Modular appliance bin

Abstract

An inner liner fixed to the door skin defining a recessed portion and including a first load supporting protrusion, a second load supporting protrusion, and a relief region disposed therebetween. A shelf disposed below the first and second load supporting protrusions and extending in a first direction and a second direction, substantially orthogonal to the first direction. A outer bin member including a side member forming a slot configured to receive one of the first load supporting protrusion and the second load supporting protrusion. An enclosure member extending from the side member and configured to at least partially close off the recessed portion, and a support wall extending from the side member and the enclosure member. A first portion of the support wall is configured to lie along the shelf and a second portion is configured to detachably fix the outer bin to the shelf.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a refrigerator door provided with an inner liner including,
 a first vertical wall, a second vertical wall, and a third vertical wall, extending therebetween in a width direction, the first, second, and third vertical walls extending in a vertical direction and collectively defining a pocket recessed with respect to an inner surface of the inner liner, the first vertical wall provided with a first protrusion including a first load-bearing surface, a second protrusion including a second load-bearing surface, and a relief region disposed therebetween, and 
 a first horizontal wall extending from the third vertical wall in a depth direction and configured to support a number food or beverage items; and 
   a bin including,
 an enclosure portion extending in the vertical direction, 
 a retention portion extending in the depth direction from the enclosure portion, the retention portion including a fourth vertical wall configured to lie on the first and second load-bearing surfaces and defining a slot configured to receive at least one of the first protrusion or the second protrusion, and 
 a second horizontal wall extending from at least one of the enclosure portion and retention portion configured to engage the first horizontal wall so that the enclosure portion is detachably fixed in at least one of the depth direction or the width direction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the retention portion includes a retention protrusion extending from the fourth vertical wall and the relief region is configured to receive the retention protrusion. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein the retention protrusion engages an inner periphery of the relief region to form a gap-fit condition. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the retention portion includes a first lip extending from the fourth vertical wall and the lip lies along the first protrusion. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein the first horizontal extending wall includes a raised portion provided with an edge configured to abut against the second horizontal wall. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is formed by pair of vertical struts extending from the fourth vertical wall and a number of horizontally struts extending between the pair of vertical extending struts. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein a portion of the first vertical wall, disposed in the relief region, forms a number of stiffening ribs configured to stiffen the portion of the first vertical wall. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion extends from the first vertical wall and has a first width and the second protrusion has a second width, wherein the second width is less than the first width. 
     
     
         9 . A refrigerator door comprising:
 a door skin;   an inner liner fixed to the door skin and including,
 a number of vertical walls each extending in a vertical direction and including a first vertical wall, 
 a first horizontal wall provided and a support surface, the first vertical wall and the first horizontal wall collectively defining a pocket recessed with respect to an inner surface of the inner liner, 
 a first retention member extending from a second vertical wall of the number of vertical walls; and 
   a bin including,
 an enclosure portion configured to at least partially close off a portion of the pocket, 
 a retention portion including a second retention member configured to engage the first retention member so that the bin is detachably fixed to the inner liner, and 
 a second horizontal wall extending from the enclosure, configured to lie along the first horizontal wall, and including a first edge configured to abut against a second edge formed by the support surface. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator door of  claim 9 , wherein the support surface is formed by a raised surface extending from the first horizontal wall, wherein the second horizontal wall and the raised surface lie in a common plane. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the second horizontal wall is L-shaped and includes a first leg, forming the first edge, and a second leg extending substantially orthogonal to and from the first leg. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein the second leg is sandwiched between the retention portion and the raised surface. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator door of  claim 9 , wherein the second horizontal wall forms a number of slots configured to facilitate air flow into the pocket. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator door of  claim 9 , wherein the inner liner includes a V-shaped cross-section and the V-shaped cross-section is at least partially formed by the first horizontal wall. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator door of  claim 14 , wherein a bottom portion of the V-shaped cross section forms nose and the second horizontal wall is configured to lie along a top portion of the nose. 
     
     
         16 . The refrigerator door of  claim 9 , wherein the enclosure portion is formed by a z-shaped wall including a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion is spaced apart from the door skin by a first distance and the top portion spaced apart from the door skin by a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         17 . A refrigerator door comprising:
 a door skin;   an inner liner fixed to the door skin defining a recessed portion and including,
 a first load supporting protrusion, a second load supporting protrusion, and a relief region disposed therebetween, 
 a shelf disposed below the first and second load supporting protrusions and extending in a first direction and a second direction, substantially orthogonal to the first direction; and 
   an outer bin member including,
 a side member forming a slot configured to receive one of the first load supporting protrusion and the second load supporting protrusion 
 an enclosure member extending from the side member and configured to at least partially close off the recessed portion, and 
 a support wall extending from the side member and the enclosure member, wherein a first portion of the support wall is configured to lie along the shelf and a second portion is configured to detachably fix the outer bin to the shelf. 
   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator door of  claim 17 , wherein the first loading protrusion forms a stop and the side member is configured to lie against the stop when the outer bin member is installed to the inner liner. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator door of  claim 17 , wherein the first load supporting protrusion has a first width and the second load supporting protrusion has a second width, wherein the second width is less than the first width. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator door of  claim 17 , wherein the side member includes a first arm, having a first length, and a second arm having a second length, the second length having a length less than the first length, wherein the relief region is configured to receive the second arm.