초록

Devices and methods for reversibly securing a shelf trim piece or the like to a refrigerator door panel. The shelf securing arrangement does not require holes to be disposed in the door panel. A positive snap-lock securement is provided.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A door retainer assembly for retaining food items in a refrigerator unit, comprising: a door liner having a generally vertical dike on opposite lateral sides of the door liner; at least one mounting portion spaced apart from each dike and having at least one connecting portio

What is claimed is: 1. A door retainer assembly for retaining food items in a refrigerator unit, comprising: a door liner having a generally vertical dike on opposite lateral sides of the door liner; at least one mounting portion spaced apart from each dike and having at least one connecting portion to connect the mounting portion to the dike; a shelf assembly that is removably securable to the at least one mounting portion, the shelf assembly comprising: a food-retaining shelf portion; and a pair of end caps that retain the food-retaining shelf portion between them, each end cap adapted to releasably mount to one of the mounting portions. 2. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the end caps and shelf portion are one piece. 3. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein: the mounting portion further comprises a plate member disposed in a substantially parallel relation to the dike and defining a mounting portion space between the plate member and the dike; and the end caps each comprise a tab integrally formed therewith, the tab being shaped to be retained within the mounting portion space when the end caps are secured to the mounting portions. 4. The door retainer assembly of claim 3 wherein: the liner further comprises a boss that projects away from the dike; and the end caps each further comprise a channel that is shaped to receive a boss when the end caps are secured to the mounting portions. 5. The door retainer assembly of claim 4 wherein the channel is formed of ridges that protrude outwardly from a surface of the end cap to define a substantially U-shaped channel. 6. The door retainer assembly of claim 5 wherein the channel includes at least one raised bump to restrict entry and exit of the boss from the channel. 7. The door retainer assembly of claim 4 wherein the boss projects from the mounting portion. 8. The door retainer assembly of claim 4 wherein the channel comprises a U-shape. 9. The door retainer assembly of claim 4 wherein the channel comprises a receiver with at least three sides. 10. The door retainer assembly of claim 9 wherein the channel is bounded by four sides. 11. The door retainer assembly of claim 9 wherein the receiver retains movement of the end cap when in place in substantially all but one direction. 12. The door retainer assembly of claim 3 wherein the tab comprises an elongated wall. 13. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the food-retaining shelf portion comprises a wire basket. 14. The door retainer assembly of claim 13 wherein the wire basket is retained between the end caps so that the wire basket is moveable tiltably with respect to the end caps. 15. The door retainer assembly of claim 13 wherein the wire basket is retained between the end caps in a non-moveable relation. 16. The door retainer assembly of claim 13 wherein each of the end caps comprise a substantially circular retaining recess and the wire basket comprises a protruding rod portion to reside within the retaining recess, the end caps being mountable to the wire basket by seating the protruding rod portions within the retaining recesses. 17. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the end caps each further comprise a plate portion having a forward-facing surface that overlies a portion of the dike when the end cap is secured to the mounting portions. 18. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the door liner further comprises a generally horizontally disposed ledge portion upon which the food-retaining shelf portion rests when the end caps are secured to the mounting portions. 19. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the vertical dike is of generally uniform thickness. 20. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the vertical dike extends substantially the full height of the liner. 21. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting portion is integrally formed in the liner. 22. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting portion comprises an elongated projection in the liner generally parallel to the dike but spaced from the dike to define the space between the dike and the mounting portion. 23. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein to mounting portion is partially hollow in cross section. 24. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the connecting portion comprises an interface between the dike and the mounting portion. 25. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the connecting portion comprises a wall integrally formed with the dike. 26. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the connecting portion comprises a web. 27. The door retainer assembly of claim 26 wherein the web comprises connecting material between the mounting portion and the dike. 28. The door retainer assembly of claim 26 wherein the web comprises a junction between the mounting portion and the dike. 29. The door retainer assembly of claim 26 wherein the web comprises a built-up section to hold the mounting portion in fixed relation to the dike. 30. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting portion is formed in the door liner. 31. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the connecting portion comprises a web. 32. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the dike has a substantially uniform thickness or width. 33. The door retainer assembly of claim 1 wherein the end cap snap fits to a mounting portion. 34. A door retaining assembly for retaining food items in a refrigerator unit comprising: a door liner having a pair of generally vertical dikes; at least one mounting portion located adjacent to each dike and comprising a substantially rectangular plate member that is connected to the dike by at least one connecting portion and defining a space between the plate member and the dike; a shelf assembly that is removably securable to the mounting portions of the door liner, the shelf assembly comprising: a food-retaining shelf portion; a pair of end caps that retain the food-retaining shelf portion between them, the end caps being mountable to the mounting portions, the end caps each having a tab to reside within the space between the plate member and the dike when the end cap is secured to one of said mounting portions. 35. The door retaining assembly of claim 34 further comprising a boss on the liner, and each end cap further comprising a channel shaped receive the boss. 36. The door retainer assembly of claim 35 wherein the boss projects from the mounting portion. 37. The door retainer assembly of claim 35 wherein the channel comprises a U-shape. 38. The door retainer assembly of claim 35 wherein the channel comprises a receiver with at least three sides. 39. The door retainer assembly of claim 38 wherein the channel is bounded by four sides. 40. The door retainer assembly of claim 38 wherein the receiver retains movement of the end cap when in place in substantially all but one direction. 41. The door retaining assembly of claim 34 wherein the food-retaining shelf portion comprises a wire basket. 42. The door retaining assembly of claim 34 wherein the pair of end caps and food-retaining shelf are one piece. 43. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the vertical dike is of generally uniform thickness. 44. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the vertical dike extends substantially the full height of the liner. 45. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the mounting portion is integrally formed in the liner. 46. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the mounting portion comprises an elongated projection in the liner generally parallel to the dike but spaced from the dike to define the space between the dike and the mounting portion. 47. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the mounting portion is partially hollow in cross section. 48. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the connecting portion comprises an interface between the dike and the mounting portion. 49. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the connecting portion comprises a wall integrally formed with the dike. 50. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the connecting portion comprises a web. 51. The door retainer assembly of claim 50 wherein the web comprises connecting material between the mounting portion and the dike. 52. The door retainer assembly of claim 50 wherein the web comprises a junction between the mounting portion and the dike. 53. The door retainer assembly of claim 50 wherein the web comprises a built-up section to hold the mounting portion in fixed relation to the dike. 54. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the tab comprises an elongated wall. 55. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the mounting portion is formed in the door liner. 56. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the connecting portion comprises a web. 57. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the dike has a substantially uniform thickness or width. 58. The door retainer assembly of claim 34 wherein the end cap snap fits to a mounting portion. 59. An apparatus for releasably attaching a structure to a door liner of a door of a refrigerator unit, the door defining generally a plane, comprising: (a) an end cap comprising (a1) a male member, and (a2) an interface for a food-retaining structure; (b) a mounting portion formed in the door liner, the mounting portion defining (b1) a space having an entrance facing substantially outwardly of the plane of the door and configured to receive the male member of the end cap and restrain it from movement generally in the direction of the plane of the door; (b2) the mounting portion having a relatively low profile in relationship to the door liner; (c) a boss extending substantially from the dike, (d) the end cap further comprising a capture member having an interior space defined by a plurality of walls and an entrance, the capture member adapted to capture and resist exit of the boss when the end cap is mounted to the mounting portion and the boss passes through the entrance of the capture member, the capture member comprising a U-shaped member with the entrance adapted to be placed over the boss. 60. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the interface comprises a pre-formed connection in the endcap adapted to receive a food-retaining portion of the structure. 61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein the food-retaining structure is a shelf, a basket, or a retainer. 62. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the interface is an integral junction with the food-retaining structure such that the end cap and the food-retaining structure is one piece. 63. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the door liner comprises first and second vertical dikes and wherein the mounting portions are positioned at or near the vertical dikes respectively of the door liner. 64. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the door liner comprises a top, a bottom and opposite sides each having a forwardmost surface, and the relatively low profile of the mounting portion does not extend beyond the forwardmost surface of the opposite side of the door liner adjacent to it. 65. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the relatively low profile of the mounting portion does not extend substantially medially of the door liner. 66. The apparatus of claim 59 further comprising at least one raised portion on the interior of the U-shaped member such that the boss is snap-fit into the U-shaped member when moved sufficiently through the entrance. 67. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the male member and the boss simultaneously can be inserted into the recess and capture member respectively when the end cap is installed on the mounting portion to support and hold the end cap against movement in any direction unless sufficient removing force in a removal direction is applied to release the capture member from the boss. 68. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the capture member has a restricted cross-section into which the boss can be manually forced and to resist removal of the boss against release absent sufficient removing force in a removal direction. 69. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the recess comprises a space bounded by walls on four sides. 70. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the door liner has a top, bottom and opposite sides and the entrance to the recess is generally in an outward and topward direction. 71. A door retainer assembly for retaining items in a refrigerator unit comprising: a door liner having a generally vertical dike on opposite lateral sides of the door liner and at least one mounting portion spaced apart from each dike, wherein the mounting portion includes at least one connecting portion to connect the mounting portion to the dike, the mounting portion comprising an elongated projection having one generally planar surface spaced from and facing the vertical dike to define a space therebetween; a shelf assembly adapted for removeable securement to the at least one mounting portion of the door liner, the shelf assembly comprising a shelf portion and a pair of end caps that retain the shelf portion between them, each end cap adapted to releasably mount to one of said mounting portions, each end cap having a male member adapted to fit in the space between the mounting portion and the dike and having a receiver adapted to snap fit over a boss extending from the dike. 72. A door retaining assembly for retaining food items in a refrigerator unit comprising: a door liner having a pair of generally vertical dikes and at least one mounting portion spaced apart from each dike, wherein the mounting portion includes a member having a generally flat surface facing but spaced apart from the dike and connected to the dike by at least one connecting portion wherein the mounting portion defines a space between the elongated member and the dike; and a shelf assembly that is removeably securable to the mounting portions, the shelf assembly comprising: a shelf portion; a pair of end caps that retain the shelf portion between them, the end caps being selectively mountable to the mounting portions of the door liner, the end caps each having a male member adapted to reside within the space by the mounting portion when the end cap is secured to the mounting portion; and a receiver adapted to receive a boss extended from the dike. 73. A refrigerator unit having a door retaining assembly for retaining food items, the door retaining assembly having the advantage of secure but reversible mounting of a food-retaining assembly to the refrigerator, the refrigerator unit comprising: a body, a door, and a refrigeration system; the door comprising a door liner having a generally vertical dike on opposite lateral sides of the door liner and a mounting portion located adjacent to each dike having at least one connecting portion to connect the mounting portion to the dike, the mounting portion comprising art elongated projection having one generally planar surface spaced from but facing the vertical dike to define a space therebetween; a shelf assembly adapted for removeable securement to the mounting portions, the shelf assembly comprising a shelf portion and a pair of end caps that retain the shelf portion between them, each end cap adapted to releasably mount to a said mounting portion, each end cap having a male member adapted to fit in the space between the mounting portion and the dike and having a receiver adapted to snap fit over a boss extending from the dike. 74. A refrigerator unit having a door retaining assembly for retaining food items, the door retaining assembly having the advantage of secure but reversible mounting of a food-retaining assembly to the refrigerator, the refrigerator unit comprising: a body, a door, and a refrigeration system; a door liner having a pair of generally vertical dikes, a mounting portion located adjacent to each dike comprising a member having a generally flat surface facing but spaced apart from the dike and connected to the dike by at least one connecting portion, wherein the mounting portion defines a space between the elongated member and the dike; a shelf assembly that is removeably securable to the door liner, the shelf assembly comprising: a shelf portion; a pair of end caps that retain the shelf portion between them, the end caps being selectively mountable to the mounting portions of the door liner, the end caps each having a male member adapted to reside within the space by the mounting portion when the end cap is secured to the mounting portion; a receiver adapted to receive a boss extending from the dike.