# US 9,518,776 B2 · Refrigerating appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,518,776 B2 - Document ID: US9518776B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/979,867 - Filed: 2012-02-09 - Published: 2014-02-13 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-09 - Assignees: Electrolux Home Products, Inc. - Applicants: Federico Baldo - Inventors: Federico Baldo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518776B2 ## CPC - F25D 23/028: {Details} - F25D 25/02: by shelves - A47B 57/06: with means for adjusting the height of the shelves (A47B57/04, A47B57/30 take precedence) - F25D 23/04: with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners - F25D 23/067: {Supporting elements} - F25D 25/04: by conveyors (in general B65G) - 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 The invention relates to a refrigerating appliance (1) including a body (2) in which a refrigerating compartment (3) is defined and a door (4) connected to said body to open and close said compartment, and a height adjustable support assembly (10,10′,100) connected to said body and/or said door. The refrigerating appliance (1) further comprises a rail (23a,23b;23a′,23b′) including a rack portion (21) attached to said body (2) within said compartment (3) and/or to said door (4), the rail extending substantially along a vertical axis. The height adjustable support assembly (10;10′;100) comprises: a support member (11;11′;11″) to support items to be refrigerated/frozen; a height adjustment gear (15a,15b) rotatably connected to the support member (11;11′;11″), the gear meshing with the rack portion (21) so that the support member can be vertically moved along the rail (23a,23b;23a′,23b′); a unidirectional stopper unit (19; 70) to regulate rotation of the height adjustment gear (15a,15b) when meshed with the rack portion (21), allowing an upward movement of the support member (11;11′;11″) along the vertical axis and blocking downward movements along the vertical axis; and a lever (50) coupled to the unidirectional stopper unit, the lever being apt to disengage the unidirectional stopper unit so as to allow a downward movement of the support member (11;11′;11″) along the vertical axis when operated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerating appliance including a body in which a refrigerating compartment is defined and a door connected to said body to open and close said refrigerating compartment, and a height adjustable support assembly connected to said body or said door, said refrigerating appliance further comprising: a first and a second rail each including a rack portion attached to said body within said compartment or to said door, wherein said rail extends substantially along a vertical axis; wherein said height adjustable support assembly comprises: a support member to support items to be refrigerated or to be frozen, a first and a second gear rotatably connected to said support member and connected with each other by a shaft so that rotation of any one of the first and second gears implies a rotation also of the other one of the first and second gears, wherein said first and second gears each meshes with a corresponding rack portion on said first and second rails so that said support member can be vertically moved along said rail, a single unidirectional stopper unit regulating rotation of said first and second gears meshed with said rack portions, allowing an upward movement of said support member along said vertical axis and blocking downward movements along said vertical axis, and a single lever coupled to said unidirectional stopper unit, said lever being apt to disengage said unidirectional stopper unit so as to allow a downward movement of said support member along said vertical axis when operated, wherein said support assembly includes a brake element to slow down the downward sliding along said vertical axis when said unidirectional stopper unit is disengaged, wherein said lever and said unidirectional stopper unit are two separate pieces, and wherein said lever further comprises a handle that extends forwardly past said unidirectional stopper unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said rail includes a plurality of protrusions defining recesses therebetween, said unidirectional stopper unit comprising a resilient element which engages one of said recesses to block said support assembly in a given vertical position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, wherein said resilient element is suitable to slides from one of said recesses to an adjacent one of said recesses along said vertical axis when an upward thrust is applied to said support assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, wherein said resilient element is coupled to said lever, so that said resilient element is removed from said recess when said lever is operated, so as to disengage said unidirectional stopper unit and allow free vertical movements along said vertical axis of said support assembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, wherein said resilient element is a clip comprising a V-shaped element having a tip that is designed to engage into one of said recesses, and wherein said V-shaped element comprises a branch that is designed to be in abutment with said lever, so that when said lever is operated, said branch is moved and said tip is removed from said recess. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, wherein said protrusions are vertically stacked and parallel to said rack portion, each protrusion comprising an inclined wall on which said tip can slide when said upward thrust is applied on said support assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance of claim 2, wherein the protrusions are separate from the rack portions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The refrigerating appliance of claim 7, wherein the protrusions are next to one of the rack portions and face toward another of the rack portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, wherein when said lever disengages said unidirectional stopper unit from the rail, said lever moves in a direction different from a direction said unidirectional stopper unit moves. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said unidirectional stopper unit comprises a unidirectional gear wheel rotating in unison with said first and said second gear, said unidirectional gear wheel being engaged with an indent on said lever. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 10, wherein said unidirectional gear wheel includes asymmetric teeth configured so that when said unidirectional gear wheel rotates in one direction said unidirectional gear wheel slides on said lever, while when said unidirectional gear wheel rotates in the opposite direction, said unidirectional gear wheel is blocked in said indent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The refrigerating appliance according to claims 10, wherein said unidirectional gear wheel is configured to disengage from said lever when said lever is operated, so as to disengage said unidirectional stopper unit and allow free vertical movements of said support assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said support assembly is a cabinet support assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said support assembly is a door support assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said support member is a platform shelf sitting on the shaft, or a bin or a hook hanging down from the shaft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein said lever pulls said unidirectional stopper unit on a side of said unidirectional stopper unit opposite the rail. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is weight bearing and bears weight of said support member. ### Claim 18 A refrigerating appliance including a body in which a refrigerating compartment is defined and a door connected to said body to open and close said refrigerating compartment, and a height adjustable support assembly connected to said body or said door, said refrigerating appliance further comprising: a first and a second rail each including a rack portion attached to said body within said compartment or to said door, wherein said rail extends substantially along a vertical axis; wherein said height adjustable support assembly comprises: a support member to support items to be refrigerated or to be frozen, a first and a second gear rotatably connected to said support member and connected with each other by a shaft so that rotation of any one of the first and second gears implies a rotation also of the other one of the first and second gears, wherein said first and second gears each meshes with a corresponding rack portion on said first and second rails so that said support member can be vertically moved along said rail, a single unidirectional stopper unit regulating rotation of said first and second gears meshed with said rack portions, allowing an upward movement of said support member along said vertical axis and blocking downward movements along said vertical axis, and a single lever coupled to said unidirectional stopper unit, said lever being apt to disengage said unidirectional stopper unit so as to allow a downward movement of said support member along said vertical axis when operated, wherein said lever and said unidirectional stopper unit are two separate pieces, and wherein said lever is a class 2 lever. ### Claim 19 A refrigerating appliance including a body in which a refrigerating compartment is defined and a door connected to said body to open and close said refrigerating compartment, and a height adjustable support assembly connected to said body or said door, said refrigerating appliance further comprising: a first and a second rail each including a rack portion attached to said body within said compartment or to said door, wherein said rail extends substantially along a vertical axis; wherein said height adjustable support assembly comprises: a support member to support items to be refrigerated or to be frozen, a first and a second gear rotatably connected to said support member and connected with each other by a shaft so that rotation of any one of the first and second gears implies a rotation also of the other one of the first and second gears, wherein said first and second gears each meshes with a corresponding rack portion on said first and second rails so that said support member can be vertically moved along said rail, a single unidirectional stopper unit regulating rotation of said first and second gears meshed with said rack portions, allowing an upward movement of said support member along said vertical axis and blocking downward movements along said vertical axis, and a single lever coupled to said unidirectional stopper unit, said lever being apt to disengage said unidirectional stopper unit so as to allow a downward movement of said support member along said vertical axis when operated, wherein said lever and said unidirectional stopper unit are two separate pieces, and wherein said unidirectional stopper unit and said lever are separate from said support member, and wherein said unidirectional stopper unit and said lever directly support the shaft.