Refrigerator cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11723463-B2
Application number	US-202117480827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Sep 21, 2021
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A foot is connected to the bottom wall of a refrigeration cabinet. The foot is selectively movable relative to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall. The bottom wall provides access to the foot from within the interior of the cabinet to allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall. The foot includes a stop configured to engage the bottom wall and thereby limit downward adjustment of the foot with respect to the bottom wall. A floor glide is connected to the bottom wall and initially protrudes downward from the bottom wall beyond the foot. The floor glide enables the cabinet to slide along a support surface to a deployment position so then the foot can be lowered to support the cabinet at the deployment position on the foot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising:
walls separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall;
wherein the bottom wall is configured such that the foot is accessible from within the interior of the cabinet to allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall; and
wherein the foot includes a stop configured to limit downward adjustment of the foot with respect to the bottom wall of the cabinet;
wherein the foot comprises a threaded shaft having an upper end portion and a lower end portion spaced apart along an axis of the threaded shaft;
wherein the stop comprises a projection extending radially outward with respect to the axis at the upper end portion of the threaded shaft;
wherein the refrigerator cabinet further comprises a support bracket connected to the bottom wall, wherein the foot is coupled to the support bracket;
wherein the support bracket comprises a threaded opening and the threaded shaft is threadably received in the threaded opening such that the vertical position of the foot is adjustable by rotating the foot relative to the support bracket;
wherein the support bracket comprises a bracket plate and a nut affixed to the bracket plate, the nut defining at least a portion of the threaded opening;
wherein the threaded shaft is configured to be threadably advanced downward by rotation with respect to the nut and wherein the stop is configured to engage the threaded nut to limit downward adjustment of the foot with respect to the bottom wall.

2. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the upper end portion of the threaded shaft comprises a peripheral annular groove.

3. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the stop comprises a retaining ring received in the peripheral annular groove.

4. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the retaining ring comprises an external shaft ring having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a length extending from the first end portion to the second end portion, the length of the external shaft ring extending in a loop about the axis of the threaded shaft such that the first end portion is located adjacent to the second end portion and is spaced apart from the second end portion by slit in the retaining ring.

5. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the first end portion and the second end portion of the retaining ring each having a radial dimension with respect to the axis of the threaded shaft that is greater than a radial dimension of a segment of the length of the external shaft ring spaced apart between the first end portion and the second end portion and which segment extends a majority of the length of the retaining ring.

6. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the support bracket comprises a flange configured to at least one of (i) attach a kick plate to the cabinet and (ii) attach the cabinet in side-by-side relation with another cabinet.

7. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the support bracket comprises a front threaded opening and a rear threaded opening.

8. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall comprises a foam panel and the threaded shaft extending through the foam panel.

9. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the bottom wall comprises an access opening extending through the foam panel.

10. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising an insulating plug configured to be inserted into the access opening.

11. The refrigerated cabinet as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein bottom wall has first, second, third, and fourth corner regions;
wherein the foot comprises a first foot located at the first corner region, a second foot located at the second corner region, a third foot located at the third corner region, a fourth foot located at the fourth corner region.

12. A refrigeration cabinet, the cabinet comprising:
walls separating an exterior of the cabinet from an interior of the cabinet that is configured to be refrigerated by a refrigeration system connected to the cabinet, the walls including a bottom wall;
a foot connected to the bottom wall for supporting the bottom wall on a support surface, the foot being selectively movable relative to the bottom wall to adjust a vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall;
wherein the bottom wall is configured such that the foot is accessible from within the interior of the cabinet to allow a user to selectively move the foot to adjust the vertical position of the foot with respect to the bottom wall; and
wherein the foot includes a stop configured to limit downward adjustment of the foot with respect to the bottom wall of the cabinet;
wherein bottom wall has first, second, third, and fourth corner regions;
wherein the foot comprises a first foot located at the first corner region, a second foot located at the second corner region, a third foot located at the third corner region, a fourth foot located at the fourth corner region;
wherein each of the first foot, the second foot, the third foot, and the fourth foot is partially received in a respective access opening extending through a thickness of the bottom wall, wherein the cabinet further comprises a center range gauge configured to be positioned in each of the access openings to provide an indication of a center range position of the respective one of the first foot, the second foot, the third foot, and the fourth foot.

13. The cabinet as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a floor glide on the bottom wall of the cabinet and spaced apart from the foot, wherein the foot is movable relative to the bracket to an upper position at which a bottom of the foot is above a bottom of the floor glide to a lower position at which the bottom of the foot is below the bottom of the floor glide.

14. The cabinet as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the floor glide is configured to enable the cabinet to slide along a support surface to a deployment position and the foot is configured to be lowered after the cabinet is at the deployment position to support the cabinet at the deployment position on the foot.

Assignees

• True Mfg Co Inc

Inventors

• Pizzi Christian
• Pestka Daniel

Classifications

• A47B91/022 Primary

  using screw means · CPC title

• A47B91/06

  Gliders or the like · CPC title

• A47F3/0439

  Cases or cabinets of the open type (A47F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D23/00 Primary

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

• F25D2323/0011

  Means for leveling refrigerators · CPC title