Shelving assembly for refrigerator compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726422-B2
Application number	US-201615182846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A shelving assembly includes ladder rails mounted within spaced elongated pockets formed in the rear wall of a refrigerator compartment. Each ladder rail presents a front, side, rear wall portions. Adjacent the front wall portion, a vertical slot is defined, at least in part, by an in-turned portion of the front wall portion. Offset from the slot, the in-turned portion is formed with a plurality of vertically spaced and rearwardly projecting hooks. Each shelf of the assembly includes arms, each having an anchoring pin and a support foot. In mounting the shelf, the support foot and the anchoring pin of each arm are placed through a cutout formed in the front wall portion of a respective ladder, the shelf is arranged in a desired vertical position with the arm sliding within the slot, and then the anchoring pin is supported upon a respective one of the hooks.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet within which is established a refrigerated compartment defined, at least in part, by a rear wall;
a plurality of ladder rails spaced along the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment, each of the plurality of ladder rails including a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, a side flange portion projecting forward from the rear wall portion, and a plurality of vertically spaced hooks projecting rearward from the front wall portion and being spaced from the side flange portion by a fore-to-aft gap, each of the plurality of hooks defining an arcuate notch; and
a shelf mounted upon the plurality of ladder rails, the shelf including laterally spaced and rearwardly projecting arms, each arm including an anchoring pin and extending through a vertical slot established by a lateral offset of the plurality of vertically spaced hooks from the side flange portion, the shelf being adjustably supported by the plurality of ladder rails in a select vertical position within the refrigerated compartment with the anchoring pin of each arm being retained in a respective said arcuate notch.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment is formed with a plurality of spaced elongated pockets, each of the plurality of ladder rails being mounted in a respective one of the plurality of pockets.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a recess formed in each of the plurality of pockets; and
a tab projecting from each of the plurality of ladder rails, each of the plurality of ladder rails being mounted in a respective one of the plurality of pockets with the tab projecting into the recess.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein each of the tabs projects from a respective said rear wall portion above a height of a respective said front wall portion.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein the front wall portion of each of the plurality of ladder rails is mounted in a respective one of the plurality of pockets without extending forward of the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein each arm of the shelf further includes a support foot abutting the rear wall portion of a respective said ladder rail.

7. The refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein each support foot extends inward from a respective said arm.

8. The refrigerator of claim 6 , further comprising:
a light provided on the shelf, the light being powered through an electrical connection established between the support foot and the rear wall portion of the respective said ladder rail.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8 , wherein an electrical contact is provided on a back surface of the support foot, and a power strip is mounted on the rear wall portion.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the anchoring pin of each arm is configured to establish a pivot axis for the shelf when the anchoring pin of each arm is retained in a respective said arcuate notch.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein a distal edge section of the front wall portion is turned inward from a remainder of the front wall portion so as to project rearward, the distal edge section being provided with the plurality of hooks.

12. A method of mounting a shelf within a refrigerated compartment of a refrigerator comprising:
mounting a plurality of ladder rails at spaced locations along a rear wall of the refrigerated compartment, each of the plurality of ladder rails including a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, a side flange portion projecting forward from the rear wall portion, and a plurality of vertically spaced hooks projecting rearward from the front wall portion and being spaced from the side flange portion by a fore-to-aft gap, each of the plurality of hooks defining an arcuate notch;
inserting an anchoring pin projecting from an arm of a shelf into a receiving zone of one of the plurality of ladder rails;
extending the arm of the shelf through a vertical slot established by a lateral offset of the plurality of vertically spaced hooks from the side flange portion;
shifting the shelf vertically relative to the plurality of ladder rails in order to locate the shelf in a desired vertical position within the refrigerated compartment; and
positioning the anchoring pin in a respective said arcuate notch to mount the shelf for use in supporting food items within the refrigerated compartment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the rear wall of the refrigerated compartment is formed with a plurality of spaced elongated pockets; and
mounting the plurality of ladder rails includes mounting each of the plurality of ladder rails in a respective one of the plurality of pockets.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
a recess is formed in each of the plurality of pockets;
a tab projects from each of the plurality of ladder rails; and
mounting the plurality of ladder rails includes mounting each of the plurality of ladder rails with a respective said tab projecting into a respective said recess.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the front wall portions includes a cutout, the method further comprising inserting a support foot projecting inward from the arm of the shelf into the receiving zone through the cutout.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising positioning the support foot such that the support foot abuts a respective said rear wall portion.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising powering a light provided on the shelf through an electrical connection established between the support foot and the respective said rear wall portion.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
an electrical contact is provided on a back surface of the support foot;
a power strip is mounted on the respective said rear wall portion; and
positioning the support foot includes positioning the electrical contact in contact with the power strip.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
after positioning the anchoring pin in the respective said arcuate notch, pivoting the shelf about a pivot axis established by the anchoring pin.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein a distal edge section of the front wall portion is turned inward from a remainder of the front wall portion so as to project rearward, and the distal edge section is provided with the plurality of hooks, said method further comprising:
positioning the anchoring pin in the respective said arcuate notch by positioning the anchoring pin in contact with the distal edge section.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Tunzi Todd

Classifications

• F25D23/062

  defining a cabinet · CPC title

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D25/021

  combined with trays · CPC title