IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0254218
(2016-09-01)
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등록번호 |
US-10174992
(2019-01-08)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Rotter, Chad J.
- Hawkins, Trevor L.
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A variable width shelf assembly includes a shelf panel with first and second support brackets. One or more support slots and one or more relief slots are disposed on an upright portion of the support brackets. One or more coupling tabs are disposed adjacent to one of the one or more support slots an
A variable width shelf assembly includes a shelf panel with first and second support brackets. One or more support slots and one or more relief slots are disposed on an upright portion of the support brackets. One or more coupling tabs are disposed adjacent to one of the one or more support slots and one of the one or more relief slots. The coupling tabs are flexible tabs configured to flex outwardly relative to the upright portion of the support brackets for coupling the first and second brackets to a refrigerator compartment. Mounting plates mounted on a refrigerator include mounting features that are received in the support slots of the support brackets. Abutment guides on the mounting plates are used to guide a bending motion of the coupling tabs in assembly.
대표청구항
▼
1. A variable width shelf assembly, comprising: a shelf panel;first and second support brackets coupled to the shelf panel at opposite sides thereof, each support bracket including: a body portion having an upright portion and a support portion extending inwardly from the upright portion;one or more
1. A variable width shelf assembly, comprising: a shelf panel;first and second support brackets coupled to the shelf panel at opposite sides thereof, each support bracket including: a body portion having an upright portion and a support portion extending inwardly from the upright portion;one or more support slots disposed on the upright portion;one or more relief slots disposed on the upright portion; andone or more coupling tabs disposed adjacent to one of the one or more support slots and one of the one or more relief slots, wherein the one or more coupling tabs are flexible tabs configured to flex outwardly relative to the upright portion of the body portion for coupling the first and second brackets to a refrigerator compartment, and further wherein the one or more coupling tabs include mounting apertures disposed therethrough near end portions of the one or more coupling tabs. 2. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more support slots disposed on the upright portion extend upwardly from a bottom edge of the body portion. 3. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more support slots tapper from an open bottom end thereof to a closed top end thereof. 4. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 3, wherein the one or more relief slots disposed on the upright portion extend inwardly from opposed ends of the body portion in a substantially horizontal direction. 5. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 4, wherein the one or more relief slots tapper from an open outer end thereof to a closed inner end thereof. 6. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second support brackets include outer surfaces defining a first overall width of width for the shelf assembly as coupled to the shelf panel. 7. The variable width shelf assembly of claim 6, wherein the one or more coupling tabs flex outwardly in a coupled position to define a second overall width of the shelf assembly, wherein the second width of the shelf assembly is greater than the first width of the shelf assembly. 8. An adjustable shelf assembly for a refrigerator, comprising: first and second opposed sidewalls having inner and outer surfaces and defining a refrigerator compartment, wherein the refrigerator compartment includes a width defined between the inner surfaces of the first and second sidewalls, and further wherein the first and second sidewalls include a plurality of slots disposed therethrough;first and second mounting plates coupled to the outer surfaces of the first and second sidewalls, respectively, each of the first and second mounting plates including one or more mounting features received through one or more slots of the plurality of slots disposed through the first and second sidewalls; anda shelf assembly having a shelf panel with first and second support brackets disposed on opposed side edges of the shelf panel, the first and second support brackets each including a body portion having an upright portion with one or more coupling tabs disposed thereon, the coupling tabs configured to flex outwardly relative to the upright portion of the body portion for coupling the first and second brackets to the first and second mounting plates, respectively, wherein the body portion further includes one or more support slots, wherein the one or more mounting features of the mounting plates are received in the one or more support slots within the refrigerator compartment. 9. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 8, wherein the shelf assembly includes a first width defined between outer surfaces of the first and second support brackets, and further wherein the first width of the shelf assembly is less than the width of the refrigerator compartment. 10. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more coupling tabs are operable between at-rest and outwardly flexed positions. 11. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 10, wherein the shelf assembly includes a second width defined between outer surfaces of the one or more coupling tabs when the coupling tabs are in the flexed position. 12. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 11, wherein the second width of the shelf assembly is greater than the first width of the shelf assembly. 13. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 10, including: one or more mounting apertures disposed on the first and second mounting plates; andone or more mounting apertures disposed on the first and second support brackets, wherein the one or more mounting apertures disposed on the first and second support brackets are configured to align with the one or more mounting apertures disposed on the first and second mounting plates, respectively. 14. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 13, wherein the one or more mounting apertures disposed on the first and second support brackets are disposed on the one or more coupling tabs, and further wherein one or more fasteners are received through the one or more mounting apertures of the first and second support brackets and the one or more mounting apertures of the first and second mounting plates, the one or more fasteners configured to drive the coupling tabs to the outwardly flexed position from the at-rest position. 15. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 14, including: one or more abutment guides extending outwardly from inner surfaces of the first and second mounting plates and received through one or more slots of the plurality of slots disposed through the first and second sidewalls. 16. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 15, wherein the one or more abutment guides include outer abutment surfaces abutting the outer surfaces of the first and second support brackets. 17. The adjustable shelf assembly of claim 15, wherein the one or more abutment guides direct a bending motion of the one or more coupling tabs from the at-rest position to the flexed position. 18. A method of installing a shelf assembly in a refrigerator, the method comprising the steps of: providing a refrigerator compartment having a width defined between inner surfaces of opposed first and second sidewalls of the refrigerator compartment;mounting first and second mounting plates on each of the sidewalls of the refrigerator compartment, wherein the first and second mounting plates include one or more mounting features extending into the refrigerator compartment through the first and second sidewalls, respectively;providing a shelf assembly having first and second support brackets disposed on opposite sides thereof, the first and second support brackets including outer surfaces, one or more flexible coupling tabs and one or more support slots, wherein the outer surfaces of the support brackets define a first width of the shelf assembly, wherein the first width of the shelf assembly is less than the width of the refrigerator compartment;receiving the shelf assembly within the refrigerator compartment above the first and second mounting brackets;lowering the shelf assembly such that the one or more mounting features of the first and second mounting plates are received in the one or more support slots of the first and second support brackets, respectively;driving the one or more flexible coupling tabs from at-rest positions to outwardly flexed positions using one or more fasteners; andexpanding the first width of the shelf assembly to a second width defined by outer surfaces of the one or more flexible coupling tabs when the one or more flexible coupling tabs are in the outwardly flexed positions. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of driving the one or more flexible coupling tabs from at-rest positions to outwardly flexed positions using one or more fasteners further includes: guiding a bending motion of the one or more flexible coupling tabs using one or more abutment guides disposed on the first and second mounting plates and extending into the refrigerator compartment through the first and second sidewalls of the refrigerator compartment.
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