U-shaped tuck shelf

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018409-B2
Application number	US-201715407352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator cabinet including a plurality of U-shaped shelves is provided. Each of the plurality of U-shaped shelves includes left, right and back portions located in a horizontal fashion with one shelf above another. A mounting structure is provided for supporting the U-shaped shelves; and a removable shelf is located within one or more of the U-shaped shelves. In addition, a tuck shelf is mounted in at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves, the tuck shelf being disposed either against at least a back portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf or between the removable shelf and a portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf that is closest to a user of the refrigerator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator cabinet including a plurality of U-shaped shelves, the refrigerator cabinet having the plurality of U-shaped shelves comprising:
the plurality of U-shaped shelves having left, right and back portions located in a horizontal fashion with one shelf above another;
a mounting structure for supporting the U-shaped shelves;
a removable shelf within one or more of the U-shaped shelves; and
a tuck shelf mounted in at least one U-shaped shelf, the tuck shelf being disposed either against at least a back portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf or between the removable shelf and a portion of the at least one U-shaped shelf that is closest to a user of the refrigerator cabinet;
wherein at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves comprises:
a left side portion extending at least partially along a left side of the refrigerator cabinet from a back of the cabinet towards a front of the cabinet which faces a user;
a right side portion extending at least partially along a right side of the refrigerator cabinet from the back of the cabinet towards the front of the cabinet which faces a user;
a back portion extending between the left and right side portions, wherein the left, right, and back portions define a center portion and form a U-shaped shelf within the refrigerator cabinet;
a center shelf within the center portion of the U-shaped shelf, wherein the center shelf at least partially fills the center portion of the U-shaped shelf between the left and right side portions and abuts or nearly abuts the back portion of the U-shaped shelf; and
the U-shaped shelf is integrally formed as a single shelf and sized to extend across a width of an interior of the refrigerator cabinet and further comprises a center tuck shelf movable between a retracted position under the center shelf and an extended position where at least a portion of the center tuck shelf extends beyond a front edge of the center shelf;
the left side, right side, and back portion are sized and configured to retain containers of food or beverages and the left side portion and the right side portion have a width of at least four inches; and
the center shelf is a removable shelf made from glass, plastic, wood, or a wood-look material and the center tuck shelf extends to a fully extended position that at least partially aligns with a front of the left side portion and a front of the right side portion and wherein the center tuck shelf, when extended, does not abut the front edge of the center shelf and is not in the same plane, but is in a parallel plane.

2. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves includes a ledge extending inwardly towards a center of the cabinet, wherein the ledge supports the center shelf.

3. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the center shelf fills the center portion of at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves between the left, right, and back portions.

4. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least one U-shaped shelf is formed from two pieces, wherein one of the two pieces is formed by the left side portion and a first half of the back portion, and the other piece of the two pieces is formed by the right side portion and a second half of the back portion.

5. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least one U-shaped shelf is formed of three pieces, wherein a first piece includes part of the left side portion, a second piece includes part of the right side portion, and a third piece includes the back portion and the remainder of the left and right side portions.

6. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the tuck shelf is formed of two pieces, wherein in a first piece includes part of a back portion and a second piece includes part of a front portion towards the front of the cabinet which faces a user.

7. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of U-shaped shelves comprises a second tuck shelf movable between a retracted position under the center shelf and an extended position where at least a portion of the second tuck shelf extends beyond a front edge of the center tuck shelf.

8. A refrigerator cabinet including a plurality of shelves, the refrigerator cabinet comprising:
a cabinet structure;
a first shelf that is a full shelf which extends across the width and depth of the inside of the refrigerator cabinet;
second and third shelves, at least one of which is a U-shaped shelf;
the U-shaped shelf having left, right and back portions;
a mounting structure for supporting the U-shaped shelf;
a removable shelf within the U-shaped shelf; and
a tuck shelf mounted in the U-shaped shelf, the tuck shelf being disposed either against at least a back portion of the U-shaped shelf or between the removable shelf and a portion of the U-shaped shelf that is closest to a user of the refrigerator cabinet;
wherein the U-shaped shelf comprises:
a left side portion extending at least partially along a left side of the refrigerator cabinet from a back of the cabinet towards a front of the cabinet which faces a user;
a right side portion extending at least partially along a right side of the refrigerator cabinet from the back of the cabinet towards the front of the cabinet which faces a user;
a back portion extending between the left and right side portions, wherein the left, right, and back portions define a center portion and form the U-shaped shelf within the refrigerator cabinet;
a center shelf within the center portion of the U-shaped shelf, wherein the center shelf at least partially fills the center portion of the U-shaped shelf between the left and right side portions and abuts or nearly abuts the back portion of the U-shaped shelf;
the U-shaped shelf is integrally formed as a single shelf and sized to extend across a width of an interior of the refrigerator cabinet and further comprises a center tuck shelf movable between a retracted position under the center shelf and an extended position where at least a portion of the center tuck shelf extends beyond a front edge of the center shelf;
the left side, right side, and back portion are sized and configured to retain containers of food or beverages and the left side portion and the right side portion have a width of at least four inches; and
the center shelf is a removable shelf made from glass, plastic, wood, or a wood-look material and the center tuck shelf extends to a fully extended position that at least partially aligns with a front of the left side portion and a front of the right side portion and wherein the center tuck shelf, when extended, does not abut the front edge of the center shelf and is not in the same plane, but is in a parallel plane.

9. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 8 , wherein each of the second and third shelves is a U-shaped shelf with a tuck shelf therein.

10. The refrigerator cabinet of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the tuck shelves is offset from the center of the U-shaped shelf.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Burke Julia B
• Chow Daniel
• Flores Juan F
• Tunzi Todd

Classifications

• A47B96/025

  Shelves with moving elements, e.g. movable extensions or link elements (cabinets, racks or shelf units enabling enlargement in height, length or depth A47B45/00) · CPC title

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title

• F25D2325/021

  Shelves with several possible configurations · CPC title

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title