Refrigerator appliance and corresponding shelving system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146704-B2
Application number	US-202318393964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2022
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A bottle support configured to interact with a shelf includes a brace, hooks, and resilient clips. The brace defines a notch configured to engage bottles disposed on the shelf. The hooks extend from the brace and are configured to engage an upper region of the shelf such that bottle holder slidably engages the shelf. The resilient clips extend downward from the hooks and are configured to snap onto a lower region of the shelf to connect the brace to the shelf. The engagement between the hooks and the shelf is configured to facilitate lateral movement of the brace. The engagement between the hooks and the shelf is configured to restrict forward and rearward movement of the brace. Engagement between the clips and the shelf is configured to restrict vertical movement of the brace.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bottle holder configured to interact with a refrigerator shelf comprising:
a first member configured to engage bottles disposed on the refrigerator shelf to restrict movement of the bottles along the refrigerator shelf;
a second member extending from the first member and configured to rest upon refrigerator shelf;
hooks extending from the second member and configured to engage an upper end of a support that is secured to the refrigerator shelf such that the bottle holder slidably engages the support; and
resilient clips extending downward from the hooks and configured to snap onto the support and extend under a lower end of the support to connect the bottle holder to the support, wherein (i) the engagement between the hooks and the support is configured to facilitate movement of the bottle holder in a first direction, (ii) the engagement between the hooks and the support is configured to restrict movement of the bottle holder in a second direction, and (iii) engagement between the clips and the support is configured to restrict movement of the bottle holder in a third direction.

2. The bottle holder of claim 1 , wherein first portions of the hooks extend upward from an end of the second member opposite to the first member.

3. The bottle holder of claim 2 , wherein second portions of the hooks extend (i) downward from the first portions of the hooks and (ii) below the second member.

4. The bottle holder of claim 2 , wherein the first portions of the hooks extend from the second member at an angle that is greater than 90° relative to the second member.

5. The bottle holder of claim 1 , wherein the first member extends upward from the second member at an angle that is less than 90° relative to the first member.

6. The bottle holder of claim 1 , wherein the first member defines a notch configured to engage bottles disposed on the refrigerator shelf.

7. The bottle holder of claim 1 , wherein (i) the resilient clips include protrusions extending therefrom and (ii) the protrusions are configured to engage the lower end of the support to connect the bottle holder to the support.

8. A bottle support configured to interact with a shelf comprising:
a brace defining a notch configured to engage bottles disposed on the shelf;
hooks extending from the brace and configured to engage an upper region of the shelf such that bottle holder slidably engages the shelf; and
resilient clips extending downward from the hooks and configured to snap onto a lower region of the shelf to connect the brace to the shelf, wherein (i) the engagement between the hooks and the shelf is configured to facilitate lateral movement of the brace, (ii) the engagement between the hooks and the shelf is configured to restrict forward and rearward movement of the brace, and (iii) engagement between the clips and the shelf is configured to restrict vertical movement of the brace.

9. The bottle support of claim 8 , wherein first portions of the hooks extend upward from an end of the brace.

10. The bottle support of claim 9 , wherein second portions of the hooks extend (i) downward from the first portions of the hooks and (ii) below the brace.

11. The bottle support of claim 9 , wherein the first portions of the hooks extend from the brace at an angle that is greater than 90 ° relative to the brace.

12. The bottle support of claim 8 , wherein support brace includes a lower member that is configured to rest upon a top of the shelf and an upper member that protrudes upward from the lower member, wherein the upper member defines the notch.

13. The bottle support of claim 12 , wherein the upper member extends upward from the lower member at an angle that is less than 90° relative to the lower member.

14. The bottle support of claim 8 , wherein (i) the resilient clips include protrusions extending therefrom and (ii) the protrusions are configured to engage the lower region of the shelf to connect the bottle support to the shelf.

15. A bottle support configured to interact with a shelf comprising:
a rack having (i) a first plate defining a notch configured to engage a bottle disposed on the shelf and (ii) a second plate extending from the first plate and configured to rest upon the shelf;
a hook extending from the rack and configured to engage a top end of the shelf; and
a resilient clip extending downward from the hook and configured to snap onto a lower end of the shelf to connect the rack to the shelf, wherein (i) the engagement between the hook and the shelf is configured to facilitate lateral movement of the rack, (ii) the engagement between the hook and the shelf is configured to restrict forward and rearward movement of the rack, and (iii) engagement between the clip and the shelf is configured to restrict vertical movement of the rack.

16. The bottle support of claim 15 , wherein a first portion of the hook extends upward from an end of the second plate opposite to the first plate.

17. The bottle support of claim 16 , wherein a second portion of the hook extends (i) downward from the first portion of the hook and (ii) below the second plate.

18. The bottle support of claim 16 , wherein the first portion of the hook extends from the second plate at an angle that is greater than 90° relative to the second plate.

19. The bottle support of claim 15 , wherein the first plate extends upward from the second plate at an angle that is less than 90° relative to the first plate.

20. The bottle support of claim 15 , wherein (i) the resilient clip includes a protrusion extending therefrom and (ii) the protrusion is configured to engage the lower end of the shelf to connect the bottle support to the shelf.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Arresta Giuseppina
• Brzezina Jakub
• Rikalo Nataša
• Rutkowski Piotr
• Valle Maurizio
• Yilmaz Cem

Classifications

• F25D2331/809

  Holders · CPC title

• A47B73/008 Primary

  with attachment means for fixing in another cupboard or rack · CPC title

• F25D2331/803

  Bottles · CPC title

• F25D31/007

  Bottles or cans · CPC title

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title