Refrigerator storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429277-B2
Application number	US-202318347358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2023
Priority date	Jul 5, 2023
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A refrigerator bin system includes a receptacle, at least one rail, and a secondary container. The receptacle has a top side defining a plurality of orifices of varying sizes configured to receive primary containers of varying sizes. The at least one rail is disposed below receptacle. The secondary container is configured to engage the at least one rail for securing and removing the secondary container onto and from the receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a door having an interior surface;
a bin disposed along the interior surface of the door, the bin having (i) a receptacle disposed along a top side of the bin, (ii) opposing rails disposed below the receptacle along a bottom side of the of the bin, wherein a space is defined between the opposing rails, and (iii) a protrusion having a ramped region that extends downward, into the space and toward a back end of the bin;
primary containers;
a secondary container defining grooves on opposing sides of the secondary container; and
an adapter plate (i) secured to the top side of the bin and (ii) defining a plurality of orifices configured to receive the primary containers, wherein (a) the rails are configured to interact with the secondary container, (b) the secondary container is configured to engage the opposing rails within the grooves for inserting and removing the secondary container into and from the space, and (c) the ramped region of the protrusion is configured to engage a top of the secondary container along a rear of the secondary container to wedge the secondary container onto the bin, force the rear of the secondary container downward, and restrict vertical movement of the secondary container within the space, and wherein (i) rearward ends of the opposing rails are sloped downward and (ii) the secondary container is configured to engage the rearward ends of the opposing rails such that the secondary container is biased toward the back end of the bin and into the space.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein (i) the opposing rails include forward and rearward upward extending protrusions, (ii) the secondary container defines forward and rearward notches extending upward from the grooves along forward and rearward regions of the secondary container, and (iii) the forward and rearward upward extending protrusions are configured to engage the secondary container within the forward and rearward notches to secure the position of the secondary container within the space.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein (i) the bin further comprises a stop disposed along the back end of the bin within the space and space, (ii) the stop is configured to engage the secondary container to limit travel of the secondary container into the space, and (iii) the ramped region of the protrusion terminates at the stop.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein (i) the plurality of orifices includes varying-sized orifices, (ii) the primary containers include varying-sized containers, and (iii) the varying-sized orifices are configured receive corresponding varying-sized containers.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the primary and secondary containers each include removable lids, and wherein the removable lids include snaps for securing the removable lids to the primary and secondary containers.

6. A refrigerator door bin system comprising:
a receptacle;
rails extending downward from the receptacle and defining a space below the receptacle;
a protrusion having a ramped region that extends downward from the receptacle, into the space, and toward a back end of receptacle;
an adapter (i) secured to a top side of the receptacle and (ii) defining a plurality of container-receiving openings; and
a container configured to engage the rails for inserting and removing the container into and from the space, wherein the ramped region of the protrusion is configured to engage a top of the container along a rear of the container to wedge the container onto the receptacle, force the rear of the container downward, and restrict vertical movement of the container within the space, and wherein (i) rearward ends of the rails are sloped downward and (ii) the container is configured to engage the rearward ends of the rails such that the container is biased into the space.

7. The refrigerator door bin system of claim 6 , wherein (i) the rails include forward and rearward upward extending protrusions, (ii) the container defines forward and rearward notches along forward and rearward regions of the container, and (iii) the forward and rearward upward extending protrusions are configured to engage the container within the forward and rearward notches to secure the position of the container within the space.

8. The refrigerator door bin system of claim 6 further comprising a stop extending downward from the receptacle and into the space, wherein the stop is configured to engage the container to limit travel of the container into the space, and wherein the ramped region of the protrusion terminates at the stop.

9. The refrigerator door bin system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of container-receiving openings includes varying-sized openings.

10. The refrigerator door bin system of claim 6 , wherein (i) the rails include first and second spaced-apart rails and (ii) the first and second spaced-apart rails at least partially define the space therebetween.

11. The refrigerator door bin system of claim 6 , wherein the container includes a removable lid, and wherein the removable lid includes snaps for securing the removable lid to the container.

12. A refrigerator bin system comprising:
a receptacle having a top side defining a plurality of orifices of varying sizes configured to receive primary containers of varying sizes;
a protrusion having a ramped region that extends downward from the receptacle and toward a back end of receptacle;
a secondary container; and
at least one rail disposed below receptacle, wherein the at least one rail is configured to interact with the secondary container such that the secondary container engages the at least one rail for securing and removing the secondary container onto and from the receptacle, wherein the protrusion configured to engage a top of the secondary container along a rear of the secondary container to wedge the secondary container onto the receptacle, force the rear of the secondary container downward, and restrict vertical movement of the secondary container relative to the receptacle, wherein (i) rearward ends of each rail of the at least one rail are sloped downward and (ii) the secondary container is configured to engage the rearward ends of each rail of the at least one rail such that the secondary container is biased onto the receptacle.

13. The refrigerator bin system of claim 12 , wherein at least one rail includes at least one forward upward extending protrusion and at least one rearward upward extending protrusion, (ii) the secondary container defines at least one forward notch and at least one rearward notch, and (iii) the at least one forward upward extending protrusion is configured to engage the secondary container within the at least one forward notch and the at least one rearward upward extending protrusion is configured to engage the secondary container within the at least one rearward notch to secure the position of the secondary container on the receptacle.

14. The refrigerator bin system of claim 12 further comprising a stop extending downward from the receptacle, wherein the stop is configured to engage the secondary container to limit travel of the secondary container relative to the receptacle, and wherein the ramped region of the protrusion terminates at the stop.

15. The refrigerator bin system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one rail includes first and second rails.

16. The refrigerator bin system of claim 15 , wherein the first and second rails define a space therebetween that is configured to receive the secondary container.

17. The refrigerator bin system of claim 12 , wherein secondary

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Burgess Brent
• Carpenter Christopher
• Hartnett Christopher
• Macias Luis Yahir
• Pohl Douglas
• Schatz Steven
• Shetty Shekhar

Classifications

• F25D25/021 Primary

  combined with trays · CPC title

• F25D25/025

  Drawers · CPC title

• F25D23/04

  with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners · CPC title

• F25D23/028

  Details · CPC title

• F25D25/005 Primary

  using containers · CPC title