Appliance with geared drawer assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9982937-B2
Application number	US-201615239623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An appliance is provided having a cabinet with at least one compartment for positioning of a drawer. The drawer may be moved into and out of the at least one compartment and the drawer comprises a food container. The drawer includes a geared assembly having a gear rack and pinion gear which inhibit wobble of the drawer when the drawer is pulled from the at least one compartment or is pushed into the at least one compartment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A geared drawer assembly for a cooling appliance, comprising:
a cabinet having a drawer compartment therein;
a drawer which is movable into and out of said drawer compartment;
a first rack gear and a second rack gear disposed within said drawer compartment;
a first pinion gear and a second pinion gear pivotally mounted to said drawer and engaging said rack gear;
each of said first and second rack gears having a first row and a second row of gear teeth;
said first row of gear teeth and said second row of gear teeth being offset in a longitudinal direction;
a space between the gear teeth on each of said rack gears being angled toward lateral edges to drain fluid from said gear racks.

2. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 , said drawer having one of a basket or a food container.

3. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 further comprising one of a rib or a depression between said first and second row of gear teeth on said first and second gear racks.

4. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein a surface between teeth of said gear teeth of said rack gears being one of flat or angled.

5. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein said pinion gears have a rib which is positioned within a depression between said first and second rows of said gear teeth on said first and second rack gears.

6. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 , said first and second gear pinions each having a first circumferential row and a second circumferential row of gear teeth.

7. The geared drawer assembly of claim 6 wherein said gear teeth of said first circumferential row are offset circumferentially from said gear teeth of said second circumferential row.

8. The geared drawer assembly of claim 6 further comprising an axle extending between said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear.

9. The geared drawer assembly of claim 8 further comprising a first mount and a second mount connected to said drawer.

10. The geared drawer assembly of claim 9 wherein said first mount and said second mount are located on a rear wall of said drawer.

11. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein a floor of said drawer is elevated from a bottom of said drawer compartment.

12. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a drawer compartment housing.

13. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a food container defining a portion of said drawer.

14. The geared drawer assembly of claim 1 further comprising a secondary food container disposed on an upper edge of said drawer.

15. The geared drawer assembly of claim 14 , further comprising slides on said upper end of said drawer.

16. The geared drawer assembly of claim 15 , said slides connected to said secondary food container and allowing movement of said secondary food container relative to said drawer.

17. The geared drawer assembly of claim 16 , said secondary food container comprising a wire basket.

18. The geared drawer assembly of claim 17 , said secondary food container comprising multiple containers.

19. A geared drawer assembly for a cooling appliance, comprising:
an appliance housing having a drawer compartment therein;
a food container movable within said drawer compartment;
a first pinion gear and a second pinion gear rotatably connected to said food container;
a first rack gear and a second rack gear disposed within said drawer compartment engaging said first pinion gear and second pinion gear, respectively, said first and second rack gears having an upper surface from which rack teeth extend, said upper surface being flat or angled;
said first and second pinion gears each having a first row and a second row of gear teeth, said gear teeth of said first row and said second row being offset in a circumferential direction of said pinion gears;
one of a longitudinal rib or a longitudinal depression extending along said rack;
an axle extending from said first mount to said second mount, said first mount and said second mount each having a force tab which engages said axle and inhibits disengagement of said first and second gear pinions from said first and second gear racks, respectively.

20. The geared drawer assembly of claim 19 further comprising the other of a longitudinal rib or a longitudinal depression extending circumferentially about said first and second gear pinions.

21. The geared drawer assembly of claim 19 further comprising a first mount and a second mount on said food container.

22. A geared drawer assembly, comprising:
an appliance having a compartment and a drawer, said drawer being movable into and out of the compartment;
a first rack gear and a second rack gear fixed within said compartment relative to a floor within said compartment;
a first pinion gear and a second pinion gear, said first pinion gear disposed above said first rack gear and said second rack gear, respectively, and engaging said rack gears;
each of said pinion gears has a first row and a second row of circumferentially arranged gear teeth, said gear teeth of said first row and said gear teeth of said second row being misaligned in an axial direction;
said first rack gear and said second rack gear each having a first row and a second row of gear teeth, said gear teeth of said first row and said gear teeth of said second row being misaligned so that said gear teeth of said pinion gears engage said gear teeth of said rack gears;
a force tab extending from said drawer and applying a force to said first and second pinion gears to maintain engagement with said first and second rack gears.

23. The geared drawer assembly of claim 22 , said engagement of said rack gears and said pinion gears reducing wobble of said drawer when said drawer moves relative to said compartment.

24. The geared drawer assembly of claim 22 , said gear teeth of pinion gears having a spaced relationship relative to said rack gear teeth, wherein said gear teeth of said rack gears and said pinion gears engage one another.

25. The geared drawer assembly of claim 22 further comprising slides located near an upper end of said drawer.

26. The geared drawer assembly of claim 25 further comprising a secondary food container connected to said slides.

27. The geared drawer assembly of claim 25 said secondary food container capable of movement relative to said drawer.

28. The geared drawer assembly of claim 27 wherein said secondary food container is formed of at least one wire basket.

29. The geared drawer assembly of claim 27 , said secondary food container having at least one retaining clip disposed along an inner surface of said slides.

30. A geared drawer assembly, comprising:
a drawer including a cover connected to a food container;
a rack gear positioned on said drawer;
a pinion gear located on a wall of an appliance compartment positioned for engagement of said rack gear;
said pinion gear having first and second rows of gear teeth, said gear teeth of said first row offset in a circumferential direction from said second row of gear teeth;
said rack gear having a first row of rack gear teeth and a second row of rack gear teeth, said first row offset in a longitudinal direction from said second row of rack gear teeth;
wherein said gear teeth on said pinion are a same size and said gear teeth of said rack gear are a same size;
said rack gear

Assignees

• Dometic Sweden Ab

Inventors

• Tierney James
• Reske Craig
• Bowers James Gregory

Classifications

• F25D25/005

  using containers · CPC title

• A47B88/443

  Successive movement of rails within drawer slides, i.e. at least one rail element is not moving during the movement of other elements · CPC title

• A47B2210/175

  Refrigerators or freezers · CPC title

• F25D25/025 Primary

  Drawers · CPC title

• A47B2088/401

  Slides or guides for wire baskets · CPC title