Shelf assembly for appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823490-B2
Application number	US-201715782169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A shelf assembly for a refrigerator includes a frame assembly having front and rear frame members with respective front and rear channels. A panel includes first and second ends, wherein the first end is fully received in the front channel, and further wherein the second end is partially received in the rear channel. A spacer assembly includes a spacer member and one or more clip members extending upwardly from a base portion. The clip members are clipped to mounting apertures disposed on the second portion of the rear frame member. The spacer member is received through a receiving aperture disposed through the rear frame member. The spacer member extends into the rear channel and engages the second end of the panel when the spacer assembly is clipped to the rear frame member to retain the panel in the channels of the front and rear frame members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf assembly, comprising:
a frame assembly having front and rear frame members, wherein each of the front and rear frame members include first and second portions vertically spaced-apart from one another and substantially parallel to one another to define front and rear channels, respectively, therebetween, and further wherein the first and second portions of the rear frame member are interconnected by an end wall;
a glass panel having first and second ends, wherein the first end is fully received in the front channel of the front frame member, and further wherein the second end is partially received in the rear channel, such that a gap is defined between an upright end surface of the second end of the glass panel and the end wall downwardly extending from an underside of the first portion of the rear frame member; and
at least one spacer assembly having a base portion with one or more spacer members extending upwardly from the base portion and one or more clip members extending upwardly from the base portion, wherein the one or more clip members of the spacer assembly are clipped to one or more mounting apertures disposed through the second portion of the rear frame member, and further wherein the one or more spacer members are received through one or more receiving apertures disposed through the second portion of the rear frame member, wherein the one or more spacer members extend into the gap of the rear channel and engage the upright end surface of the second end of the glass panel when the at least one spacer assembly is clipped to the second portion of the rear frame member.

2. The shelf assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more spacer members engage the second end of the glass panel on a first side of the one or more spacer members, and further wherein the one or more spacer members engage the end wall of the rear channel on a second side of the one or more spacer members.

3. The shelf assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more spacer members include a cross-shaped cross-section having front and rear arms and first and second side arms.

4. The shelf assembly of claim 3 , wherein the front arm of the one or more spacer members engages the second end of the glass panel, when the at least one spacer assembly is clipped to the second portion of the rear frame member.

5. The shelf assembly of claim 4 , wherein the one or more receiving apertures include cross-shaped apertures having a plurality of outwardly extending segments, and further wherein the front and rear arms and the first and second side arms of the one or more spacer members are individually received in respective outwardly extending segments of the cross-shaped apertures of the one or more receiving apertures, when the at least one spacer assembly is coupled to the second portion of the rear frame member.

6. The shelf assembly of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the base portion of the at least one spacer assembly abuts an underside of the second portion of the rear frame member, when the at least one spacer assembly is clipped to the second portion of the rear frame member.

7. The shelf assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front channel includes an end wall extending downwardly from an underside of the first portion of the front frame member into the front channel.

8. The shelf assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first end of the glass panel abuts the end wall of the first portion of the front frame member when the at least one spacer assembly is clipped to the second portion of the rear frame member.

9. A shelf assembly, comprising:
a frame assembly having first and second frame members spaced-apart on opposite sides of the frame assembly to define a receiving area therebetween, wherein the first frame member includes a first channel, and further wherein the second frame member includes a second channel having an access slot disposed through an underside thereof;
a panel having first and second ends, wherein the panel is received in the receiving area, and further wherein the first end of the panel is received in the first channel of the first frame member, and further wherein the second end of the panel includes an upright end surface received in the second channel of the second frame member, wherein a gap is defined between the upright end surface of the panel and an end wall extending into the second channel; and
a spacer assembly releasably coupled to the second frame member, the spacer assembly having a base portion with first and second arms upwardly extending therefrom, wherein the first and second arms of the spacer assembly are spaced-apart from one another and received in the second channel of the second frame member through the access slot at the gap defined therein, and further wherein the first arm engages the upright end surface of the panel when the spacer assembly is coupled to the second frame member.

10. The shelf assembly of claim 9 , wherein the second frame member includes first and second portions vertically spaced-apart to define the second channel therebetween, wherein the end wall downwardly extends from an underside of the first portion of the second frame member.

11. The shelf assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second arm of the spacer assembly engages the end wall when the spacer assembly is coupled to the second frame member.

12. The shelf assembly of claim 11 , wherein a fastening channel is defined between the first and second arms of the spacer assembly.

13. The shelf assembly of claim 12 , wherein the spacer assembly is secured to the second frame member by one or more fasteners.

14. The shelf assembly of claim 9 , wherein the access slot is substantially disposed along a length of the second frame member, and further wherein the base portion and the first and second arms of the spacer assembly substantially span the length of the access slot.

15. A shelf assembly, comprising:
a first frame member having upper and lower portions vertically spaced-apart from each other to define a first channel therebetween;
a second frame member spaced-apart from the first frame member to partially define a receiving area therebetween, the second frame member having upper and lower portions vertically spaced-apart from one another to define a second channel therebetween;
a panel having first and second ends, wherein the panel is received in the receiving area and operable between a first position, wherein the second end is received in the second channel, and a second position, wherein the first end is received in the first channel and the second end is received in the second channel, and further wherein a gap is formed between an upright end surface of the panel and an end wall extending inwardly into the second channel when the panel is in the second position; and
a spacer assembly removeably received in the gap of the second channel, wherein the spacer assembly engages the upright end surface of the panel to retain the panel in the second position.

16. The shelf assembly of claim 15 , wherein the panel includes a panel comprised of glass.

17. The shelf assembly of claim 15 , wherein the upper portion of the second frame member includes an end wall extending downwardly therefrom, wherein the gap is defined between the second end of the panel and the end wall.

18. The shelf assembly of claim 15 , wherein the lower portion of the second frame member includes at least one receiving aperture disposed therethrough.

19. The shelf assembly of claim 18 , wherein the spacer assembly includes a spacer member, and further wherein the sp

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Kumar Shrawan
• Pranav
• Rawate Kundan
• Sanchez Antonio

Classifications

• F25D2325/021

  Shelves with several possible configurations · CPC title

• A47B96/021

  Structural features of shelf bases · CPC title

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title

• F25D2325/022

  Shelves made of glass or ceramic · CPC title

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title