Door module assembly for a refrigerator appliance
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-023/04
F25D-025/02
출원번호
US-0151870
(2014-01-10)
등록번호
US-9513047
(2016-12-06)
발명자
/ 주소
Chellappan, Bagawathkumar
Pathapati, Madan Gopal Reddy
Wantland, Louis Anthony
Sahasrabudhe, Ratnakar
출원인 / 주소
Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Dority & Manning, P.A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
A door module assembly for a refrigerator door of a refrigerator appliance may generally include a mounting bracket configured to be removably coupled to the refrigerator door to allow the mounting bracket to be moveable between a plurality of mounting locations defined along a height of the refrige
A door module assembly for a refrigerator door of a refrigerator appliance may generally include a mounting bracket configured to be removably coupled to the refrigerator door to allow the mounting bracket to be moveable between a plurality of mounting locations defined along a height of the refrigerator door. The door module assembly may also include a door tray movable relative to the mounting bracket and at least one translation device configured in operative association with adjacent walls of the door tray and the mounting bracket. The translation device may be configured such that the door tray is movable relative to the mounting bracket in a horizontal direction between a retracted position and an extended position. Moreover, an open tray volume defined by the door tray may be accessible when the door tray is in both the retracted position and the extended position.
대표청구항▼
1. A door module assembly for a refrigerator door of a refrigerator appliance, the door module assembly comprising: a mounting bracket configured to be removably coupled to the refrigerator door to allow the mounting bracket to be moveable between a plurality of mounting locations defined along a he
1. A door module assembly for a refrigerator door of a refrigerator appliance, the door module assembly comprising: a mounting bracket configured to be removably coupled to the refrigerator door to allow the mounting bracket to be moveable between a plurality of mounting locations defined along a height of the refrigerator door, the mounting bracket including a first bracket sidewall and a second bracket sidewall, the first bracket sidewall being spaced apart from the second bracket sidewall so as to define an open bracket volume between the first and second bracket sidewalls;a door tray configured to be at least partially received within the open bracket volume, the door tray including a first tray sidewall, a second tray sidewall, a front tray wall and a rear tray wall, the door tray further including a bottom tray wall and an open-ended top so as to define an open tray volume between the first and second tray sidewalls and between the front and rear tray walls that extends vertically upward from the bottom tray wall, the open tray volume at least partially defining a vertical storage height for storing refrigerated items that extend from the bottom tray wall to a location vertically above the open-ended top of the door tray; andat least one translation device configured in operative association with adjacent walls of the mounting bracket and the door tray, the at least one translation device comprising: first and second bracket rollers, the first bracket roller being coupled to the first bracket sidewall and being received within a first tray slot extending along the first tray sidewall, the second bracket roller being coupled to the second bracket sidewall and being received within a second tray slot extending along the second tray sidewall; andfirst and second tray rollers, the first tray roller being coupled to the first tray sidewall and being received within a first bracket slot extending along the first bracket sidewall, the second tray roller being coupled to the second tray sidewall and being received within a second bracket slot extending along the second bracket sidewall;wherein the at least one translation device is configured such that the door tray is movable relative to the mounting bracket in a horizontal direction between a retracted position, wherein the front tray wall is spaced apart from a forward edge of the first and second bracket sidewalls by a first distance, and an extended position, wherein the front tray wall is spaced apart from the forward edge by a second distance that is greater than the first distance,wherein the open tray volume defined by the door tray is accessible when the door tray is in both the retracted position and the extended position, the open tray volume being exposed to an open interior of the refrigerator appliance when the door tray is in the retracted position and the refrigerator door is closed. 2. The door module assembly of claim 1, wherein the first tray slot is defined between opposed slot walls projecting outwardly from the first tray sidewall and the second tray slot is defined between opposed slot walls projecting outwardly from the second tray sidewall. 3. The door module assembly of claim 1, wherein the first bracket slot is defined through the first bracket sidewall and the second bracket slot is defined through the second bracket sidewall. 4. The door module assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes a bottom bracket wall extending between the first and second bracket sidewalls, the bottom bracket wall defining a bracket slot, the bottom tray wall including an outwardly extending tray projection configured to be slidably received within the bracket slot as the door tray is moved between the retracted and extended positions. 5. The door module assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes a detent clip extending inwardly from at least one of the first bracket sidewall or the second bracket sidewall, the door tray including a corresponding detent projection extending outwardly from at least one of the first tray sidewall or the second tray sidewall, the detent projection being configured to be received within a recessed portion defined by the detect clip. 6. A refrigerator appliance, comprising: a housing defining a refrigerator chamber;a refrigerator door pivotally coupled to the housing, the refrigerator door movable between an opened position and a closed position for accessing the refrigerator chamber, the refrigerator door including a liner defining liner sidewalls;a door module assembly removably coupled between the liner sidewalls, the door module assembly comprising: a mounting bracket including a first bracket sidewall and a second bracket sidewall, the first bracket sidewall being spaced apart from the second bracket sidewall so as to define an open bracket volume between the first and second bracket sidewalls;a door tray configured to be at least partially received within the open bracket volume, the door tray including a first tray sidewall, a second tray sidewall, a front tray wall and a rear tray wall, the door tray further including a bottom tray wall and an open-ended top so as to define an open tray volume between the first and second tray sidewalls and between the front and rear tray walls that extends vertically upward from the bottom tray wall, the open tray volume at least partially defining a vertical storage height for storing refrigerated items that extend from the bottom tray wall to a location vertically above the open-ended top of the door tray; andat least one translation device configured in operative association with adjacent walls of the mounting bracket and the door tray, the at least one translation device comprising: first and second bracket rollers, the first bracket roller being coupled to the first bracket sidewall and being received within a first tray slot extending along the first tray sidewall, the second bracket roller being coupled to the second bracket sidewall and being received within a second tray slot extending along the second tray sidewall; andfirst and second tray rollers, the first tray roller being coupled to the first tray sidewall and being received within a first bracket slot extending along the first bracket sidewall, the second tray roller being coupled to the second tray sidewall and being received within a second bracket slot extending along the second bracket sidewall;wherein the at least one translation device is configured such that the door tray is movable relative to the mounting bracket in a horizontal direction between a retracted position, wherein the front tray wall is spaced apart from a forward edge of the first and second bracket sidewalls by a first distance, and an extended position, wherein the front tray wall is spaced apart from the forward edge by a second distance that is greater than the first distance,wherein the open tray volume defined by the door tray is accessible when the door tray is in both the retracted position and the extended position, the open tray volume being exposed to an open interior of the refrigerator appliance when the door tray is in the retracted position and the refrigerator door is closed. 7. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein the first tray slot is defined between opposed slot walls projecting outwardly from the first tray sidewall and the second tray slot is defined between opposed slot walls projecting outwardly from the second tray sidewall. 8. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein the first bracket slot is defined through the first bracket sidewall and the second bracket slot is defined through the second bracket sidewall. 9. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein the mounting bracket includes a detent clip extending inwardly from at least one of the first bracket sidewall or the second bracket sidewall, the door tray including a corresponding detent projection extending outwardly from at least one of the first tray sidewall or the second tray sidewall, the detent projection being configured to be received within a recessed portion defined by the detect clip. 10. The refrigerator appliance of claim 6, wherein a plurality of mounting locations are defined along a height of the refrigerator door, the refrigerator door including a pair of mounting tabs at each of the plurality of mounting locations, the mounting bracket defining corresponding mounting flanges configured to engage the pair of mounting tabs for coupling the door module assembly to the refrigerator door.
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