rear surfaces of the bosses for supportingthe front of said shelf and holding the shelf in place.

2. A removable shelving arrangement for a refrigerator door having an inner surface cavity with rear and side walls and a removable shelf having an article supporting,

bottom p ortion and an upstanding article retaining front portion, comprising: a plurality. of pairs of oppositely positioned bosses on said side. walls, each having an inwardly, recessed rear surface, thelrear wall having aplurality of spaced, substantially horizontal elongated recesses therein, a rear edge portion on said shelf bottom adapted to releasably engage one of said recesses; and a pair of downwardly opening socket portions at the edge of said shelf front portion for engaging the tops of said bosses-each having a downwardly extendingportion bearingagainst said rear surface, said shelf being springy with saidbottom and front being distorted towardeach other when the, shelf is in position, tov aid in retaining said rear edge portion in said recess and said sockets on said bosses.

3. A removable shelving arrangement for arefrigerator door havinganinner, surface cavity with rear and side walls and a removable shelf having, an articlesupporting 4 bottom portion and an upstanding article retaining fiont portion,- comprising: a plurality of pairs of oppositely positioned bosses on said side walls, each having a rear surface including a downwardly and forwardly tapered portion to form a notch, the rear wall of the cavity having a plurality of spaced, elongated, substantially horizontal recesses therein, having rearwardly extending bottom surfaces, each recess being located rearwardly of and beneath a corresponding pair of said bosses, an elongated rear edge portion on said shelf bottom adapted to releasably engage one of said recesses; and a pair. of downwardly opening socket portions at the edge ofsaid shelf front portion for engaging the tops of said bosses, each having a downwardly extending portion bearing against said rear surface, each of said downwardly extending portions terminating in a catch to engage the boss notches, said shelf being springy with said bottom and front being distortedtoward each other when the shelf is in position to aid in retaining said rear edge portion in said recess and said sockets on said bosses.

References Cited in due file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

1,818,404 Kaufman Aug. 11, 1931 2,461,219 Lew Feb. 8, 1949 2,686,703 Nave Aug. 17, 1954 2,749,718 Saunders June 12, 1956 2,784,044 Kurowski Mar. 5, 1957 2,852,328 Jewell Sept. 16, 1958

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