Universal crisper frame able to accommodate a variety of crisper configurations

摘要

A refrigerator which includes a refrigerator cabinet, a door attached to the refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerator drawer assembly disposed within the cabinet, the assembly including: (a) a refrigerator drawer body with a bottom and a plurality of upright walls operatively connected to the bottom; (b) a perimeter frame with front, back and opposite portions; (c) a support member having a first end, a second end, a bottom, a top, and a plurality of walls, the support member interchangeably connected to the front and back portions of the perimeter frame; and (d) a refrigerator drawer subassembly configured to support and allow for movement of the refrigerator drawer. A method for manufacturing a refrigerator with refrigerator drawer assembly includes providing a perimeter frame and a support member, connecting the support member to the perimeter frame to create a first position, disconnecting the support member from the perimeter to create a second position, selecting one of a plurality of refrigerator drawer bodies for insertion into the perimeter based on the position of the support member, and selecting one of a plurality of refrigerator drawer subassemblies for connection to the perimeter frame, support member, or refrigerator drawer body.

主权项

1. A refrigerator comprising:
a refrigerator cabinet; a door attached to the refrigerator cabinet; a refrigerator drawer assembly disposed within the cabinet, the assembly including: (a) a refrigerator drawer body with a bottom and a plurality of upright walls operatively connected to the bottom; (b) a perimeter frame with top, front, back and opposite side portions; (c) an integral front snap receiver centrally located on the front of the perimeter frame and an integral rear snap receiver centrally located on the back of the perimeter frame; (d) a support member having a first end, a second end, a bottom, a top, and a plurality of side walls, the support member interchangeably connected to the front and back portions of the perimeter frame at the integral front snap receiver and at the integral rear snap receiver; (e) a refrigerator drawer subassembly configured to support and allow for movement of the refrigerator drawer; and (f) a mount portion on the support member, the mount portion adapted to operate by itself to assist in providing a sliding drawer movement, removably attach to a rolling subassembly to assist in providing a rolling drawer movement, and removably attach to a gliding subassembly to assist in providing a gliding drawer movement; (g) a channel along the side walls of the support member configured for receiving drawer edges, the channel having a top ledge extending perpendicularly outward from one of the plurality of side walls between the first and second end, wherein a portion of the top ledge proximate the first end is concave shaped and extends into at least a portion of the channel; (h) the front of the perimeter frame having a front face extending between the opposite side portions and the top and an opposite bottom edge of the perimeter frame with a first notch proximate a first side of the perimeter frame and a second notch proximate an opposite second side of the perimeter frame, the first notch and the second notch extending in a vertical orientation from the opposite bottom edge toward the top of the perimeter frame for receiving drawer edges; and (i) a center notch in the front of the perimeter frame centered between the first notch and the second notch for receiving the support member; (j) a first downwardly extending front face portion between the first notch and the center notch and a second downwardly extending front face portion between the center notch and the second notch, the first and second downwardly extending front face portions terminating in the bottom edge of the perimeter frame; and the support member being in a first position when the support member is connected to the perimeter frame and being in a second position when the support member is disconnected from the perimeter frame.