초록 ▼

A bucket assembly for a refrigerator door includes a bucket frame and a bucket. The bucket frame includes a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members. The mounting members detachably support the bucket frame on a plurality of support elements from an inner liner of the r

A bucket assembly for a refrigerator door includes a bucket frame and a bucket. The bucket frame includes a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members. The mounting members detachably support the bucket frame on a plurality of support elements from an inner liner of the refrigerator door. The bucket includes a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, opposing side walls and a keeper element. The keeper element is provided to support the bucket on the bucket frame or, alternatively, respective ones of the plurality of support members. When supported on the bucket frame, the bucket is pivotable relative to the bucket frame. Therefore, the bucket can be selectively mounted for stationary or tilt-out modes of use depending upon whether or not the bucket frame is interposed between the bucket and the inner liner.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In a refrigerator having a door including an outer panel and an inner liner provided with a plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members, a bucket assembly for holding articles for refrigeration comprising:a bucket frame including a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two

1. In a refrigerator having a door including an outer panel and an inner liner provided with a plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members, a bucket assembly for holding articles for refrigeration comprising:a bucket frame including a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members, each of the opposing side portions being provided with a pivot element, said bucket frame being detachably supported on the inner liner with the mounting members engaging a respective one of the plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members in a manner which enables the entire bucket frame to be readily picked-off the inner liner; anda bucket including a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall, opposing side walls and keeper elements, each of the keeper elements being located at an upper rear portion of a respective one of the opposing side walls, said bucket being selectively mountable either directly upon the inner liner with the keeper elements engaging a set of the plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members to non-rotatably position the bucket on the inner liner while permitting the bucket to be readily picked-off the inner liner or with the keeper elements being positioned upon the bucket frame wherein the bucket is pivotable about a pivot axis defined between the keeper elements and the pivot elements to enable the bucket to be tilted relative to both the inner liner and the bucket frame to enhance access to articles stored in the bucket.2. In a refrigerator having a door including an outer panel and an inner liner provided with a plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members, a bucket assembly for holding articles for refrigeration comprising:a bucket frame including a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members, each of the opposing side portions being provided with a pivot element, said bucket frame being supported on the inner liner with the mounting members engaging a respective one of the plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members; anda bucket including a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall, opposing side walls and keeper elements, said bucket being selectively mountable either directly upon the inner liner with the keeper elements engaging a set of the plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members to non-rotatably position the bucket on the inner liner or with the keeper elements being positioned upon the bucket frame wherein the bucket is pivotable about a pivot axis defined between the keeper elements and the pivot elements to enable the bucket to be tilted relative to both the inner liner and the bucket frame to enhance access to articles stored in the bucket.3. The bucket assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the pivot elements projects upward from a respective one of the opposing side portions of the bucket frame.4. The bucket assembly according to claim 3, wherein each of the pivot elements includes a first angled surface, a pivot surface and a second angled surface.5. The bucket assembly according to claim 3, wherein each of the at least two mounting members includes an angled portion that facilitates mounting of the bucket frame to the inner liner.6. The bucket assembly according to claim 3, wherein the bucket includes a support flange extending across the front wall and along at least a portion of each of the opposing side walls, said support flange being adapted to at least partially support the bucket on the pivot element when the bucket is placed in the bucket frame.7. The bucket assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the opposing side portions of the bucket frame includes a first land, a second land and a third land, said second land being raised relative to the first and third lands.8. The bucket assembly according to claim 7, wherein each of the keeper elements is located at an upper rear portion of a respective one of the opposing side walls and is adapted to rest in the first land when the bucket is in an upright position.9. The bucket assembly according to claim 8, wherein the third land includes an angled portion, each of said keeper elements being adapted to rest in the angled portion of a respective one of the opposing side walls to partially define a degree of pivoting of the bucket about the pivot axis relative to the bucket frame.10. The bucket assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: stop means for limiting a permissible degree of pivoting of the bucket relative to the bucket frame, said stop means including a stop surface and a travel limiter.11. The bucket assembly according to claim 10, wherein the stop surface is provided on the pivot element and the travel limiter is provided on the keeper element, said keeper element being adapted to abut the stop surface to limit a degree of pivoting of the bucket relative to the bucket frame.12. The bucket assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the keeper elements is located at an upper rear portion of a respective one of each of the opposing side walls.13. The bucket assembly according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of support elements is spaced from a rear surface of the inner liner, said keeper element being sized to be positioned between the rear surface of the inner liner and the plurality of support elements to at least partially support the bucket when the bucket is placed directly on the inner liner.14. In a refrigerator having a door including an outer panel and an inner liner provided with a plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members, a bucket assembly for holding articles for refrigeration comprising:a bucket frame including a rear portion, opposing side portions and at least two mounting members, each of the opposing side portions being provided with a pivot element, said bucket frame being supported on the inner liner with the mounting members engaging a respective one of the plurality of vertically spaced sets of support members; anda bucket including a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall, opposing side walls and keeper elements, each of the keeper elements being located at an upper rear portion of a respective one of the opposing side walls, said bucket being mounted with the keeper elements being positioned upon the bucket frame wherein the bucket is pivotable about a pivot axis defined between the keeper elements and the pivot elements to enable the bucket to be tilted relative to both the inner liner and the bucket frame to enhance access to articles stored in the bucket.15. The bucket assembly according to claim 14, wherein each of the opposing side portions of the bucket frame includes a first land, a second land and a third land, said second land being raised relative to the first and third lands.16. The bucket assembly according to claim 15, wherein the keeper element is adapted to rest in the first land when the bucket is in an upright position.17. The bucket assembly according to claim 16, wherein the third land includes an angled portion, each of said keeper elements being adapted to rest in the angled portion of a respective one of the opposing side walls to partially define a degree of pivoting of the bucket about the pivot axis relative to the bucket frame.18. The bucket assembly according to claim 14, wherein the bucket is adapted to be directly supported on the inner liner through the plurality of support elements, wherein said bucket is not pivotable about the pivot axis when the bucket is directly supported by the plurality of support elements.19. The bucket assembly according to claim 14, further comprising: stop means for limiting a permissible degree of pivoting of the bucket relative to the bucket frame, said stop means including a stop surface provided on the bucket frame and a travel limiter provided on an upper rear portion of the bucket wherein, upon pivoting of the bucket relative to the bucket frame, the stop surface engages with the travel limiter to limit a degree of pivoting of the bucket relative to the bucket frame.20. The bucket assembly according to claim 14, wherein the bucket frame is detachably supported on the inner liner in a manner which enables the entire bucket frame to be readily picked-off the inner liner.