Cabinet spacer

Abstract

A cabinet spacer to be applied to cabinets of the type used in refrigerators or freezers, having a rear face to be maintained at a certain minimum distance from an adjacent wall. The cabinet spacer comprises an elongated body having a free end and a mounting end, coupled to the cabinet and which is automatically displaced from an inoperative position, retracted close to the cabinet by actuation of a package portion, to an operative position in which the mounting end is seated on the cabinet and the free end projects beyond the rear face of the cabinet.

1 . A cabinet spacer to be applied to cabinets of the type used in refrigerators or freezers, presenting a rear face to be maintained at a certain minimum distance from an adjacent wall comprising: 
 an elongated body having a free end, and a mounting end, coupled to the cabinet and which is automatically displaced from an inoperative position, retracted close to the cabinet by actuation of a package portion applied to the latter, to an operative position, in which the mounting end is maintained seated on the cabinet and the free end projecting beyond the rear face of the cabinet, so as to be seated against an adjacent wall, guaranteeing a minimum distance of the cabinet in relation to said wall.    
   
   
       2 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the displacement of the elongated body from the inoperative position to the operative position is made by the action of gravity, from the moment in which the package portion stops actuating on the elongated body.  
   
   
       3 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the elongated body, when in the inoperative position, is longitudinally seated against the cabinet and maintained with its free end above the mounting end.  
   
   
       4 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the elongated body has the mounting end eccentrically coupled to the cabinet, in order to be displaced angularly downwardly from the inoperative position to the operative position.  
   
   
       5 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the mounting end incorporates a small L-shaped projection, with a basic leg projecting to one of the sides of the elongated body and a free leg projecting from the basic leg beyond the mounting end and having an end edge retained in the cabinet.  
   
   
       6 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the end edge of the basic leg of the small L-shaped projection incorporates a bar with a width that is larger than that of the small projection, the latter being loosely mounted through a window provided in a rear wall portion of the cabinet, said bar presenting a width that is larger than that of the window and being maintained seated against the internal face of said rear wall portion of the cabinet in both operational positions of the elongated body.  
   
   
       7 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 6 , characterized in that wherein the basic leg of the small projection is seated on a lower edge of the window when the elongated body is in the inoperative position, while the free leg of the small projection is seated against the lower edge of the window when the elongated body is displaced to the operative position.  
   
   
       8 . The cabinet spacer as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the elongated body presents, at least in its mounting end, a pair of lateral projections which impart to the elongated body a width that is larger than the width of the window and which are seated against the rear wall portion.