Powered adjustable shelf for refrigerator appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989298-B1
Application number	US-201715422509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet and a powered track disposed within the cabinet for receiving adjustable shelves at various shelf mounting positions. The powered track can include a first and a second power bus in electrical communication with a power source. The adjustable shelf can include a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector that are biased in electrical communication with the first and second power bus, respectively, when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator appliance, comprising:
a cabinet defining a volume;
a powered track disposed within the cabinet for providing a plurality of shelf mounting positions and configured in electrical communication with a power source, the powered track extending between a top portion and a bottom portion, the powered track comprising:
a first support member defining a plurality of openings;
a first bus bar coupled with the first support member and defining a plurality of openings each in alignment with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the first support member, the first bus bar extending between the top portion and the bottom portion of the powered track;
a second support member coupled with the first support member; and
a second bus bar spaced from the first bus bar and coupled with the second support member, the second bus bar extending between the top portion and the bottom portion of the powered track; and

an adjustable shelf having at least one bracket attached to or formed integrally with the adjustable shelf for mounting the adjustable shelf to the powered track in one of the shelf mounting positions, the at least one bracket comprising:
a body extending between a first end and a second end;
a first tab extending from the second end of the body and having a first electrical connector, wherein when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track at any one of the shelf mounting positions, the first electrical connector is in electrical communication with the first bus bar; and
a second tab extending from the second end of the body and having a second electrical connector, wherein when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track at any one of the shelf mounting positions, the second electrical connector is in electrical communication with the second bus bar.

2. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first tab includes a hook for securing the adjustable shelf to the powered track, and wherein the first electrical connector is positioned on the hook.

3. The refrigerator appliance of claim 2 , wherein the cabinet defines a vertical direction, and wherein the hook comprises a vertical face oriented substantially along the vertical direction, and wherein the first electrical connector is positioned on the vertical face of the hook such that when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track, the first electrical connector is biased against the first bus bar.

4. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first bus bar comprises a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface positioned flush with the first support member, and wherein the first electrical connector of the at least one bracket is positioned on a hook, and wherein when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track at one of the shelf mounting positions, the first electrical connector is in electrical communication with the rear surface of the first bus bar.

5. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the powered track defines the plurality of openings of the first support member and the plurality of openings of the first bus bar, together, defining a plurality of mounting openings for receiving the adjustable shelf, and wherein the first support member comprises a forward surface and the second bus bar comprises a forward surface, and wherein a depth of at least one of the mounting openings extends between the forward surface of the first support member and the forward surface of the second bus bar, and wherein, when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track, the bracket extends into the at least one mounting opening a distance greater than the depth in such a way that the second electrical contact deflects the second bus bar, biasing the second bus bar against the second electrical contact.

6. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet defines a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a transverse direction, the cabinet further defining a vertical centerline along the horizontal direction, and wherein the powered track is oriented substantially along the vertical centerline of the cabinet.

7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator appliance defines a vertical direction and a horizontal direction and wherein the plurality of openings of the first support member and the first bus bar are oriented in two or more columns in the vertical direction and one or more rows in the horizontal direction.

8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the powered track is powered by a constant voltage source.

9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the powered track is powered by a constant current source.

10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable shelf comprises a light source in electrical communication with the first and second electrical connectors for delivering power to the light source, wherein the light source is in electrical communication with the first and second electrical connectors by a wired connection.

11. The refrigerator appliance of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bracket attached to or formed integrally with the adjustable shelf supports at least a part of the adjustable shelf by cantilever.

12. A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a transverse direction, comprising:
a cabinet defining a volume;
a powered track disposed within the cabinet and configured to be in electrical communication with a power source, the powered track extending between a top portion and a bottom portion, the powered track comprising:
a first support member defining a plurality of openings;
a first bus bar coupled with the first support member and defining a plurality of openings each in alignment with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the first support member, the first bus bar extending between the top portion and the bottom portion of the powered track; and
a second bus bar spaced from the first bus bar, the second bus bar extending between the top portion and the bottom portion of the powered track; and

an adjustable shelf extending between a first end and a second end, the second end having a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector located thereon or integral with the second end; and
wherein, when the adjustable shelf is mounted to the powered track, the first electrical connector is in electrical communication with the first bus bar and the second electrical connector is in electrical communication with the second bus bar.

13. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the adjustable shelf comprises at least one bracket attached to or formed integrally with the adjustable shelf, the bracket extending along the transverse direction between a first end and a second end and having a mounting hook located at the second end of the bracket for securing the adjustable shelf to the powered track, and wherein the first electrical connector is positioned on the hook.

14. The refrigerator appliance of claim 13 , wherein the hook comprises a vertical face oriented along the vertical direction, and wherein the first electrical connector is positioned on the vertical face of the hook such that when the hook is inserted through one of the openings in the first support member and the first bus bar, the first electrical connector is biased in contact with the first bus bar.

15. The refrigerator appliance of claim 12 , wherein the powered track defines the plurality of openings of the first support member and the plurality of openings of the first bus bar, together, as a plurality of moun

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Wantland Louis A
• Chellappan Bagawathkumar
• Leachman William Jeremy

Classifications

• F25D25/02 Primary

  by shelves · CPC title

• A47B57/42

  the shelf supports being cantilever brackets · CPC title

• F25D27/00

  Lighting arrangements (in general F21) · CPC title

• F25D11/00

  Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators · CPC title

• F25D2400/40

  Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring · CPC title