US 5,947,574 AGranted

Refrigerator shelving assembly

AssigneeMaytag Corporation

InventorJose G. Avendano

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Abstract

A refrigerator shelving assembly includes a universal frame adapted to support various different shelving units thereon. The frame is defined by interconnected front, rear and side frame members, and preferably a pair of intersecting cross frame members. Each of the frame members, in at least an opposing pair of the front, rear and side frame members, is provided with a ledge portion located in a first plane and a trough portion arranged below the first plane at a position between the ledge portions and a respective cross frame member. Each of the cross frame members has an upper surface also located in the first plane. With this construction, the frame can universally support various types of shelving units, including a basic shelf constituted by a plate of glass or a premium shelf formed by encapsulating an annular portion of a plate of glass by a rim defining element that extends below a plane defined by the glass plate, upon the cross frame members and either the ledge or trough portions of the shelving assembly. Furthermore, the frame members can carry guide rails for slidably supporting one or more refrigerator bins below a selected shelving unit.

A refrigerator shelving assembly comprising:

a first pair of opposing frame members defined by a front frame member and a rear frame member which is spaced from said front frame member;
a second pair of opposing frame members defined by laterally spaced side frame members, each of said side frame members being interconnected with said front and rear frame members such that said first and second pairs of opposing frame members combine to form an overall supporting frame adapted to be mounted within a refrigerator cabinet;
at least one cross frame member extending between and interconnecting one of said first and second pairs of opposing frame members, said at least one cross frame member having an upper surface arranged in a first plane;
each of the frame members of at least one of said first and second pairs of opposing frame members including a ledge portion located in said first plane and a trough portion arranged below said first plane at a position between said ledge portion and said at least one cross frame member, wherein the ledge portions and the at least one cross frame member are adapted to support a first configured shelving unit which includes a first peripheral section rested upon said ledge portions, and wherein the trough portions and the at least one cross frame member are adapted to support a second configured shelving unit which is structurally different than the first configured shelving unit and includes a second peripheral section rested in said trough portions, such that either one of first and second configured shelving units can be alternatively supported by the at least one of said first and second pairs of opposing frame members;
and
a shelving unit extending across at least a portion of said first and second pairs of opposing frame members, said shelving unit being supported upon said at least one cross frame member and a predetermined group of said ledge and trough portions.

3 more elements

Abstract

Claims25