Under counter refrigeration unit

An under the counter refrigeration unit providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• a refrigeration system for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• a slide mechanism operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet for sliding the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position under a counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top;
• and
• a lid and a lid opening mechanism openably coupling the lid with the top of the refrigerator cabinet,
• wherein the opening mechanism comprises a manually operated hinge openably coupling the lid with the rear of the refrigerator cabinet.

An under the counter refrigeration unit providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials, the refrigeration unit comprsing:

• a refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• a refrigeration system for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• a slide mechanism operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet for sliding the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position under a counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top;
• and
• a lid and a lid opening mechanism openably coupling the lid with the top of the refrigerator cabinet,
• wherein the opening mechanism comprises an automatic lid opening mechanism.

An under the counter refrigeration unit providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a support frame for being fixedly mounted under a counter top;
• an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, an open top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• an insulated lid movable between a closed position closing the open top of the refrigerator cabinet and an open position allow access to the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet;
• a refrigeration system for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• and
• a slide mechanism operable to slidably support the refrigeration cabinet and at least part of the refrigeration system for sliding movement between a stored position under a counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top.

An under the counter refrigeration unit providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a support frame for being fixedly mounted under a counter top;
• an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, an open top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• an insulated lid movable between a closed position closing the open top of the refrigerator cabinet and an open position allow access to the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet;
• a refrigeration system for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• and
• a slide mechanism operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet and the support frame for sliding the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position under the counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top,
• wherein the support frame includes a frame bottom and the refrigerator cabinet bottom is higher than the frame bottom to define a toe kick space below the refrigerator unit.

An under the counter refrigeration unit in combination with a laboratory counter including a counter top work surface and a support body holding the top work surface above a floor to define an open area under the top work surface, the combination providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials in a convenient location, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a support frame fixedly mounted under the counter top;
• an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, an open top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• an insulated lid movable between a closed position closing the open top of the refrigerator cabinet and an open position allow access to the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet;
• a refrigeration system positioned under the counter top for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• and
• a slide mechanism operable to slidably support the refrigeration cabinet and at least part of the refrigeration system for sliding movement between a stored position substantially entirely under the counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top.

An under the counter refrigeration unit in combination with a laboratory counter including a counter top work surface and a support body holding the top work surface above a floor to define an open area under the top work surface, the combination providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials in a convenient location, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a support frame fixedly mounted under the counter top;
• an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, an open top, a bottom, and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• an insulated lid movable between a closed position closing the open top of the refrigerator cabinet and an open position allow access to the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet;
• a refrigeration system positioned under the counter top for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• and
• a slide mechanism operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet and the support frame for sliding the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position substantially entirely under the counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top,
• wherein the support frame includes a frame bottom and the refrigerator cabinet bottom is higher than the frame bottom to define a toe kick space below the refrigerator unit.

An under the counter refrigeration unit in combination with a laboratory counter including a counter top work surface and a support body holding the top work surface above a floor to define an open area under the top work surface, the combination providing controlled temperature storage for desired materials in a convenient location, the refrigeration unit comprising:

• a support frame fixedly mounted under the counter top;
• an insulated refrigerator cabinet having a front, a rear, an open top, a bottom and defining an interior cavity for receiving materials to be stored;
• an insulated lid movable between a closed position closing the open top of the refrigerator cabinet and an open position allow access to the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet;
• a refrigeration system positioned under the counter top for controlling a temperature in the interior cavity of the refrigerator cabinet and including controls operable to control the refrigeration system;
• and
• a slide mechanism operably coupled with the refrigerator cabinet and the support frame for sliding the refrigerator cabinet between a stored position substantially entirely under the counter top and an accessible position adjacent the counter top,
• further comprising an automatic lid opening mechanism including opposed forward flanges attached to the support frame and each forward flange defining a forward slot and opposed rearward flanges attached to the support frame and each rearward flange defining a rearward slot, each forward and rearward slot having upper ends and lower ends, four opposed pins extending from opposite sides of the lid and being slidably received in the slots, so that the lid moves between an upper open position and a lower closed position, and an alignment catch extending downwardly from the lid and engaging the rear of the refrigerator cabinet as the refrigerator cabinet slides rearwardly to the stored position thereby sliding the pins to the lower ends of the slots and closing the lid on the refrigerator cabinet.