US 4,732,435 AGranted

Refrigerator crisper drawer structure

AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation

InventorsCurtis J. Bailey, Richard A. Heck, Richard Waisanen

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A crisper drawer structure for use in a refrigerator wherein a front portion of the crisper drawer extends into subjacent relationship to a rearwardly projecting shelf on the refrigerator door in the closed arrangement of the refrigerator. A transparent cover member is pivotally mounted to the drawer guides to close the front portion of the crisper drawer in the storage disposition while allowing ready viewability of the contents thereof by the user. The cover member automatically moves between the closing disposition when the crisper drawer is in the storage arrangement to an uncovered disposition when the crisper drawer is brought forwardly to the access arrangement. The arrangement of the cover member is such as to effectively preclude retention of articles thereon, thereby avoiding impact damage to the door shelf by abutment with such articles upon closing of the door.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a refrigerator having a cabinet defining a compartment having a front access opening, a door selectively movable to a closed position closing said opening, said door having a horizontal shelf extending rearwardly into a forward portion of said compartment for storing articles thereon, a drawer defining an upwardly opening cavity including a front portion, and means for movably mounting the drawer in said compartment for selective disposition in a rearward storage position wherein said front portion of the cavity is disposed in said forward portion of said compartment and underlies the door shelf when the door is in said closed position, the improvement comprising:

a cover member;
mounting means for movably mounting said cover member in said cabinet to overlie said upwardly open cavity front portion when said drawer is in said storage position and to be moved to a different position as a result of the drawer being moved from said storage position;
and
means for effectively rejecting retention of any one of a plurality of different articles on said cover member when covering said cavity front portion in said storage position and permit free movement of said shelf to overlie said cover member overlying said cavity front portion in said storage position upon movement of the door to said closed position.

1 more element

a cover member;
mounting means for movably mounting said cover member in said cabinet to overlie said upwardly open cavity front portion when said drawer is in said storage position and to be moved to a different position as a result of the drawer being moved from said storage position;
and
means for selectively mounting said cover member in said cabinet in a forwardly and downwardly inclined disposition to overlie said cavity front portion when said drawer is in said storage position and effectively reject retention of any one of a plurality of different articles on said cover member when overlying said cavity front portion in said storage position and permit free movement of said shelf to overlie said cover member overlying said cavity front portion in said storage position upon movement of the door to said closed position.

1 more element

In a refrigerator having a cabinet defining a compartment, said compartment having a rear wall and sidewalls, said sidewalls defining an opening for access to said compartment, and a door selectively movable to a closed position closing said opening, said door having a horizontal shelf for storing articles thereon, a storage drawer in said compartment comprising:

a pan defining an upwardly opening cavity, said pan extending from said door when closed to the rear wall of said compartment, said pan being horizontally movable between a storage position and an access position;
a cover member superjacent said pan and overlying said upwardly opening cavity when said pan is in said storage position, said pan and said cover member each having a substantially fixed rearward portion and a forward portion underlying said door shelf when said door is closed, said forward portion of the cover member being movably associated with said rearward portion;
and
cooperating structure associated with said pan and cover member forward portions comprising means for rejecting placement of any one of a plurality of different articles for storage on said forward portion of said cover comprising a portion of the pan engaging said cover member forward portion to move the cover as an incident of movement of the pan between said access and storage positions.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.