US3352431A - Refrigerator adjustable shelf - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1967 H. H. SMITH 3,352,431

REFRIGERATOR ADJUSTABLE SHELF Filed Jan. 2l, 1966 M .WM-

ATMP/IH n United States Patent 3,352,431 REFRIGERATOR ADJUSTABLE SHELF Harold H. Smith, Detroit, Mich., assignor to American Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Maryland Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,253 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-176) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Refrigerator adjustable shelf being swingable between a first and a second horizontal position by a crank arm pivot arrangement at its rear, and locked in shelf position upon the placement of the front section of the shelf in xed supports.

This invention relates to refrigerators, and more particularly to a new and improved adjustable shelf arrangement for use within the food compartment thereof.

In the past many types of shelf arrangements have been provided in refrigerators, but to the knowledge of applicant, the shelf arrangement herein disclosed is new and unique in providing an adjustable shelf that may be quickly raised or lowered from one horizontal plane to another without being removed from the food compartment of a modern refrigerator.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable shelf for use in refrigerators, or the like, that may be quickly raised from one horizontal plane to another by simply moving the shelf support through 180 degrees, to raise the shelf to a higher standing plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable shelf that is swingably supported and retained at the back of the refrigerator food compartment, and has selective front supporting means located adjacent the front of the refrigerator food compartment to hold the shelf in one of two selected horizontal positions within said refrigerator.

A still further object is to provide an adjustable shelf member that may be raised from one horizontal plane to an optional higher standing horizontal plane to provide additional storage space therebelow.

The above and other objects of the invention will appear from the following more detailed description and from the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator with the door partly broken away to show the shelf in its normal position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the sides of the refrigerator showing the shelf in position to be moved upwardly to a higher plane.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a refrigerator having the lower door thereof partly broken away to show the adjustable shelf 12 installed and 1n its normal or lower position within the cabinet.

The adjustable shelf 12 includes a perimeter frame 12 with heavy wire cross pieces 11, or the like, to provide a conventionally known type of refrigerator shelf member. The front bar 13 of the shelf is made to extend laterally beyond the width of the frame 12', as at 14, for a purpose later to be described.

To support the shelf 10 within the refrigerator food compartment, a rear supporting rod member 15 1s provided, the same being bent as shown best in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawing to form a crank or cradle to receive ce r 3,352,431

Patented Nov. 14, 1967 and support the back of shelf 12. The opposite ends of the rod 15 are bent outwardly, as at 16, to engage a pair of receptive open-ended bearing members 17 secured to the inside opposed walls of the refrigerator cabinet lil by suitable fasteningtmeans 18. The top part of said bearing members is pinched as at 19, FIGURE 3, to hold the ends 16 of rod 15 rotatably therein, as will be shown.

To support the front of the shelf 12, there are provided U-members 20, secured to the opposite side walls of the refrigerator food compartment, near the front thereof, and adapted to receive the protruding ends 14 of the front bar member 13. Additional U-shaped members 22 are also provided, the same being secured to the opposite side walls of the food compartment above brackets 20, an equal distance higher than brackets 17, for a purpose soon to be described.

So that shelf. 12 will be rotatable and also secured to rod member 15 there are provided I members 25 welded to frame 12 and which receive and hold rod 15 thereto.

The manner in which the shelf operates is as follows:

One of the normal positions of shelf 12 is that shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4 of the drawing. If more space is desired beneath the shelf, it may be moved to a higher horizontal plane simply by removing the extended end portions 14, if front frame member 13 from supports 20 and pulling forward on shelf 12 rotating support 15 through an arc of degrees, This movement, imparted to rod 15, causes the rear of the shelf held rotatably thereon by I members 25, to move forward and upwardly in an arc until bar 15 is in the upright position shown in phantom in FIG'URE 2 and the extended end portions 14 of the front bar 13 are in position to be seated in brackets 22 which are positioned above bearing brackets 17 an equal distance to the distance brackets 20 are therebelow for just such purpose. In this position the shelf is level and provides space thereon for such foods as meat, cheese, bacon, or the like, and also provides ample space therebeneath for milk, large cans of juice, etc.

To return the shelf to a lower or more normal position, one has simply to disengage extensions 14 from brackets 22 and pull the shelf 12 forward and move it through an arc to again seat extensions 14 in opposed brackets 20 the bar 15 moving through an arc of 180 degrees while still engaged in bearing members 17, until again in its normal or lower plane position.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there has been described herein a new and improved adjustable shelf member that may be quickly raised or lowered from one horizontal plane to another when more space is desired between shelves of a modern refrigerator. The shelf member can be quickly changed by simply lifting and of the shelf from its supports and moving the shelf through an arc to seat the front of the shelf again in :opposed wall supports located on a higher plane; -thereby relocating the entire shelf member and making additional space beneath same, but still leaving space in the new shelf position for food products to be received thereon. When desired, the shelf may be quickly lowered by simply disengaging same from its opposed wall supports, pulling same forward rotating it through an arc, to return the shelf to its normal position with the front thereof supported in opposed supports and the back thereof supported on its cradle member.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim: An adjustable shelf for use in a refrigerator, and comprising;

a shelf member,

means for swingably supporting the back of said shelf member,

means for selectively supporting the front of said Vshelf so that said shelf may be disposed in and'moved from one horizontal plane to optional higher standing and lower hanging horizontal planes and to be locked therein, and in which the shelf member inincludes front edge extensions receptive in said selective supports for horizontal support of said shelf in combination with said swingable supporting means, and

said swingable supporting means is rotatable through an arc of substantially 180 for optional free hanging and upstanding support of said shelf thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnhardt 211--153 Hallock n 211-153 Beckett 312-351 Genebach 126-337 Sklenar 24S- 238 Miller n 312-306 Smith 3 12--35 1 15 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

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