Front loading can rack system for refrigeration appliances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12498168-B2
Application number	US-202318239776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Aug 30, 2023
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A front loading can rack system for a refrigeration appliance can be provided for receiving, storing, and dispensing canned items. The front loading can rack system can include a top cover, which can be coupled with at least two walls of the front loading can rack system. The front loading can rack system can also include compartments for storing cans. Additionally, the front loading can rack system can include a first set of front openings positioned directly below the top cover for receiving cans and a second set of front openings positioned at bottoms of the compartments for dispensing cans. Moreover, the front loading can rack system can include hook mechanisms, which can be positioned on one or more back walls of the compartments. The hook mechanisms can couple the front loading can rack system to the refrigeration appliance by attaching to bolts of the refrigeration appliance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A front loading can rack system for a refrigeration appliance, the front loading can rack system comprising:
a top cover coupled with at least two walls of the front loading can rack system; at least one compartment configured to store a plurality of cans; a first set of front openings positioned at a top of the at least one compartment and directly below the top cover, the first set of front openings configured to receive each can of the plurality of cans such that each can of the plurality of cans is inserted via the first set of front openings into the at least one compartment; a second set of front openings positioned at a bottom of the at least one compartment and configured to dispense each can of the plurality of cans; a plurality of hook mechanisms positioned on one or more back walls of the at least one compartment, each hook mechanism of the plurality of hook mechanisms configured to couple the front loading can rack system to the refrigeration appliance by attaching to each bolt of a plurality of bolts of the refrigeration appliance; a bottom flap configured to hold the plurality of cans within the at least one compartment; and a bottom dampener comprising a tab that includes a tab neck and a tab end, the tab being insertable into a hole of the bottom flap to couple the bottom dampener to the bottom flap.

2 . The front loading can rack system of claim 1 , further comprising at least two front flaps and at least two bottom flaps, wherein the at least two bottom flaps include the bottom flap, and wherein the at least two front flaps and at least two bottom flaps are configured to hold the plurality of cans within the at least one compartment.

3 . The front loading can rack system of claim 2 , wherein at least two bottom dampeners are coupled to the at least two bottom flaps, wherein the at least two bottom dampeners include the bottom dampener, wherein the at least two bottom dampeners comprise a plurality of tabs that include a plurality of tab neck and a plurality of tab ends, and wherein each tab of the plurality of tabs are inserted into holes of each bottom flap of the at least two bottom flaps to couple the at least two bottom dampeners to the at least two bottom flaps.

4 . The front loading can rack system of claim 1 , further comprising a top cutout and a back cutout, wherein the top cutout and the back cutout are configured to fit around an ice maker on an inner side of a door of the refrigeration appliance, and wherein the plurality of bolts is located on an inner liner of the ice maker.

5 . The front loading can rack system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of slots in the one or more back walls, wherein a plurality of back bumpers are coupled to the front loading can rack system via the plurality of slots, wherein each back bumper of the plurality of back bumpers comprises a flange that is inserted through a slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each back bumper of the plurality of back bumpers further comprises a first flap that flexes downward while in contact with a first can of the plurality of cans as the first can descends through the at least one compartment to the bottom of the at least one compartment or on to a second can of the plurality of cans.

6 . The front loading can rack system of claim 1 , wherein each hook mechanism of the plurality of hook mechanisms comprises an upper portion and lower poriton, and wherein the lower portion is wider than the upper portion.

7 . The front loading can rack system of claim 1 , wherein the top cover is a textured top cover.

8 . A method comprising:
positioning a front loading can rack system on an inner side of a door of a refrigeration appliance by:
aligning a plurality of hook mechanisms above a plurality of bolts on the inner side of the door of the refrigeration appliance, the plurality of hook mechanisms positioned on one or more back walls of at least one compartment of the front loading can rack system, and the at least one compartment configured to store a plurality of cans; and
coupling the front loading can rack system to the inner side of the door by sliding the can rack downward to cause the plurality of hook mechanisms to attach to the plurality of bolts, the front loading can rack system comprising a top cover, a first set of front openings positioned directly below the top cover and configured to receive a plurality of cans such that each can of the plurality of cans is inserted via the first set of front openings into the at least one compartment, a second set of front openings positioned at a bottom of the at least one compartment and configured to dispense each can of the plurality of cans, a bottom flap configured to hold the plurality of cans within the at least one compartment, and a bottom dampener comprising a tab that includes a tab neck and a tab end, the tab being insertable into a hole of the bottom flap to couple the bottom dampener to the bottom flap.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the front loading can rack system further comprises at least two front flaps and at least two bottom flaps, wherein the at least two bottom flaps include the bottom flap, and wherein the at least two front flaps and at least two bottom flaps are configured to hold the plurality of cans within the at least one compartment.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising coupling at least two bottom dampeners to the at least two bottom flaps, wherein the at least two bottom dampeners include the bottom dampener, wherein the at least two bottom dampeners comprise a plurality of tabs that include a plurality of tab necks and a plurality of tab ends, and wherein coupling the at least two bottom dampeners to the at least two bottom flaps comprises inserting, for each bottom dampener of the at least two bottom dampeners, each tab of the plurality of tabs into holes of each bottom flap of the at least two bottom flaps.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the front loading can rack system further comprises a top cutout and a back cutout configured to fit around an ice maker on the inner side of the door of the refrigeration appliance, and wherein the plurality of bolts is located on an inner liner of the ice maker.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the front loading can rack system further comprises a plurality of slots in the one or more back walls, wherein the method further comprising coupling a plurality of back bumpers to the front loading can rack system via the plurality of slots, wherein each back bumper of the plurality of back bumpers comprises a flange, wherein coupling the plurality of back bumpers to the front loading can rack system comprises inserting the flange of each back bumper of the plurality of back bumpers through each slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each back bumper of the plurality of back bumpers further comprises a first flap that flexes downward while in contact with a first can of the plurality of cans as the first can descends through the at least one compartment to the bottom of the at least one compartment or on to a second can of the plurality of cans.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each hook mechanism of the plurality of hook mechanisms comprise an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein aligning the plurality of hook mechanisms above the plurality of bolts on the inner side of the door of the refrigeration appliance comprises aligning the lower portions of the plurality of hook mechanisms with the bolts, and wherein coupling the front loading can rack system to the inner side of the door by sliding the can rack downward to cause the plurality of hook mechanisms to attach

Assignees

• Bsh Home Appliances Corp
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Gluck Griswold Sarah
• Harward Samuel
• Rajan Elena

Classifications

• F25D2331/809

  Holders · CPC title

• F25D2331/805

  Cans · CPC title

• A47F1/08

  dispensing from bottom · CPC title

• F25D23/04 Primary

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

• F25D23/067

  Supporting elements · CPC title