Vertically adjustable shelves and refrigerator compartment housing the same

Abstract

An adjustable shelf assembly includes a shelf formed by a panel of tempered glass, at least one metal shelf bracket, and a rim securing the panel to the shelf bracket. The shelf bracket includes a pin vertically movable in a trackway which extends substantially the entire distance between top and bottom walls of a refrigerator compartment. Slots in lateral walls of the trackway define a transverse/normal path of travel by way of which the shelf can be assembled to or disassembled from the trackway, particularly contiguous the top wall of the refrigerator compartment. The shelf bracket includes at least one stabilization member for preventing lateral instability during assembly, disassembly and use of the shelf assembly.

1 . A refrigerator compartment comprising a top wall, a bottom wall below said top wall, a rear wall between said top and bottom walls, and a pair of spaced side walls between said top and bottom walls; a shelf means for establishing a substantially vertical path of travel in said compartment substantially between said top and bottom walls along which said shelf can be selectively vertically adjustably positioned, means for holding said shelf at any one of a plurality of positions of adjustment along said substantially vertical path of travel means, means for effecting the release of said holding means to permit selective vertical adjustment of said shelf along said vertical path of travel means, and means contiguous said top wall for defining a transverse entry/removal path of travel for said shelf holding means into said vertical path of travel means to introduce/remove said shelf relative to said vertical path of travel means.  
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  including means for preventing undesired inadvertent downward movement of the shelf upon the release of said holding means and accompanying release of the shelf.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  wherein said vertical path of travel means is integrally formed from the material of one of said side and rear walls.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  including means for fastening said vertical path of travel means to at least one of said side and rear walls.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  including means for defining a second transverse entry/removal path of travel for said shelf holding means into said vertical path of travel means to introduce/remove said shelf relative to said vertical path of travel means, and said first-mentioned and second transverse path of travel means are disposed in substantially vertically spaced relationship.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  including means for defining a second transverse entry/removal path of travel for said shelf holding means into said vertical path of travel means to introduce/remove said shelf relative to said vertical path of travel means, said second transverse path of travel means is disposed in substantially adjacent said bottom walls and the vertical distance between said top wall and said first-mentioned transverse path of travel means is appreciably less than the vertical distance between said bottom wall and said second transverse path of travel means.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  wherein said transverse path of travel means is substantially immediately at a lower surface of said top wall.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  wherein said transverse path of travel means includes a slot having a lower edge spaced a predetermined vertical distance below said top wall, and said predetermined vertical distance corresponds substantially to the vertical distance between an upper surface plane of said shelf and a lower surface plane of said shelf holding means.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  including means for preventing undesired inadvertent downward movement of the shelf upon the release of said holding means and accompanying release of the shelf, and said downward movement preventing means includes at least one stop means along said vertical path of travel means for stopping downward movement of the shelf.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  wherein said vertical path of travel means is defined by an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means include pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, and said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 1  wherein said vertical path of travel means is an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means include pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions, said lateral walls include inboardmost wall portions, said inboard wall portions are spaced a predetermined distance from each other substantially less than the pin means predetermined axial distance, and said holding means are defined by edges of said shelf adjusting openings formed in said inboard wall portions.  
   
   
       12 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 5  including means for preventing undesired inadvertent downward movement of the shelf upon the release of said holding means and accompanying release of the shelf.  
   
   
       13 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 5  wherein said vertical path of travel means is integrally formed from the material of one of said side and rear walls.  
   
   
       14 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 5  including means for fastening said vertical path of travel means to at least one of said side and rear walls.  
   
   
       15 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 5  wherein said vertical path of travel means is an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means include pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, and said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions.  
   
   
       16 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 5  wherein said vertical path of travel means is an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means includes pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions, said lateral walls include inboardmost wall portions, said inboard wall portions are spaced a predetermined distance from each other substantially less than the pin means predetermined axial distance, and said holding means are defined by edges of said shelf adjusting openings formed in said inboard wall portions.  
   
   
       17 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 6  wherein said vertical path of travel means is an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means include pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, and said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions.  
   
   
       18 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 6  wherein said vertical path of travel means is an elongated member defined at least in part by lateral walls, said lateral walls having elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance, said lateral walls having elongated medial wall portions inboard of said elongated terminal wall portions spaced from each other a predetermined distance substantially greater than said elongated terminal wall portions predetermined distance and in part defining the vertical path of travel means, said shelf holding means includes pin means of said shelf for latching with vertically spaced shelf adjusting openings of said spaced lateral walls, said pin means being of a predetermined axial length substantially between said first and second predetermined distances, said transverse path of travel means is defined by substantially laterally aligned slots in said elongated terminal wall portions which effect transverse entry/removal of said pin means relative to said vertical path of travel means along said elongated medial wall portions, said lateral walls include inboardmost wall portions, said inboard wall portions are spaced a predetermined distance from each other substantially less than the pin means predetermined axial distance, and said holding means are defined by edges of said shelf adjusting openings formed in said inboard wall portions.  
   
   
       19 . A refrigerator compartment comprising a top wall, a bottom wall below said top wall, a rear wall between said top and bottom walls, and a pair of spaced side walls between said top and bottom walls; a shelf means for establishing a substantially vertical path of travel in said compartment substantially between said top and bottom walls along which said shelf can be selectively vertically adjustably positioned, means for holding said shelf at any one of a plurality of positions of adjustment along said substantially vertical path of travel means, means for effecting the release of said holding means to permit selective vertical adjustment of said shelf along said vertical path of travel means, means contiguous said top wall for defining a transverse entry/removal path of travel for said shelf holding means into said vertical path of travel means to introduce/remove said shelf relative to said vertical path of travel means, said vertical path of travel means is a trackway, and said trackway is integrally formed from the material of at least one of said side and rear walls.  
   
   
       20 . A refrigerator compartment comprising a top wall, a bottom wall below said top wall, a rear wall between said top and bottom walls, and a pair of spaced side walls between said top and bottom walls; a shelf means for establishing a substantially vertical path of travel in said compartment substantially between said top and bottom walls along which said shelf can be selectively vertically adjustably positioned, means for holding said shelf at any one of a plurality of positions of adjustment along said substantially vertical path of travel means, means for effecting the release of said holding means to permit selective vertical adjustment of said shelf along said vertical path of travel means, means contiguous said top wall for defining a transverse entry/removal path of travel for said shelf holding means into said vertical path of travel means to introduce/remove said shelf relative to said vertical path of travel means, and means carried by said shelf for effecting lateral stabilization of said shelf.  
   
   
       21 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 20  wherein said vertical path of travel means include a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending walls, each vertically extending wall includes first and second vertically extending wall portions, said first vertically extending wall portions being spaced a first predetermined distance from each other, said second vertically extending wall portions being spaced a second predetermined distance from each other, said holding means includes pin means for latching with vertically spaced laterally aligned latching ledges of one of said first and second vertically extending wall portions, and said stabilization effecting means is in contiguous relationship to the other of said first and second vertically extending wall portions.  
   
   
       22 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 21  wherein said stabilization means is in contiguous relationship with the vertically extending wall portions defining the lesser of said first and second predetermined distances.  
   
   
       23 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 22  wherein the greater of said first and second predetermined distances corresponds substantially to the axial length of said pin means.  
   
   
       24 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 21  wherein said laterally spaced vertically extending walls define a vertically extending slot therebetween, said slot having terminal vertical edges defined by said first vertically extending wall portions, and a vertically slideway defined by said second vertically extending wall portions.  
   
   
       25 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 21  wherein said laterally spaced vertically extending walls define a vertically extending slot therebetween, said slot having terminal vertical edges defined by said first vertically extending wall portions, a vertically slideway defined by said second vertically extending wall portions, and said second predetermined distance is greater than said first predetermined distance.  
   
   
       26 . The refrigerator compartment as defined in  claim 25  wherein said stabilization effecting means is in contiguous relationship to said first vertically extending wall portions.  
   
   
       27 . A shelf comprising a shelf panel and a shelf bracket, said shelf bracket and shelf panel being disposed in substantially normal relationship to each other, said shelf bracket being substantially inboard of a peripheral edge portion of said shelf panel except at substantially diametrically opposite peripheral edge portions of said glass panel peripheral edge, an encapsulation of synthetic polymeric/copolymeric plastic material defining a rim of said shelf panel, and diametrically opposite portions of said encapsulation defining diametrically opposite means for encapsulatingly securing a front end portion and a rear end portion of said shelf bracket to said shelf panel.  
   
   
       28 . The shelf as defined in  claim 27  wherein said shelf bracket is substantially devoid of encapsulating material between said diametrically opposite encapsulating rim portions.  
   
   
       29 . The shelf as defined in  claim 27  wherein said shelf panel is made of tempered glass.