# US 2014/0191646 A1 · Drawer assembly for an appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191646 A1 - Document ID: US20140191646A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,286 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Bart Andrew Nuss; Alan Joseph Mitchell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191646A1 ## CPC - F25D 25/025: {Drawers} - A47B 88/41: Drawers with castors, rollers or wheels, supported directly on a surface below, e.g. on a floor, shelf or desktop - A47B 2210/0056: Guide located at the bottom of the drawer - A47B 2210/175: Refrigerators or freezers - F25D 23/021: {Sliding doors} - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) ## Abstract A drawer assembly for an appliance is provided. The drawer assembly includes a container for receipt of items for storage and a linkage assembly positioned below the container. The container is supported by the linkage assembly such that the container is moveable along a transverse direction on the linkage assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator appliance, the refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the refrigerator appliance, comprising: a housing defining a chilled chamber; a drawer assembly positioned within the chilled chamber of said housing, said drawer assembly comprising a container defining a storage volume for receipt of food items for storage, said container having a bottom wall; a linkage assembly positioned below the bottom wall of said container along the vertical direction, said container supported by said linkage assembly such that said container is moveable along the transverse direction on said linkage assembly into and out of the chilled chamber of said housing, said linkage assembly comprising a pair of fixed link arms spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, each fixed link arm of said pair of fixed link arms extending between a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portions of said pair of fixed link arms rotatably mounted to said housing; a pair of mobile link arms spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, each mobile link arm of said pair of mobile link arms extending between a first end portion and a second end portion, each first end portion of said pair of mobile link arms rotatably mounted to a respective second end portion of said pair of fixed link arms; and a connecting link extending between and coupling the second end portions of said pair of mobile link arms together. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of anti-friction mechanisms disposed on a top surface of at least one of said pair of fixed link arms and said pair of mobile link arms. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerator appliance of claim 2, wherein said plurality of anti-friction mechanisms is disposed between the bottom wall of said container and the top surface of at least one of said pair of fixed link arms and said pair of mobile link arms in order assist said container with moving along the transverse direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, further comprising a frame for supporting said container, said frame comprising: a pair of transverse members mounted to said connecting link and extending longitudinally along the transverse direction; and a lateral member extending longitudinally along the lateral direction, said lateral member also extending between and connecting said pair of transverse members. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The refrigerator appliance of claim 4, wherein said container is mounted to said frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, further comprising an anti-racking mechanism mounted to said housing and configured for assisting said pair of fixed link arms with rotating at a common angular velocity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein said anti-racking mechanism comprises: a pair of tracks mounted to said housing at opposing sides of said housing such that said pair of tracks are spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, said pair of tracks extending longitudinally along the transverse direction; a pair of gears, each gear of said pair of gears engaging a respective one of said pair of tracks; and a shaft extending between and coupling said pair of gears together. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The refrigerator appliance of claim 7, wherein said shaft is rotatably mounted to said pair of fixed link arms or said pair of mobile link arms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator appliance of claim 1, wherein said housing defines a pair of channels that extend into said housing along the vertical direction, each mobile link arm of said pair of mobile link arms having a boss mounted thereto, each boss received within a respective one of said pair of channels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator appliance of claim 9, wherein each channel of said pair of channels extends arcuately along the lateral and transverse directions between a first end portion and a second end portion. ### Claim 11 A drawer assembly for an appliance, the drawer assembly defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutually perpendicular, the drawer assembly, comprising: a container defining a storage volume for receipt of items for storage, said container having a bottom wall; a linkage assembly positioned below the bottom wall of said container along the vertical direction, said container supported by said linkage assembly such that said container is moveable along the transverse direction on said linkage assembly, said linkage assembly comprising a base; a pair of fixed link arms spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, each fixed link arm of said pair of fixed link arms extending between a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portions of said pair of fixed link arms rotatably mounted to said base; a pair of mobile link arms spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, each mobile link arm of said pair of mobile link arms extending between a first end portion and a second end portion, each first end portion of said pair of mobile link arms rotatably mounted to a respective second end portion of said pair of fixed link arms; and a connecting link extending between and coupling the second end portions of said pair of mobile link arms together. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The drawer assembly of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of anti-friction mechanisms disposed on a top surface of at least one of said pair of fixed link arms and said pair of mobile link arms. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The drawer assembly of claim 12, wherein said plurality of anti-friction mechanisms is disposed between the bottom wall of said container and the top surface of at least one of said pair of fixed link arms and said pair of mobile link arms in order assist said container with moving along the transverse direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The drawer assembly of claim 11, further comprising a frame for supporting said container, said frame comprising a pair of transverse members mounted to said connecting link and extending longitudinally along the transverse direction; and a lateral member extending longitudinally along the lateral direction, said lateral member also extending between and connecting said pair of transverse members. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The drawer assembly of claim 14, wherein said container is mounted to said frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The drawer assembly of claim 11, further comprising an anti-racking mechanism mounted to said base and configured for assisting said pair of fixed link arms with rotating at a common angular velocity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The drawer assembly of claim 16, wherein said anti-racking mechanism comprises a pair of tracks mounted to said base at opposing sides of said base such that said pair of tracks are spaced apart from one another along the lateral direction, said pair of tracks extending longitudinally along the transverse direction; a pair of gears, each gear of said pair of gears engaging a respective one of said pair of tracks; and a shaft extending between and coupling said pair of gears together. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The drawer assembly of claim 17, wherein said shaft is rotatably mounted to said pair of fixed link arms or said pair of mobile link arms. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The drawer assembly of claim 11, wherein said base defines a pair of channels that extend into said base along the vertical direction, each mobile link arm of said pair of mobile link arms having a boss mounted thereto, each boss received within a respective one of said pair of channels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The drawer assembly of claim 19, wherein each channel of said pair of channels extends arcuately along the lateral and transverse directions between a first end portion and a second end portion.