Locking refrigerator or freezer box

Abstract

A storage system allows secured attachment in a device, such as a refrigerator, a freezer, a medical cart or the like, having a shelf comprising spaced-apart wire rack ribs. The storage system has a body with top and bottom walls, side walls, a rear wall, and an open front face opposite the rear wall, the top wall having a pair of spaced-apart apertures. A front door, hingedly attached to the body, is sized to fully close the front face when attached thereto. The body is attached to the shelf using a screw and a screw-retaining member, with the screw-retaining member operating to secure the ribs of the shelf between itself and the body. A screw, with its head located inside the body, passes through one of the apertures and is threadingly secured to the screw-retaining member.

1 . A storage system for secured attachment in a device having a shelf comprising spaced-apart wire rack ribs, the storage system comprising:
 a body having top and bottom walls, side walls, a rear wall, and an open front face opposite the rear wall, the top wall having a pair of spaced-apart apertures;   a front door, sized to fully close the front face when attached thereto, the front door having an aperture therethrough;   means for hingedly attaching the front door to the body;   means for locking the front door in a closed position on the body; and   means for attaching the body to the shelf, such that attachment of the body to the shelf, or removal therefrom, is effected through access to an interior of the body.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the attaching means comprises:
 a screw, and 
 a screw-retaining member, sized and adapted to secure the body to the shelf. 
   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the screw-retaining member comprises:
 a flat disc portion having a diameter larger than a space between adjacent ribs in the shelf; and 
 a diametric rib provided on a bottom surface of the disc portion; 
 wherein an aperture, provided with female threading corresponding to male threading on the screw, passes axially through the rib and the disc portion. 
   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the screw-retaining member comprises:
 a top portion; 
 a rib formed on a bottom surface of the top portion, the rib extending across the bottom portion; 
 a first and a second protrusion formed along the rib, the respective protrusions positioned near opposite ends of the rib and extending from opposite sides thereof; and 
 an aperture, provided with female threading corresponding to male threading on the screw, passing axially through the rib and the top portion; 
 such that the top portion, the protrusions and the rib coact to form a groove adapted to capture one rib of the shelf. 
   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the body is formed in a unitary manner by molding.   
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the body is formed in a unitary manner by molding.   
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the body and front face are formed from a polymeric material.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the body and front face are formed from a polymeric material.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the polymer is a glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (“PETG”) co-polyester.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the polymer is a glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (“PETG”) co-polyester.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the screw and the screw-retaining member are each formed from a polyamide material.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the screw and the screw-retaining member are each formed from a polyamide material.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 The spaced-apart apertures are a pair of elongate slots.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the elongate slots are axially aligned.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the screw is a thumb screw.   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the screw is a thumb screw.   
   
   
       17 . A storage system for secured attachment in a device having a shelf comprising spaced-apart wire rack ribs, the storage box comprising:
 a body having top and bottom walls, side walls, a rear wall, and an open front face opposite the rear wall, the top wall having a pair of spaced-apart apertures, the body being formed in a unitary manner by molding a glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (“PETG”) co-polyester;   a front door, sized to fully close the front face when attached thereto, the front door having an aperture therethrough;   means for hingedly attaching the front door to the body;   means for locking the front door in a closed position on the body; and   means for attaching the body to the shelf, such that attachment of the body to the shelf, or removal therefrom, is effected through access to an interior of the body, the attaching means comprising a thumb screw and a member for retaining the thumb screw, sized and adapted to secure the body to the shelf, the thumb screw and thumb-screw-retaining member formed from polyamide.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the thumb-screw-retaining member comprises:
 a flat disc portion having a diameter larger than a space between adjacent ribs in the shelf; and 
 a diametric rib provided on a bottom surface of the disc portion; 
 wherein an aperture, provided with female threading corresponding to male threading on the thumb screw, passes axially through the rib and the disc portion. 
   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the thumb-screw-retaining member comprises:
 a top portion; 
 a rib formed on a bottom surface of the top portion, the rib extending across the bottom portion; and 
 a first and a second protrusion formed along the rib, the respective protrusions positioned near opposite ends of the rib and extending from opposite sides thereof; and 
 an aperture, provided with female threading corresponding to male threading on the thumb screw, passing axially through the rib and the top portion; 
 such that the top portion, the protrusions and the ribs coact to form a groove adapted to capture one rib of the shelf.