Accessory arrangement for a refrigerator door and can holder for a refrigerator

Abstract

An accessory arrangement for a refrigerator door, and accessories being in the form of can holders ( 20 ), median shelves ( 30 ), wire frame shelves ( 30 a ), and other means for supporting the products to be refrigerated, said door ( 10 ) of the refrigerator having an internal wall ( 11 ) carrying retaining means ( 12 ), which are identical to each other and disposed according to horizontal rows and vertical columns, each retaining means ( 12 ) being able to receive and retain, simply by fitting a respective engaging means ( 40 ) incorporated to one of said accessories to be removably affixed to the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ). The distances between the vertical columns of the retaining means ( 12 ) and the widths of the accessories are designed so that the useful width of said internal wall ( 11 ) is fully occupied with multiple accessories adjacently disposed side by side.

1 . An accessory arrangement for a refrigerator door, in which the accessories are in the form of can holders ( 20 ), median shelves ( 30 ), wire frame shelves ( 30   a ), and other means to support the products to be refrigerated, characterized in that the door ( 10 ) of the refrigerator has an internal wall ( 11 ) carrying retaining means ( 12 ), which are identical to each other and disposed according to horizontal rows and vertical columns that are spaced from each other according to a predetermined standard, so that each retaining means ( 12 ) can receive and retain, simply by fitting a respective engaging means ( 40 ) incorporated to one of said accessories in the form of can holders ( 20 ), median shelves ( 30 ), wire frame shelves ( 30 a) to be removably affixed to the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ), the distances between the vertical columns of the retaining means ( 12 ) and the widths of the accessories being designed so that the useful width of said internal wall ( 11 ) can be fully occupied with multiple accessories adjacently disposed side by side, each accessory having at least one engaging means ( 40 ) fitted in a respective retaining means ( 12 ).  
     
     
         2 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the distances between the vertical columns of the retaining means ( 12 ) are equal to each other and correspond to one of the values defined by a width and by entire fractions of the width of an accessory.  
     
     
         3 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the horizontal rows of the retaining means ( 12 ) comprise at least two groups of rows, with the rows of each group being equally spaced from each other and with the confronting rows of two adjacent groups being separated from each other by a distance superior to that of the rows of each group.  
     
     
         4 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the groups of horizontal rows of the retaining means ( 12 ) occupy only part of the height of the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ), from an upper edge of the latter.  
     
     
         5 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the retaining means ( 12 ) of each vertical column are formed in a channel ( 13 ) having a bottom wall ( 13   a ) that is lowered in relation to the internal wall (I  1 ) of the door ( 10 ), each retaining means ( 12 ) being defined by a respective extension of the channel ( 13 ) presenting a front opening with reduced width.  
     
     
         6 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 5 , characterized in that each engaging means ( 40 ) of each accessory comprise a rear projection presenting a cross section contour that is similar to and slightly smaller than the cross section contour of the extensions of the channel ( 13 ) that define the retaining means ( 12 ), said rear projection incorporating an upper end portion ( 41 ) with a contour that is similar to and slightly smaller than that of the channel ( 13 ).  
     
     
         7 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 6 , characterized in that each engaging means ( 40 ) comprises a pair of flaps ( 42 ) divergingly projecting from a respective accessory, so as to define a dove tail fit with the retaining means ( 12 ) formed in the channel ( 13 ).  
     
     
         8 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each accessory in the form of can holders ( 20 ) comprises at least two tubular frames ( 21 ) which are parallel to each other, vertically aligned and laterally adjacent and have rear ends defined by respective bottom walls ( 22 ) which are coplanar to each other and will be seated against the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ), and open front ends, which are substantially parallel to the bottom walls ( 22 ) and incorporated to a front flange ( 23 ), said tubular frames ( 21 ) having their axes upwardly inclined from the bottom walls ( 22 ).  
     
     
         9 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the tubular frames ( 21 ) have cylindrical lateral walls, intersecting and laterally communicating in relation to each other.  
     
     
         10 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that at least one of the bottom walls ( 22 ) incorporates an engaging means ( 40 ) to be fitted in a respective retaining means ( 12 ) provided in the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ).  
     
     
         11 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 10 , characterized in that the front flange ( 23 ) incorporates end flaps ( 24 ) projecting rearwards, orthogonal to the plane of the bottom walls ( 22 ), so as to be medianly affixed to the cylindrical lateral wall of the tubular frames ( 21 ) by means of structural ribs ( 25 ).  
     
     
         12 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the cylindrical lateral walls of the tubular frames ( 21 ) are provided with windows ( 26 ).  
     
     
         13 . An accessory arrangement according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each accessory in the form of a median shelf ( 30 ) and of a wire frame shelf ( 30 a) comprises a pair of engaging means ( 40 ) to be fitted in respective retaining means ( 12 ) disposed in the same horizontal row, but in two adjacent vertical columns.  
     
     
         14 . A can holder for a refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises at least two tubular frames ( 21 ) which are laterally adjacent, vertically aligned and parallel to each other, having rear ends closed by respective bottom walls ( 22 ) that are coplanar to each other, and open front ends defined by a front flange ( 23 ) incorporating upper and lower end flaps ( 24 , 24 ) projecting rearwards, orthogonal to the plane of the bottom walls ( 22 ) and which are structurally coupled to the adjacent tubular frames ( 21 ), said upper end flap ( 24 ) being slidingly seated on a pair of rails ( 16 ) incorporated under a shelf ( 15 ) mounted to one of the parts defined by the cabinet and the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ) of a refrigerator.  
     
     
         15 . A can holder according to  claim 14 , characterized in that at least one of the bottom walls ( 22 ) incorporates, externally, an engaging means ( 40 ) to be removably fitted in a respective retaining means ( 12 ) provided in the internal wall ( 11 ) of the door ( 10 ) of the refrigerator.  
     
     
         16 . A can holder according to  claim 15 , characterized in that the engaging means ( 40 ) comprises a rear projection of a respective bottom wall ( 22 ) that is shaped to define a dove tail fit with a respective retaining means ( 12 ).  
     
     
         17 . A can holder according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the tubular frames ( 21 ) have their axes upwardly inclined from the bottom walls ( 22 ).  
     
     
         18 . A can holder according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the tubular frames ( 21 ) have their cylindrical lateral walls intersecting and laterally communicating in relation to each other.  
     
     
         19 . A can holder according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the tubular frames ( 21 ) are provided with windows ( 26 ) in the lateral walls thereof.