Refrigerator and storage system for a refrigerator
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsYogeshkumar G. Bhavsar, Chad Rotter, Lalit Madhukar Suryawanshi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet, a storage bin, a guide, and a cover. The cabinet defines an internal cavity. The storage bin is disposed within the internal cavity. The guide movably secures the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into and out of the internal cavity via the guide. The cover is operable to conceal the guide. The cover is secured to the storage bin. The cover is secured to the guide such that the storage bin is secured to the guide via the cover. The cover has a protrusion extending laterally inward therefrom. The protrusion engages the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin.
Claims20
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining an internal cavity;
- a storage bin (i) disposed within the internal cavity, (ii) having side walls, (iii) having overhanging regions extending laterally outward from the side walls along a top and a front of the storage bin, and (iv) defining spaces between the side walls and the overhanging regions;
- guides each having first and second rails slidably secured to each other, wherein the first rail of each of the guides is secured to the cabinet;
- and
- guide covers each (i) operable to conceal one of the guides, (ii) disposed within one of the spaces such that the guide covers are concealed by the overhanging regions, (iii) secured to an internal side of one of the overhanging regions along the front of the storage bin, and (iv) secured to one of the second rails such that the storage bin is (a) secured to each of the second rails via the guide covers and (b) operably slidable into and out of the internal cavity via relative movement between the first and second rails, wherein the guide covers include clips, each of the clips engages the internal side of one of the overhanging regions along the front of the storage bin to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin, the storage bin further comprises ledges protruding into the spaces along the internal sides of the overhanging regions and along the front of the storage bin, each of the clips engages one of the ledges to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin, the storage bin further comprises tabs protruding upward from the ledges, the clips define notches, and the tabs engage the clips within the notches to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining an internal cavity;
- a storage bin disposed within the internal cavity;
- a guide movably securing the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into and out of the internal cavity via the guide;
- and
- a cover (i) operable to conceal the guide, (ii) secured to the storage bin, (iii) secured to the guide such that the storage bin is secured to the guide via the cover, and (iv) having a protrusion extending laterally inward therefrom via a biasing element, wherein the protrusion engages the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin, and wherein the biasing element is operable to bias the protrusion toward the storage bin.
A refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a cabinet defining an internal cavity;
- a storage bin (i) disposed within the internal cavity, (ii) having an overhanging region extending laterally outward from a lateral side of the storage bin along a top and a front of the storage bin, and (iii) defining a space between the lateral side and the overhanging region;
- a guide rail movably securing the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into the internal cavity via the guide rail;
- and
- an adapter plate (i) disposed within the space such that the adapter plate is concealed by the overhanging region, (ii) secured to an internal side of the overhanging region, and (iii) secured to the guide rail such that the storage bin is secured to the guide rail via the adapter plate, wherein the adapter plate has a protrusion (a) extending laterally inward therefrom via a biasing element and (b) engaging the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin, and wherein the biasing element is operable to bias the protrusion toward the storage bin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.