Chest freezer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631860-B2
Application number	US-201414471742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A chest freezer includes a plurality of insulated walls forming a compartment that includes an upwardly facing opening. A door is configured to selectively provide access to the compartment through the upwardly facing opening. A breaker strip forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the compartment. A channel is formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip. The channel is configured to permit attachment of a storage container thereto. A cantilevered storage container for a chest freezer is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chest freezer and a storage container for the chest freezer, wherein the chest freezer comprises:
a plurality of insulated walls forming a compartment that comprises an upwardly facing opening;
a door configured to selectively provide access to the compartment through the upwardly facing opening;
a breaker strip forming at least a portion of an upper periphery of and fixed to the compartment so as to be immovable upon movement of the door; and
a channel configured to permit attachment of the storage container thereto, and wherein at least one of the plurality of insulated walls comprises an inner liner and an outer shell between which comprises an insulation material, wherein at least a portion of the breaker strip forming at least a portion of the upper periphery of the compartment extends between the inner liner and the outer shell, and wherein the channel is formed in the at least a portion of the breaker strip that extends between the inner liner and the outer shell and comprises a bottom portion and adjacent side portions, wherein the adjacent side portions extend from the bottom portion in a substantially upward direction to form an opening of the channel, the bottom portion being located between the inner liner and the outer shell at the insulation material.

2. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 1 , wherein the storage container is configured to slide along the channel.

3. A chest freezer and a storage container for the chest freezer, wherein the chest freezer comprises:
a plurality of insulated walls forming a compartment that comprises an upwardly facing opening;
a door configured to selectively provide access to the compartment through the upwardly facing opening;
a breaker strip forming at least a portion of an upper periphery of the compartment a channel configured to permit attachment of the storage container thereto, and wherein at least one of the plurality of insulated walls comprises an inner liner and an outer shell between which comprises an insulation material, wherein at least a portion of the breaker strip forming at least a portion of the upper periphery of the compartment extends between the inner liner and the outer shell, and wherein the channel is formed in the at least a portion of the breaker strip that extends between the inner liner and the outer shell and comprises a bottom portion and adjacent side portions, wherein the adjacent side portions extend from the bottom portion in a substantially upward direction to form an opening of the channel, the bottom portion being located within the insulation material; and a mullion extending across the upwardly facing opening between an opposing two of the plurality of insulated walls and defining a first region and a second region of the upwardly facing opening,
wherein at least a portion of the channel is arranged at an elevation below the mullion, and wherein the at least a portion of the channel is configured to permit attachment of the storage container thereto and extends under the mullion from a first location located in the first region to a second location located in the second region such that the storage container can slide underneath the mullion along the channel between the first location and the second location.

4. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a bottom portion and adjacent side portions, and wherein the storage container comprises an attachment member configured to engage at least a portion of the opening of the channel to attach the storage container to the channel.

5. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 4 , wherein the storage container is a cantilevered storage container and comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end opposes the second end, wherein the first end of the cantilevered storage container comprises the attachment member configured to engage at least a portion of the opening of the channel, and wherein, between the first end and the second end of the cantilevered storage container, only the first end is attached to the channel.

6. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 3 , wherein the door is a split door comprising a first door adjacent to a second door, wherein the first door is configured to selectively provide access to the compartment through the first region and the second door is configured to selectively provide access to the compartment through the second region, and wherein the mullion is configured to provide a seal between at least one of a portion of the first door when the first door is oriented to restrict access to the compartment and a portion of the second door when the second door is oriented to restrict access to the compartment.

7. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 6 , wherein the storage container can slide underneath the mullion along the channel between the first location and the second location when at least one of the first door and the second door is oriented to restrict access to the compartment.

8. The chest freezer and cantilevered storage container for the chest freezer of claim 3 , wherein the opposing two of the plurality of insulated walls comprises:
a front wall that opposes a rear wall, wherein the breaker strip forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the front wall and at least a portion of an upper periphery of the rear wall, wherein the channel further comprises a front channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of the upper periphery of the front wall and a rear channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of the upper periphery of the rear wall, and wherein
the front channel and the rear channel are configured to respectively permit attachment of a first end and a second end of the storage container thereto such that the storage container can slide underneath the mullion along the front channel and the rear channel between the first location and the second location.

9. The chest freezer and storage container for the chest freezer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of insulated walls comprises:
a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; wherein the front wall opposes the rear wall, the first side wall opposes the second side wall, and the front wall is adjacent to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein
the breaker strip forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of each of the front wall, the rear, wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, wherein
the channel further comprises a front channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the front wall, a rear channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the rear wall, a first side channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the first side wall, and a second side channel formed in at least a portion of the breaker strip that forms at least a portion of an upper periphery of the second side wall, and wherein
each of the front channel, rear channel, first side channel, and second side channel is configured to permit attachment of the storage container thereto.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Inc

Inventors

• Gossens Caleb
• Shrader Benjamin
• Johnson Glenn L
• Baker Chris Allen

Classifications

• F25D25/005

  using containers · CPC title

• F25D23/026 Primary

  for open-top cabinets · CPC title

• F25D2400/10

  Refrigerator top-coolers · CPC title

• F25D11/04

  specially adapted for storing deep-frozen articles (F25D11/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25D2323/023

  Door in door constructions · CPC title