Refrigerator shelf assembly

Abstract

A shelf assembly for a refrigerator is provided and includes a support member for supporting the shelf assembly laterally. The assembly includes a shelf panel that is supported along its side regions by respective support brackets. The support brackets are attachable or mountable to a support structure, such as to a support rack positioned at a back panel of a refrigerator. The support member is provided at one or both support brackets and may comprise a magnet or a suction cup.

1 . A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising:
 a shelf panel comprising a generally planar shelf portion and opposite side perimeter regions;   a pair of opposite support brackets, each of said support brackets supporting one of said opposite side perimeter regions of said shelf panel and each of said opposite support brackets being mountable to the refrigerator at a back panel, wherein one of said support brackets is positionable adjacent a side panel of the refrigerator;   a magnetically permeable member mountable at the side panel of the refrigerator; and   a magnet at said one of said support brackets and positioned at said magnetically permeable member when said one of said support brackets is mountable to the refrigerator, wherein said support brackets are supportable at the back panel of the refrigerator and said one support bracket is further supportable at the side panel of the refrigerator by said magnet and said magnetically permeable member.   
   
   
       2 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said magnet comprises a neodymium magnet. 
   
   
       3 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said magnetically permeable member comprises a steel plate. 
   
   
       4 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each said support bracket comprises a roller mechanism. 
   
   
       5 . The shelf assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said slide mechanism comprises a fixed rail that is mountable in the refrigerator and a movable rail that is movable along said fixed rail of said support bracket to move said shelf panel relative to said fixed rail, said magnet being mounted at said fixed rail. 
   
   
       6 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel is located intermediate said magnetically permeable member and said magnet. 
   
   
       7 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 another magnet at a second of said pair of support brackets, said other magnet positioned at another magnetically permeable member when said second support bracket is mounted to the refrigerator, wherein said second support bracket is further supportable at another side panel of the refrigerator by said other magnet and said other magnetically permeable member.   
   
   
       8 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said shelf panel comprises a generally planar shelf portion, a front perimeter region, a rear perimeter region, and opposite side perimeter regions, said front perimeter region, said rear perimeter region and said perimeter side regions being upwardly angled along respective perimeter regions of said generally planar portion, and wherein said upwardly angled side perimeter regions and said upwardly angled front and rear perimeter regions cooperate to provide a substantially continuous upwardly angled perimeter lip around said perimeter regions of said generally planar shelf portion. 
   
   
       9 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said shelf panel comprises a glass material. 
   
   
       10 . The shelf assembly of  claim 1 , further in combination with a refrigerator. 
   
   
       11 . A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising:
 a shelf panel comprising a glass material;   said shelf panel comprising a generally planar shelf portion, a front perimeter region, a rear perimeter region, and opposite side perimeter regions;   said front perimeter region, said rear perimeter region and said perimeter side regions being upwardly angled along respective perimeter regions of said generally planar portion;   said upwardly angled side perimeter regions and said upwardly angled front and rear perimeter regions cooperating to provide a substantially continuous upwardly angled perimeter lip around said perimeter regions of said generally planar shelf portion;   said side perimeter regions having an upwardly angled lower attachment surface;   a pair of opposite support brackets, each of said support brackets having a generally vertical portion and an angled portion that extends at an angle from an upper edge region of said generally vertical portion, said angled portions of said support brackets being angled to generally correspond to the angle of said upwardly angled side perimeter regions of said shelf panel, said angled portions of said support brackets being bonded via a cured adhesive layer along a respective one of said lower attachment surfaces of said side perimeter regions of said shelf panel;   said support brackets comprising a slide mechanism having a fixed rail that is mountable in the refrigerator and a movable rail that includes said angled portion that is bonded to said lower attachment surface of said side perimeter regions of said shelf panel, said movable rails being movable along said fixed rails of said support brackets to move said shelf panel relative to said fixed rail;   a magnetically permeable member for mounting at the side panel of the refrigerator; and   a magnet positioned at said fixed rail of one of said opposite support brackets mountable adjacent the side panel of the refrigerator and said magnetically permeable member, wherein said support brackets are supportable at the back panel of the refrigerator and said one support bracket is supportable at the side panel of the refrigerator by said magnet and said magnetically permeable member.   
   
   
       12 . The shelf assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said one of said support brackets comprises a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end positionable at the back panel of the refrigerator, wherein said magnet is positioned at said distal end of said one of said support brackets. 
   
   
       13 . The shelf assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said magnet comprises a neodymium magnet. 
   
   
       14 . The shelf assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the side panel is located intermediate said magnetically permeable member and said magnet. 
   
   
       15 . A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising:
 a shelf panel comprising a generally planar shelf portion and opposite side perimeter regions;   a pair of opposite support brackets, each of said support brackets supporting one of said opposite side perimeter regions of said shelf panel and each of said opposite support brackets being mountable to the refrigerator at a back panel, wherein one of said support brackets is mountable adjacent a side panel of the refrigerator; and   a suction cup at said one of said support brackets for engaging a side panel of the refrigerator, wherein said support brackets are supportable at the back panel of the refrigerator, and wherein said one support bracket is further supportable at the side panel of the refrigerator by said suction cup.   
   
   
       16 . The shelf assembly of  claim 15 , wherein each said support bracket comprises a roller mechanism. 
   
   
       17 . The shelf assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said roller mechanism comprises a fixed rail that is mountable in the refrigerator and a movable rail that is movable along said fixed rail of said support bracket to move said shelf panel relative to said fixed rail, said magnet being mounted at said fixed rail. 
   
   
       18 . The shelf assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said shelf panel comprises a generally planar shelf portion, a front perimeter region, a rear perimeter region, and opposite side perimeter regions, said front perimeter region, said rear perimeter region and said perimeter side regions being upwardly angled along respective perimeter regions of said generally planar portion, and wherein said upwardly angled side perimeter regions and said upwardly angled front and rear perimeter regions cooperate to provide a substantially continuous upwardly angled perimeter lip around said perimeter regions of said generally planar shelf portion. 
   
   
       19 . The shelf assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said shelf panel comprises a glass material. 
   
   
       20 . The shelf assembly of  claim 15 , further in combination with a refrigerator.