Refrigeration unit

• US 7,429,091 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: U-Line Corporation (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: U-Line Corporation (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Vaughn, Jack L., Braun, Joseph E., Rand, Thomas W., Reed, William A., Moye, Lawrence D., Doberstein, Andrew J., Ziminski, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US11/064,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 312/204, 312/401, 312/404, 312/405, 312/405.1, 312/406, 312/408, 312/410, 312/116, 312/350, 312/351, 624/40, 623/82, 406/060.7, 406/060.8, 406/110.5
• US Class Current: 312/408
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1078 the maintaining means acting parallel to the pivot
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/081 the pivot axis of the wing being situated near one edge of the wing, especially at the top and bottom, e.g. trunnions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/04 with special compartments, e.g. butter conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/022 Doors that can be pivoted either left-handed or right-handed
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2325/022 Shelves made of glass or ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/803 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/02 by shelves

Abstract

A refrigeration unit with improved storage and accessibility features has a thermally insulated cabinet and door defining a storage space with a plurality of support elements. The support elements include easily removable door shelves and horizontal cabinet shelves that can be removed or repositioned without the door being fully opened due to dished regions adjacent the shelf supports that allow the shelves to be pivoted and removed rather than slid straight out of the cabinet. Indicia on one of the shelves follows the contour of one of the door shelves to indicate approximately the shelf space occupied by an adjacent door shelf and thus where items can be set without interfering with the closure of the door. The refrigeration unit also includes a cam assembly at the lower door hinge which biases the door closed when open approximately 35 degrees or less. The refrigeration unit also includes features for attaching an overlay panel to the door easily.

Claims

1. A refrigeration unit, comprising:

a cabinet having a front access opening for accessing a storage cavity defined by a back wall and opposite first and second side walls that define a lateral dimension of the cavity;

a shelf disposed within the cabinet and being essentially rigid between opposite first and second ends spaced apart a shelf dimension that is greater than the lateral dimension of the cavity between the first and second side walls, the shelf including a front end and a back end; and

first and second rests aligned with one another so as to support the shelf, the first rest being associated with a recess in the first side wall and extends a prescribed distance between the front access opening and the back wall, wherein the recess opens facing the second side wall and extends away from the second side wall so that the rests can support the shelf within the cabinet so that the shelf dimension is essentially perpendicular to the first and second side walls, and wherein the recess extends toward the back wall from the access opening a distance less than the prescribed distance and extends to a height dimension that permits the first end of the shelf to pivot toward the second side wall about the second end of the shelf only after the shelf is pulled out slightly toward the front access opening so that the back end of the shelf is just in front of a back of the recess, without changing the shelf dimension.

2. The refrigeration unit of claim 1, wherein the first and second side walls are defined by an insert liner.

3. The refrigeration unit of claim 2, wherein the insert liner is a thermoformed plastic.

4. The refrigeration unit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of shelves and wherein the first and second side walls define a plurality of vertically aligned rests spaced apart at different heights within the storage cavity.

5. The refrigeration unit of claim 1, wherein the recess extends from the access opening a distance greater than a length of the first and second shelf ends.

6. The refrigeration unit of claim 1, further including a second recess in the second side wall and associated with the second rest.

7. A refrigeration unit, comprising:

a cabinet having a front access opening for accessing a storage cavity defined by a back wall and opposite first and second side walls that define a lateral dimension of the cavity;

a shelf disposed within the cabinet and being essentially rigid between opposite first and second ends spaced apart a shelf dimension that is greater than the lateral dimension of the cavity between the first and second side walls, the shelf including a front end and a back end; and

first and second rests aligned with one another so as to support the shelf, the first rest being associated with a first recess in the first side wall and extends a prescribed distance between the front access opening and the back wall with the second rest being associated with a second recess in the second side wall, wherein the first recess opens facing the second side wall and extends away from the second side wall so that the rests can support the shelf within the cabinet so that the shelf dimension is essentially perpendicular to the first and side walls, and wherein the first recess extends toward the back wall from the access opening a distance less than the prescribed distance and extends to a height dimension that permits the first end of the shelf to pivot toward the second side wall about the second end of the shelf only after the shelf is pulled out slightly toward the front access opening so that the back end of the shelf is just in front of a back of the recess;

wherein the second recess is configured differently than the first recess.

8. The refrigeration unit of claim 7, wherein the first recess has a concave scooped configuration.

9. The refrigeration unit of claim 7, wherein the second recess is not configured to permit the second shelf end to pivot upwardly toward the first side wall.

10. The refrigeration unit of claim 7, wherein the first and second side walls are defined by an insert liner.

11. The refrigeration unit of claim 10, wherein the insert liner is a thermoformed plastic.

12. The refrigeration unit of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of shelves and wherein the first and second side walls define a plurality of vertically aligned rests spaced apart at different heights within the storage cavity.

13. The refrigeration unit of claim 7, wherein the first recess extends from the access opening a distance greater than a length of the first and second shelf ends.