Shelves and refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator shelf assembly includes a first shelf that is operably coupled to a second shelf by a rotating mechanism. A limiting mechanism is installed at both ends of a side of the second shelf away from the first shelf. Each limiting mechanism is operably coupled to a limiting member at a preset position of a refrigerator liner.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Utility Model Application No. 202421990624.8, filed on Aug. 16, 2024, published as CN 223090906 U, entitled, “Shelves and Refrigerators,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a shelf and a refrigerator.BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

[0004] With the improvement of living standards of people, refrigerators have been put into thousands of households. Based on varied living habits, different individuals have different requirements and needs for refrigerator appliances. For example, some people may place large-volume vessels such as soup basins and the like together with food into a refrigerator, and other families may only use the refrigerator to store some fresh vegetables and fruits, small-volume vessels, and the like. Therefore, when refrigerating a large-volume article, the glass shelf needs to be removed, which is inconvenient.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a shelf and a refrigerator, in which the shelf is foldable, thereby allowing more space for storing articles.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator shelf assembly includes a first shelf that is operably coupled to a second shelf by a rotating mechanism. A limiting mechanism is installed at both ends of a side of the second shelf away from the first shelf. Each limiting mechanism is operably coupled to a limiting member at a preset position of a refrigerator liner.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator shelf assembly includes a first shelf and a second shelf. Edges of the second shelf include a sealing member. A rotating mechanism operably couples the first shelf with the second shelf. The rotating mechanism includes a first rotating connecting plate and a second rotating connecting plate.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a first shelf, a second shelf, and a rotating mechanism that operably couples the first shelf to the second shelf. A limiting mechanism is configured to secure the second shelf at an angled position relative to the first shelf. The limiting mechanism selectively secures the second shelf to a preset position of a refrigerator liner.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a shelf assembly includes a first shelf, a rotating mechanism, and a second shelf. One side of the first shelf is rotatably connected with one side of the second shelf through the rotating mechanism. Two ends of one side of the second shelf, which is spaced apart from the first shelf includes limiting mechanisms. The limiting mechanisms are used for limiting and securing limiting pieces at preset positions on a refrigerator liner.

[0010] The limiting mechanism may include a limiting part mounting plate and a plugging rod. One side of the limiting part mounting plate is connected with the second shelf and a plugging rod mounting groove is formed in one side of the limiting part mounting plate away from the second shelf. The plugging rod is slidably connected with the plugging rod mounting groove and through holes matched with the plugging rod are disposed in two ends of the plugging rod mounting groove.

[0011] The limiting mechanism may include a poking piece that is fixedly connected with a side wall of the plugging rod. The poking piece may be slidingly coupled with a poking piece mounting groove.

[0012] The rotating mechanism may include a first rotating connecting plate that is connected with the first shelf and a second rotating connecting plate that is connected with the second shelf. A shaft sleeve may be arranged on one side of the first rotating connecting plate and spaced away from the first shelf. A rotating shaft may be arranged on one side of the second rotating connecting plate and spaced away from the second shelf,. The rotating shaft is rotatably coupled with the shaft sleeve.

[0013] The first shelf and the second shelf may both be made of glass materials.

[0014] In a another aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a refrigerator liner and may include the shelf assembly as set forth herein. The limiting mechanism of the shelf is fixedly coupled with a limiting piece at a preset position on the refrigerator liner.

[0015] A liner rib for securing the first shelf is arranged inside the refrigerator liner.

[0016] The limiting piece may include a first limiting hole and a second limiting hole which are formed in the side wall of the refrigerator liner at two sides of the refrigerator liner along a width of the refrigerator liner. The limiting mechanism may be detachably connected with the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole. The first limiting hole may be used secure the limiting mechanism so that the second shelf abuts another shelf above or below the second shelf. The first limiting hole may be used to secure the limiting mechanism so that the second shelf is horizontally placed.

[0017] An edge of the second shelf may be covered with a sealing member. The sealing member may be a rubber strip.

[0018] At least one advantage of the shelf assembly of the present disclosure is that the first shelf and the second shelf are rotatably connected through the rotating mechanism, which allows for additional practicability and convenience. The first shelf can be turned over relative to the second shelf, and with the limiting mechanisms arranged at the two ends of one side of the second shelf, the two shelves can be positioned through the limiting mechanisms when turned over at different angles. Stated differently, because the turning angle of the second shelf can be flexibly adjusted, the practicability of the shelf is improved. In one example, a user can turn over the second shelf by about 180 degrees until the second shelf is overlapped with the first shelf. In this way, the shelf assembly is folded so that a larger space in the refrigerator is available for storing objects. In another example, when the user turns over the second shelf by about 90 degrees, the limiting mechanisms are used to position the second shelf so the second shelf abuts either a shelf above or below the second shelf. In this way, an independent storage space is formed between the second shelf and the shelf either above or below the second shelf.

[0019] These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic top perspective view of a shelf according to the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a shelf according to the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic top perspective structural view of a disassembled rotating mechanism according to the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic top perspective structural view of a limiting mechanism according to the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the spacing mechanism of FIG. 2 according to the present disclosure; and

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of a portion of an internal structure of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure.

[0027] The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles described herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a refrigerator, and more specifically to a foldable shelf arrangement for a refrigerator. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Further, like numerals in the description and drawings represent like elements.

[0029] For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,”“lower,”“right,”“left,”“rear,”“front,”“vertical,”“horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosure as oriented in FIG. 1. Unless stated otherwise, the term “front” shall refer to the surface of the element closer to an intended viewer, and the term “rear” shall refer to the surface of the element further from the intended viewer. However, it is to be understood that the disclosure may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0030] The terms “including,”“comprises,”“comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises a . . .” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shelf assembly of a refrigerator includes a first shelf 1, a rotating mechanism 2, and a second shelf 3. One side of the first shelf 1 is rotatably connected with one side of the second shelf 3 through the rotating mechanism 2. As explained in further detail herein, two ends of one side of the second shelf 3 disposed away from the first shelf 1 may include limiting mechanisms 5 used for limiting and fixing limiting pieces at preset positions on a refrigerator liner.

[0032] With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 are rotatably connected through the rotating mechanism 2 so that the shelf assembly formed by the first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 has a folding function. This allows the shelf formed by the first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 to be folded according to the requirements of a user, thus creating additional space within the refrigerator.

[0033] With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the limiting mechanism 5 includes a limiting member mounting plate 51 and a plugging rod 52. One side of the limiting member mounting plate 51 is connected with the second shelf 3. One side of the limiting member mounting plate 51 disposed away from the second shelf 3 includes a plugging rod mounting groove 54. The plugging rod 52 is slidably connected with the plugging rod mounting groove 54. Two ends of the plugging rod mounting groove 54 include through holes that are adapted to the plugging rod 52. As shown in FIG. 5, the second shelf is fixed by inserting the frame rod, or plugging rod 52 into the limiting hole, thus securing the second shelf 3 in a particular position and simplifying the structure.

[0034] Still referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the limiting mechanism 5 further includes a pulling piece 53 that is fixedly connected with a side wall of the plugging rod 52. The plugging rod mounting groove 54 includes a pulling piece mounting groove 55. The pulling piece 53 fits within, and more specifically is slidingly coupled with the pulling piece mounting groove 55. In operation, the user drives the inserting and connecting rod 52 to move through the pulling piece 53, such that the user can conveniently control the inserting and connecting rod 52.

[0035] With reference again to FIGS. 1 and 2, and now to FIG. 3, the rotating mechanism 2 includes a first rotating connecting plate 21 and a second rotating connecting plate 25. The first rotating connecting plate 21 is connected with the first shelf 1 , the first more specific rotating connecting plate 21 is fixed with the first shelf 1 through a first connecting slot 26, and a shaft sleeve 22 is installed on one side of the first rotating connecting plate 21 away from the first shelf 1. The second rotating connecting plate 25 is connected with the second shelf 3. More specifically, the second rotating connecting plate 25 is fixed with the second shelf 3 through a second connecting slot 24 , and a rotating shaft 23 is installed on one side of the second rotating connecting plate 25 away from the second shelf 3. The rotating shaft 23 is rotatably connected with the shaft sleeve 22. The first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 are rotatably connected through the rotation shaft 23. This configuration allows a user to complete folding by rotating the second shelf 3 to the upper end of the first shelf 1.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 are both made of glass. Because the first shelf 1 and the second shelf 3 are made of glass materials, cleaning is convenient. It will be understood that the glass material may be tempered glass, or any other glass material know in the art. Although the first and second shelves 1, 3 are made of glass in the present disclosure, it will be understood that the first and second shelves 1, 3 may be made of any other non-glass materials, including, but not limited to durable plastics such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or any other known suitable materials or combinations thereof.

[0037] With reference to FIG. 6, a container 6 of a refrigerator is shown. It will be understood that the refrigerator may include any one of the embodiments of the foldable shelf, as set forth herein. The limiting mechanism 5 of the shelf is coupled with a limiting member at a preset position on the container 6 in a limiting manner. A liner rib 61 for securing the shelf 1 is provided inside the liner 6. The shelf 1 can thereby be fixedly secured by the bead 61.

[0038] With further reference to FIG. 6, the limiting member includes a first limiting hole 62 and a second limiting hole 63 formed on the side wall of the inner container 6 along two sides of the width direction. The limiting mechanism 5 is detachably connected with the first limiting hole 62 and the second limiting hole 63. The first limiting hole 62 is used for matching with the limiting mechanism 5 to enable the second shelf 3 to abut against the shelf located above or below the second shelf 3. The shelf abutted against the second shelf 3 can be any one of the shelves disclosed as having a folding function as set forth herein, or can be a common refrigerator shelf, but is not limited to such. The first limiting hole 62 is used for matching with the limiting mechanism 5 to enable the second shelf 3 to be placed horizontally. Therefore, the shelves have a folding function and the two sets of shelves are matched to form independent storage spaces by combining the inner side wall of the refrigerator.

[0039] The range of the turning angle of the second shelf 3 compared with the first shelf 1 may be 0 to 180 degrees. It will be understood that the specific turning angle of the second shelf 3 may be adjusted according to actual requirements of the user, and that the turning angle is not limited to 180 degrees and 90 degrees. Correspondingly, other limiting holes may be further formed in the side wall of the container, and when the limiting holes are turned to different angles with the second shelf 3, the positions of the limiting mechanisms 5 on the second shelf 3 correspond to each other, so as to fix the second shelf 3 to different angles.

[0040] It will be understood that the folding angle of the second shelf 3 and the first shelf 1 and the opening position of the limit hole can be adjusted according to the refrigerator and the requirements of the user, thereby adding convenience for the user.

[0041] The edges of the second shelf 3 may be covered with a sealing member 4, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the two groups of shelves form independent storage spaces, the edges of the second shelf 3 are simply sealed by the sealing member 4, so that the independent storage spaces have relatively airtight environments. The sealing member 4 may be a rubber strip, as shown, or may be any other known sealing member.

[0042] For a clearer description of the embodiments and effects, reference is made to the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes:

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, when a user needs to spread the shelf, the user rotates the second shelf 3 to a designated position and moves the pulling piece, or dial, 53 to fix the plugging rod 52 to the second limiting hole 63. When the user needs to store a large-volume object, the user moves the pulling piece 53 to separate the plugging rod 52 from the second limiting hole 63 and rotates the second shelf 3 to the upper end of the first shelf 1. Now, the shelf is folded to make room for storing the large object. When the user needs to store the independent storage space, the user rotates the second shelf 3 to the designated position and moves the pulling piece 53 to fix the plugging rod 52 to the first limiting hole 62.

[0044] It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described disclosure and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the disclosure disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.

[0045] For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.

[0046] It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the disclosure as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and / or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and / or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.

[0047] It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)11. A refrigerator shelf assembly comprising:a first shelf operably coupled to a second shelf by a rotating mechanism;a limiting mechanism installed at both ends of a side of the second shelf away from the first shelf, wherein each limiting mechanism is operably coupled to a limiting member at a preset position of a refrigerator liner.

12. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 11, wherein one side of the first shelf is rotatably connected to one side of the second shelf through the rotating mechanism.

13. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first shelf and the second shelf are made of glass.

14. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 13, wherein the limiting mechanisms include a limiting member mounting and a plug-in rod.

15. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 14, wherein one side of the limiting member mounting is connected to the second shelf.

16. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 14, further comprising:a plug-in rod mounting groove disposed on the side of the limiting member mounting away from the second shelf.

17. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 16, wherein the plug-in rod and the plug-in rod mounting groove are slidably connected, and wherein through holes compatible with the plug-in rod are disposed at both ends of the plug-in rod mounting groove.

18. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 16, wherein the limiting mechanisms includes a paddle, the paddle being fixedly connected to a side wall of the plug-in rod.

19. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 18,a paddle mounting groove disposed on the plug-in rod mounting groove, wherein the paddle is slidably matched with the paddle mounting groove.

20. A refrigerator shelf assembly comprising:a first shelf;a second shelf, wherein edges of the second shelf include a sealing member; anda rotating mechanism operably coupling the first shelf with the second shelf, the rotating mechanism comprising:a first rotating connecting plate; anda second rotating connecting plate.

21. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 20, wherein the first rotating connecting plate is connected to the first shelf, and wherein a shaft sleeve is installed on a side of the first rotating connecting plate away from the first shelf.

22. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 21, wherein the second rotating connecting plate is connected to the second shelf, and wherein a rotating shaft is installed on a side of the second rotating connecting plate away from the second shelf.

23. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 22, wherein the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the shaft sleeve.

24. The refrigerator shelf assembly of claim 20, wherein the first and second shelves are both made of glass.

25. A refrigerator comprising:a first shelf;a second shelf;a rotating mechanism operably coupling the first shelf to the second shelf; anda limiting mechanism configured to secure the second shelf at an angled position relative to the first shelf, the limiting mechanism selectively securing the second shelf to a preset position of a refrigerator liner.

26. The refrigerator of claim 25, further comprising:a rib for securing the shelf arranged inside the refrigerator liner.

27. The refrigerator of claim 25, wherein the limiting member comprises a first limiting hole and a second limiting hole, the first and second limiting holes being opened on side walls of the refrigerator liner along a width direction inside the refrigerator liner.

28. The refrigerator of claim 27, wherein the limiting mechanism is detachably coupled to the first and second limiting holes, the first limiting hole cooperating with the limiting mechanism so the second shelf extends horizontally and abuts against the first shelf, and wherein the first shelf is located above or below the second shelf.

29. The refrigerator of claim 28, wherein an edge of the second shelf is covered with a sealing member.

30. The refrigerator of claim 29, wherein the sealing member is a rubber strip.

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