Refrigerator shelf doors

• US 4,500,147 A
• Filed: 03/17/1983
• Issued: 02/19/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard A. Reister
• Original Assignee: Richard A. Reister
• Inventors: Reister, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rendos, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US06/476,139
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 312/236, 312/138 R, 312/138 A, 312/319, 312/291, 312/292, 312/328
• US Class Current: 312/291
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/025 Secondary closures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/18 Aesthetic features

Abstract

The present invention relates to convenient, economical, and attractive means to easily convert any Refrigerator, Freezer, or Side by Side Refrigerator-Freezer Combination to Individual Shelf Doors to avoid loss of cold air upon opening the Refrigerator or Freezer doors, thus saving energy, maintaining the Refrigerator or Freezer at more stable normal operating temperatures, providing convenience in opening the Refrigerator or Freezer doors since it is not necessary to be in a hurry to reclose the doors to avoid loss of cold air in the Unit, and enhancing the attractive appearance of the Unit.

Claims

1. In a refrigerator, freezer, or side by side refrigerator-freezer, individual shelf means within said refrigeration units, normal outside door means for said refrigeration units;

individual door means for said individual shelf means, said individual shelf door means being in addition to said normal outside door means, hinge means for said individual shelf door means, means to attach said hinge means near the bottom of said individual shelf door means, means to affix the axis of said hinge means for said individual shelf door means near the front edge of said individual shelf means, doorstop means for said individual shelf door means, said doorstop means permitting the top of each individual shelf door means to be recessed inwardly behind the front edge of the individual shelf means immediately above, handle means for said individual shelf door means, means to affix said handle means near the top of said individual shelf door means, said recessment of the top of said individual shelf door means inwardly behind the front edge of the individual shelf means immediately above providing an enhancement in the appearance of said individual shelf door means and said refrigeration units, said recessment of the top of said individual shelf door means further providing gravity action to keep the individual shelf door means in a closed position, said recessment of the top of said individual shelf door means further providing convenient space for said handle means for said individual shelf door means within said refrigeration units when said normal outside doors of said refrigeration units are in a closed position, said individual shelf door means being transparent, opening of said individual shelf door means for removal of food providing a minimal loss of cold air from said refrigeration units, said transparent individual shelf door means permitting convenient selection of foods to be removed without hurriedly closing said normal outside door means of said refrigeration units.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including L-shaped means, means to attach a horizontal flange of said L-shaped means to the bottom of said individual shelf means, a vertical flange of said L-shaped means being located in a recessed position behind the front edge of said individual shelf means to which it is attached, the top of each said individual shelf door means immediately below said L-shaped means resting against said vertical flange of said L-shaped means when said individual shelf door means is in the closed position, said L-shaped means thus providing a doorstop for each said individual shelf door means immediately below said L-shaped means whereby the top of each said individual shelf door means is recessed inwardly behind the front edge of the individual shelf means immediately above, the resting of each said individual shelf door means against the vertical flange of said L-shaped means further providing an air seal to restrict the loss of cold air from said individual shelf door means in the closed position when said normal outside door means of said refrigeration unit is opened.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said handle means for said individual shelf door means is rectangular in shape, means to affix the longitudinal axis of said rectangular handle means in a horizontal position near the middle top portion of said individual shelf door means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 including means to attach said hinge means for said individual shelf door means to said L-shaped means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including different dimensions of said individual shelf door means for different sizes of said refrigeration units.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including different dimensions of said individual shelf door means for said individual shelf means in accordance to desired heights of said individual shelf means within said refrigeration units.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 including means to lower the edge of said individual shelf door means below said individual shelf means when said individual shelf door means are fully opened, thus preventing accidental breakage of said individual shelf door means by food being removed from said individual shelf means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the axis of said hinge means for said individual shelf door means is near the bottom surface of said individual shelf means, the edge of said individual shelf door means being recessed below the top surface of said individual shelf means when said individual shelf door means are fully opened.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 including sleeve means, means to attach said hinge means to said sleeve means, said sleeve means fitting snugly over the front edge of said individual shelf means to securely hold said hinge means in proper position, means to attach said individual shelf door means to said hinge means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein spring tension in said sleeve means firmly hold said sleeve means in proper position on said individual shelf means.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein fastening means firmly hold said sleeve means in proper position on said individual shelf means.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein sleeve means are integrally combined with said L-shaped means, means to attach said hinge means to said sleeve means, said sleeve means fitting snugly over the front edge of said individual shelf means to securely hold said hinge means in proper position, means to attach said individual shelf door means to said hinge means.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein spring tension in said sleeve means firmly hold said sleeve means in proper position on said individual shelf means.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein fastening means firmly hold said sleeve means in proper position on said individual shelf means.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 on the refrigerator side of a side by side refrigerator-freezer, said individual shelf means on the freezer side of said side by side refrigerator-freezer having a round bar at the front of said individual shelf means, strap means, said strap means formed around said round bar to form strap hinge means, means to attach said individual shelf door means to said strap hinge means, said individual shelf door means attached to said strap hinge means on the freezer side of said side by side refrigerator-freezer being held in a closed position by gravity against the front edge of said shelf means immediately below, means to conveniently open said individual shelf door means on the freezer side of said side by side refrigerator-freezer.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 including strap means, said strap means formed around a round bar at the front of said individual shelf means, said strap means providing hinge means for said individual shelf door means, means to attach said individual shelf door means to said strap hinge means.