CA2537723A1 - Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer - Google Patents

Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2537723A1
CA2537723A1 CA002537723A CA2537723A CA2537723A1 CA 2537723 A1 CA2537723 A1 CA 2537723A1 CA 002537723 A CA002537723 A CA 002537723A CA 2537723 A CA2537723 A CA 2537723A CA 2537723 A1 CA2537723 A1 CA 2537723A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
unit
inner frame
shelves
top opening
outer frame
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002537723A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Kenneth Hugh Cameron Macnair
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MacNair Research Ltd
Original Assignee
MacNair Research Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MacNair Research Ltd filed Critical MacNair Research Ltd
Priority to CA002537723A priority Critical patent/CA2537723A1/en
Priority to CA002568704A priority patent/CA2568704A1/en
Priority to US11/621,727 priority patent/US20070199334A1/en
Priority to PCT/CA2007/000292 priority patent/WO2007095755A1/en
Publication of CA2537723A1 publication Critical patent/CA2537723A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D25/00Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
    • F25D25/04Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by conveyors
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25DREFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2400/00General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/10Refrigerator top-coolers

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Refrigerator Housings (AREA)

Abstract

A storage insert for a top opening storage unit comprising an outer frame shaped to fit within the top opening unit; an inner frame telescopically associated with the outer frame for up and down movement relative to the outer frame and the top opening unit;
and a lifting assembly operatively connected between the inner and outer frames to selectively raise and lower the inner frame relative to the outer frame.

Description

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING THE INTERIOR CONTENTS
OF A FREEZER

Field of the Application This invention relates to improvements in household refrigeration units, and more particularly to household refrigerators and freezers of the table top or top-opening type.
Background A major fault of conventional side-opening freezer and refrigerator units (side-opening units) is that when one of these units is opened, cold air within the unit, being heavier than the warm air of the surrounding room, flows out through the lower portion of the unit's doorway and is replaced by warm air which flows into the unit through the upper portion of the doorway. This necessitates a recooling of most of the interior volume of the unit every time the unit's door is opened. This fault is largely remedied by top-opening freezer and refrigerator units (top-opening units). When one of these units is opened, the cold air within the unit, being heavier than the air of the surrounding room, stays inside of the unit's compartment. The only increase in temperature is caused by the momentary contact between the air within the unit and the outside air.
This increase is negligible when compared to the temperature increase caused by briefly opening a side-opening unit.

The disadvantage of a top-opening unit lies in the inaccessibility of goods stored in the bottom of the unit's well or compartment. When a top-opening unit is utilized to capacity, boxes and packages are piled on top of each other. To access an article at the bottom of a full unit, overlying articles must first be removed by hand, a distinctly uncomfortable and inconvenient exercise. Accessing an article at the bottom of a top-opening unit also reduces the efficiency of the unit, as the unit must be kept open during the hand sorting of its contents.

Prior art attempts to solve the accessibility problem have included the use of shelves in the interior of top-opening units, said shelves capable of being raised out of top-opening unit by mechanical means. This art has a number of limitations. First, the raisable shelves are generally integrated into entirely new top-opening units. The art does not solve the accessibility problem in existing top-opening units Second, the prior art often requires a user to supply the force needed to raise the interior shelves of a top-opening unit. Depending on the strength of the user of such a top-opening unit, this requirement might well become problematic long before the unit is full. Third, when the prior art does disclose the use of a motor to supply lift force, the mechanical lift mechanism is often complicated: difficult to manufacture and difficult to maintain.

Summary It is an object of the present application to overcome the accessibility problem of top-opening freezer and refrigerator units by providing a simple apparatus for mechanically lifting the interior contents of a top-opening unit, thus making the contents of the unit easily accessible.

The present application further provides a lifting apparatus that can be easily installed in existing top-opening units.

The present application still further provides an apparatus comprising a top-opening unit with a lifting apparatus built-in.

According to the present invention then, there is provided a storage insert for a top opening storage unit comprising an outerframe shaped to fit within said top opening unit;
an inner frame telescopically associated with said outer frame for up and down movement relative to said outer frame and said top opening unit; and a lifting assembly operatively connected between said inner and outer frames to selectively raise and lower said inner frame relative to said outer frame.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing access to the interior of a top opening storage unit comprising the steps of placing one or more spaced apart horizontally aligned shelves within the interior of said storage unit; and operatively connecting said one or more shelves to a selectively operable lifting mechanism forvertically raising and lowering said shelves relative to said unit's interior.

Brief Description of the Drawings Further objects and improvements incorporated in the apparatus will be apparent from the following specifications and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective, partially sectional view of the apparatus of the present invention, and a top-opening unit where, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may be installed.

Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention.
Detailed Description Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

As shown in Figure 1, an apparatus in the nature of a shelving insert 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an inner frame 102 having four walls 101 and shelves 103, and an outer frame 104 having four walls 105 and a floor 106. In the center of lowermost shelf 103 of inner frame 102 is an integrated threaded base support 107. Attached to the floor of outer frame 104 is a lifting assembly 110. The lifting assembly 110 moves inner frame 102 either up or down relative to outer frame 104.

With reference to Figure 2, shelving insert 100 may be installed in a top-opening freezer or refrigerator unit 200, comprising a main body 201 and a hinged door 202 mounted on the main body. The door 202 covers the opening of a storage compartment 204 inside the freezer. When inner frame 104 of insert 100 is in its lowest position, the insert fits inside storage compartment 204 and door 202 can be opened and closed without interference.

As shown in Figure 2, the lifting assembly 110 comprises a motor, such as a C-flange motor, 112 operatively connected to an upright rotating screw actuator 114, which turns a 3/4 inch (or other diameter) free-standing Acme screw 116. Screw 116 has a bottom end 118 connected to screw actuator 114 and a top end 120 that extends through an aligned hole in upper shelf 103. The screw threadedly engages base support 107 on lower shelf 103 so that rotation of the screw in one direction raises the inner frame and rotation in the other direction lowers the frame.

A description of the process to raise inner frame 102 of insert 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention follows. When a user activates motor 112 using for example an externally mounted switch, motor 112 rotates screw actuator 114 which rotates freestanding Acme screw 116. The rotating Acme screw causes the threaded base support 107, which is engaged to Acme screw 116, to move toward the upper end 120 of the Acme screw. Innerframe 102, fixedly attached to threaded base support 107, moves in concert. Thus, inner frame 102 and shelves 103 and any containers or items on the shelves of the inner frame move upwardly for easy access. If insert 100 is in a top-opening unit, lowermost shelf 103 can be lifted to approximately the top of compartment 204. Thus, a user could easily access an article, originally at the bottom of the freezer, without significant bending or rooting about.

To lower inner frame 102, motor 112 is activated to rotate upright rotating screw actuator 114 in the opposite direction until inner frame 102 is fully lowered into the freezer.

As will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art, lifting assembly can be hydraulically or pneumatically actuated.

Stability for inner frame 102 when elevated is provided by the sliding proximity of walls 101 to walls 105. As will be appreciated the insert is adaptable to both OEM
freezers and refrigerators and to the after market. The insert also makes chest refrigerators more practical.

In some applications, insert 100 may have to be shaped to file around a housing for the freezer's compressor.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (5)

1. A storage insert for a top opening storage unit comprising:
an outer frame shaped to fit within said top opening unit;
an inner frame telescopically associated with said outer frame for up and down movement relative to said outer frame and said top opening unit; and a lifting assembly operatively connected between said inner and outer frames to selectively raise and lower said inner frame relative to said outer frame.
2. The storage insert of claim 1 wherein said inner frame includes one or more horizontally disposed shelves.
3. The storage insert of claim 2 wherein said lifting assembly includes a motor, a drive mechanism actuatable by said motor and a threaded rod extending from said drive mechanism for a threaded connection to said inner frame wherein rotation of said threaded rod in one direction elevates said inner frame and rotation of said threaded rod in the opposite direction lowers said inner frame.
4. The storage insert of claim 3 wherein said threaded rod engages a correspondingly threaded base support member connected to at least one of said shelves.
5. A method of providing access to the interior of a top opening storage unit comprising the steps of:
placing one or more spaced apart horizontally aligned shelves within the interior of said storage unit; and operatively connecting said one or more shelves to a selectively operable lifting mechanism for vertically raising and lowering said shelves relative to said unit's interior.
CA002537723A 2006-02-27 2006-02-27 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer Abandoned CA2537723A1 (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002537723A CA2537723A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-02-27 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer
CA002568704A CA2568704A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-11-23 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a refrigeration unit
US11/621,727 US20070199334A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2007-01-10 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a refrigeration unit
PCT/CA2007/000292 WO2007095755A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2007-02-26 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a refrigeration unit or the like

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002537723A CA2537723A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-02-27 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2537723A1 true CA2537723A1 (en) 2007-08-27

Family

ID=38442745

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002537723A Abandoned CA2537723A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-02-27 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a freezer
CA002568704A Abandoned CA2568704A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-11-23 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a refrigeration unit

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002568704A Abandoned CA2568704A1 (en) 2006-02-27 2006-11-23 Apparatus for elevating the interior contents of a refrigeration unit

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20070199334A1 (en)
CA (2) CA2537723A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2007095755A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111137808A (en) * 2018-11-02 2020-05-12 杭州海康机器人技术有限公司 Carrying trolley
CN113995240A (en) * 2021-10-15 2022-02-01 武汉万纳信息技术有限公司 Intelligent archive sorting and storing all-in-one machine

Families Citing this family (22)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008046396B4 (en) * 2008-09-09 2011-11-10 Leica Biosystems Nussloch Gmbh Apparatus for cooling cassette magazines containing tissue samples
CN104364593A (en) * 2012-03-23 2015-02-18 B/E航空公司 Dynamic chilled mini-bar for aircraft passenger suite
WO2014082836A1 (en) * 2012-11-29 2014-06-05 Arcelik Anonim Sirketi A household appliance wherein the load amount on the shelf is measured
US20150130343A1 (en) * 2013-11-14 2015-05-14 David Earl Morris Cooling appliance with interior lift
US9534834B1 (en) * 2014-04-24 2017-01-03 Leighton Klassen Elevating shelf system
EP3276264A1 (en) * 2016-07-29 2018-01-31 Apparatebau Gronbach Srl Motion device for a kitchen appliance, and kitchen appliance having such a motion device
IT201800000707A1 (en) * 2018-01-11 2019-07-11 Fly Kit S R L "CONTAINMENT STRUCTURE FOR ICE CREAM PRODUCTS IN REFRIGERATED COUNTERS"
CN109237838A (en) * 2018-08-27 2019-01-18 安徽省皖美食品有限公司 One kind is freeze proof to split quick-frozen food production equipment
KR20210007639A (en) * 2019-07-12 2021-01-20 엘지전자 주식회사 Refrigerator
CN112240665B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112240663B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112240667B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112240666B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112240662B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112240664B (en) * 2019-07-16 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112432416B (en) * 2019-08-26 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN112444042B (en) * 2019-08-30 2024-09-24 海信冰箱有限公司 Refrigerator with lifting layer frame
CN110657620A (en) * 2019-10-09 2020-01-07 裕克施乐塑料制品(太仓)有限公司 Automatic lifting device for space-saving hidden partition plate
CN112283973A (en) * 2020-10-16 2021-01-29 广东唯实生物技术有限公司 Thermal control device and immunodiagnosis system
CN113639503B (en) * 2021-09-03 2022-09-09 江西省科星生物工程有限公司 Freezer cabinet for storing skin and facilitating taking and placing
CN114459198A (en) * 2022-01-27 2022-05-10 澳柯玛股份有限公司 Article rack and freezer with adjustable
IT202200027246A1 (en) * 2022-12-30 2024-06-30 Tecnoservizi S R L SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR WAREHOUSES

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US3650591A (en) * 1970-04-08 1972-03-21 Ernest B Longmire Sr Elevator shelf unit
US5586816A (en) * 1992-07-09 1996-12-24 Geiss, Ii; Michael J. Multi-purpose, mobile storage cabinet with horizontally and vertically adjustable shelf structure
US5273352A (en) * 1992-11-06 1993-12-28 Barry Saper Load-distributing platform transport apparatus
US6902243B2 (en) * 2003-02-25 2005-06-07 Wieslaw Bober Modular sub-cabinet for motion furniture

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111137808A (en) * 2018-11-02 2020-05-12 杭州海康机器人技术有限公司 Carrying trolley
CN113995240A (en) * 2021-10-15 2022-02-01 武汉万纳信息技术有限公司 Intelligent archive sorting and storing all-in-one machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20070199334A1 (en) 2007-08-30
CA2568704A1 (en) 2007-08-27
WO2007095755A1 (en) 2007-08-30

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued