Refrigerator storage system

• US 20060266070A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Rotter, Chad J., Ertz, Lawrence J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/441
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/75 the secondary drawer being in or above the primary drawer
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/021 Sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/005 using containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/025 Drawers

Abstract

A refrigerator comprising a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, a lower freezer drawer and an upper freezer bin. A primary set of glides allow the freezer drawer and the upper bin to be pulled out of the freezer compartment. A secondary set of glides mounts the upper bin onto the lower drawer for movement along the drawer, and back into the freezer compartment to allow access to the contents of the lower drawer.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a fresh food compartment;

a freezer compartment below the fresh food compartment;

the freezer compartment having a bottom wall, side walls, a back wall;

a lower freezer drawer;

a primary set of glides connected to the side walls of the freezer compartment and to the freezer drawer to allow the freezer drawer to be pulled forwardly out of the freezer compartment and to be pushed rearwardly into the freezer compartment;

an upper freezer bin; and

a secondary set of glides mounting the upper freezer bin on the lower freezer drawer and allowing the upper bin to be moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to the lower drawer.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the primary and secondary sets of glides allow the upper bin and lower drawer to move in opposite directions.

3. The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the primary and secondary set of glides each include male and female members.

4. The refrigerator of claim 2 wherein the upper bin pulls out of the freezer compartment with the lower drawer when the lower drawer is opened and the upper bin can then be moved back into the freezer compartment while the lower drawer is still out.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising multiple bins mounted to and, located above the lower drawer.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the secondary set of glides is mounted to a pair of cradles on the lower drawer.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the primary and secondary sets of glides are mounted such that the upper bin travels with the lower drawer when the freezer drawer is opened.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1 further comprising an icemaker in the freezer compartment.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein the freezer drawer can be closed even if the upper bin is pushed into the freezer compartment.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1 wherein primary set of glides and/or the secondary set of glides include rollers.

11. A refrigerator storage system comprising:

a main drawer;

a primary set of glides mounting the drawer in a compartment of the refrigerator for movement in and out of a the compartment;

a secondary bin;

a secondary set of glides mounting the bin onto the drawer to allow the bin to move forwardly or rearwardly above the drawer and back into the compartment when the drawer is pulled out of the compartment.

12. The storage system of claim 11 wherein the primary set of glides and the secondary set of glides are parallel to one another.

13. The storage system of claim 12 wherein the primary set of glides and the secondary set of glides are mounted to allow opposite directional movement of the drawer and bin.

14. The storage system of claim 11 wherein the sets of glides include rollers.

15. The storage system of claim 11 further comprising a second bin mounted to the drawer for forward or rearward movement thereon.

16. A method of mounting a bottom storage system in a refrigerator freezer comprising the steps of:

attaching a primary set of glides to a freezer drawer and to freezer side walls to support the drawer for movement into and out of the freezer;

attaching a secondary set of glides to the drawer and to an upper bin to support the upper bin above the drawer for forward or rearward movement on the drawer whereby the bin is moveable into the freezer compartment while the drawer is pulled out of the freezer compartment.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of mounting the primary and secondary sets of glides in opposite travel directions to one another.