AUTO-RACKS

• US 20100283364A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Consumer Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Koehler, Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/327
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/16 Drawers or movable shelves coupled to doors
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/162 Co-operating with a door, e.g. operated by the door
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/024 Slidable shelves

Abstract

A rack system for an appliance is provided. The rack system includes a door link, a first coupler link, a first rack, a bracket, a second coupler link, and a second rack. The bracket has a plurality of sites for attachment with the second coupler link. The door link is attached to an appliance door. The first coupler link is attached to the door link and connected to the first rack. The bracket is attached to either the first rack or the second rack. The second coupler link is attached to the bracket at one of the sites for attachment and connected to whichever one of either the first or second racks to which the bracket is not attached. The rack system translationally couples angular displacement of the appliance door to linear movement of the first rack and the second rack. The linear movement of the first and second racks can be non-staggered or staggered depending on the attachment site of the bracket to which the second coupler link is attached.

Claims

1. A rack system for an appliance, comprising:

an appliance having a cavity and a door operable to close the cavity;

a first rack and a second rack positioned within the cavity;

a door link coupled to the appliance door;

a first coupler link detachably coupled between the door link and the first rack;

a second coupler link detachably coupled between the first rack and the second rack; and

a bracket having a first attachment site and a second attachment site, wherein the second coupler link is coupled to the bracket via one of the first and second attachment sites,

wherein the bracket is coupled to one of the first and second racks.

2. The appliance rack system of claim 1, wherein the first and second attachment sites include first and second apertures, the second coupler link being attached to the bracket at one of the apertures.

3. The appliance rack system of claim 2, wherein the first aperture is a round aperture and the second aperture is an elongated aperture.

4. The appliance rack system of claim 3, wherein the bracket is attached to the second rack.

5. The appliance rack system of claim 4, wherein the second coupler link is detachably attached at the round aperture, thereby forming a rotating joint, the rack system being configured for slidably extending and retracting the first and second racks from and into an appliance cavity in a non-staggered mode.

6. The appliance rack system of claim 4, wherein the second coupler link is detachably attached at the elongated aperture, thereby forming a sliding joint, the rack system being adapted for slidably extending and retracting the first and second racks from and into an appliance cavity in a staggered mode.

7. The appliance rack system of claim 6, the elongated aperture being adapted such that, when the first rack is at least partially extended from the appliance cavity and is extended to a greater extent than the second rack, the second rack can be manually further slidably extended from the appliance cavity.

8. The appliance rack system of claim 1, wherein the door link, the first coupler link, the second coupler link, and the bracket are present at least in duplicate.

9. The appliance rack system of claim 1, wherein the appliance door comprises an appliance door surface that faces inward toward the appliance cavity, the door link being located on the appliance door surface.

10. The appliance rack system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second bracket, the second bracket being attached to whichever of either the first rack or the second rack to which the bracket is not attached, the second coupler link being connected, via attachment to the second bracket, to whichever of either the first rack or the second rack to which the bracket is not attached.

11. An appliance comprising:

an appliance cavity, a plurality of appliance supports, an appliance door, a first rack, a second rack, a bracket, a door link, a first coupler link, and a second coupler link;

the bracket having a plurality of apertures for attachment with the second coupler link;

the plurality of appliance supports being located within the appliance cavity;

the first rack being supported by at least one of the appliance supports for slidably extending from and retracting into the appliance cavity;

the second rack being supported by at least another of the appliance supports for slidably extending from and retracting into the appliance cavity;

the door link being attached to the appliance door;

the first coupler link being attached to the door link and connected to the first rack;

the bracket being attached to either the first rack or the second rack;

the second coupler link being attached to the bracket at one of the apertures for attachment of the bracket and connected to whichever one of either the first or second racks to which the bracket is not attached;

the first rack being translationally coupled to the appliance door through the door link and the first coupler link and not through the bracket or the second coupler link;

and the second rack being translationally coupled to the first rack through the bracket and the second coupler link and not through the door link or the first coupler link.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a round aperture and an elongated aperture, the second coupler link being attached at one of the round aperture or the elongated aperture.

13. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the bracket is attached to the second rack.

14. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the second coupler link is detachably attached at the round aperture, thereby forming a rotating joint, the appliance being adapted for slidably extending and retracting the first and second racks from and into an appliance cavity in a non-staggered mode.

15. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the second coupler link is detachably attached at the elongated aperture, thereby forming a sliding joint, the appliance being adapted for slidably extending and retracting the first and second racks from and into an appliance cavity in a staggered mode.

16. The appliance of claim 12, further comprising a first side wall and a second side wall, the first and second side walls opposing each other and facing the appliance cavity, the first and second side walls comprising a plurality of ledges adapted to slidably support the first and second racks.

17. The appliance of claim 16, wherein the door link, the first coupler link, the second coupler link, and the bracket are present at least in duplicate and are positioned such that, when the appliance door is in a closed position, at least one door link, first coupler link, second coupler link, and bracket are located adjacent and in close proximity to the first side wall and at least one door link, first coupler link, second coupler link, and bracket are located adjacent and in close proximity to the second side wall.

18. The appliance of claim 12, further comprising:

a first bracket and a second bracket;

the first bracket being attached to the first rack, the first coupler link being connected to the first rack via attachment to the first bracket;

and the second bracket being attached to whichever of either the first rack or the second rack to which the bracket is not attached, the second coupler link being connected, via attachment to the second bracket, to whichever of either the first rack or the second rack to which the bracket is not attached.

19. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the appliance is an oven.

20. An appliance and rack system comprising:

an appliance cavity;

a door configured to close the appliance cavity;

a first rack and a second rack provided in the appliance cavity;

a door link coupled to the door;

a first coupler link connecting the door link to the first rack;

a second coupler link connecting the first rack to the second rack;

a bracket coupled to one of the first and second racks, the bracket having a first attachment site and a second attachment site, wherein when one of the first and second coupler links are provided within the first attachment site, the first and second racks can be automatically extended from the oven in a non-staggered mode, and wherein when one of the first and second coupler links are provided within the second attachment site, the first and second racks can be automatically extended from the oven in a staggered mode.