JPH03225189A - Rack device for refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cover sliding members and spur gears from the upper part of them and prevent the dropping and the like of food by a method wherein a rack and a frame are permitted to be moved up-and-down by spur gears, rotated and moved up-and-down simultaneously on left and right racks, while being held horizontally while the frame is provided with a flange. CONSTITUTION:Spur gears at both left and right ends are rotated simultaneously by a driving device 6, rotating a gear shaft 4 or the spur gears 5, whereby the spur gears can be moved up-and-down on the rack 14b. Accordingly, the rack 1 and the frame 2 can be moved up-and-down while being kept horizontally by the spur gears, rotated and moved up-and-down simultaneously on the left and right racks. According to this constitution, a sliding member 3, moved up-and-down in the same sliding groove 14a, can be slid smoothly without being slanted obliquely and, therefore, a small operating power is enough to move an operating part. Additionally, the sliding member 3 and the spur gears 5 are covered by a flange 2g provided on the frame 2 whereby the dropping and the like of food can be prevented. On the other hand, the food, having a comparatively high height, can be received by moving a fore rack 1a to the lower part of a rear rack 1b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a shelf device for a refrigerator, which is used inside a refrigerator and whose vertical position can be changed in various ways.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been an S device for this type of refrigerator as shown in, for example, US Pat. No. 2,841,459.

This conventional refrigerator shelf device includes a shelf arranged in the refrigerator, nine frames that hold the IIJ11, two rails that slide and hold rollers supported on the left and right sides of the frame, and the It was fully equipped with screws and jacks to fix the frame in any position. The frame freely held a nut fitted into the screw jack and a shaft with a handle for rotating the nano truck.

Further, the trays (v) were installed vertically on the left and right sides at the back of the refrigerator, and the screws were installed vertically at the center of the refrigerator. Then, the handle-equipped shaft was fully turned to rotate the nut that was fitted into the screw jack to change the position of the nand and completely change the position of the frame that held the shelf.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The above-mentioned conventional refrigerator shelf device has a structure in which the position fff' of the frame holding the shelf can be raised and lowered by a screw jack attached to the real center of the refrigerator, and when food is placed on the shelf. If the shelves are stacked on the right or left side, the shelves may become cumbersome with a lot of food placed on them, or the rollers may come into contact with the rails diagonally, preventing them from rotating smoothly and causing a large amount of force. I had to turn the shaft with the handle all the way.

In addition, there is a shaft with a handle and a screw jack in the center of the shelf, which is a problem in terms of food storage as it gets in the way of placing food on the relatively large lower shelf or the lower food surface. .

The present defense improves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional refrigerator shelf device, thereby preventing the trouble of the left and right sides of the shelves, and also allows the shelves to be moved with a relatively small force, so that it does not interfere with food storage at the bottom. It is an object of the present invention to provide a shelf device for a refrigerator and a structure that prevents food items from falling into a member that holds a frame holding the shelves in the refrigerator.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above objects, the refrigerator shelf device of the present invention includes a shelf disposed within the thickness of the refrigerator consisting of a front shelf and a rear shelf, and the rear shelf is held on the back side. In addition, left and right end portions of the front shelf are provided on the left and right so that the front shelf can be moved to a position in front of the rear shelf and a position below the rear shelf, and the left and right ends of the front shelf are slidably held by shelf support grooves. A substantially U-shaped frame, two sliding members attached at the top and bottom on the left and right sides of the frame, and spur gears at the left and right ends attached between the upper and lower sliding members of the frame. a gear shaft to which is fixed; a drive device that rotates the gear shaft or the flat gear by a force applied to an operating section; and at least one of the upper and lower sliding members provided vertically on the left and right sides of the refrigerator compartment. The rail consists of a sliding groove for storing all parts and protecting the sliding groove, and a rail having a rank formed on one side of the sliding groove circle to engage with the flat gear, and protruding toward the sliding groove side. A flange with a narrow gap is formed on the frame and extends upward from the rear part of the rear shelf.

Function The shelf device for a refrigerator of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, and the flat gears at both left and right ends are simultaneously rotated by a drive device that rotates the gear shaft or flat gear, so that it can move up and down in all directions. Therefore, the shelf and frame can be raised and lowered while being kept horizontal by means of flat gears that simultaneously rotate up and down on the left and right ranks. Therefore, since the sliding members moving up and down in the same sliding groove can slide smoothly without diagonally moving, the operating force of the operating section can be small. In addition, the flange portion provided on the frame can cover the sliding member and spur gear from above to prevent food from falling. Also, by moving the front shelf below the rear shelf, relatively tall foods can be stored.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings of FIGS. 1 to 16.

In the figure, 1 is a shelf on which food is placed, 1a and 1b
are the front shelf and rear shelf that constitute the shelf 1, 1C is a convex portion formed to protrude from the rear end of the front shelf 1a to hold the front end of the rear shelf 1b, 1d is the end of the front shelf 1a, 1e is a rear flange formed from the rear part of the rear shelf 1b. 2 is a substantially U-shaped frame that holds the shelf 1, and includes a left frame 2a, a right frame 2b, and a rear frame 2C that connects the left and right frames 2a and 2bi. Left and right frames 2a.

2b has a front shelf receiving groove 2d that slides and holds both ends 1d of the front shelf 1a when the front shelf 1a is located in front of the rear @ 1b, and the front shelf 1a is continuous with the front shelf receiving groove 2d. A rear shelf receiving groove 2e is formed to slidably hold both ends 1d of the front shelf 1a when located below the front shelf 1b. Reference numeral 2q designates flanges formed on the left and right sides of the upper end of the frame. 3 is a sliding member attached to the rear left and right sides of the frame 2, and 3a, a
b is an upper roller and a lower roller that constitute the entire sliding member 3.

Further, the upper and lower rollers sa and 3b are rotatably attached to the frame 2 by metal roller shafts 3C, respectively. 4 is a rotatable upper and lower roller 3a at the back of the frame 2.
, 3b, and fixed flat gears 6 are attached to both left and right ends of the gear shaft. 6a is a dial operation part rotatably attached to the dial hole 2f on the front side of the right frame 2b, and 7 is this dial operation part 6a.
8 is a driving gear, usually called a worm gear, which is fixed to the dial shaft 7 and has screw-shaped teeth 8ai.

A part of the stopper installed on the 7aFi dial shaft 7,
A stopper shaft 7b is inserted and fixed between the stoppers from the lower surface of the full seam 2b, and its position is determined after the dial shaft 7 is installed. Reference numeral 9 denotes a tooth profile 9 that is cut diagonally with respect to the rotating shaft, that is, the gear shaft 4, so as to mesh along the screw-shaped tooth profile 8a of the drive gear 8.
This is a transfer gear, usually called a worm wheel, which is fixed to the gear shaft 4 adjacent to the spur gear 6 on the right side (it may be integrated with the spur gear 6 on the right side). In this embodiment, a drive device 6 is composed of a dial/L/(operation section) 6a, a dial shaft 7° drive gear 8, and a transfer gear 9. Further, 2h is a cover frame that covers the rear of each gear attachment in the opening direction of the frames 2a and 2b. 1o is the inside of the refrigerator. 11 is an outer box made of iron plate of the refrigerator body. 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes an inner box molded from resin, and has rail grooves 12a formed on the left and right sides of the interior 1o. 13 is a foamed heat insulating material filled between the outer box 11 and the inner box 12. 14 is a rail fixed to the rail groove 12a of the inner box 12 with screws or the like. Reference numeral 12b indicates a reinforcing plate to which the relay/L/14 is attached via the inner box 12. Reference numeral 14a denotes a sliding groove formed in the rail A/14 and housing and slidingly holding at least a portion of the spur gear 6° sliding member 3, that is, the upper roller 3a and the lower roller 3b'l. 14b is Leh A/1
This is a rank that meshes with the flat gear 5 formed on the front side (in the direction of page 1) in the sliding groove 14a of No. 4. 16 is Leh~14
It is a beasley that is more removable. 15a
16b is the sliding groove of the piece rail formed on B-sley A/15, and 16b is the rank of the piece rail formed on B-sley/L/15. 150, 16d [Attachment is with a claw. Reference numeral 16 denotes a positioning groove for the piece rail 16 formed in the rail 14. The claws 1ac and 1sd of the heath rail 16 are provided in the positioning grooves, and are attached to the parts 16a and 1ab correspondingly.
Ru. In addition, when the pin rail A/15 is attached, the sliding groove 14a and the rack 14b of the rail 14, the sliding groove 16a of the piece rail and the rack 16b of the piece rail are on the same plane, and the sliding groove 14a and the rack 16b of the piece rail are on the same plane. The moving member 3 can move smoothly. Note that the width W of the sliding groove 14a is approximately 0.1 to 1 fl larger than the outer diameters of the upper roller 3a and lower roller 3b. Further, the upper roller 3a, the lower roller 3b, and the spur gear 6 are located almost on the same line, and the upper roller 3a is in contact with the front surface of the sliding groove 14a, and the lower roller 3b is in contact with the rear surface of the sliding groove 14a. The flat gear 6 is disposed on the left frame 2a and the right frame 2b, respectively, so as to be in contact with the rack 14b. Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the frame 2 is equipped with a spur gear 6, a drive gear 8. It is shaped so as to cover the transfer gear 9 from the inside of the refrigerator. Moreover, the upper roller 3a is formed at the upper end of the frame 2 and has a sliding groove 14a (v14) and a flange 2q with a narrow clearance.

It covers the spur gear 6. Next, reference numeral 17 denotes a control panel which is provided with an air passage or the like inside to cool the interior 1o of the refrigerator.

When moving the shelf 1 of the refrigerator shelf device of this embodiment upward or downward, the dial shaft 7 and the drive gear 8 are rotated by first rotating the dial /l/(operating section) 6aQ. Therefore, the transfer gear 9 that meshes with the drive gear 8 is transmitted by word of mouth,
The gear shaft 4 and the spur gears 6 on both sides rotate. At this time, the spur gear 6 moves through the gear shaft 4 in the sliding groove 14a while meshing with the rack 14b on the front side, but since the left and right spur gears 6 are fixed to the gear shaft 4 and rotate in the same way, the frame 2 That is, the shelf 1 moves up and down in the horizontal direction, and no horizontal height positional deviation n occurs. As a result, the sliding groove 14a
The sliding member 3 that moves up and down inside can also slide smoothly without any diagonal movement, so the operating force for the operating section 6a can be reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, the roller shafts 3cf of the upper and lower rollers 3a and 3b are made of metal, so even if a large number of foods are placed on the roller 81, the upper and lower rollers 3a and 3b do not come off, allowing smooth rotation and reducing frictional force. So diamond)
v (Operation unit) The operating force of 6a is ideally small. Next, when the shelf 1 is moved to the position 1 by the diamond/L/(operation part) 6a and then stopped, the shelf 1 and the frame 2
Depending on the weight of the shelf 1 and the food on the shelf 1, the shelf 1 or frame 2
tries to fall down. As a result of this force, the spur gear 6 first tries to rotate. Therefore, gear shaft 4 and transfer gear 9
tries to rotate, but the transfer gear 9 meshes with the drive gear 8, and it is mechanically easy to rotate the transfer gear 9 by rotating the drive gear 8, but due to the tooth profile 9a of the transmission gear 9, The force transmitted to the threaded tooth profile 8ai of the side gear 8 is transmitted in a direction almost perpendicular to the tooth profile 8a of the driving gear 8 (as the tooth profile 9a of the transfer gear 9 meshes with each other, the frictional force becomes extremely large and Drive gear 8 by 9
It is impossible to turn everything around. Therefore, when the shelf 1 is in a stopped state, the drive gear 8 and the rolling gear 9 serve as a nutoper mechanism, and even if food is placed on the shelf 1, the shelf 1 is held at that position without falling down. Also, in this embodiment, the upper roller 3
a, the lower roller 3b, and the flat gear 6 are located in the same vertical direction of the frame 2, so that the lifting roller 3a, which has a large load on the shelf 1, is in good contact with the front surface of the sliding groove 14a. , the lower roller 3b comes into stronger contact with the back side of the sliding groove 14a, and the spur gear 6 meshes more strongly with the rack 14b, increasing their rotational frictional force, so that the frame 2 holding 81 is held in a predetermined position. Therefore, the shelf 1 does not fall or move from side to side.

As explained above, in the refrigerator shelf device of this embodiment, when the diamond 7vea (operation part) is rotated, the drive gear 8 is rotated, and the transfer gear 9 and gear shaft 4 that mesh with it are also rotated. Spur gear 6 at both ends of gear shaft 4
By rotating the rack 14b, the rack 14b can be moved up and down.

Therefore, the shelf 1 and the frame 2 can be raised and lowered while being kept horizontal by the flat gears 5 that rotate up and down simultaneously on the left and right racks 14b, and the sliding members 3 that move up and down in the sliding grooves 14a are not tilted diagonally. Since the dial 6a (operating section) can slide smoothly, the operating force required for the dial 6a (operating section) is small. The sliding member 3 is moved between the rollers 3a, 3
By configuring the roller 3a in the sliding groove 14a,
, 3b rotate, and the smoke 1 can be moved more smoothly, that is, the dial ea (operation section) can be easily operated with a small force. Also, Dia/l/6a (operation part), dial shaft 7, drive gear 8. Transfer gear 9. Since the flat gear 6 is located near the side of the refrigerator interior 10 and has a simple structure, it does not become an obstacle when food is placed on the food placement surface at the lower stage of the shelf 1. Furthermore, the upper roller 3a and flat gear 6 are covered by the flange 2q at the upper end of the frame 2, and each gear 8.9 is covered by the frames 2a and 2b, so that food items may collide and be damaged. It also rarely invades. In addition, Leh)v
One side of the sliding groove 14a formed in 14 (front IJl inside the refrigerator)
Since the rack part 14b'l is provided in the vertical direction,
The rail width is small, and the rack 14b is not visible from the front inside the refrigerator, giving it an excellent appearance. Furthermore, the upper roller 3a and the lower roller 3b
The width of the sliding groove 14a for sliding @ is only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the upper roller 3a and lower roller 3b, and the upper roller 3a and lower roller 3b are separated vertically and the sliding groove 14
a, so even if food is pushed up from the bottom surface of the shelf 1, the upper roller 3a will come into contact with the back surface of the sliding groove 14a, and the lower roller 3b will come into contact with the front surface of the sliding groove 14a. Since they are in contact with each other, the displacement of the shelf 1 is so slight that it does not become a problem.

In addition, when the front shelf 1a is slidably supported in the shelf receiving groove 2d, both the front and rear shelves 1a, 1b are on an integrated shaft. When the front shelf 1ai is pushed rearward from this state, the end 1d of the front 1MIa slides into the front shelf receiving groove 2d2 and is slidably supported by the rear shelf receiving groove 2e formed continuously with the shelf receiving groove 2d. 'L rear shelf 1
An open portion is formed at the front of the shelf 1 located below the shelf 1, and relatively tall foods can be stored therein. Furthermore, rear shelf 1b
vIA by the rear flange 1e formed to protrude from the @ part.
It is possible to prevent the food placed on the slider 1 from falling onto the sliding member 3 and the spur gear 6.

Details of the invention As explained above, the refrigerator shelf device of the present invention is as follows.

A shelf arranged within the thickness of the refrigerator consisting of a front shelf and a rear shelf, holding the rear shelf on the back side, and placing all the front shelves at a position in front of the rear shelf and at a position below the rear shelf. A roughly U-shaped frame that movably slides and holds the left and right ends of the front shelf with shelf support grooves provided on the left and right sides, and two slides that are attached above and below on the left and right sides of the back of the frame. a moving member, a gear shaft attached to the upper and lower sliding member surfaces of the frame and having spur gears fixed to the left and right ends, and a drive for rotating the gear shaft or the spur gear by a force applied to an operating section. a device, a sliding groove that accommodates at least a portion of the upper and lower sliding members provided in a vertical direction on the right and left sides of the refrigerator, and that meshes with the spur gear on one side of the sliding groove; a rack and a rail formed therein, and a flange protruding toward the sliding groove side and having a narrow gap with the sliding groove is formed on the frame by being produced upward from the rear part of the rear shelf. Because of this, the gear shaft or drive device that rotates the spur gears causes the spur gears at both left and right ends to rotate simultaneously, allowing the vehicle to move up and down the ranks. Therefore, the shelf and frame can be moved up and down while remaining horizontal using flat gears that simultaneously rotate up and down on the left and right racks. Therefore, the sliding member moving up and down within the sliding groove can also slide smoothly without being tilted diagonally, so the operating force of the operating section can be small. In addition, the flange part provided on the frame allows for sliding members.

The spur gear can be covered from above to prevent food from falling. In addition, by moving the front shelf below the rear shelf, it is possible to store relatively tall foods.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the main parts of a refrigerator to which a large-scale embodiment of the present invention is applied, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a frame used in this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the main parts of this embodiment. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of this embodiment, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4, and FIG. Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in Figure 1, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the main parts of the snout and frame of this embodiment, and Figure 11 shows the front shelf of this embodiment positioned in front of the rear shelf. A sectional view of the main parts when
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the front shelf of this embodiment is positioned below the rear shelf, FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the main part showing the state of the shelf device of this embodiment before assembly, FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of the main part showing the state after the assembly shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 16 is a schematic side view of the main part showing the state in which the shelf of this embodiment has been moved. 1... Group, 1a... Front shelf, 1b...
...Rear shelf, 1d... End, 2... Frame, 2d... Front shelf receiving groove, 2e...
・it! IlI fM receiving groove, 2q...Flange, 3...Sliding member, 4...Gear shaft, 6...Spur gear, 6... ...Drive device, 6a...Diamond) v (operation unit), 10...
...Inside the refrigerator, 14...Rail, 14a...
...Sliding groove, 14b...Rack.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A shelf arranged in a refrigerator consisting of a front shelf and a rear shelf, and holding the rear shelf at the back, and positioning the front shelf at a position in front of the rear shelf and below the rear shelf. A substantially U-shaped frame that slides and holds the left and right ends of the front shelf in shelf support grooves provided on the left and right sides so as to be movable to the desired position; a sliding member attached between the sliding members above and below the back of the frame;
A gear shaft with a flat gear fixed to the left and right ends, a drive device that rotates the gear shaft or the flat gear by a force applied to the operating section, and a drive device provided vertically on the left and right in the back of the refrigerator.
The sliding groove is composed of a sliding groove that accommodates at least a portion of the upper and lower sliding members to slidably hold them, and a rail in which a rack that engages with the spur gear is formed on one side of the sliding groove. A shelf device for a refrigerator, wherein a flange that protrudes toward the groove side and has a narrow gap with the sliding groove is formed on the frame and protrudes upward from the rear part of the rear shelf. (2) Covering the sliding member and spur gear with a flange formed on the upper left and right ends of the frame and protruding toward the U-shaped sliding groove side and provided with a sliding groove and a narrow gap, 2. The shelf device for a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a rack surface that engages with a spur gear in the sliding groove is formed on the front side of the refrigerator interior.