U-shaped tuck shelf

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11598577-B2
Application number	US-202016899927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A refrigerator cabinet including a first shelf defining a U-shape, wherein the U-shape is off-center so that a first side of the U-shape is wider than the an opposite, second side of the U-shape, a second U-shaped shelf having left, right and back portions located in a horizontal fashion above the first shelf, and a mounting structure for supporting the first and second U-shaped shelves.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A refrigerator, comprising:
a first shelf defining an off-center U-shape having a first side that is wider than an opposite second side of the U-shape;
a second U-shaped shelf vertically aligned with the first shelf and having left, right and back portions, the left and right portions each defining a storage surface having a width of at least about four inches and configured for supporting food items thereon, and the left, right, and back portions defining an opening between the left and right portions and in front of the back portion with at least the left and right portions defining a first pair of grooves and a separate second pair of grooves positioned beneath the first pair of grooves;
a removable shelf portion selectively supported within the opening of the second U-shaped shelf on the first pair of grooves and separate from the second pair of grooves such that the removable shelf portion fills a portion of the opening in the second U-shaped shelf, a major surface of the removable shelf portion being planar with the storage surfaces of the second U-shaped shelf when the removable shelf portion is supported within the opening of the second U-shaped shelf, the removable shelf portion being removable from the second U-shaped shelf by upward lifting of the removable shelf portion off of the first pair of grooves;
a tuck shelf mounted within the opening of the second U-shaped shelf on the second pair of grooves and separate from the removable shelf portion, so as to be moveable between an extended position in front of the removable shelf portion and a tucked position adjacent the back portion of the second U-shaped shelf and beneath the removable shelf portion, when supported within the opening; and
a mounting structure for supporting the first and second U-shaped shelves within an interior of the refrigerator.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the tuck shelf is mounted against at least a back portion of the U-shape of the first U-shaped shelf.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the U-shape of the second U-shaped shelf is an off-center U-shape having a first side of the U-shape that is wider than an opposite, second side of the U-shape.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further including:
a third shelf that defines a full, rectangular shape spanning a width and a depth of the interior of the refrigerator.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , further including:
a third shelf including a tuck shelf therein, wherein the tuck shelf is offset from a center of the third shelf.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the left portion and the right portion of the second U-shaped shelf each have a depth of about twenty inches.

7. An appliance, comprising:
a first shelf having left, right, and back portions, each defining a storage surface having a width of at least about four inches, the left, right, and back portions being mutually arranged to define a U-shape of the first shelf;
a second shelf having left, right and back portions including an opening between the left and right portions and in front of the back portion, the left, right and back portions being mutually arranged to define a U-shape of the second shelf, the second shelf including a ledge disposed within at least a portion of the opening and a pair of grooves respectively defined on the left and right portions within the opening, the pair of grooves being separate from and disposed beneath the ledge;
a first removable shelf portion selectively disposed on the ledge of the second shelf, separate from the pair of grooves, and defining a major surface co-planar with the storage surfaces of the left, right, and back portions of the second shelf so as to be removable from the second shelf by lifting;
a tuck shelf mounted within the opening on the pair of grooves, separate from the first removable shelf portion, so as to be moveable between an extended position in front of the first removable shelf portion and a tucked position adjacent the back portion of the second shelf and beneath the at first removable shelf portion, when supported within the opening; and
a mounting structure for supporting the first and second U-shaped shelves in a vertically aligned manner within an interior of the appliance.

8. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein:
the left and right portions of the first shelf define respective left and right slots open to a center of the U-shape of the first shelf;
the left and right slots extend below the back portion of the first shelf; and
a generally planar tuck shelf removably positioned within the slots for slidable coupling with the first U-shaped shelf, wherein the tuck shelf is outwardly extendable to a position within the center of the first U-shaped shelf.

9. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein a storage surface of one of the left and right portions of the second shelf is configured for supporting food items thereon.

10. The appliance of claim 9 , wherein the storage surface of the second U-shaped shelf has a width of at least about four inches.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F25D2325/021

  Shelves with several possible configurations · CPC title

• F25D2500/02

  Geometry problems · CPC title

• F25D2325/023

  Shelves made of wires · CPC title

• F25D23/00

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

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title