IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0608261
(2012-09-10)
|
등록번호 |
US-8622494
(2014-01-07)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Picken, Alan D.
- Beckman, William
- Nestell, David E.
- Repp, R. Scott
- Schroeder, Kevin J.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Gardner, Linn, Burkhart & Flory, LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
52 |
초록
▼
A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator includes a glass panel having a central region and a perimeter region, with the perimeter region having an upwardly turned spill prevention lip. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to the central region via a glass forming p
A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator includes a glass panel having a central region and a perimeter region, with the perimeter region having an upwardly turned spill prevention lip. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to the central region via a glass forming process. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip includes upwardly turned lip portions at the front, rear, left and right sides of the glass panel. The central region of the glass panel includes a storage portion. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of the central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of the glass panel. The shelf assembly may include a pair of support rails bonded at lower surfaces of the left and right sides of the glass panel and having attachment elements configured to mount the shelf assembly at the refrigerator.
대표청구항
▼
1. A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising: a glass panel;said glass panel comprising a central region and a perimeter region;wherein said perimeter region comprises an upwardly turned spill prevention lip;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upward
1. A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising: a glass panel;said glass panel comprising a central region and a perimeter region;wherein said perimeter region comprises an upwardly turned spill prevention lip;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to said central region via a glass forming process;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip comprises upwardly turned lip portions at front, rear, left and right sides of said glass panel;wherein said central region of said glass panel comprises a storage portion and wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of said central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of said glass panel;a pair of support rails, wherein each of said support rails includes an attaching portion, and wherein said attaching portions of said support rails are bonded via cured adhesive at lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel; andwherein each of said support rails includes an attachment element that is configured to attach to a structure of a refrigerator to mount said shelf assembly at the refrigerator. 2. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip protrudes upwardly at least five millimeters relative to said central region. 3. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region a greater amount than an amount that said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region. 4. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip protrudes upwardly at least ten millimeters relative to said central region. 5. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is disposed at an angle of at least 30 degrees relative to said central region. 6. The shelf assembly of claim 5, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel is disposed at an angle relative to said central region that is greater than an angle relative to said central region at which said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel is disposed. 7. The shelf assembly of claim 6, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side is disposed at an angle of at least 60 degrees relative to said central region. 8. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said glass forming process comprises urging a heated glass substrate against a contoured form. 9. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said glass forming process comprises a glass bending process. 10. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said glass forming process comprises glass molding. 11. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said storage portion of said central region of said glass panel is generally planar. 12. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said attaching portion of each of said support rails generally corresponds to lower surfaces of said upwardly turned lip portion at a respective one of said left and right sides of said glass panel. 13. The shelf assembly of claim 12, wherein each of said support rails comprises a generally vertical portion and wherein said attaching portion extends at an angle from an upper edge region of said generally vertical portion, and wherein said attaching portions of said support rails are angled relative to said generally vertical portions to generally correspond to said lower surfaces of said upwardly turned lip portions at said left and right sides of said glass panel. 14. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said attachment elements are at end portions of respective support rails that are proximate said rear side of said glass panel. 15. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said attaching portions include a plurality of protrusions to, at least in part, establish a bond layer thickness of said cured adhesive between said support rails and said lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel. 16. The shelf assembly of claim 1, comprising spacing elements between said attaching portions of said support rails and said lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel, and wherein said spacing elements have an optical index that substantially matches an optical index of said cured adhesive and an optical index of said glass panel. 17. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said glass panel comprises at least one of (i) strengthened glass, (ii) tempered glass, (iii) thermally tempered glass and (iv) chemically tempered glass. 18. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said cured adhesive comprises at least one of (i) a UV cured adhesive, (ii) a substantially transparent UV cured adhesive, (iii) a UV cured acrylate adhesive, (iv) a urethane adhesive and (v) a substantially transparent cured adhesive. 19. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said glass panel comprises at least one of (i) a transparent glass panel, (ii) a translucent glass panel and (iii) a tinted glass panel. 20. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein a frit layer is established at said upwardly turned lip portions at said left and right sides of said glass panel. 21. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said support rails comprise at least one of (i) coated metallic support rails, (ii) coated steel support rails, (iii) white coated metallic support rails and (iv) white powder coated metallic support rails. 22. The shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein said support rails movably support said glass panel such that said glass panel is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. 23. The shelf assembly of claim 22, wherein a handle is disposed at said front side of said glass panel. 24. The shelf assembly of claim 23, wherein said handle is bonded at said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel. 25. A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator said shelf assembly comprising: a glass panel;wherein said glass panel comprises at least one of (i) strengthened glass, (ii) tempered glass, (iii) thermally tempered glass and (iv) chemically tempered glass;said glass panel comprising a central region and a perimeter region;wherein said perimeter region comprises an upwardly turned spill prevention lip;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to said central region via a glass forming process;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip comprises upwardly turned lip portions at front, rear, left and right sides of said glass panel;wherein said central region of said glass panel comprises a storage portion and wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of said central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of said glass panel;a pair of support rails, wherein each of said support rails includes an attaching portion, and wherein said attaching portions of said support rails are bonded via cured adhesive at lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel; andwherein each of said support rails includes an attachment element that is configured to attach to a structure of a refrigerator to mount said shelf assembly at the refrigerator. 26. The shelf assembly of claim 25, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip protrudes upwardly at least five millimeters relative to said central region. 27. The shelf assembly of claim 25, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region a greater amount than an amount that said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region. 28. The shelf assembly of claim 25, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is disposed at an angle of at least 30 degrees relative to said central region. 29. The shelf assembly of claim 28, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel is disposed at an angle relative to said central region that is greater than an angle of said upwardly turned lip portion relative to said central region at said front side of said glass panel. 30. The shelf assembly of claim 25, wherein said storage portion of said central region of said glass panel is generally planar. 31. The shelf assembly of claim 25, wherein said glass panel comprises at least one of (i) a transparent glass panel, (ii) a translucent glass panel and (iii) a tinted glass panel. 32. A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising: a glass panel;said glass panel comprising a central region and a perimeter region;wherein said perimeter region comprises an upwardly turned spill prevention lip;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to said central region via a glass forming process;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip comprises upwardly turned lip portions at front, rear, left and right sides of said glass panel;wherein said central region of said glass panel comprises a storage portion and wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of said central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of said glass panel;wherein said storage portion of said central region of said glass panel is generally planar;a pair of support rails, wherein each of said support rails includes an attaching portion, and wherein said attaching portions of said support rails are bonded via cured adhesive at lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel; andwherein each of said support rails includes an attachment element that is configured to attach to a structure of a refrigerator to mount said shelf assembly at the refrigerator. 33. The shelf assembly of claim 32, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip protrudes upwardly at least five millimeters relative to said central region. 34. The shelf assembly of claim 32, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region a greater amount than an amount that said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region. 35. The shelf assembly of claim 32, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is disposed at an angle of at least 30 degrees relative to said central region. 36. The shelf assembly of claim 35, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel is disposed at an angle relative to said central region that is greater than an angle of said upwardly turned lip portion relative to said central region at said front side of said glass panel. 37. A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator, said shelf assembly comprising: a glass panel;wherein said glass panel comprises at least one of (i) a transparent glass panel, (ii) a translucent glass panel and (iii) a tinted glass panel;said glass panel comprising a central region and a perimeter region;wherein said perimeter region comprises an upwardly turned spill prevention lip;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to said central region via a glass forming process;wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip comprises upwardly turned lip portions at front, rear, left and right sides of said glass panel;wherein said central region of said glass panel comprises a storage portion and wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of said central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of said glass panel;a pair of support rails, wherein each of said su sort rails includes an attaching portion, and wherein said attaching portions of said su ort rails are bonded via cured adhesive at lower surfaces of said left and right sides of said glass panel; andwherein each of said support rails includes an attachment element that is configured to attach to a structure of a refrigerator to mount said shelf assembly at the refrigerator. 38. The shelf assembly of claim 37, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip protrudes upwardly at least five millimeters relative to said central region. 39. The shelf assembly of claim 37, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region a greater amount than an amount that said upwardly turned lip portion at said front side of said glass panel protrudes upwardly relative to said central region. 40. The shelf assembly of claim 37, wherein said upwardly turned spill prevention lip is disposed at an angle of at least 30 degrees relative to said central region. 41. The shelf assembly of claim 37, wherein said upwardly turned lip portion at said rear side of said glass panel is disposed at an angle relative to said central region that is greater than an angle of said upwardly turned lip portion relative to said central region at said front side of said glass panel.
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