Spill containing refrigerator shelf assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A shelf assembly comprising:
- a shelf panel having a top surface for supporting articles; and
a hydrophobic surface applied in a spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel such that the hydrophobic surface defines a boundary of a central portion of the top surface of the shelf panel,the hydrophobic surface comprising a frit layer applied in the spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel and a hydrophobic compound coated over the frit layer.
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Abstract
The specification discloses a method for containing spills on shelving and the like, and the resulting support members made in accordance with the method, by providing the generally flat top surface of a support with a hydrophobic surface which is arranged in a spill containment pattern and which is generally in the plane of the top surface of the support. The majority of the top surface of the support consists of one or more spill containment areas which are of a non-hydrophobic nature and which are bounded by the hydrophobic surfaces, such that spills on the shelving collect in the non-hydrophobic spill containment area or areas and are prevented from spreading by the hydrophobic surfaces.
600 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A shelf assembly comprising:
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a shelf panel having a top surface for supporting articles; and a hydrophobic surface applied in a spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel such that the hydrophobic surface defines a boundary of a central portion of the top surface of the shelf panel, the hydrophobic surface comprising a frit layer applied in the spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel and a hydrophobic compound coated over the frit layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of manufacturing a shelf capable of containing liquid spills thereon, the method comprising:
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providing a panel having a top surface; applying a frit layer to the top surface of the panel in a spill containment pattern; applying a hydrophobic compound to the frit layer arranged in the spill containment pattern; and not applying the frit layer and the hydrophobic compound to a central portion of the top surface of the panel such that the frit layer and the hydrophobic compound define a boundary of the central portion of the shelf panel. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A refrigerator shelf assembly, comprising:
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a refrigerator shelf panel having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface capable of supporting articles; and a hydrophobic surface applied in a spill containment pattern on the top surface of the refrigerator shelf panel such that the hydrophobic surface defines a boundary of a central portion of the top surface of the refrigerator shelf panel, wherein the surface area of the central portion is greater than the remaining surface area of the top surface, the hydrophobic surface comprising a frit layer applied in the spill containment pattern on the top surface of the refrigerator shelf panel and a hydrophobic compound coated over the frit layer; and at least one support bracket attached to the bottom surface of the refrigerator shelf panel. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A shelf assembly, comprising:
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a shelf panel having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface capable of supporting articles; and a hydrophobic surface applied in a spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel such that the hydrophobic surface defines a boundary of a central portion of the top surface of the shelf panel, wherein the hydrophobic surface comprises a frit layer applied in the spill containment pattern on the top surface of the shelf panel and a hydrophobic compound coated over the frit layer; and at least one support bracket attached to the bottom surface of the shelf panel such that the top surface of the shelf panel is completely free from intrusion or other obstruction, thereby maximizing the available shelf space on the top surface of the shelf panel. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification