ES2198634T3 - A DUPLICABLE SHELF, PARTICULARLY FOR APPLIANCES SUCH AS REFRIGERATORS, FREEZERS, OVENS AND SIMILAR. - Google Patents

Abstract

A REMOVABLE SHELF IS DESCRIBED FOR APPLIANCES, SUCH AS REFRIGERATORS, FREEZERS, OVENS AND SIMILAR, WHICH INCLUDES: A SUPPORT PANEL (1); A BOTTOM SUPPORT PANEL (2) UNITED TO THE FIRST BY A MEANS OF CONNECTION (3), WHICH ALLOWS THE TWO SUPPORT PANELS TO SUFFER A RELATIVE MOVEMENT APPROACHING AND AWAYING BETWEEN TO PLACE THEM IN ASSIGNED POSITIONS; AND A BLOCKING MEDIA (4, 4A) TO BLOCK THE LOWER SUPPORT PANEL (2) NEAR THE UPPER SUPPORT PANEL (1) AND TO RELEASE IT WHEN IT MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE SAME TO ALLOW ITS USE BY THE USER.

Description

A duplicable shelf, particularly for appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and Similar.

This invention relates to a removable shelf for household appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like, in which products are placed (chilled, frozen, or cooked) to be treated.

It is known that in such household appliances the Support surfaces, in the form of shelves, are insufficient with frequency, particularly, and this applies especially to refrigerators, when most of the food purchased in a Supermarket or hypermarket is obtained on Saturday.

US-A-4 528 825 describes a folding refrigerator shelf, suitable for be suspended from a normal flat refrigerator shelf, in cantilever

The main object of the invention is to provide a composite shelf capable of satisfying these requirements of user of maximum support surface at the same time as possible, in absence of said requirements, be substantially reconverted to A usual shelf.

This and other additional objects, which will result evident from the detailed description provided here in go ahead, they are achieved thanks to a composite shelf according with the teachings of the appended claims.

The invention will become more apparent from the description. following of preferred embodiments thereof given in the form of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from down with some interrupted parts, of the composite shelf of the invention in its closed position, that is, in the position in which its supplementary support panel is not used;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from below the lever to fix / release the support panel supplementary shelf of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from below the support plate for the lever of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an oblique perspective view of a modification of the composite shelf in the position in which the supplementary support panel is in use;

Figure 5 is a perspective view from a different angle showing the composite shelf of Figure 4 in its closed position (analogous to that in Figure 1).

Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the composite shelf of the invention. Composite shelf illustrated essentially comprises a top support panel 1, a Supplemental lower underlying support panel 2, a pair of elements 3 to connect them together and means 4 of fixation / release, to retain the lower support panel 2 in its inoperative or non-use position (in whose position it found near the top support panel 1), and to release it when required to be used by the user.

The upper support panel 1 consists, in this example, of a series of parallel metal bars 6 bent towards above, for example at right angles, at one end 6A. The bars 6 they are rigid, with transverse members, for example other bars, indicated with 7.

The lower support panel 2 comprises a series of metal bars 8, 8A parallel to each other and to bars 6 of the upper support panel 1. The bars 8, 8A are rigid, with crossbars 9. The bars indicated with 8A are both extreme bars, these being longer than the other bars 8 to stand out at its ends 10 in a short distance beyond of the crossbars 9. The bars 8 are fixed on the upper side of the crossbars 9, the two bars being 8A ends fixed on the lower sides of these last.

The connection elements 3, mutually identical, they are preferably constructed of plastic, with a non-rectilinear profile comprising two parts, specifically one substantially rectilinear part 3A and an arcuate part 3B.

At their upper ends, parts 3B have a hook or open groove profile, as indicated with 3C in Figure 1, whose purpose is to be applied on the bars ends 6 of the upper support panel 1 to allow the connection elements 3 move angularly relative to the panel 1 upper support around the end bars 6.

Substantially in its part 3B, elements 3 of connection comprise sliding guides 11 in which extend the projecting portions 10 of the end bars 8A of the lower support panel 2. These guides are shaped like a channel and they can be formed with closed grooves at their ends exterior, in 11A. On those closed ends rest the protruding ends 10 of the end bars 8A. The guides 11 sliding allow the lower support panel 2 to move in relation to the connection elements 3 during the passage of the surface 2 from the inoperative position of Figure 1, in the which is close to the upper support panel 1, to the position operational, in which a distance is separated from the latter useful to allow the user to use support panel 2 to withstand objects, food etc. The separated position is shown in the Figure 4, which, however, refers to an embodiment modified of the fixation / release means 4.

The fixing / releasing means 4 comprise a plate 12 (Figure 3) and a lever 13 (Figure 2) supported by rotating form by the plate.

The plastic construction plate 12 comprises a series of teeth or jagged projections 14 to snap (see Figure 1) with two bars 6 of support panel 1 higher. It also includes a pin 15 diametrically (partially) grooved provided with a conical insert head to allow mounting by pressure or by elastic jump of the lever 13, which, once mounted, can perform certain angular displacement limited by a stop 16 present in the license plate. The plate may further comprise at its front end a semi-clamp 17 for positioning to attach to the bar front transverse 7 (which in the figures is covered by a section 18).

The lever 13, mounted on the plate 12, as has been exposed above, comprises a hole 19 to be mounted at pin 15 and also a front handle 13A accessible to the user, and a pair of protruding clamps 13B open in the same direction (see also Figure 1) for pressure coupling to two bars 8 of the lower support panel 2 when it is in the inoperative position (Figure 1), that is, in contact with or near top support panel 1. When the user wishes to use the lower support panel 2 (Figure 4 shows the operating position), rotates lever 13, releasing its clamps 13B of the bars 8 of the lower support panel 2. Thanks to the combined effect of the weight of the connection elements 3 and support panel 2 and the degrees of freedom provided by the articulation of the connection elements 3 to the surface upper 1 and by guides 11, the lower support panel 2 is moves to the position of Figure 4, that is, to its position of use, in which it can act as a supplementary shelf. When the user does not intend to use support panel 2, it raises it until the two bars re-engage in the clamps 13B of lever 13.

The lever 13 may be subjected to the action of a centering spring, for example a torsion spring acting between lever 13 and plate 12.

The modified embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 differs only in its means of fixation / release, indicated here with 4A. The rest corresponds to what has already been described with reference to Figures 1-3, the parts being correspondingly identified, therefore, in Figures 4, 5 with the same reference numbers.

The fixing / releasing means 4A comprise a substantially flat upper part 20, thanks to which they rest on top surface 1, and a side wall 21 discontinuous and semicircular that extends to two arms 22 that they are projected frontally thanks to a region 23 formed conventionally to form an elastic arm hinge 22, so that they can be shot down by the user and that when they are abandoned they return elastically to their initial position. To retain the lower support panel 2 in its inoperative position (Figure 5), arms 22 are provided with entrance guide steps 24 in which the bars are applied 8 of the lower surface 2 and from which the bars when the user, who wishes to use the bottom surface 2, squeeze the arms together 22.

The plate 20 is provided with fitting means to pressure or elastic jump (for example: open clamps) for snap fit with bars 6 of support panel 1 higher. These snap fit means can be similar to those of the plate of Figure 3 or the lever of Figure 2.

In the modification of Figures 4 and 5, for use lower support panel 2, release it by pressing one made another arms 22. However, you can also get let go by pulling the arms in the direction of separating them if the release means 24 are located on the inner side of the arms and arms have a shape that is external to the tie rods 8, and the steps for those bars are arranged in the side wall 21 to which the arms.

The fixing / releasing means can be different from those described above and, although more rudimentary and certainly less acceptable by the user, they can be reduced in the limit to a hook connected to one of the Support panels and be hooked to one or more bars of the other.

In addition, instead of being formed of bars, the support panels may be formed at the edge of gratings or plates, one of which (the upper one) is provided with means of hinge (for example: arranged on flange or frame parts added or applied) and the other one is provided with protrusions that are they can guide within the connection elements 3 (for example arranged on flange or frame parts added or applied). In this case, the fixing / releasing means may be formed from a spring loaded hook, supported on rotation by one frame and cooperating with one projection on the other frame.

Claims (10)

1. A removable shelf for household appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers, ovens and the like, comprising a top support panel (1); a lower support panel (2); joined to the previous one by means (3) of connection that allow the two support panels to make a relative movement of approach and distance from each other to take them to assigned positions; and fixing means (4, 4A) to fix the lower support panel (2) near the upper support panel (1) and to release it when it is to be moved out of it to allow it to be used by the user, in the connection means comprising a hinge connection to one of the support panels (1, 2) and a sliding guide connection to the other of the support panels (1, 2), characterized in that said means of connection are only a couple of identical connection elements (3). 2. A shelf as claimed in the claim 1, wherein the hinge connection acts on the upper support panel (1) only and guide connection of sliding acts on the lower support panel (2) only. 3. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the means (4, 4A) of fixation / release are fixed to the upper support panel and cooperate with opposing means (8) arranged on or within the lower support panel (2). 4. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the means (4, 4A) of fixing / releasing comprise a lever (13) loaded possibly by means of a centering spring. 5. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the means of fixation / release comprise elastic arms that can be tight to put them together or be separated from each other. 6. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the means of fixation / release comprise a hook. 7. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the panels (1, 2) of support are formed of parallel elements (6, 8, 8A), by way of bars, joined together by transverse elements (7, 9) to bar mode 8. A shelf as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the support panel (2) bottom has end elements (8A) as bars that protrude into the sliding guides (11, 11A) of the connection elements (3). 9. A shelf as claimed in the claim 6, wherein the connection elements (3) are hinged on elements (6) as panel bars (1) of Top support. 10. A shelf as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the means (4, 4A) fixing / releasing are subjected to pressure elements (6) to bar mode of the upper support panel (1).