초록 ▼

A refrigerator includes a multiple slide crisper system. More specifically, a universal crisper pan and support frame for a refrigerator can be used with various, distinct glide arrangements, including friction, roller or ball bearing glides. For frictional sliding movement, crisper pan side walls s

A refrigerator includes a multiple slide crisper system. More specifically, a universal crisper pan and support frame for a refrigerator can be used with various, distinct glide arrangements, including friction, roller or ball bearing glides. For frictional sliding movement, crisper pan side walls slide directly upon molded inner rails on the frame. With the roller system, various rollers are fitted to a rear portion of the crisper pan through the use of pins, while commensurate rollers are mounted at front portions of the frame. When using ball bearing glides for a precision slide support, the glides are preferably mounted to the support frame at an acute angle to the axis of travel of the friction and roller glide systems.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet shell having defined therein a refrigerator compartment; anda crisper drawer system mounted within the refrigerator compartment, said crisper drawer system including: a support frame including front, back and opposing side portions, said opposing side portions

1. A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet shell having defined therein a refrigerator compartment; anda crisper drawer system mounted within the refrigerator compartment, said crisper drawer system including: a support frame including front, back and opposing side portions, said opposing side portions including:a first pair of glide elements;a first pair of mounting elements for receiving a second pair of glide elements; anda second pair of mounting elements for receiving a third pair of glide elements; anda crisper pan including: a first pair of glide members;a first pair of mounting members for receiving a second pair of glide members; anda second pair of mounting members for receiving a third pair of glide members, wherein the first pair of glide elements are adapted to cooperate with the first pair of glide members to form a first glide system, the second pair of glide elements are adapted to cooperate with the second pair of glide members to form a second glide system and the third pair of glide elements are adapted to cooperate with the third pair of glide members of the to form a third glide system, said crisper pan being selectively, slidably supported by the support frame through a select one of the alternatively employed, first, second and third glide systems. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the first glide system constitutes a friction glide system, the second glide system constitutes a roller glide system and the third glide system constitutes an extensible guide rail glide system. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising: first and second inner rails provided on respective ones of the opposing side portions of the frame, said first pair of glide elements being constituted by longitudinal ribs formed on the first and second inner rails. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, further comprising: at least one stop element provided along one of the first and second inner rails, said at least one stop element limiting a permissible degree of travel of the crisper pan relative to the frame. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first pair of glide members is provided on opposing side wall portions of the crisper pan. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first pair of mounting members is constituted by openings formed at an upper rear portion of the crisper pan. 7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the first pair of mounting elements is constituted by recesses formed at front portions of the first and second inner rails. 8. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the extensible guide rail glide system is mounted at an acute angle relative to an axis of travel of the crisper pan when using the first glide system. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the extensible glide system includes a plurality of extensible roller bearing units. 10. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second pair of glide members and the second pair of glide elements are constituted by rollers mounted to corresponding ones of the first pair of mounting members and the first pair of mounting elements. 11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein each of the second pair of glide members and the second pair of glide elements includes a pin for securing a respective one of the rollers to a respective one of the first pair of mounting members and the first pair of mounting elements. 12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the rollers are formed from nylon. 13. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the pin is formed from acetal. 14. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the rollers of the second pair of glide elements include an integral pin. 15. A method of slidably supporting a crisper pan in a refrigerator compartment comprising: mounting a universal support frame in the refrigerator compartment, with the universal frame being provided with a first pair of glide elements and being adapted to receive second and third pairs of glide elements;selecting one of a plurality of glide systems for shiftably supporting the crisper pan to the support frame on a respective one of the first, second and third pairs of glide elements; andsupporting the crisper pan on the support frame through the selected one of the plurality of glide systems. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of glide systems are constituted by a friction glide system, a roller glide system and an extensible rail glide system. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: directly supporting the crisper pan on first and second inner rails of the support frame when the friction glide system is selected. 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising: supporting the crisper pan by a plurality of rollers on first and second inner rails of the support frame when the roller glide system is selected. 19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: mounting the crisper pan to the support frame through first and second extensible glide rails when the extensible glide system is selected. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: arranging the extensible glide system at an acute angle relative to the support frame.