Slide assembly for refrigerator storage drawer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752823-B2
Application number	US-201514676991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A slide assembly for a drawer inside a refrigerator employs both side and central rollers which control both horizontal and vertical movement of the drawer through a first set of rollers employed at front and rear portions at each side of the drawer to control vertical movement within side tracks while the drawer is moved between an extended position and a retracted position. A second set of rollers is mounted along axes which are arranged 90 degrees relative to the first set of rollers and underneath the drawer. This second set of rollers control side-by-side movement of the drawer as it is opened and closed. In one embodiment, the second set of rollers is mounted in a refrigerated compartment and travel within a track or guideway mounted on the bottom of the drawer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of supporting a drawer for sliding movement between extended and retracted positions within a refrigerator storage compartment comprising: controlling vertical movement of the drawer through a first set of rollers positioned in first and second spaced tracks; and controlling side-by-side movement of the drawer through a second set of rollers, wherein the first and second sets of rollers are rotatably mounted on one or more axles and rotate about non-parallel axes, and wherein the second set of rollers control side-by-side movement of the drawer from beneath the drawer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: supporting the drawer with the second set of rollers being mounted for rotation along axes which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the first set of rollers.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
seating the first set of rollers in first and second spaced tracks mounted in the refrigerator storage compartment; and
receiving the second set of rollers in a central guide extending fore-to-aft along a bottom of the drawer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning the first set of rollers, which are mounted adjacent a rear wall of a storage body of the drawer, in the first and second spaced tracks;
engaging a third set of rollers with a bottom wall of the storage body as the drawer is shifted between the extended and retracted positions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of rollers constitutes at least four rollers and the second set of rollers includes two additional rollers.

6. A method of supporting a drawer for sliding movement between extended and retracted positions within a refrigerator storage compartment comprising: controlling vertical movement of the drawer through a first set of rollers positioned in first and second tracks; and controlling side-by-side movement of the drawer through a second set of rollers, wherein the second set of rollers is mounted to a liner defining the refrigerator storage compartment and engages a central guide, extending fore-to-aft along a storage body of the drawer for movement with the drawer, as the drawer is shifted between the extended and retracted positions relative to the second set of rollers.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: rotatably supporting the first set of rollers on stub axles extending from beneath a bottom wall of the drawer and laterally outward of side walls of the drawer.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising: maintaining a third set of rollers engaged with the bottom wall of the drawer as the drawer is shifted between the extended and retracted positions.

9. A method of supporting a drawer for sliding movement between extended and retracted positions within a refrigerator storage compartment comprising: controlling vertical movement of the drawer through a first set of rollers and controlling side-by-side movement of the drawer through a second set of rollers, wherein said first set of rollers includes first and second pairs of rollers, with the first pair of rollers being mounted adjacent to a rear wall of a storage body of the drawer, seated in first and second spaced tracks and rotatably mounted on one or more axles extending from beneath a bottom wall of the drawer laterally outward of side walls of the drawer, and with the second pair of rollers being mounted to the first and second spaced tracks.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second sets of rollers rotate about non-parallel axes.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: supporting the drawer with the second set of rollers being mounted for rotation along axes which are arranged substantially perpendicular to the first set of rollers.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second set of rollers is mounted entirely beneath the drawer.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: shifting a central guide, extending fore-to-aft along a storage body of the drawer, with movement with the drawer, wherein the second set of rollers is mounted to a liner defining the refrigerator storage compartment and engages the central guide as the drawer is shifted between the extended and retracted positions relative to the second set of rollers.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: rotatably supporting the first set of rollers on stub axles extending from beneath the bottom wall of the drawer and laterally outward of the side walls of the drawer.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: maintaining the second pair of rollers engaged with the bottom wall of the drawer as the drawer is shifted between the extended and retracted positions.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of rollers constitutes at least four rollers and the second set of rollers includes two additional rollers.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: seating the first set of rollers in first and second spaced tracks mounted in the refrigerator.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Klitzing Frank W
• Laine Kyle E

Classifications

• Y10T29/49359

  Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B2210/175

  Refrigerators or freezers · CPC title

• A47B88/437

  Rollers for slides or guides · CPC title