Sliding system for a drawer of a refrigerating appliance

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sliding system (215, 220, 300, 320) for allowing a sliding movement of a drawer (120, 1401-1403, 200) in and out from an inner compartment (115; 140) of a refrigerating appliance (100). The sliding system comprises a slide rail (215) associated, during use, with the drawer, and a guide rail (300) associated, during use, with the inner compartment, wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing the sliding movement of the drawer. At least one rail (215, 300) selected from the slide rail and the guide rail comprises a rolling member (220, 320) for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in said at least one rail. The present disclosure relates to a refrigerating appliance comprising the sliding system and to a method for manufacturing the slide rail and / or the guide rail.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Title: Sliding system for a drawer of a refrigerating appliance

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of refrigerating appliances, for domestic or professional use. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a sliding system for allowing a sliding movement of a drawer in and out of an inner compartment of a refrigerating appliance.

[0005] Background art

[0006] The background of the present disclosure is hereinafter introduced with the discussion of techniques relating to its context. However, even when this discussion refers to documents, acts, artifacts and the like, it does not suggest or represent that the discussed techniques are part of the prior art or are common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure.

[0007] A refrigerating appliance is configured to store food products to be preserved. A conventional refrigerating appliance comprises a cabinet enclosing one or more inner compartments, and, within each inner compartment, one or more drawers.

[0008] Each drawer may serve a different purpose (such as fresh produce storage, freezer compartment, or specialized zone for temperature-sensitive items), and is configured to slide in and out of the inner compartment.

[0009] A number of sliding systems are known to achieve the sliding movement of the drawer. Some sliding systems comprise telescopic slides, which are based on multiple nested rails that extend and retract smoothly. While they offer efficient movement, telescopic slides require complex assembly, which increases production costs and the risk of misalignment. They are also prone to performance issues over time, due to sensitivity to dirt and moisture and to wear from continuous use.

[0010] Some sliding systems comprise self-closing slides, which are based on a spring or damping mechanism that pulls the drawer fully shut once it reaches a certain point. While this feature enhances convenience, any misalignment can cause the self-closing function to malfunction. Furthermore, the spring mechanism may degrade overtime, reducing its reliability.Some sliding systems comprise rolling rails, which use small wheels mounted on inner compartment rails and / or on drawer rails, typically by means of external fastening elements, such as screws, bolts, rivets, adhesives, and interlocking mechanisms (e.g., snap-fit joints).

[0011] Summary

[0012] The Applicant has realized that the known sliding systems based on rolling rails are not satisfactory.

[0013] Indeed, the Applicant has determined that, although rolling rails reduce friction, external fastening elements and assembly operations not only increase the number of components that could fail but also drive-up manufacturing costs due to additional production steps and the need for precise tolerances. Particularly, the presence of such external fastening elements introduces potential failure points, as they may loosen over time due to vibrations, thermal expansion, or mechanical stresses. This can lead to frequent maintenance requirements, compromising longterm reliability.

[0014] Consequently, a design that relies heavily on external fastening elements may result in a sliding system with inherent weaknesses, requiring periodic inspections and adjustments to ensure consistent performance.

[0015] The Applicant has devised a sliding system, a drawer, a refrigerating appliance, and a manufacturing method capable of overcoming the above-mentioned, as well as other, drawbacks.

[0016] A simplified summary of the present disclosure is herein presented in order to provide a basic understanding thereof; however, the sole purpose of this summary is to introduce some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to its following more detailed description, and it is not to be interpreted as an identification of its key elements nor as a delineation of its scope.

[0017] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a sliding system for allowing a sliding movement of a drawer in and out from an inner compartment of a refrigerating appliance. The sliding system comprises a slide rail associated, during use, with the drawer, and a guide rail associated, during use, with the inner compartment. During use the slide rail is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing the sliding movement of the drawer. At least one rail selected from the slide rail and the guide rail comprises a rolling member for smoothing thesliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a nonremovable way in said at least one rail.

[0018] Preferably, the at least one rail comprises an embedding section embedding the rolling member. The embedding section may comprise an opening through which the rolling member partially protrudes to provide a rolling contact of the slide rail with the guide rail during the sliding movement of the drawer, and a seat receiving the rolling member to allow rolling member rotation.

[0019] The rolling member may comprise a wheel and a pin made in single piece construction. The seat may for example constrain the pin to allow rotation of the rolling member while preventing extraction of the rolling member from the at least one rail.

[0020] Advantageously, the rolling member is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material and the at least one rail is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material and in a single piece construction.

[0021] The material of the rolling member may be the same as or different from the material of said at least one rail.

[0022] Preferably, the rolling member is located at an end of the at least one rail.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the at least one rail comprises the slide rail, and during use the rolling member of the slide rail is located at a rear end of the slide rail.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the at least one rail comprises the guide rail, and during use the rolling member of the guide rail is located at a front end of the guide rail.

[0025] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a drawer. The drawer comprises a slide rail adapted to slide, during use, along a guide rail associated with an inner compartment of a refrigerating appliance, thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment. The slide rail comprises a rolling member for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer. The rolling member is rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in the slide rail.

[0026] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a refrigerating appliance. The refrigerating appliance comprises an inner compartment, and a guide rail associated with the inner compartment. During use the guide rail is adapted to slidably receive a slide rail associated with a drawer thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment. The guide rail comprises a rolling member for smoothing the sliding movementof the drawer. The rolling member is rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in said guide rail.

[0027] In one or more embodiments the refrigerating appliance further comprises the drawer and, associated with the drawer, the slide rail.

[0028] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a refrigerating appliance. The refrigerating appliance comprises an inner compartment, a guide rail associated with the inner compartment, a drawer, and a slide rail associated with the drawer, wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment. The guide rail comprises a rolling member for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer. The rolling member is rotatably embedded in a nonremovable way in the guide rail.

[0029] Preferably, the slide rail is formed in a single piece construction with the drawer. Additionally or alternatively, the guide rail is formed in a single piece construction with the inner compartment.

[0030] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a slide rail. The method comprises providing a mold and performing an injection molding process in said mold to form a slide rail associated, during use, with a drawer for a refrigerating appliance, wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along a guide rail associated with an inner compartment of the refrigerating appliance to allow a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment. Said performing an injection molding process comprises injection molding in said mold the slide rail and a rolling member embedded in the slide rail for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer.

[0031] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a guide rail. The method comprises providing a mold and performing an injection molding process in said mold to form a guide rail associated, during use, with an inner compartment of a refrigerating appliance, wherein during use the guide rail is adapted to slidably receive a slide rail associated with a drawer to allow a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment. Said performing an injection molding process comprises injection molding in said mold the guide rail and a rolling member embedded in the guide rail for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, said injection molding process is a single injectionmolding process of a single molding material.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, said injection molding process is a co-injection molding process comprising a first injection molding step to form the slide rail or the guide rail, and a second injection molding step to form the rolling member embedded in the slide rail or in the guide rail, respectively.

[0034] Brief description of the annexed drawings

[0035] These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be made apparent by the following description of an exemplary and non-limitative embodiment thereof; for its better intelligibility, the following description should be read referring to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a refrigerating appliance according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figures 2A and 2B show perspective views of a drawer of / for the refrigerating appliance of Figure 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figures 3A and 3B show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a guide rail of / for the refrigerating appliance of Figure 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figures 4A-4E show main process steps of an injection molding process according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figures 5A and 5B show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a guide rail of / for the refrigerating appliance of Figure 1, as just obtained from the injection molding process of Figures 4A-4E, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and Figure 5C show a sectional view of the guide rail of Figures 5A and 5B, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

[0042] With reference to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a refrigerating appliance 100 (e.g., for domestic or professional use) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] In the following, only features of the refrigerating appliance 100 that are deemedrelevant for the understanding of the present disclosure will be discussed, with well-known features and / or obvious variants thereof that will be omitted for the sake of conciseness.

[0044] In the following, directional terminology (for example, upper, lower, top, bottom, lateral, side, front, rear, longitudinal, transverse, vertical) associated with the refrigerating appliance 100 and components thereof will be used only in connection with their orientation in the figures, which is assumed as their orientation of use ( / .e., the orientation taken when the refrigerating appliance 100 is installed in the user premises). Therefore, directional terminology should be under no circumstances construed in absolute terms.

[0045] In the following, the directional terminology is referred to mutually orthogonal reference directions X, Y, and Z, denoted as longitudinal direction X, transverse direction Y, and vertical direction Z (the X-Y plane identifying, for example, a plane where the refrigerating appliance 100, during use, is intended to rest).

[0046] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the refrigerating appliance 100 is a standalone refrigerating appliance. Anyway, the present disclosure equivalently applies to built-in refrigerating appliances.

[0047] The refrigerating appliance 100 comprises a cabinet 105, for example substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and, within the cabinet 105, an inner liner 110 which encloses one or more refrigerating compartments (such as one or more fridge compartments and / or one or more freezer compartments, as discussed here below).

[0048] The inner liner 110 preferably encloses or delimits an inner compartment, such as a fresh food storage compartment (hereinafter, fridge compartment) 115 adapted to store fresh food products to be preserved. The fridge compartment 115 is delimited by walls of the inner liner 110, such as a rear wall 11 OR (e.g., parallel to the X-Z plane), opposite side walls 110si,110s2 (e.g., parallel to the Y-Z plane), and top and bottom walls (e.g., parallel to the X-Y plane).

[0049] The fridge compartment 115 may comprise ( / .e., house or be associated / associatable with) one or more accessories for the organized positioning of the food products to be refrigerated, such as one or more among shelves, bottle-holder components, drawers, dairy storage compartments, meat and fish storage compartments, egg storage compartments, and water dispensers.

[0050] The fridge compartment 115 preferably comprises a drawer, hereinafter referred to asfridge drawer, 120. Without loss of generality, the fridge drawer 120 may for example be a fruit and vegetable storage drawer (also known as crisper drawer), although this should not be construed limitatively. In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the fridge drawer 120 is located in a lower region of the fridge compartment 115. Nonetheless, the principles of present disclosure equivalently apply to fridge drawers located in different regions of the fridge compartment (for example, a top region of the fridge compartment and / or an intermediate region of the fridge compartment between the top and bottom regions).

[0051] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the fridge compartment 115 further comprises one or more shelves, such as the shelves 125, and one or more bottle-holder components, such as the bottle-holder component 130.

[0052] The fridge compartment 115 preferably comprises a front door (hereinafter, fridge door) 135 operable for selectively accessing the fridge compartment 115. Particularly, the fridge door 135 (shown in an open position) is selectively openable for accessing the fridge compartment 115 (in a closed position the fridge door 135 facing the rear wall 11 OR of the inner liner 110).

[0053] Preferably, although not necessarily, the fridge door 135 comprises one or more door compartments, for example door bins, such has the door bins 135B, defining additional storage spaces on the fridge door 135.

[0054] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the inner liner 110 also defines or delimits a further inner compartment, such as a frozen food storage compartment (hereinafter, freezer compartment) 140, or more thereof, adapted to store frozen food products, particularly food products to freeze or to keep frozen.

[0055] Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment the refrigerating appliance 100 identifies a so-called combined refrigerator-freezer appliance (or fridge-freezer appliance). However, although explicit reference is made to a combined refrigerator-freezer, and particularly to a combined refrigerator-freezer with a single fridge compartment and a single freezer compartment, the principles of the present disclosure apply equally to any refrigerating appliance, and particularly to refrigerating appliances with any number of fridge compartments (including none, one, or multiple fridge compartments) and any number of freezer compartments (including none, one, or multiple freezer compartments).

[0056] The freezer compartment 140 is for example arranged, along the vertical direction Z, below the fridge compartment 115. Without loss of generality, the fridge compartment 115 andthe freezer compartment 140 may be arranged in any mutual position and / or in any position with respect to other refrigerating compartments (if any). Just as an example, the freezer compartment 140 may be positioned at the top, bottom, side or in any other position inside the refrigerating appliance 100.

[0057] The freezer compartment 140 may be smaller (in capacity and / or volume) than the fridge compartment 115, although this should not be construed limitatively.

[0058] The freezer compartment 140 preferably comprises one or more drawers, hereinafter referred to as freezer drawers. In the illustrated exemplary and non-limiting embodiment, the freezer compartment 140 comprises a plurality of freezer drawers, for example arranged at different levels along the vertical direction Z, such as a top freezer drawer 145i located at an upper region of the freezer compartment 140, a bottom freezer drawer 1453 located at a lowermost or bottom region of the freezer compartment 140, and an intermediate freezer drawer 1402 located at an intermediate region of the freezer compartment 140 between the upper and lowermost regions. Nonetheless, the principles of present disclosure equivalently apply for any numbers of freezer drawers (including none, one, two or more than three freezer drawers), and for any arrangements or positioning thereof.

[0059] In the following, the top freezer drawer 140i , the intermediate freezer drawer 1402, and the bottom freezer drawer 1403 will be concisely referred to also as freezer drawers 140i-140s, when distinguishing among them will not be deemed relevant for the discussed feature(s).

[0060] The freezer compartment 140 preferably comprises a front door (hereinafter, freezer door) 145 operable for selectively accessing the freezer compartment 140. In alternative embodiments, not shown, the refrigerating appliance 100 may comprise a single front door for selectively accessing both the fridge compartment 115 and the freezer compartment 140.

[0061] The refrigerating appliance 100 comprises a sliding system for allowing a sliding drawer - such as the fridge drawer 120 and / or one or more of the freezer drawers 140i-140s - to slide in and out of the respective inner compartment ( / .e., the fridge compartment 115 and / or the freezer compartment 140, respectively).

[0062] The sliding system, not visible in Figure 1, includes a rail (hereinafter, slide rail) associated, during use, with the sliding drawer, and a rail (hereinafter, guide rail) associated, during use, with the inner compartment where the sliding drawer is intended to be housed and slide, with the slide rail that is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing a slidingmovement of the sliding drawer.

[0063] Figures 2A and 2B show perspective views of a sliding drawer 200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0064] Without loss of generality, the sliding drawer (hereinafter concisely referred to as drawer) 200 may be any drawer intended to be housed in any inner compartment of any refrigerating appliance, such as the fridge drawer 120 and / or one or more of the freezer drawers 140-1-1403 of the refrigerating appliance 100.

[0065] The drawer 200, due to its inherent advantages, which will be discussed in detail below, may form a separate and independent aspect of the present disclosure.

[0066] The drawer 200 comprises a drawer body 205, for example for storing food to be preserved.

[0067] Preferably, the drawer body 205 is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises a rear wall 205R (e.g., parallel to the X-Z plane), side walls 205SI,205S2 (e.g., parallel to the Y-Z plane and respectively facing, during use, the side walls 110si,110s2 of the inner liner 110), a bottom wall 205B (e.g., parallel to the X-Y plane), and a front wall 205F (e.g., parallel to the X-Z plane and facing, during use, the rear wall 11 OR of the inner liner 110). The front wall 205F of the drawer body 205, the rear wall 205R of the drawer body 205, and the side walls 205S-I,205S2 of the drawer body 205 identify, during use, a drawer front, a drawer back and drawer sides, respectively.

[0068] Although not shown, the drawer 200 may comprise a drawer cover (e.g., opposite the bottom wall 205B) for covering the drawer body 205.

[0069] The front wall 205F of the drawer body 205 preferably acts as (or comprises) a handle of the drawer body 205 for allowing the user to move the drawer 200 in and out of the inner compartment, i.e., to impart the sliding movement to the drawer between a fully retracted position and a fully extracted position, respectively.

[0070] Without loss of generality, the drawer body 205, or at least part thereof, may be made of, or comprise, any plastic material that is durable, resistant to low temperatures, and foodsafe. Just as an example, the drawer body 205, or at least part thereof, may be made of, or comprise, one or more among ABS, Polypropylene, PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), and Polycarbonate.

[0071] The drawer 200 comprises one or more slide rails configured to cooperate with one ormore guide rails associated with in the inner compartment (the guide rails being discussed in the following).

[0072] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the slide rails comprise a slide rail 215 provided at the side wall 205si of the drawer body 205, and a slide rail 215 (partially visible in Figure 2A) provided at the side wall 205s2 of the drawer body 205. Nonetheless, number and position of the slide rails 215 should not be interpreted as limiting and may, for example, be selected based on specific design considerations. Just as an example, in alternative embodiments (not shown) the slide rails (or at least a subset thereof) may be located at the bottom wall 205B of the drawer body 205.

[0073] In the following, for ease of description, reference will be made to a single slide rail 215. Nonetheless, the sliding system may comprise any number of slide rails 215. Therefore, in the following, any features, advantages, implementations, and / or alternatives discussed in connection with the slide rail 215 are intended to apply to any provided slide rail.

[0074] The slide rail 215 is configured to fit into or engage the respective guide rail, for example, a receiving channel thereof, for positioning the drawer 200 inside the inner compartment and subsequently allowing the sliding movement (as discussed in the following).

[0075] The slide rail 215 is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material. This ensures structural integrity (especially in load-bearing applications, such as in drawers for refrigerating appliances, where loads must be supported without significant flexing), and enhances precision by ensuring stable and repeatable performance.

[0076] By rigid and non-deformable plastic material of a component (such as the slide rail, the guide rail and rolling members, discussed in the following) is herein meant a plastic material that does not deform, or deforms only minimally (substantially imperceptibly), under normal operating conditions unless it reaches a point of structural failure (breakage). This means that the component maintains its shape and dimensions when subjected to external forces ( / .e., any deformation, if it occurs, is negligible and does not affect functionality) and has a breakage as its limit ( / .e., if the applied external force exceeds a certain threshold, rather than bending or stretching, the component fractures or cracks).

[0077] The slide rail 215 is made in a single piece construction. The single piece construction of the slide rail 215 contributes to achieve a non-removable embedding of a rolling member within it (as better discussed in the following).Preferably, the slide rail 215 mainly extends along the transverse direction Y. More preferably, the slide rail 215 extends between the front 205F and rear 205R walls of the drawer body 205 over a significant portion of the respective side wall along the transverse direction Y (e.g., more than half, or nearly the entire length in the illustrated embodiment). This advantageously provides good stability during sliding movement.

[0078] The slide rail 215 preferably has a profile substantially matching a profile of the receiving channel of the guide rail. This advantageously ensures a stable coupling between the slide rail 215 and the guide rail, thus minimizing mechanical play that could compromise the smoothness of the sliding movement.

[0079] In the exemplary illustrate embodiment, the slide rail 215 is preferably in the form of a continuous elongated structure protruding from the respective side wall of the drawer body 205 along the longitudinal direction X. This ensures that, when the drawer 200 is positioned inside the inner compartment (with the slide rail(s) 215 fitted or engaged into the receiving channel(s) of the respective guide rail(s)), there is a gap between the side walls 205SI,205S2 of the drawer body 205 and the side walls 110si,110s2 of the inner liner 110. This gap prevents scratches and damage to the drawer body 205 during the sliding movement.

[0080] The slide rail 215 preferably comprises opposite upper 215u and lower 215L outer walls forming upper and lower contact surfaces of the slide rail 215 when the slide rail 215 is fitted or engaged into the receiving channel of the guide rail (as better discussed in the following). Although not shown, one or both contact surfaces (or portions thereof) of the slide rail 215 may comprise textured tracks to reduce friction between the contact surfaces of the slide rail 215 and matching contact surfaces of the guide rail (discussed in the following), thus ensuring the slide rail (and hence the drawer) remains aligned during the sliding movement.

[0081] The slide rail 215 comprises one or more rolling members, such as the rolling member 220, for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer 200, i.e., for making the sliding movement fluid, continuous, and free from jerks or irregularities, with minimal friction and vibrations. To achieve this, the rolling member 220 is advantageously configured to roll or rotate directly in abutment with the contact surface of the guide rail, as further discussed below.

[0082] The rolling member 220 is stationary in its position while rotating. By stationary position of a rolling member (such as the rolling member 220 of the slide rail 215 and a rolling member of the guide rail, discussed in the following) is herein meant that the rolling member is configuredto rotate in place, i.e., it is able to roll or rotate around its own axis (hereinafter, rolling axis) without shifting its location (particularly, without moving along the respective rail). Therefore, when a user exerts a pushing force or pulling force on the drawer, the force is transferred through the rolling member 220 to the guide rail, allowing the drawer to slide inward and outward. Since the rolling member 220 is functionally part of the drawer, it does not rotate independently but rather glide along the contact surface of the guide rail, minimizing wear and tear.

[0083] The rolling member 220 is rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in the slide rail 215.

[0084] By rotatably embedding in a non-removable way a rolling member in a component (such as the slide rail or the guide rail) is herein meant that the rolling member is securely and irreversibly enclosed or encapsulated into the component while still allowing rotational movement about the rolling axis. This means that no external fastening elements and no assembly operations (which are inherently reversible) are used for embedding the rolling member in the component, and hence that the rolling member cannot be detached without damaging the component. Specifically, the rolling member is permanently enclosed or encapsulated within the component, meaning it cannot be removed without destructive disassembly. As better discussed in the following, rotatable and non-removable embedding is achieved by forming the rolling member directly in place, i.e., together with the component, by means of an injection molding process. Embedded rolling members eliminate the need for separately mounted rolling member and instead incorporate the rolling mechanism directly into the component. This simplifies construction, reduces the number of parts that could fail, and provides a cost-effective solution for ensuring smooth movement. Moreover, the absence of external fastening elements that could become loose or require maintenance, results in a highly reliable rolling mechanism with no or substantially no failure points.

[0085] The rolling member 220 is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material. As will be apparent from the following discussion, the use of a rigid, non-deformable plastic material for the slide rail 215 and for the rolling member 220 contributes to achieve the non-removable embedding of the rolling member 220 (as the rolling member cannot be removed through any form of deformation, even if temporary, of the slide rail 215 and / or of the rolling member 220).

[0086] Without loss of generality, the material of the rolling member 220 may be formed in (orcomprise) same or different or partially different materials as compared to the material(s) of the slide rail 215.

[0087] The slide rail 215 comprises an embedding section 225 embedding the rolling member 220.

[0088] Preferably, as illustrated, the embedding section 225 (and, hence, the rolling member 220 embedded therein) is located at an end of the slide rail 215, more preferably at a rear end thereof in proximity of the drawer back (the rear end of the slide rail 215 essentially corresponding to at a distal end, along the transverse direction Y, relative to the drawer front). This advantageously ensures smooth sliding throughout the entire sliding movement; indeed, the rear end of the side rail 215, farthest from the drawer front, interacts the most with the guide rail during the sliding movement of the drawer 200 between the fully retracted and fully extracted positions. In particular, it travels along almost the entire length of the guide rail during both sliding into and out of the inner compartment.

[0089] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the embedding section 225 (and, hence, the rolling member 220 embedded therein) may be provided at any position along the slide rail 215. For example, in embodiments where one or more additional rolling members are provided at the slide rail side and / or one or more rolling members are provided also at the guide rail side, the position of each rolling member may depend on the placement of the others — for instance, to achieve symmetry and / or ensure equal or substantially equal spacing relative to a reference point.

[0090] Advantageously, the embedding section 225 comprises an opening 225o (visible in Figure 2B) through which the rolling member 220 partially protrudes, along the vertical direction Z, to provide a rolling contact of the slide rail 215 with the guide rail (particularly, the protruding portion of the rolling member 220 abutting the contact surface of the guide rail) during the sliding movement of the drawer.

[0091] Advantageously, the embedding section 225 comprises a seat receiving the rolling member 220 to allow rolling member rotation. As better discussed here below, shape and / or size and / or position of the seat may depend on constructional features (such as geometry) of the rolling member 220.

[0092] As visible in the enlarged portion of Figure 2B (which shows the rolling member 220 without the embedding section 225), in the exemplary considered embodiment the rollingmember 220 comprises a wheel 220w and a pin 220p made in single piece construction. As will be apparent from the following discussion, the single piece construction of the rolling member 220 contributes to achieve non-removable embedding of the rolling member 220 (as the rolling member 220 cannot be removed by dismounting any of its parts, particularly the wheel 220w and the pin 220P).

[0093] The pin 220p identifies the rolling axis, i.e., the axis of ration of the rolling member 220. In the exemplary considered embodiment in which the rolling member 220 comprises a wheel 220w and a pin 220p, the opening 225o of the embedding section 225 is configured to expose at least part of the wheel 220w, and the seat is configured to constrain the pin 220P to allow rotation of the rolling member 220 while preventing extraction of the rolling member 220 from the slide rail 215. Just as an example, as illustrated, the seat comprises two housing holes 225H (partially visible in Figure 2A), for example circular or substantially circular housing holes, aligned along the longitudinal direction X and positioned at opposite sides of the slide rail 215 (particularly, at opposite sides of the embedding section 225) allowing the pin 220P to extend through them. Without loss of generality, the housing holes 225H may be through holes or blind holes. The housing holes 225H are advantageously sized to accommodate respective pin ends with a predefined longitudinal extent and with a controlled mechanical clearance along one or more among the longitudinal X, transverse Y and vertical Z directions.

[0094] The longitudinal extent of the pin ends through the housing holes 225H is advantageously designed to avoid pin extraction. Since both the slide rail 215 and the rolling member 220 are made of a rigid, non-deformable plastic material, the longitudinal extent may be small or relatively small (in that essentially no deformation of the slide rail 215 and of the rolling member 220 is allowed).

[0095] The controlled mechanical clearance of the pin ends advantageously ensures rotational freedom of the pin 220p, and consequently enables the rotation of the wheel 220w, which is integral to the pin 220P.

[0096] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the rolling member 220 has different or partially different geometries. Just as an example, not shown, the rolling member may be a free-rolling ball (or other spherical rolling member) that rotates (in place) in a substantially omnidirectional way. In this example, the seat of the embedding section 225 may be a concave seat or cavity or a circular groove where the ball rests. The omnidirectional movement of a spherical rollingmember advantageously compensates for possible misalignments between the slide rail and the guide rail.

[0097] In the exemplary considered embodiment, the slide rail 215 is formed in a single piece construction with the drawer body 205, i.e., it is formed as an integral part of the drawer body 205 during the manufacturing process. Particularly, the side rail 215 and the drawer body 205 may be formed during a same injection molding process (for example, during a same phase of the injection molding process or a different phase of the injection molding process). In these embodiments, the rolling member 220 (which, as discussed above, is also achieved by means of an injection molding process) may be formed during the same injection molding process (i.e., either during a same phase of the injection molding process, concurrently with the drawer and the slide rail, or during a different phase of the injection molding process). The single piece construction of the slide rail 215 and of the drawer body 205 (or, more generally, of the drawer) advantageously provides robustness (seamless structural integration reduces potential weak points at connection interfaces) and design simplicity.

[0098] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the slide rail 215 (with the rolling member 220 embedded therein) is attached to the drawer body 205 by fastening elements (e.g., screws, bolts, rivets, adhesives, or interlocking mechanisms such as snap-fit joints). Therefore, in these embodiments, instead of being an integral part of the drawer, the slide rail 215 (with the rolling member 220 embedded therein) is manufactured as an independent component (particularly, by means of a same injection molding process for the slide rail 215 and for the rolling member 220, as better discussed in the following) and affixed to the drawer body 205 at a later stage. This provides modularity (allowing different rail materials and geometries to be used) and flexibility (easy replacement in case of wear, damage, maintenance, and / or adjustments after assembly).

[0099] Figures 3A and 3B show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of a guide rail 300 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0100] As mentioned above, the guide rails are associated, during use, with in the inner compartment of the refrigerating appliance 100, and represent the fixed or stationary tracks within the inner compartment that interact or cooperate with respective side rails associated with the drawer to allow the sliding movement in a guided manner.

[0101] In the exemplary considered embodiment in which the sliding system comprises a pairof slide rails 215, a pair of guide rails 300 may be provided, with each guide rail 300 that may for example be associated with a respective side wall 110si,110s2 of the inner liner 110 to slidably receive a respective slide rail 215.

[0102] In the following, for ease of description, reference will be made to a single guide rail 300. Nonetheless, the sliding system may comprise any number of guide rails 300. Therefore, in the following, any features, advantages, implementations, and / or alternatives discussed in connection with the generic guide rail 300 are intended to apply to any provided guide rail.

[0103] The guide rail 300 comprises a receiving channel 305 for receiving the slide rail 215, thereby allowing the slide rail 215 to fit into or engage the guide rail 300 for positioning the drawer 200 inside the inner compartment and allowing the sliding movement (as discussed in the following).

[0104] The guide rail 300 is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material. This ensures structural integrity (especially in load-bearing applications, such as in drawers for refrigerating appliances, where loads must be supported without significant flexing), and enhances precision by ensuring stable and repeatable performance.

[0105] The guide rail 300 is made in a single piece construction. The single piece construction of the guide rail 300 contributes to achieve a non-removable embedding of a rolling member within it (as better discussed in the following).

[0106] Preferably, the guide rail 300 mainly extends along the transverse direction Y. More preferably, the guide rail 300 extends from the rear wall 11 OR of the inner liner 110 over a significant portion of the respective side wall 110si,110s2 along the transverse direction Y (e.g., more than half, or nearly the entire length in the illustrated embodiment). This advantageously provides good stability during sliding movement.

[0107] The guide rail 300 (particularly, the receiving channel 305) preferably has a profile substantially matching the profile of the slide rail 215. This advantageously ensures a stable coupling between the slide rail and the guide rail, thus minimizing mechanical play that could compromise the smoothness of the sliding movement.

[0108] In the exemplary illustrate embodiment, the guide rail 300 is preferably in the form of an elongated C-shaped structure, with upper 300u and lower 300L walls delimiting the receiving channel 305 (otherwise stated, the guide rail 300 has a substantially parallelepiped-shaped structure with a recessed receiving channel 305). The C-shape of the guide rail 300 ensuresthat the slide rail 215 is securely enclosed within the receiving channel 305, allowing it to move along its path with a smooth, stable and precise guidance.

[0109] An inner surface 31 Ou of the upper wall 300u (hereinafter, upper inner surface) and an inner surface 310L of the lower wall 300L (hereinafter, lower inner surface) delimit the receiving channel 305 and advantageously act as contact surfaces of the guide rail 300 (with the upper inner surface 31 Ou of the guide rail 300 that, during the sliding movement, is in contact with the upper outer surface 215u of the slide rail 215 and the lower inner surface 310L of the guide rail 300 that, during the sliding movement, is in contact with the lower outer surface 215L of the slide rail 215). Although not shown, one or both contact surfaces (or contact surface portions) of the guide rail 300 may comprise textured tracks to reduce friction between the contact surfaces of the guide rail and the contact surfaces of the slide rail, thus ensuring the slide rail (and hence the drawer) remains aligned during the sliding movement.

[0110] The upper inner surface 310u and the lower inner surface 310L have a substantially straight profile.

[0111] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the lower inner surface 310L of the guide rail 300 comprises, in proximity of a front end thereof, a rounded depression or trench 315T intended to accommodate the rolling member 220 of the slide rail 215 when the drawer is the fully extracted position, thereby advantageously preventing or making difficult accidental complete pulling of the drawer out the guide rail 300. Therefore, the trench 315T defines a retaining mechanism for retaining or contributing to retain the drawer in position. To this purpose, other retaining mechanisms (not shown) may be envisaged.

[0112] In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the lower inner surface 310L of the guide rail 300 comprises, in proximity of a rear end thereof, a supportive slope 315s intended to support or promote the sliding of the rolling member 220 of the slide rail 215 during the sliding movement towards the fully retracted position.

[0113] In the exemplary considered embodiment, when the guide rail 300 is associated with the inner liner 110 (particularly, the side wall 110si or the side wall 110s2 thereof), the upper 300u and lower 300L walls protrude from the respective side walls along the longitudinal direction X (with the longitudinal extent of the upper 300u and lower 300L walls that depends on a depth of the receiving channel 305, which in turns depends on the longitudinal extent of the slide rail it is intended to receive).The guide rail 300 comprises one or more rolling members, such as the rolling member 320, for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, i.e., for making the sliding movement fluid, continuous, and free from jerks or irregularities, with minimal friction and vibrations.

[0114] To achieve this, the rolling member 320 is advantageously configured to roll or rotate directly in abutment with the lower outer surface 215L of the slide rail 215 during the sliding movement.

[0115] The rolling member 320 is stationary in its position while rotating.

[0116] The rolling member 320 is rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in the guide rail 300.

[0117] The rolling member 320 is preferably made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material.

[0118] Without loss of generality, the material of the rolling member 320 may be formed in (or comprise) same or different or partially different materials as compared to the material(s) of the guide rail 300.

[0119] The guide rail 300 comprises an embedding section 325 embedding the rolling member 320.

[0120] Preferably, as illustrated, the embedding section 325 (and, hence, the rolling member 320 embedded therein) is located at an end of the guide rail 300, more preferably at a front end thereof in proximity of the drawer front (the front end of the guide rail essentially corresponding to at a proximal end, along the transverse direction Y, relative to the drawer front) when the drawer is in the fully retracted position. This advantageously ensures smooth sliding throughout the entire sliding movement; indeed, the front end of the guide rail 300, farthest from the drawer back when the drawer is in the fully retracted position and nearest to the drawer back when the drawer is in the fully extracted position, interacts the most with the slide rail during the sliding movement of the drawer between the fully retracted and fully extracted positions. In particular, it travels along almost the entire length of the slide rail during both sliding into and out of the inner compartment.

[0121] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the embedding section 325 (and, hence, the rolling member 320 embedded therein) may be provided at any position along the guide rail 300. For example, in embodiments where one or more additional rolling members are provided at the guide rail side and / or one or more rolling members are provided also at the slide rail side,the position of each rolling member may depend on the placement of the others — for instance, to achieve symmetry and / or ensure equal or substantially equal spacing relative to a reference point.

[0122] Advantageously, the embedding section 325 comprises an opening 325o (visible in Figure 3A) through which the rolling member 320 partially protrudes, along the vertical direction Z, to provide a rolling contact of the guide rail 300 with the slide rail (particularly, the protruding portion of the rolling member 320 abutting the contact surface of the slide rail, more particularly the lower outer surface 215L thereof) during the sliding movement of the drawer.

[0123] Advantageously, the embedding section 325 comprises a seat receiving the rolling member 320 to allow rolling member rotation. As better discussed here below, shape and / or size and / or position of the seat may depend on constructional features (such as geometry) of the rolling member 320.

[0124] As visible in the enlarged portion of Figure 3A (which shows the rolling member 320 without the embedding section 325), the rolling member 320 is for example structurally analogous to the rolling member 220, and comprises a wheel 320w and a pin 320p made in single piece construction. The single piece construction of the rolling member 320 contributes to achieve non-removable embedding of the rolling member 320 (as the rolling member 320 cannot be removed by dismounting any of its parts, particularly the wheel 320w and the pin 320p).

[0125] The pin 320p identifies the rolling axis, i.e., the axis of ration of the rolling member 320. In the exemplary considered embodiment in which the rolling member 320 comprises a wheel 320w and a pin 320p, the opening 325o of the embedding section 325 is configured to expose at least part of the wheel 320w, and the seat is configured to constrain the pin 320P to allow rotation of the rolling member 320 while preventing extraction of the rolling member 320 from the guide rail 300. Just as an example, as illustrated, the seat comprises two housing holes 325H (only one visible in Figures 3A and 3B), aligned along the longitudinal direction X and positioned at opposite sides of the guide rail 300 (particularly, at opposite sides of the embedding section 325) allowing the pin 320p to extend through them. Without loss of generality, the housing holes 325H may be through holes or blind holes. The housing holes 325H are advantageously sized to accommodate respective pin ends with a predefined longitudinal extent and with a controlled mechanical clearance along one or more among the longitudinal X,transverse Y and vertical Z directions.

[0126] The longitudinal extent of the pin ends through the housing holes 325H is advantageously designed to avoid pin extraction. Since both the guide rail 300 and the rolling member 320 are made of a rigid, non-deformable plastic material, the longitudinal extent may be small or relatively small (in that essentially no deformation of the slide rail 300 and of the rolling member 320 are allowed).

[0127] The controlled mechanical clearance of the pin ends advantageously ensures rotational freedom of the pin 320p, and consequently enables the rotation of the wheel 320w, which is integral to the pin 320P.

[0128] In preferred embodiments, as illustrated, the housing holes 325H may be teardropshaped holes, each one with a narrower lower section and a broader upper section. During use, each end of the pin 320p advantageously rests on the narrower lower section of a respective housing hole 325H.

[0129] Nonetheless, in alternative embodiments (not shown), the holes may be circular or substantially circular holes.

[0130] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the rolling member 320 has different or partially different geometries. Just as an example, not shown, the rolling member may be a free-rolling ball (or other spherical rolling member) that rotates (in place) in a substantially omnidirectional way. In this example, the seat of the embedding section 325 may be a concave seat or cavity or a circular groove where the ball rests. The omnidirectional movement of a spherical rolling member advantageously compensates for possible misalignments between the slide rail and the guide rail.

[0131] Without loss of generality, the association between the guide rail 300 (with the rolling member 320 embedded therein) and the inner liner 110 may be achieved through either a modular approach (which entails manufacturing the guide rail 300, with the rolling member 320 embedded therein, and the inner liner 110 as separate components, and joining them at a later stage), or an integrated approach (which entails manufacturing the guide rail 300, with the rolling member 320 embedded therein, and the inner liner 110 as a single unit from the outset).

[0132] In the exemplary considered embodiment (modular approach), the guide rail 300 (with the rolling member 320 embedded therein) is attached to the inner liner 110 by fastening elements (e.g., screws, bolts, rivets, adhesives, or interlocking mechanisms such as snap-fitjoints). Therefore, in these embodiments, instead of being an integral part of the inner liner, the guide rail 300 is manufactured as independent component (particularly, by means of a same injection molding process for the guide rail 300 and for the rolling member 320, as better discussed in the following) and affixed or attached to the inner compartment 110 at a later stage. This provides modularity (allowing different rail materials and geometries to be used) and flexibility (easy replacement in case of wear, damage, maintenance, and / or adjustments after assembly).

[0133] The guide rail 300 preferably comprises one or more, or even a plurality of, fixing openings 330 designed to accommodate corresponding fastening elements, such as screws, bolts, or rivets (not shown), which are intended to be secured to corresponding fixing openings (not shown) in the inner liner 110. In the exemplary considered embodiment, the guide rail 300 comprises three fixing openings 330.

[0134] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the guide rail 300 is formed in a single piece construction with the inner liner 110, i.e., they are formed as an integral part of the inner liner 110 during the manufacturing process (integrated approach). Particularly, the guide rail 300 and the inner liner 110 may be formed during a same injection molding process (for example, during a same phase of the injection molding process or a different phase of the injection molding process). In these embodiments, the rolling member 320 (which, as discussed above, is also achieved by means of an injection molding process) may be formed during the same injection molding process (i.e., either during a same phase of the injection molding process, concurrently with the inner liner and the guide rail, or during a different phase of the injection molding process, concurrently with the guide rail). The single piece construction of the guide rail 300 and of the inner liner 110 advantageously provides robustness (seamless structural integration reduces potential weak points at connection interfaces) and design simplicity.

[0135] Without loss of generality, the guide rail 300 may be implemented in different ways, depending on specific design choices. Just as an example, the guide rail 300 may be formed as a protruding structure of the inner liner, or the guide rail 300 may be formed as a recessed channel or groove formed into the inner liner surface.

[0136] As mentioned above, the slide rail 215 and the guide rail 300 identify a sliding system, particularly sliding system comprising a slide rail with one or more embedded rolling members (such as the slide rail 215 with the embedded rolling member 220) and a guide rail with one ormore embedded rolling members (such as the guide rail 300 with the embedded rolling member 320).

[0137] Without loss of generality, the sliding system may comprise a slide rail with one or more embedded rolling members, such as the slide rail 215 with the embedded rolling member 220, and a guide rail with no embedded rolling members (for example, with one or more rolling members conventionally attached or connected to the guide rail) or with no rolling members, or the sliding system may comprise a slide rail with no embedded rolling members (for example, with one or more rolling members conventionally attached or connected to the slide rail) or with no rolling members, and a guide rail with one or more embedded rolling members (such as the guide rail 300 with the embedded rolling member 320).

[0138] Therefore, in more generally terms, the sliding system according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises a slide rail and a guide rail in which at least one rail selected between ( / .e., one or both rails of) the slide rail and the guide rail have an embedded rolling member (or more thereof).

[0139] As mentioned above, according to the present disclosure, a rolling member (such as the rolling member 220 or the rolling member 320) may be embedded in the respective rail (such as the slide rail 215 or the guide rail 300, respectively) by means of an injection molding process.

[0140] Advantageously, the injection molding process is a single injection molding process of a single molding material, i.e., a so-called single-shot injection molding process where a single type of plastic material (for example, thermoplastic material) is injected into a mold to produce the finished piece (such as the slide rail with the embedded rolling member(s) or the guide rail with the embedded rolling member(s)) in one step.

[0141] Main process steps of an exemplary single-shot injection molding process of a finished piece, for example the guide rail 300, are shown in Figures 4A-4E, wherein for each figure the left drawing represents a sectional view of the mold showing a number of internal details, and the right drawing represents a cut-only section of the mold highlighting only the cutting area without the internal details.

[0142] At the beginning of the process, a fixed mold part 405 (attached to the stationary platen of the press, not shown) and a moving mold part 410 (attached to the moving platen of the press, not shown) are separated (Figure 4A).

[0143] The moving mold part 410 is moved along a moving direction M towards the fixed moldpart 405, until they fully close and make contact (Figure 4B). Then, inside the mold, sliding cores, inserts, and / or other internal moving parts, essentially defining the shape of the rolling member and globally denoted by the number reference 415, are moved (e.g., substantially orthogonally to the moving direction M) into their final positions, thus defining the mold cavity to be filled to obtain the finished component (Figure 4C).

[0144] Then, the (molten) plastic material is injected into the mold cavity under high pressure (through a feed system including sprue, runners, and / or gates, not shown); thus, injection molding in the same mold of the rail (the guide rail, in the example at issue) and of the rolling member embedded therein takes place.

[0145] After the (molten) plastic material cools and solidifies inside the mold cavity, taking the shape of the mold cavity, the internal moving parts move back to their initial positions (Figure 4D) and the moving mold part 410 retracts, separating from the fixed mold part (Figured 4E) and revealing the finished component (the finished component being not shown in this figure).

[0146] Figures 5A and 5B show a perspective view and a side view of the guide rail 300 just out of the mold, after the molding process of Figures 4A-4E, and Figure 5C shows a portion of a sectional view of the guide rail 300 along the V-V axis of Figure 5A.

[0147] As visible in these figures, during the molding process, in which the guide rail 300 and the rolling member 320 are formed simultaneously within the same mold cavity, due to the nature of single-shot molding, the rolling member 320 is initially connected to the guide rail 300 by one or more temporary linking tabs 505 (visible in Figure 5C) — thin material bridges that hold the rolling member 320 in a predefined position inside the guide rail 300. These linking tabs 505 are intentional weak points designed to be broken, for example upon the first use.

[0148] When the user or the employer applies force (e.g., during assembly or activation), the linking tabs 505 snap, allowing the rolling member 320 — initially in a raised position shown in Figures 5A and 5B, in which the pin 320w is at the upper section of the housing holes 325H — to settle into its designated seat within the rail (to achieve the lowered position of the rolling member 320 illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B, in which the pin 320w is at the lower section of the housing holes 325H). At this point, the rolling member 320 gains its intended rotational degree of freedom, enabling it to function as designed.

[0149] The single-shot injection molding process produces in a single step a dual-component assembly consisting of a main part ( / .e., the rail, such as the slide rail or the guide rail) and aninternal secondary part ( / .e., the rolling member embedded therein), which maintain their functional independence after initial activation.

[0150] The use of a single-shot injection molding process produces uniform parts with consistent properties, is cost-effective for high-volume production, and requires simple tooling. This makes it an attractive choice for manufacturers.

[0151] In alternative embodiments, not shown, the injection molding process is a co-injection molding process, i.e., an injection molding process in which two different materials are injected into a mold in a controlled sequence. The use of two different materials is advantageous for improving rolling member sliding.

[0152] Particularly, the co-injection molding process comprises a first injection molding step to form the rail slide rail or the guide rail (in a first plastic material), and a second injection molding step (following the first injection molding step) to form the rolling member (in a second plastic material) embedded in the slide rail or in the guide rail, respectively.

[0153] The use of a co-injection molding process to embed the rolling member in a rail allows enhancing product performance, and achieving specific aesthetic or functional or mechanical properties, such as strength and adherence between the rolling member and the contact surface it is intended to contact.

[0154] Naturally, in order to satisfy local and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the disclosure described above many logical and / or physical modifications and alterations. More specifically, although the disclosure has been described with a certain degree of particularity with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible. In particular, different embodiments of the disclosure may even be practiced without the specific details (such as the numeric examples) set forth in the preceding description for providing a more thorough understanding thereof; on the contrary, well-known features may have been omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the description with unnecessary particulars.

[0155] *****

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sliding system (215,220,300,320) for allowing a sliding movement of a drawer (120, 140i-1403,200) in and out from an inner compartment (115;140) of a refrigerating appliance (100), the sliding system comprising:- a slide rail (215) associated, during use, with the drawer, and- a guide rail (300) associated, during use, with the inner compartment, wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing the sliding movement of the drawer,wherein:at least one rail (215,300) selected from the slide rail and the guide rail comprises a rolling member (220,320) for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in said at least one rail.

2. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rail (215,300) comprises an embedding section (225,325) embedding the rolling member (220,320), the embedding section comprising:an opening (225o,325o) through which the rolling member partially protrudes to provide a rolling contact of the slide rail (215) with the guide rail (300) during the sliding movement of the drawer (200), anda seat (225H,325H) receiving the rolling member to allow rolling member rotation.

3. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to claim 2, wherein the rolling member (220,320) comprises a wheel (220w,320w) and a pin (220P,320P) made in single piece construction, the seat (225H,325H) constraining the pin to allow rotation of the rolling member while preventing extraction of the rolling member from the at least one rail (215,300).

4. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein: the rolling member (220,320) is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material, andthe at least one rail (215,300) is made of a rigid and non-deformable plastic material and in a single piece construction.

255. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to claim 4, wherein the material of the rolling member (220,320) is the same as or different from the material of said at least one rail (215,300).

6. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rolling member (220,320) is located at an end of the at least one rail (215,300).

7. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one rail (215,300) comprises the slide rail (215), and wherein during use the rolling member (220,320) of the slide rail is located at a rear end of the slide rail.

8. Sliding system (215,220,300,320) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one rail (215,300) comprises the guide rail (300), and wherein during use the rolling member (220,320) of the guide rail is located at a front end of the guide rail.

9. Drawer (120, 140I-1403,200) comprising a slide rail (215) adapted to slide, during use, along a guide rail (300) associated with an inner compartment (115;140) of a refrigerating appliance (100), thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment, wherein the slide rail comprises a rolling member (220) for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in the slide rail.

10. Refrigerating appliance (100) comprising:- an inner compartment (115; 140);- a guide rail (300) associated with the inner compartment, wherein during use the guide rail is adapted to slidably receive a slide rail (215) associated with a drawer (120, 140i-1403,200) thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment, wherein the guide rail comprises a rolling member (320) for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in said guide rail.

11. Refrigerating appliance (100) according to claim 10, further comprising:the drawer (120, 140I-1403,200), andassociated with the drawer, the slide rail (215).

12. Refrigerating appliance (100) comprising:- an inner compartment (115; 140);- a guide rail (300) associated with the inner compartment;- a drawer (120, 140I-1403,200);- a slide rail (215) associated with the drawer, wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along the guide rail thereby allowing a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment,wherein the guide rail comprises a rolling member (320) for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer, the rolling member being rotatably embedded in a non-removable way in the guide rail.

13. Refrigerating appliance (100) according to any claim from 10 to 12, wherein the slide rail (215) is formed in a single piece construction with the drawer and / or the guide rail (300) is formed in a single piece construction with the inner compartment (115; 140).

14. A method comprising:providing a mold (405,410);performing an injection molding process in said mold to form a slide rail (215) associated, during use, with a drawer (120, 140I-1403,200) for a refrigerating appliance (100), wherein during use the slide rail is adapted to slide along a guide rail (300) associated with an inner compartment (115;140) of the refrigerating appliance to allow a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment,wherein said performing an injection molding process comprises injection molding in said mold the slide rail and a rolling member (220) embedded in the slide rail for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer.

15. A method comprising:providing a mold (405,410);performing an injection molding process in said mold to form a guide rail (300) associated, during use, with an inner compartment (115,140) of a refrigerating appliance (100), wherein during use the guide rail is adapted to slidably receive a slide rail (215) associated with a drawer (120, 140i-1403,200) to allow a sliding movement of the drawer in and out from the inner compartment,wherein said performing an injection molding process comprises injection molding in said mold the guide rail and a rolling member (320) embedded in the guide rail for smoothing the sliding movement of the drawer.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said injection molding process is a single injection molding process of a single molding material.

17. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said injection molding process is a co-injection molding process comprising:a first injection molding step to form the slide rail (215) or the guide rail (300), and a second injection molding step to form the rolling member (220,320) embedded in the slide rail or in the guide rail, respectively.28

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