Bin assembly for a refrigerator appliance

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, and a bin assembly. The bin assembly includes a shelf positioned within the chilled chamber, a mounting bracket supporting the shelf, and a storage bin positioned below the shelf and including an interior portion. Additionally, the bin assembly includes a storage bin door slidable between an open position for providing access to the interior portion of the bin and a closed position for prohibiting access to the interior portion. The door includes an electrically powered component. Furthermore, the bin assembly includes a sliding interface contacted by the door as it slides between the open and closed positions. The interface includes one or more electrical contacts for conveying electrical power to the component of the door as it slides between the open and closed positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the refrigerator appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining a chilled chamber;   a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber; and   a bin assembly comprising: 
 a shelf positioned within the chilled chamber; 
 a mounting bracket supporting the shelf within the chilled chamber;  
 a storage bin positioned below the shelf, the storage bin including an interior portion; 
 a storage bin door slidable between an open position for providing access to the interior portion of the storage bin and a closed position for prohibiting access to the interior portion of the storage bin, the storage bin door including an electrically powered component; and 
 a sliding interface contacted by the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position, the sliding interface including one or more electrical contacts for conveying electrical power to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the storage bin door includes a storage bin door bracket coupled thereto; and   the sliding interface corresponds to a guide track positioned on the mounting bracket for receiving the storage bin door bracket for mounting the storage bin door thereto, the storage bin door bracket slidable along the guide track such that the storage bin door is slidable between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the one or more electrical contacts are positioned between the guide track and the storage bin door such that the storage bin door bracket is in contact with the one or more electrical contacts as the storage bin door bracket slides along the guide track; and   electrical power is conveyed to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door when the storage bin door bracket is in contact with the one or more electrical contacts.    
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the guide track extends in the transverse direction such that the storage bin door is slidable between the open position and the closed position in the transverse direction; and   the one or more electrical contacts extend parallel to the guide track along a length of the guide track.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , the one or more electrical contacts comprise: 
 a first electrical contact coupled to and extending along a length of the guide track; and   a second electrical contact coupled to the storage bin door bracket and in contact with the first electrical contact as the storage bin door bracket slides along the guide track; and   wherein, the first electrical contact conveys the electrical power to the second electrical contact and the second electrical contact conveys the electrical power from the first electrical contact to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the guide track includes a track guide rail protruding therefrom, the first electrical contact coupled to and extending along a length of the track guide rail; and   the storage bin door bracket defines a slot for receiving the track guide rail therein for sliding the storage bin door bracket along the track guide rail, the second electrical contact positioned within the slot.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the track guide rail includes a vertical side extending in the vertical direction, the first electrical contact coupled to the vertical side;    the slot defined by the storage bin door bracket includes a vertical wall extending in the vertical direction, the second electrical contact coupled to the vertical wall; and   a biasing element is configured to bias the vertical side of the track guide rail and the and the vertical wall of the slot together such that the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact each other as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the track guide rail includes a lateral side extending in the lateral direction, the first electrical contact coupled to the lateral side; and   the slot defined by the storage bin door bracket includes a lateral wall extending in the lateral direction, the second electrical contact coupled to the lateral wall and in contact with the first electrical contact as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the storage bin door is a storage bin lid positioned above the storage bin. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically powered component is a light source for providing light to the interior portion of the storage bin. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the storage bin door is slidable between the open position and the closed position within the chilled chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the storage bin and the storage bin lid extend across a width of the chilled chamber in the lateral direction. 
     
     
         13 . A bin assembly for a refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction and including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a door being rotatably hinged to the cabinet to provide selective access to the chilled chamber, the bin assembly comprising: 
 a shelf positioned within the chilled chamber;   a mounting bracket supporting the shelf within the chilled chamber;   a storage bin positioned below the shelf, the storage bin including an interior portion;   a storage bin door slidable between an open position for providing access to the interior portion of the storage bin and a closed position for prohibiting access to the interior portion of the storage bin, the storage bin door including an electrically powered component; and   a sliding interface contacted by the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position, the sliding interface including one or more electrical contacts for conveying electrical power to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         14 . The bin assembly of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the storage bin door includes a storage bin door bracket coupled thereto; and   the sliding interface corresponds to a guide track positioned on the mounting bracket for receiving the storage bin door bracket for mounting the storage bin door thereto, the storage bin door bracket slidable along the guide track such that the storage bin door is slidable between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         15 . The bin assembly of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the one or more electrical contacts are positioned between the guide track and the storage bin door such that the storage bin door bracket is in contact with the one or more electrical contacts as the storage bin door bracket slides along the guide track; and   electrical power is conveyed to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door when the storage bin door bracket is in contact with the one or more electrical contacts.   
     
     
         16 . The bin assembly of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the guide track extends in the transverse direction such that the storage bin door is slidable between the open position and the closed position in the transverse direction; and   the one or more electrical contacts extend parallel to the guide track along a length of the guide track.   
     
     
         17 . The bin assembly of  claim 16 , the one or more electrical contacts comprise: 
 a first electrical contact coupled to and extending along a length of the guide track; and   a second electrical contact coupled to the storage bin door bracket and in contact with the first electrical contact as the storage bin door bracket slides along the guide track; and   wherein, the first electrical contact conveys the electrical power to the second electrical contact and the second electrical contact conveys the electrical power from the first electrical contact to the electrically powered component of the storage bin door as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         18 . The bin assembly of  claim 17 , wherein: 
 the guide track includes a track guide rail protruding therefrom, the first electrical contact coupled to and extending along a length of the track guide rail; and   the storage bin door bracket defines a slot for receiving the track guide rail therein for sliding the storage bin door bracket along the track guide rail, the second electrical contact positioned within the slot.   
     
     
         19 . The bin assembly of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the track guide rail includes a vertical side extending in the vertical direction, the first electrical contact coupled to the vertical side;    the slot defined by the storage bin door bracket includes a vertical wall extending in the vertical direction, the second electrical contact coupled to the vertical wall; and   a biasing element is configured to bias the vertical side of the track guide rail and the and the vertical wall of the slot together such that the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact each other as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         20 . The bin assembly of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the track guide rail includes a lateral side extending in the lateral direction, the first electrical contact coupled to the lateral side; and   the slot defined by the storage bin door bracket includes a lateral wall extending in the lateral direction, the second electrical contact coupled to the lateral wall and in contact with the first electrical contact as the storage bin door slides between the open position and the closed position.